PCS STYROFOAM CUSTOMER POLL

[Jyester]

Fans of previous PCS lines have mentioned on many occasions that the Styrofoam packaging used in their high value statues was unacceptable and should be upgraded. PCS mentioned that to do so would increase the total price of the statue by around $10-$15.

With the release of the 1st MK PCS statue and with many of these NEW customers also complaining about the Styrofoam quality now is the time for PCS to sit up and take notice.

As many of the people reading this are also customers of the companies products please let them know your opinion on the Styrofoam packaging currently used.

[kagero_no_mai]

You forgot the entry 'Styrofoam packing quality is unacceptable but I wouldn't pay extra since it's my right as a buyer to have the item delivered to me undamaged'..:deadh:

[ThomasMak0524]

I think PCS should consider let SS mass produce their products.

[T-Jam]

You forgot the entry 'Styrofoam packing quality is unacceptable but I wouldn't pay extra since it's my right as a buyer to have the item delivered to me undamaged'..:deadh:

:goodpost::goodpost::goodpost::goodpost:
:iagree::iagree::iagree::iagree:

[DarthKy]

You forgot the entry 'Styrofoam packing quality is unacceptable but I wouldn't pay extra since it's my right as a buyer to have the item delivered to me undamaged'..:deadh:

:iagree::goodpost::iagree::goodpost::iagree:
:iagree::goodpost::iagree::goodpost:

[SkyPirate82]

I've mentioned this recently already but it seems PCS's Lion-O is the only piece thus far to ship in the good foam (I can't comment on Mumm-Ra as I don't have him).
It's a shame that subsequent releases have used the poor quality stuff as it's something of a step backwards, IMO. It was to my understanding that products with a higher ES would all come shipped in the good stuff so I wonder what happened with Scorpion?

I can only hope future products - especially the upcoming 1:1 busts - will ship in something a lot more durable. The thought of that magnificent 1:1 Ryu shipping in prawn crackers is not a pleasant one.

[loricstone]

Packaging is just as important as the statue itself. Why create an excellent statue only to have it arrive in poor condition due to packaging.

Here's a hint...use quality styrofoam please.

As long as PCS is using crap packaging, I will not purchase a statue from them. Instead of typing about it, I will let my wallet talk for me.:rant:

[kingofhobbies]

i dont understand why good packaging should increase in the price of the statue, already the pricing is high for your statues, i know the cost of manufacturing and it is below 100$ per statue, that includes packaging as well, so i dont think there is a reason for this poll at all, packaging is extremely important and that what made companies like sideshow rise up, u shouldnt even ask us for this, the poll result was already known before it even started, and let`s just be honest, PCS had some failures with their last pieces and u should act against it by raising the quality of your pieces and one of the things that should be well taken care of is PACKAGING

[loricstone]

i dont understand why good packaging should increase in the price of the statue, already the pricing is high for your statues, i know the cost of manufacturing and it is below 100$ per statue, that includes packaging as well, so i dont think there is a reason for this poll at all, packaging is extremely important and that what made companies like sideshow rise up, u shouldnt even ask us for this, the poll result was already known before it even started, and let`s just be honest, PCS had some failures with their last pieces and u should act against it by raising the quality of your pieces and one of the things that should be well taken care of is PACKAGING

Well yeah you aint lying about that kingofhobbies.

Tell me, why is Syco's MK statues not only bigger, better packaged with good quality styrofoam like SS uses, little paint problems, almost no breakages I have heard of, and it costs $50-$100 less?

Just curious!

[biglebowski9999]

Packaging is just as important as the statue itself. Why create an excellent statue only to have it arrive in poor condition due to packaging.

Here's a hint...use quality styrofoam please.

As long as PCS is using crap packaging, I will not purchase a statue from them. Instead of typing about it, I will let my wallet talk for me.:rant:

Agreed, I'm there, too...done typing about it...time to let my wallet do the talking.


i dont understand why good packaging should increase in the price of the statue, already the pricing is high for your statues, i know the cost of manufacturing and it is below 100$ per statue, that includes packaging as well, so i dont think there is a reason for this poll at all, packaging is extremely important and that what made companies like sideshow rise up, u shouldnt even ask us for this, the poll result was already known before it even started, and let`s just be honest, PCS had some failures with their last pieces and u should act against it by raising the quality of your pieces and one of the things that should be well taken care of is PACKAGING

Exactly. There is plenty of money to be made there, it's silly that we even have to have this discussion or that people have to be willing to fork over even MORE $$$ for something that is already priced in.



Tell me, why is Syco's MK statues not only bigger, better packaged with good quality styrofoam like SS uses, little paint problems, almost no breakages I have heard of, and it costs $50-$100 less?

Just curious!

Curious, isn't it? :thinking: I had already decided that Syco was going to get "most" of my money between the two companies because I just like how they handle the license better, but after this, make that ALL my money.

[elijah_snow]

I take umbrage with the notion that the costs for better packaging should be the responsibility of the consumer....so I didn't vote in the pole.

I'm paying $500 for a statue (and I'm happy to do it)....the idea that somehow that amount is insufficient to cover packaging whose quality matches the quality of the statue is ludicrous.

[Jyester]

You forgot the entry 'Styrofoam packing quality is unacceptable but I wouldn't pay extra since it's my right as a buyer to have the item delivered to me undamaged'..:deadh:

Acknowledged and you are correct but we have been asking for a change since the start and nothing so I suppose my point is would you pay the $10 extra for the upgrade if that's whats required for something to happen. Damn if it would beat stuff arriving broken and allow us to re-use the styrofoam multiple times then so be it.

As usual you are all correct I forgot the option for ....

It is my god given right as a consumer paying circa $300 for a high end collectible statue that it arrives adequately packaged using materials which last as long as I plan to keep it for!

I vote that one too thanks for pointing it out oh an stick your tick in the box for better packaging anyway as a company rep may just stand up and take notice if enough do! :goodpost:

[Ex-Parrot]

I purchased the ex Judge Dredd, and I'm telling you right now, if PCS skimp out on the packaging on that $500 item and it arrives in any way damaged, then not only will it be going back, but that'll probably be it as far as my support of their releases go. Even the best pieces around aren't any good if they arrive broken or damaged, regardless of who makes them...

As an international collector this hobby is hard enough as it is, with shipping costs and so on, as well as the occasional breakage in transit to boot even in well packed pieces, so I can't wholeheartedly support a company that actually knowingly increases the risk that a piece I buy won't arrive in the condition that it should do by using second rate materials in packaging.

To tie up one's money for months in advance, taking a leap of faith that the final product will be worth the wait and money invested in it, only to recieve a broken piece that often can't be replaced due to the exclusivity of the run is no fun at all, and puts a serious dampener on collecting, so one would think that all companies out there would want to do everything they practically can in order to make sure that their items were well packed, and had the best possible chance of arriving safely and in the condition collectors expect and deserve. Otherwise those customers that get broken statues and feel burnt by the whole thing are far less likely to buy that company's next release, and who could blame them?

I mean just speaking for myself, I'll give any company the benefit of the doubt once, and take a chance with them if it is a piece that I want, but I'm far, far less likely to give them a second chance if that first experience went badly. Particularly if it was due to issues that could have been avoided, such as poor packaging not providing adequate protection.

Also, I have to agree with those that say we pay enough for these pieces as it is, to try and say we are the ones that should be paying even more for better quality packaging just to make sure the high end items that we are buying actually arrive in the condition that they should reasonably be expected to is frankly ridiculous.

I hope that Jerry doesn't get offended by this thread, but instead takes this on board as legitimate criticism of an issue that should be addressed for future releases, as it is something that is a real concern for many of his customers and potential customers.

[High Lord Apocalypse]

I purchased the ex Judge Dredd, and I'm telling you right now, if PCS skimp out on the packaging on that $500 item and it arrives in any way damaged, then not only will it be going back, but that'll probably be it as far as my support of their releases go. Even the best pieces around aren't any good if they arrive broken or damaged, regardless of who makes them...

As an international collector this hobby is hard enough as it is, with shipping costs and so on, as well as the occasional breakage in transit to boot even in well packed pieces, so I can't wholeheartedly support a company that actually knowingly increases the risk that a piece I buy won't arrive in the condition that it should do by using second rate materials in packaging.

To tie up one's money for months in advance, taking a leap of faith that the final product will be worth the wait and money invested in it, only to recieve a broken piece that often can't be replaced due to the exclusivity of the run is no fun at all, and puts a serious dampener on collecting, so one would think that all companies out there would want to do everything they practically can in order to make sure that their items were well packed, and had the best possible chance of arriving safely and in the condition collectors expect and deserve. Otherwise those customers that get broken statues and feel burnt by the whole thing are far less likely to buy that company's next release, and who could blame them?

I mean just speaking for myself, I'll give any company the benefit of the doubt once, and take a chance with them if it is a piece that I want, but I'm far, far less likely to give them a second chance if that first experience went badly. Particularly if it was due to issues that could have been avoided, such as poor packaging not providing adequate protection.

Also, I have to agree with those that say we pay enough for these pieces as it is, to try and say we are the ones that should be paying even more for better quality packaging just to make sure the high end items that we are buying actually arrive in the condition that they should reasonably be expected to is frankly ridiculous.

I hope that Jerry doesn't get offended by this thread, but instead takes this on board as legitimate criticism of an issue that should be addressed for future releases, as it is something that is a real concern for many of his customers and potential customers.

Tell us how you really feel. LOL.


j/k man. i perfectly understand where is everyone is coming from since PCS is the only that uses the cheaper styro from all the stuff i buy as well. Glad the Thundercats got the good styro. wish SF would get those upgrades.

[Jyester]

I hope that Jerry doesn't get offended by this thread, but instead takes this on board as legitimate criticism of an issue that should be addressed for future releases, as it is something that is a real concern for many of his customers and potential customers.

Which is my exact point for the creation of this thread... thanks for echoing my sentiments in the hope that PCS listen to their customer's which is of course the key to the success of any business!

[High Lord Apocalypse]

i dont think it'll make a difference. from what i remember jerry already said that the SF line has such low edition size that he doesnt see himself forking over the extra cash for higher priced styro. i can only assume he means the profit margin is much lesser on the SF line due to smaller edition.

Thats also when he said the thundercats would get the better styro.

[jye318]

i dont understand why good packaging should increase in the price of the statue, already the pricing is high for your statues, i know the cost of manufacturing and it is below 100$ per statue, that includes packaging as well, so i dont think there is a reason for this poll at all, packaging is extremely important and that what made companies like sideshow rise up, u shouldnt even ask us for this, the poll result was already known before it even started, and let`s just be honest, PCS had some failures with their last pieces and u should act against it by raising the quality of your pieces and one of the things that should be well taken care of is PACKAGING

So true, why we still need to pay more since the statue is price over $300? Pcs should improve it to avoid the damage, they are selling expensive statue.

[High Lord Apocalypse]

i posted the same question in the thread.

Are some of the statues arriving because of poor castings or is it the styrofoam?

i recall seeing a borken zangief and the crack happened at the point where the casting was practically wafer thin. i've seen it before on hulk vs spiderman diorama too..

i thought the styrofoam was more of an annoyance when it crumbles all over the damn place and completely ripped apart when the statue exchanges hands after mulitple owners. That decreases the value of the statue since collectors can be really picky.

[Jyester]

The styrofoam is annoying when you buy an Akuma and during transport his fist does a die 1000 deaths out through the styrofoam and pierces a big hole through your collectible art print that comes with the statue!

That's when you know I can speak from experience :thumbsdow

[High Lord Apocalypse]

The styrofoam is annoying when you buy an Akuma and during transport his fist does a die 1000 deaths out through the styrofoam and pierces a big hole through your collectible art print that comes with the statue!

That's when you know I can speak from experience :thumbsdow

ouch!

[WarMachine714]

Poor Jerry. You guys will be the death of him....

[kingofhobbies]

Poor Jerry. You guys will be the death of him....

i am sure he can read this and he can defend himself well, i have most of SF statues, and they are well packed and in box as i dont have the space for it to display , and everytime i would like to see a statue i open the box and repackage it when i am done, only SF statues i dont open for the mess they do, i bought garage kits from China even well packed more than this,
making money in this business is top priority , i agree with that, but to do you must keep the customer service level at the maximum, i swear i cancelled my scorpion order after the first review done on its thread saying that the packaging still horrible as it is.
and i see other companies ,selling if not better quality , i believe it is the same, but lower price and extremely good packaging,and their customer service are at their extreme, why do i have to suffer this, is it because you are the only one holding SF license?

[biglebowski9999]

Poor Jerry. You guys will be the death of him....

:waa:

Yes, poor Jerry. If only there was something he could do to prevent this. Oh, wait...

[EnShinNoi]

If I receive my statue unharmed, I don't care too much but the importance of good packaging should never be overlooked. First impressions die hard so they should be made to count. There are many books written on the subject.

[jye318]

It's very important for me that i have strong box to hold statues, not only when we received the statue, also when we sell them, we never know If we have to sell them or not. Most likely I can't sell my ARH medusa cause it's the worse one I have never see.

[testsubject25]

It's very important for me that i have strong box to hold statues, not only when we received the statue, also when we sell them, we never know If we have to sell them or not. Most likely I can't sell my ARH medusa cause it's the worse one I have never see.

Or move! Lots of people don't stay in the same place for their whole life.

[StatueHunter75]

i am sure he can read this and he can defend himself well, i have most of SF statues, and they are well packed and in box as i dont have the space for it to display , and everytime i would like to see a statue i open the box and repackage it when i am done, only SF statues i dont open for the mess they do, i bought garage kits from China even well packed more than this,
making money in this business is top priority , i agree with that, but to do you must keep the customer service level at the maximum, i swear i cancelled my scorpion order after the first review done on its thread saying that the packaging still horrible as it is.
and i see other companies ,selling if not better quality , i believe it is the same, but lower price and extremely good packaging,and their customer service are at their extreme, why do i have to suffer this, is it because you are the only one holding SF license?


Jerry is not the only one holding the SF license SOTA also makes SF Statues.

[High Lord Apocalypse]

Not at 1/4 scale

[jye318]

Sota is not too good.... IMO

[SARFARAZ]

Sota ryu statue sucks but their chunners is hot. You know jerry did say he would be using better styrofoam starting with lion-o, so I'm very interested in funding out what happened with scorpion..

[Andrew]

Not at 1/4 scale

Actually SOTA released a 1/4 scale Ryu (fully sculpted) and is working on a mixed media 1/4 Chun Li.

[jye318]

Yea that chun li is hot and must buy for sure. But only her haha

[High Lord Apocalypse]

Actually SOTA released a 1/4 scale Ryu (fully sculpted) and is working on a mixed media 1/4 Chun Li.

Sorry. You're right. I totally forgot about it. I use to own that ryu too!

[Vracula]

Sorry. You're right. I totally forgot about it. I use to own that ryu too!

used to ? didnt like it?

[StatueHunter75]

Here's a video review of my Scorpion Mortal Kombat 1/4 Scale Sideshow Exclusive Statue by Pop Culture Shock Collectibles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93XuEWyn3C0

[Vracula]

nice statuehunter !!always enjoy your reviews.

[johnclone]

styrohairs

[derekrodneysim]

One of the reasons I think long and hard about buying the next PCS product. Quality.

[kingofhobbies]

Jerry is not the only one holding the SF license SOTA also makes SF Statues.

i know, but Sota isnt handling it pretty well, i wonder what are they waiting for

[OuttaSight]

You all will be happy to know Chun Li and Dredd has the top quality styrofoam packaging.

The reason Scorpion got the other styrofoam is too complicated to go into here. Its unfortunate there has been some damage as the factory guaranteed me we wouldnt have a problem.

Having said that, I was at Sideshow today and so far its less than 10 pcs reported to them as broken and they have enough replacements to cover it.

Going forward *most* new products will have the top quality molded styrofoam. There will still be a few where sales are so low we cant afford the styrofoam as its $3000 to create the molds and then adds about $10 to the cost of the statue.

Our profit margins are too slim as it is so we really have no choice but to pass along the costs.

[loricstone]

Thanks for the review! A video review is usually the closest thing to seeing how a statue actually looks as if its next to you.

Firstly, the statue (Scorpion himself) is done very, very well! I love the motion, and the contortion of the body and the movement of his arms, and stance of his legs. The paint app on it looks fine as far as I can tell!

The base however, welllllll....not so well done! And it's not due to the actual sculpt of the base, it has everything to do with the paint app of the base. The lava is unappealing, and their is lack of paint details on the hands in the lava. The rock looks very plasticy, and kind of detracts from the overall look of the statue.

The most important point and problem I have is the terrible packaging and the fact that there seems to be quite a few breakages already from the few people that have received theirs. Not good!

I won't browbeat this any more, but the styrofoam has got to improve DRASTICALLY!

I am glad that we have not just one, but two companies making statues of MK characters! While I will not purchase this Scorpion from PCS, I do anxiously await to see whats coming next in this line. I feel Jerry will listen and change the packaging, and I expect whatever comes next to be exquisitely done!

Scorpion will come in the form of SYCO's version for myself. Congrats to anyone that gets a PCS Scorpion that doesn't come with problems (magnets, paint, breakages, etc.) Outside of the lackluster base, the figure of Scorpion himself is awesomely done!

[loricstone]

You all will be happy to know Chun Li and Dredd has the top quality styrofoam packaging.

The reason Scorpion got the other styrofoam is too complicated to go into here. Its unfortunate there has been some damage as the factory guaranteed me we wouldnt have a problem.

Having said that, I was at Sideshow today and so far its less than 10 pcs reported to them as broken and they have enough replacements to cover it.

Going forward *most* new products will have the top quality molded styrofoam. There will still be a few where sales are so low we cant afford the styrofoam as its $3000 to create the molds and then adds about $10 to the cost of the statue.

Our profit margins are too slim as it is so we really have no choice but to pass along the costs.

That's great about the Chun-Li and Judge Dredd having the better styrofoam, but honestly, ALL your statues should have them.

Realistically, if people are willing to pay $350 for an MK statue or any statue for that matter, an extra $10- $20 for the best sculpture and packaging you can give to the customer is not going to get them all riled up.

I'd rather pay $360 for an excellently sculpted, painted, and packaged statue, than $340-$350 for a excellently sculpted, painted, but half assed packaged statue that will cause a mess and not protect the statues as well.

JM2C!!!

[OuttaSight]

That's great about the Chun-Li and Judge Dredd having the better styrofoam, but honestly, ALL your statues should have them.

Realistically, if people are willing to pay $350 for an MK statue or any statue for that matter, an extra $10- $20 for the best sculpture and packaging you can give to the customer is not going to get them all riled up.

I'd rather pay $360 for an excellently sculpted, painted, and packaged statue, than $340-$350 for a excellently sculpted, painted, but half assed packaged statue that will cause a mess and not protect the statues as well.

JM2C!!!

Well its $10 plus the $3000 amortized through the line. So for Scorpion it would have increased his retail price by ~$30.

In hindsight you are correct, we should have done it.

[derekrodneysim]

How's the casting quality on this piece? Is Scorpion solid?

I like how you started your review, SatueHunter75. Well, this may well be a grail someday, but what's the point of buying and owning one if say you'll have to box it up sometime and it may not even make it out of there in one shape again?

And seeing how this one has pen outlines and poorly cut out shapes is just evident of the amateurish quality that the factory employs.

I so want to buy this, and more so after the video review, but the uncertainty is holding me back. I may just have to pass on this line entirely. I'll just be paying high prices for questionable products and cheap product packaging. And I love Mortal Kombat and Jerry's such a cool guy. :banghead:

[francois_nor]

You all will be happy to know Chun Li and Dredd has the top quality styrofoam packaging.

The reason Scorpion got the other styrofoam is too complicated to go into here. Its unfortunate there has been some damage as the factory guaranteed me we wouldnt have a problem.

Having said that, I was at Sideshow today and so far its less than 10 pcs reported to them as broken and they have enough replacements to cover it.

Going forward *most* new products will have the top quality molded styrofoam. There will still be a few where sales are so low we cant afford the styrofoam as its $3000 to create the molds and then adds about $10 to the cost of the statue.

Our profit margins are too slim as it is so we really have no choice but to pass along the costs.

Like I mentioned $10 is nothing for the headache that we deal with broken statues.... Thank you Jerry... That's great news

[francois_nor]

Well its $10 plus the $3000 amortized through the line. So for Scorpion it would have increased his retail price by ~$30.

In hindsight you are correct, we should have done it.

30 not 10 ... Isn't that a bit much... 10% of the statue price.

[derekrodneysim]

Right on, Jerry!

Just enjoy how you stay close to your fans and take feedback and make improvements from those comments that make sense.

That's super cool in my book. :thumbs2:

Please make Raiden impossible for me to resist.

[kingofhobbies]

as far as i know, packaging is chosen by the time you do the deal with the manufacture, and they charge you per total with a minimum order, and if they are charging you extra for the packaging molds, i suggest you change the manufacture, there is a lot of em in China and would beg you for business, better quality painting and packaging as well
i know this because i am dealer for companies in my country and i know the wholesale price, if you are planning to add 30$ on the retail cost , if this is what is costing you, how you will work it on the wholesale price ???
you shouldnt add a single dollar and you should shoulder these costs whatever they are to give your customers the best quality, to keep them loyal to you, especially that now you have competition in both MK and SF licenses, i cancelled the scorpion order for its packaging and if you dont work it out , in time you will be loosing your customers one by one

[Ex-Parrot]

You all will be happy to know Chun Li and Dredd has the top quality styrofoam packaging.

The reason Scorpion got the other styrofoam is too complicated to go into here. Its unfortunate there has been some damage as the factory guaranteed me we wouldnt have a problem.

Having said that, I was at Sideshow today and so far its less than 10 pcs reported to them as broken and they have enough replacements to cover it.

Going forward *most* new products will have the top quality molded styrofoam. There will still be a few where sales are so low we cant afford the styrofoam as its $3000 to create the molds and then adds about $10 to the cost of the statue.

Our profit margins are too slim as it is so we really have no choice but to pass along the costs.

Good to know that most items going forward (including Dredd :buttrock:) will get the higher quality styro, thanks for letting us know about that, hopefully should set a few minds at ease.

As for the (hopefully rare) cases where the run is apparently too small to warrant it, I think if it has to be that way many (most?) collectors would still rather pay an extra few bucks for the higher quality packaging rather than run the risk with the lower quality stuff, if there is any way to make that happen. These are high end pieces to begin with, we want them to arrive as such, and if, unfortunately, that takes a few more dollars to make happen then better that than the possible alternative.

I would imagine that people in this hobby would usually rather pay a bit more to maintain a certain level of quality, rather than save a few bucks by cutting corners, and face the issues doing so can cause. Especially given that if a run is lower to begin with, then replacements for any damaged pieces might be harder to come by. But I guess we don't live in a perfect world, so just have to see how things shake out from here on out I guess.

Just my thoughts anyhow. And thanks for taking the time out and responding to all those concerned about this issue. :thumbs2:

[akumalove]

I never had any issues with the packaging, I wonder how many statues arrive broken because of the packaging. I doubt that it's a high percentage. I received a lot Street Fighter statues and also sent a lot of them and really never had a problem.
If I ever get a broken or damaged one, I will contact Sideshow for a replacement.
That is just my experience with the PCS styro.
Christina

[sathz666]

I never had any issues with the packaging, I wonder how many statues arrive broken because of the packaging. I doubt that it's a high percentage. I received a lot Street Fighter statues and also sent a lot of them and really never had a problem.
If I ever get a broken or damaged one, I will contact Sideshow for a replacement.
That is just my experience with the PCS styro.
Christina


i believe its more of the way its packed. the initial drop into the styrofoam is 1 of the most important. if the best styrofoam is used, and the packer don't pack the statue in properly with effort and accuracy... the statue will break.

i hope my piece is alright..:cool:

[sathz666]

Well its $10 plus the $3000 amortized through the line. So for Scorpion it would have increased his retail price by ~$30.

In hindsight you are correct, we should have done it.


its a great that effort is being put to improve ..thank you

[Vracula]

30$ increase is ridiculous im sorry.This stuff is expensive as is.

[loricstone]

30 not 10 ... Isn't that a bit much... 10% of the statue price.

Not if you want a nice, neatly packed and packaged lower percentage damage statue!

[biglebowski9999]

30$ increase is ridiculous im sorry.This stuff is expensive as is.

I agree. If the pieces were at Syco-level pricing I could see this, but Scorpion is at a SS-level pricepoint with packaging that is nowhere near that level.

I'm happy for those that plan on continuing with the line that they might have better packaging in the future, but I will add this to my list of reasons not to buy from PCS again.

[High Lord Apocalypse]

used to ? didnt like it?

It's was good vivek but it looked odd next to my PCS pieces. I'm not a big of the SOTA chun-li either.

I am looking forward to the rest of the world warriors form SOTA though.

[gagaliya]

Nothing worse than opening a $350+ statue to have the styrofoam falling apart in front of you making your floor look like a snowstorm, worse those white flakes are static and sticks to everything.

It ruins the whole experience, no matter how nice the statue is. Packaging doesnt have to be apple quality but some basic standards need to be met, those are $300+ items we purchased. Sideshow is the bare min in my opinion.

My worst experience was with an arh studio's statue, it was one of my favorite and came out excellent but the packaging ruined a lot of it for me. (arh did promise to fix the packaging going forward). Also some of sideshow's dinosauria including the grail trex was also packaged in complete crap, not sure what happened there.

Ask any product research team, packaging plays a significant role subconsciously whether consumers will come back to your brand, it associates a negative image to the brand if not done correctly.

A bit cost increase is reasonable for good packaging, a split of $15 between buyer and pcs is the fair way to go.

[dao2]

You all will be happy to know Chun Li and Dredd has the top quality styrofoam packaging.

The reason Scorpion got the other styrofoam is too complicated to go into here. Its unfortunate there has been some damage as the factory guaranteed me we wouldnt have a problem.

Having said that, I was at Sideshow today and so far its less than 10 pcs reported to them as broken and they have enough replacements to cover it.

Going forward *most* new products will have the top quality molded styrofoam. There will still be a few where sales are so low we cant afford the styrofoam as its $3000 to create the molds and then adds about $10 to the cost of the statue.

Our profit margins are too slim as it is so we really have no choice but to pass along the costs.

Glad to know my Dredd will come with good styro thanks :)

[testsubject25]

30$ increase is ridiculous im sorry.This stuff is expensive as is.

Yeah, it's a bit, but it looks like everybody is raising costs these days. On one hand, I'd like to see costs stay down, but on the other hand, I like for the factory employees in China to be able to afford a Big Mac every now and again. :laugh:

[T-Jam]

as far as i know, packaging is chosen by the time you do the deal with the manufacture, and they charge you per total with a minimum order, and if they are charging you extra for the packaging molds, i suggest you change the manufacture, there is a lot of em in China and would beg you for business, better quality painting and packaging as well
i know this because i am dealer for companies in my country and i know the wholesale price, if you are planning to add 30$ on the retail cost , if this is what is costing you, how you will work it on the wholesale price ???
you shouldnt add a single dollar and you should shoulder these costs whatever they are to give your customers the best quality, to keep them loyal to you, especially that now you have competition in both MK and SF licenses, i cancelled the scorpion order for its packaging and if you dont work it out , in time you will be loosing your customers one by one

:goodpost: thank you for that insight king. i always figured that it was planned out in the beginning but its good to hear from someone in the know. jerry's "most statues" comment solidified my decision to eliminate pcs from my hobby. you hear all these complaints from your fans and then decide to give the good packaging to only "most" of your statues. seriously? and then on top of that if we want the good packaging(that's supposed to be a given
) we have to pay more. this is too funny. and its even better to hear others to say....sure sure. i'll fork over another 30 bucks to get the packaging im SUPPOSED to get with my purchase. so long pcs. TOO LITTLE TOO LATE

[Jyester]

You all will be happy to know Chun Li and Dredd has the top quality styrofoam packaging.

The reason Scorpion got the other styrofoam is too complicated to go into here. Its unfortunate there has been some damage as the factory guaranteed me we wouldnt have a problem.

Having said that, I was at Sideshow today and so far its less than 10 pcs reported to them as broken and they have enough replacements to cover it.

Going forward *most* new products will have the top quality molded styrofoam. There will still be a few where sales are so low we cant afford the styrofoam as its $3000 to create the molds and then adds about $10 to the cost of the statue.

Our profit margins are too slim as it is so we really have no choice but to pass along the costs.

Good news you are listening here as it's clearly losing you business. Man it's a no brainer use packaging thats fit for the purpose. These are high value collectibles and I want to use my packaging mulitple times dude!

I never had any issues with the packaging, I wonder how many statues arrive broken because of the packaging. I doubt that it's a high percentage. I received a lot Street Fighter statues and also sent a lot of them and really never had a problem.
If I ever get a broken or damaged one, I will contact Sideshow for a replacement.
That is just my experience with the PCS styro.
Christina

I am afraid you are clearly in the minority here and no matter how low the % if it could be avoided simply by using better quality packaging then customers deserve this. There is absolutely no excuse that I must hoover whenever I receive or decide to move a high value collectible due to the packaging breaking all over the place. As mentioned previously due to the lack of density in the cheap Styrofoam during transport my Akuma's fist burst out through and pieced a hole in the collectible art print ruining it. Once something like that happens to you I am sure you would change your mind!

[bebohawk]

Good news you are listening here as it's clearly losing you business. Man it's a no brainer use packaging thats fit for the purpose. These are high value collectibles and I want to use my packaging mulitple times dude!



I am afraid you are clearly in the minority here and no matter how low the % if it could be avoided simply by using better quality packaging then customers deserve this. There is absolutely no excuse that I must hoover whenever I receive or decide to move a high value collectible due to the packaging breaking all over the place. As mentioned previously due to the lack of density in the cheap Styrofoam during transport my Akuma's fist burst out through and pieced a hole in the collectible art print ruining it. Once something like that happens to you I am sure you would change your mind!

Like Christina i can say I'm in the lucky ones club and the i have receive more damage pieces from Sideshow than from PCS and they have good quality styrofoam. So far i have only recive one PCS statues and it was Vega ponytail and it was a clean break so for me the styrofoam it's not big deal I'm not saying I wouldn't prefer a better styrofoam but the damage pieces can't be all because of the styrofoam there's other factors like the shipping company and the way they handle the packages or like in your Akuma case That was Obviously the Power of the Dark Hadou :hilarious:

[OuttaSight]

Just to note:

The switch to better styrofoam doesnt guarantee less breakage. Other companies have plenty of breakage issues even with the better styrofoam.

I know the actual breakage percentages and ours, with the crappy styrofoam, are no higher than with the top styrofoam.

The only reason to go to the better styrofoam is to avoid the mess.

On highly detailed statues will small pieces there will always be breakage. We aim for less than 5% and so far we usually hit the goal. The worst breakage issues we have ever had were on Guile who crept up to around 7-8% and Vega where the ponytail broke on close to 20%.

The best we have had was Lion-O where we had a total of 24 broken statues...around 3%

[OuttaSight]

as far as i know, packaging is chosen by the time you do the deal with the manufacture, and they charge you per total with a minimum order, and if they are charging you extra for the packaging molds, i suggest you change the manufacture, there is a lot of em in China and would beg you for business, better quality painting and packaging as well

Im not looking to argue but thats not accurate.

[loricstone]

I agree. If the pieces were at Syco-level pricing I could see this, but Scorpion is at a SS-level pricepoint with packaging that is nowhere near that level.

I'm happy for those that plan on continuing with the line that they might have better packaging in the future, but I will add this to my list of reasons not to buy from PCS again.

Yes but keep in mind, PCS usually has lower edition sizes as a whole on most of their runs. However, I do not know the business like some others do.

I have always put foots in my mouth. Not saying you are or have, but when the sculpts are nicely done like the Scorpion from PCS, I am giving them the benefit of the doubt that ALL future statues (at least of licenses I care about) will be shipped in the best packaging possible. If the MK Scorpion cost $329, whats the difference with paying $349 like most of SS statues nowadays?

Don't get me wrong biglebowski, I stated that I will not buy a PCS statue if it comes in that garbage styrofoam ever again, and I mean it!

I, much to my dismay will have to pass on this first MK statue from PCS. And to the couple people that think this will hit grail status, I just don't see it.

Judge Dredd I can see hitting that since it is a very, very low edition and is well done.

[loricstone]

Just to note:

The switch to better styrofoam doesnt guarantee less breakage. Other companies have plenty of breakage issues even with the better styrofoam.

I know the actual breakage percentages and ours, with the crappy styrofoam, are no higher than with the top styrofoam.

The only reason to go to the better styrofoam is to avoid the mess.

On highly detailed statues will small pieces there will always be breakage. We aim for less than 5% and so far we usually hit the goal. The worst breakage issues we have ever had were on Guile who crept up to around 7-8% and Vega where the ponytail broke on close to 20%.

The best we have had was Lion-O where we had a total of 24 broken statues...around 3%

And I heard that Lion-O shipped (or was supposed to ship) in the better styrofoam.

Mr. Macaluso, its not just about breakage, its about everything. Wanting to have the neatest and more protected statues. Sure, there will always be breakages with any packaged product, but there is much more to that.

These are the main reasons why better styrofoam need to be used:

1)Less mess
2)More secure statues with tighter styrofoam
3)Better presentability
4)Ability for customers to preview statues in comic shops without a hassle. This is the biggest problem, as there is no way I am going to CornerStoreComics and saying to the guy, can I see the statue to check for damages, when chances are there will be, and in addition, the packaging will crumble and be a mess. How do you think the next person that may be interested in it is going to feel when he intends to plunker down $300+ for it? I can in no good conscience, and neither can the store feel comfortable about selling it to someone else.

5)Portability (a big one)- There are numerous times us collectors move around our collectible statues. Sometimes, it may be due to storing them in their boxes when a new statue comes out that you may want to display in its stead. Other times, it may be due to people moving from one location to another. Yet still, these statues tend to keep their value or increase, so some like to sell their statues to other people at later dates. But who wants a clusterf%#k of mangled packagaing? Not I.

6)Health concerns (Huge importance) - I know you viewed StatueHunters review of the Scorpion statue he purchased and when he showed how all those loose strands of styrfoam litter the box and the air in a home, that is never, never great for the respiratory systems of humans, or animals, or plants. It will start as reactions to the fibers in our system as such
http://i40.tinypic.com/k579e.gif

then it will lead to crazed brain damage like such
http://i42.tinypic.com/14o5cn8.gif

and culminate in permanent health damage at which that time some will try to sue....never a good thing whether they can or not (it becomes a litigation nightmare for all parties involved).
http://i42.tinypic.com/2qjccad.gif

Avoid all these future hassles and possiblities.

[OuttaSight]

And I heard that Lion-O shipped (or was supposed to ship) in the better styrofoam.

Mr. Macaluso, its not just about breakage, its about everything. Wanting to have the neatest and more protected statues. Sure, there will always be breakages with any packaged product, but there is much more to that.

These are the main reasons why better styrofoam need to be used:

1)Less mess
2)More secure statues with tighter styrofoam
3)Better presentability
4)Ability for customers to preview statues in comic shops without a hassle. This is the biggest problem, as there is no way I am going to CornerStoreComics and saying to the guy, can I see the statue to check for damages, when chances are there will be, and in addition, the packaging will crumble and be a mess. How do you think the next person that may be interested in it is going to feel when he intends to plunker down $300+ for it? I can in no good conscience, and neither can the store feel comfortable about selling it to someone else.

5)Portability (a big one)- There are numerous times us collectors move around our collectible statues. Sometimes, it may be due to storing them in their boxes when a new statue comes out that you may want to display in its stead. Other times, it may be due to people moving from one location to another. Yet still, these statues tend to keep their value or increase, so some like to sell their statues to other people at later dates. But who wants a clusterf%#k of mangled packagaing? Not I.

6)Health concerns (Huge importance) - I know you viewed StatueHunters review of the Scorpion statue he purchased and when he showed how all those loose strands of styrfoam litter the box and the air in a home, that is never, never great for the respiratory systems of humans, or animals, or plants.

I agree.

I just dont want people to think that the better styrofoam guarantees no breakage.

As for Lion-O, the real reason there was hardly any breakage is there are no small/thin parts. Had little to do with the styrofoam.

Many companies will beef up or modify the sculpture to avoid these small/thin breakable parts. This leads to statues that, to my eye, look cheap and more like toys. I try to make our pieces as dynamic and '3D' as possible which means I dont shy away from small/thin breakable parts.

I think this is why PCS has been embraced by the collector community.

If you closely compare pics of my Scorpion with competitors you will see (I hope) that mine has a more 3 dimensional feel to it.

[bebohawk]

And I heard that Lion-O shipped (or was supposed to ship) in the better styrofoam.

Mr. Macaluso, its not just about breakage, its about everything. Wanting to have the neatest and more protected statues. Sure, there will always be breakages with any packaged product, but there is much more to that.

These are the main reasons why better styrofoam need to be used:

1)Less mess
2)More secure statues with tighter styrofoam
3)Better presentability
4)Ability for customers to preview statues in comic shops without a hassle. This is the biggest problem, as there is no way I am going to CornerStoreComics and saying to the guy, can I see the statue to check for damages, when chances are there will be, and in addition, the packaging will crumble and be a mess. How do you think the next person that may be interested in it is going to feel when he intends to plunker down $300+ for it? I can in no good conscience, and neither can the store feel comfortable about selling it to someone else.

5)Portability (a big one)- There are numerous times us collectors move around our collectible statues. Sometimes, it may be due to storing them in their boxes when a new statue comes out that you may want to display in its stead. Other times, it may be due to people moving from one location to another. Yet still, these statues tend to keep their value or increase, so some like to sell their statues to other people at later dates. But who wants a clusterf%#k of mangled packagaing? Not I.

6)Health concerns (Huge importance) - I know you viewed StatueHunters review of the Scorpion statue he purchased and when he showed how all those loose strands of styrfoam litter the box and the air in a home, that is never, never great for the respiratory systems of humans, or animals, or plants.

I agreed with you almost everything but I don't get this part if you are going to ask to the guys in the comic store to open the statue and inspected is because you are a 100% sure the you are gonna buy it if not why would you care about the styrofoam mess if you are only Making them lose there time??

[gagaliya]

Just to note:

The only reason to go to the better styrofoam is to avoid the mess.



also when need to repack for storage etc...for those of us with limited shelf space. The crappy styrofoam pretty much means it's done once you take it out.

what about those instant foams sideshow use to ship replacement parts? it conforms to the shape of the statue after a bit they seem to work really well & no mess at all. Are they more expensive.

[loricstone]

I agree.

I just dont want people to think that the better styrofoam guarantees no breakage.

As for Lion-O, the real reason there was hardly any breakage is there are no small/thin parts. Had little to do with the styrofoam.

Many companies will beef up or modify the sculpture to avoid these small/thin breakable parts. This leads to statues that, to my eye, look cheap and more like toys. I try to make our pieces as dynamic and '3D' as possible which means I dont shy away from small/thin breakable parts.

I think this is why PCS has been embraced by the collector community.

If you closely compare pics of my Scorpion with competitors you will see (I hope) that mine has a more 3 dimensional feel to it.

Yes, I know that is why they do that, but that in no way detracts from the sculpt to me. Do you think your Lion-O looked cheap and more like toys? I dont think it did. Zangief, Guile, Ryu, Bison, etc. are not dynamic statues by any means, but that didn't make them look cheap, and you definitely shied away from parts that were breakable on those sculpts.

Take Cammy, Vega, Morrigan and there were all problems in some form of those statues due to the small parts. My Morrigan came with a broken finger (on one of the hands) because the part was so small. Thats just one example.

So you mean to say that Thor PF, or Black Panther PF or too many other statues to name look cheap? I seriously beg to differ! :jedidual:

Lastly, your Scorpion is much more dynamic than the competitions one, but that is due to the action pose. Hell, I think the most dynamic and exciting statues I have seen (Hulk Comiquette from SS, Daredevil from Hard Hero), were more dynamic, and they had no small parts, but didn't look cheap.

I prefer action poses over museum type poses, but that doesn't necessarily make it more 3 dimensional. More expressive yes!

I have probably harped more on this statue than anyone else on this forum because I so wanted Scorpion. You know I was asking for this a long time ago when you first started here on the forum. Now I feel let down.

I am no way quitting this line or PCS for that matter, but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. And I can in no good conscience support an expensive valuable when the pacakging falls to hell upon sight.

I don't know, and don't care what anyone else says or thinks, but I want the best product possible, and that includes the packaging.

The lackluster packaging is one of the reasons I have never bought an ARH statue to this day (and I think some of his stuff is really well done). I can deal with breakages and some paint issues (can get exchange most times from SS), but I wont take the chance if it comes packaged like dandruff glued on a box.

[loricstone]

I agreed with you almost everything but I don't get this part if you are going to ask to the guys in the comic store to open the statue and inspected is because you are a 100% sure the you are gonna buy it if not why would you care about the styrofoam mess if you are only Making them lose there time??

What if the statue is broken? What if there are paint chips? If it was, would you still buy it?

Come on bebo, no you wouldn't.

This is what I am talking about. This is why I wouldn't even bother.

What if you were an owner of a shop that sells collectibles to the public? What if you opened the package to show the guy, only to have a huge mess in the store, potential health issues to boot, and then once you opened it, you find there is an issue with the statue itself?

So now what? How would you feel about the product the next time someone comes in the store and expresses interest in the MK Scorpion? Now its in the back of your mind, damn this is gonna be a big mess. In addition, you are concerned something will be wrong with it.

I will not take the chance on that, nor am I comfortable with it if I ever tried to resell it to someone, or repackage it to move.

[bebohawk]

What if the statue is broken? What if there are paint chips? If it was, would you still buy it?

Come on bebo, no you wouldn't.

This is what I am talking about. This is why I wouldn't even bother.

What if you were an owner of a shop that sells collectibles to the public? What if you opened the package to show the guy, only to have a huge mess in the store, potential health issues to boot, and then once you opened it, you find there is an issue with the statue itself?

So now what? How would you feel about the product the next time someone comes in the store and expresses interest in the MK Scorpion? Now its in the back of your mind, damn this is gonna be a big mess. In addition, you are concerned something will be wrong with it.

I will not take the chance on that, nor am I comfortable with it if I ever tried to resell it to someone, or repackage it to move.

I get your point on the repacking or reselling but i think you are a little overreacting with the health issues its not like you are gonna sniff the styrofoam and like I said if you ask to the guys to check the statue is because you are gonna buy it if you don't find any damage but if by any chance there's damage -of course i wouldn't buy it but like any other buyer the owner of the store -have the right to ask for a replacement and as for the mess now the owner have and idea and next time he just need to open it in a area were there mess can be retain anyways I'm just saying the styrofoam mess it's no excuse for a person the really want this piece-

[loricstone]

I get your point on the repacking or reselling but i think you are a little overreacting with the health issues its not like you are gonna sniff the styrofoam and like I said if you ask to the guys to check the statue is because you are gonna buy it if you don't find any damage but if by any chance there's damage -of course i wouldn't buy it but like any other buyer the owner of the store -have the right to ask for a replacement and as for the mess now the owner have and idea and next time he just need to open it in a area were there mess can be retain anyways I'm just saying the styrofoam mess it's no excuse for a person the really want this piece-

Have you seen the video review by StatueHunter? If not I suggest to take a look. Humans take things for granted. I try not to. Honestly!

[WarMachine714]

I have found the solution

http://www.funny-potato.com/images/computers/usb-cleaner/usb-vacuum-cleaner.jpg

[World Warrior]

I agree.

I just dont want people to think that the better styrofoam guarantees no breakage.

As for Lion-O, the real reason there was hardly any breakage is there are no small/thin parts. Had little to do with the styrofoam.

Many companies will beef up or modify the sculpture to avoid these small/thin breakable parts. This leads to statues that, to my eye, look cheap and more like toys. I try to make our pieces as dynamic and '3D' as possible which means I dont shy away from small/thin breakable parts.

I think this is why PCS has been embraced by the collector community.

If you closely compare pics of my Scorpion with competitors you will see (I hope) that mine has a more 3 dimensional feel to it.

Agreed, you can't shy away from what makes a statue "pop" so to speak. Fortune favors the bold. But having watched the evolution of statues over there years the one thing PCS did right with Scorpion was Magnets for everything: Heads, Spear, arms in lava, swords etc. I would even go as far as to say that you should push adding more detail to the statues, and use options like magnets, rubber/vinyl or other none breakable material for parts that are at risk of breaking. The key element is making it all blend well together. They are called Mixed media statues.

The only two complaints I currently have about the finished scorpion is the paint and the visible magnets. The paint should look just like the box art. The magnets should NOT be visible when you remove a part.

[Sigep756]

I would think that the kneepads (which seem to be the most commonly broken piece on Scorpion) might have turned out fine had they not been glued to the statue, but attached with magnets as well and packaged in a separate compartment.

I know my Scorpion's shoulder pauldron came unglued during assembly, but it popped right back on.

Maybe if you have parts with these intricate pieces in the future, you can just have the consumer attach them?

[OuttaSight]

I would think that the kneepads (which seem to be the most commonly broken piece on Scorpion) might have turned out fine had they not been glued to the statue, but attached with magnets as well and packaged in a separate compartment.

I know my Scorpion's shoulder pauldron came unglued during assembly, but it popped right back on.

Maybe if you have parts with these intricate pieces in the future, you can just have the consumer attach them?

yeah I try to do that when possible. We did lots of tests on the kneepads and never had a broken one. very surprising to me.

[IcEMaN_BeckeR]

You forgot the entry 'Styrofoam packing quality is unacceptable but I wouldn't pay extra since it's my right as a buyer to have the item delivered to me undamaged'..:deadh:

That's exactly what I was going to say!! None of us should pay more!! We already pay hundreds of $$$ / statue so IMO they should take better awareness on this and handle it and take care of it for all future pcs toys!!

I would still buy some but I'd be little weary if sideshow just threw little styrofoam or bubble wrap around figure and threw it in box and thought that was acceptable!!

Am I still going to buy PCSTOYS? Yes because Jerry is great at what he does and team puts out quality figures but boxing needs big overhaul especially when we pay what we do! If statues and collectibles were $50 / piece we probably wouldn't have this thread but it's not that way!!

Great post, was just thinking about this last few days!!

[OuttaSight]

That's exactly what I was going to say!! None of us should pay more!! We already pay hundreds of $$$ / statue

If companies dont pass costs to consumers we go out of business.

You cant create a retail price based on whats 'fair'. You create it based on what your costs are plus a reasonable profit.

I have much higher costs than bigger companies as I dont make anywhere near as many statues as they do. You get volume discounts in China. So I pay probably 25% more for a statue in China than a bigger company does which means I probably make even less profit than they do.

My profit per piece is around $25 after I pay sculptors, overhead, licensor's, distributors, China and shipping.

If it ever goes below that Its just not worth my time.

Some companies will accept a smaller profit margin and turn out more pieces at a lower quality to make up for it. Thats not how I want to run my business.

[IcEMaN_BeckeR]

If companies dont pass costs to consumers we go out of business.

You cant create a retail price based on whats 'fair'. You create it based on what your costs are plus a reasonable profit.

I have much higher costs than bigger companies as I dont make anywhere near as many statues as they do. You get volume discounts in China. So I pay probably 25% more for a statue in China than a bigger company does which means I probably make even less profit than they do.

My profit per piece is around $25 after I pay sculptors, overhead, licensor's, distributors, China and shipping.

If it ever goes below that Its just not worth my time.

Some companies will accept a smaller profit margin and turn out more pieces at a lower quality to make up for it. Thats not how I want to run my business.


Jerry, thank you for bringing that up! I did forget to mention this but I agree with you, and your 1000% correct, if your not making profit than there isn't much reason to keep doing this! And I understand that company wise sideshow is 100x bigger in terms of product and staff than PCSTOYS! I just feel these people's pain that have broken pieces and think some of this could be avoided if packaging was done little better!

I was very lucky to find my scorpion mint, and never been removed from box! Im not going to until my Shelves are complete!! Hopefully by that time Jerry you have Sub Zero bust and many other 1/4 th scale statue kombatants in our hands!!! Keep up good work Jerry !

Ps - :thumbs2:love scorpion and how everything turned out and can't wait to see what's next; keep them coming whether it's SF or MK I'm a happy man!!

[jetfuel]

You would make more money with less returns and replacements I would think wouldnt you?

[jetfuel]

My profit per piece is around $25 after I pay sculptors, overhead, licensor's, distributors, China and shipping.

If it ever goes below that Its just not worth my time.



Lion O 825 ES: $20625
Chun Li 750 ES: 18750
Scorpion 600 ES: 15000
Mumra 700 ES: 17500
-------
$ 71,875 Give or take on just 4 statues

If below that is not worth your time...:vortex:

....just fix the styro already

[kingofhobbies]

25$???
that is maybe true, but this is for wholesale price, every EX sold you are making a lot of money on it, and every piece sold on the website as well in a retail price, at least half your pieces are sold through the website on a retail price
jetfuel made the calculation on 25$ and it was worth it, so if we do the calculations with the EX and retail sales, it is a whole new story, it is worth it and i am sure you can do the better styrofoam without adding a single dollar, and true it is just because of the mess, man it is horribly messy !!

[Vracula]

Is styrofoam really that expensive?30$??
Srs question.

Either it will be the market that will talk.I appreciate the fact that u are trying to this long overdue issue Jerry.

[akumalove]

I am afraid you are clearly in the minority here and no matter how low the % if it could be avoided simply by using better quality packaging then customers deserve this. There is absolutely no excuse that I must hoover whenever I receive or decide to move a high value collectible due to the packaging breaking all over the place. As mentioned previously due to the lack of density in the cheap Styrofoam during transport my Akuma's fist burst out through and pieced a hole in the collectible art print ruining it. Once something like that happens to you I am sure you would change your mind!

The switch to better styrofoam doesnt guarantee less breakage. Other companies have plenty of breakage issues even with the better styrofoam.

I know the actual breakage percentages and ours, with the crappy styrofoam, are no higher than with the top styrofoam.

On highly detailed statues will small pieces there will always be breakage. We aim for less than 5% and so far we usually hit the goal. The worst breakage issues we have ever had were on Guile who crept up to around 7-8% and Vega where the ponytail broke on close to 20%.

The best we have had was Lion-O where we had a total of 24 broken statues...around 3%
That is what I tried to say, friends of a German statue forum receive a lot of SS pieces “in pieces” even with the supadupa packaging. Therefor my question, do they really break because of the packaging, I honestly don’t think so. Of course a better packaging is nicer, but it won’t avoid brackages, just my opinion though.

If I ever receive a broken one I report it to Sideshow and I’m good. I won’t change my mind because of that.

Christina

[WarMachine714]

I think most folks here want a better styrofoam to avoid the mess.

[Jyester]

You would make more money with less returns and replacements I would think wouldnt you?

Ahhhh some logic not to mention the customer satisfaction aspect leading to repeat purchase and word of mouth recommendation to others! :)

Of course a better packaging is nicer, but it won’t avoid brackages, just my opinion though.

If I ever receive a broken one I report it to Sideshow and I’m good. I won’t change my mind because of that.

Christina

Along with most people here I disagree and honestly I am unsure if you are actually reading my posts or maybe its a language thing but I want to re-use the packaging on my $300+ statue multiple times to move house, change location, sell them whatever the case may be....too much to ask I think not!

And what about when you buy from someone other than SS can you get a replacement then if it breaks? You can stick up for PCS in the hope that you might get an AP down the line but the point remains that the packaging should be upgraded. For me this thread has served its purpose and Jerry has stated that the packaging will be better for upcoming statues. :D

Excellent idea and I am happy to hear that as usual the company take the customers points on board. Looking at the long term bigger picture it's clear that your business and overall profits will benefit from it ... No Brainer !

[francois_nor]

If companies dont pass costs to consumers we go out of business.

You cant create a retail price based on whats 'fair'. You create it based on what your costs are plus a reasonable profit.

I have much higher costs than bigger companies as I dont make anywhere near as many statues as they do. You get volume discounts in China. So I pay probably 25% more for a statue in China than a bigger company does which means I probably make even less profit than they do.

My profit per piece is around $25 after I pay sculptors, overhead, licensor's, distributors, China and shipping.

If it ever goes below that Its just not worth my time.

Some companies will accept a smaller profit margin and turn out more pieces at a lower quality to make up for it. Thats not how I want to run my business.

I don't want to sound mean or come off as an a$$hole.... but are you kidding me? do you really think we are stupid? you only make $25 on every statue you sell?

[francois_nor]

It doesn't matter what you make and i hope you make millions and are successful but all we want is better styrofoam without having to pay for it because like KIng of Hobby said... this is a deal you work with the company from the start and on a high scale the cost would not be $30... and if it is you are getting ripped off!!!

[biglebowski9999]

I don't want to sound mean or come off as an a$$hole.... but are you kidding me? do you really think we are stupid? you only make $25 on every statue you sell?


It's not mean, I thought the same thing. I'm tempted to take his word for it but then I remember the pics of his Ferrari and then I thought again. :laugh:

[kingofhobbies]

It doesn't matter what you make and i hope you make millions and are successful but all we want is better styrofoam without having to pay for it because like KIng of Hobby said... this is a deal you work with the company from the start and on a high scale the cost would not be $30... and if it is you are getting ripped off!!!

:goodpost::iagree::goodpost::iagree:

[Mannequin]

I feel there is a missing choice .

the 4th option must say. PCs must provide better styro at no extra cost..

Customer Service must not be charge to the customer's expense..

[kingofhobbies]

I don't want to sound mean or come off as an a$$hole.... but are you kidding me? do you really think we are stupid? you only make $25 on every statue you sell?

i second that !!!

[OuttaSight]

It's not mean, I thought the same thing. I'm tempted to take his word for it but then I remember the pics of his Ferrari and then I thought again. :laugh:

I don't want to sound mean or come off as an a$$hole.... but are you kidding me? do you really think we are stupid? you only make $25 on every statue you sell?

Its posts like these, which really have no relevance to the conversation, that make me question being so open and forthcoming on the forum.

[biglebowski9999]

Its posts like these, which really have no relevance to the conversation, that make me question being so open and forthcoming on the forum.


Fine, I will make this post both relevant and honest. It is my experience that people don't like talking about money. It's just a weird subject regardless of how little or how much you make. Maybe you don't feel the same but I bet most people do.

You come in here and tell us that the packaging we deserve when spending money on statues of this quality will add $30 apiece approx (obviously this will vary from piece to piece based on ES) and that we should be willing to eat all of that extra charge.

That goes over like a lead balloon with most of us so what comes next? You conveniently drop a number on us (~$25 per piece) on what you clear as profit on your statues. This sounds like a very small amount for all the work and headaches that go into running a business like this, so naturally people will/should feel sorry for you and accept this extra fee.

I guess what I'm saying w/ the long-winded post is "I ain't buyin' it." Now, it's not up to you to prove anything to me or anyone else...whatever you make on your statues is your own business as far as I'm concerned and well-deserved. But the fact that you dropped a specific number on us smells to me at least like you were fishing for some sympathy for proposing an unpopular solution to the problem. My 2 cents.

[dao2]

Actually he said around, not specific :<

[fenix v.2.0]

you have to take into account that SS probably gets these from PCS at wholesale price, then there is licensing royalties, production cost, shipping, and obviously sculpt/printout/paintmaster cost.

[biglebowski9999]

Actually he said around, not specific :<


Thanks for the help. That little squiggly line I put in front of the $25 means "approximately." Now I helped you. :thumbs2:

[loricstone]

I don't want to sound mean or come off as an a$$hole.... but are you kidding me? do you really think we are stupid? you only make $25 on every statue you sell?

17,500 for one statue for an edition size of 700 (MK Scorpion in this case) isn't too bad. And thats after all costs.

I think you are looking at it from one statue. But you have to take into account there are 700 of the regular, not to mention, 300 of the Ex. That's some pretty good moolah for a shoddy packaged statue.
:drooling:

What I am saying is that I believe the ~$25 range. Man, I didn't know statue making was so profitable....sheesh! If I had known, I'd have perfected my art sculpting skills till I got it down. Id have been making all the statues myself and eliminating all the other costs. I like consistency anyway.

$17,500? for regular. $7,500 for Ex. Whoo boy!

Surely, we can get better packaging next time?

[FROBAY]

Some of the greatest statues out there are from PCS but the absolute worst styro I have ever seen, kinda ruins the feel of the high dollar statue when it arrives in a shotty package. I hope JD doesnt come in this shotty styro.

[dao2]

Some of the greatest statues out there are from PCS but the absolute worst styro I have ever seen, kinda ruins the feel of the high dollar statue when it arrives in a shotty package. I hope JD doesnt come in this shotty styro.

He already said Chun and Dredd are coming in the good styro \o/ Makes me real happy cause I don't have anywhere for Dredd :< I'm just gonna have to open em up to check everything marvel at it for a little while then put it back in the box ><

[Jyester]

Its posts like these, which really have no relevance to the conversation, that make me question being so open and forthcoming on the forum.

I agree here to be fair its not a given that the company owner had to comment on this one and has stated that the styrofoam shall be better on future releases. Fans of the forum appreciate that Jerry takes the time to get involved as I am sure most wouldn't bother! Attacking on profit margins there is no need for as that's not what were here to discuss.

Thanks for listening Jerry and I appreciate your feedback. I also look forward to saying I told you so when Chun-Li ships with minimal breakage which ultimately = higher customer satisfaction ... Cheers! :thumbs2:

[gagaliya]

It's quite mind blowing to hear the $25 profit number from jerry, if that's true then i appreciate him more for putting up with all this and make so little.

i was under the impression the profit margin on those $300+ statues are at least 1/3 or 1/2 depends on license/edition size.

But $25 a piece profit? you are seriously better off just buying a few optimus prime and flipped them instead.

wow..just wow.

[High Lord Apocalypse]

17,500 for one statue for an edition size of 700 (MK Scorpion in this case) isn't too bad. And thats after all costs.

I think you are looking at it from one statue. But you have to take into account there are 700 of the regular, not to mention, 300 of the Ex. That's some pretty good moolah for a shoddy packaged statue.
:drooling:

What I am saying is that I believe the ~$25 range. Man, I didn't know statue making was so profitable....sheesh! If I had known, I'd have perfected my art sculpting skills till I got it down. Id have been making all the statues myself and eliminating all the other costs. I like consistency anyway.

$17,500? for regular. $7,500 for Ex. Whoo boy!

Surely, we can get better packaging next time?
you're only talking about the money. Don't forget all the headaches and resposibilities with it. you don't need any sculpting skills to start a statue company.

[High Lord Apocalypse]

Personally i hate the powdery packaging but i dont think it'll make much of a difference in whether you the piece broken or not.

i've received only one broken piece (Guile) from PCS but much more from SS' marvel line.

[FROBAY]

He already said Chun and Dredd are coming in the good styro \o/ Makes me real happy cause I don't have anywhere for Dredd :< I'm just gonna have to open em up to check everything marvel at it for a little while then put it back in the box ><

Fantastic

[biglebowski9999]

Attacking on profit margins there is no need for as that's not what were here to discuss.




Pretty sure he volunteered the information on his profit margins, nobody forced him to or even asked him to. If you throw that out there, expect people to discuss it. And it does apply to the original discussion in this thread because of the reasons I laid out in my response.

[Vracula]

Premium packaging for a premium product !!I like it!!

[Andrew]

Ladies and Gentleman, this thread has worn out it's purpose and usefulness. The original intent of the topic was to get consensus on whether or not the quality of styrofoam being used was acceptable and 99% of people agreed it was not.

Jerry admitted that Scorpion should have had the better foam. Jerry stated that most products going forward would. Jerry attempted to give insight into his personal business practices in order to give clarity on the topic at hand. Now that information is being used to question his integrity and create personal attacks.

No one has access to the man's financial records and therefore has no basis to question anything he's graciously volunteered as fact regarding his company. Jerry has gone out of his way to reveal more about this industry than most producers, sculptors, and artists combined.

Love the man or hate him. Buy his products or don't. But if the goal of some of you is to run him off with your flagrant insults, you're probably on home stretch with the direction of this thread.

This dead horse has been beat beyond recognition and it's time to move on before unrepairable damage is done.

[Vracula]

I agree this thread shall be closed, BULLSEYE SHOW YOURSELF AND CLOSE THIS THREAD!!!!

[akumalove]

Along with most people here I disagree and honestly I am unsure if you are actually reading my posts or maybe its a language thing but I want to re-use the packaging on my $300+ statue multiple times to move house, change location, sell them whatever the case may be....too much to ask I think not!

And what about when you buy from someone other than SS can you get a replacement then if it breaks? You can stick up for PCS in the hope that you might get an AP down the line but the point remains that the packaging should be upgraded. For me this thread has served its purpose and Jerry has stated that the packaging will be better for upcoming statues. :D

Excellent idea and I am happy to hear that as usual the company take the customers points on board. Looking at the long term bigger picture it's clear that your business and overall profits will benefit from it ... No Brainer !
Don't think it's a language problem here, je kan me ook in't Nederlands schrijven, of Duits, Frans, Grieks en Spaans, ik denk dat ik wel in staat ben te verstaan wat je schrijft ;)

But maybe you don't want to understand my point of view, my point is merely that most people complain about brakes because of the packaging and I doubt that's because of the styro that PCS uses, nothing more. I've repacked PCS-statues myself a lot of times and if you do it carefully it's no problem. I can fully understand that it causes a mess, but it's not like the styro falls apart in 1000 pieces when it's touched.

Again, if the statue is not broken before shipping, it most likely won't arrive damaged because of the packaging.

Jerry already stated and promised about a year ago that he will improve the packaging for statues where it is reasonable and he kept his word. :thumbs2:


Love the man or hate him. Buy his products or don't. But if the goal of some of you is to run him off with your flagrant insults, you're probably on home stretch with the direction of this thread.

:goodpost:
Amen to that.

Christina

[testsubject25]

Yep, that nails how I feel after reading the last few pages...

:laugh:












http://i399.photobucket.com/albums/pp80/alienwaltz/grandpa-simpson.gif

[JRodri2540]

Love the man or hate him. Buy his products or don't. But if the goal of some of you is to run him off with your flagrant insults, you're probably on home stretch with the direction of this thread.

This dead horse has been beat beyond recognition and it's time to move on before unrepairable damage is done.

:iagree::iagree:

[Midnitesuby]

Ladies and Gentleman, this thread has worn out it's purpose and usefulness...

Well put Andrew.

[SkyPirate82]

Ladies and Gentleman, this thread has worn out it's purpose and usefulness. The original intent of the topic was to get consensus on whether or not the quality of styrofoam being used was acceptable and 99% of people agreed it was not.

Jerry admitted that Scorpion should have had the better foam. Jerry stated that most products going forward would. Jerry attempted to give insight into his personal business practices in order to give clarity on the topic at hand. Now that information is being used to question his integrity and create personal attacks.

No one has access to the man's financial records and therefore has no basis to question anything he's graciously volunteered as fact regarding his company. Jerry has gone out of his way to reveal more about this industry than most producers, sculptors, and artists combined.

Love the man or hate him. Buy his products or don't. But if the goal of some of you is to run him off with your flagrant insults, you're probably on home stretch with the direction of this thread.

This dead horse has been beat beyond recognition and it's time to move on before unrepairable damage is done.

Very, very well said. Every time Jerry addresses an issue he gets accused of all kinds of sh!t and it's not right.

Personally, I'm happy that Jerry posts here regularly and don't think it's fair that he gets called out on every little thing. He's addressed the foam issue so leave the man be. Please.

[High Lord Apocalypse]

I doubt jerry will post much after the direction this thread has been heading towards the end.

[testsubject25]

I doubt jerry will post much after the direction this thread has been heading towards the end.

can't blame him...

[modus]

I would like Jerry to drive it to my house personally at no cost to me. This forum cracks me up sometimes. The level of passion by some people take them to frankly some ugly places.

[johnclone]

in before the close?

[7omous]

Statue Making business is pretty rough, 25 dollars profit out of a 250 dollar statue is 10 percent. I don't know where you guys are saying these numbers are amazing especially as Jerry mentioned he has such low volume of product.

[testsubject25]

I would like Jerry to drive it to my house personally at no cost to me. This forum cracks me up sometimes. The level of passion by some people take them to frankly some ugly places.

There's a difference between "passion" and "f***ing crazy". :laugh:

[madmanny]

Well put Andrew, The point has been made, close this thread please mod.

[biglebowski9999]

What's even funnier is the pissing and moaning (and extreme exaggeration) that follows anytime Jerry is even questioned the least little bit. Pretty sure he could tell some of you sheep the sky outside his studio is purple and you'd buy it.:puke2:

He volunteered info about his profit margin (unsolicited), some of us have said we find the statement hard to believe. Nobody insulted or attacked him.

Nobody is trying drive him off the forum and it's ridiculous to even suggest it. But if you're so annoyed that the topic shifted to profit margins instead of whining about those of us who questioned the statement, maybe you should instead ask him why he brought it up to begin with?

I've said all I need to on the subject. Lock it up or leave it open and let the Love Fest continue. I can't speak for anyone else who said things but I have been around long enough to know that if I dare question something he said the PCS Defense Force would swoop in and this is where the thread would end up.