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Originally Posted by grphyx1
I don't know how diamond select can use the same material and make the scale larger on their statues and it's still in the $50 - $60 range?! Look at that Rocketeer statue and even the Wonder Woman.
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Prices are going up for everything. Sideshow Premium Formats are going for up to 2000 dollars now, and Iron Studios is making 1:10 diorama polystone statues for well over 150 (up to 200) dollars. Tweeterhead’s 1:6 maquettes are going for up to 300 dollars. Even Japanese companies like Good Smile Company, Alter, and MegaHouse (that predominantly use PVC) are now pricing their scale statues for 150+.
The days of good quality PVC statues priced at 50 - 60 dollars are gone. If you want a PVC statue for that price, expect the statue to be of much lower quality.
Right now, Kotobukiya is filling a niche role. They are one of the very few companies making PVC statues in 1:7/1:8 scale of comic book characters. Most PVC statues in that scale are Japanese animation characters (stuff you’ll find on Ami Ami).
The other only company that makes comparable products to Bishoujo statues are the Diamond Select Gallery PVC statues, which happen to be very affordable. However, the quality control of Gallery statues is not there (and neither is the artistic thrill).
The quality between Diamond Select Gallery pvc statues and Kotobukiya Bishoujo pvc statues is pretty vast.
I’ve owned Diamond Select Gallery statues in the past, and the quality control is very much hit-or-miss. I’ve had to return numerous statues due to manufacturing mistakes before I quit collecting them.
It’s arguable that the Gallery statues are more comic-book accurate, but they tend to look more bland and generic compared to the Bishoujos, which tend to be quite vibrant and visually striking (in my opinion, of course).
I would recommend watching video reviews of each of these statues so you can decide for yourself.
In my opinion, the Bishoujo series is still the best series to collect if you want PVC statues of Western comic book heroines in 1:8/1:7 scale. Otherwise, you’re going to have to contend with inconsistent quality control (diamond select gallery) or expensive, humongous, space-hogging 1:4/1:3 statues (sideshow, prime 1, xm). DC Cover Girl statues might be a good alternative, but those are incredibly expensive (and much more fragile due to their material). Tweeterhead maquettes may also be a good alternative, but those too are also very expensive.
Kotobukiya Bishoujo is an excellent series. I honestly love it. PVC means more affordable and more resistant to shattering. 1:7/1:8 scale means smaller and you can fit more in a display cabinet. Prices are still affordable. And lastly, Bishoujo covers a range of franchises (DC, Marvel, horror films, cartoons, video games, and the list goes on). I personally don't mind the anime stylization of the statues (it actually makes them look very pretty, as opposed to some of the more awkward looking Gallery statues).