Tweeterhead Flash 1/6 maquette ???

[nearmint]

Originally Posted by gra007

I think it is now though, if they have to factor in higher production and shipping costs. They have to decide if they're in the $300 statue business, or the $500 statue business. If they get the sales still, all the better to them, but I'm seeing a lot of "Nice Flash, not $450 nice though, so I'm passing." in the comments above and elsewhere.

Don?t get me wrong, I agree that $450 is a hard pill to swallow. But I don?t think there are many adjustments that could be made to this relatively simple piece to bring the price down. Outside influences, like shipping costs, likely gave them no choice but to increase the price.

[Augen]

I'm not bashing Tweeterhead by the way, it is simply reality that I only have so much money to spend on my hobbies and had to set limits. XM and Prime 1 are at or past those and seems others following.

My guess is short term become increasingly selective and then be at a spot where only dream blow me away pieces will happen.

If Tweeterhead does a 1:6 Power Girl, I'll buy it, and have to pass on other ones if she's over $500.

[nbr3bagshotrow]

Whatever, either Flash will look great in my JUstice League display. I?m ordering.

[SkilledButton]

I actually don't have much of a problem with the price, I just said that prices continue to go up because people pay them and that's true. Obviously production and shipping costs are increasing as well, so companies need to adjust. In no way was I implying tweeterhead was trying to gauge anyone, and I'll continue to buy the ones I like that are sub $500.

$475 for a 1/6 scale is pretty reasonable these days, I just don't think the piece is that good but hey, congrats to those who do like it and are picking it up. I have the 1/6 omnri on order, so I'll be sticking with that.

[gra007]

Originally Posted by nearmint

Don?t get me wrong, I agree that $450 is a hard pill to swallow. But I don?t think there are many adjustments that could be made to this relatively simple piece to bring the price down. Outside influences, like shipping costs, likely gave them no choice but to increase the price.

You said before that Chad said the price to produce, not to ship, GL should have made him closer to $500.

The Flash base with the newspaper, the lightning, the boomerangs, the ice, the street, the rubble... There's obviously a lot going on with that base, and every detail and paint app is an increase in price. Elements have to be molded separately and glued in place, which again is an increase. It's not just the largest volume of material that's expensive, it's also got a lot to do with the finnicky bits and details that require more man-hours to complete.

If they can't control the shipping container prices, then maybe they have to think about what design elements are really needed. They were obviously trying to tell a story, but maybe it's too much of one when simple bases seem to be doing them well for Superman and GL. Their base stories work just fine. If GL was supposed to be $500, then something tells me Flash should have been higher than he is as well.

I know they had no choice now, but going forward I think a lot of companies have to adjust in one way or another. Just having the price increase and increase again isn't a good way to run a business. Eventually, there will be a point where people say enough is enough, and that's a dangerous place for a company, and this hobby, to be in.

There's already been a lot of discussion here of people saying that you have to decide what your threshold is, and others saying that threshold has been hit with this piece. I think that the whole industry needs to take a look at their models to make sure they don't price themselves out of business.

[Parallax]

Originally Posted by gra007

You said before that Chad said the price to produce, not to ship, GL should have made him closer to $500.

The Flash base with the newspaper, the lightning, the boomerangs, the ice, the street, the rubble... There's obviously a lot going on with that base, and every detail and paint app is an increase in price. Elements have to be molded separately and glued in place, which again is an increase. It's not just the largest volume of material that's expensive, it's also got a lot to do with the finnicky bits and details that require more man-hours to complete.

If they can't control the shipping container prices, then maybe they have to think about what design elements are really needed. They were obviously trying to tell a story, but maybe it's too much of one when simple bases seem to be doing them well for Superman and GL. Their base stories work just fine. If GL was supposed to be $500, then something tells me Flash should have been higher than he is as well.

If you just continue to cut features and details off of statues you're going to wind up with boring collectibles that still increase in price over time because that's just the nature of the industry. The balance is finding what works and what doesn't work, what's too expensive to produce and what's not too expensive. If something like the newspaper or the ice was really driving up the price, it wouldn't be included. Cost cutting decisions are usually more significant than details like that. With the current state of the industry, the best anyone can do is find a reasonable threshold for what will look good without driving up the price and work as much as you can into that. Unfortunately it's not as affordable as it was when I started collecting, but none of my hobbies are.

[gra007]

I’m not just saying cut, but redesign. Look at Supes and GL, they are very effective and minimal designs. Balance is the key, I agree, but something more than shipping has to be increasing the price if Chad said GL should have been $500 and 4 months later Flash is $50 more than GL and has a more detailed base.

I get a lot of ‘but it’s the artistic vision’ comments, so I don’t agree that the paper or boomerangs would have been cut already. That base is loaded with detail, I don’t see what would have been cut already to get it to this point.

[saberhagen]

Originally Posted by gra007

I?m not just saying cut, but redesign. Look at Supes and GL, they are very effective and minimal designs. Balance is the key, I agree, but something more than shipping has to be increasing the price if Chad said GL should have been $500 and 4 months later Flash is $50 more than GL and has a more detailed base.

I don't think the 2.0 Superman is a good comparison. That piece is over 20 inches tall and has a cape, so if it came out today it would probably be $500.

John Stewart also has a bunch of swap outs and a base that's not too much simpler. Doubt the lightning added $50.

[mmk123]

I always say get rid of the art box-it might reduce the cost of the statue-not sure by how much. I would be fine if my statues just came in the styrofoam and cardboard shipping.

Also, maybe minimize the bases somewhat. Knock an inch or two of the base and maybe less detail.

[Mister H]

Wonder how much that Scarecrow would be if he were announced today?