over here... http://www.spanofsunset.com/cgi-bin/shoppingcart/cart.cgi?action=search&category=Secret+Base
you know, i looked at those yesterday and thought those prices were crazy, i hadnt realised they were on sale : )
Sad thing is most of those won't even sell at those prices. The Secret Base Express has gone over the precipice and will have to fight hard to claw its way back. (stuff that in your metaphor mixer!) Collectors have more choices and info than ever and are being super selective. SB also has itself to blame for a rash of horrible releases this year and some very spotty QC. I'm still livid over the disgusting QC on my chrome Skull Barbarian, which is cracked all to hell like a lizard in the sun. Only the really excellent pieces are attracting heavy interest (as should be the case!) - Pushead, Secreters, Skulletor set, etc. I say can the gimmickry and Toy2Rish colorway bonanzas and bring back the creativity!
Yep, fresh blood infusion - Usugrow and more Pushead excellence. Fortunately each Pushead release is fresh and interesting - way beyond the god awful colorway machine that mars so many other releases.
I honestly only REALLY dig the Madball Mantis sculpt, WTF did it go away or is it just WAY not popular? If my money wasn't tied up in other toys I'd try to get the whole Madball Mantis set, maybe I should now while the market's down? I think if they slowed down on releases all together and took a bit more time things would bounce back. I also think RxH's Chaos needs a break. He's my fav. but I'm afraid of too many too soon. SB! Bring Back the Madball!!!!!
thanks for the heads up, i hadn't checked out span in a while, but i ended up picking up the straggler madballs...
Agreed !! I'm not a SB fan at all, but grabbed the 2 usugrow releases. In hand they are amazing. It just goes to show its not about colorways but a strong sculpt. I think I would like SB if they put as much love into todays stuff as they did way back when. And like BD said whats the deal with not using the madball and mantis figs anymore ?? They are killer !!! and IMO way better than the skullbrain,damage etc.... And I also agree on chaos getting WAYYYY to many releases. Although each paint app is crazier than the next. To me right now I think Gargamel is on top of their game with releases and new sculpts.
I got the obake dog mummy and GID zipface. Not a fan of the body's but I really like the head sculpts.
I got the 2 zipface pieces gid ver. and white,his grey hair color is great.and for the body, I was always a snoopy fan .Take-shit looks good on my shelf. with those prices it was buy 1 get 1 free day!
Well, blow me down with a sofubi broomstick, BUT if I weren't on a hyper-expensive 40yen a minute connection I'd spend longer posting. But I can't go without mentioning some great recent SB releases; the LED Halloween Pumpkin Brain - it is awesome, translucent vinyl, filled with pumpkin piant and GID paint - The new DevilRobots collab bee - excellent paint app, best split bee so far, nice amoeba fill - the Cure handpaint pumpkin brain, the GID parts set at Halloween, the Skullpirate/captain, Usugrow set...and thats just what I can think of under time pressure. Don't count SB out yet - they were first in many ways, and paved the way the way for a lot of what we see now - respect is due, and with some of the releases above, I think they continue to garner it.
secret base also, didnt help when the best releases this year were not easy for the u.s. fans. or not easily accessible to fans worldwide...
There's no denying the good stuff they've done, but there's also no denying they've dug a big hole with the not-so-good stuff. I think it's OK (and healthy) to weigh a company and assess it for the good and the bad. It's not an "all or nothing" scenario, and there's no sense supporting any company blindly.
Re: secret base Saywhat! . . . between S7, SoS, Artoyz, ToyTokyo and secret-b.com availability has never been easier/better!
secret base a few weeks or months ago, there were suggestions of "banning" or a "boycot" on sb items--i think this isnt gonna happen en masse, for there are dedicated fans out there for hiddy's creations and toy designs, a number of which are considered classic. but the fact of the matter is---other companies have come up with some very interesting/desirable toy designs. and not to mention, informed collectors are also growing in numbers. discriminating taste in their toy of choice to boot... i guess it is healthy when respected companies like secret base receives critique every once in awhile...
Exactly! I love my Skullbrain, Skullpirate, and Wing collections but SB has really bummed me out with the endless colorways and spotty QC. I give them props for what they've done, but that doesn't entitle them (or any company) to a thick stack of blank checks.
i wouldnt mind seeing more madball and mantis either, i really like them! QC and Creativity need a little reboot perhaps, but as muton said, there have been a few really killer pieces lately so maybe that tend will continue... and criticism can only help.
Carl, you forgot that new Secreter from SDCC '07. I can't comment on the DevilRobots collab (cause I haven't seen one up close) but all of these were killer releases and must haves in my book. Fresh quality stuff when I look at the endless colourways from other companies. Usugrow and the Skullcaptain might be two of the strongest new sculpts of the year. THe GID parts set was amazingly simple but fun and glows like a mofo. Kinda brought back the toy to toys as you had to assemble them instead of passively putting it on a shelf. Chrome haters be damned. I realized the other day that I love bits of chrome (silver) and other metallics scattered through my collection so I picked up some more at this sale. The price was right. Oh and some clear coloured Madball Mantis would be cool.
secret base is waaaaay more innovative than rxh and cronic put together (given cronic and rxh have produced more appealing colorways recently). also, cronic and rxh have yet to make a new sculpt more than 5 people give a shit about ever since most of us have been browsing this board. that's my .02
Devil's Advocate here: Has SB put out any new sculpts that have won over the masses besides pushead designs? Obake 2, Zip Face, even the Mad Mantis don't have that many raging fans. Non Devil's Advocate side; I totally sweat SB, Hiddy's design aesthetic is by far the best of the bunch. The lowly Batman Skullbrain is still amazing in concept even if people cant give em away. Vintage Bedsheets, who else would come up with that? I like Bounty Hunter but I prefer SB overall the rest. It seems like maybe since they've been discovered by us filthy gaijin they've seen a chance to grow their companies and maybe some things have suffered in the push to move to the next level (ex: Chrome Barbarrians and Dragon Ball Z gorillas with homer teeth)
