I don't think SB is lagging at all. Other than the fact that some of the chrome had issues it was a very progressive step in toy design. The innerdemons series is amazing. I think maybe the fact that a lot of the figures are easier to get now and more mass produced takes the appeal away from some people. My captain stands like a champ. MORE WINGS PLEASE.

well.. there's also usugrow and the flynn ones.
there was a time last year though when there were just waaay too many releases from them to a point where i think it burnt alot of people out (especially those where were trying to be completists)

Ahhh word I stand corrected... GF's and Frankenghosts are awesome... I was thinking straight SB designed I guess. Although I dont remember people falling all over themselves when the Usugrow was unveiled, more of a collective "Hmmm could be cool". It was nice that the White turned out "better" than the black version tho.

well... if you think straight SB. not really i guess. i'm surprised Obake2 wasn't very well received, i like it. i guess we'll see with the usugrow release. seems like a mixed reaction to it in this forum, but i seems like people who usually aren't into SB might dig these

man i didnt think my post would start this whole huge discussion!

more skullwings are always a good thing!!

how about a run of hand spray painted wings by pushead ala the skull pirate run?

I never count SB out.as soon as I get bored with something they always suprise mewith a new release or a new sculpt.Hiddy always brings great paint styles to his figures .I just wish I could afford to keep up.sales over now!

right after I complete the collection of all the existing ones!?
evil. I tell you

Saw the captain for the first time today, looks so sick!

I think that SB is awesome. I love a huge majority of the releases they put out. There was a point there where the quality dropped off for just a bit but the last few releases I've seen have been awesome! The GID DIY set, the captain, all 3 inner demons GF's, cure damage brain. I haven't been let down at all, and in fact I've been more stoked lately than before because they have been putting out really quality shit.

ps, I'm getting close to 666 posts.

granted I couldn't get one, they would still be sick! This and a rainy day would rip!

Sale ended on cyber monday? weird

I hate avatars.
I hate animated avatars even more.

But I'm drawn to this one in some weird way.

Way better than the bouncing car....

On a side note: Did anyone notice the cool gold print on the captains bottle? It looks sick!

No. I keep staring at that avatar.

You better be careful....it's going to make your brain explode!!!

Trying to stick to the Visual Spam theme, just in case Geo decides there is a Kaiju shaped hole in his life and comes back ya know.

Great debate guys, I missed most of this due to travel and stuff. I am really, really heartened to see some current love for the 'base!

I have pretty wide collecting tastes, and I feel each company is doing different things and, and while not everything put out out is amazing, in most cases the great far outweighs teh blah. I love RxH's killer wide range of sculpts, I love Gargamel's killer mini's and I love lots of thing's Hiddy has done this year! The choice has never been greater, and creativity is up all over the place!

There were lots of toys on sale this past weekend, more than I have ever seen. I don't think you can judge SB based on a couple of figures at SOS that didn't sell. There have been some crappy releases for sure but I will take 5 uninspired skullbrains over a poorly sculpted hand painted piece of crap anytime.

I think this is more a sign of what happens when toy companies actually make enough figures to go around. If RxH, RxM, Skulltoys, Cronic, Blopus, ect. released runs of 200+ they would also be around forever, no matter how cool they looked. SB releases big runs and only the crappy stuff stays around. From where I am standing they are still king of the hill.

What I find interesting is what didn't sell at these cheap ass prices.

It's a poor excuse to chalk everythng up to run numbers.

Sometimes it's good to call a spade a spade. I get the feeling a lot of people are upset that the value of their collection is in the tank.

I also do not like the "all or nothing" mentality when it comes to this sort of thing. Very much along the "you're with us or against us" mentality.

Whither balanced reasoning?

This is an issue of quality more than quantity. Collectors are surveying the field much more carefully than they were 1-2 years ago, when choices and info were scarce. They're looking at older SB releases and realizing that many of them (like the Atmos sets) are simple color swaps and are lacking in creativity. Heck, most SB releases aren't even painted - they're just factory color swaps. Some are creative, yes, but many are flat.

Many of the best releases - the Secreters, "HP" Skull Pirates, etc involve some kind of spray work and top notch creativity. The boring Toy2Rish color swaps and weaker designs are being dumped with a passion, even in the face of the occasionally excellent new SB releases like the SDCC Secreter and Pushead releases.

Anyway, none of my hot air or anybody else's matters. People are voting with their wallets.

I won't argue for the artistic merit of these releases but I do believe if these same releases had been made in the run size of most cronic, blobpus exhohead, ect. toys you wouldn't see them for sale very often. They are shitty color ways (for the most part) but the reason they are still around is because the made enough of them in the 1st place.

I love the fact Hiddy killed off the Obake and made a new sculpt. This brings the idea/ goal of completeism back into play. As a collector I find this very exciting.

The vintage dudes are all after closed sets, a final goal if you will. When companies kill off certain sculpts they are making closed sets. This means you can aspire to have them all. It allows neokaiju colleting to share a new dynamic with vintage collecting it hasn't shared before. I think this is the best development in toy collecting this year. Way to go hiddy! (now stop dripping paint on toys, we only like it when Pushead does it!)

at least sb does color swaps... some companies make releases that don't swap colors at all

[img][img]http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g278/coathanger81/unpainted_zyurai.jpg[/img][/img]

if any of those were made in runs of 200+ there would be boxes of them in the back rooms of toy stores.

I never knew there was an amber one. Cool!

I was gagging for a couple of 'em (still am . . . it's a couple that didn't sell!) . . . but they ain't cheap ass once you start talking SoS and International shipping!

Now the chrome finish has been played out, the plush filled seems to be abaiting and the Halloween set ticked all the GID boxes it's gonna be interesting to see what Hiddy has up his sleeve in the near future . . . saying that, the 'trademark series (Tiffany, Coke Brain) never really hit its stride!

RxH do some cool spray finishes, but by the same token seem to be pumping out a whole slew of unpainted and (IMO) 'not so great' new sculpts . . . I guess all the manufacturers are struggling to keep the desirability vs accessibility ratio in check and still meet deadlines and keep the quality . . . s'all part of the game.

SB played out? . . . I don't think so!

SB continues to be the most creative by miles imo.

I would LOVE to see SB sculpts in clear of some sort with sculpted guts not just plush.