125 replies to this topic

[New Frontier]

I've really had enough. I have.

I thought i best start a new topic to keep me from ranting on another topic but i have to be honest and i wanted to hear other peoples opinions on what they think of Diamond Select Toys.

I seriously began collecting Star Trek when Art Asylum had the license - my first item being the Star Trek: Enterprise 12 inch electronic Enterprise - NX 01. By the way when i speak of Art Asylum i speak of them as separate to when Diamond Select Toys took over. My collection soon spread when i saw how very cool the Enterprise figures were and then TOS, Nemesis and Borg figures were that followed.

However, for me things began to go down hill when the USS Enterprise - E was struggling to get out of space dock. DST stepped in and i was excited about what this could mean for Trek. More cool figures for my collection detailed superbly, each with their individual bodies and sculpts taken direct from images or scans. But what did we get?

Re-used bodies, enough variants to put a hole the size of an ice-burg into the Titanic and gimmicky products that aren't just put together badly but completely ruin the piece.

When AA had the license i didn't feel like i was getting a Toy (sure they were classed as toys but they felt at home in a Forbidden Planet or specialist comic book shop). With DST i feel not only have i just spent my money on a toy that belongs on the shelf at TRU next to the Power Rangers stuff, i feel cheated by the lack of quality and detail and shoddy paint-work. But it's not just this that irritates the hell out of me and wishes that DST would just give the license up, its the ridiculous over-use of bodies and body parts and the cheapness that DST seem to be all about.

Not one of the 2nd wave of DS9 had a new body - that is just disgraceful for a company like DST who's prime competition are companies like NECA and MEZCO.

So i ask you, do DST earn your hard earned cash?

[TheHSBR]

Thank you for moving this to a new thread....

Im in the middle on DST. If you read my blog on this site I go on about how DST needs to give the loyal fans more of what they want. I think major satisfaction would come from just a few figures being added to the lineup such as Guinan, Yar, Rand, Chapel, Quark, and Kira. Outside Kira and Quark, these figures would take very little to be produced. Bag'em if that what it takes.

As for DST itself, the qulaity issues as of late have been upsetting. The body choices are a bit strange and some of the paint applications have been left lacking. I think the figures themselves once I take the out of the package are likeable to me. I just got TNG wave 5 and Im very pleased even though I thought I wouldnt be.

As for another company taking up the license, Im not too sure. NECA's work is pretty lacking if you want to do anything but display figures on a shelf. Their posed style is not my cup of tea and is what ticked me off about the Star wars figures back when Episode II came out. Mezco on the other has done some great work with the Hellboy 2 line but their Heroes line has many of the same painting problems that DST has. Mezco would be my choice if the license HAD to be switched otherwise Im pretty happy with DST on the whole.

To sum things up, DST could significantly improve their line by doing 3 things:
1. Watching their quality control
2. Making better selection of part choices (honestly uniformed figures dont need unique scuplts IMO)
3. Giving the fans 4-5 fan favorite figures and biting the bullet on cost.

Thats my take.

[Gothneo]

If you don't like 'em don't by 'em.

All toy lines have to re-use parts to make them cost out, and AA heavily re-used the core bodies for the TOS line.

IMO AA didn't do well on the Broken Arrow Ent, and that was their 1st offering, so their track record wasn't perfect either.

For what they cost they are well placed. Could they do better on some? Sure they could. But they have done some nice work, especially when I look at Wave 1 and 2 of TNG, or Odo, or most recently Gen. Martok.

The truth is no other company was willing to take the risk and actually make Trek Toys over the past 5 years. DST has, and has put out more product then AA ever did at this point. I give them credit for what they have accomplished and I admonish them where I they failed.

If we've seen anything with the product announcements for the forth-coming movie, it's that DST obviously doesn't have an exclusive license on making Trek Toys.

If NECA or MEZCO thought they could make a go at a line, they would. Since I don't see any NECA or MEZCO Trek toys, it's easy to come to the conclusion that they aren't interested.

That's my take.

[knightone]

I agree with Gothneo. I think DST has done a great job and given us a good deal of product considering the fact that this franchise is at an all time low.

I personally didn't have great luck with the original AA figures. As mentioned, the rubber material doesn't have much longevity. The TOS bodies were heavily reused. I had a number of Enterprise figures with wonky bodies. I went through several sets of Nemesis figures because the hands kept breaking off. The finish on both the Nemesis and Enterprise figures were often uneven (especially the Nemesis figures). The Nemesis body sculpts were a bit blocky and they looked stooped over.

The lighting on the NX-01 nacelles were a bit uneven with only a bulb in the rear of the nacelle to light the side vents (there really should have been either a bulb on both ends or a string of LEDs).

The phase pistol was made undersized.

AA had their share of problems. They were no different and many of the same people complaining about DST were the same people who complained about AA despite praising them now. I'd be willing to bet they were also the people who complained about Playmates back in the day despite praising them now as well. Trek fans love to nitpick, so I suspect it doesn't matter who has the license as whoever has it at the moment will always be the target of severe criticism and complaint.

Like Gothneo and many others have said, "if you don't like it, don't buy it". Yet, I haven't seen anyone quit buying this line yet. So I guess things can't be as bad as many are making it out to be.

[Scarlet Spider]

Personally I like the figures that DST is producing. I have only had a few issues with quality (a broken piece here or there, and those "wonky" legs on Data and co.) but all in all I am happy. I think the accessories are pretty good and the quality over all is pretty decent. I don't even mind the long delays between waves because it makes it a little easier on the pocket book! If DST is not going to make anymore 24th century Trek I will be extremely disappointed thats the only stuff I collected as thats the Trek I "grew up" with. It's also nice to hear/see that I am not the only person who is a fan of DST, sometimes on the old AA forum I felt very very alone...

SS

[New Frontier]

If you don't like 'em don't by 'em.

I think this is a bit of a flippant remark. I love Star Trek so obviously I'm going to like collecting merchandise for it. I have a great Art Asylum collection and i think they have produced some of the best Trek items to date. I love collecting figures, but to be honest however much i love Star Trek i think myself as a fan deserves more quality, more variation and just really cool figures than what DST are offering up at the moment.

The way i see it is that this forum is a way to voice ANY comments on DST toys - negative or not.

and at the moment, i don't buy them

All toy lines have to re-use parts to make them cost out, and AA heavily re-used the core bodies for the TOS line.

That actually isn't true. Art Asylum used completely different molds for each of their figures - Enterprise were done using real scan and a body uniquely sculpted for it, TOS was all sculpted by Patrick Piggot and each were unique - this noticeable due to the heights because each figure is roughly to scale with each other (wave two being slightly larger in scale than wave one). There are some variants and 4 figures that use the same body (Mayweather and Tucker, AT T'poll and AT Sato).

And then we have the Nemesis and Borg Assimilation each of the characters used unique bodies sculpted and for nemesis; scanned - data and picard used the same feet and that was it.

the only constant re-use was the accessories and hands for certain characters.

Enterprise Broken BOW were some of the best figures ever designed - they pushed the boundaries for figure design using new materials that ok, proved to be some trouble but yet AA was always pushing the sculpting and the detail and paint of their figures. they are up there with the best sculptors in the business.

Remember people who go to specialist stores by and large don't want "toys" but want cool collectables - there's nothing cool or collectable about DST's Star Trek figures and that's a shame.

For what they cost they are well placed. Could they do better on some? Sure they could. But they have done some nice work, especially when I look at Wave 1 and 2 of TNG, or Odo, or most recently Gen. Martok.

But lets look at General Martok - he is a head put onto a Worf body - thats something playmates would do not a company like DST should do - they are specialist and should live up to their reputation as being specialist - but they are not at the moment with their figures.

The truth is no other company was willing to take the risk and actually make Trek Toys over the past 5 years. DST has, and has put out more product then AA ever did at this point. I give them credit for what they have accomplished and I admonish them where I they failed.

IMO they have given us a lot of new heads and no new figures - they have given us gimmick after gimmick (Electronic Tribble, Electronic Kirk Chair, Electroinic talking anorexic Kirk and Spock) Half the figures that have been released could have been made at home - thats appalling for the amount they charge for each time they swap a head.

I will give them credit though - the Enterprise D looks amazing, as do the Tri-corders and i think the life sized chair looks pretty cool too however so misplaced in the market. Personally i think they should finish up with the figures.

It seems that they are leaving TNG, DS9 and VOY well alone and even if they had done it i bet no new bodies would be made or if we'd have been lucky perhaps the odd one new sculpt like Dukat.

DST are going to produce more Kirk's and more Spocks and perhaps a few more secondary TOS characters but even then it'll be the same Kirk and the Same Spock just with a different colour shirt on or perhaps using the deformed data figure or a rand or chappel using the same Uhura body - i mean, apart from the hardcore who buy's everything, who else would find these figures exciting - no one, thats why they make no money and moan and moan and use the same tiresome excuse over and over again.

When i see NECA or MEZCO release dosens of figures - each is different and unique when it is vital to obtain a certain character, ok they might use the same hands for some or they might do the odd variant but you have to give them credit, they don't stick to one or two characters - they understand their niche customer base and they understand that to make money they need to keep pushing the boundaries in what makes a cool figure.

If we've seen anything with the product announcements for the forth-coming movie, it's that DST obviously doesn't have an exclusive license on making Trek Toy

DST has a massive license, much bigger than the one Playmates has. What i can't understand is that clearly no kid would ever be interested in a 40 year old version of Kirk when they see a new version and even then if they've liked the movie.

DST to me seem to be a company without a clear direction apart from chasing the mighty dollar - sure every company has to make its money but at least the majority of companies dealing with licenses that deal with a very niche market (the NECA's, MEZCO's, HOT TOY'S, MCFARLANE's of the specialist companies) know what they need to do to make their company unique and not just cheap.

Sure we live in troubled times with the economy and companies are going to have to tighten their belts but i see the end of this recession and i think when people start spending again DST should really look at what it is and who it is that they are trying to aim their product to because at the moment they are only just better than Playmates and Hasbro and even Hasbro have done some fantastic sculpts - Mattel's Dark Knight Movie Masters line was superb and their Ghost Busters line looks even better - DST really need to buck their ideas up before they see themselves in the shadow of mainstream toy makers.

If NECA or MEZCO thought they could make a go at a line, they would. Since I don't see any NECA or MEZCO Trek toys, it's easy to come to the conclusion that they aren't interested.

When the license was up for grabs in 2001 - no one would touch it, AA came in and did a fantastic job with producing high quality all be it sometimes troublesome figures (the kraeton issue with the Enterprise figures). They approached the license with the aim of producing toys for the older fan - of which the fanbase was and still is mostly made up of - the comic book geeks and the specialist toy stores - not the kids running around Toys R US - sure AA did get Enterprise into TRU but it was clear to me that Trek's best place for success was the specialist shops and the quality and design of their figures reflected this - these weren't toys to be put in a toy box to be played with - these were things to be displayed by the older teenager and the collector and fan of trek.

DST got the license again in 2005 when they acquired AA and IMO have just let it become this cheap and cheerful, gimmicky line that DST claim to make no money off - its an excuse that for me has become tiresome because if DST really tried and employed talented sculptors and painters - Trek (ie: Kirk and Spock) would probably sell better - but no we get years old sculpts that are just painted even worse - Trek still being unpopular, no one else would have taken it. The line now isn't up for grabs - DST has it and NECA and MEZCO can't have it - however their is still a movie out there that DST doesn't have and it's possible that NECA or someone else with the clear focus and direction in what they do could jump in and snap it up.

Who knows - I'm interested to see what they offer up at this years NYC TF 09

[pickard]

Enterprise Broken BOW were some of the best figures ever designed - they pushed the boundaries for figure design using new materials that ok, proved to be some trouble but yet AA was always pushing the sculpting and the detail and paint of their figures. they are up there with the best sculptors in the business.

Love the rubbery material or hate it, but AA was on the cutting edge, especially with the CTHD and Enterprise lines. No matter how much any of you love DST's recent output, you can't seriously claim that they're anywhere near the cutting edge of action figures now.

=============

Why would DST strive to create a better product? Why not cut corners or let quality slide?

DST knows that many of you diehard fans will buy any figure they produce, regardless of the quality. Hell, many of you will buy two, one to open and one to collect MOC. It doesn't matter if the figure has "wonky legs", grease coming out of the joints, sloppy paint apps, fragile limbs, if they make you wait an extra year after the scheduled ship date, whatever.

How does DST know that you'll buy whatever turd they slap a Star Trek label on? Because you've said so, both in purchasing figures of ever-lessening quality and value, and in your postings on this board.

Even when we acknowledge the serious flaws in the figures, that's just an opportunity to "customize" (a.k.a. "fix") what should have been right to begin with.

Few of us will ever stop buying the figures, because a too-tall goofy-looking Ogawa is better than no Ogawa figure at all. Can't pass up on that Colonel Kira figure, even though she's not in the uniform anyone wants. Your collection wouldn't be complete without an Odo figure, even though the collection also won't be complete without the Quark you'll probably never get.

DST gives us the action figure line we deserve.

So, let's just keep buying whatever they produce, trying to convince ourselves that they're really better than they are, or that we're just lucky that anyone is doing us the favor of producing Trek figures.

[pickard]

All toy lines have to re-use parts to make them cost out.

Not true.

If NECA or MEZCO thought they could make a go at a line, they would.

No, they wouldn't, because the rights have been tied up since 2001.

[Thomas E. Johnson]

With the exception of the quarter scale Kirk and Spock, and the height errors on a few of their figures, I'm very happy with the job that DST has done. They make the best Trek figures ever, and I want them to keep making more.

[Artistix]

I love DST.

Problems with whatever aside, I just have to look at my bedroom shelves packed with awesome Buffy, Angel, Star Trek, BSG & Stargate figures to know that I will support DST to the day I die, or they disappear.

That doesn't mean that I won't complain about shoddy merchandise. We have to keep them on their toes.

[Chalksquared]

I'm gonna give DST a lot of credit with the first two waves of the TNG crew. I was admiring them last night in fact. Riker is so well done, as was Worf and Troi. I mean, they even have shading in the folds of the uniform and they weren't so shiny as the more recent waves seem to be. Their communicators were the right size (has anyone noticed how large they have become in relation to the figures?!?), their skin tone was realistic (O'Brien is PINK for heaven's sake!), and they looked REALLY good.

However, I do think they have gone downhill. But DST is governed by the law of supply and demand and like Pickard said, we all keep buying them no matter how much we claim to dislike it. And if we don't buy them they will stop being made.

I am just put off by how the fans aren't really listened to. Slayer says, "Can we have a Guinan?" and DST says NO. Someone else asks "Can we have a Romulan?" NO! "Can we please have Yar or Rand?" NO. To me, that's a sign right there to sort of figure out where our wants stand with DST.

[slayerone76]

I too appreciate NF's effort of moving this discussion of DST to a new thread. Thanks!

I love DST! Are they perfect? No.

I don't think any toy line is though.

I wanted to pick up some of the new DC Unlimiteds (is that right ... the ones with the new black suit Superman?) but my Batman Beyond Batman broke ... both legs out of the package ... and the Sups I saw had very crappy paint jobs.

I bought TWO NECA Jareth the Goblin King figures only to have breakage on both of them. I finally was able to find a third one that didn't break ... after freezing and then boiling, popping, and lubing his arm. LOL

That said. Sometimes I do wish DST would be more proactive on the QA/QC issues, but I have never disliked a Trek figure from them. Buffy was another story though. LOL

[Sybeck1]

I'm glad DST is making Trek toys, but man quality is getting bad.

I would have to rate the TNG attemps a "D" overall. Picard's weird pelvis, wobbly legs on Data, Barclay, and man was Wesley the worst yet. That big ole bucket head of his. I display him in the back!! and the fact Data's and Geord'is yellow didn't match Worf's!!

And what about the recent cancellation on the Kruge/Maltz two pack? Talk about customer service..advising they were cancelled a week after they were late to our doors!!

[bgiles73]

I would love it if DST could do like Art Asylum back in the early days, do contract work for Playmates! I loved the Klingon and Borg that AA sculpted for Playmates around 1999! Their Species 847 or whatever was pretty cool too. Playmates has the resources and DST still has the talent albeit I think that talent has moved away from Star Trek and into BSG, Stargate, and the new Wolverine movie figure sculpts! Lately from the look of DST's Q&A's I would not be surprised if they abandoned Trek altogether. I have a feeling Playmates will be a heavy contender when the license comes up for renewal. I see the stuff they have coming out now as testing the waters for other things yet to come! In a way if we get more product that may not be altogether bad, I just wish DST could have given us more aliens, adversary ships and things of that nature.

[Jedigreedo]

I truly appreciate DST, and think they have a gaggle of extremely talented people working there. They're obviously capable of incredible potential, but what seems to hurt them is that they become distracted and have tunnel vision. It always seems that when they get a profit flow, they spend it all on new projects and very little on their current lines. I can understand a company's desire and requirement to expand, but their new projects tend to take forever to get off the ground, meanwhile the current lines suffer because of it.

Still, I have highly enjoyed their Stargate and Star Trek lines and will continue to support them unless they become absolutely intolerable from quality control issues. I doubt that will happen, though. Despite the frequent problems, there are still a large amount of good things about both lines.

[The_Donster]

You know, more and more this feels like the old Toybiz vs Hasbro Marvel Legends argument I see on multiple forums. The folks who were bitching about Art Asylum back in the day are now bitching about DST, give me a flippin' break. Sorry, but I think it's about time to take off the kid gloves. So let me echo Gothneo's sentiments, don't like 'em don't by 'em. There's nothing flippant about the remark, it's the truth, especially in this economical climate. As Pickard and a few others pointed out, let your wallet do the talking. Buying anything and everything just because it says Star Trek on it doesn't help either. Bottom line, I buy what I like and pick and choose the rest. However, this doesn't mean that I don't appreciate DST's efforts and plan to wage a flamming campaign though. I just wish they listened to the fans a little bit more and the bean counters a little bit less.

[pst01]

i also started collecting when AA released their 'enterprise' and 'nemesis' waves and i continued collecting when DST began putting out TNG figures. i had to stop buying around the time that they released the data, geordi, barclay line. the quality was pretty bad and it sort of marred the line for me. the sculpts also had shades of playmates' old stuff, cartoonish faces and lacking in detailed uniforms.

that said, the old playmates' figures still pale in comparison to what DST produces today. the problem is, for me, that the DST stuff pales in comparison to what AA produced before them. i think if AA hadn't done such an outstanding job early on, i wouldn't have so much trouble with DST's work.

i have been fairly loyally collecting DST's BSG line and i'm very happy with those figures. but i do have it in the back of my head that it may either be short-lived or bound to suffer the same scale and quality issues the trek figures now have.

on the bright side, at least DST's stuff still looks better than what playmates is doing for the new film.

[TheHSBR]

I think we should compare DST to DST. How does the Trek line measure up against the other DST lines like BSG, Stargate, or Marvel Select? Frankly it doesnt anymore. Comapring the last few offerings to those other lines and its not even a contest. The detail and scuplt on the uniformed Lee Adama is amazing, the Marvel stuff is always unique (shocking that an entire line uses a completly new scuplt for each character), and the Stargate stuff is always solid and always has at least 1-2 completely new scuplts in each wave. The old "we're broke" line doesnt cut it with me either. Its absurd to think that Trek doesnt outsell BSG/SG combined. In one of the blogs one of the DST people even commented on how Trek "pays the bills." If they did drop Trek I guess they would be going out of business. They are cost cutting because they know they can get away with it. We bought 15 versions of Kirk and now we're in the middle of buying 25 of the same command chairs. Its a fleecing and we are lemmings. I know whats going on and I will continue to the cliff because I want Trek figures, and I will fix what I have to, and make other characters that will never see the light of day. I do this not in loyalty to DST but in loyalty to Trek and my overall fondness for the general look and scale of these figures and that occasional gem like Odo. I also relish everytime that we get a bone thrown our way like the Defiant chair or Dukat (gof help me if that gets cancelled!!!). I just hope that the "breadwinner" of the DST products will get the repesct it deserves after this movie hits.

[Gothneo]

I haven't bought everything they have made. I don't own every Kirk & Spock, or every Command Chair.

When I collected Star Wars, I learned to just wait for the version of a character that I wanted to be made... other wise you found yourself buying the same figure with one extra accessory or one new POA or whatever.

[Matty-lad]

I haven't bought everything they have made. I don't own every Kirk & Spock, or every Command Chair.

When I collected Star Wars, I learned to just wait for the version of a character that I wanted to be made... other wise you found yourself buying the same figure with one extra accessory or one new POA or whatever.

Hey all,

Unfortunately I am a completist so have to get everything. It's killing me not being able to pick up the life size captain's chair. If only I have a big enough house or bank account

Take care,
Matty-lad