33 replies to this topic

[TheHSBR]

Ok, I think we are at a point where we should start thinking about who we want to get. What Im thinking is we post one unique character, maybe explain why a bit, and I can add him/her to a poll. Obviously this isnt an exact science and it just a spur of the moment poll so please bear with me for any oversights.

Let me start with my submission: The Doctor

For me I think this is the one chracter that I want to see made and has the least amount of chance of actually being made (I know...who has any chance anymore). I also think that he has enough variations where one could really get some cool additions with little modding. For example we could get an STTE Doctor and a Lewis Zimmerman using the FC uniforms. I am also interested in doing a VOY EMH and ECH modding the uniform style as outlined by numerous members here. Finally I am also interested in doing a Woosley Stargate figure. So basically Im in for 5 casts.

[data_2006]

I'm for Quark, first off an alien is "easier"as the shape is more m,ade so the liklyness will be better as well as a good first try for the artist (I'm all for the entire voyager cast next!)

[VulcanFanatic]

I really like the Doctor, but i would rather have a Tuvok.

[JMW326]

I would be up for any of the Voyager cast.

[TheHSBR]

I'm for Quark, first off an alien is "easier"as the shape is more m,ade so the liklyness will be better as well as a good first try for the artist (I'm all for the entire voyager cast next!)

I would love a Quark but Im not sure how to do the body for the uniform. Do you have a plan already because Id love to hear it!!

[JMW326]

I think a AGT Geordi would be a great base for Quark.

[X-Ray]

Tom Paris has been a longtime favorite of mine, that's the one I'd like.

I see all the interest in the Doctor, but I think that would probably be one of the easiest ones to mod. A long ways back, I just took a Nem Picard head and painted the hair black for that. Granted, it wasn't an exact likeness but I thought it worked fine.

[VulcanFanatic]

I wouldnt mind having a different sculpt of TOS Spock as well as a Tuvok. We have had several TOS Spock figures, but no different Spock sculpts, unless you count the 'fascinating Spock" that we may or may not see in the future.

[data_2006]

I think a AGT Geordi would be a great base for Quark.

That was exactly my though as well!

[JMW326]

I know that I am probably in the minority but my favorite Voyager character is Chakotay. But like I said before I would be happy with any of the Voyager crew. The Dr would probably be the easiest and is the one I have been planning on doing first myself. Paris would be cool and so would Janeway. Maybe we should settle on doing a member of Voyagers crew first and set up a poll with those characters first.

[TheHSBR]

Well, what we need is people to commit to appx 10 heads being made. Like I said I have yet to approach this guy about anything but I would like to come to him with an offer to get him to do this. He has a $230 fee for doing a custom head and I hope to get him to waive that in favor of the flat $25 he charges for all the rest of his stuff. Im happy with most of the selections made but please keep in mind that this needs to be a group decision based on what most people want, will be able to mod, and be willing to commit cash to. We all dont have to commit to the same heads but Im thinking with an order of 10 we might be able to get something done.

[s8film40]

Maybe it would be better to pay him the $230 outright and then recast them from the original. If you made 20 heads and split the cost evenly it would be $11.50 + the costs of casting the duplicates. Seems that you could keep it under $15 per head and reduce the shipping since it wouldn't be coming from Hong Kong. A lower price would certainly make it more appealing. You could do one head per month until we had the whole crew.

[knightone]

We all seem to be voting for different things and there aren't enough regulars on this board to get ten votes for one character out of all those choices. So I say you just pick one, in this case the Doctor, and then see how many people would be interested in the Doctor head, perhaps with the promise of continuing in series if this run is successful. Tell us how many you need (ten in this case), then give us the price per unit if you meet that goal and what the price breaks are if you exceed that goal. That's how people on the prop boards do it. They come up with a project, ask to see how many are interested at a quoted price, if there is enough interest they go ahead with the project. If not, they move on to another one.

[TheHSBR]

Well got a little bad news for us....dude says that 10 heads isnt enough and to waive the $230 fee it would need to be a 25 head order. So we have two options:
1. Abandon the project alltogether.
2. Go with S8film40's suggestion and buy one and cast the rest. Obviously this would also require someone to paint the figures if one couldn't do it on their own.

Ive never really tried my hand at casting. Is this a difficult process or fairly simple when the correct scale is already in place? Please post suggestions on how we should move forward.

PS Does anyone have a good "how-to" site on casting heads with a method they have tried and succeeded with?

[Commodore Kor'Tar]

I'd be down for a Janeway head, painted of course.

[VulcanFanatic]

Let me get this straight. We would have to pay $230 per headsculpt, then $25 per head? And thats just for 1head, so it would be another $230 for each headsculpt and another $25 for each head. Sounds awfully expensive to me.

10 different head sculpts $2300
I buy one of each 10 heads $250
If we only get 10 members to commit it would cost me $480 to get 10 heads. That would be $48 per head. Thats if the heads are $25 and not $35 a piece.

Shipping has to be factored as well. FYI, i bought a small Furuta Spock bust form a guy in Hong Kong, I paid $5.00 including shipping and got it in 4 or 5 days, so shipping isnt that expensive apparently.

[s8film40]

I think if I'm understanding it correctly it's a flat $230 for an action figure head including shipping. So if we only have interest for 10 heads (Hopefully more) it would work out to $23.00 each. The original poll has 9 votes. I think if we give it some time and once everyone sees the progress of the project the quantity will go up and the price will go down, and I can imagine some of us will want more than one of each. It seems the big issue is selecting a character. There seem to be more requests for Voyager heads than anything else. To me it doesn't matter what order we get them in as long as we eventually get a complete crew it will be worth it.

[TheHSBR]

Im looking at between $23-30 per head after I determine what the casting cost would be. So taking KnightOne's suggestion heres my initial proposal:

$30 per head IF we get 10 people to sign up. Thats shipped and everything. This would NOT be painted. If we get more people to sign up OR have a single individuals buy more than one head that price would be lowered incrementally (EX: 20 people/heads = $15).

All the other details can be worked out later. Depending on the time I might be able to even do finalized figures depending on how smoothly everything goes for people that just want a final product.

Im going to leave the character selection up for a bit longer just to see and give everyone a chance.

[data_2006]

Okay, though I also would need painted heads (as that is defantly not my strength) I could buy three heads a month of any star trek character (as long as its not a rerelease of a DST figure) I do live in teh Netherlands (so shipping will be a tad more) but this will hopefully help you to come to the minimum number a bit faster. Now if anyone can make good voyager boddies.........

[s8film40]

Perhaps someone would be willing to cast these for us at no charge and in exchange after the initial run was done this person could keep the original and mold and sell additional copies to recoup the costs. This seems fair to me and it would allow others to start in on building the crew if they come late to the project.