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I Am Starting to Get Jaded With FTC a.k.a. I Just Opened JLA Series 1

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  • TRDouble
    Permanent Member
    • Jul 10, 2012
    • 2525

    I Am Starting to Get Jaded With FTC a.k.a. I Just Opened JLA Series 1

    I just got around to opening all of my JLA Series 1 figures, minus Wonder Woman, and safe to say, I am starting to get frustrated with some of the quality of the work. Maybe it's just that I expect more from this format (and at these prices) and my feelings towards Mego and this style are romanticized from my childhood, but some of the quality of the stuff I have gotten lately, whether it's FTC, DST/EMCE or even my Super Collector/Brick Mantooth Set, has been crap.

    One of my '66 Robin's collar was sewed on wrong to the tunic. Luckily my second Robin was fine.

    My '66 Penguin's left leg is wonky. It's not broken, but it might as well be as it swings freely and I cannot do anything outside of put him on a stand to keep him standing. Now I need to find a stand that works for him. Oh, and my Dr. Mego umbrella broke at the handle while trying to get it into his hand.

    JLA Superman's body fell apart (one of those "arms sucked into the body" bodies). Before I stripped and transported him to a Type S body -- and the first Type S I grabbed was missing a screw -- the belt was really crooked. Once moved, I had to do some serious futzing to get the belt straight. But it did not matter. The belt loops are badly placed and the S Shield is off center. Back into his package he went.

    Aquaman's 'A' on his belt was really off center too. I had to peel it off the best I could and re-seat it. It was not the best peel off and it looks dirty. The loose threads on the glove cuffs has me wondering how long of a life they are going to have too.

    Batman's glove cuffs are better. It looks like they finish sewing them up. That did not make up for his left hand peg being half out, leaving a big gap in the wrist. I think I was able to squeeze the pin back through with some pliers. Another bad body though. I cannot keep his right arm up.

    I guess I should go back and check Green Arrow's body. His biggest issue was how the hat was in the package and the belt came loose. With him being the first one I opened, I never put any thought into the issues I would face until I reached for Superman.

    It takes all of the joy out of opening these toys when you are faced with issues, sometimes even before you open them.

    I am contemplating contacting FTC, but I am not sure if they can or will do anything. The body issue is annoying. The issues with the clothes though is unforgivable because even a body swap cannot fix those issues.

    It all is making me rethink going forward with more figures in this style. I have more good than bad, but I have enough bad at $25 a pop to make me really wonder if it is worth it.
    Last edited by TRDouble; Jul 5, '15, 10:31 AM.
  • LonnieFisher
    Eloquent Member
    • Jan 19, 2008
    • 10814

    #2
    I feel the same way about the Emce Marvel stuff.

    Comment

    • TRDouble
      Permanent Member
      • Jul 10, 2012
      • 2525

      #3
      I just wanted to add that JLA Captain Marvel was fantastic. Fantastic enough that I swapped costumes with my regular Captain Marvel (on a Type S body) and the new JLA costumed version is the one on display now.

      JLA Wonder Woman, which I just opened, is worth it, wild hair and all, just because she does not have the sunken neck issue. So that's nice.

      Comment

      • thunderbolt
        Hi Ernie!!!
        • Feb 15, 2004
        • 34211

        #4
        I have avoided all the rehashes of the WGSH from them from the get go because they look cheaply done. 66 on the other hand is a very well done line and have been amazing so far. I don't know why they can't apply the same quality to the main DC line and get beyond repros/rehashes after having the line for this long. A comic style Batman with the same level of detail as the Adam West version would sell like hotcakes and go a long way to bring in new fans to this format.
        Last edited by thunderbolt; Jul 5, '15, 2:41 AM.
        You must try to generate happiness within yourself. If you aren't happy in one place, chances are you won't be happy anyplace. -Ernie Banks

        Comment

        • MIB41
          Eloquent Member
          • Sep 25, 2005
          • 15631

          #5
          I'm a big believer in trying to keep lines fresh by reintroducing characters in new and different formats, but I think keeping the same head sculpts is making the line stale for me. For all my imaginative ability and spirit in the hobby, even I can not accept the same head for every era of a character when those eras are clearly very different. I understand that retooling for different heads is a big expense, but I guess at some point the question must be asked how many times can you pull the same rabbit out of the same hat before you get accused of jumping the shark? I think FTC does an outstanding job on new characters so they will continue to get my full support in those areas. They're doing some truly amazing things right now for the hobby. But I find myself passing over quite a bit of product this year, for the previous reasons mentioned. I look forward to the next round of new characters with new head sculpts.

          Comment

          • PNGwynne
            Master of Fowl Play
            • Jun 5, 2008
            • 19444

            #6
            My biggest concern all along with FTC. notwithsntading head scale, has been consistency and QC. I'd love to buy cheaper FTC figures online, but I've had to rely instead on my local comic shop where I can look through several figures to find a decent one. And my shop isn't ordering everything anymore...

            They're giving us a lot of variety, and I don't intend to complain about assortments, etc. It's sometimes a surfeit of riches, though when these production issues keep popping up.
            WANTED: Dick Grayson SI trousers; gray AJ Mustang horse; vintage RC Batman (Bruce Wayne) head; minty Wolfman tights; mint Black Knight sword; minty Launcelot boots; Lion Rock (pale) Dracula & Mummy heads; Lion Rock Franky squared boots; Wayne Foundation blue furniture; Flash Gordon/Ming (10") unbroken holsters; CHiPs gloved arms; POTA T2 tan body; CTVT/vintage Friar Tuck robes, BBP TZ Burgess Meredith glasses.

            Comment

            • TRDouble
              Permanent Member
              • Jul 10, 2012
              • 2525

              #7
              Th rehashes do not bother me. Every company does it. I have so many Batmans, Spider-Mans, Supermans, Captain Americas, etc. from so many different toy companies (mainly Hasbro and Mattel though), it's ridiculous when I think about it. But if it's Batman, I am probably buying, like a lot of people, not just new customers, and the companies know it, so they do it. I agree that some new heads would go a long way with selling the same character over and over, and they would get their money's worth because they would re-use the new head as much as possible -- a new head for the JLA Batman probably could have been re-used for at least one of the 1st appearance Batmans. Totally new figures would be great -- and I have no idea why they do not take better advantage of the new gloves and boots they produced and also produce a more generic boot for the Supermans, etc -- and hopefully they will come, but rehashes and revisiting the same character is part of the licensing game. I just skip what I don't want or feel is overpriced, like the EE '66 Batman Exclusives, which I would love to have, but not at their asking price.

              Nope, my issue is quality. And again, not picking on FTC here; JLA just happened to be what I opened last night. Most of them are fine, or good enough. But when my '66 Robin costume is such a mess that I do not want to display him... my '66 Penguin cannot stand and is on a body that makes a Type S switch fix not work... when I have to add hands to my re-imagined Wolverine... when I look at my Repro Captain America with a star held on by one thread in a costume that looks like he is sporting a camel toe... it can get frustrating at times.

              Maybe it feels worse than the Marvel Legends of the toy world because I can go to the store, pick the good from the bad and easily make returns on my damaged items; there is a level of control there. The Mego Revolution leaves you more at the mercy of the retailer. And it's not always easy to get replacements or do returns, and sometimes, it doesn't help anyway.

              So as nice as most of these are (bodies notwithstanding), and I think most of them are in the GOOD category, the bad eggs just seem to stand out. And even the good ones need too much futzing around to get them where they need to be sometimes. And that kills the excitement going forward. I finally opened one of my Mattel Retro Heroes last year and he feel apart. If I didn't already own them all, I might not have bought another. I'm not at that point with any of the ReMegos yet, but I find myself looking in that direction more and more.

              Comment

              • megowgsh
                Customego HoF Curator
                • Nov 19, 2003
                • 7420

                #8
                Pictures would be nice
                Check out ALL my customs at https://www.facebook.com/megowgshcustoms

                Comment

                • PNGwynne
                  Master of Fowl Play
                  • Jun 5, 2008
                  • 19444

                  #9
                  ^Of what, wonky releases? We've got at least a hundred threads of that stuff...
                  WANTED: Dick Grayson SI trousers; gray AJ Mustang horse; vintage RC Batman (Bruce Wayne) head; minty Wolfman tights; mint Black Knight sword; minty Launcelot boots; Lion Rock (pale) Dracula & Mummy heads; Lion Rock Franky squared boots; Wayne Foundation blue furniture; Flash Gordon/Ming (10") unbroken holsters; CHiPs gloved arms; POTA T2 tan body; CTVT/vintage Friar Tuck robes, BBP TZ Burgess Meredith glasses.

                  Comment

                  • darkbros
                    Persistent Member
                    • Jul 3, 2012
                    • 1357

                    #10
                    The statements in this thread have echoed the thoughts I've had in my head about FTC stuff since they announced Batman '66.

                    This is no joke...I STILL have $65 cash money sitting in an envelope marked "Batman '66" becasue I really, really want
                    a '66 Batman and Robin. But every time I get ready to pull the trigger, I hear a horror story of how "this arm breaks"
                    pr "The figure can't stand up" or "I got two left arms on mine". And dealing with CTVT on getting items returned that
                    are problematic is such a fun chore....It just makes me sit on the fence. Granted, I may one day hit a sweet spot in price and get a set off of amazon ( $49 for the pair shipped PRIME would probably do it, maybe a bit less)
                    but $50 plus shipping just makes me cringe.

                    The re-hashes and variant lines just don't cut it. And when it is something unique...this weekend, Vintage Stock is selling all toys ( used) 33% off and (new) 15% off. I looked at on the shelf at my local one two complete sets of
                    FTC's WGSH Fist Fighters, and for $18 each(!) you'd think that would be a no brainer...until you see the Joker
                    has hand issues, and the Batman looks like his arm is not in socket, and the Aquaman has paint issues with his eyes....
                    and these are BRAND NEW figs!

                    The customizer in me would rather just make figs than buy them pre-made at this point.
                    Granted, my paint jobs are not the best. ;-)
                    But at least my bodies, clothes, and accessories would have no QC issues, even if I have to get stuff from
                    three different sources.
                    Customizing 1:9: My Videoblog journey of Customizing!
                    https://www.facebook.com/customizingonenine
                    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                    "I don't do it for the haters, I do it for the players." --snoop dogg

                    Comment

                    • TRDouble
                      Permanent Member
                      • Jul 10, 2012
                      • 2525

                      #11
                      Originally posted by darkbros
                      ...The customizer in me would rather just make figs than buy them pre-made at this point.
                      Granted, my paint jobs are not the best. ;-)
                      But at least my bodies, clothes, and accessories would have no QC issues, even if I have to get stuff from
                      three different sources.
                      I think many people that are into the Mego style are customizers or have enough skill that makes this style one of the most forgiving of the mis-givings that plague it. The complaints here might suggest otherwise and maybe some have reached their tipping point, but despite a lot of people complaining, they seem to deal with the issues because they are going to fix them, modify them, plan to move them to another body, etc. anyway.

                      But I am not a customizer. And that is not by choice; I am just not good at it. Moving the '66 Batman to a Type S body was quite the challenge for me, and quite the accomplishment once I figured it all out, making the '66 Robin change a bit easier to do.

                      So I depend on the companies making something I want because I cannot. I almost bought a silkscreen suit and head from MEGOWGSH, but when I realized that I had to sew it and paint the head, I was out. My one attempt at painting a resin head was really bad and I haven't sewed since elementary school and home economics class.

                      Yes, I do swap a bunch onto Type S bodies. But that it just using the boil & pop method to get the head off the old body. I've been doing boil & pop on action figures for over a decade; I've finally mastered it

                      And that's where the dilemma comes into play. Either I get the FTC '66 Batman, or the DST Retro Wolverine Set, or I don't get them at all. Because I am not going to make them myself. But when I have to deal with QC issues on figures I didn't need anyway, like JLA Superman, that's when I start thinking of pulling back. A lot of people do not like all of the variants. But when I do bite and get yet another Superman, when I open it, I should be thinking, "This is great! I'm glad I bought this fifth Superman!" Not, "Ugh! More QC issues. And I didn't even need another Superman! Next time... SKIP!".

                      Personally, I can be a little more forgiving on a figure that is new to me (although my '66 Robin is testing that) than a rehash. It makes the DC 1st Appearance Series 1 figures less appealing to me. If I spend money and have to deal with QC issues, I'd rather it be on a '66 Bookworm than a 1st Appearance Batman that uses the same heads as Batman figures I already own. Fix the QC issues and I barely hesitate to buy both.

                      Comment

                      • madmarva
                        Talkative Member
                        • Jul 7, 2007
                        • 6445

                        #12
                        Given a choice at the same time, I'd take the JLA wave over the first releases of the reMegoes from FTC, but I don't think I'm going to get them at regular price. If I find a deal on them at some point, I might. I would like a set of report Kresege card figures because of the nostalgia of those packages. I might get them and just leave them in the packages, but then again probably not. A least not re-releases. If the bodies were of original lego quality and the quality control and fit of the costumes were better, I would be more inclined to buy double figures. But the FTC figures aren't worthy of using on custom figures to me.

                        I'm looking forward to the playsets vehicles and full new figures. I'm ready for FTC to move ahead. And I will pay more for better quality figures. Bring on GL, Hackman, Titans, Flash and more villains and supporting characters. Loose the oven mitts, pay attention to details - length of capes, cut of boots, and so on - and get the heads in proportion for the fine new sculpts.

                        FTC is giving us quantity. Just up the ante on the quality.

                        Comment

                        • JediJaida
                          Talkative Member
                          • Jun 14, 2008
                          • 5671

                          #13
                          I leave comments and suggestions on their Facebook page all the time, and once upon a time they used to respond, but lately, nada.

                          And even after calling them, I always get the feeling that I am being humored just so I would hang up and forget about the concerns that I try to bring to their attention.

                          I loved the 66 series itself, and I was really, REALLY looking forward to this line. But, since my Riddler figure broke pretty much out of the package, I haven't bothered. That and the weak sculpt which in no way resembled Frank Gorshin.

                          Surprisingly enough, the Alfred figure was fine, but I wasn't about to get burned a second time, so right away I switched him to a Type S figure. Oddly enough, the size of the head looks much better on the Type S than it does on the FTC, which we all know is too small.

                          I usually complain to high heaven about the female bodies, but I must have been truly lucky, because to date, none of them have gone kerflooey on me.

                          Okay, the head on the Jane figure from the Tarzan line is humongous compared to their usual heads, but it at least stays ON the figure. Unlike the Maya head, which is just as big, yet falls off at the slightest provocation.

                          The Jane head is reminiscent of Dinah mite in both her American and European release. Although the European version looked too much like a wide eyed innocent rather than a superheroine by night, like she was supposed to be. She had a rather anime like look to her face; maybe it was her eyes.

                          If they were to just be more careful about the shrinkage factor when it comes to the heads, and the paint apps for the IG heads, I'd buy much more product from them.

                          I know that getting on a plane to China can't be done on the spur of the moment, but come on! At the very least do something about it!
                          JediJaida

                          Comment

                          • darkbros
                            Persistent Member
                            • Jul 3, 2012
                            • 1357

                            #14
                            Originally posted by JediJaida

                            If they were to just be more careful about the shrinkage factor when it comes to the heads, and the paint apps for the IG heads, I'd buy much more product from them.

                            I know that getting on a plane to China can't be done on the spur of the moment, but come on! At the very least do something about it!
                            You'd think in this day and age of Skype, Cisco Anywhere Connect and FaceTime, getting on a plane to check
                            Things out isn't that much of a necessity. Maybe they don't know how to use that type of technology; but when
                            You see people on Kickstarter being able to do it for the widgets they make overseas, it just kinda leaves
                            You going " gee, what is their problem?".

                            At this point, I'm only in for the Kregse Sivana at this point. And only for what it would cost me to custom make one,
                            It's cheaper to buy it. Same with the first Alfred release. Gordon, would have also been too, but I missed my window.

                            I can only hope Sivana was worth it....
                            Customizing 1:9: My Videoblog journey of Customizing!
                            https://www.facebook.com/customizingonenine
                            ---------------------------------------------------------------------
                            "I don't do it for the haters, I do it for the players." --snoop dogg

                            Comment

                            • Blue Meanie
                              Banned
                              • Jun 23, 2001
                              • 8706

                              #15
                              Originally posted by thunderbolt
                              I have avoided all the rehashes of the WGSH from them from the get go because they look cheaply done. 66 on the other hand is a very well done line and have been amazing so far. I don't know why they can't apply the same quality to the main DC line and get beyond repros/rehashes after having the line for this long. A comic style Batman with the same level of detail as the Adam West version would sell like hotcakes and go a long way to bring in new fans to this format.
                              Perfectly stated. I feel the same way...enough of the re-mego figures....give me new stuff that is as well made as the '66 line.

                              Comment

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