Author Topic: Blue Clone BUST  (Read 14660 times)

Offline Rod

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Re: Blue Clone BUST
« Reply #45 on: August 15, 2003, 09:23 AM »
dustrho,  Yes, if you would have bought it you would have fallen in love with the busts.  I understand everybody being so pissed about this.  Only reason I got one is I paid over retail before going to Chicago in anticipation of all this mess. I figured it might be like this.  Im glad I got it, not that happy I paid over retail for it, but it was worth it to me.  But I'm not gonna be one of those that says "you all stop crying (since I got one)".

I am also pissed that GG made me take these extreme measures to get it.  Also one of my buddies that came with me to Chicago went with the first priority of getting this bust.  He came home empty handed even though our entire group of 5 guys tried all weekend to get him one.  That pissed me off to.  I feel like crap for him.

But back to what I was saying........yes, you get one of these busts and you will be hooked.  That's what the Boba Fett bust did for me.  I wasn't gonna buy them till I got my hands on a Fett one.

Gotta get them all!!!!!

Offline JoshEEE

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Re: Blue Clone BUST
« Reply #46 on: August 15, 2003, 12:47 PM »
If anyone has any petty drama for me, keep it off the boards and take it to PM or email if you want to figure it out. Whatever you want to start is over now.

Back to the topic.

Quote
 But I'm not gonna be one of those that says "you all stop crying (since I got one)".


That's not who I am either. I agreed with many folks that the situation in Chicago was messed up. The way I hear they said you need not be present, and then changed those rules....and the way it was split 925/75. I'm not saying it needed to be 500/500, but a little more supply to Chicago would have been nice. At least 200. Show them some love in the windy city.

Still...."limited" means just that. I maintain that if there were 5000 of these things per show, no one would give a rat's ass about them, because they wouldn't be fetching 6 times retail on Ebay.  

These were probably bought a lot more my dealers and scalpers than collectors, and that's a shame, but such is usually the case with limited run figures.

So while I think people should accept it and move on, I do feel for the folks that didn't get one.  Hopefully they'll come down in price after the frenzy is over, and you'll snag one for the same price as some of the other rare busts in time.



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Offline Rod

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Re: Blue Clone BUST
« Reply #47 on: August 15, 2003, 12:57 PM »
JoshEEE,  just in case, that comment was not meant at you or anybody on this or any board.  I just know that there are always some people like that.  I also got one but I am also royally pissed cause my best bud that went with me didn't get one and I could very easily have been on the other side of the fence....with the majority who didn't get it.

Offline dustrho

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Re: Blue Clone BUST
« Reply #48 on: August 15, 2003, 07:59 PM »
The way I hear they said you need not be present, and then changed those rules....and the way it was split 925/75. I'm not saying it needed to be 500/500, but a little more supply to Chicago would have been nice. At least 200. Show them some love in the windy city.

I'm curious to know why you didn't think it should have been divided evenly (500/500).  That's total crap that they did it 925/75!  The whole damn thing should have been split perfectly evenly between the two conventions.

I will definitely be writing a letter to GG about this.  Not to totally complain about the situation, but to ask questions to what happened and that I will NOT be buying these damn things from them.  They really pissed me off, and I want answers!!!   >:(
dustrho

Offline JoshEEE

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Re: Blue Clone BUST
« Reply #49 on: August 16, 2003, 02:59 AM »
Quote
I'm curious to know why you didn't think it should have been divided evenly (500/500).  That's total crap that they did it 925/75!  The whole damn thing should have been split perfectly evenly between the two conventions.

Two big reasons:

1. Attendance. Comic Con was a MUCH bigger convention and deserved the bigger share by quite a bit.

2. Demand. Before Comic Con, these busts were not the phenom they became  as soon as people realized how cool (or valuable) they were. So I'm sure they thought they'd take the whole truckload along with them and go to Chicago with plenty.  That was their only mistake.

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Offline Rod

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Re: Blue Clone BUST
« Reply #50 on: August 16, 2003, 08:43 AM »
I hate to admit it but I also don't think they needed to have done 500/500 but 925 to 75 is definitevely not fair........I think something like 600 to 400 would have been fair.....heck, I would even have not been as upset if it would have been like 700 to 300

But they really messed up taking the whole 900 to San Diego.

Oh, well....nothing we can do now

Offline dustrho

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Re: Blue Clone BUST
« Reply #51 on: August 16, 2003, 09:49 AM »
1. Attendance. Comic Con was a MUCH bigger convention and deserved the bigger share by quite a bit.

That's total crap!  You obviously weren't at the Chicago convention, because there were thousands of people who wanted that Bust.  It doesn't matter which show was bigger.  Gentle Giant had said 500 for San Diego and 500 for Chicago... they should never have changed that.  And because of that they're going to lose a lot of potential customers, because I am definitely fit into that category.
dustrho

Offline JoshEEE

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Re: Blue Clone BUST
« Reply #52 on: August 16, 2003, 12:19 PM »
Quote
That's total crap!  You obviously weren't at the Chicago convention, because there were thousands of people who wanted that Bust.  It doesn't matter which show was bigger.  Gentle Giant had said 500 for San Diego and 500 for Chicago... they should never have changed that.  And because of that they're going to lose a lot of potential customers, because I am definitely fit into that category.

I wasn't saying there wasn't a demand at Chicago, you mis-read my post.  I said they underestimated the demand BEFORE Comic Con. I don't think they had any idea that as many people would want this thing as did.

Also, if you could find a link to a direct quote where Gentle Giant themselves said there would 500 at each show, you would be the first person to do so out of everyone that has made this claim.

As far as I know, that's just fan speculation. No one has proved that Gentle Giant ever said they'd split them evenly.
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Offline dustrho

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Re: Blue Clone BUST
« Reply #53 on: August 16, 2003, 10:59 PM »
I don't know exactly where I read that on the Net, but it was all over it.  Does it really make sense for GG to bring 925 to San Diego, but only 75 busts to Chicago?  That makes no sense to me at all.
dustrho

Offline JoshEEE

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Re: Blue Clone BUST
« Reply #54 on: August 17, 2003, 03:31 AM »
Quote
I don't know exactly where I read that on the Net, but it was all over it.  Does it really make sense for GG to bring 925 to San Diego, but only 75 busts to Chicago?  That makes no sense to me at all.

Find one source where you read that, and I'd be REALLY impressed.  A lot of people claim they read it, but no one can figure out where. My guess is because that statement was never made.

The problem is, you probably never read an official post. You read fan speculation, and misinformation printed by other collecting enthusiasts.  When SD was over, they were probably saying "well, they'll have at least 500 at Chicago" and people took that as fact, when it was just speculation.

Plus, it just seems like common sense that they'd split it up more fairly.  So it must be true.


 Unless of course they had no idea they had sold through 700 in the first full day of the con. They realized they had to have SOME left for the last two days, so they went to the raffle system, and then pulled their heads out and realized they also had to save SOMETHING for Chicago too. So they saved the last 75 for Wizard World.

Lame?  Yes.

But I think it pretty much was due to a totally underestimated demand. Thank opportunists and Ebay for that one.


Hopefully next year they'll do better. I'm sure they'll try.
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Offline Nicklab

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Re: Blue Clone BUST
« Reply #55 on: August 17, 2003, 11:03 AM »
Okay, speaking as someone who managed to get a Blue Clone bust at Chcicago, here's my take.  I'm not going to gloat, because it's just not cool.

Was I happy with the way this was handled?  No.  There should've been an even split between San Diego and Chicago, or a bigger production run.  The lottery in Chicago left a lot of people unhappy, including several friends of mine who were also in attendance at the show.  Add on top of that the people who were unable to attend AND wanted this mini-bust, and you've got plenty of people who were unhappy.

If anything, I hope Gentle Giant learned something from this summer's conventions.  I think they learned that there are people out there who want their products.  Also, I think they learned that they need to consider higher production runs.  Next, I think they learned that they need to distribute their convention exclusives in a fair manner.  And, as a final caveat, this summer was the FIRST time that Gentle Giant has offered show exclusives.  So they were learning the process.

Do I like the fact that Gentle Giant was effectively using the summer convention-goers as guinea pigs?  No.  In fact, I think the way they handled things sucks.  Peronally, I wanted to see everyone who wanted this Blue Clone Trooper min-bust be able to get one.  I was happy to win my bust, but I was also lucky.  One guy went so far as to offer the winners of Sunday's lottery $150 for their Blue Clone Trooper bust.  everybody declined.  And all in all, I was still extremely frustrated with the process.  Hopefully Gentle Giant does better the next time.
« Last Edit: August 17, 2003, 11:05 AM by Nicklab »
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Offline Jimmy

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Blue Clone Trooper Bust ?
« Reply #56 on: September 12, 2003, 02:03 PM »
David, I never heard back from you...

Did you ever nab a blue Clone bust? I haven't yet and refuse to pay what they are selling for right now.
These are $40-50 busts (and I know the cost from GG) no way will I shed quad that price...

I didn't go the case route either but did get a red bust earlier this week. I have the yellow and white coming soon...

I found it weird that my red bust is numbered 5401 out of 7500. I thought they'd number them according to their number editions (i.e. red #x of 1250).

Gotta love me or leave me alone....

Numero Uno LobotsDup fan

Offline Boba Binks

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Re: Clone Trooper Bust ?
« Reply #57 on: September 12, 2003, 04:42 PM »
I did get one Blue Clone bust from a guy who owed me a big favor. So I got just the one.

Right now I have the White and Yellow Clone bust from the stores around here. I have searched the internet for the Red Bust and I refuse to pay $149.00+ for it. I know it is one per case but #*@#(%#!! That is alot.

All the Comic Stores around here have the White Bust so I will just paint it Red and have a custom. I still want to make a Green one also.

For those of you looking for me. I am now at www.sandtroopers.com

Offline dustrho

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Blue Clone Trooper Bust on eBay
« Reply #58 on: October 4, 2003, 10:08 AM »
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3147817311&category=50263

What a complete ripoff!   :o  This is probably one of the guys that was standing right next to me at Wizard World Chicago, and after he won it he said "eBay here it goes!"  I wanted to kill that guy!   >:(

EDIT -- He says it's from the San Diego Comic Con, so it's not the same jerk I was standing near in Chicago.
« Last Edit: October 4, 2003, 10:10 AM by dustrho »
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Offline Boba Binks

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Re: Clone Trooper Bust ?
« Reply #59 on: October 6, 2003, 11:25 AM »
$199.99!!!  :o That is so.... Bad!
I cannot believe the price is so high on it.

For those of you looking for me. I am now at www.sandtroopers.com