Museum Replicas SW costumes

I don't see why the lightsabers can't look just like the real deal if they're plated resin. EFX might be able to do some "repeats" with a lower price point, using the excuse that they're costume accessories. That way, we can get our saber replicas without peeving the LE crowd who didn't want repeats to devalue their investment. Pretty clever if it works out.

i do like their mannequins. did i spell that right?

I checked out the Museum Replicas booth at SDCC last year, and one of the reps let me hold a prototype Obi-Wan ROTS lightsaber. It's basically a resin cast item with some sort of coating, not paint. I think I saw the Anakin one also.

For $99, it's not a bad lightsaber to hang from your belt.

I'm skeptical of the Anakin and Obi-Wan costumes themselves. I don't think they've posted larger images yet. For those prices, you should be able to check out each component up close.

dork vader said:

I checked out the Museum Replicas booth at SDCC last year, and one of the reps let me hold a prototype Obi-Wan ROTS lightsaber. It's basically a resin cast item with some sort of coating, not paint.

Click to expand...

They're electro-plated.

Thanks. My memory isn't as crisp as it used to be.

I got to handle the Obi-Wan lightsaber last year and it was really nice. Reminded me very much of the MR LEs with only 1/3 the weight, perfect costume hilts. I'll be sure to pick up the Anakin when its available.

Got Maul said:

So the question is, would you pay over a thousand for a completely accurized fabric suit ? As some of you pointed out, the materials and getting them exact can be cost prohibitory (as I am finding out real quick with the Trek project).

Click to expand...

For me? Absolutely not!

- Bill

GINO said:

I made this post on Rebel Scum in response to the prototypes shown at SDCC. I realize that they are a collectors forum and not really knowledgeable when it comes to props/costumes, but as unpopular as it was, I had to add my .02.



I look around these collector boards and I see them filled filled to the brim with those with such low expectations, that they will shell out big money for anything with an official SW seal on it.
What is wrong with you people. Please wake up.

Just because a company makes something better than it's predecessor doesn't mean they hit a bullseye. That should not be the standard that their success is measured by.
From where I stand, they have failed miserably and squandered an immense amount of potential.

I constantly hear you guys say, well it's close enough for me, or I don't need it to be 100% screen accurate to be satisfied.
I just don't understand. Don't you want the most for your money?
It doesn't always have to cost more to be more accurate.
All of these pieces cost enough that there is no excuse for not being WAY closer to the mark.

Last I checked, the marketing campaign for MR is ALL ABOUT promising identical replicas of the screen used pieces. I don't know how they can say that with a straight face. Maybe it is because they count on no one either checking it out for themselves, or just not caring. Both of which I've found seems to be the case, but it shouldn't be.

All this access to the archives makes no difference if the pieces you churn out turn out worse than what the average fan can do with extremely limited resources (less money, less access). It is a crying shame.
And don't give me that, "we have to make it affordable, or LFL made us make it less accurate" because that is all BS. It doesn't cost any more to make sure the patterns are cut to the correct shape. And despite the myth, LFL has never stood in the way of a more accurate product.

Just as an example, I made a quick comparison using the Luke ROTJ costume. Do these look like screen accurate reproductions to you?
The cut of the patterns are not the same, nor are the fabrics, nor are the colors. I don't know how you measure 'accurate' but those aspects tend to matter to me.

And if you think that the production pieces are going to turn out better than these prototypes, then you are in for a major disappointment. MR is known for their production pieces to turn out nowhere near as good as their prototypes. And these prototypes aren't very good to begin with.
From what I understand, every fabric, part, material, etc.. is sourced in India, and produced in India. Why, because it is cheap to do so.
The quality is sacrificed, but it doesn't have to be.

.

Click to expand...

Gino, you are my new hero! I couldn't agree more with your points - all of them!

I'm no stranger to the costuming world. I would like to think that I am pretty knowledgeable when it comes to costuming pieces - I should be, I was a GML for my garrison last year. But I can concede that I am not an expert on every costume out there.

I do have a serious problem with any company that tells their consumer base that they are producing quality costumes straight from the movies when they're not. One can chalk that up to marketing, or whatever. Just as you said, it is all BS. You're right, it doesn't cost any more to simply cut the patterns correctly. We are seeing this as a common denominator in the costume replicating business. Rubies Supreme line is just another example of the hypocrasy that is "licensed replica costumes".

Bottom line, the real reason we are paying such a grossly obscene amount of money is because a company like MRL, or Rubies, wants to keep their profits up - after LFL takes their royalty cut, of course. The way they do that is to jack the price up and market it as a premium product.

There is no way on this earth an Imperial Officer's uniform should be costing well over $500 without boots. Not when one can get the basic materials and make one themselves for 1/2 to 2/3 the cost. Indeed, I have an Imp Officer uniform. No way did it cost me nearly that much. While it is true that I really should redo the certain parts of the uniform, itself, it still wouldn't cost me over $500 to do it. I will still be able to do it and it wouldn't hit the $500 mark, with acquiring boots.

Here is where I become unpopular here... I think there is a negative stigma put on those who make costumes from scratch. There are those in this hobby who seem to feel the need to look down on others because they dropped mad cash on a costume, whereas someone else took the cheap route and did it cheaper. There is a word I use for those folks (some see it as an ugly word, but truth is truth), that is elitist.

I'm not saying that it is bad to have pride in your costume, on the contrary a costumer should fully embrace the nuances of this craft. But not at the expense of looking down on someone else because they chose to go a cheaper route. And I have seen the elitist attitude in both houses (RL and 501st).

In my view, having and sporting a MRL costumer doesn't make the costumer better than the individual who scratch made theirs. We all strive to look as if we stepped off the movie screen. People like TKVanB, Kay_Dee and many others have made their own costumes and I would say they are perfect representations of the respective costumes, of course I am a big fan of their work, though, too.

The point I am making is that there are many examples where scratch made blows away anything that is "licensed made".

With kindest regards to all,

- Bill

I don't think their price points are too high (in fact I'd pay a lot more), if only they were what their marketing campaign claims them to be.

But for what this waterd down version that they will ultimately end up being, yeah way overpriced.
What good is all that access if they can't get the patterns correct at the very least.


.

GINO said:

I don't think their price points are too high (in fact I'd pay a lot more), if only they were what their marketing campaign claims them to be.

But for what this waterd down version that they will ultimately end up being, yeah way overpriced.
What good is all that access if they can't get the patterns correct at the very least.


.

Click to expand...

Nothing out of the ordinary is it, every prop/costuming company out there makes untrue claims in their advertisements and descriptions.

Well my pics will follow(a friend took them) but I visited the MR booth at D*C, it was the same stuff as last year. It seems for the Padme one, they did fix the embroidery colors but the fabrics still look pretty cheap(and if it is silk, then those silkworms are working too hard, LOL). And my main issue with these replicas is that for the Padme ones, at least, there will be no hairpieces and IMO that is a part of the overall look. The hair is what completes the costume and I only worry about tons of Packing Gown Padmes running around at CV without the proper hair(a true cringe-worthy moment indeed). On the horizon, is apparently the TPM Battle Dress(still) and Leia Bespin Gown and a Slave Leia made out of actual metal and leather/suede. Seeing as the original was plastic(not really metal), again not sure how accurate(or comfortable/wearable) this will be. Even my hubby, who is not a costumer(we were dressed in the costumes in my sig banner) said that the MR guy had no idea what he was talking about when it comes to costuming.

GINO said:

Just as an example, I made a quick comparison using the Luke ROTJ costume. Do these look like screen accurate reproductions to you?
The cut of the patterns are not the same, nor are the fabrics, nor are the colors. I don't know how you measure 'accurate' but those aspects tend to matter to me.
.

Click to expand...

Oh my. That is just ....

Well, I've been expressing myself too much here lately. So I'll just say they sorely missed the mark

What the hell is that seam right above the belt on the abdomen ??

Great comparison Gino :thumbsup

-Chris

They at least got the shape of the belt buckle right....

T

'Disappointing' springs to mind, like Gino said with all the access they have been granted surely they can do better than this, it looks as if at some point they have stood about 10 meters away and said 'well its close enough' :thumbsdown

I overheard the rep in the Dcon booth saying that LFL had "found" a box of ANH TK armor and they were laser scanning it. This has got to bemore BS right?

Yes total BS.
In fact, their main guy did an interview for the 501st taking credit for the discovery of some of the original ANH suits in the archives. I couldn't believe my ears.
Those suits were "re-discovered" long before MR had any intention of getting the SW license. It was because of the LFL vs Ainsworth court case that those suits were dragged out.

Their head guy reminds me of a lousy used car salesman.


.

tavrikgannon said:

Bottom line, the real reason we are paying such a grossly obscene amount of money is because a company like MRL, or Rubies, wants to keep their profits up - after LFL takes their royalty cut, of course. The way they do that is to jack the price up and market it as a premium product.

Click to expand...

Well congratulations, you just figured out basic capitalism. Seriously, do you think they shouldn't make a profit? Are you saying that they should just roll a product out the door and charge based on the price of materials?

There is no way on this earth an Imperial Officer's uniform should be costing well over $500 without boots. Not when one can get the basic materials and make one themselves for 1/2 to 2/3 the cost. Indeed, I have an Imp Officer uniform. No way did it cost me nearly that much. While it is true that I really should redo the certain parts of the uniform, itself, it still wouldn't cost me over $500 to do it. I will still be able to do it and it wouldn't hit the $500 mark, with acquiring boots.

Click to expand...

But how many hours would you have put into this costume? How many hours of research, of patterning, of the actual labor of making the outfit? That factors into the bottom line pricing of MRL as well... even at min wage if you're honest with yourself, that's still a chunk of change that has to be accounted for. And I'll bet dollars to doughnuts that it would push the price *well* over 500 dollars.

Here is where I become unpopular here... I think there is a negative stigma put on those who make costumes from scratch. There are those in this hobby who seem to feel the need to look down on others because they dropped mad cash on a costume, whereas someone else took the cheap route and did it cheaper. There is a word I use for those folks (some see it as an ugly word, but truth is truth), that is elitist.

Click to expand...

Actually, not being skilled in the necessary areas, I have an immense respect for those who build their own costumes. Just from watching all the work that my brother put into his Darth Vader and TK outfits, I know a bit about how much labor goes into them.

People like TKVanB, Kay_Dee and many others have made their own costumes and I would say they are perfect representations of the respective costumes, of course I am a big fan of their work, though, too.

Click to expand...

And I bet if anyone were to ask them to build them a comparable costume, the MRL versions would be cheap by comparison.

GINO said:

Their head guy reminds me of a lousy used car salesman.

Click to expand...

I haven't bought anything from MRL since Hank sold the company. It just seemed to go downhill after that.

It seems they have two sites:
http://www.museumreplicas.com/default.aspx
http://www.windlassstudios.com/

Here they talk about there new costume line:
Jedi, officers, boba, storm and sandtroopers.

I´m only a ANH storm/sandtrooper fan.

So my question is, to the ANH storm/sandtroopers.
1. Do you think/know, if they will cast one of the screen used suits.
2. Or make a 3d scan of it, and make molds from there.
3. Or just make another not accurate LFL item, like they have done so far for the public.

Cheers:thumbsup

The interview:
http://www.windlassstudios.com/t-land-starwars-interview.aspx

Hey there, Rolf! Looking for another suit?

You know their armor's going to be crap if what we've seen so far is the best they can do with the softgoods. Of course, I'd love to be proven wrong.