Arsenal Models, Recasters or Not?

[PepMaster]

While I was at Megacon 2011, I came across a booth where a couple was selling props and other items in the booth and the way that the couple came across was very suspicious. I took a look at what they were selling and a few of the items they were selling had some flaws in the castings. So I decided to get a digital catalog from them by e-mail and I want to share that catalog with you guys because with the way they were acting and with the way that the website they have does'nt show any props since you have to order from a digital catalog that they send you it really makes me suspicious of them. My first question are they recasters? I don't really know how to tell a recaster but once I hear that a person is I do my best to stay away from them regardless of the prices of the items they sell. Any info would be helpful I just don't want to walk into a possible accident of buying from a recaster and feel sorry for it later. Here is the catalog they have. You guys are the experts on this sort of thing.
MEGAUPLOAD - The leading online storage and file delivery service

 

[tk1055]

If I recall correctly, Yes they are.

 

[Wes R]

I'm pretty sure i saw them mentioned as recasters on here. I know the quality of the one kit i have from them is bad.

 

[tubachris85x]

I had always assumed they were based on the quality of their products. Seen them at quite a few shows

 

[defstartrooper]

........

 

[PepMaster]

Ok it is always safer to check. Is it just a few items that they sell or more like everything that they sell is a recast?

 

[PepMaster]

Thanks Defstartrooper I'll definatly avoid buying anything from them now that I know in full what they have done.

 

[Wes R]

I had always assumed they were based on the quality of their products. Seen them at quite a few shows

I bet the stuff they have at the shows they take good care to make look good. I saw that with dealers at the anime con i was at. They sell real dvds at the con since they're watched but a ton of bootlegs from their site.

 

[Pilot]

Add my Farscape comm to the recast list. It's on page 36 of the catalog in the "smaller bagged kits" section. Even from the crappy little picture, it's very apparent to me that it's my widget.

 

[dropshipbob]

You mention they were acting odd, what were they doing that was odd?

 

[Roger Ramjet]

I can name the maker of every Trek Prop in their catalog as well as a few other pieces. None of the artists has anything to do with Cool Models/Arsenal Models.

They purchased kits off of ebay as well as other prop sites and them drop them in rubber and sell, sell, sell without so much as a nod to their creators.

Some other threads discussing them:

http://www.therpf.com/f9/dragoncon-met-arsenal-models-cool-models-95027/
http://www.therpf.com/f9/coolmodels-again-recasting-71457/
http://www.therpf.com/f9/arsenal-models-51855/

 

[BDK]

His stuff is horrible. Airbubbles galore and baddly pixelated printings of posters folks sale on EBAY.

If I remeber right his Mal Pistol is a self sculpt, not a recast but its so horrible it doesn't help his rep any. :lol

 

[PepMaster]

I can't think of which member it belongs to on here, but at Megacon this year, they had a map of Middle Earth same detail as the one I saw in the JY not too long ago it seems, so they might be making copies of paper props.

 

[pennausamike]

His stuff is horrible. Airbubbles galore and baddly pixelated printings of posters folks sale on EBAY.

If I remeber right his Mal Pistol is a self sculpt, not a recast but its so horrible it doesn't help his rep any. :lol

No, he even recast the Mal pistol!
It is from the early-early-early days of Firefly fandom and is a sculpt done from the watching the shows.
I could have probably given you the sculptor's user name about 5 computer crashes ago.
Anyway, the thing only barely resembles a Mal pistol and is about 3/4 scale to boot.
His River pistol is from the 1st Generation attempt by tyragbphoto off eBay.
Tyragbphoto's 3rd generation River pistols were pretty decent.
I'll give Arsenal/Coolmodels credit, once they claim crap for their own, they don't upgrade it.
Well, there was that time they recast the Jayne pistol with the sight rail on backwards.
They did fix that when called on it.

Even the absolute bottom-feeders like Coolmodels fill a niche for beginners
who can't afford to start out in this hobby on a complex, $300-plus dollar kit.
After messing with a Coolmodel, they'll either know they want something better,
or they'll realize this hobby isn't for them.

Mike

 

[Snarkticon]

Aw man ... a friend of mine purchased a Farscape pulse pistol from them at D*Con for me ... I was all excited about the stuff in their digital catalog - especially their phasers - and decided to look them up here.

The pulse pistol is already bought, so I might as well keep it but now that I know they're recasters, I won't be buying anything else from them.

 

[TruBlood]

They recast everything they can get their hands on. I understand they are members here also.

 

[docholl]

Their stuff is crap. The Andromeda force lance does not even look remotely like the real prop.

 

[MrGzilla]

ive bought 4 things from them, the first two were my lukes rotj saber that had tons of flaws and my halo pistal, which also had flaws... but they were good to start out on. that was last year at dragoncon, and even after finding out they were recasters i couldnt help but buy their creature hand, which i dont know the origins of but i know ive never seen another like it, and an anakin saber for my girlfriend as a first prop to work on this year at dragoncon.

the owners do have the feel of being kinda iffy, but he was pretty nice. i do know however that they have no clue about any of the props, because while talking about the anakin saber, i brought up the facct that i prefer lukes from anh, and she said that it was identical to anakins saber xD even after i showed the differancees to her she still denied it because lukes lightsaber was given to him from his father and therefore its identical... xD

edit: haha just saw that they even list anakins saber as anakin/luke lightsaber XD

 

[ed-209]

I couldnt help but buy their creature hand, which i dont know the origins of

The Creature hand was sculpted by Luis De La Fuente. He and his partners Rick Ross and Jeff Norman originally offered this kit through their company "GreyZone"

Luis visited Bob Burns and used his prop as referench but deliberatly underscaled it so it could not be sold as a casting of the original.

 

[Alan Castillo]

....... I understand they are members here also.

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