First pic of the licensed Korben Dallas Blaster - Fifth Element

[MattMunson]

Well, as soon as I figure out what the actual price tag will be, you guys will be the first to know.

Personally, you KNOW I'd go 500 for it in a second. But that's me, and I'm nuts.

 

[Hirohawa]

That looks awesome - I think $250 is fair as that is what the Metal and plastic OWM Blade Runner blaster goes for.

All depends on teh weight and feel too.

MR blasters are $500+ but they are all metal and include those nifty display cases.

 

[redshirt]

Matt, any info on the electronics workings of this? A flashing LED in the barrel, etc.

Tom

 

[Sidewinder]

This is a bit of a leap, but will this company be producing other 5E weaps? Say, one with a Z and a F and a 1 in the name??

AS for the KDB i'd say anywhere between $2-500 wouldn't surprise me - depending on edition size, final prop 'functions', materials etc.

SAS

 

[SWFreak]

Matt, you know me, I love 5E just as much as you do. I just don't have the cash to buy everything I want.

That being said, when I buy any prop over $100 I tend to be very selective. I really has to be one hell of a prop. This gun certainly fits into that category.

At:
$300 - I won't even blink when sending the money.
$350 - I'll cringe a little
$400 - It's gonna hurt and I'm gonna catch heat from the wife.

Anything beyond $400 and I'll have to pass. It will be one of those many wonderful props that I will never have.

Any idea when these will be available? I need to start putting cash aside now.

 

[PHArchivist]

By the way... What kind of a hand gun can carry 999 rounds? Or even 100 for that matter.?

 

[Mola Rob]

The gun may have limited appeal but that makes it more appealing to me. I love The Fifth Element so I am planning on getting this as long as the price is not too high. I would say $300.00 - $350.00 but that depends on the features.

 

[Gigatron]

It's a cool gun, no doubting that, but, 5E is a definite cult film. People either loved it or didn't care about it. It has a relatively small following (compared to films like star wars, LOTR and trek).

It's going to be a hard sell (if they're looking at an open end edition) to the general public. In the $200 - $250 range, the people that kinda enjoyed the movie would take a second look at the prop. Above $250 and the casual movie enthusiast will probably keep on walking by. A limited edition at the $300 price point might catch their attention depending on the amount of disposable income they're willing to dispose of. Any price above that, you're probably only looking at the hardcore 5E lovers. And that will be a very limited number of sales.

For instance, look at the secondary market for MR blasters. Star Wars has an enormous fan base, but still the limited edition blasters end up on ebay going for half what they sold for.

I guess the question is, do they want to sell 100 blasters at $500 apiece or 500 blasters at $200 apiece?

-Fred

 

[kurtyboy]

$300 for a non SE with no case etc.

 

[prop fan]

I'm a poor guy so I cant even afford an opinon. Gun looks cool though

 

[Walter]

Matt,

You know me, you know how much I love this film, and you know that I will spend any reasonable amount for a fine prop replica. For a well made piece, large run... $300-$400 seems to be marketable.

-Bryan

 

[racprops]

BIG question, does it do ANYTHING??

Rich

 

[Sidewinder]

Like turn into a billiard ball?

SAS

 

[MattMunson]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sidewinder @ Feb 23 2007, 03:29 AM) [snapback]1424332[/snapback]</div>

Like turn into a billiard ball?

SAS
[/b]

or a big rig truck that talks? I'll get my top men right on that one.

 

[greatwazoo42]

I'D BUY THAT FOR A DOLLAR...

(sorry, someone had to)

 

[Sidewinder]

"no, no the gun - yes the gun"

SAS

 

[Benign Robot]

A great price for this would be around $150-$200 - here's why:

Price would obviously be dictated by quantity produced, but for arguments sake:

If MR can offer their FXs at $119 retail, and they're fabricated of die-cast, and injected molded parts, and include lights and sound, then this simple pistol would cost about the same, or less, if produced in the same numbers. It won't be, so it should cost more. It all has to do with 'minimums', which has to do with factory floor time, which has to do with job scheduling, blah blah blah...

What's important to understand is that each model produced requires "set up" costs to get into production - protoypes, die fabrication, and so forth. That's the hurdle each company has to leap to see profit (advertising goes in there, too). The price of the finished piece needs to incororate a little of that cost, but once the "set up" is paid for these types of toys are insanely cheap to produce - in China. FYI the FXs cost about $30 to make. The collector sabers that do nothing? Between $50 and $100 - because they make fewer than the FXs.

Example - it costs Sideshow $1,500 to make one of their lifesize T-800 endoskeletons. That includes shipping from China. They sell them for $5,950 thus making $4,450 dollars profit. Fair? If that's what people are willing to pay.

This should give you an idea of what this little pistol will cost to produce. Around $30. With that dandy moving trigger.

Sci-fi collectors have GOT to stop buying with their hearts, or at least declaring how they'd empty their wallets just to get their hands on that phaser they've always wanted. These companies play on your 'nostalgic love' of some show, or movie, and count on the fact that you'll "drop $500 on that in a heartbeat", and then pretend that their products are rare and exlcusive and mark them up 300% because the customers have already given them the go-ahead. All collector's markets are like this to some degree, but Si-Fi/Fantasy collectors seem to be particularly ready to part with their money for some reason. It's almost as bad as clothing/fashion - can you wrap your head around a 900% markup on a belt?

Demand a fair price and you'll get it, or suffer the alternatlive.

It's up to the consumer.

 

[hyperdyne]

Amen.

 

[racprops]

Like working trigger with gun sound effects and a auto and one shot switch and working LEDs and perhaps a working slide so you can mock cock it.

Rich

 

[androidandy]

A lot more than material costs and set up costs go into each production item. You also have to make sure it covers all the costs to keep your company going as well...like pay rent, payroll, electric, equiptment upkeep, and all the other high costs of doing business. One piece alone of course is hard to do that unless you are a one man operation.

Then the matter of figuring out your market. If your market is large you can put out a large amount at a smaller price to make money. If your market is small you need to be able to sell a smaller amount at a higher price to get your profit. A Star Wars License can do both, but 5E will need to ask a higher price for a smaller run or they will sit on a lot of unsold guns. Of course if there is a good sized hardcore fan group they can open it up a bit more. I personally think the $300-$350 range sounds about right for a medium sized run(a few hundred guns). Less than 100 guns I think they can sell them at the higher price. Also you have to take into account how quickly you sell them and get your investment and initial costs back. A small run might sell faster than a large run when people wait to see because there is no percieved scarcity. But if they are well priced and sold through the right channels (like in French science fiction film magazines)..they might sell like hotcakes. I do think there is a good sized market for this gun around the world and a medium size run at a medium price will sell the best I think IMHO. The high end prop Market seems very soft right now. It all depends on the marketing I figure.