New Rubies Scout Trooper Helmet?

[TazMan2000]

Is Rubies releasing a new Scout Trooper bucket?

http://www.entertainmentearth.com/prodinfo.asp?number=ru65008#.VUljw3BOKrV

From what I've seen and owned of their previous releases I don't hold out much hope that they will hit one out of the park with this release. I own their saggy clonetrooper helmet, their small TIE pilot helmet and the surprisingly nice Deluxe Darth Vader helmet (I know it's not accurate, but it still is an adequate replica and looks good).
I know a few of you have an EFX, but I can't justify paying 700 hundred plus for something that is probably only going to sit on a shelf. There has to be a something between a "piece of cr*p" and an EFX that would be an "adequate" display helmet.

TazMan2000

 

[Dredgen]

Interesting but like you said I'd be wary. Rubies doesn't have the best track record and their stock images can be deceiving. Hopefully some in hand pictures surface soon.

If you're willing to assemble your own there's vacuform kits and pepakura. As for assembled check out RS Prop Masters. I have my eye on one and they should be out soon.

I would really like to see Anovos tackle Biker Scouts. Hopefully it's on their radar.

 

[Timmythekid]

It's just the DP molds, isn't it? Been a while since I've seen a DP Scout, but...

 

[TazMan2000]

Yes, Dredgen, I've seen the PropMasters one and it's definitely nice, from what I can see, and it may be the way I will go. I will wait until I see more pics of the finished product, but it is a reasonable price.

Timmy, how was the quality of the DP scout? Did it suffer from the typical problems that most Rubies have?

http://images1.snapfish.com/232323232fp;4:>nu=323;>9<3>7;;>WSNRCG=3577:7483;33:nu0mrj

Is there any point to getting something like the above? Perhaps if you were trying to make a screen accurate helmet of one of the biker scouts who flew into a tree....:lol

TazMan2000

 

[Mara Jade's Father]

I picked up the DP Scout helmet from target on clearance at Target back around 1999 for $35. Based on what I see from this produced by Rubies, I would say the materials DP used were far superior in that the lens does not look as flimsy and the structure itself does not deform under its own weight. I still have mine as it looks very nice displayed with my helmets. The only thing I ever added to it was some velcro to keep the front closed.

 

[TazMan2000]

Looks good. I hope Rubies make a half decent one this time.

TazMan2000

 

[R2Dan]

Pretty sure it's going to be the same old one, with a deceiving promotional picture. Nothing new when it comes to Rubies.

 

[matty matt]

I got the impression it was the same one, but that site is just expecting a new shipment.

 

[Mara Jade's Father]

I got the impression it was the same one, but that site is just expecting a new shipment.

That's my thinking too.

 

[TazMan2000]

Maybe. But according to the Rubies site in their catalogue, it has it as a different number.

TazMan2000

 

[Inquisitor Peregrinus]

Pretty sure it's going to be the same old one, with a deceiving promotional picture. Nothing new when it comes to Rubies.

I'm reserving judgement until there's an item in hand. The new Rubies Royal Guard helmet is most decidedly not a re-pop of the old DP one. The DP helmet suffered from the same mould shrinkage issue as all their other helmet casts. On a good day, I could get it on past my cheekbones with only a little skin lost and then, with it sitting right on the top of my head with no padding, the avontail would still be hanging over an inch short of my shoulders.

The new Rubies one I saw in person at Celebration VI and I was astonished. The rest of the Supreme Royal Guard costume was pleh, but that helmet was nearly perfect right out of the box. Right size, sturdy fiberglass, the right color... The visor was too light and the wrong color, but an overlay of dark red theatrical lighting gel took care of that. I gladly plunked down the $250 they were asking for it.

The reason I am still skeptically optimistic about this one, instead of flat-out optimistic, is the price point. Back in the day, the DP Royal Guard helmet retailed for $60. Adjusting for inflation, the new Rubies Supreme one is easily twice that. This new Scout bucket isn't enough more expensive for me to think they've gone to the same lengths. At the same time, it is more expensive than their Scout buckets have been. So I dunno...

--Jonah

 

[Mara Jade's Father]

Maybe. But according to the Rubies site in their catalogue, it has it as a different number.

TazMan2000

That could be due to new packaging. I hope it is new though. I checked eBay and their are some sellers pre-selling these for $179 - $200 based on the promo picture alone.

I don't like seeing rubies do poorly. I know they are not suppose to be Anovos but in the days of Don Post, there were some diamonds in the ruff. Maybe not always something I would say we're accurate prop replicas but often good enough to display in my collection (as you might note on the four helmets in my photo above).

The problem with a lot of rubies items is that very few of their items make it to brick and mortar retail stores so you rely on buying them online with only the stock photos as your guide. And quite often the items are a far cry from what they show and what you actually get. Mostly my experience with rubies has been for costumes for my kids. I do have a modified Naboo pistol in my collection.

Let's hope that Rubies is actually trying to improve their Star Wars line. Historically, the same items can decrease in quality as the years go by. They also seem to beat a dead horse by pushing the same outdated products that should have been retired years ago? Is anyone really looking for a qui gon or Anakin AOTC lightsaber?

 

[TazMan2000]

I agree that Rubies is not like Anovos or EFX for that matter, and they do fill a niche in the market a bit lower down the scale. As I mentioned previously, I do have some of "their" medium and deluxe helmets. I am hoping that they will still continue on, with their regular lines, and also widen their deluxe line of helmets. Hopefully when the Scout Trooper is finally released someone will do a review on here, or youtube, so that others will be able to see and judge for themselves, since we can't rely on Rubies to give an extensive overview of their product.

TazMan2000

 

[d_jedi1]

Is anyone really looking for a qui gon or Anakin AOTC lightsaber?

If they decided to drop ones that even BORDERED on accurate, I might but otherwise.....

 

[Mara Jade's Father]

The f'ed up thing is that in 1999, Rubies released two versions of The Phantom Menace Qui and Obi. One variant is the one you see today. The other variant was a leaner closer scale with a twist top locking mechanism to lock the blade into the hilt. The down side was that the blade was smaller to accommodate the hilt but it was way better than what they decided to stick with.