Official Save Masterreplicas Star Wars line petition

[tripoli]

I think the MR license made it possible for boards like this to exist at the time. With a manufacturer allowing the studio to make a buck on the props filling the market, the bootlegging was not such a hot topic.

Of course, then you have the businesses that have the license trying to make sure that the bootlegging woudl not interfer with those licenses, which is common. Generally, its only the massed produced bootleggs that become of any issue for them.

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

I think this is exactly the difference we see here. This little 'argument' (for lack of a better word) is waged between the 'prop makers' and the 'prop collectors'. MR is good and dandy for someone who do not want to spend the time RESEARCHING & MAKING their own prop, but for those who want to feel the satisfaction and achievement of making a prop by hand, MR just don't cut it.

Then you're back to the fact that probably 90% of us don't have access to machining equipment which for the majority of SW props is required. I'd build everything if I could just whip up the parts in my garage, but most people can't.

 

[tripoli]

Not really. I think a small run like you have seen in the past would go under the radar without too much of a problem for some studios. It's those that mass produce hundreds that threaten the long term viability of a franchise license. That ansd those that are making a good profit. Studios that see that think that profit should be going to them. Again, you have to look at what studio is heavily cracking down on items versus those that have a good standing with the fan base. As for single replicas, I really don't think the studio will give a hoot unless it becomes something that really catches the public en masse eye. I think its totally viable to have both studio licensed pieces and personal garage projects. Just takes a bit of common sense to know where to draw the line. In a hobby that can be obsessive sometimes, that can get foggy to some.

 

[SaberFreak]

Then you're back to the fact that probably 90% of us don't have access to machining equipment which for the majority of SW props is required. I'd build everything if I could just whip up the parts in my garage, but most people can't.

Which is why you, myself, and a few thousand other people are in this board. We come here to get custom machined parts from those who DO have the resource, and together we build what we each want.

Like I said earlier, I'm not bashing MR or any other mass produced props, its just my personal preference is more towards something made with more attention to detail, and more 'soul'.

Take the OBW saber for example. MR came out with how many versions of OBW sabers already? And yet there are still prop makers here (you know who you are ) who is trying to make a better emitter (balance pipe). I'll be here waiting for that to come to pass, even if it takes another 10 more years for me to put it on my OBW saber.