PropShop announces TFA Props!

[mortifactor]

I know. My point was that a shop in the UK has to set their prices for what is fair for them in the UK and to pay UK artists and crew and UK materials in Pounds.

Once they do that and the UK price is converted to U.S. dollars, it's usually out of my price range.

When I look at the Junkyard and I see items priced in Pounds I know it's a fair price for the member in the UK but it's too expensive for me. I recently saw a real AS Handwheel for £300. If it had been $300 I would have bought is as $300 is a fair price in USD. But after the conversion I felt the price was too high for me.

It's the exchange rate that keeps me buying from the UK.

a $5 thing in the US is usually a £5 thing in the UK. We don't really notice it until we go abroad and become rich. Right now, I'm in Japan and looking for a camera. In the UK it is £1900, in the US it is $1900.

 

[lmgill]

Not the same... you're missing the point.

He's talking about a fair price in the UK, converted for exchange, is not a fair price in the US.

In Canada it's worse.

people in the US are getting 900 dollars for a graflex... so as a Canadian, I want 900 dollars as well. Why not? My cost of living is the same as yours.

So I put it in the Junkyard for 900 dollars Canadian, I actually end up only getting 700 dollars.

So if I want my 900 dollars, I put it up in the Junkyard for 1150 USD.

I understand what he was saying, but the logic is skewed. The point is, it is a different system of measurement. Yes, the exchange rate fluctuates, but the pay in the UK does not change when the exchange rate changes. If they make 500 pounds a week, you may make 710 dollars a week, but it's still worth 500 pounds. However, next month, their 500 pounds maybe can only buy $698, but their cost of milk isn't effected, or their salery. So just like here in the US, pay scale is cost of living based, not exchange rate based. So when you want to know what it costs, the currency comes first, then the number. Just like my example, the system of measurement comes first, then the number. The difference, unlike international systems of measurement, these change with the comparable economy of the different countries. Example, In 1972 one pound was $2.50, in 1985 it was worth $1.30, last year it was $1.53, today it's $1.43.
Edit:
But, yes, the Prop shop products....That unfortunately, I can not talk about.....

 

[Mr Mold Maker]

Discussing the price of the props is one thing.. Not understanding the exchange rate of currency is a completely different topic for a different thread IMO...




Onto the props.. The Kylo helmet specifically.. You could give those scans to ten different people, and you'd get ten different results. Propshop, Anovos, and even Hasbro have had access to and used scans from production helmets. As Adam mentioned in his video, the Black Series (especially modified) is very close in size and general detailing.. Simplified for mass production, but close none-the-less. I'm sure the Anovos, both premier and standard, will be close as well.

That being said, NONE of these helmets are direct castings of a production helmet. If the propshop was a casting directly from the real deal, sure, I'd understand the price.
The fact is they are not, and as such, there WILL be differences. I also feel at the price points they have, they should be using a more durable material. As mentioned above, none of the Kylo helmets were 3D printed pieces. All of them were AB urethane.. To call your product "accurate" and "as close as you can get to the film props" using the wrong material is a bad start. I don't see many of these selling, and what does will be recast and put on up eBay to reap profits.. Of course this is all just my opinion.. YMMV.



For me? After some not very long thought.. I settled on the "Standard" helmet from Anovos. It'll be nice having the piece last more than 5 years..

 

[Halliwax]

i can't get over this "powder bed" printing. i can find videos on youtube, but can't find videos explaining how it works... this isn't like 3d printing at home with the filament being feed into the printer

is the prop made out of the powder? or is the powder used as bracing?

 

[Timmythekid]

So I put it in the Junkyard for 900 dollars Canadian, I actually end up only getting 700 dollars.

So if I want my 900 dollars, I put it up in the Junkyard for 1150 USD.

I'm stuck on this side of the great, ****ty exchange rate too, and maybe I'm missing something, and not to endlessly drag this out but I...don't think that's how math works. If you want $900 USD dollars for it, you put it up for sale at $900 USD - why would you put something you want $900 USD for up at $1150 USD? $1150 CAD maybe?

- - - Updated - - -

I settled on the "Standard" helmet from Anovos. It'll be nice having the piece sometime in the 5 years..

.
FTFY

 

[solaren]

i can't get over this "powder bed" printing. i can find videos on youtube, but can't find videos explaining how it works... this isn't like 3d printing at home with the filament being feed into the printer

is the prop made out of the powder? or is the powder used as bracing?

If I understand it correctly, the answer to both of your questions is yes. Most of this comes from reading and watching videos from shapeways which uses this form of printing. SLS (Selective laser sintering) printing uses lasers to melt small amounts of the powder that fuses together to make the final object, the powder around the object helps support the piece without the need for the extra computer generated supports like filament printing.

 

[Halliwax]

If I understand it correctly, the answer to both of your questions is yes. Most of this comes from reading and watching videos from shapeways which uses this form of printing. SLS (Selective laser sintering) printing uses lasers to melt small amounts of the powder that fuses together to make the final object, the powder around the object helps support the piece without the need for the extra computer generated supports like filament printing.

thank you, so i was close!

 

[NeoRutty]

I'm stuck on this side of the great, ****ty exchange rate too, and maybe I'm missing something, and not to endlessly drag this out but I...don't think that's how math works. If you want $900 USD dollars for it, you put it up for sale at $900 USD - why would you put something you want $900 USD for up at $1150 USD? $1150 CAD maybe?

- - - Updated - - -


.
FTFY

Yeah I'm drunk. Maths wrong. I had it right, looked wrong, changed it. Now it's wrong.

This is is why I didn't get to be an astonaut. Math.

 

[bookface]

You give them a price that makes them go away or makes a helluva deal for you.

This is a thing that happens in almost every craft. I've done it myself.

One thing I have to mention though, I'm having something 3d printed (a half scale helmet) and it's costing me more than the Kylo helmet. If these are genuinely 3d printed pieces then actually they're a steal. Try getting a quote for a full scale helmet from shapeways in whatever their ultra high detail material is now and see for yourself.

 

[Kroenen77]

Why is it so expensive?Was this your costs or what you paid for that?

 

[cboath]

You give them a price that makes them go away or makes a helluva deal for you.

This is a thing that happens in almost every craft. I've done it myself.

One thing I have to mention though, I'm having something 3d printed (a half scale helmet) and it's costing me more than the Kylo helmet. If these are genuinely 3d printed pieces then actually they're a steal. Try getting a quote for a full scale helmet from shapeways in whatever their ultra high detail material is now and see for yourself.

I had a full scale batman Arkham Asylum cowl printed for a 24" head via shapeways and it was under $400. Or course, the purpose was for casting and making urethane castings so the helmet was all of 1/8" thick, if that. Not sure how something 1/2 scale (which is 1/4 the volume) should come out over 2k - unless it's solid or a high end material.

That powder method sounds a bit newer than the older ones i saw. And by older, i mean circa 2001. The was a plate that set atop a bed of powder. Ultra fine powder. Finer than flour. When you started it up it set a certain level of power ontop of the plate and went over it with an inkjet head. the 'ink' mixed with the power and turned solid. The plate then descended like a micron or whatever at a time until it was done. Those were fragile and not expected to live long lives. I can see that method being used for props these days in that they're problably pretty cheap and you don't need them very long. If you can just 'print another', who cares if if it's the same one used in E7, or 10 or 24? It'll look pretty much dead on. So, for production sake, they only have to last a few months, if that.

Now, as for selling to the public. If they're as fragile as they're made out to be, it's pretty stupid. Shoulda sprung for stronger prints or something that'll last.

 

[bookface]

I had a full scale batman Arkham Asylum cowl printed for a 24" head via shapeways and it was under $400. Or course, the purpose was for casting and making urethane castings so the helmet was all of 1/8" thick, if that. Not sure how something 1/2 scale (which is 1/4 the volume) should come out over 2k - unless it's solid or a high end material.

That powder method sounds a bit newer than the older ones i saw. And by older, i mean circa 2001. The was a plate that set atop a bed of powder. Ultra fine powder. Finer than flour. When you started it up it set a certain level of power ontop of the plate and went over it with an inkjet head. the 'ink' mixed with the power and turned solid. The plate then descended like a micron or whatever at a time until it was done. Those were fragile and not expected to live long lives. I can see that method being used for props these days in that they're problably pretty cheap and you don't need them very long. If you can just 'print another', who cares if if it's the same one used in E7, or 10 or 24? It'll look pretty much dead on. So, for production sake, they only have to last a few months, if that.

Now, as for selling to the public. If they're as fragile as they're made out to be, it's pretty stupid. Shoulda sprung for stronger prints or something that'll last.

Well the company doing the printing are using the same material as shapeways frosted extreme detail, which they quote at $6 per cubic cm. By contrast, PLA is $0.40 per cubic cm. All that said, I might well contact propshop and see if they'll print it for me with this new method.

 

[gizmo]

Surely people would prefer them to do the first one in 3d print then make molds and cast them in a more durable material for long term integrity?Fibreglass??


Ben

 

[Jagjaguwar]

Has everyone seen this? I'm getting the sense reading some of the comments that people are thinking these props are mainly made of 3D printed material. From this video that doesn't seem to be the case:

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/video/inside-studio-makes-star-wars-props-39538778

 

[cboath]

That does make it sound light on the 3d printing - or at least lighter than it had seemed.

Kylo helmet, 7 pieces, some cast, molded, and PMA 3d printed (the part over the mouth i believe).

Rey's staff was aluminum pipe and PMA pieces

Bowcaster was PMA, precision cut pieces, aluminum (sight and bow parts), machined aluminum (scopes/sights).

So it appears multiple things were used. Shame they don't properly attribute the pieces in their descriptions. He also grabbed a Poe helmet piece with not much regard for it possibly being fragile or wet. So i'm guessing a lot of fears of fragility may turn out to be unfounded.

 

[craigjohn]

OK! The exchange rate from USD to Pounds sucks if US buyers purchase something from the UK. So it's too expensive for the US buyer to purchase from the UK.

The UK Buyers hate the excessive import or customs taxes/duties if they purchase something from the US. So it's too expensive for the UK buyer to purchase something from the US.

So we're screwed both ways. Fabulous. Glad that's been cleared up. LOL


I have no problems buying from the UK if there something I really want. It's the cost of doing business with good people/businesses to get something not otherwise offered in the US - RS Prop Masters Stormtrooper helmet and the Quasimodo V2 Vader helmets come to mind.




As an aside, and this was mentioned before (I believe) based on that ABC video, it does appear The Prop Shop isn't exclusively "Made to order", as they're pre-making numerous items per the "Gearing up" comment from the tour host.

 

[ggriffaw]

Has everyone seen this? I'm getting the sense reading some of the comments that people are thinking these props are mainly made of 3D printed material. From this video that doesn't seem to be the case:

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/video/inside-studio-makes-star-wars-props-39538778

The video certainly gives a different impression than the website. The webpage for each product should be much more specific as far as what the main materials are for the product. It's pretty bad when people think an item is 3d printed plastic but it really is mostly metal with a few 3d printed pieces.

Apparently orders are being placed or they are building up inventory. It looks like the people making the items for sale pretty much focus on that and not making props for current films.

 

[Mr Mold Maker]

Something interesting I noticed in one of their pictures.. The FN-2187 helmet has a hairline crack in the circled area. For something that costs $1,750, a crack, no matter how small, does not inspire confidence for the pieces longevity IMO.

Unless this is some super specific detailing that the hero helmet has.. But that seems about as unlikely as this helmet lasting long in your collection. :angel

 

[H0llyw00d]

It's interesting to watch a new SW licensee go through growing pains right before your eye's... And something tells me we will be more of a pain than most...

 

[kirova]

not sure if this has been posted or not, an unboxing video of melted Vader helmet:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_UbTpIeOlY

I was really worried that the little girl might just pick up the helmet and smash it into pieces