cayman shen
Master Member
Yep, you're right on that. Selling a saber is tough right now--I'm trying to let a few go myself. I think those who collect for value appreciation are in for a big surprise.
Official Save Masterreplicas Star Wars line petition
- Thread starter Joclad Danva
- Start date
Jedi-72
Sr Member
Amen to that. Ah, the good old days, when it was a hobby and not so much just another consumer market where everyone runs out to buy manufactured copies of all the same pieces. That's collecting, for sure. Not so much a hobby though. At least no more than collecting action figures makes sculpting a hobby for someone.
I'd be more than happy to see it go back underground. Time will tell.
Darth Detroit
Sr Member
The ONLY way you will make money is, litterally it has to be MUSEUM QUALITY. My Vader ROTJ saber has anodized parts, and metal grips, my Luke ANH wil have real calc bubbles, anodized grips... you really have to have NICE stuff on your saber to get a nice price out of it. :unsure Even then you STILL have to find the right customer.
But why go through all of that work when MR already makes it... which brings me full circle to the original statement I made.
Please don't be offended in case I misunderstood... but are you angry because you can't make a buck selling an unlicensed item since MR cornered the market or only because the "sport" (if you will) of making a personal copy of the prop in question, has been lost?
REAL Graflexes still aren't in abundance. In fact, finding a real one is even HARDER nowadays due to all the near-perfect copies. The thrill of the old days is still there if you want it. I made my own Luke ROTJ saber. It's not 100% accurate but I made (most of) it. The only part I didn't do was the handwheel and finding a machinist to do it for me was indeed a "hunt" in itself. Am I mad at MR for releasing TWO super-nice replicas of the saber? Not one bit. I still made MY saber all by myself... and to the guy that shows me his pristine bought copy I can say: "Pfft. I made THIS ONE MYSELF!" (Not that I want to or would say that, but I could.)
The only thing I see us losing is the whole "secret society thing". More people have found our clubhouse (and perhaps they weren't all invited).
I understand the "old days" arguments... but as a whole I still think that our hobby has flourished due to the diversity available to us and that, at least most of us, are better off for it.
REAL Graflexes still aren't in abundance. In fact, finding a real one is even HARDER nowadays due to all the near-perfect copies. The thrill of the old days is still there if you want it. I made my own Luke ROTJ saber. It's not 100% accurate but I made (most of) it. The only part I didn't do was the handwheel and finding a machinist to do it for me was indeed a "hunt" in itself. Am I mad at MR for releasing TWO super-nice replicas of the saber? Not one bit. I still made MY saber all by myself... and to the guy that shows me his pristine bought copy I can say: "Pfft. I made THIS ONE MYSELF!" (Not that I want to or would say that, but I could.)
The only thing I see us losing is the whole "secret society thing". More people have found our clubhouse (and perhaps they weren't all invited).
I understand the "old days" arguments... but as a whole I still think that our hobby has flourished due to the diversity available to us and that, at least most of us, are better off for it.
nightrider
Sr Member
Eh, lots of good points. The fondness I remember may have more to do with the time period of being right at the start of the prequels and prop collecting being new to me than anything else, it just seems like with so much stuff out there things have kinda lost there charm somewhat. I don't know, could be just me.
WhiteCommando
Well-Known Member
I have seen better fan-made clonetrooper helmets come out of American garages and basements than the MR factories out of China.
AND, these fan-made lids were being delivered 12 months before the first, and very tardy, MR clone helmets... and for $175.00 less.
Basically, you are saying a company like MR, who is out of touch with their customers, and over-charging to boot, needs to retain their license?
So, in my opinion, anyone could do better. A handful of guys in garages and basements (and painted in my back yard) could do better.
My .02¢ - nothing personal, they just dropped a giant ball.
John
AND, these fan-made lids were being delivered 12 months before the first, and very tardy, MR clone helmets... and for $175.00 less.
Basically, you are saying a company like MR, who is out of touch with their customers, and over-charging to boot, needs to retain their license?
So, in my opinion, anyone could do better. A handful of guys in garages and basements (and painted in my back yard) could do better.
My .02¢ - nothing personal, they just dropped a giant ball.
John
Darth Detroit
Sr Member
Oh I'm not mad at MR, by far.
I'm glad they make replicas. I dont collect sabers for the sole reason to re-sell them. Thats silly!:lol I DO coolect them beacuse I like them. and the ones I DO have, are the best I can get without going and buying a mass produced saber. I hope someone does pick up where MR left off, but its going to be interesting to see what happpens. Will I buy an MR product? Sure, I'll buy a set of Mickey Mouse Ears or a Cinderella slipper, I just wont buy a saber.
WebChief
Sr Member
Man... sounds like SNL with Dana Carvey...
Back in my day... rahh.....lol
Sorry, had to say it.
I agree with it to some extent though. While MR did make some really nice SW items, I'd prefer the "old fashioned" way of making a lightsaber any day over a mass produced one. That's why I'm making my own Vader hanger hilt rather than just buying an MR one.
Back in my day... rahh.....
lolSorry, had to say it.
I agree with it to some extent though. While MR did make some really nice SW items, I'd prefer the "old fashioned" way of making a lightsaber any day over a mass produced one. That's why I'm making my own Vader hanger hilt rather than just buying an MR one.
I don't think I've been fair to MR in all my disappointment. When they gave me the metal stormtrooper blaster that I couldn't make, I complained that the trigger didn't move. When they gave me the metal Maul FX, I complained about how the round sound ports in the middle ruined the look. I couldn't afford to get my hands on the things that impressed me most, like the Falcon- but I was too busy complaining that it didn't have a case anyway.
While none of my MR replicas give me the sense of pride that my homemade pieces do, I appreciate that they were doing a great job for even trying to satisfy people like us.
While none of my MR replicas give me the sense of pride that my homemade pieces do, I appreciate that they were doing a great job for even trying to satisfy people like us.
PodRacer X
Active Member
I have suggested this in another thread, but I think it bears repeating. Master Replicas has been moving their focus away from prop replicas for years with all the minis, FX's, statues and replicas of "props" only realized as computer graphics. And the merger with CORGI threatens an even bigger shift towards producing kitsch (bobbleheads anyone?) I think they are done with the Lucasfilm license, myself, and I think they had a really good run with it. I'd personally be ibterested in seeing what another company would do with the license and I would hope they would once again focus on 1:1 prop replicas.
Darth Kahnt
Sr Member
Re: Petition to LFL and Corgi to Reopen License Negotiations
As someone already stated, there is already a thread on this subject. Ill combne both.
As someone already stated, there is already a thread on this subject. Ill combne both.
darthgordon
Sr Member
Well not to be a stick in the mud, but making unlicensed props and selling them is walking a thin line between what is legal and what is not (is it a piece of art or is it copy write infringement?). The complaint that MR is stealing anyone's business isn't a very good one. It's especially odd that MR was able to pay Lucasfilm for the license and sell thier replicas for the same price as the unlicensed ones (such as an exact Vader replica for 800 bucks vs. a fan made w/o access to the original prop for 1000 or more). Personally I think some of their stuff is still a little over priced for having been made (mostly) in China. Since they were unable to reach an agreement with Lucasfilm, I'm betting Lucasfilm wanted too much money. That means that who ever (if anyone) takes over the license, I doubt they will be any less expensive (probably more so).
Chrpica
Active Member
I don't think it's illegal, as long as one isn't saying it's an official LFL backed prop.
MR was overpriced, but it did dominate the market. Why pay fifty extra for a specific type of part when one could get something that looked exactly like it? It's good to have a variety, but it's hard to keep up with them.
Gytheran
Sr Member
Nope, it's illegal. It's very cut an dry. You're not even suppose to have unlicensed replicas, let alone make or sell them.
Qui-Gonzalez
Master Member
Let's not dance around it, it is not walking any fine line, it is jumping up and down on the trampoline that is illegal. I can say this is a hobby, but if anyone who is a crafter enters this hobby with visions of offering things up at cost, I have yet to meet him or her. I am glad that MR brought this collecting business to the forefront.
My issue with MR has been QC. They put out great sabers, but am I mistaken that the Dooku grips started coming off on those as well? MR may have flooded the market with their idealized props, but good. I said I like the hunt, I like going to flea markets and such, but sometimes it is good to just walk up and buy what you want.
I don't know the specifics about the license MR got from LFL, but I doubt they had the upfront scratch to pay for it. It was probably on a "We will get ours as you get yours" kind of thing. LFL was probably presented the proposal on how much money this would generate and how low the costs MR would keep manufacturing and went with it.
rad1701
Sr Member
If you make something for your own personal enjoyment, and don't profit from it or sell it it is not illegal. That's like saying any kid that folded up some paper into an X-Wing or painted a flashlight and pretended it was a lightsaber is breaking the law. I think not.
Gytheran
Sr Member
rad1701
Sr Member
And so have I. Show me the law that says it's illegal to create something like this - as many have - for their own use. Costumes, props, toys, models, etc. Lucas could have an army of lawyers at the last C4 and simply bring a legal case on everyone there in a non-licensed costume. I mean they have costume competitions, movie contests, etc. and give these people awards even. So I guess they are awarding all these people breaking the law?
Uh Rad, You want to see the law, go back to the late 70's when Paramount started to enforce the Star Trek franchise by doing exactly that. Taking individual prop replicas right out of the fans hands at conventions. I was there at quite a few where they did this. It is one of the defining moments in a studio franchise life where Paramount literally killed their fan base. They had the legal right to do so and did so. But it was a huge mistake.
Lucas has every right to do so and has noted so with the 501st as an example. Rather than crack down on them, they requested that the fan base conduct itself in a certain way to give a good face to the franchise. But they also did crack down on a few makers of the trooper armor that were taking advantage of the fans making a good profit.
It is a very fine line for any studio to have to enforce. Lucas has done an admirable job of balancing those two issues so to keep its fan base and at the same time enforce its franchise property. But do not get the impression that they cannot take away it. Any prop replica unlicensed that bears a near/likable image to a property right studio prop is the intellectual property of the studio. Period, by law. Attitudes that flaunt otherwise is the exact reason that Senator Orin Hatch has been pushing for a bill (referencing the RPF as an example) to crack down on such. It is only by carefully respecting the studios that the fan base may have such a leeway as given by Lucas. That is a legal marketing decision, one which the studios can decide to take either way themselves. Every studio has the legal right to enforce however they feel it is necessary to protect their legal franchise license.
It is right now the financial burden for the studios to enforce such a line. Obviously it would be difficult to persecute each individual. But not totally impossible. One can look to the music industry with a breakdown on individual down loaders to see it could be done if the studio really wanted to. However, there is a measure backlash that could happen as it did with Paramount and the Star Trek fan base. Not to mention the cost of doing so this can be prohibitive.
It
Lucas has every right to do so and has noted so with the 501st as an example. Rather than crack down on them, they requested that the fan base conduct itself in a certain way to give a good face to the franchise. But they also did crack down on a few makers of the trooper armor that were taking advantage of the fans making a good profit.
It is a very fine line for any studio to have to enforce. Lucas has done an admirable job of balancing those two issues so to keep its fan base and at the same time enforce its franchise property. But do not get the impression that they cannot take away it. Any prop replica unlicensed that bears a near/likable image to a property right studio prop is the intellectual property of the studio. Period, by law. Attitudes that flaunt otherwise is the exact reason that Senator Orin Hatch has been pushing for a bill (referencing the RPF as an example) to crack down on such. It is only by carefully respecting the studios that the fan base may have such a leeway as given by Lucas. That is a legal marketing decision, one which the studios can decide to take either way themselves. Every studio has the legal right to enforce however they feel it is necessary to protect their legal franchise license.
It is right now the financial burden for the studios to enforce such a line. Obviously it would be difficult to persecute each individual. But not totally impossible. One can look to the music industry with a breakdown on individual down loaders to see it could be done if the studio really wanted to. However, there is a measure backlash that could happen as it did with Paramount and the Star Trek fan base. Not to mention the cost of doing so this can be prohibitive.
It
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