Repop debate

[Toy Ranch]

I have yet to see a repop "Samjo" item at a garage sale, and yet when one appears on ebay, which is somewhat frequently, the seller can't tell you if it's a repop or not, usually because they "don't remember" or "don't know the difference". Hogwash. Anyone that cared enough to spend a couple of hundred bucks, even 5 years ago, sure as heck remembers when they bought it and that they paid a lot of money for it. This phenom seems to happen most often with bike buddys. They will just be listed with a pic and a short description, and when you ask the seller, you always get an "I don't know" or "I can't tell", and then a "no refunds" policy. Bah.

As far as the Samjo stuff goes, agreed.  Scammers are a different story completely.

If I died tomorrow, and had a bunch of repro stuff mixed in with my vintage stuff, my wife and son would assume it was all vintage.  If I had Samjo stuff, they would not know the difference.

For the record, I don't have any of it. 

[Monster Bob]

HepCat- in regards to the paint sets- the labels on the little cans of paint were just white Humbrol paint labels-nothing monster related. I have never held a repop in my hands, but I assume they were little tin cans with color xerox labels attached, the same way the box was made, with no paint inside.

[Monster Bob]

If I died tomorrow, and had a bunch of repro stuff mixed in with my vintage stuff, my wife and son would assume it was all vintage.  If I had Samjo stuff, they would not know the difference.

True enough, but I don't believe that scenario has ever occurred, to my knowledge anyway. The fact that I have personally experienced the "I don't know, but you can't return it" many, many times proves what a field of landmines ebay can be in regards to this repop stuff. It is discouraging.

[darkmonkeygod]

In the end I would pay way more money for the "Anchor Hocking" fantasy place mats than I would for repopped Anchor Hocking glasses.

Just to spare Buddy and everyone else, there is ZERO evidence of any reproduction Anchor Hocking monster glass, TMK. As far as Richard's "fantasy" items like the place mats, oh how I WISH I could buy a set. I love 'em and he, of course, treated it right. Repurposing old art in a new way (and in this case for a limited group). I think they weren't even for sale were they, just part of the Old Dark House exchange. Richard, you out there? Terry, Ray, you guys know, right?

I'd be fully behind seeing those placemats as a licensed retail product. I wish I could afford to produce dinner sets, licensed, with current info AND with some color adjustment being used on the images placed on plastic tumblers (or even glassess, though I'd rather them be plastic), plastic bowls with art in or on 'em (how about the Mani-Yack faces in the bowls?), and the placemats Richard designed (with Richard's blessing and the same color adjustment and licensing/date info)? Tie all that up into a two color illustrated cardboard box: four mats, four tumblers, four bowls, heck four sets of metal the Monster figure topped I-Scream spoons also made into forks and knives and made out of metal and you've got an item that would be retro-cool and still respectful of the original product, in my opinion.  Sell each set separately too, nicely packaged, and create a high-ball set with swizzle sticks (longer, different colors than the originals) and perhaps evens tumbler. I'd love all of that, in each package and as a set, and wouldn't be overly gripped about seeing the classic art reused. It would be far better than seeing the Creature half sheet wrapped around a mug again.

[darkmonkeygod]

True enough, but I don't believe that scenario has ever occurred, to my knowledge anyway. The fact that I have personally experienced the "I don't know, but you can't return it" many, many times proves what a field of landmines ebay can be in regards to this repop stuff. It is discouraging.

I'm super sad to say I think it has happened/ is happening with some of Shawn's collection (he had a few bootleg, fantasy, and / or restored items. I think we've seen similar vestiges of it (not with deaths) with the Creature mask that had the Milicent Patrick letter. Some years back a fantasy magic slate - I think by Matt Jaycox and I think with a '66 copyright date on it kicked up quite a fuss on here (or the yahoo version) and sold for hundreds (400 or 600) on eBay. I think the buyer ended up ok with it, but many people thought it was vintage. And that's to say nothing (yet) of what's gone on I the film poster world, where repoping now falls under federal art forgery statutes and there's a push for poster registration.  I'd still want to know the story behind the find of the Mexican blowmolded Creature From the Black Lagoon figures. I've heard two differing accounts and a lot of speculation.

[Toy Ranch]

Richard gave them away, which is part of why you don't find them for sale.  Richard spent a huge amount of time assembling slivers or art to flatten it, and did an amazing job with it all.  I'm sure they would command a high price, but it would be incredibly disrespectful to the spirit in which they were gifted to turn around and sell them.  I would not part with mine, anyway.  If I wasn't fortunate to have a set, I would be longing for the opportunity to buy some as well.

I recently took some photos of the mats with glasses.  They are in the Members Only forum, here:
http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=17182.msg277405#msg277405

[darkmonkeygod]

Richard gave them away, which is part of why you don't find them for sale.  Richard spent a huge amount of time assembling slivers or art to flatten it, and did an amazing job with it all.  I'm sure they would command a high price, but it would be incredibly disrespectful to the spirit in which they were gifted to turn around and sell them.  I would not part with mine, anyway.  If I wasn't fortunate to have a set, I would be longing for the opportunity to buy some as well.

That's what I thought, and I feel the same as you about gifts and respect. I recently advised on the pairing down of an art collection (the owner is still living) and got into some brass tacks about some of it in terms of his estate because it is famous stuff.  It's hard to talk about, but Shawn and I had often discussed our collections, families, and what to do. We had brother's pact and I honored it as best I could given the horrible circumstances. His mom was well taken care of, with many of his friends assisting, but it was and still is gut wrenchingly sad.

Whew, anyway, I do long for a placemat set, and I look at your photo posts (and Flickr) far more often than I tell you how much I appreciate 'em. Thanks again.

[Toy Ranch]

I think about Shawn often, and never even met him.  I'm sure it remains very hard for you, and my heartfelt condolences are extended.

[fmofmpls]

I think about Shawn often, and never even met him.  I'm sure it remains very hard for you, and my heartfelt condolences are extended.

Ditto.

[Hepcat]

...and if those Uncles had kept those old things in fetishistic glass cases....

But some of us don't have a fetish for dusting.

 

[LFSPaul]

I'll chime in since this seems to stem from the Creature Board game we are going to be producing.

Yes I have purchased an original mint board game that's already being scanned. We are going to produce 100 special editions that will include sculpted figures along with the originals. We are also going to produce 250 regular editions and both will be priced the same.

We are hoping for a Christmas release and we have pre-sold half of the regular editions to one distributor.

I am a creature fan and collector and I've never thought that a re-pop hurts the value of an original, that's a ridiculous argument. The people buying these would never pay 3k and upward for an original.

Anyway it was not my intention to offend the collectors here, but I'd say a big portion of you will buy one when they are ready. We are also talking with three or four artists about coming up with new artwork for a completely new version of the Creature board game designed by a great board game designer.

We will be producing some other original pieces as well, and I hope that some of you will support them. For the ones that are totally against this, I see your point.

Moebius reprinted the MOM Creature, was that so bad? Has it hurt original prices?

Most of the rare old model car kits are being reproduced, does that bother anyone?

To me it's like reliving your childhood on a budget.

Paul

I

[ICEMANN333]

WELL SAID PAUL..........BIG JOHN

[darkmonkeygod]

We are also talking with three or four artists about coming up with new artwork for a completely new version of the Creature board game designed by a great board game designer.

That I would love! A retro Creature game done in the style of the first three Hasbro games is something I've always wished existed. I don't know the story behind the '64 releases, but they look like Hasbro just rushed them out and aren't as playable as the first three. And a modern game with 3D pieces and real game play? I'd be over the moon for that. Something with a cardboard or plastic Rita would be a real dream come true.

[Toy Ranch]

Moebius reprinted the MOM Creature, was that so bad? Has it hurt original prices?

Most of the rare old model car kits are being reproduced, does that bother anyone?

To me it's like reliving your childhood on a budget.

Paul

Well, I bought a built up Gigantic Frankenstein a few years before the reissue was done. I felt pretty "safe" because all these repops had been done, and not the big Frankie.  It was always said to be "too big", and "too expensive to redo".  The price for a vintage built-up had been pretty steady at $500 for years.  You could find them sometimes for more or less, but around that for a complete one.  Then I had it professionally painted to my liking, and that cost I figured would never be recoverable.  A complete, unbuilt one, with an exceptionally clean box....  you were looking north of $2000 (and I don't have one of those). 

Now I never planned to sell it, and I don't ever expect to sell it, but someday I'll die, and since a lot of my personal net worth is tied up in monster collectibles, and I do have a wife and son, I would hope that they will be able to sell my collection after I'm gone, and get something out of it.  That's not the reason I collect, (and if it were, I'd pick something else), but when you have a lot of money invested in a collection, it's a consideration.

Moebius came out with their repop of it. It's licensed, and perfectly within their rights to do... 

But here's one that would have probably brought around $1500 to $2000 before the repop, and is $750 today.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&rt=nc&nma=true&item=140665454259

And here's a built up, missing rock and chain (probably more like $350 pre-reissue) at $91.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&rt=nc&nma=true&item=300663824394


So no, it is not "absurd".

I don't own an original Creature board game.  Perhaps you will make them cheap, and I'll buy one.

[Wich2]

>>Quote from: Wich2 on March 22, 2012, 06:37:28 AM
...and if those Uncles had kept those old things in fetishistic glass cases....<<

>But some of us don't have a fetish for dusting.<

Wow. Just wow.

I've only ever left one cybergroup in all the years I've been online, and it was for just such stuff as this.

I've been thinking and praying over the last few days, as to whether I just needed a breather, or whether my kind of person (and as much as some would like to think, I am not the only one who sees things with this perspective) was welcome here anymore. And when I check back in, not only is my honestly held point of view being lambasted in a thread I am no longer part of -

- but a member has dragged a post from THAT thread over to a new one I don't even know of, just to take a cheap beyotch slap at me.

I've been a UMAer since the Yahoo List days, and this is not the kind of thing that led me to tell folks over the years that this was one of the best groups in cyberspace. I'm too old for this type of silliness, and life's too short. I'll stay with the point of view of a smart man long ago, who advised me to not to lay up treasure on earth, where moth and rust can destroy, but elsewhere.

Goodbye and good luck,
-(ex OotMah) Craig Wichman