Quality control on paint applications

[Poe Ghostal]

I don't want to rain on the parade - I'm as excited about the prospect of Legacy as anyone. But I did want to pass along some of the concerns I've heard from collectors about this line. One thing I've heard consistently is concern about the quality control on the paint applications.

I have a number of Funko POP! figures, and I'll be honest - I've never paid a whole lot of attention to the paint applications. Since they're relatively simple figures, I guess it wasn't something I felt like I needed to look closely at. But I've talked to a number of collectors who have often noticed paint issues with their POP! figures - and I've also read a few complaints about the paint on the Alien ReAction figures that have started to hit.

Here are a few examples of reviews mentioning paint issues:
http://www.16bit.com/fotd/131226-reacti ... ripley.asp
http://www.actionfigurefury.com/toy-rev ... es-review/
http://toyboxnebula.blogspot.com/2013/1 ... t-and.html

While I obviously hope Funko pays close attention to the entire production process when creating the Legacy line, I just thought I'd give them a heads-up that the paint applications are something many collectors will be looking at closely when the figures come out.

[MadLove]

Really, this again? Seems like every few months.... :sigh: Boiled down to basics these are less than $20 toys made in China....It's not the end of the world if there's a smudge and half of them can be fixed with a steady hand. Legacy is a team up with the guys who did the Star Wars Black series. If you're concerned about it take a look at the Black series and see how their quality is. If I were a company teaming up with another I'd want them to represent my product well so I'm sure they'll have a foot in the door when it comes to quality control. And for those that are picky, go to an old fashioned brick and mortar store where you pick it yourself. Order online and you're taking the risk of not being happy and no it's not the sellers fault-they don't know who will be getting it and so many people out there really don't require perfection. Half of them don't even have the means to be picky about what they receive themselves from the source.
I just want my Legacy figures, "bad" paint jobs or not!

[Poe Ghostal]

If the figures have the same level of paint QC issues as Star Wars Black 6", I don't think there will be much of an outcry. But I brought the topic up because even if Funko is using Gentle Giant to create these figures, that doesn't mean they're using the same factory as Hasbro for SWB6". The same figure can get very different paint applications depending on the factory. Just ask NECA or the Four Horsemen.

Again, I'm excited about the line, but I wanted to pass on what I'd been hearing whenever I start talking the line up to friends and fellow collectors. It's a very frequent response from one of the the target audiences for this line.

[Squird]

Read the reviews. The last two are pretty standard 'My Pop isn't perfect' b**ch notes. Pop figures have always been hit or miss with the paint, but they've been getting better. My B&W Loki is darn near perfect.

Since I'm not that into the legacy line....I kind of don't care how they turn out. Reading the review, it seemed to me that the piece was made to look like it was made in the 80's and not today, which means the paint might not be perfect by design.

That being said...it's your money. Spend it how you like.

[Blanka]

I don't think Poe means to start a huge debate or anything.

[Poe Ghostal]

I don't think Poe means to start a huge debate or anything.

Thanks - I'm really not. Again, this isn't even something I've noticed myself on my own POP! figures. However, it's a refrain I've heard a lot when I've started talking about this line to anyone familiar with Funko's stuff, so I thought it was worth mentioning. Epic-level bad paint applications do happen from time to time - NECA used to have a ton of paint problems across the board (they're much, much better now, for the most part). And it can really hurt a line's popularity, especially if it happens with the early waves.