Talk about the your favorite Ghostbusters Collectibles from Mattel, Kenner, and more.
By weepel
#4853713
I thought Mattel did a great Winston head sculpt. It might be the most spot on, but I think Diamonds is the least accurate of the 4. The head on Ray looks great for Diamond. In The side profile picture you put up Mattels head looks like it's a completely different scale and doesn't fit the body. I'd like to know how Mattel messed that up and kept reproducing that crappy head. The pictures leading up the the release looked way better. Not only that but the ready to believe you Ray had a way better head that wasn't shrunk and pinched at the top. I bought an extra one and put it on my regular Ray figure. People kept telling this to Mattel and they kept making the shrunken one. Also I stand with what I said about the pelvis' not being long enough. The picture you put up of Winston, with his arms up like that makes it look like an invisible ghost just gave him a wedgie.
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By christphern
#4853840
Took me a little while, but I finally got the reviews up.

Louis Tully:
https://youtu.be/j_sof67B3vc

Ray Stantz (fair warning, this one ran REALLY long):
https://youtu.be/05fdWJlOuoc

Winston Zeddemore:
https://youtu.be/8QeK1f1_Fkw

Size comparison with the NECA line:
https://youtu.be/tLuqIaOmoeE

And, not going to lie, I got a bit giddy when I put this together.

"Aim for the flat top!"
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The Terror Dogs are a bit bigger than they should be for the base, but they still kind of work. :)

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By PeteVenkman_Jedi
#4855069
I like both Matty's and Diamond's figures. My problem with Matty was with how they operated and handled the line. Needless to say, as much as I liked the figures, I couldn't support Matty as a company and opted out of getting most of the line. Yes, there are sill a few I'd like to own, but that's life. Maybe ebay someday, maybe. The figures themselves are nice (Ray's head sculpt aside) and I've had much fun with them. I even got a few shots I liked.

I love the Diamond figures, I really have nothing negative to say about them at all. The paint apps could be a little tighter, but that's about it. I am in for all 15 figures in this line. The detail in this larger scale is incredible. It makes it really hard to compare the two lines fairly. I have many of the same figures in different scales from Star Wars to Superheroes and each scale has its plusses and minuses. But also each scale has its charm. I haven't had the time to do a proper shoot with the Diamond figures yet.

A few Matty shots:

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And a few quick Diamond shots (like I said I haven't had time to do a proper shoot with these figures yet):

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By Sallah
#4865749
Havoc0213 wrote:Yes, they reused parts and the jumpsuits were all the same among the four busters (with the exception of Venkman's legs). This is nothing new for Ghostbusters toylines as the Kenner line did the same thing.
That isn't entirely accurate. While Mattel only had 1 Buster mold used across all 4 guys (and the rookie), Kenner had a unique sculpt for each character... So Ray, Peter, Egon, and Winston all had unique, individual bodies from Kenner while Mattel had them all using the exact same one (with the change to Peter's pants of course).

Kenner did end up reusing those bodies for different releases- But all 4 Busters always had their own individual body sculpt. :)

Sallah
Havoc0213 liked this
#4865777
Sallah wrote:
Havoc0213 wrote:Yes, they reused parts and the jumpsuits were all the same among the four busters (with the exception of Venkman's legs). This is nothing new for Ghostbusters toylines as the Kenner line did the same thing.
That isn't entirely accurate. While Mattel only had 1 Buster mold used across all 4 guys (and the rookie), Kenner had a unique sculpt for each character... So Ray, Peter, Egon, and Winston all had unique, individual bodies from Kenner while Mattel had them all using the exact same one (with the change to Peter's pants of course).

Kenner did end up reusing those bodies for different releases-But all 4 Busters always had their own individual body sculpt. :)

Sallah
This is what I was referring to. Yes, each buster had his own different sculpts, but they did re-use these sculpts for later releases like the Ecto Glow and Power Pack figures.

Another example of Kenners re-ues of molds. Those who collect the older Jurassic Park toys are likely aware that a lot of those humans, weapons and dinosaurs were simply repaints over multiple JP lines. Both JP and Congo toy lines even shared figures and vehicles.

My point still stands. Complain about reused parts all you want, but you should be used to it by now. It's what toy companies have done for years.
Sallah liked this
By gold333
#4865779
The DST looks like it would be fun to hyperdetail the equipment.. Colors, button, etc. they are big enough that it would be comfortable to do.
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By Sallah
#4865783
Havoc0213 wrote: This is what I was referring to. Yes, each buster had his own different sculpts, but they did re-use these sculpts for later releases like the Ecto Glow and Power Pack figures.

Another example of Kenners re-ues of molds. Those who collect the older Jurassic Park toys are likely aware that a lot of those humans, weapons and dinosaurs were simply repaints over multiple JP lines. Both JP and Congo toy lines even shared figures and vehicles.

My point still stands. Complain about reused parts all you want, but you should be used to it by now. It's what toy companies have done for years.
I get what you're saying... but I personally feel that the Mattel re-use was on a different level than the Kenner RGB stuff.

With the Kenner figures, it was a cost-saving maneuver to get the most out of those molds by releasing them again as Ecto-Glow, Slimed Heroes, etc versions.... but at least they were still accurate unto themselves. Egon's body type remained his unique body type across releases, while Ray was completely different to Egon, Peter was different then Ray, and so on. Since all 4 Ghostbusters have different body types, they knew even back then that they couldn't just push out the same 4 sculpts with different heads and call it a day. And that wasn't even a line marketed at "Adult Collectors" with a discerning eye... They were made for kids.

Mattel however not only used the same body for different versions like Kenner did (marshmallow mess, slimed, GB2)... but they went a step further than that and just used one mold for all 4 characters as well. That, to me, is pretty cheap- especially for a line marketed to adults.

I am not saying I hate the Mattel figures here. I will always have a soft spot for the line for giving us our first real movie Busters in toy form. It was a fun line all around, and one that definitely has more of a "toy feel" than DST (not a bad thing). But at the same time I can't just ignore how Mattel really did cheap out quite a bit on it. It was like they were making a line geared towards kids but marketing it (and pricing it) like a line for adults.

In my opinion, DST's line is the line we want as adult collectors. Mattel's line is the figures we should have had as kids.

All that isn't to argue with ya man. Just my opinion. :)

Sallah
#4865837
Sallah wrote:
Havoc0213 wrote: This is what I was referring to. Yes, each buster had his own different sculpts, but they did re-use these sculpts for later releases like the Ecto Glow and Power Pack figures.

Another example of Kenners re-ues of molds. Those who collect the older Jurassic Park toys are likely aware that a lot of those humans, weapons and dinosaurs were simply repaints over multiple JP lines. Both JP and Congo toy lines even shared figures and vehicles.

My point still stands. Complain about reused parts all you want, but you should be used to it by now. It's what toy companies have done for years.
I get what you're saying... but I personally feel that the Mattel re-use was on a different level than the Kenner RGB stuff.

With the Kenner figures, it was a cost-saving maneuver to get the most out of those molds by releasing them again as Ecto-Glow, Slimed Heroes, etc versions.... but at least they were still accurate unto themselves. Egon's body type remained his unique body type across releases, while Ray was completely different to Egon, Peter was different then Ray, and so on. Since all 4 Ghostbusters have different body types, they knew even back then that they couldn't just push out the same 4 sculpts with different heads and call it a day. And that wasn't even a line marketed at "Adult Collectors" with a discerning eye... They were made for kids.

Mattel however not only used the same body for different versions like Kenner did (marshmallow mess, slimed, GB2)... but they went a step further than that and just used one mold for all 4 characters as well. That, to me, is pretty cheap- especially for a line marketed to adults.

I am not saying I hate the Mattel figures here. I will always have a soft spot for the line for giving us our first real movie Busters in toy form. It was a fun line all around, and one that definitely has more of a "toy feel" than DST (not a bad thing). But at the same time I can't just ignore how Mattel really did cheap out quite a bit on it. It was like they were making a line geared towards kids but marketing it (and pricing it) like a line for adults.

In my opinion, DST's line is the line we want as adult collectors. Mattel's line is the figures we should have had as kids.

All that isn't to argue with ya man. Just my opinion. :)

Sallah
And Mattel's re-use wasn't a cost-saving maneuver? If you think about it, Mattel had more of a reason to re-use molds in order to save money. Kenner launched their toy line in mid popularity and success of Ghostbusters where Mattel picked up the license 20 years later during a low point. They jumped on hoping a third movie was right around the corner and knew they would be operating on a limited budget until then. Remember the "in a movie year" line they gave us all the time? A third movie would expand the budget and allow more unique sculpts. The line ultimately had to be canned because the new movie didn't happen for another 6 years and the video game ended up not being as successful as predicted.

Another point for the Mattel figures vs Kenner, the RGB characters had clear differences in body types that required different sculpts. Ray was much fatter than the others in the cartoon. The actors of the movies had fairly similar body types which made it more excusable to re-use the mold. Even if the actors had some differences in build, the baggy jumpsuits pretty much hid that. The actors weren't even that much different in height, either. All the more reason to re-use the molds to save money.

You're right though, DST's line is strictly adult while Mattel's wasn't. That was the point. Mattel made their figures with the possibility that parents might buy them for their kids, even though they were $20 a pop. They were definitely built to be played with. If DST made theirs half as solid as Mattel, I'd love their line.

No argument, just discussion. No need to say that it's your opinion either, one should automatically assume that to be the case. :)
Last edited by Havoc0213 on May 31st, 2016, 10:01 pm, edited 2 times in total.
#4865852
I'm firmly in the Mattel camp. Originally I was pleased, for the most part, with the DST figures, but as I've had them for a while, they've really just lost their luster. The only reason I'm picking up the DST figures is for the diorama, which isn't even in scale with the DST figures (although it's pretty close with the Mattel ones). Mattel's are more solid, and feel like they're made from better quality material. DST's just feel cheep. Half the time the joints are frozen/locked, the paint application is sloppy at best, the paint scraping/chipping is a huge problem that needs resolved, the likenesses are, in my opinion, even worse than Mattel's, fragile accessories, and the articulation choices are just baffling at times, such as Egon's head barely being articulated at all (in that it can only really turn). In some ways, too, Mattel managed to make their's more detailed. Their Vinz Clortho springs immediately to mind. I also can't take their Terror Dog seriously, as I have the Neca ones.

I'll probably just collect them for the diorama, and then either store them or eBay them loose. Definitely not going to be display pieces.
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By Sallah
#4865992
Havoc0213 wrote: And Mattel's re-use wasn't a cost-saving maneuver? If you think about it, Mattel had more of a reason to re-use molds in order to save money. Kenner launched their toy line in mid popularity and success of Ghostbusters where Mattel picked up the license 20 years later during a low point.
Oh it definitely was for Mattel... But one they went for right out of the gate unfortunately. Remember- Kenner didn't start re-using those molds until well into the life of the line. We had the original 4 sculpts, then Fright Features, then Screaming Heroes, and then Super Fright Features before they went back to those old molds. At that point, the line had started losing some steam and the re-use was one of the ways of cutting costs.

I wish we would have seen the same thing out of Mattel. I would have loved to see 4 unique sculpts to open the line, and then more re-use once sales dictated how much they could put into future figures. Like they did with their MOTUC line- Get a few "buck bodies" out when a line is fresh, new, and popular... Then have those bodies to mine from when the money isn't quite as flush for tooling new ones.

As it stands, the Mattel Ghostbusters line overall just doesn't have that many totally unique sculpts- Which is kinda crazy for an adult collector line that fans waited decades for & sold at a premium online. I think there were only 4 full unique bodies made for the whole line: The Buster body (which was adapted for many different releases), Vinz, Vigo, and Zuul. The Peck, Courtroom, and Labcoat bodies all borrow parts from the Movie Masters DC line (I believe), and you can't really count the ghosts since half the time they weren't even fully-formed figures. The Slimethrower and removable proton pack versions each have some new parts... but much of them still retain hat initial lone GB sculpt.

With all that parts-sharing, the overall look of the line just doesn't have the diversity of display that I think this property warrants.

All that being said... I do still love having them. I am sure quite a few of the figures they released won't ever get the DST treatment (and vice versa). To me, the more movie Busters toys I have in my collection, the happier I am. :)

Sallah
#4866047
Sallah wrote:
Havoc0213 wrote: And Mattel's re-use wasn't a cost-saving maneuver? If you think about it, Mattel had more of a reason to re-use molds in order to save money. Kenner launched their toy line in mid popularity and success of Ghostbusters where Mattel picked up the license 20 years later during a low point.
Oh it definitely was for Mattel... But one they went for right out of the gate unfortunately. Remember- Kenner didn't start re-using those molds until well into the life of the line. We had the original 4 sculpts, then Fright Features, then Screaming Heroes, and then Super Fright Features before they went back to those old molds. At that point, the line had started losing some steam and the re-use was one of the ways of cutting costs.

I wish we would have seen the same thing out of Mattel. I would have loved to see 4 unique sculpts to open the line, and then more re-use once sales dictated how much they could put into future figures. Like they did with their MOTUC line- Get a few "buck bodies" out when a line is fresh, new, and popular... Then have those bodies to mine from when the money isn't quite as flush for tooling new ones.

As it stands, the Mattel Ghostbusters line overall just doesn't have that many totally unique sculpts- Which is kinda crazy for an adult collector line that fans waited decades for & sold at a premium online. I think there were only 4 full unique bodies made for the whole line: The Buster body (which was adapted for many different releases), Vinz, Vigo, and Zuul. The Peck, Courtroom, and Labcoat bodies all borrow parts from the Movie Masters DC line (I believe), and you can't really count the ghosts since half the time they weren't even fully-formed figures. The Slimethrower and removable proton pack versions each have some new parts... but much of them still retain hat initial lone GB sculpt.

With all that parts-sharing, the overall look of the line just doesn't have the diversity of display that I think this property warrants.

All that being said... I do still love having them. I am sure quite a few of the figures they released won't ever get the DST treatment (and vice versa). To me, the more movie Busters toys I have in my collection, the happier I am. :)

Sallah
Still, Kenner had the initial success of the movies and cartoons to work with where Mattel didn't. Kenner began reusing molds, as you said, when the line began losing steam. Mattel picked up when there wasn't steam. If it were Kenner picking up the line 20 years later they probably would have done the same thing. They would have probably released the Ecto Glow, Power Pack and Slimed heroes first before tackling new sculpts.

As stated before, the actors from the films didn't stand out from one another when it came to body type. Even if we got unique sculpts for each buster, the only difference would have been folds and wrinkles in clothing. Not something that really stands out unless you're looking close enough. Even very slight height differences between characters becomes less noticeable the smaller you get in scale.

Just a difference in opinion. Like christphern, I'm in the Mattel camp on this one. DST missed just as hard, if not more, on some of the likenesses of the characters. Wave 1 was okay while wave 2 was quite terrible. That coupled with the cheaper material and construction, I just feel more secure displaying the Matty figures. Too bad NECA didn't have more success with the license, they would have easily surpassed anything we're getting from either company today.
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By Sallah
#4866055
To each his own... I personally feel like the DST figures have it over Mattel for the most part.

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All in the eye of the beholder. Articulation and accuracy may be one collector's most valued aspects in a figure, while another might favor overall durability. For me, DST hits more of the things most crucial to me than the Mattel releases do. :)

But again- I still enjoy both. Just for different reasons.

Sallah

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