Discuss all things Ghostbusters here, unless they would be better suited in one of the few forums below.
#4900573
venkman71 wrote:They're still editing it. We're filming the particle thrower assembly this weekend. Which will take maybe,.....like ten minutes as it is ridiculously easy to assemble.
Awesome, thanks!
By Zantsumei
#4900878
I wanted to start with anovos as well as I have no experience putting things together like this, however im not looking to upgrade parts or anything like that, I want it screen accurate and detailed. I would even buy a complete pack alrdy put together TBH. I would be willing to pay more. if someone can link a place to do this that's LEGIT and maybe has experience with. would be amazing. Money isn't really a problem.... I got a quote from bobspropshop looks pretty amazing, howeveri hear he has a VERY bad wrap.... for 2600.00.
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By Marcus B
#4900881
Zantsumei wrote:I wanted to start with anovos as well as I have no experience putting things together like this, however im not looking to upgrade parts or anything like that, I want it screen accurate and detailed. I would even buy a complete pack alrdy put together TBH. I would be willing to pay more. if someone can link a place to do this that's LEGIT and maybe has experience with. would be amazing. Money isn't really a problem.... I got a quote from bobspropshop looks pretty amazing, howeveri hear he has a VERY bad wrap.... for 2600.00.
If money isn't an object, you may want to wait for the ANOVOS pre-assembled pack based on the hero pack they recently made a mold of.
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By Kingpin
#4900889
Zantsumei wrote:I got a quote from bobspropshop looks pretty amazing, howeveri hear he has a VERY bad wrap.... for 2600.00.
The initial savings you may get on one of Bob's Proton Pack bundles will be offset by the effort and time needed to make his parts usable. Frequently warped or poor quality, he has a negative reputation due to the poor quality of his products, and the fact he's been frequently accused of, or proven to have recasted the parts made by other members of the community to sell under his own banner. He's also surrounded himself with other prominently banned members of the Ghostbusters fan community, who work as some of his employees/collaborators.

Give Bob a miss and buy with someone else, you won't regret it. :)
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By RichardLess
#4900897
Kingpin wrote:
Zantsumei wrote:I got a quote from bobspropshop looks pretty amazing, howeveri hear he has a VERY bad wrap.... for 2600.00.
The initial savings you may get on one of Bob's Proton Pack bundles will be offset by the effort and time needed to make his parts usable. Frequently warped or poor quality, he has a negative reputation due to the poor quality of his products, and the fact he's been frequently accused of, or proven to have recasted the parts made by other members of the community to sell under his own banner. He's also surrounded himself with other prominently banned members of the Ghostbusters fan community, who work as some of his employees/collaborators.

Give Bob a miss and buy with someone else, you won't regret it. :)
Can I ask a stupid question? I have zero intention of buying anything but I read this forum every so often and I constantly see this Bob guy being labeled a bad dude(and he is. I saw a YouTube video about some Back to The Future car that went awry and he seems like a jerk). Anywho, what's this stuff about recasting parts? I'm an idiot when it comes to building anything, or machine work in general. Why is recasting parts looked down upon? Would that be like going to McDonald's and buying a Big Mac, then turning around and selling it at your own burger shop? Or am I totally off the mark? If someone buys a part, they can't do what they want with it? (I'm not being sarcastic or anything, is it just poor etiquette or is it illegal?)
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By zeta otaku
#4900911
He buys other people's item (like a gun box or bumper), uses that as a master and makes molds of it claiming it as his own. They're not even GOOD copies being warped or riddled with molding flaws.

There's a thread in the For Sale section detailing all his scummy ways.
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By TK5759
#4900914
RichardLess wrote:
Can I ask a stupid question? I have zero intention of buying anything but I read this forum every so often and I constantly see this Bob guy being labeled a bad dude(and he is. I saw a YouTube video about some Back to The Future car that went awry and he seems like a jerk). Anywho, what's this stuff about recasting parts? I'm an idiot when it comes to building anything, or machine work in general. Why is recasting parts looked down upon? Would that be like going to McDonald's and buying a Big Mac, then turning around and selling it at your own burger shop? Or am I totally off the mark? If someone buys a part, they can't do what they want with it? (I'm not being sarcastic or anything, is it just poor etiquette or is it illegal?)
There really is no straight answer to this question because you'll get a different answer from whoever you ask. As far as the McDonald's analogy, it's more like someone buying a Big Mac, reverse engineering it, and then selling it as a Big Mic (Coming to America :cool: ).

Here goes my interpretation on recasting:
I look down on recasting because the recaster is trying to take credit for someone else's work. In this hobby, reputation among the community is everything--it'll make or break you as a vendor.
Say you have a great reputation like Spongeface (great vendor BTW :love: ) and someone else comes along and buys one of your items and starts duplicating it. Not only has your market been divided by some jerk who is piggybacking on your labor but if they copy your name as well, then your name is on a possible substandard product which can destroy your reputation. Now all the money and time you've invested in supporting a hobby can easily be destroyed. And if they claim the work as their own?

Basically, a recaster is just someone looking to make a quick dollar and they don't care who they step on to do that. "He Who Shall Not Be Named" is the type who will do anything and sell anything as long as he makes his money.* Recasters will always come and go. If you want a full pack commissioned, you want to do business with the guys that have been here for years. Every vendor here should have a feedback thread. Read some feedback and PM or email those fellas selling packs. You'll be much happier in the long run. I understand you want a pack now but a few hours of research will save years of unhappiness. :cool:

Recasting is just nasty business and the people who do it are like herpes to this community.

*I have not done business with "He Who Shall Not Be Named" but I know the type from my years in the 501st.
User avatar
By Lowberg
#4900918
RichardLess wrote: Why is recasting parts looked down upon?
Imagine you have a super talented and artistic person who builds a proton pack bumper from scratch. They use measurements and reference photos to painstakingly build it from styrene plastic and wood, making sure every detail is present. They put a lot of work in creating the final product, taking them weeks to complete the model.

Now this person has an accurate replica that they built from scratch, and they want to sell copies of it to the community so everyone can enjoy this replica. They mold their master piece and make resin copies, and sell the copies to the community.

Then someone who who has no talent to build one from scratch, buys one and re-molds it without permission and starts selling their own copies. It's morally wrong to make copies of the parts without permission from the original artist and pass them off as your own.
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By Kingpin
#4900937
RichardLess wrote:Anywho, what's this stuff about recasting parts? I'm an idiot when it comes to building anything, or machine work in general. Why is recasting parts looked down upon? Would that be like going to McDonald's and buying a Big Mac, then turning around and selling it at your own burger shop? Or am I totally off the mark? If someone buys a part, they can't do what they want with it? (I'm not being sarcastic or anything, is it just poor etiquette or is it illegal?)
The others have done a really good job at answering the question, but I'll chuck my two pennies in as well.

The McDonald's analogy, as noted, doesn't really reflect the nature of what happens when it comes to recasting. Recasting is more like if someone made a poor photocopy of the Mona Lisa, maybe changed a thing or two, and tried to pass this off as their own work (this happens with unfortunately frequency with fan artists, and folks who take and modify their work without permission - this would be akin to digital recasting).

If a person buys a part, they can paint it, cut it, drill into it, and sell it if they wish... but it's a gentleman's agreement that they won't reproduce it in order to sell copies. It's a grey area, as the whole prop replication culture is built on a delicate web of licence holders either willingly turning a blind eye, or not being aware of what's going on. Recasting isn't illegal, but it's highly immoral in prop replica communities. It's extremely poor etiquette, and can lead to people being permanently banned - even for good quality recasts.

And then there's people like Bob, who employ lazy work - the result being flawed pieces that are low-detail, full of pits and air bubbles, smaller than they should be, and might even be made of sup-par materials.

To borrow from Ian Malcolm, people like Bob are like the geneticists of InGen and Jurassic Park: they stand on the shoulders of more talented individuals, take the work those individuals had poured time, talent and money into; and they slap their ill-gotten efforts on a plastic lunch box and sell it.
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By Mercifull
#4900941
I think the main issue with recasting from a buyers perspective (not the issues surrounding lost income or creative "theft" from the prop-maker as discussed above) are that it will ALWAYS be of lower quality than an original cast. Think about what happens when you make a photocopy of a photocopy.

Image
Each time it's copied, detail is lost.

With a recast item a similar thing happens; you'll certainly get lower/softer detail, there could be warping or misalignments and the risk of pits increase exponentially. Some recasts are even made from other recasts which exacerbates the problems.

Take a look at the "chin" on this Stormtrooper helmet for example. The right one has been recast. Note the lost detail where it's smoothed out and flattened.

Image

Some people are happy paying less for inferior products. That's the buyer's decision to make. I wouldn't knowingly buy a recast item (not unless it was cast from an original part such as a Clippard valve or Dale resistor).
By Zantsumei
#4900961
Heres an email bob sent me a few days ago when I inquired about accusations of his ways and this what I got...
Videobob wrote:Yes, I know about the guys at GB Fans, that is the only place I am "banned".

Why? Because I am their greatest competition and since they can't out sell me they totally make up shit.
We sell one to two packs per week on eBay and we don't have a single negative feedback. NONE.
You will also not find a single complaint from an actual customer.
The only people talking smack are internet trolls who are jealous that we have our own TV show,

I made a cameo in the new Ghostbusters movie, I work with Ernie Hudson regularly and I have a certificate

issued to me from Ivan Reitman.




Take a look at this video, it might explain some things,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvrDL0Nu_ZI



This is also good information:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjeUOpQEfPs




A tour of the shop, 5 years ago!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxdGrWFrq3I

Then I went on Pawn Stars:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BoLANTjht4

Then SONY asked us to help them promote the DVD's and go on tour for them!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqQ6yInVFdA

We also make appearances with Ernie Hudson all the time!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY6vHpeDoaA


We were also guests on Brian Johnson's CARS THAT ROCK on Velocity!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufZYc9QgD08

Here is another great customer review!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e88k_x-ZOsw





So imagine you are GBfans and you sell proton pack shells and complete packs,

you have as many as 30 people waiting in line to buy your stuff.
Then some guy comes along with a direct casting of the screen used original and offers them not only cheaper but ready to ship immediately.
I totally destroyed their business and they lost their minds and started talking all this bunk to try to kill my sales, the more they tried, the more I sold!!
So think about it, would I work with Sony, Ernie Hudson, Paul Fieg, Ivan Reitman, Discovery, Velocity, Reelz, ABC, and all the other outlets we work with

if we were really all the things they claim?
Don't you think we would have a bunch of negative feedbacks, lawsuits, reports, etc.?
We have none of that.
We build the most popular and solid Proton Pack in the world.
GB Fans does have a huge fan base, but they operate out of a basement, literally, it's just AJ Quick and a few of his friends.
I run a million dollar company, I own this 5000 sqft building, we have a LLC Corporation and a DBA in the city of Duncanville Dallas.
Those guys aren't even a REAL business!!!!

We have a premiere business Paypal account and we are eBay Power Sellers.
What do all those other guys have?
Every single one of the other "builders" out there are working from their house, in the garage, on the kitchen table.
They can't compare to what we do.


Anyway, it's up to you dude.
Feel free to ask another other builder about their materials.
Ask for references, reviews.
Ask for photos all around, videos.
Most of these guys don't even use their real name.
You have no idea who they are or where your money goes or when you will get your pack.
Listen to what all the other reviewers have to say, how much they regretted buying from someone else first instead of ordering from me.
They were like you, skeptical, and they bought the $1500 pack that was a pile of shit, crooked, glued, wood, paste, shity paint, crappy paper labels, etc.
If you want the BEST, you want ours plain and simple.
- Bob
Last edited by Kingpin on November 15th, 2017, 4:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.Reason: Added quote code
User avatar
By TK5759
#4900967
Zantsumei wrote:Heres an email bob sent me a few days ago when I inquired about accusations of his ways and this what I got...
VideoBob wrote:Yes, I know about the guys at GB Fans, that is the only place I am "banned".

Why? Because I am their greatest competition and since they can't out sell me they totally make up shit.
We sell one to two packs per week on eBay and we don't have a single negative feedback. NONE.
You will also not find a single complaint from an actual customer.
The only people talking smack are internet trolls who are jealous that we have our own TV show,

I made a cameo in the new Ghostbusters movie, I work with Ernie Hudson regularly and I have a certificate

issued to me from Ivan Reitman.




Take a look at this video, it might explain some things,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvrDL0Nu_ZI



This is also good information:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjeUOpQEfPs




A tour of the shop, 5 years ago!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxdGrWFrq3I

Then I went on Pawn Stars:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BoLANTjht4

Then SONY asked us to help them promote the DVD's and go on tour for them!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqQ6yInVFdA

We also make appearances with Ernie Hudson all the time!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY6vHpeDoaA


We were also guests on Brian Johnson's CARS THAT ROCK on Velocity!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufZYc9QgD08

Here is another great customer review!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e88k_x-ZOsw





So imagine you are GBfans and you sell proton pack shells and complete packs,

you have as many as 30 people waiting in line to buy your stuff.
Then some guy comes along with a direct casting of the screen used original and offers them not only cheaper but ready to ship immediately.
I totally destroyed their business and they lost their minds and started talking all this bunk to try to kill my sales, the more they tried, the more I sold!!
So think about it, would I work with Sony, Ernie Hudson, Paul Fieg, Ivan Reitman, Discovery, Velocity, Reelz, ABC, and all the other outlets we work with

if we were really all the things they claim?
Don't you think we would have a bunch of negative feedbacks, lawsuits, reports, etc.?
We have none of that.
We build the most popular and solid Proton Pack in the world.
GB Fans does have a huge fan base, but they operate out of a basement, literally, it's just AJ Quick and a few of his friends.
I run a million dollar company, I own this 5000 sqft building, we have a LLC Corporation and a DBA in the city of Duncanville Dallas.
Those guys aren't even a REAL business!!!!

We have a premiere business Paypal account and we are eBay Power Sellers.
What do all those other guys have?
Every single one of the other "builders" out there are working from their house, in the garage, on the kitchen table.
They can't compare to what we do.


Anyway, it's up to you dude.
Feel free to ask another other builder about their materials.
Ask for references, reviews.
Ask for photos all around, videos.
Most of these guys don't even use their real name.
You have no idea who they are or where your money goes or when you will get your pack.
Listen to what all the other reviewers have to say, how much they regretted buying from someone else first instead of ordering from me.
They were like you, skeptical, and they bought the $1500 pack that was a pile of shit, crooked, glued, wood, paste, shity paint, crappy paper labels, etc.
If you want the BEST, you want ours plain and simple.
- Bob
Wow, that's a lot of fluff with little fact.

Reason #1 not to do business with "He Who Shall Not Be Named": he's "He Who Shall Not Be Named.
All he linked was a lot of misleads and half truths. For starters, anyone with a GB franchise registers it with Ghost Corps gets a certificate from Ivan Reitman IIRC.
I don't know that I'd call that an appearance with Ernie Hudson. I mean, he technically did appear with him but I don't know that this is a regular thing. I've met Ernie once while I was in costume. He shook my hand and I was wow'ed. Does this now mean that I make "appearances" with Ernie Hudson? Ernie respects his fans and is almost always willing to do photo ops with people.
Funny that he should mention packs that are "pile of sh*t, crooked, glued, wood, paste, shity paint, crappy paper labels, etc." because I think those were the words used in his feedback thread, almost verbatim.
He did give you one honest, true piece of advice though when he told you to do research, ask questions, references, etc. Do that

I'm going to leave this here: viewtopic.php?f=32&t=27212&hilit=bob%27s+videobob
It should give you the best idea of what it's like to do business with "He Who Shall Not Be Named".

BTW, my pack cost me around $1500 even with a Matty wand. It has lights and sound and is pretty damn accurate. He's trying to play on your naivete in this hobby because his having an LLC and a DBA would conflict with each other for tax purposes. I have a premiere PayPal account and I just run a small computer and cell phone repair biz--that means literally nothing.
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By Kingpin
#4900970
Zantsumei, I will attempt to provide some counter-points to Bob's claims (sorry in advance for how long this post is).
Videobob wrote:Yes, I know about the guys at GB Fans, that is the only place I am "banned".
Although he wasn't banned from the RPF, he was banned from being able to sell his Proton Pack shells there. The RPF staff felt they were unauthorised copies and as such were against that forum's rules, more on that decision can be read here: LINK
The RPF is also home to members who are unwilling to refer him to anyone due to his shady past: The RPF: Bobspropshop.com
Videobob wrote:Why? Because I am their greatest competition and since they can't out sell me they totally make up shit.
Bob's popular counter-point to the criticism he receives is that it's all motivated by business jealousy. Whilst GBFans has offered many components for Proton Packs and other props over the years, it has never attempted to market a full Proton Pack... There's some speculation that a full Proton Pack/prop replica would be more likely to get shut down by Sony, so traditionally only components have been offered in the past... There may not be any basis to that line of thinking, but it hasn't steered us wrong so far.

GBFans has never offered full Pack kits, but that doesn't stop Bob from insinuating that's why we'd banned him. Likewise it's not so much been about beating him in terms of numbers, but on quality. Notice how he doesn't actually address the accusation of recasting, instead he brings up a completely different reason for being banned from here.
Videobob wrote:We sell one to two packs per week on eBay and we don't have a single negative feedback. NONE.
eBay can and will remove negative feedback if they feel the feedback was unfair. It was also noted in a post in Bob's feedback forum back in 2014 that he had a habit of setting up new eBay accounts, these two habits would help him maintain a 0% negative feedback score.
Videobob wrote:You will also not find a single complaint from an actual customer.
The only people talking smack are internet trolls who are jealous that we have our own TV show
Here Bob interjects an irrelevant factoid to try bolster his credibility. He's talked about his own show for years - I honestly don't know if he actually has something on TV, or if he's just trying to "Big up" his YouTube channel. I am aware of one legitimate television performance, on Pawn Stars, where he tried to flog one of his Proton Pack replicas.
Videobob wrote:I made a cameo in the new Ghostbusters movie, I work with Ernie Hudson regularly and I have a certificate.
He appears at the front of the crowd during the Mayhem bust (large guy with the red suspenders and bald head), which isn't quite a "cameo" as say, Daniel Reitman appearing as the metalhead that shouts beside Rowan, or Katie Dippold appearing as the real estate agent - Bob has no lines in his "cameo" appearance, and is a blink-and-miss-it appearance if you don't even know what he looks like.

He's worked with Ernie, but given Ernie's extremely generous nature, and friendliness with fans, he's worked with a lot of them over the years, including filming a promo for Ghostbusters: The Board Game II, note that Bob didn't actually state in what capacity he'd worked with Ernie.

As noted by TK5759, Ghost Corp certificates (if that's what Bob is claiming to possess) were issued to any groups who applied for them.
Videobob wrote:So imagine you are GBfans and you sell proton pack shells and complete packs,
-Again, GBFans itself has never offered completed Proton Packs for sale.

The closest that Bob's claim comes to the truth is in the form of full/complete Packs that have been sold by forum members through the Marketplace, one of which is Vincenzo, who are Bob's main competition - and who he'd have an ulterior motive in running down.
Videobob wrote:you have as many as 30 people waiting in line to buy your stuff.
Then some guy comes along with a direct casting of the screen used original and offers them not only cheaper but ready to ship immediately.
A lot of the people who shop with the GBFans store in the build up to Halloween, and most people who buy items via his store on eBay, will be arriving fresh-faced to the community and without knowing a lot of the back-story on Bob, unfortunately a lot of his business will come from people who simply don't know better - which is why we always work to educate and warn fans of his past actions.

As for Bob's shells, despite his claims that they're a direct casting of a screen-used original, they aren't.

The Anovos "Spengler" Pack is a direct cast, as it was cast with permission by Sony from the "Super Hero" Proton Pack prop, that was formerly on display at Sony's corporate headquarters.

The master for Bob's Pack has a dubious history, one thread I was able to dig up may indicate what Bob used to produce his run of shells, here is one of the relevant posts: LINK

Another (LINK), presents an attempt at reconstructing the lineage of a number of "direct cast" shells, including Bob's. The proposition from the summary is that Bob's current offerings are anything from a 4th to 6th generation casting of the originating shell. Even if Bob's original offering was somehow a direct casting, considering he is believed to have acquired his first shell circa 2012, it's probably unlikely he's still using the same mold five years later.

Bob has never had the ability to make casts of the screen-used Proton Pack props, all he has had access to are shells with uncertain lineages - however, it helps an item sell better if you suggest it comes from the original molds as the screen-used props, and it's likely that despite his claim about their source, he doesn't actually provide any proof to back up his claim on his auction listings/website.
Videobob wrote:I totally destroyed their business and they lost their minds and started talking all this bunk to try to kill my sales, the more they tried, the more I sold!!
Again, it was never about the sales - Bob was originally banned back in 2011 following accusations of recasting parts made by other sellers. The accusations continued through 2012, reported by a number of sellers who had sold items through the Marketplace, but weren't members of GBFans staff.

A brief history of these accusations can be found here: LINK

Bob uses the "business competition" explanation as it can lend credence to his proposal that his removal was based on professional jealousy, rather than on questionable practices.
Videobob wrote:Don't you think we would have a bunch of negative feedbacks, lawsuits, reports, etc.?
Negative feedback removal requests, and new accounts would help him expunge his past record of poor sales.

Nobody is going to sue Bob over the recasts - the creation of Ghostbusters prop parts and replicas exists in a legal grey area which Sony has thus far turned a willing blind eye to, but this circumstance may not be a permanent one.

Still, when it comes to lawsuits, Bob himself had threatened a number of members here, including this forum's admin, on trumped-up charges: LINK - the legal claim (which was not pursued by Bob) also included the lie that reference photographs of screen-used Proton Packs featured on GBFans had been stolen by this forum, when in fact they had been taken by a GBFans member, who also happens to be one of Bob's main competitors in the Proton Pack market.

Bob's claim over the photos can be seen here: Link
Videobob wrote:GB Fans does have a huge fan base, but they operate out of a basement, literally, it's just AJ Quick and a few of his friends.
A warehouse, actually. Being UK-based I haven't seen it in person, but AJ has posted plenty of photographs of his new business facilities.
Videobob wrote:I run a million dollar company, I own this 5000 sqft building, we have a LLC Corporation and a DBA in the city of Duncanville Dallas.
A claim made without a quarterly or annual profit statement, a claim made without a property deed or listing, a claim made without the appropriate LLC or DBA documentation - we only have his word that any of these are true.
Videobob wrote:Those guys aren't even a REAL business!!!!
An allegation made by a disgruntled, barred former member of this forum.
Videobob wrote:We have a premiere business Paypal account and we are eBay Power Sellers.
Neither of which will be based on a personal investigation of Bob or his business - nor would be reflective of the quality of his parts.
Videobob wrote: Every single one of the other "builders" out there are working from their house, in the garage, on the kitchen table.
For many people the production of prop parts starts out as a hobby, and they start offering the pieces because they know their fellow fans might be interested in the parts they've made. We all have to start somewhere, and productions often have humble beginnings. A good production can come out of a house, garage or kitchen, likewise a bad production can come out of a 5,000 square foot warehouse/workshop.
Videobob wrote:Most of these guys don't even use their real name.
All GBFans marketplace sales require the seller list their name and location, and AJ's name is listed at the bottom of each forum page.
Videobob wrote:You have no idea who they are or where your money goes or when you will get your pack.
By the same logic, you have no idea where your money would go once you've paid Bob and his team. GBFans marketplace sellers are held to a standard to update their customers in a timely fashion, and to ensure the products paid for arrive in a prompt fashion. Whilst it is regrettable that some sellers do fall short of the mark, this would be the case with most marketplaces.
Videobob wrote:Listen to what all the other reviewers have to say, how much they regretted buying from someone else first instead of ordering from me.
Bob presents no links to his happy customers to bolster his "this is why you should buy from me" argument, all he does offer is vague tales of no-named sellers who aren't Bob, who miss shipping deadlines, or don't send items at all. He's scaremongering and applying pressure because he's worried he might be losing you as a customer.
Videobob wrote:They were like you, skeptical, and they bought the $1500 pack that was a pile of shit, crooked, glued, wood, paste, shity paint, crappy paper labels, etc.
Some more of the scaremongering, suggesting customer regret from not buying from Bob. It's similar to suggesting someone else is in talks to buy the item you're after, or that they're "limited stock left", it's a con designed to pressure you into a sale with Bob.
Videobob wrote:If you want the BEST, you want ours plain and simple.
- Bob
Some examples of Bob's "BEST":

Image
-Source

Image
(A comparison with Bob's bumper, and one he was accused of recasting) - Source

Image
(Would a professional businessman put this on their products?) - Source

I would have more photos to show you, but a lot of them were eaten when Photobucket changed their policy and locked out third-party linking.

And here's a final thought: if Bob is as successful as he claims, if his products are as excellent as he boasts, if his connections with Ghostbusters production alumni are as significant as he makes out, why was Anovos given the chance and permission to offer licenced Proton Pack replicas, and not Bob?
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By RichardLess
#4900973
Kingpin wrote:Zantsumei, I will attempt to provide some counter-points to Bob's claims (sorry in advance for how long this post is).
Videobob wrote:Yes, I know about the guys at GB Fans, that is the only place I am "banned".
Although he wasn't banned from the RPF, he was banned from being able to sell his Proton Pack shells there. The RPF staff felt they were unauthorised copies and as such were against that forum's rules, more on that decision can be read here: LINK
The RPF is also home to members who are unwilling to refer him to anyone due to his shady past: The RPF: Bobspropshop.com
Videobob wrote:Why? Because I am their greatest competition and since they can't out sell me they totally make up shit.
Bob's popular counter-point to the criticism he receives is that it's all motivated by business jealousy. Whilst GBFans has offered many components for Proton Packs and other props over the years, it has never attempted to market a full Proton Pack... There's some speculation that a full Proton Pack/prop replica would be more likely to get shut down by Sony, so traditionally only components have been offered in the past... There may not be any basis to that line of thinking, but it hasn't steered us wrong so far.

GBFans has never offered full Pack kits, but that doesn't stop Bob from insinuating that's why we'd banned him. Likewise it's not so much been about beating him in terms of numbers, but on quality. Notice how he doesn't actually address the accusation of recasting, instead he brings up a completely different reason for being banned from here.
Videobob wrote:We sell one to two packs per week on eBay and we don't have a single negative feedback. NONE.
eBay can and will remove negative feedback if they feel the feedback was unfair. It was also noted in a post in Bob's feedback forum back in 2014 that he had a habit of setting up new eBay accounts, these two habits would help him maintain a 0% negative feedback score.
Videobob wrote:You will also not find a single complaint from an actual customer.
The only people talking smack are internet trolls who are jealous that we have our own TV show
Here Bob interjects an irrelevant factoid to try bolster his credibility. He's talked about his own show for years - I honestly don't know if he actually has something on TV, or if he's just trying to "Big up" his YouTube channel. I am aware of one legitimate television performance, on Pawn Stars, where he tried to flog one of his Proton Pack replicas.
Videobob wrote:I made a cameo in the new Ghostbusters movie, I work with Ernie Hudson regularly and I have a certificate.
He appears at the front of the crowd during the Mayhem bust (large guy with the red suspenders and bald head), which isn't quite a "cameo" as say, Daniel Reitman appearing as the metalhead that shouts beside Rowan, or Katie Dippold appearing as the real estate agent - Bob has no lines in his "cameo" appearance, and is a blink-and-miss-it appearance if you don't even know what he looks like.

He's worked with Ernie, but given Ernie's extremely generous nature, and friendliness with fans, he's worked with a lot of them over the years, including filming a promo for Ghostbusters: The Board Game II, note that Bob didn't actually state in what capacity he'd worked with Ernie.

As noted by TK5759, Ghost Corp certificates (if that's what Bob is claiming to possess) were issued to any groups who applied for them.
Videobob wrote:So imagine you are GBfans and you sell proton pack shells and complete packs,
-Again, GBFans itself has never offered completed Proton Packs for sale.

The closest that Bob's claim comes to the truth is in the form of full/complete Packs that have been sold by forum members through the Marketplace, one of which is Vincenzo, who are Bob's main competition - and who he'd have an ulterior motive in running down.
Videobob wrote:you have as many as 30 people waiting in line to buy your stuff.
Then some guy comes along with a direct casting of the screen used original and offers them not only cheaper but ready to ship immediately.
A lot of the people who shop with the GBFans store in the build up to Halloween, and most people who buy items via his store on eBay, will be arriving fresh-faced to the community and without knowing a lot of the back-story on Bob, unfortunately a lot of his business will come from people who simply don't know better - which is why we always work to educate and warn fans of his past actions.

As for Bob's shells, despite his claims that they're a direct casting of a screen-used original, they aren't.

The Anovos "Spengler" Pack is a direct cast, as it was cast with permission by Sony from the "Super Hero" Proton Pack prop, that was formerly on display at Sony's corporate headquarters.

The master for Bob's Pack has a dubious history, one thread I was able to dig up may indicate what Bob used to produce his run of shells, here is one of the relevant posts: LINK

Another (LINK), presents an attempt at reconstructing the lineage of a number of "direct cast" shells, including Bob's. The proposition from the summary is that Bob's current offerings are anything from a 4th to 6th generation casting of the originating shell. Even if Bob's original offering was somehow a direct casting, considering he is believed to have acquired his first shell circa 2012, it's probably unlikely he's still using the same mold five years later.

Bob has never had the ability to make casts of the screen-used Proton Pack props, all he has had access to are shells with uncertain lineages - however, it helps an item sell better if you suggest it comes from the original molds as the screen-used props, and it's likely that despite his claim about their source, he doesn't actually provide any proof to back up his claim on his auction listings/website.
Videobob wrote:I totally destroyed their business and they lost their minds and started talking all this bunk to try to kill my sales, the more they tried, the more I sold!!
Again, it was never about the sales - Bob was originally banned back in 2011 following accusations of recasting parts made by other sellers. The accusations continued through 2012, reported by a number of sellers who had sold items through the Marketplace, but weren't members of GBFans staff.

A brief history of these accusations can be found here: LINK

Bob uses the "business competition" explanation as it can lend credence to his proposal that his removal was based on professional jealousy, rather than on questionable practices.
Videobob wrote:Don't you think we would have a bunch of negative feedbacks, lawsuits, reports, etc.?
Negative feedback removal requests, and new accounts would help him expunge his past record of poor sales.

Nobody is going to sue Bob over the recasts - the creation of Ghostbusters prop parts and replicas exists in a legal grey area which Sony has thus far turned a willing blind eye to, but this circumstance may not be a permanent one.

Still, when it comes to lawsuits, Bob himself had threatened a number of members here, including this forum's admin, on trumped-up charges: LINK - the legal claim (which was not pursued by Bob) also included the lie that reference photographs of screen-used Proton Packs featured on GBFans had been stolen by this forum, when in fact they had been taken by a GBFans member, who also happens to be one of Bob's main competitors in the Proton Pack market.

Bob's claim over the photos can be seen here: Link
Videobob wrote:GB Fans does have a huge fan base, but they operate out of a basement, literally, it's just AJ Quick and a few of his friends.
A warehouse, actually. Being UK-based I haven't seen it in person, but AJ has posted plenty of photographs of his new business facilities.
Videobob wrote:I run a million dollar company, I own this 5000 sqft building, we have a LLC Corporation and a DBA in the city of Duncanville Dallas.
A claim made without a quarterly or annual profit statement, a claim made without a property deed or listing, a claim made without the appropriate LLC or DBA documentation - we only have his word that any of these are true.
Videobob wrote:Those guys aren't even a REAL business!!!!
An allegation made by a disgruntled, barred former member of this forum.
Videobob wrote:We have a premiere business Paypal account and we are eBay Power Sellers.
Neither of which will be based on a personal investigation of Bob or his business - nor would be reflective of the quality of his parts.
Videobob wrote: Every single one of the other "builders" out there are working from their house, in the garage, on the kitchen table.
For many people the production of prop parts starts out as a hobby, and they start offering the pieces because they know their fellow fans might be interested in the parts they've made. We all have to start somewhere, and productions often have humble beginnings. A good production can come out of a house, garage or kitchen, likewise a bad production can come out of a 5,000 square foot warehouse/workshop.
Videobob wrote:Most of these guys don't even use their real name.
All GBFans marketplace sales require the seller list their name and location, and AJ's name is listed at the bottom of each forum page.
Videobob wrote:You have no idea who they are or where your money goes or when you will get your pack.
By the same logic, you have no idea where your money would go once you've paid Bob and his team. GBFans marketplace sellers are held to a standard to update their customers in a timely fashion, and to ensure the products paid for arrive in a prompt fashion. Whilst it is regrettable that some sellers do fall short of the mark, this would be the case with most marketplaces.
Videobob wrote:Listen to what all the other reviewers have to say, how much they regretted buying from someone else first instead of ordering from me.
Bob presents no links to his happy customers to bolster his "this is why you should buy from me" argument, all he does offer is vague tales of no-named sellers who aren't Bob, who miss shipping deadlines, or don't send items at all. He's scaremongering and applying pressure because he's worried he might be losing you as a customer.
Videobob wrote:They were like you, skeptical, and they bought the $1500 pack that was a pile of shit, crooked, glued, wood, paste, shity paint, crappy paper labels, etc.
Some more of the scaremongering, suggesting customer regret from not buying from Bob. It's similar to suggesting someone else is in talks to buy the item you're after, or that they're "limited stock left", it's a con designed to pressure you into a sale with Bob.
Videobob wrote:If you want the BEST, you want ours plain and simple.
- Bob
Some examples of Bob's "BEST":

Image
-Source

Image
(A comparison with Bob's bumper, and one he was accused of recasting) - Source

Image
(Would a professional businessman put this on their products?) - Source

I would have more photos to show you, but a lot of them were eaten when Photobucket changed their policy and locked out third-party linking.

And here's a final thought: if Bob is as successful as he claims, if his products are as excellent as he boasts, if his connections with Ghostbusters production alumni are as significant as he makes out, why was Anovos given the chance and permission to offer licenced Proton Pack replicas, and not Bob?
Hmmm. If GBfans was so concerned about competition, they wouldn't allow articles on Anovos or when Matty Collector was a thing. They wouldn't have an open forum dedicated to buying/selling parts from other users. This Bob fellow uses straw man arguments, false equilvency and ad hominem to make a point. "I can't be a bad guy! Look! I'm on TV!" "They work out of their basement and I have a 5000 sqf building therefore my product is awesome" "there isn't any negative feedback on my site/Facebook" it took me two seconds to find the Back to the Future car video on YouTube where you record a call with a customer, put in on the Internet, all without him knowing about it.
Kingpin, deadderek liked this
User avatar
By Kingpin
#4900991
Sav C wrote:Fascinating that someone would go to such lengths to sell such garbage to some poor unsuspecting buyer.
Given how he gets so defensive about people attacking his business, I suspect it's his main source of income (I'm also willing to bet that if his business did fail, he probably would struggle to find another line of work that would be as lucrative).

Meanwhile, were the GBFans shop to close down tomorrow, I doubt AJ would be in financial dire straights.
Sav C, deadderek liked this
User avatar
By Lowberg
#4901006
Allthough I love a good VideoBob bashing, why don't we try to keep this on topic.

I wanna see some pics and hear some stories about the Hero shell casting!!!! Was there any surprises while disassembling it?
I know in the video you guys mentioned the HGA bolts were welded in and went all though to the shell?

It had to be nerve-wracking to disassemble completely such an iconic and old prop!
Last edited by Lowberg on November 16th, 2017, 9:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
Kingpin, machina28 liked this
User avatar
By Kingpin
#4901018
Indeed, Lowberg. :) Sean, did you and Vinny get a chance to look inside the Super Hero Thrower as well, or did the opening-up only cover the Proton Pack itself?
By TimsGhost
#4901039
Another ANOVOS delay... my friends laughed when I said that this company is trying to roll them out before Halloween, then I said folks are starting to receive their purchases, maybe I'll get mine soon... now, maybe by March. What a weak logistics department ANOVOS employs. WEAK. No idea when their products will be manufactured, received, shipped.
User avatar
By Marcus B
#4901050
TimsGhost wrote:Another ANOVOS delay... my friends laughed when I said that this company is trying to roll them out before Halloween, then I said folks are starting to receive their purchases, maybe I'll get mine soon... now, maybe by March. What a weak logistics department ANOVOS employs. WEAK. No idea when their products will be manufactured, received, shipped.
I'm curious if quality control is the issue. They place the orders for the various parts and wait for it to come in, and then they have to sort through what's good and what's not.

Regardless of these issues, I placed an order last night. I'm just hoping to get it in time for Halloween 2018.
By TimsGhost
#4901053
I'm just going by their latest update that says fall 2017 through winter 2017 (Sept 22- March 20). Every deadline that they have set themselves, they have had to delay.
User avatar
By d_osborn
#4901062
Seeing as how this thread isn't solely for the pack kit-- has anyone picked up the Anovos ESP cards? I'm absolutely LOVING the WKRR Channel 12/WOTP branding!

Whoever handled the concept and design at Anovos, my hat's off to you. :love:
User avatar
By csullivan1980
#4901091
A friend of mine bought one on these packs but without the Alice frame. He’s giving me the job to build his ANOVOS pack for him. The instructions were recently released and I can already tell it’s going to be a very different built from my pack. Biggest difference is that there seems to be a lot of glue involved [emoji51][emoji51][emoji51]
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