[aceblackbelt]

Geekologie was promoting a viking props proton pack today. Kinda over priced for what you don't get I think... any1 else notice it?

[ProtonCharger]

it is. that's the ebay junk pack. sucks he's selling on etsy now.

[EJLambert]

Here's the link. It doesn't look that good. But judge 4 yourself. http://www.geekologie.com/2012/04/you-b ... proton.php

[aceblackbelt]

I was gonna post the link. I just didn't want ppl toto think I was subconsciously promoting the sale of this... fauxton pack.

[Silverstreak]

... fauxton pack.

Heh, I like that. The pack itself looks ok at a quick glance, but a better inspection reveals a lot of things wrong with it to the trained eye.

[Some_Guy]

It was just featured on The Awesomer. Ugh.

[Smits]

That pack was pointed out to me by a non-GB friend who said that even to him, it looked really sub-par. He also noticed the missing parts straight away.

Ugh. How is it that something like that is making the rounds on Geekologie and The Awesomer?

[ProtonCharger]

Because people new to gb props almost always buy their stuff from ebay and that's where he and other people primarily get their name out there; sub par product or not(mostly sub par). New people don't know any better when it comes to this so they think that stuff is the best out there BECAUSE it's on ebay.

And the sellers are well aware of that too, even if they don't want to admit it.

I'm betting whoever wrote the original article is looking for a proton pack and wanted to share results they thought was awesome or the dirtbag that built igt submitted. Then the sister/copy websites rehashed the article fromk there

[MRblahface]

That pack Kinda sucks, You can't claim something is accurate when its not.

[goldenhawk]

Viking Props? Never heard of them. They claim that it's not a resin or fiberglass shell, but it looks like one in the picture. The gun body looks like it's a resin one too. They must be recasting someone's shell.

[Harry Carpenter]

I actually contacted the guy to get some more info about it....see what he could tell me...Because I am in the market for the lazy mans proton pack (one I don't build, is relatively cheap, and still does all the nifty lights and sounds)
So I like to get the info first from the seller, then reference them here, to see if they hit the black list or not...but I'll post what I was told, let me know what you feel is not legit:

The packs are cast in production silicone molds out of urethane plastic. The molds were made of my original scratch built pack. I did not adhere to any of the plans available online for free or otherwise. The measurements are all scaled from the screen used props.

The packs I am selling on Etsy for $850 include steady burning LEDs in the cyclotron (4 red LEDs) and inside the power cell (strip of blue LEDs).

For an extra $300 ($1150 total) I will install fully animated lights in the pack (cyclotron rotates and power cell lights fluctuate as seen on screen)

For an extra $650 ($1500 total) you get a pack better than the ones used on screen-- you get all the lights described above, lights in the particle thrower and full sound f/x. These are the packs that are featured in my YouTube videos.
They are pricey but are the best you can get and are built tough.

::::This proton pack replica is constructed from metal, wood, and plastic.:::::
That is all from his stuff he sent, or from the etsy page. Tempting.... And he clearly does say "I did not go off any builds, I did my own freaking thing because I can...like a boss" or something to that extent...

[Some_Guy]

I don't really see how paying $300 for an $80 light kit to be glued into place is tempting. Also wary that he didn't go off any plans and that he claims things are accurate.

I like how he doesn't mention where he gets the parts too. I bet most of the greeblies are resin cast and most certainly NOT worth $1,500. Or rather "You get what you pay for" kind of deal.

I wouldn't do it. If it's too good to be true; it isn't true.

[Harry Carpenter]

I agree. I've asked for further information about this guy, and his build. It all seems well and good....sortof...but I have that aching suspicion...he is a caster of the "re" type....I even posed the question to him "So, it's an extra $300 bucks for sounds, from what I understand, correct? But I can buy a sound and light kit for under $150 bucks online...what makes yours better?"

That just happened. I doubt I'll be buying from him, as he's not a trusted pack maker, etc. I'd prefer to find someone more reputable, for a reasonable price. I've seen others for about the same price, if not more though. Is $2300 bucks too much for something similar (rhetorical question)

What is the best way to get a proton pack, for someone who is mechanically declined, such as myself? I'd want all the bells and whistles on it (lights and soundboard) But I lack the know-how to make it go.... I've tried searching this site, and ebay, etc for pack parts, and not sure which is the best, and it seems like shells are 3-600 bucks...so thats practically half the cost in my opinion. Wish I could just actually physically touch and play with the pack before purchase....buying things online sucks sometimes...

[Some_Guy]

Regardless, you're going to pay upwards to $1,300-$1,900 if you want all the "bells and whistles" and you 'can't' make anything yourself. That's the thing about pre-made stuff. It always costs more.

It's an expensive hobby; either bite the bullet and make it yourself, or plan out accordingly and buy kits.

[drjameshouse]

I actually contacted the guy to get some more info about it....see what he could tell me...Because I am in the market for the lazy mans proton pack (one I don't build, is relatively cheap, and still does all the nifty lights and sounds)
So I like to get the info first from the seller, then reference them here, to see if they hit the black list or not...but I'll post what I was told, let me know what you feel is not legit:

The packs are cast in production silicone molds out of urethane plastic. The molds were made of my original scratch built pack. I did not adhere to any of the plans available online for free or otherwise. The measurements are all scaled from the screen used props.

The packs I am selling on Etsy for $850 include steady burning LEDs in the cyclotron (4 red LEDs) and inside the power cell (strip of blue LEDs).

For an extra $300 ($1150 total) I will install fully animated lights in the pack (cyclotron rotates and power cell lights fluctuate as seen on screen)

For an extra $650 ($1500 total) you get a pack better than the ones used on screen-- you get all the lights described above, lights in the particle thrower and full sound f/x. These are the packs that are featured in my YouTube videos.
They are pricey but are the best you can get and are built tough.

::::This proton pack replica is constructed from metal, wood, and plastic.:::::
That is all from his stuff he sent, or from the etsy page. Tempting.... And he clearly does say "I did not go off any builds, I did my own freaking thing because I can...like a boss" or something to that extent...

The pack looks like the one whiterice07 bought and was asking for advice to fix here http://www.gbfans.com/community/viewtop ... 07#p392485

If anyone is actually looking into it, maybe they should talk to whiterice07 for more information.

[Some_Guy]

Look at the PPD! It's the same pack!

[Harry Carpenter]

That sucks people sell sub-par fully made kits. I talked myself out of it quickly after seeing horror stories, and went with some respectable and trusted shell builders here...and will be making it from scratch. Thats my advice to everyone that even thinks of buying from the Ebay shops...build it yourself. Plus, it's all yours...and when something breaks, you know exactly what it was, and how to get at it...and how it should look when it works.

[DanAmrich]

Hi all. I don't post very often but I still consider myself a major fan, and I wanted to chime in on this topic.

Having had every friend who ever knew I was a ghosthead send me the Etsy link, I politely spoke to the builder over the last few weeks and discussed some of the parts I missed seeing, like the ribbon cable. He said he'd happily add them and had gotten a lot of requests for those, and was updating his design accordingly. I think his pack design may still be evolving, which would make sense since he has built it from his own plans and research. He offered me a discount on the upgraded lights & FX as well, so I have one on order from him.

His pack, while not 100% accurate, is significantly better than the one I cobbled together from Paranorman's plans in 1999, which I built with friends out of sheer fan love. This is before resin parts, before light and sound kits, maybe even before some of you guys were out of diapers. I didn't know what I was doing, I made a lot of mistakes, it was made out of old 35mm film canisters and styrofoam and a cake pan, there were no lights and sounds, and not only does it not look movie-accurate, but It looks neanderthal by today's standards. Yet every time I wore it, people would scream "Who ya gonna call!" with a big grin on their face. I have gotten conmpliments that I did not deserve, solely because seeing the pack made people happy. And it made me happy, too. Nobody noticed what the pack wasn't -- they only saw that real-life thing from the funny movie and it made their day. It was a simple "I loved that movie" moment for both of us. (A friend who drives a DeLorean reports the same behavior -- everywhere he drives, he meets smiling strangers.)

My 1999 pack was built as a testament to one of my favorite films, and not as a temple to my own propping skills. It absolutely succeeded on that level.

Thirteen years later, my old pack is falling apart (one of the others we built is still around -- it belongs to Greg Miller at IGN now) and I want to replace it with a newer model, again out of sheer fan love. I have walked the DIY path once, and it was fun, educational and expensive. This time, I'm buying someone else's design, with a healthy respect and first-hand knowledge of the time, effort, and expense that goes into any prop that looks even halfway decent. I also saw the harsh comments on Geekologie and was sorry to see GB fans instantly tearing down what other, normal people identified as a cool thing: The chance to own a proton pack. I agree, there are inaccuracies -- but to tear the guy down like that, both out there and in here, seems unnecessarily harsh and goes against the positive, inclusive vibes I've always gotten from the GB community. And FWIW, if anybody here was offering a better pack for the price he offered me, you would have gotten a big "shut up and take my money" from me right away. But his are for sale, and they look pretty good, so I bought one.

Thanks for letting me get that out. Once I get the pack, I can report back if anyone wants to hear how it turns out, or I can bow out if you've already moved on.

[Some_Guy]

We've already seen how it looks.

It's severely warped to the point of no return essentially. I mean look at this thing:



Selling something like that is not only an insult to the customer, but an insult to the fandom.
Imagine getting your hopes up that you bought a Proton Pack for so cheap only to find that it's massively warped and missing several pieces; and nothing even lines up properly on the damn thing.

I'd be pretty disappointed.

Have fun trying to fix it.

[jackdoud]

I also saw the harsh comments on Geekologie and was sorry to see GB fans instantly tearing down what other, normal people identified as a cool thing: The chance to own a proton pack.

Many people who come here often fail to realize that the people here are a completely different class of fan from the general public. It's a common enough problem that we often get the "those guys on gbfans are eliteist pricks who can't just have fun" comments. We do what we can to combat that narrow view but it's like the difference between someone appreciating a Van Gogh and someone liking pretty colors. Yes, we all love Ghostbusters, it's why we're all here, but this is the place people come to when they have an appreciation above and beyond the average person who's seen the movie on cable half a dozen times and watched a few RGB episodes as a kid.

This place provides somewhere that people can delve into the intricacies of a prop without someone saying "who cares what the correct clippard valve was?". Small details is what we do. All of us can appreciate tossing something together and walking around at halloween getting massive reaction from the general public. People go crazy if you spraypaint a vacuume cleaner black and strap it to your back, they don't know the difference. Theres nothing wrong with doing that, it's just that expecting the same reaction from a group of people that have spent years figuring out that the "hat lights" were Sloan relampable aircraft lenses is misguided. We focus on the details of a prop because that's what we've always looked at. Most of us can spot inaccuracies immediately and that's what we'll comment on.

This is not ment to diminish your or anyone else's enjoyment of the franchise or your props. Even a mostly accurate pack can still be a fun thing to wear and display. All I'm saying is people often seem to think that we should always be amazed and enthusiastic for every GB related thing we ever see when that's just not a viable expectation. Explaning how something isn't accurate is in no way a putdown of the item or the owner, unless the maker/buyer was actually going for accuracy and doens't like being told that it isn't.

[ProtonCharger]

I'm sad danelectro has that guy's pack and approves it; when it was danelectro that inspired me to build my first proton pack, and remained an inspiration for every pack after that. Sure I used norm's plans but dan electro's was what made me do it. Hell it's still a nice trip down naive prop kid memory lane when I stumble on your build on bunnyears.net.

There's a difference between the times: when a pack built from norm's plans and a crafty eye can build an awesome pack and a pack built with shoddy materials selling for the cost of a better pack with better materials and craftsmanship. There are better plans to build from. Reference photos out of the wazoo. Innovative approaches to building from scratch. This prop community is always evolving.

This person that is making that pack got unnecessary advertising using photoshopped photos that enhance the look of it. It's a really shoddy pack, not even to a REALLY fantastic pack made to norm's plans. There are more people getting suckered now because of it and that's entirely my problem. I want everyone to have the same fantastic well made parts on their packs made by really good craftsmen for the same price across the board so it hurts knowing someone paid a lot of money for shoddy junk when they could have looked just a little more and found something better for the same price. Impatience is an awful thing, that's why patience is a virtue for that money burning a hole in that wallet.

At the end of it all this is a community mostly made of people that build, and at the cost of many things have something to show for their work. Buying something like that, at the price it takes to make our own is truly an insult to our efforts.

[DanAmrich]

All I'm saying is people often seem to think that we should always be amazed and enthusiastic for every GB related thing we ever see when that's just not a viable expectation.

No, this is not my position. I do not feel you should be amazed and enthusiastic about every GB thing you see from the outside world, especially if your standards are higher -- but I didn't expect the community to be openly hostile to another fan's work, even if they felt that fan's work could be better. The difference between false praise and earnest hatred is pretty major, and it might be why you, by your own admission, are "often" called elitists. Less aggro would help combat that.

I absolutely do realize -- and respect -- that you guys are operating at a higher level. I also understand the drive and energy that leads to people making screen-accurate packs -- even in my '99 pack, I obsessed over specific things that other people did not care about and frankly annoyed my build team. I don't think you're wrong for going long and deep and doing it as right as it can be done. But the existence of his not-perfect-but-pretty-close pack does not diminish anything anyone else has created with more accuracy; his packs don't make your packs look bad. If anything, his make yours look better.

From what I can see, the only thing this guy really got that more detailed proppers didn't was a) attention for his work and b) money for his work. (He also apparently doesn't post here and is therefore an outsider, so maybe that's part of it -- I don't know.) But if you are not interested in competing in the market with him and you are happier with the pack you have created than the packs he is creating...what's the point of tearing him down so viciously and discrediting what he's done? If you secretly do want what he's getting, you can also have it.

Selling something like that is not only an insult to the customer, but an insult to the fandom. I'd be pretty disappointed.

Everything you cite is why I contacted him and had a conversation about his work and my expectations -- because I didn't want to be disappointed. And I acknowledge and accept those imperfections, for all the reasons I have already suggested: I can't do better for reasons of time, tools, and energy; I can't find a better pack for a better price. My eyes are wide open, and I saw those photos before placing my order.

But clearly, I don't agree that it's an insult to the fandom. He didn't create this as a weapon to hurt you; his work doesn't reflect on you the way you think it does. My name on my jumpsuit is not movie accurate; is that an insult to the fandom? I have never seen it that way; I believe a military name tape was the best solution when I needed a solution, but I was adamant that it be red letters on black tape -- that detail was important to me. And years later, I've never changed it because it still works just fine.

It might help to consider a price-to-value ratio here. I am a guitar geek; I have a really nice Gibson, so I don't really find Epiphones all that impressive. But I know many people who own and love their Epiphones, who baby them and put them in a hardshell case, and they use those guitars to make music, which makes them happy. I am in no way insulted by their Epiphone simply because I own and can appreciate the higher standard of a Gibson. Now, if I expected to buy a Gibson and I got an Epiphone, damn right I'd be disappointed. However, a person who just wants a guitar would not; they'd consider what they're getting for their investment, and what they can do with it once they get it.. Does that help clarify my outlook on this?

Explaning how something isn't accurate is in no way a putdown of the item or the owner, unless the maker/buyer was actually going for accuracy and doens't like being told that it isn't.

Agreed, and I hope it's clear now that this was not my interpretation of the criticism. Also, the maker not being open to feedback does not seem to be the case here. I contacted him, said "I feel parts A, B, and C are visually distinctive and I miss them; any reason you left them out?" and he did not freak out, did not make excuses, and did not feel threatened that I asked. He was not the GB fan who reacted defensively.

Saying "look, the PPD is not accurate" is not a judgment -- in fact, that's something that can be constructive in the right context, and there are clear experts in the community who can help others make the most accurate packs possible. But calling it a "junk pack," calling it a "fauxton pack" (which is an awesome pun, I did laugh at that), going out and saying what a bad job it is on Geekologie...that isn't about expertise, is it? Those are putdowns of the item and the owner. I'm not anybody's dad, but I didn't think it was called for.

We all define ourselves through our passions. The whole reason I am replacing my pack instead of just walking away is because I like being a GB fan of this level of commitment. But others' level of commitment is clearly more intense than mine. That's cool.

Here's the takeaway: Someone asks me about my pack in public, I'm going to say "It's not 100% movie accurate, but it's close enough for me." I don't intend to suggest it's something it is not. But if I put on this pack and head out to SDCC and I bump into some of you guys, I'd like to think that, for the 30 seconds that we have to stand together while cameras go off, you'd make the same connection all those photographers are making: Cool, real-life Ghostbusters, all together!

Even if I'm wearing an Epiphone.

[Carpeteria]

I think the main resistance to that particular build is, as you put it, because it got the attention it did. To be featured on a site called "Geekologie" seems ironic, since the usually accepted definition of a geek is someone who pays an immense and near-expert amount of time and attention to geeky things (like Ghostbusters), and this pack builder clearly did not, definitely not on the level of most of the folks around here. I don't follow that website at all, so I don't know what they regular feature, but it does seem a bit odd.

[DanAmrich]

I think the main resistance to that particular build is, as you put it, because it got the attention it did. To be featured on a site called "Geekologie" seems ironic, since the usually accepted definition of a geek is someone who pays an immense and near-expert amount of time and attention to geeky things (like Ghostbusters), and this pack builder clearly did not, definitely not on the level of most of the folks around here. I don't follow that website at all, so I don't know what they regular feature, but it does seem a bit odd.

Geekologie (and many sites like it) simply point out things they feel their audience would find interesting. I guarantee you, those sites would find super-accurate props interesting. If someone here was selling their hero pack for $6K on Etsy, I suspect you'd be featured on the site too. Just have to point them to your work.

So if it's about the attention...get out there and let the world know you exist, I guess. You can take credit for better work, you know? Submit your work to geek news sites or pitch them a story on the community. They are always looking for compelling content that will drive traffic.

[ProtonCharger]

Submit your work to geek news sites or pitch them a story on the community.

This has everything to do even more with my speculation on how that pack got there. I think the pack builder submitted it to geekologie not found by geekologie.

[aceblackbelt]

This pack was also featured on thisiswhyimbroke.com

[GBfan77]

I've looked at the pack and I have to agree that the price is a bit high considering there are a few things missing or in many cases hadn't come out of the mold properly. So, that leaves one question for everyone here :How much is the pack really worth?

[jackdoud]

How much is the pack really worth?

Whatever someone will pay for it. Obviously someone will pay that price, someone on Ebay would probably pay even more while someone here would pay substantially less. When the zombie apocolypse hits it'll only be worth burning for heat.

[DanAmrich]

How much is the pack really worth?

Whatever someone will pay for it. Obviously someone will pay that price, someone on Ebay would probably pay even more while someone here would pay substantially less. When the zombie apocolypse hits it'll only be worth burning for heat.

True for any pack, unless someone's figured out how to make theirs actually throw containment streams. For the record, if it can contain the undead, I am willing to pay a premium...

[Chris Nevlin]

I just read through this thread and wanted to chime in briefly. I actually know the guy that builds and sells these packs, and he made one for me. I've known him for over ten years and I can tell you that he has a long history of building proton packs that have been increasing in quality over time.

I pose to you this question: Is there such a thing as a 100% screen accurate pack? Even the packs in the movies had minor variations at times, as I'm sure you all know.

If you look at his page now, you'll see that he's taken a lot of complaints into consideration and has added the ribbon cable, etc. to his packs. I think before he was just selling what he considered a "base pack" that people could do whatever they want with, but found that people expected more bells and whistles.

One thing I can tell you is that his packs are solid. I ran a 5k with mine and it didn't suffer at all for 3 miles of constantly bumping up and down.

For fans, it's always going to be more enjoyable to build something yourself and feel that attachment to your piece that comes from doing it yourself. If, however, you don't have the time, skill, or tools (and the talent!) to do it yourself, these packs are good.

And no... I'm not the guy who makes/sells these. Just a friend and customer!