Heavy Metal replacement mic

[Sephiroth]

I saw this eBay auction about a week ago for a Heavy Metal replacement mic. I figured $20 was worth it seeing how my attempts at getting an original were pretty unsuccessful over the past few years. I received it in the mail today and was shocked by how small it actually was. I almost regretted spending the money for such a small piece of plastic until I equiped it on my Heavy Metal figure. I'm still amazed at how much of a difference such a small accessory can have on the appearnce of a figure. It was originally molded in a dark brown color, but I repainted it to match the original mic. Anyway, I took a pic so you could guys could see for yourself:

 

 

So what do you guys think?

[cobrasaboteur]

i think people shouldnt be selling repro heavy metal mics. they are making money by replicating a hasbro product (bootlegging). What would stop me from buying their repro mic, making a mold of it myself, casting 500 exact brown copies, and selling it on ebay with heavy metal figures? and why are they charging $20? thats theivery. its like burning the gi joe episodes onto a few dvds and selling it for $100...someone is stealing something that already exists and selling it for their own personal gain. repros ruin markets.

 

RANT OVER

 

-saboteur

[Sephiroth]

i think people shouldnt be selling repro heavy metal mics. they are making money by replicating a hasbro product (bootlegging). What would stop me from buying their repro mic, making a mold of it myself, casting 500 exact brown copies, and selling it on ebay with heavy metal figures? and why are they charging $20? thats theivery. its like burning the gi joe episodes onto a few dvds and selling it for $100...someone is stealing something that already exists and selling it for their own personal gain. repros ruin markets.

 

RANT OVER

 

-saboteur

 

 

Well, um, thanks for your opinion. You don't happen to own an original mic do you?

 

To me, this so called "market" ruined the fun in collecting GI Joes. I bought the figures currently in my collection because I enjoy having them, regardless of what their potential market value might be. To para-phrase another collector, I'm more concerned with enjoyment of the hobby than the after-market value of such small pieces of plastic. As much as I'd like to own an original, I just don't see myself shelling out some ridiculous price for one. I imagine this seller probably made an investment in the original and is merely trying to recoup his cost. He even went thriough the trouble to make them noticibly different so they wouldn't be confused with the originals.

 

Here's a few questions for you. What is this seller "stealing" exactly? Is he directly taking profits away from Hasbro? Is his product in direct competition with a current or future Hasbro product? Does Hasbro even have the original mold after all these years? Does this particular part have it's own patent?

[DPrime]

I own an original, myself... I'd be mad if people were trying to pass these off as real, but as long as they're not, I don't mind that there are repros out there. Great pic Seph... it is all about the details, isn't it? Congrats on the find.

 

BTW, what I really do need is a minty Heavy Metal gun, and a few parts listed down below, so if anyone can help...

[Doom Saber]

With rare items, repro ppl usually charge extra just because.

[Alyosha]

Seph- I don't have much to say, except that you could have gotten the same piece from me for about $5 less. I deliberately leave them in wonky colors so you have to paint it to match.

 

And for the record, selling repros of vintage out of production parts DOES NOT hurt the company. The effect on the collector market is negligable, at best, since most collectors that will pay that price for a piece will know the difference almost immediately.

 

My HM Mic auction

[cobrasaboteur]

dont take me wrong seph, i'm not bashing you at all for buying one. It would just be too bad if someone spent a lot of $$ on a complete heavy metal to finally complete their collection and never know they got a phony mic. Like i said earlier, someone will eventually buy one of these repro mics and recast in in exactly the same color... it would only cost 15 dollars after all instead of close to 150. Its the potential of bootlegs getting into the wrong hands and people selling them commercially instead of just replacements for the casual "hobby of collecting". Alyosha- how do you know someone wont buy one of your mics for 15 dollars, recast it in light brown, and sell it for 4 dollars so every joe collector has one and destroying your ebay market for them?? in fact, by your reasoning, why shouldnt i?

 

-saboteur

[Patrick A. Riley]

I don't have much to say, except that you could have gotten the same piece from me for about $5 less.

Except you're not offering free shipping

 

I gots one of those too. No longer will that grin on his face mock me for not having a mic

 

[cobrasaboteur]

i always wondered why heavy metal had a 5 o'clock shadow on his nose

 

or is that a tanline/dirtline from his goggles?

 

-saboteur

[Doom Saber]

dont take me wrong seph, i'm not bashing you at all for buying one. It would just be too bad if someone spent a lot of $$ on a complete heavy metal to finally complete their collection and never know they got a phony mic. Like i said earlier, someone will eventually buy one of these repro mics and recast in in exactly the same color... it would only cost 15 dollars after all instead of close to 150. Its the potential of bootlegs getting into the wrong hands and people selling them commercially instead of just replacements for the casual "hobby of collecting". Alyosha- how do you know someone wont buy one of your mics for 15 dollars, recast it in light brown, and sell it for 4 dollars so every joe collector has one and destroying your ebay market for them?? in fact, by your reasoning, why shouldnt i?

 

-saboteur

 

 

Interesting point. I wonder if the repros not by Al are recast from his repro? I mean I remember Alyosha casted these before anyone else, now we see a non repro by him. If more ppl cast these, the price will go down for the mic and probably for the original

 

Maybe more ppl should recast this piece to make the value go down. j/k

[BrotherShane]

I saw this eBay auction about a week ago for a Heavy Metal replacement mic. I figured $20 was worth it seeing how my attempts at getting an original were pretty unsuccessful over the past few years. I received it in the mail today and was shocked by how small it actually was. I almost regretted spending the money for such a small piece of plastic until I equiped it on my Heavy Metal figure.

 

Sephiroth,

 

At first I thought this thread was going to be a "bad luck on eBay" thread. Glad you're happy with the mic replacement.

[cobrasaboteur]

it was a bad idea to cast this mic from the beginning. surely other rare weapons/mics will follow, and before you know it things will be impossible to indistinguish because some dude will think he can get more $$$ by casting the weapons in their original colors. even if this isnt illegal, or it isnt trademarked or whatever, it just shouldnt have been done. period. whats the fun of collecting when the hunt is lost because you can pick up all the rare items for pennies? or you cant be sure what you are buying from ebay is legit? its not a service to the collecting community at all, its just someone trying to make a buck. if it truly was a service, the price of that tiny piece of plastic would be $2, not 20.

 

-saboteur

[bamboo]

Hey guy, welcome to real life. I suggest you get with the program quick, or the world is gonna eat you alive.

[DPrime]

i always wondered why heavy metal had a 5 o'clock shadow on his nose

 

or is that a tanline/dirtline from his goggles?

 

-saboteur

 

 

Yeah, why does everyone think it's facial hair? It's obviously dirt... he's a driver, so it's gonna get all over his face, and the goggle outline is pretty clear to me...

[cobrasaboteur]

Hey guy, welcome to real life. I suggest you get with the program quick, or the world is gonna eat you alive.

 

cool man. i'm glad you could give me some tips about real life. because gi joes are real life. can you post this "program" as well? #US1#

 

-saboteur

[MaxPower]

Congrats on your find and it does make a world of difference.

 

 

Well, WHo cares if it devalues the Original, its a freking little mic, hunk of plastic.

 

Its not like people are making repros of the figures themselves, or even weapons.

Its a little hard to freaking find and ExPENSIVE little mic.

 

If people get confused and buy the wrong one, well , oh well I guess.

Your collection will not devalue with this or anything else on ebay.

[cobrasaboteur]

gi joes are just hunks of plastic, so why do people pay so much for them sometimes? because of their rarity. If they are just hunks of plastic and there's no reason for them to be this expensive, why not buy Alyosha's unCon figures, recast them, and sell them on ebay? I'm sure he wouldnt have a problem with that, after all, they are just hunks of plastic, right? hell, you could even cast them in an off color, that way he definitely wouldnt mind.

 

-saboteur

[JoeRhyno]

if it makes anyone feel any better, I threw my mic away... I remember going through a box-o-weapons for the longest time, always fiddling with stuff here and there, finally, when it got down to the small tiny things... I gave up and dumped the rest in the garbage.. I never did know who the mic belonged to, I already sold the heavy metal for like $3 anyway.. so I didn't have the two to put together, lol.. but I remember having it.. and I remember dumping that box, lol.. and now I dont have it anymore...

Oh well.

[VindowViper]

dont take me wrong seph, i'm not bashing you at all for buying one. It would just be too bad if someone spent a lot of $$ on a complete heavy metal to finally complete their collection and never know they got a phony mic. Like i said earlier, someone will eventually buy one of these repro mics and recast in in exactly the same color... it would only cost 15 dollars after all instead of close to 150. Its the potential of bootlegs getting into the wrong hands and people selling them commercially instead of just replacements for the casual "hobby of collecting". Alyosha- how do you know someone wont buy one of your mics for 15 dollars, recast it in light brown, and sell it for 4 dollars so every joe collector has one and destroying your ebay market for them?? in fact, by your reasoning, why shouldnt i?

 

-saboteur

 

 

Excellent point. I remember when funskool gi joes came out. That's what destroyed the 3 3/4 market for Hasbro! @loll@ It tears at my heart strings to think that people are starving around the world, families are falling apart, wars are being waged, and off the market gi joes are being duplicated and reducing the value of a fanboy's collection. And since eBay doesn't have any sort of return policy or buyer protection, there is NOTHING ANYONE CAN DO ABOUT BEING SCAMMED!!!! Oh, and don't forget all of the classic car buyers who order an off-the-market repro part to complete their car... I'm sure all of the automotive companies have it in for them! I hope they all rot in ... @firedevil@

[DPrime]

if it makes anyone feel any better, I threw my mic away... I remember going through a box-o-weapons for the longest time, always fiddling with stuff here and there, finally, when it got down to the small tiny things... I gave up and dumped the rest in the garbage.. I never did know who the mic belonged to, I already sold the heavy metal for like $3 anyway.. so I didn't have the two to put together, lol.. but I remember having it.. and I remember dumping that box, lol.. and now I dont have it anymore...

Oh well.

 

 

Wow, that sucks man! But I probably would have done it too, a few years ago...

[KENNY GUIDO]

while were on this topic, can someone please tell me what the "CS" stands for on his belt buckle? Ive always wondered because those arent the initials of his name!

[alleyviperelite]

I've always took it to be a Confederate States of America belt buckle.

[Alyosha]

I don't have much to say, except that you could have gotten the same piece from me for about $5 less.

Except you're not offering free shipping

 

 

Pat- Even with shipping, mine would have been $1.75 less. Hot-cha.

 

Sabotuer- Your welcome to take a crack at trying to cast my stuff, as long as you buy the original from me. Be warned, it's prolly going to set you back around $600 in parts, materials, tools and mistakes (and good luck trying to get anyone to help you out with it). After that, I don't have any real say over what get's done with it otherwise, because it's all end user decision (kind of like modding a car, or making repro car parts). And stop being so contrary, you've made your point, you hate it, now let it go. No-one else seems to agree with you, so now you just come off looking argumentative for the sake of being bitter.

 

Making repros happens all the time. Look around you and see how many different versions/brands there are of the same thing. Radios, TV's, cabinets, tools, computers, etc....It's just silly to think that a small toy or toy part has some special exemption from this. Hell, the Chinese are blatant about it, and they can't be stopped. It's a moot point.

 

As for the $20 pricetag, I set mine at a high price to keep some ass-hat from buying a ton, then passing them off. A measure to prevent what your afraid of. The guys who will buy it, know it's value, and are therefore inclined to pay a much lesser, though still high, price to complete the appearance of a figure. Seriously, if I priced them at $2, how many of you wouldn't buy one just out of curiosity?

[KENNY GUIDO]

I've always took it to be a Confederate States of America belt buckle.

 

 

well, theres no "A" so it must stand for something else.

[cobrasaboteur]

your right, there is nothing i can do about it. i just think its too bad. and for the record, i dont dislike repros, i dislike repros that are being sold to people that might not be joe collectors, but instead people who can get their hands on a very collectible accessory and see it as a marketing opportunity. thats all. oh, and maybe the figures take $600 initially to produce, but i know small accesories and heads dont take any equipment at all, just the mold and the resin.

 

-saboteur