And the best of luck to you. Maybe one day no company will have QC issues, I suppose that is the biggest pro of having multiple toy companies is having options to stay in the hobby.

Edit:
I think I should clarify, because I said I'd had no "major" QC issues. It's a loose description since I've definitely had QC problems, I just don't find them to be too dreadful for the toys. From their Pacific Rim line my Coyote Tango had the right cannon fall off, but it easily plugs back on and stays on even when shaken. Caesar from dotpota has the red stripe on his forehead off-center, Elder Predator v2 has a spot of silver under his right eye, blue warrior alien has bowed legs and can't stand upright without support, and the worst is Hive Wars Predator's right forearm wasn't assembled right. That one might be a deal breaker for many, but the pose I keep him in does a great job of hiding it.
http://i853.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps40ad9030.jpg
http://i853.photobucket.com/albums/a...psc25c495f.jpg
http://i853.photobucket.com/albums/a...psee104074.jpg

^ Dude, you can't expect a chimp to apply his war-paint perfectly! I think the off center-ness adds realism. and the Predator coloration looks kind of natural in the pics. the gap in the hive wars pred would irritate me. Is the bow in the alien knees a result of bad packaging?

Actually I like those little paint mishaps I've shown, they make them seem special like they're more exclusively mine. I particularly like to think of the silver under Elder's eye as something of a predator liver spot. Caesar's is completely forgiven as you explained, and I still really dig looking over Hive Wars despite his condition.
I couldn't say if it was packaging or not, but it's not really his knees as much as it's the lower legs are just plain bowed. He can stand independently for a few minutes or even hours depending on how well the tail helps prop him, but eventually he always fell so I have to use a doll stand to keep him upright. I would guess it was caused by his packaging as any other Warrior Aliens I come across look much straighter below the knee.

have you tried heat straightening the legs? I don't know haw necca'a plastic responds to heat.

I've used a hairdryer to plug on hands and what not before with NECA toys, the plastic is responsive but not too much as to seriously deform. That being said I've only ever heated small parts and not entire limbs/figures so I am very hesitant out of fear that I could do more harm by trying to straighten the legs. I have it standing fine with a waist stand I got at hobby lobby so I've never really wanted to tamper with it more.

Combiner Wars is a continuation of Generations.
The overall theme is combination, even the Legends scale (seen above) will combine with the larger "gestalt" as a weapon or chest piece.

Last several years, there have been 2 Transformers toylines, usually one for the media (cartoon or movie), and one for Generations.

I've had a number of QC issues with Neca's stuff all across their different lines, although the majority of them were with the Pacific Rim toys. Loose and floppy leg joints right out of the package for nearly all of them (especially Crimson Typhoon) not to mention a waist joint that doesn't pivot on Stryker, and a peg on one of Gypsy's chainswords that broke off immediately the first time I tried to attach it. Nearly all of them have a bad wash or paint bleed somewhere on the figure, and Typhoon and Cherno are nearly impossible to stand on their own thanks to the for-mentioned loose knee joints and their top heavy nature. The washes are forgivable, as I just look at them as robots that rust and get pounded on by the elements and Kaiju alike, but the horrible loose joints right out of the box are absolutely unacceptable. There was no improvement on the recent re-releases either, which burns me up because I could have gotten the same figures at a much cheaper price point had I known that NECA was planning a re-release on Stryker and Typhoon in the first place.

Other issues I had with them were mostly with their horror lines. My part 3 Jason has a mask that's badly warped that no amount of hot water has been able to fix (with the mask's eye holes being of different sizes) and my part one Freddy had one of the pegs break off the extended arms the very first time I attempted to use those as well. I haven't had any issues thus far with the Predator figures outside of my videogame one having the laser cannon fall off his shoulder (which I had to crack the shrink wrap for to discover, and it upset me a bunch as I enjoy having the videogame classics line remain in the shrink.) Truthfully, my lack of issues with my Predators probably has something to do with the fact that I've left nearly all of them on the card.

Thankfully my NECA Robocop figures have been issue free (I was terrified when I finally opened my ED-209 thanks to some of the things I read,) and thus far, they have been way more durable than my McFarlane ones, which had TERRIBLE QC issues but that's a story for another time.

My luck finally ran out with Neca with the big chap xenomorph. I had praised them extensively until I went to move his left arm and it broke right off. I felt hurt but I was able to find another one and I glued the broken one's arm back on. Then...my striker eureka's damn leg snapped off for no apparent reason. My only theory is that it got really warm one day and then the temperature dropped really low the next....but that seems like a stretch since that's never happened before.
Otherwise Neca has been wonderful. Do check those paint apps though.

Oh and to add to the thread I received the 18" Cherno Alpha in the mail today. My first large Neca figure. Going to open him tonight! Cherno is my favorite.

^^^
I passed on the first two series of Pacific Rim figures because I heard they were bad, but when I got Cherno Alpha she was solid. If anything her joints were too tight for like a day. My only real gripe is the hip joints are out of alignment so I have to use a stepping stance to make her look normal. I've only been getting NECA stuff since last October so I can't speak for most older stuff they made. I've got 6 Predators with only the two issues I've mentioned, 3 Jaegers with only Coyoyte Tango having a problem, 3 Kaiju with zero problems, and a bunch of others with no problems worth mentioning.

NECA's stuff is hit or miss when it comes to QC. I will say that between NECA and DCC/DCD, NECA is vastly superior. In fact, NECA is like Man of Steel meets Woman of Tissue Paper (DCC).

Today's retail finds -


http://s4.postimg.org/k0er9i3y5/20141222_200147.jpg

I was shocked how fast this arrived from Japan, I paid for it on last Sunday night and it arrived Friday
http://i57.tinypic.com/29z3evm.jpg

Very nice, I usually don't get the generation Legends sizes but since they attach on to the combiner's going to have to get them. Can't wait to get these and the actual combiner's too!

BBTS, your timing could not have been crappier.

https://38.media.tumblr.com/0168d2dc...o6_r1_1280.jpg

Bonus dog cameo!

Why is their timing bad? Did you need to mail these to someone else now?

Well, because it's a huge load of stuff for me at a time when my primary concern is buying for others.
He says, while giddily opening new Transformers toys.

So, I got my first Loot Crate today. Probably my last, too. I wasn't too impressed. Most of it was junk, but the best item was easily the FUNKO POP! Batman Joker figurine. Now, I don't collect these things - and I can't afford to start a new obsession - so I'll be looking to sell this. This ain't the coolest part, though.

The Loot Crate itself, the shipping box, turns into a pretty sweet Batcave diorama/playset for these POP! vinyl figures. It even has a fold-out batcomputer on the left side. That's pretty awesome! Really nice touch, and this in itself nearly drove me to ordering a couple of Bat family figurines.

http://www.toyark.com/attachment.php...1&d=1419292514
http://www.toyark.com/attachment.php...1&d=1419292514

There's also the exclusive variant of Batman #36, which is also nice. This is my favorite thing besides the figurine. Certainly better than the stupid Captain America air freshener, at any rate.

http://www.toyark.com/attachment.php...1&d=1419292514

Today's retail and trade haul -


http://s13.postimg.org/rns49a8sn/IMG_5432.jpg

@Provost, I see you get a fair amount of Hot Wheels. I don't know if you really collect them or you're like me and just get those that you particularly fancy. If you're a true "gotta have them all" collector I Wonder, do you try and get them all on both full card and half card if available or just whatever you find first? Anybody else can chime in on this if you want.

Never knew there was this whole card half card thing. Learn something new everyday

Going to cancel mine as well. Got last month free as part of a give away on FB, then paid for this one that just came in the mail today. I'm not a DC guy myself, so the best thing for me is the Groot socks, lol

i was kinda thinking of trying lootcrate out..but meh..from what ive seen the junk isnt that good to me..if it was more comics maybe id try it

i think i just like the concept more than the actual items

I just had a friend try Lootcrate and Nerd Block both out this month for the first time. She did not care for the Lootcrate, but it is the most affordable box sub out there. They have been pretty hit and miss to me. Watch unboxing videos and you can get a sense of what to expect. She was happy with her Nerd Block cause she got a Val Kilmer autograph , on a special exclusive Willow print, and a Harry Potter shirt. NB will run you about 30$ a month, but you get a shirt every month. LC you only seem to get a shirt every 3-4 months. NB also has Horror Blocks, Arcade Blocks, and NB Jr. blocks for boys and girls. You always take a chance with all the monthly box stuff, but that is supposed to be part of the fun. IF you wait until close to the cutoff dates each month you can at least get an idea of what the subject and theme will be for them all. They give hints in the weeks before.

I tend to only buy what tickles my fancy but if I can get the long and short card of a car I like I will do but try to not let it worry me if I don't get them.


Yay!!!!!


Speaking of HW - had an amazing find @ a retailer store here tonight (Aussie night time) that is sort of like a "cheap stuff" retailer:


http://s28.postimg.org/lk48yls0t/IMG_5442.jpg