AOW taking Repainting Requests

Ahmetal

God hand help us
It says on their new site,
We are now collecting "Repainting Requests" for the sold out items.
Please click "Inquiries" and send us your request for the item which you hope us to re-release.
We will form a plan to repaint the item when the repainting requests reach 30.

Is anyone taking this seriously? Has this always been a thing of theirs?
 
Looks like someone in the AoW offices blew everyone's mind one day. "It's genius! Why haven't we done this before! We can totally finish off the garbage statues we have collected that no one wants to buy! Give this man a raise!"

Stay classy AoW.
 
goodbye "limited edition" items...
Its a kick in the sack to everyone who collects them. So now , all those "limited releases" don't mean anything. If all it takes is 30 units to re-release anything, why even bother ? They've got no commitment to either quality , or their customers.

Back then, everyone used to think - man, this piece is so rare, I really want it, so yeah, I'll give the extra push and pay for it, because I won't get another shot.

Now , everything loses its collectible value.
 

Ahmetal

God hand help us
Damn. You guys are bumming me out. Very good points. AoW is a few months old to me so I was super bummed when I saw all the pieces I missed. But your statements strike a deeper chord within me.

The new statue by Max Factory sure does step it up.

Cheers.
 
Well lots of the best statues are not going to get repaint due to many reasons. For example 20th Anni. And skull knight birth ceremony iron rusty ver. AOW says on the item page that those are the last repaints of this model. Don't get urself too worked up as most of the AOW statues will not even hit close to anything 30 requests ... Also even with repaints AOW statues are still extremely goddamn limited. What is 30 pieces mean to you when sideshow is doing the exclusive runs of 1000 and normal edition of 5000? Not mention most of the repaints will NOT come will any excellent original attachment figures like daiba,brokoff,blk wolf.egg of world etc.

Though they got like 3 repaints of anything, it is only pathetic low edition number of 90 pieces.

I'm VERY happy with mine latest purchase from AOW, which is the tentacle ship exclusive ver. Mine is number 28 and I know I'm one of the lucky 77 folks who owns this color way with the mini black wolf. That statue is indeed impressive and detailly painted, with a great size on guts himself, I don't see any paint flaws at all and mine is in perfect condition upon arrival. The base is indeed very well painted, the sea salt dots on the skully's face are all painted so well that blew my mind off.

I will continue to support AOW as long as they don't produce more bullshi-T like spin cannon slice.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
andrewdsz said:
Well lots of the best statues are not going to get repaint due to many reasons. For example 20th Anni. And skull knight birth ceremony iron rusty ver. AOW says on the item page that those are the last repaints of this model.

I wouldn't be so adamant if I were you. Who's to say we won't be getting a 25th anniversary statue this year that'll just be a recast of the 20th? I wouldn't put it past them.

andrewdsz said:
Though they got like 3 repaints of anything, it is only pathetic low edition number of 90 pieces.

It's only that low because no one else will buy it at that price though. When they say something is a "last repaint", it's because they know they've exhausted their list of potential customers.

andrewdsz said:
I'm VERY happy with mine latest purchase from AOW, which is the tentacle ship exclusive ver. Mine is number 28 and I know I'm one of the lucky 77 folks who owns this color way with the mini black wolf.

That character's not a wolf, and its name is the Beast of Darkness. They can't even get the names right.
 
Aazealh said:
I wouldn't be so adamant if I were you. Who's to say we won't be getting a 25th anniversary statue this year that'll just be a recast of the 20th? I wouldn't put it past them.

It's only that low because no one else will buy it at that price though. When they say something is a "last repaint", it's because they know they've exhausted their list of potential customers.

That character's not a wolf, and its name is the Beast of Darkness. They can't even get the names right.

1. They does that a lot but 20th is already so awesome I rather they do another recast with adjusting post and I will show u how I'm going to buy it in secs.

2. Nope the 20th last repaint were sold-out within few hours. Even With another 2 repraints I still believe that model will sell out. Your point is not valid... .just. Your own assumption. For example I will for sure jump for a zodd on horse/guts 1/6 2010 repaint if it is limited enough.

3. It is a goddam spiritual wolf dude don't even start w me. You and everyone know exactly what the hec I'm saying so stop being anal and harsh when things are so obvious.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
andrewdsz said:
1. They does that a lot but 20th is already so awesome I rather they do another recast with adjusting post and I will show u how I'm going to buy it in secs.

The point isn't about what you or I would want but what AoW may or may not do.

andrewdsz said:
2. Nope the 20th last repaint were sold-out within few hours. Even With another 2 repraints I still believe that model will sell out. Your point is not valid... .just. Your own assumption. For example I will for sure jump for a zodd on horse/guts 1/6 2010 repaint if it is limited enough.

I wasn't talking specifically about the 20th anniversary repaints but about repaints in general. The fact AoW releases limited editions, making it appear to their customers as if once they're gone, they're gone, and then releases an "even more limited" repaint a little while after, and then again, is a way for them to milk the hardcore collector fanbase dry. It's a marketing strategy. That you as a big collector would buy those based on their perceived rareness is a perfect example of it. And it doesn't disprove my statement that the numbers produced are low because few people would buy them.

andrewdsz said:
3. It is a goddam spiritual wolf dude don't even start w me. You and everyone know exactly what the hec I'm saying so stop being anal and harsh when things are so obvious.

No, it isn't a wolf, nor is it spiritual. Now, understand that I was just pointing out how AoW doesn't even bother getting the names right (and they have a history of that going as far back as their first statues), nothing personal with you here. But don't start arguing with me about it because I know exactly what I'm talking about.
 
nothing new under the sun... only more official, I guess.
Anyway, I don't buy Art of War products for their limited runs but because they fulfill my idea of topnotch quality like no other company within this hobby and of course because they do stuff I'm interested in.

I have never bought anything above the retail price and I will continue to do so. Still, I think to re-release sold out item is a bad habit and a disrespectful behaviour towards customers.
But what is really wrong is their attitude to pull customer's leg. The following is an abstract of what they proudly write on their webpage about their company objectives:
ljN3yG4.jpg


Aazealh said:
I wouldn't be so adamant if I were you. Who's to say we won't be getting a 25th anniversary statue this year that'll just be a recast of the 20th? I wouldn't put it past them.
I was thinking the same, an improved 20th anniversary statue recast for 25th anniversary ahahah :guts: With Art of War nothing is impossible...aside from sculpting the face of Guts, by their own admission.
 
All it takes is one medium sized store, say bigbadtoystore , or amiami, to order a re-release of everything in their catalogue. 30 is a desperate number, and as quoted above - they've banked and promoted themselves on the idea that their pieces were all exclusive and limited. Now they're saying - what the hell - lets try to get the most cash, for the least effort.


ljN3yG4.jpg
 
Reading about a spiritual wolf cracked me up so hard it woke me this morning, so thanks for that.

Since the time I've been collecting statues, I've seen some re-paints done where the statue came out a few months ago and then there'd be a re-paint for a limited run. Yes, it totally devalues the original product and by their own admittance, release a slightly better version of the original product whether it's changing a face sculpt or a better paint job. So, it's sort of a penalty for buying the original, which ideally should actually be the other way around.

I remember waking up on a Sunday morning and reading about a special version of the Spinning statue and joked about the attachment resembling chicken feet. In only 1 week, we all received another email for another special version for the same statue. That's desperation and goes to show people aren't exactly buying into their dubious marketing ploy, hopefully (?).

That snapshot from the website is such a contradiction to what's quoted in the first post.
 
I'm bumping this.

As per discussion with Art of War:

Every customer has one vote for asking a repainting of one item.
However, you can send us any of your ideas and wishes directly to our mail box.
We will convey your requests to our development department, and they will consider what should we do next.

This is amazing news to hear for people like me - who couldn't collect statues released years ago and now looking for something from their older releases. Their last paint jobs are better and better with years and repainted statues like Femto Rebirth is far better than first run. You can also make Zodd&Wyald reappear again and get one for yourself - I hate scummers who selling them for $4000. I know its old and pricy but $4000? People should have at least some conscience.

And I suggest you guys keep voting in DirectDK's request thread: http://www.skullknight.net/forum/index.php?topic=13858.0
Next year is 25th anniversary and if it be lot of requests, they would listen.
 

ryuhayabusa6787

It's time somebody put you in your place, human!
they say 30 request and they will do a release whats stopping someone from creating 30 different emails to get the release done? also they state that the 20th anniversary is the last repaint but you can vote for it so i don't know. i know the old school berserk collectors are mad but for newcomers this is good news.
 
If there's a statue you really want, you can always find it if not today then in the near future, if you look hard enough. Re-paints devalue the original product. You may be glad to be one of the few 30 to get a re-paint today but a few years from now when it's been re-painted another 2/3 times, you're not going to be feeling as happy about it.
 

ryuhayabusa6787

It's time somebody put you in your place, human!
IncantatioN said:
If there's a statue you really want, you can always find it if not today then in the near future, if you look hard enough. Re-paints devalue the original product. You may be glad to be one of the few 30 to get a re-paint today but a few years from now when it's been re-painted another 2/3 times, you're not going to be feeling as happy about it.


i don't trade nor sell any of my statues once its in my collection its not going anywhere. i don't have alot of statues just starting to collect them but i have been collecting mcfarlanes spawn for over 10 years. i only have 4 berserk statues. i could care less if they start repainting the ones i have because i will never sell or trade them their value doesn't mean anything to me so bring on the repaints. so as i stated for collectors who trade and sell or need to know their piece is worth something (which is totally understandable) this is a huge problem. i don't agree with you for repaints devalue statues. if speaking about berserk statues you are probably more an expert then me but outside of berserk statues that just isn't true.
 
IncantatioN said:
Re-paints devalue the original product. You may be glad to be one of the few 30 to get a re-paint today but a few years from now when it's been re-painted another 2/3 times, you're not going to be feeling as happy about it.
That's not true.
The best of AoW jobs wouldn't be repainted (as they stated in particular statues) and you no need to worry about; their price is only rising.
As I mentioned before, they paint job is better and better with years and if I am able to choose between "original" 10yo statue and repaint, I would pick repainted one just because it is looks better.
 
ryuhayabusa6787 said:
i don't trade nor sell any of my statues once its in my collection its not going anywhere. i don't have alot of statues just starting to collect them but i have been collecting mcfarlanes spawn for over 10 years. i only have 4 berserk statues. i could care less if they start repainting the ones i have because i will never sell or trade them their value doesn't mean anything to me so bring on the repaints. so as i stated for collectors who trade and sell or need to know their piece is worth something (which is totally understandable) this is a huge problem. i don't agree with you for repaints devalue statues. if speaking about berserk statues you are probably more an expert then me but outside of berserk statues that just isn't true.

Respect your opinion and don't agree with you too.

I typed a whole lot and realized it just echoed everything already covered in this thread, so if you've read the thread, you'll know a little background of AOW's practices in releasing a product. My opinion doesn't come from the stance that my statues are 'investments'. That's a different kind of collecting and I wouldn't have put mine up on display if I practiced that.

rayhato said:
That's not true.

The best of AoW jobs wouldn't be repainted (as they stated in particular statues) and you no need to worry about; their price is only rising.
As I mentioned before, they paint job is better and better with years and if I am able to choose between "original" 10yo statue and repaint, I would pick repainted one just because it is looks better.

By your own admission, what you're saying is that if AOW released a new product today you will not buy it because you know for a fact that they will re-release it a year or few down the line with improvements and you validated my point.

Anyway, I'm not here to argue. I liked the re-paint for Femto Rebirth and owned the original version of it. It's a bad reminder for people who bought the original statue from AOW while expecting it to be a limited and only run. Now, we all expect AOW to come out with re-paints and/ or improvements over original releases.
 
IncantatioN said:
By your own admission, what you're saying is that if AOW released a new product today you will not buy it because you know for a fact that they will re-release it a year or few down the line with improvements and you validated my point.
With all my respect sir, this is not what I meant to say.
All we can do is "pray" for repainting version. AoW started their repainting jobs years ago and they keep it with new releases. And by telling "I'd choose a repaint" I assume that its going to happen for some figures (which is not every single one of them). I'd not buy Skull Knight in any color except white bone just because it's my character view of him so I skip the other versions and make some people happier to have them.
I am a collector and not going to sell anything I've purchased so I have to think some time before makng an order; and fact that someone buying 30 pcs release item to resell it with 300% profit making me really upset.
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
hubalo said:
so are they going to release a 25 aniversary before the end of these year? i hope its something as good as the 20th aniversary!

No, I don't think they will.

More generally, you should know that anniversaries are usually celebrated by decades in Asia: 10th, 20th, 30th, etc.
 
Aazealh said:
No, I don't think they will.

More generally, you should know that anniversaries are usually celebrated by decades in Asia: 10th, 20th, 30th, etc.

I don't think they worry so much about that. Their Katou Statue was an "ART OF WAR 15th Anniversary Commemorative Product", for example.
I think they haven't found a valid project. After the partial fail of the Spinning Cannon statue they want to go for something secure, something that could guarantee possible multiples repaints, I guess.
 
Aazealh said:
Actually, the 25th anniversary was this year. Berserk's prepublication started in 1989. Which is why the "20th anniversary statue" was released in 2009, and not 2010.
The first volume of the manga was published on November 26, 1990 by Hakusensha in its Jets Comics collection - as per wikipedia.
Maybe they made 20th anniversary a year before? Anyway I believe in Art of War. They making excellent products (maybe not always welcomed by their customers). I would be happy to have every single one of their products if I had enough space in my apartment :farnese:
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
rayhato said:
The first volume of the manga was published on November 26, 1990 by Hakusensha in its Jets Comics collection - as per wikipedia. Maybe they made 20th anniversary a year before?

I know when the first volume of the manga was published. Like I said, the 20th anniversary was for the prepublication (which started in 1989). AOW's 20th anniversary statue was a project on which Miura (Berserk's author) participated, and the anniversary was celebrated in Young Animal (the magazine in which Berserk is prepublished) as well.

Zoddit said:
I don't think they worry so much about that. Their Katou Statue was an "ART OF WAR 15th Anniversary Commemorative Product", for example. I think they haven't found a valid project. After the partial fail of the Spinning Cannon statue they want to go for something secure, something that could guarantee possible multiples repaints, I guess.

Art of War's ethics and practices aren't my point, just that Berserk's 20th anniversary wasn't just something they cooked up by themselves, and that 2014 was the corresponding year for the 25th anniversary. That doesn't mean they won't keep finding excuses to re-release that statue. So long as it sells, they have no reason to stop.

The same goes for new projects; they don't need a special occasion. As long as it's good, it'll sell. We've long known what AOW's problems are, and they're not a lack of opportunities to release new products. The reason there's a high demand for the 20th anniversary statue isn't because it corresponds to a specific event, it's simply because it's a good product.
 
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