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Trying2

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    Hello from Santa Barbara County, California

    in New Member Introductions Archive

    Posted

    Greetings fellow members of the Empire.

     

    I've been reading forums for several months now, and have ever so slowly been getting my supplies together.

     

    (What has been taking me so long is finding out that SO MUCH WORK AND RESEARCH has to be done to actually put on an outfit!)

     

    I'm also a member of the SpecOps Detachment since I'm going for a Novatrooper look, and they have been helping me get the details down.  That and the Costuming Manager for the SoCal Garrison has been a Tremendous help! 

     

     

    Since I have been reading so much on forum groups, let me first say to all the newbies, READ THE FORUMS.  There has already been So Much posted, that your questions have probably already been answered.

     

    Also, a big Thank You to all the seasoned members in answering the newbie questions.  I know I have actually searched for answers, and when I can't find it by the third page of listings, I go ahead and ask.

     

     

    - One of the biggest things I've learned so far, aside from "read the forums", is as one member stated, "this hobby takes a lot of patience".  That is so sadly true.  While some members have made it easier by making FAQ postings and pinning them to the top (BIG THANK YOU), it still takes so much time and "yet another thing that needs to be done." 

    Specifically:

    - I read lots of forum postings and learned do not buy from .com commercial sources, including anything from the official, licensed Rubies Co.

    - If you do / must buy from eBay, approach with much caution. Best to copy the link, and post it to the group (since they know what to look for, and you don't).

    - I've found that I can't get everything at once!   I have to piece meal it from all over the place!  Arggh :(  

        + Got the armor set from an approved vendor posting from the FISD forum

        +  Had to get the helmet from a separate order :(  [but still from an approved vendor]

       + I did research on eBay and found some trooper armor sellers.   I also found a couple of 501st members selling on there. 

       + George Lucas used a studio in England to shoot all the Death Star scenes. And he used English actors.  -- There is a BIG Star Wars following in England to this day!  Problem for Americans is that the dollar has to be multiplied by 1.6 to = the British Pound Sterling currency.  So that $800 Trooper uniform is really about $1,300.  And then you have to SHIP it overseas, which is way more money and time than we are use to when getting from USA sources. So be mindful of that.

       + Star Wars was shown is several different countries to include Europe and Japan.  And different countries have different laws.  So when shopping, check out just where you are getting that item from.  I'm not saying anything about quality, I'm just saying know where you're dealing from. It could mean the difference in resolving a dispute. George Lucas learned this the hard way.

     

    ** IN SUMMARY, I had to go to these different sources:

    1.  Stormtrooper Armor & Second order for a helmet- ATAworks from FISD forums and Member personal messages.

    2.  A white fiberglass Stormtrooper armor set complete with helmet- eBay

    3.  The Elastic Strapping, Industrial Strength Velcro, and Adhesive (E6000 and Gorilla Glue) to put the ABS armor kit together - Walmart

    4.  Associated tools/items for putting a kit together (Snips, Carpenter Knife, Exacto Knife, Duck Tape, Clamps, Hot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks, Permanent Marker to ID my parts) - Walmart.

        (Home Depot, ACE Hardwar, and Michaels could have supplied those items as well. Walmart was convenient, cheap, and one-stop shopping for me.)

    5.  I might have to go back to eBay and order misc. Stromtrooper parts from Trooper_Bay.  The reason why I choose this method is because I don't have to switch between emails then ordering. He is a reliable provider, and he carries a LOT of items for the Stormtrooper.  He is also a 501 member, and he is located in the USA.

     

    - YouTube continues to be the place to find videos on how to do anything.   Unfortunately, I haven't found a single video that does it all.   One shows well, but he doesn't say anything.  Another person shows and tells well, but only 2 minutes at a time; so there are 20+ different clips to do the helmet alone.  Agh.

     

     

  6. The original!

    in Recasting Discussion

    Posted

    great postings.

     

    Don't have time right now to read it all  :(

     

    But this addresses something I was very much interested in finding out.

     

    And as usual, an idea is best brought out when there are two opposing sides speaking from facts.

     

    Great discussion in what I have read so far. 

     

    And yes, we can disagree, but agree to be respectful of each other's input.

  8. Where, What and Whom To Avoid When Buying

    in Getting Started - Read this First!

    Posted · Edited by Trying2

    Here are some Jan 2014 active postings on ebay.  What do you guys think?

     

     

    hmmm, why can't I paste what I copied into a Word Pad document?

     

    I carefully read the ebay posts.   I've heard back from two of the recommended resources, but they are both made of HIPS, require painting, and back logged.

     

    The ones I found on ebay are obviously ready now.  Two of them stated they were 501st approved, and one is made from shiny black ABS :D, and he said he is a 501 member. (He does go out of his way to state "this is a generic, fan made, costume, in no way a licensed or endorsed product".

     

    - OK, I edited this post, and included the MS Word Pad document.

    (Couldn't upload it as a reply.)

     

     

    Jan 2014 active ebay Stormtrooper armor postings.rtf

    Greetings from CA

    in New Member Introductions Archive

    Posted

    I'm a photographer and a long time Star Wars fan.  Of course, I like the O.T. more than the prequel trilogy.  

    I'm 43 now and still have a fondness for O.T. Star Wars.

     

    I'm thinking I would like to join the 501st as a Sentinal or Novatrooper because they are security forces/ police, and their color is Black and Gold like my wife's high school.  (We're still in town, so I think the locals would really enjoy it.)

     

    If I can't get that armor set, then I'll go the classic white Imperial route.

     

    - I've signed up for the Spec Ops Detachment, but I can only see the main page. Don't see where to read forums or post questions, so that is why I brought up what I want to do hear.

     

     

    Anyways, that is my introduction, and I really look forward to trooping and meeting the other members.

     

     

     

    - As of now, future trooper Trying2 of the SoCal Garrison.

     

     

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