Anovos TK armor preorder

[ukswrath[Staff]]

Well, the good thing is that we can cancel at any time prior to our kits shipping and receive a full refund.  If things progress to the point where people aren't happy with the prospective product they can get their money back.  No big deal.

 

Unless they change that 

[charlesnarles]

lol and they won't tell us when it's going to ship. My expectations are confused right now. At least I have my ATA in ABS😒

[=Sv3=[TK]]

I'm really torn about this change...

 

It really was an impulse buy for me and I know I can't afford other kits since you have to buy all the soft parts separately which adds up to way more than I'm willing to spend.

 

I don't want to sound cheap but I'm simply not sitting on huge piles of cash at this point.

 

Though it is unconventional, there are makers who do PVC armors and those don't necessarily look like crap. It looks like PVC is whiter and glossier thus "idealized" and some people prefer that, which is a matter of opinion.

 

I guess I just hope this change was made for the good reasons and not as a compromise on quality. Some part of me is afraid that those armor will be viewed as the black sheep of the bunch... I hope I'm wrong, I really do. It would help if they would show the intended product to members here so we could get hands on impressions...

 

Edited for typo.

Edited May 26, 2015 by =Sv3=

[tkrestonva[TK]]

lol and they won't tell us when it's going to ship. My expectations are confused right now. At least I have my ATA in ABS

I told my garrison members (both full and prospective) last night that if you are already in the queue for a fan-made ABS kit (ATA, TM, RS, AM/NE, AP, etc.) but are also on the preorder list for one of the ANOVOS classic TK kits, don't give up your spot in the queue just yet. Hedge your bets and take a wait-and-see approach.

[Pikmin]

As I have said before I purchased a Spock Star Trek tunic from Anovos and it was exceptional quality. They are trying to marry the price point with quality I have no doubt. They also want to be in this long term, if people can spend a bit more and get armor that is fan made but higher quality then Anovos won't last long in the market place. I will ride this one till the end and see what I get. It's is certainly their big sell with world wide shipping (other items are only US) so it really I does need to be a good product for their reputation.

 

Has anybody emailed them re the change to PVC? Interesting to hear what they might say

[Pikmin]

I told my garrison members (both full and prospective) last night that if you are already in the queue for a fan-made ABS kit (ATA, TM, RS, AM/NE, AP, etc.) but are also on the preorder list for one of the ANOVOS classic TK kits, don't give up your spot in the queue just yet. Hedge your bets and take a wait-and-see approach.

Definitely they way to go!

[=Sv3=[TK]]

As I have said before I purchased a Spock Star Trek tunic from Anovos and it was exceptional quality. They are trying to marry the price point with quality I have no doubt. They also want to be in this long term, if people can spend a bit more and get armor that is fan made but higher quality then Anovos won't last long in the market place. I will ride this one till the end and see what I get. It's is certainly their big sell with world wide shipping (other items are only US) so it really I does need to be a good product for their reputation.

 

Has anybody emailed them re the change to PVC? Interesting to hear what they might say

I've sent them an email, we'll see how that goes!

[charlesnarles]

Oh I'm still excited, don't get me wrong. It just seems like a big deal to change their medium. Could be insignificant or even an improvement in terms of detail sharpness, but that's not my expertise. I wouldn't give my place up, I'll be glad to have full kits of both plastics. Can't wait to see how the helmet lining ends up looking

Edited May 26, 2015 by charlesnarles

[=Sv3=[TK]]

Oh I'm still excited, don't get me wrong. It just seems like a big deal to change their medium. Could be insignificant or even an improvement in terms of detail sharpness, but that's not my expertise. I wouldn't give my place up, I'll be glad to have full kits of both plastics. Can't wait to see how the helmet lining ends up looking

Someone asked about photos from the interior and here's their reply :

 

"Still finalizing photos of that, but we can tell you that the complete ready-to-wear version will have a lined interior and padding. The kit version does not include these features."

 

Interesting!

[themaninthesuitcase[Admin]]

Hi everyone, I am almost certainly going to be ordering one of these kits.  This would be my first set of armour but would be fulfilling a bucket list item.  I've wanted a full armour set since I first saw some 501st at a star wars theme staff ball when I worked at Thorpe Park. I've looked into this in the past but ruled it too expensive to even consider.  

 

In the mean time, i guess it's E-11 time or maybe a craft foam armour like Astyanax for one of my girls (I'll start with 1, I don't think I could face building 4 at once!)

[Jaren[TK]]

PVC or ABS? Red 5 standing by and will wait and see! LOL

[ukswrath[Staff]]

I'm more upset that I didn't buy a few more kits at the $350 price to build and sell. Coulda woulda shoulda 

[charlesnarles]

Just get like 20 helmet kits, Tony😉

[=Sv3=[TK]]

So... I wrote to Anovos saying that I was concerned about the change from ABS to PVC and that many of us are afraid they are doing this to cut on the cost of the armor and here's their response :

 

"With regard to the PVC vs. ABS, we are electing to go with PVC at this time. Please be aware that this is a custom-made PVC to our performance and quality specs, and not off-the-shelf PVC available to hobbyists, and thus is far superior to unlicensed, bootleg kits."

 

What do you guys think? PR talk?

[=Sv3=[TK]]

I remember someone talking about a new material they said in an interview that they wanted to use which was very flexible yet very resistant... Could that be it?

[Daetrin[Admin]]

I still think you should not cancel until you have the kit and see how it holds up in trooping.  For $350 for the kit, even if it only lasts a few years you are still getting your money's worth.

 

Heck, back in my day we paid $1200 for an FX suit and thought it was a good deal.  Kids these days...

[Astyanax]

My favorite part is this:

 

...unlicensed, bootleg kits.

 

Bootleg???? You hear that Troopermaster? You hear that Trooperbay, AM, ATA, RS, etc? You guys are dirty bootleggers. What's worse about this statement is that it is an elitist way of saying anything not Rubies, since there's no other licensed product on the market yet (that I know of). Anovos doesn't count. They got nothing yet.

 

I hate this...but.... it also, sounds like they've been coached to be a little disdainful of everything that's come before. I'm not ready to blame Anovos, but it sounds like what David suggested, like it's PR talk, like the "licensed" part is supposed to carry more weight than it has in the past. So, maybe (here comes my hopeful side), we should be looking a little deeper into Lucasfilm's intentions, rather than Anovos'? Does Lucasfilm want the best quality troopers walking around?

 

I bet they do. In fact I am betting with my wallet that they do. I really hope so. But sadly, it sounds like open season on everyone else. You have to admit, "bootleg" is a pretty aggressive term.

 

Sorry guys, that kinda raised my hackles.

 

Bill

Edited May 27, 2015 by Astyanax

[DarthMel[TK]]

I have a feeling they were referencing the ebay kits that FISD tells everyone not to buy when they were talking about "bootlegs". Some of those are PVC.

[Astyanax]

I remember someone talking about a new material they said in an interview that they wanted to use which was very flexible yet very resistant... Could that be it?

 

No, they're talking about plasteel. 

Edited May 27, 2015 by Astyanax

[Astyanax]

I have a feeling they were referencing the ebay kits that FISD tells everyone not to buy when they were talking about "bootlegs". Some of those are PVC.

 

Ah, thanks for the clarification. I hope that's it. I've got high hopes in Anovos.

[chrskmbr]

Just to get it straight, the original full suit kit still comes with an completed bucket right? It's only the bucket only version that has a kit option?

[RoninIX]

Just to get it straight, the original full suit kit still comes with an completed bucket right? It's only the bucket only version that has a kit option?

 

Correct.

[dator97]

is pvc modifiable for tall people or is it hard to modify?

[Fred]

I also emailed about the change, I also asked about the sculpt this is what they sent me: Great questions, and thank you for the chance to answer them.

PVC is a generic classification for plastics within a certain range; depending on composition, they can either be extremely rigid or flexible. Obviously, for our purposes (and for the purposes of moving), we aimed towards flexibility which reduces wear and tear.

While we're in the final testing stages for the PVC for the suits, our PVC undergoes a battery of quality and safety tests (which we do for our products). Our PVC is also custom made to our specifications, so we are matching the original colors of the screen-used items (in their prime) and is not PVC that is used by hobbyists in the creation of their own bootleg kits. So, in fact, our materials will be far superior to what has been proliferated by the underground hobbyist market.

As for our sculpts, we based those from a variety of reference sources provided by Lucasfilm, as well as a screen-used suit from ANH in archives. As each suit was hand-made, each one has its own quirks, and so we went through and created sculpts as directed by the licensor and our development team, whilst retaining key aesthetic features. In essence, we cherry picked the best features and integrated them into our own sculpts, as derived from 3D scans and licensed, vetted references.

Hope this addresses your concerns, and please let us know if you have any further questions or concerns.

We hope this response has sufficiently answered your questions. If not, please do not send another email. Instead, reply to this email or login to your account for a complete archive of all your support requests and responses.

Edited May 28, 2015 by Fred

[=Sv3=[TK]]

I also emailed about the change, I also asked about the sculpt this is what they sent me:reat questions, and thank you for the chance to answer them.

 

PVC is a generic classification for plastics within a certain range; depending on composition, they can either be extremely rigid or flexible. Obviously, for our purposes (and for the purposes of moving), we aimed towards flexibility which reduces wear and tear.

 

While we're in the final testing stages for the PVC for the suits, our PVC undergoes a battery of quality and safety tests (which we do for our products). Our PVC is also custom made to our specifications, so we are matching the original colors of the screen-used items (in their prime) and is not PVC that is used by hobbyists in the creation of their own bootleg kits. So, in fact, our materials will be far superior to what has been proliferated by the underground hobbyist market.

 

As for our sculpts, we based those from a variety of reference sources provided by Lucasfilm, as well as a screen-used suit from ANH in archives. As each suit was hand-made, each one has its own quirks, and so we went through and created sculpts as directed by the licensor and our development team, whilst retaining key aesthetic features. In essence, we cherry picked the best features and integrated them into our own sculpts, as derived from 3D scans and licensed, vetted references.

 

Hope this addresses your concerns, and please let us know if you have any further questions or concerns.

 

We hope this response has sufficiently answered your questions. If not, please do not send another email. Instead, reply to this email or login to your account for a complete archive of all your support requests and responses.

I find their answer to you much better!

 

The fact that they will color match is giving me hope! I was afraid the Anovos kit would stick out from the bunch but I feel more confident now!