The ToyBiz Lord of the Rings line had the best Capes and Skirts….. soft, rubber type material…. Also the Galadriel figure had the best cloth with a thread count cape that actually created wrinkles and it didn’t look like the had a napkin on….
@@mikeisernie You'd have to be more specific..... I got a whole bunch of those figures, they are fine for the most part.... Though they did go crazy with the "washes" to the point that some look dirty.....
Soft goods all the way - at least, whenever possible. All action figures should be able to sit, especially if the line has vehivles & playsets. In some cases, I can see where a combination of both plastic & fabric could work in combination on a single figure. That way you have the best of both worlds.
I had a Robin with a cloth cape that was 2 layers. Yellow inside and black inside that was my favorite cape ever for play purposes as a kid. It looked good, so probably would have looked great on a shelf too. I also loved the Zoar wings from the original MOTU line. I took them off the body of the bird and would attach them to other toys for custom play.
Was it the comic Robin from the "Batman Returns" line or the animated Robin from the "Batman: The Animated Series" line? Both had those yellow and black cloth capes.
@@edwardstanulevich1764 Yeah, that's comic Robin from the Batman Returns line. That's one of Kenner's best figures IMO and my favorite cloth cape as well.
Always preferred soft capes, like the ones that came with the original DC Super Powers figures. Something about that ring that clipped around the figures neck was just perfect. Especially knowing you could use the Cape on GI Joe figures as well. That said, Scott, do you ever see Mattel taking a cue from Hasbro/Kenner and releasing the retro DC Super Powers line? I'd love to get my hands on them. Great video as always. Thank you!
The main rule that I care about with capes is that they're removable. McFarlane did a sitting Morpheus back in their old Matrix line, that's the only other one I can think of that's sculpted to sit.
The Kenner Super Powers cloth capes are the best. The Superman cape that has the detail of the S on the back, Batman’s iconic blue cape that looks like it came off of a Neil Adams page. All of the capes were custom to the hero they belonged to.
Seasons Greetings, ToyMan! My opinion on capes is that it depends. Some work and some do not. The only problem is if the type of cape doesn't work (say cloth for example) you only find out after the figure has come out! Then all you can do is hope they make a different version or, as you said, construct your own. That cloth cape of Lando's with blue on the outside and 70's carpet on the inside is luxurious! Oh, not sure if this has any relevancy to you, but for, I think, the first time I didn't get a notify indicating your had a new show. just passin' that on. Have a Swell day. \m/
I love the hybrid capes, it's flexible and can be shaped. And yes, I do love consistency in things. I also feel like kicking myself because I had that first run Jawa.
I'm fine with soft goods on larger scale figures like 1/6 or larger, but on 1/12 they just don't fold and flow appropriate to the scale. At that point,wired soft goods or plastic are ideal imo.
High end soft goods can work very well. Mezco has done great stuff, but 6inch and under I think for aesthetics molded capes just look better even if rigid. Soft goods just look like blankets or bedsheets on the figure.
This was a great segment playing right to the nerdy toy collectors (like me). I do hope one day chemistry brings us a magic fabric that works at a 6 inch and smaller scale, but until then there just isn't a single satisfying solution.
Great vid as always fellow collector. I say that for a company pvc is the way to go while as a collector wired capes are a must. It’s all about the individual and there habits in putting there figures in action poses or in vanilla poses.
Great video Scott, always appreciate your expertise in your videos. I also prefer plastic capes as a general rule but in some instances fabric is better. An example of this is the only figure in the Classics line to have a fabric cape, Collectors Choice Movie Dolph Laundren inspired He-Man. I think this particular figure look so good with this choice for his cape. The absolute best of course is the fabric with the posable wire in them but like you stated this is an expensive proposition. Love the awesome and informative content.
I bought one of the large Jakks Pacific Batman figures (made for the Batman v superman movie, and based on Affleks Batman), to repaint it. The figure had a very cheap cape. I bought a large piece of leatherette and used it for a new cape. Since the figure was stood in one position, it worked well, and gave that weight it needed. I posted a photo on Instagram of it after giving the figure a wash of black paint to bring out the detail, and actually got a like on it from Jakks Pacific
I'm in love with capes that are rigid plastic with points of articulation, like Piccolo 2.0 SH Figuarts or the capes from the Cloth Myth EX series, both from Tamashii/Bandai. I tend to dislike how fabric looks on highly detailed sculpts, for me it just don't work.
I remember all the cloth capes from my gijoes tore at the shoulders. Had mindbender run around in his pink pants and weird metal suspenders. Add a big bald head, strange monocle and suggestive mustache and...yeah. Those 80's toys wouldn't fly today.
Mindbender had a cape?! I only ever remember him in his pink pants and weird metal suspenders. I just thought that was his look. Incidentally, this is why I think GI Joe are the Village People.
I prefer soft goods wherever possible. I find they make figures easier to pose and balance because they're lighter and don't hinder articulation as much as PVC, vinyl, or rubber capes. I've fixed up quite a few of my "Star Wars" figures with fabric robes, capes, and skirts over the decades, and I've gotten a start on my MOTU Classics figures (Spirit of Hordak, Horde Prime, Queen Veena, and Light Hope), but I hope to get around to updating all the capes and robes, eventually. And to anyone who says "Soft goods don't drape right" . . . well, you just have to find the right fabric, and it needs to be tailored properly. The vintage Scare Glow cape is STILL an exceptional piece, for example, even 34 years after it debuted.
Thanks for the info. PVC capes tend to be molded for static poses, i.e., half covering the shoulders (limits articulation), or preventing Batman and Robin from sitting in the Batmobile. In the 1/18 +/- scale, soft goods look great as long as they are proportional to the figure. I look at Marvel Legends and see 6" chunks of molded plastic, with very little difference in detail or articulation than the GI Joe POC line at 1/18 scale. Now with the new Spider-man body, now there are more cuts to disrupt the paint job and detail. I prefer Mezco, and how they present their product. Proper fitting soft goods, great articulation, suspension of disbelief achieved. Soft goods in 1:6 scale...Hot Toys and Sideshow have the market. ThreeZero put out a Storm Shadow at 1:6 like an old Hasbro figure, soft goods pants but molded chest armor. They lost my purchase. As for superheroes, Edna says it best: "No Capes!"
I like pvc capes myself. It helps with customizing a character whose color scheme is different. An example would be Plasmar from the MOTU classics line. When I was trying make a soft cape for my origins version of him, it never laid right. It wasn’t until I used a pvc cape from origins Keldor that I got the look I was going after.
I've always wondered why we don't see more cloth capes, but it doesn't always fit the look of the figure. I understand the conundrum, and part of collecting is finding your style. Nowadays there are so many options that, I don't think we can complain too much. Also, I don't mean to be a stick in the mud, but the title card threw me off when it read 'their' instead of 'there'. Repeating an earlier point of mine, I can't complain too much! Still great content here!
To be honest, I would rather get inconsistencies in the line if it means that some figures will get soft goods capes. I don't even care if it's wired or not. I prefer soft goods. It's the reason why I prefer the Black Series 40th Anniversary Star Wars and ESB Darth Vader over the otherwise superior SH Figuarts one.
Great insight, Scott. I’m with you, I love consistency in my lines of figures. What are your thoughts then on face print technology? Are you ok adding new figures to your collection that use this when older figures don’t? I’m kinda at a crossroads now because I started collecting with the POTF2 line in 1995, but all of the figures done in the muscle bound style have been updated. So, do I keep all of them, or just the definitive version of each? The struggle is real
To Scott: there is one figure in Marvel Legends: Shiklah. She has soft goods for her cloak/shawl attached to her wrists. While not a character I’m very familiar with, I got her because it was a soft goods anomaly and because she came with Jeff the land shark.
A more popular figure that uses one is Storm. 3 of 4 versions of the Hasbro Legends Storm use soft goods. The worst part is that it can throw off a team shelf. I went out and purchased toybiz white Storm to replace the cape on my cartoon shelf but upgraded to all Fabric on my comic book shelf.
I always mix up Latex or things with Vinyl which confuses me a bit. I probably want that or soft or accurate fabric to what the cape would be in RL. Though I think the PVC capes can have their uses its really if your going to open the package or not. My biggest problem is I notice many figures the hands are overly big or a specific hand will be oversized compared to the other. Then especially for DC characters the legs are like overly flimsy or thin looking its hard to explain until see the proportion where its easy to see. I kinda thought the Star Wars capes were kinda cool. If I was spending big money to display I'd probably want wired to really poise or setup. I wear a cape when do Smokey Daze Haze I think its from Batman or Vampire or Magician costumes it has sticks in it.
As a kid I had a weird purple cape that came with my TMNT Shredder (bought second hand). It clearly didn’t go to a Ninja Turtle but I didn’t know who it belonged to, and ended up keeping it separate and eventually donating it when I grew up. Lo and behold, what I owned was an original Scareglow cape, in excellent condition too. Oops.
Robes may be a different animal, but for capes, they should be soft goods. I remember still being really annoyed that King Randor, King Grayskull, and King He-man can't sit in the thrones. Sorceress should have been soft good wings too. so she can move her arms in front of her. The only time I actually liked the Plastic was for Scareglow with that 'half-translucent' thing they had going on... that was a great effect, but as much as I love consistancy, there has to be a function in there too. If the character is meant to sit... they should be able to sit.
I prefer soft goods. I remember thinking that my Luke Jedi was really cool to have the cloth cape. As a kid I really didn't think anything about it until 1983 when I got that Luke Jedi. It was an early version and had the snap on it too. I was like this is way cooler than obi-wan kenobi. I mean can you imagine a luke Jedi with a vinyl cape?! The next time I noted cloth goods (as a kid) was the Superpowers line. On the other hand you had Yoda, Jawa, and even Ugnaught who had soft goods preceding that Luke Jedi. And for that matter Battle Star Galactica were a 3 3/4 figure that had cloth capes too. I don't fancy them PVC capes at all. Thanks for the video!
I think PVC capes almost always look better. They also last better and clean easier. This coming from a collector's standpoint of course and posing the figures as opposed to playing with them. Cloth never scales right. If Hasbro would make a black series sculpted farm boy Luke instead of that awful soft goods version I would have bought it already. That figure is a good example of bad scaling.
Most of my figures are in neighboring arenas in terms of scale, 3 3/4" - 4" or so, but wildly different in terms of design and aesthetics, from static to 5 POA to highly articulated. My opinion is that plastic vs vinyl vs soft goods is dependant on each figure's sculpt, visual appeal first and poseability secondary.
To me it’s a matter of scale. The bigger the figure, the better the soft goods look. On smaller figures, the fabric just looks goofy because it doesn’t hang right. And the size of the weave makes it look like your figures are wearing burlap sacks.
I prefer plastic/PVC or the option to switch like Todd McFarlane did with Batman Year Two but if I had to choose it would be to switch between plastic and vinyl, not cloth I agree, consistency is a great quality
I can go either, but if the cape _must_ be PVC make it a neutral sculpt that's not overly windswept. Nothing is quite so irritating as your hero standing stock still in the middle of a typhoon. >_> I recall Mezco did a 1/12 scale Batman from The Dark Knight Returns that has plastic bits sewn/adhered along the inside of the cape to allow it to drape with proper, scaled weight. Granted, Mezco figures are expensive as sin, but that kind of idea really ups the presentation on a smaller figure. Of course, a 1/6 scale (Hot Toys size) figure doesn't need such a thing... but their pint-sized counterparts definitely could.
My millenial Star Wars figures have really given pushback to hanging out with my vintage Kenner figures. I tried introducings them to the Retro line but they saw right through my cleverness.
Hi, I have a question, I know you already have a video explaining the difference between a children's toy and a collectors item depends on how the adult decides to define the figure, so I was wondering why funko pops and reaction figures add the label "adult collector, not a toy"
Wow! My first adult collection was the toy biz marvel legends! I stopped when hasbro took over because the first couple years were crap! So I regret that I sold them! I had the entire collection! Missing some variations but had the sentinel, galactus, apocalypse, Modoc, and a couple other build a figure! That sentinel was awesome and I sold it for $80 bucks! Ouch
I always wished that the Black Series Princess Leia figure from A New Hope had been sculpted from the waist up and cloth from the waist down, but I know that would've been so much more tooling. The SH Figuarts version would be close to what I'd prefer, but only at the Black Series pricepoint. As far as materials go, I've always thought a soft thin rubber (like in balloons) would be the perfect material for figure capes. It drapes fairly well and still looks like plastic like the rest of the figure. I'm sure there would be some way to mold them to the general shape but still follow the form of the character.
This online store Billy Dragon makes business mostly selling capes for Saint Seiya Myth Cloth figures, and some other soft goods for the line. Those who like poseable capes for their figures should check. And speaking of Saint Seiya, the matters with capes are similar to those of long haired anime character figures. While I prefer the look of sculpted hair, if it comes at the cost of neck articulation I have to really wonder if it's worth it.
All depends on the figure. The new McFarlane Superman Rebirth would look better with soft goods. Speaking of Rebirth Lobo turned out good. But needs a Dawg.
I think all figures should have cloth capes because of weight. I don't know if that is even feasible on something like marvel legends but I almost always trade out the plastic capes. Idk if anyone said but you should cite people's work. Like Harkercustom's God Doom or supertomscustoms tutorial.
@@spectorcreative1872 couldn't soft goods capes be weighted somehow to make them less floaty? Like a fold in the bottom with tiny metal parts within, or something like that.
3 and 3/4" figures should only ever be moulded. There's no way to make any soft goods scale properly at that size. 6" figures can get away with capes but not much else. 12" and up can work with pretty much anything.
I'm wondering, how much would it cost to put both types of cape in? Might be worth it in a premium "adult collectors" line more than in a line actually intended to be played with.
In a Time when companies are trying to cost reduce figures and having both capes is a very niche thing… for the actual cost, maybe 50 cents to one dollar which makes the figure go up 2.00-4.00 in srp
While the hybrid wire capes look good for collectors and "statue" figures that are going to sit on a shelf and never move, I think they're pretty bad for kids-line action figures. Let's get a show of hands for who has had one of those rubber and wire bendy toys and played with it until the wire broke. The cape is just going to get wrecked, and when Little Billy breaks the wires too many times, they might get upset and feel like the whole toy is broken.
Not a big action figure collector, but for me as a kid it depended. Sometimes soft goods worked well, sometimes they didn't. I really liked the capes of my super powers toys. They looked good and were just thin enough to fall and move pretty well. Looking back especially Batman's could have been longer but I liked it. I did not like it when I got some DC figures later that had plastic capes. It always bothered me to play and have the cape a solid shape. With more complex clothes like coats in Star Wars I often found soft goods to look weird though. Recently I saw big Ghostbusters figures with full soft good clothing. I found them terrible. Those jumpsuits just don't look right, they don't look natural. Be it the visibly few stitches due to the scale, or the way the fabric doesn't have small wrinkles etc due to size, thickness and weight... For a complex thing like that jumpsuit it always looks bad and I prefer sculpted plastic. It just looks fake otherwise. The face can be amazing, the jumpsuit still reminds you it is a toy immediately. But my tastes may well be those of a minority. I also don't like super articulated figures because I always consciously see the joints and it bothers me. So generally my opinions on that stuff aren't popular I guess.
It all depends on the figure. I feel like a really well executed figure, with great design can be ruined with a plastic cape. The recent ML Dr Doom looks amazing but his cape just ruined it. I bought a cape and hood and tunic set and now it’s even more amazing than the original.
I think it depends on the character. Is the cape supposed to be dynamic, like a Batman or Dr. STRANGE, then I want a wired cape. If it just hangs off of their back, Superman or Mando, then I prefer plastic. "Only Sith deal in absolutes."
For me, soft goods are very hit or miss. It depends on the material and engineering. Outside of the Mezco 1:12 DKR Batman which used almost a spandex material for the cape, I haven’t had a figure with a good cape ever. Mattel WWE has had some good soft goods shorts and they’re usually preferable over the plastic ones.
I don't mind plastic capes when they are functional. Seems like half the time they limit articulation or get in the way as they billow sideways in the breeze. Edit for spelling error
Soft goods. I've never really liked PVC capes at all. It all comes from those Super Powers figures. I liked having a character like Superman and swooshing him through the air and have his cape flap behind him then drape when he's just standing. Plus soft goods allow for the use of articulation for things like sitting.
The issue with figures not being able to sit with PVC capes isn't really a concern there, as MOTU figures, no matter the incarnation, have never been able to sit. At best they can slouch or lean against a chair/throne. The exception being the New Adventures figures, which could actually sit properly.
I have always hated PVC capes. I prefer the cloth myself because it when I was a kid they would actually blow in the Wind and make it look like the Figures were flying. You can never do anything with a PVC Cape except take it off and get rid of it because it got in the way of all the movement I have never had a hybrid cape but I would probably like it better then the other three
Marvel Legends has soft goods with some figures - 90s Storm is one example. I don't have a hard preference, I just think either method should be used where it makes sense. For example, soft goods on the Emperor in Black Series - yes. The first version they did, they did the harder plastic robes around his legs and then soft goods cloak around him... useless if he needs to sit. They re-released him and did the lower half as soft goods. Perfect. Farm Boy Luke... zero need to make his top soft goods. One of the worst figures they've done.
Soft goods, all the way. Make hoods that need to form a specific shape (Emperor Palpatine) from PVC, but the rest, always fabric. Gonna finally make my own Scareglow cape out of fabric actually!
I've never liked pvc capes because they essentially kill any articulation the figures may have had. Its one of the reasons I skipped every MOTUC character that had a cape.
I love soft goods, it gives that special deluxe look if done right imo. Especially the capes from Kenner Dark Knight Collection and Kenner Batman The Animated Series. My first Star Wars Kenner figure was Squid Head, he was missing his inner robes, I loved that cape, I picked him up because he looked cool and very special in a great way. No clue it was Star Wars back in the day lol I don't mind pvc capes if the figures are mostly standing. It gets frustrating if you need a caped figure in a vehicle. While I totally agree a line should be uniform, let's say pick pvc capes, it is awesome to get that same figure also with a soft goods because from old polls Ik remember fans are almost equally devided 50% between pvc capes vs soft hoods capes. I love what Super7 is doing with ThunderCats' they add both pvc and soft goods to give us options which is wonderful and should make most happy.
Soft goods all the way the amount of clone troopers I had as a kid who couldn't sit in vehicles or crouch behind cover due to pvc skirts is infuriating Just got the walmart exclusive vintage collection blue arc trooper poses like a champ and I can recreate every thing I saw on screen with him
Elrond: You want us to what??? Galadriel: I'll turn him into a toad! Legolas and a dozen guards shoot arrows at a fleeing fat guy in a red suit who barely escapes in a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer! Radagast: That isn't me!
I just wish lines would make a choice and stay with it. When it comes to toy collecting, few things are more annoying to me than having one figure that stands out like a sore thumb because it's the only one with soft goods.
I prefer plastic, soft goods looks cheap and/or bulky, not detail at all, only premium action figures or custom work for me,for example Spine Master capes look so cheap or the Mego vintage toys they used to look like pijamas
Sylvie from Marvel legends has the worst cape ever. It's literally a immobile shroud. You can't pose her with it on and I wonder if they knew how popular she'd be if they would have given her a more dynamic cape. She's on my shelf capeless right now.
Great video Scott!! Thanks for pumping these videos out! Helps my day get off to a great start!
So glad! And any help reposting them is a huge assistance for the channel!
Today was my Spector Creative binge watching day!
The ToyBiz Lord of the Rings line had the best Capes and Skirts….. soft, rubber type material…. Also the Galadriel figure had the best cloth with a thread count cape that actually created wrinkles and it didn’t look like the had a napkin on….
Paint rub was a huge problem though.
@@mikeisernie You'd have to be more specific..... I got a whole bunch of those figures, they are fine for the most part.... Though they did go crazy with the "washes" to the point that some look dirty.....
That White Queen (Emma Frost) figure looks amazing!!!
One of the best!
Soft goods all the way - at least, whenever possible. All action figures should be able to sit, especially if the line has vehivles & playsets.
In some cases, I can see where a combination of both plastic & fabric could work in combination on a single figure. That way you have the best of both worlds.
I had a Robin with a cloth cape that was 2 layers. Yellow inside and black inside that was my favorite cape ever for play purposes as a kid. It looked good, so probably would have looked great on a shelf too. I also loved the Zoar wings from the original MOTU line. I took them off the body of the bird and would attach them to other toys for custom play.
Was it the comic Robin from the "Batman Returns" line or the animated Robin from the "Batman: The Animated Series" line? Both had those yellow and black cloth capes.
@@emanueljackson1728 I think from Batman Returns. I seem to remember the grappling hook accessory.
@@edwardstanulevich1764 Yeah, that's comic Robin from the Batman Returns line. That's one of Kenner's best figures IMO and my favorite cloth cape as well.
Always preferred soft capes, like the ones that came with the original DC Super Powers figures. Something about that ring that clipped around the figures neck was just perfect. Especially knowing you could use the Cape on GI Joe figures as well.
That said, Scott, do you ever see Mattel taking a cue from Hasbro/Kenner and releasing the retro DC Super Powers line? I'd love to get my hands on them.
Great video as always. Thank you!
The main rule that I care about with capes is that they're removable. McFarlane did a sitting Morpheus back in their old Matrix line, that's the only other one I can think of that's sculpted to sit.
The Kenner Super Powers cloth capes are the best. The Superman cape that has the detail of the S on the back, Batman’s iconic blue cape that looks like it came off of a Neil Adams page. All of the capes were custom to the hero they belonged to.
Those were done well!
Seasons Greetings, ToyMan! My opinion on capes is that it depends. Some work and some do not. The only problem is if the type of cape doesn't work (say cloth for example) you only find out after the figure has come out! Then all you can do is hope they make a different version or, as you said, construct your own. That cloth cape of Lando's with blue on the outside and 70's carpet on the inside is luxurious! Oh, not sure if this has any relevancy to you, but for, I think, the first time I didn't get a notify indicating your had a new show. just passin' that on. Have a Swell day. \m/
Depends is the right way to look at it
I love the hybrid capes, it's flexible and can be shaped. And yes, I do love consistency in things. I also feel like kicking myself because I had that first run Jawa.
I'm fine with soft goods on larger scale figures like 1/6 or larger, but on 1/12 they just don't fold and flow appropriate to the scale. At that point,wired soft goods or plastic are ideal imo.
Mezco's pre-wired capes for their 1:12 scale line are amazing. But as someone who loves displaying his figures in dynamic poses, I love wired capes.
High end soft goods can work very well. Mezco has done great stuff, but 6inch and under I think for aesthetics molded capes just look better even if rigid. Soft goods just look like blankets or bedsheets on the figure.
This was a great segment playing right to the nerdy toy collectors (like me). I do hope one day chemistry brings us a magic fabric that works at a 6 inch and smaller scale, but until then there just isn't a single satisfying solution.
I love your channel! I have learned so much ! Straight from a toy maker
Any help sharing videos and reposting them is most appreciated!
Great vid as always fellow collector.
I say that for a company pvc is the way to go while as a collector wired capes are a must.
It’s all about the individual and there habits in putting there figures in action poses or in vanilla poses.
Great video Scott, always appreciate your expertise in your videos. I also prefer plastic capes as a general rule but in some instances fabric is better. An example of this is the only figure in the Classics line to have a fabric cape, Collectors Choice Movie Dolph Laundren inspired He-Man. I think this particular figure look so good with this choice for his cape. The absolute best of course is the fabric with the posable wire in them but like you stated this is an expensive proposition. Love the awesome and informative content.
I bought one of the large Jakks Pacific Batman figures (made for the Batman v superman movie, and based on Affleks Batman), to repaint it. The figure had a very cheap cape. I bought a large piece of leatherette and used it for a new cape. Since the figure was stood in one position, it worked well, and gave that weight it needed. I posted a photo on Instagram of it after giving the figure a wash of black paint to bring out the detail, and actually got a like on it from Jakks Pacific
Right on time I just started buying cloth capes for my marvel legends lol
I'm in love with capes that are rigid plastic with points of articulation, like Piccolo 2.0 SH Figuarts or the capes from the Cloth Myth EX series, both from Tamashii/Bandai. I tend to dislike how fabric looks on highly detailed sculpts, for me it just don't work.
I remember all the cloth capes from my gijoes tore at the shoulders. Had mindbender run around in his pink pants and weird metal suspenders. Add a big bald head, strange monocle and suggestive mustache and...yeah. Those 80's toys wouldn't fly today.
Mindbender had a cape?! I only ever remember him in his pink pants and weird metal suspenders. I just thought that was his look. Incidentally, this is why I think GI Joe are the Village People.
@@ScooterinAB lol, yes he had a black cape with a big Silver Cobra logo
So glad the vintage collection lando came with a soft goods cape! Make them all soft goods
I prefer soft goods wherever possible. I find they make figures easier to pose and balance because they're lighter and don't hinder articulation as much as PVC, vinyl, or rubber capes.
I've fixed up quite a few of my "Star Wars" figures with fabric robes, capes, and skirts over the decades, and I've gotten a start on my MOTU Classics figures (Spirit of Hordak, Horde Prime, Queen Veena, and Light Hope), but I hope to get around to updating all the capes and robes, eventually.
And to anyone who says "Soft goods don't drape right" . . . well, you just have to find the right fabric, and it needs to be tailored properly. The vintage Scare Glow cape is STILL an exceptional piece, for example, even 34 years after it debuted.
Thanks for the info. PVC capes tend to be molded for static poses, i.e., half covering the shoulders (limits articulation), or preventing Batman and Robin from sitting in the Batmobile. In the 1/18 +/- scale, soft goods look great as long as they are proportional to the figure. I look at Marvel Legends and see 6" chunks of molded plastic, with very little difference in detail or articulation than the GI Joe POC line at 1/18 scale. Now with the new Spider-man body, now there are more cuts to disrupt the paint job and detail.
I prefer Mezco, and how they present their product. Proper fitting soft goods, great articulation, suspension of disbelief achieved. Soft goods in 1:6 scale...Hot Toys and Sideshow have the market. ThreeZero put out a Storm Shadow at 1:6 like an old Hasbro figure, soft goods pants but molded chest armor. They lost my purchase.
As for superheroes, Edna says it best: "No Capes!"
I like pvc capes myself. It helps with customizing a character whose color scheme is different. An example would be Plasmar from the MOTU classics line. When I was trying make a soft cape for my origins version of him, it never laid right. It wasn’t until I used a pvc cape from origins Keldor that I got the look I was going after.
I've always wondered why we don't see more cloth capes, but it doesn't always fit the look of the figure. I understand the conundrum, and part of collecting is finding your style. Nowadays there are so many options that, I don't think we can complain too much.
Also, I don't mean to be a stick in the mud, but the title card threw me off when it read 'their' instead of 'there'. Repeating an earlier point of mine, I can't complain too much! Still great content here!
To be honest, I would rather get inconsistencies in the line if it means that some figures will get soft goods capes. I don't even care if it's wired or not. I prefer soft goods. It's the reason why I prefer the Black Series 40th Anniversary Star Wars and ESB Darth Vader over the otherwise superior SH Figuarts one.
Great insight, Scott. I’m with you, I love consistency in my lines of figures. What are your thoughts then on face print technology? Are you ok adding new figures to your collection that use this when older figures don’t? I’m kinda at a crossroads now because I started collecting with the POTF2 line in 1995, but all of the figures done in the muscle bound style have been updated. So, do I keep all of them, or just the definitive version of each? The struggle is real
I like the face printing on 6”. In 3 3/4 the men all look like they have lip stick
For Kenner alone it’s vinyl capes ➡️ fabric capes. And in later lines (like Batman and POTF2) it’s plastic capes as well.
To Scott: there is one figure in Marvel Legends: Shiklah. She has soft goods for her cloak/shawl attached to her wrists. While not a character I’m very familiar with, I got her because it was a soft goods anomaly and because she came with Jeff the land shark.
Ah, from the Deadpool wave. I got her to make The BAF and quickly sold her and the shark!
A more popular figure that uses one is Storm. 3 of 4 versions of the Hasbro Legends Storm use soft goods. The worst part is that it can throw off a team shelf. I went out and purchased toybiz white Storm to replace the cape on my cartoon shelf but upgraded to all Fabric on my comic book shelf.
I always mix up Latex or things with Vinyl which confuses me a bit. I probably want that or soft or accurate fabric to what the cape would be in RL. Though I think the PVC capes can have their uses its really if your going to open the package or not. My biggest problem is I notice many figures the hands are overly big or a specific hand will be oversized compared to the other. Then especially for DC characters the legs are like overly flimsy or thin looking its hard to explain until see the proportion where its easy to see. I kinda thought the Star Wars capes were kinda cool. If I was spending big money to display I'd probably want wired to really poise or setup. I wear a cape when do Smokey Daze Haze I think its from Batman or Vampire or Magician costumes it has sticks in it.
As a kid I had a weird purple cape that came with my TMNT Shredder (bought second hand). It clearly didn’t go to a Ninja Turtle but I didn’t know who it belonged to, and ended up keeping it separate and eventually donating it when I grew up.
Lo and behold, what I owned was an original Scareglow cape, in excellent condition too. Oops.
Robes may be a different animal, but for capes, they should be soft goods. I remember still being really annoyed that King Randor, King Grayskull, and King He-man can't sit in the thrones. Sorceress should have been soft good wings too. so she can move her arms in front of her. The only time I actually liked the Plastic was for Scareglow with that 'half-translucent' thing they had going on... that was a great effect, but as much as I love consistancy, there has to be a function in there too. If the character is meant to sit... they should be able to sit.
I prefer soft goods. I remember thinking that my Luke Jedi was really cool to have the cloth cape. As a kid I really didn't think anything about it until 1983 when I got that Luke Jedi. It was an early version and had the snap on it too. I was like this is way cooler than obi-wan kenobi. I mean can you imagine a luke Jedi with a vinyl cape?! The next time I noted cloth goods (as a kid) was the Superpowers line. On the other hand you had Yoda, Jawa, and even Ugnaught who had soft goods preceding that Luke Jedi. And for that matter Battle Star Galactica were a 3 3/4 figure that had cloth capes too. I don't fancy them PVC capes at all. Thanks for the video!
I know that you have been a brand manager but what toys did you design or sculpt?
Capes are stylin, I have two myself.
I think PVC capes almost always look better. They also last better and clean easier. This coming from a collector's standpoint of course and posing the figures as opposed to playing with them. Cloth never scales right. If Hasbro would make a black series sculpted farm boy Luke instead of that awful soft goods version I would have bought it already. That figure is a good example of bad scaling.
The best fabric cape I own is for a DC Multiverse SuperFriends Batman figure. Clips on around the neck like those old Batman TAS and Vader figures.
Most of my figures are in neighboring arenas in terms of scale, 3 3/4" - 4" or so, but wildly different in terms of design and aesthetics, from static to 5 POA to highly articulated. My opinion is that plastic vs vinyl vs soft goods is dependant on each figure's sculpt, visual appeal first and poseability secondary.
7:47: Spector goes off into the wind…
And he’s bringing here through his views on capes, The Hasbro Crusader.
To me it’s a matter of scale. The bigger the figure, the better the soft goods look. On smaller figures, the fabric just looks goofy because it doesn’t hang right. And the size of the weave makes it look like your figures are wearing burlap sacks.
I prefer plastic/PVC or the option to switch like Todd McFarlane did with Batman Year Two but if I had to choose it would be to switch between plastic and vinyl, not cloth
I agree, consistency is a great quality
Love that vintage collection Palpatine
I like having both versions!
I can go either, but if the cape _must_ be PVC make it a neutral sculpt that's not overly windswept. Nothing is quite so irritating as your hero standing stock still in the middle of a typhoon. >_>
I recall Mezco did a 1/12 scale Batman from The Dark Knight Returns that has plastic bits sewn/adhered along the inside of the cape to allow it to drape with proper, scaled weight. Granted, Mezco figures are expensive as sin, but that kind of idea really ups the presentation on a smaller figure. Of course, a 1/6 scale (Hot Toys size) figure doesn't need such a thing... but their pint-sized counterparts definitely could.
My millenial Star Wars figures have really given pushback to hanging out with my vintage Kenner figures. I tried introducings them to the Retro line but they saw right through my cleverness.
Hi, I have a question, I know you already have a video explaining the difference between a children's toy and a collectors item depends on how the adult decides to define the figure, so I was wondering why funko pops and reaction figures add the label "adult collector, not a toy"
always love soft goods! if you can get a wired cape that is the best!
Everyone has a preference!
I love capes!
Who doesn’t?
Wow! My first adult collection was the toy biz marvel legends! I stopped when hasbro took over because the first couple years were crap! So I regret that I sold them! I had the entire collection! Missing some variations but had the sentinel, galactus, apocalypse, Modoc, and a couple other build a figure! That sentinel was awesome and I sold it for $80 bucks! Ouch
I always wished that the Black Series Princess Leia figure from A New Hope had been sculpted from the waist up and cloth from the waist down, but I know that would've been so much more tooling. The SH Figuarts version would be close to what I'd prefer, but only at the Black Series pricepoint.
As far as materials go, I've always thought a soft thin rubber (like in balloons) would be the perfect material for figure capes. It drapes fairly well and still looks like plastic like the rest of the figure. I'm sure there would be some way to mold them to the general shape but still follow the form of the character.
Well considering how often this figure gets redone, that combo is sure to happen!
Q: Why does the toy manufacturer not make removable glasses for heroes with secret ID(s)? Why are they not sold with the action figure as accessories?
This online store Billy Dragon makes business mostly selling capes for Saint Seiya Myth Cloth figures, and some other soft goods for the line. Those who like poseable capes for their figures should check.
And speaking of Saint Seiya, the matters with capes are similar to those of long haired anime character figures. While I prefer the look of sculpted hair, if it comes at the cost of neck articulation I have to really wonder if it's worth it.
I have hear of such!
I always wanted fully articulated die-cast cape. Still waiting ... any day now.
All depends on the figure. The new McFarlane Superman Rebirth would look better with soft goods. Speaking of Rebirth Lobo turned out good. But needs a Dawg.
I think they should consider making easy to take the cape off, like Year Two Batman or the Scareglow and Keldor from Origins
I think all figures should have cloth capes because of weight. I don't know if that is even feasible on something like marvel legends but I almost always trade out the plastic capes. Idk if anyone said but you should cite people's work. Like Harkercustom's God Doom or supertomscustoms tutorial.
Honestly, I have never thought that soft goods look good because of fabric thickness.
That is one of my issues too
@@spectorcreative1872 couldn't soft goods capes be weighted somehow to make them less floaty?
Like a fold in the bottom with tiny metal parts within, or something like that.
3 and 3/4" figures should only ever be moulded. There's no way to make any soft goods scale properly at that size. 6" figures can get away with capes but not much else. 12" and up can work with pretty much anything.
I'm wondering, how much would it cost to put both types of cape in? Might be worth it in a premium "adult collectors" line more than in a line actually intended to be played with.
In a Time when companies are trying to cost reduce figures and having both capes is a very niche thing… for the actual cost, maybe 50 cents to one dollar which makes the figure go up 2.00-4.00 in srp
@@spectorcreative1872 Hmmm..
Not something I'd pay for, but I could imagine some would.
While the hybrid wire capes look good for collectors and "statue" figures that are going to sit on a shelf and never move, I think they're pretty bad for kids-line action figures. Let's get a show of hands for who has had one of those rubber and wire bendy toys and played with it until the wire broke. The cape is just going to get wrecked, and when Little Billy breaks the wires too many times, they might get upset and feel like the whole toy is broken.
My thought is, pvc for smaller figures and cloth for larger figures.
Speaking of running change, what is the difference between that and a variant?
See the video I did on toy terms and the one on running changes! :-)
Not a big action figure collector, but for me as a kid it depended. Sometimes soft goods worked well, sometimes they didn't.
I really liked the capes of my super powers toys. They looked good and were just thin enough to fall and move pretty well. Looking back especially Batman's could have been longer but I liked it.
I did not like it when I got some DC figures later that had plastic capes. It always bothered me to play and have the cape a solid shape.
With more complex clothes like coats in Star Wars I often found soft goods to look weird though.
Recently I saw big Ghostbusters figures with full soft good clothing. I found them terrible. Those jumpsuits just don't look right, they don't look natural. Be it the visibly few stitches due to the scale, or the way the fabric doesn't have small wrinkles etc due to size, thickness and weight... For a complex thing like that jumpsuit it always looks bad and I prefer sculpted plastic. It just looks fake otherwise. The face can be amazing, the jumpsuit still reminds you it is a toy immediately.
But my tastes may well be those of a minority. I also don't like super articulated figures because I always consciously see the joints and it bothers me. So generally my opinions on that stuff aren't popular I guess.
It all depends on the figure. I feel like a really well executed figure, with great design can be ruined with a plastic cape. The recent ML Dr Doom looks amazing but his cape just ruined it. I bought a cape and hood and tunic set and now it’s even more amazing than the original.
Softgoods with a wire armature will always be the best imo at least with figures above 6 inches.
And the most costly
I think it depends on the character. Is the cape supposed to be dynamic, like a Batman or Dr. STRANGE, then I want a wired cape. If it just hangs off of their back, Superman or Mando, then I prefer plastic. "Only Sith deal in absolutes."
I guess depending on the look I'm going for, I could occasionally swap out my 1:1 scale soft goods cape for a 1:1 scale vinyl cape...😁😬😶
For me, soft goods are very hit or miss. It depends on the material and engineering. Outside of the Mezco 1:12 DKR Batman which used almost a spandex material for the cape, I haven’t had a figure with a good cape ever.
Mattel WWE has had some good soft goods shorts and they’re usually preferable over the plastic ones.
I don't mind plastic capes when they are functional. Seems like half the time they limit articulation or get in the way as they billow sideways in the breeze. Edit for spelling error
Is palatine sitting next to a deodorant stick being held by wolverine? Motu origins has a nice cape.
It is a Sdcc moss man deodorant stick. Very rare!
I have a thing for clothy capes.
Soft goods. I've never really liked PVC capes at all. It all comes from those Super Powers figures. I liked having a character like Superman and swooshing him through the air and have his cape flap behind him then drape when he's just standing. Plus soft goods allow for the use of articulation for things like sitting.
The issue with figures not being able to sit with PVC capes isn't really a concern there, as MOTU figures, no matter the incarnation, have never been able to sit. At best they can slouch or lean against a chair/throne.
The exception being the New Adventures figures, which could actually sit properly.
Most of the time I prefer soft goods but sometimes plastic works more like on the Nolan Batman figures his cape looked better as a plastic one.
You forgot to give tips on preserving the wire, when you use it, which was the point of my question. Well, beyond don't bend it too far or too often.
I have always hated PVC capes. I prefer the cloth myself because it when I was a kid they would actually blow in the Wind and make it look like the Figures were flying. You can never do anything with a PVC Cape except take it off and get rid of it because it got in the way of all the movement I have never had a hybrid cape but I would probably like it better then the other three
It’s a personal taste thing
Marvel Legends has soft goods with some figures - 90s Storm is one example.
I don't have a hard preference, I just think either method should be used where it makes sense. For example, soft goods on the Emperor in Black Series - yes. The first version they did, they did the harder plastic robes around his legs and then soft goods cloak around him... useless if he needs to sit. They re-released him and did the lower half as soft goods. Perfect.
Farm Boy Luke... zero need to make his top soft goods. One of the worst figures they've done.
10:30: Now you will experience the full power of the Kenner side! (You vandalised Kenner?)
Soft goods can look great depends on figure a toy pvc fine mixing up is good this time with soft goods and posing is much better 6 inch upwards tho
Soft goods, all the way. Make hoods that need to form a specific shape (Emperor Palpatine) from PVC, but the rest, always fabric. Gonna finally make my own Scareglow cape out of fabric actually!
Amazing how it is 50/50
Grew up with Megos. Now Mezco One 12.
I've never liked pvc capes because they essentially kill any articulation the figures may have had. Its one of the reasons I skipped every MOTUC character that had a cape.
My Marvel Legends Magento had that problem. The hard plastic is a pain to pose him
I love soft goods, it gives that special deluxe look if done right imo.
Especially the capes from Kenner Dark Knight Collection and Kenner Batman The Animated Series.
My first Star Wars Kenner figure was Squid Head, he was missing his inner robes, I loved that cape, I picked him up because he looked cool and very special in a great way. No clue it was Star Wars back in the day lol
I don't mind pvc capes if the figures are mostly standing. It gets frustrating if you need a caped figure in a vehicle.
While I totally agree a line should be uniform, let's say pick pvc capes, it is awesome to get that same figure also with a soft goods because from old polls Ik remember fans are almost equally devided 50% between pvc capes vs soft hoods capes.
I love what Super7 is doing with ThunderCats' they add both pvc and soft goods to give us options which is wonderful and should make most happy.
Mine live on the shelf so it's pvc for me. My super 7 mum-ra has only worn his cloth robe for a minute. It looked cheap.
halo the video game franchise have some old aliens sculpted to sit in floating thrones, try looking for some
I make capes, and robes for my 3.75 Star Wars figures
Why was vinyl abandoned? It seems to be superior in a lot of cases.
Soft goods all the way the amount of clone troopers I had as a kid who couldn't sit in vehicles or crouch behind cover due to pvc skirts is infuriating
Just got the walmart exclusive vintage collection blue arc trooper poses like a champ and I can recreate every thing I saw on screen with him
I personally prefer the soft plastic pvc form Cape I collect a lot of Superhero figures Batman etc.
It really is an individual choice
I sculpt my own capes and cast them in latex.
More talented then I
Hate to break your heart, but the just revealed Marvel Legends Syren has soft goods. I think there have been a few others.
I know! Kinda on the fence on this one as I get why
Elrond: You want us to what???
Galadriel: I'll turn him into a toad!
Legolas and a dozen guards shoot arrows at a fleeing fat guy in a red suit who barely escapes in a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer!
Radagast: That isn't me!
I just wish lines would make a choice and stay with it. When it comes to toy collecting, few things are more annoying to me than having one figure that stands out like a sore thumb because it's the only one with soft goods.
I don't do cloth capes on my action figures... But when I do, it always has a wire in it.
I prefer plastic, soft goods looks cheap and/or bulky, not detail at all, only premium action figures or custom work for me,for example Spine Master capes look so cheap or the Mego vintage toys they used to look like pijamas
It's a wrap!
Bam
soft goods - ALWAYS!
And their you go
Sylvie from Marvel legends has the worst cape ever. It's literally a immobile shroud. You can't pose her with it on and I wonder if they knew how popular she'd be if they would have given her a more dynamic cape. She's on my shelf capeless right now.
I realize this is a matter of personal preference, but soft goods always makes a figure look 'cheap' to me 😕
I can see that
Wrong use of 'their' dude. Should be 'there'. Love your vids, don't want to be that guy buy here we are ... lol
Will fix ASAP! Thanks
@@spectorcreative1872 no probs. Feel free to delete this comment as if it never happened 😁
PVC always looks better