Signs You’re Burned Out By The 1/6 Hobby

Matching skin tones is my greatest frustration. Followed by sellers lying about what scale their products are.

MX-V wrote:But now, I'm getting a bit burned out/bummed out on everything I'd like to get is sold out or discontinued.
It takes a month for Aliexpress items to get here.
The stuff available right away is kind of...meh...
The last heads I ordered, 3 were way too small, one was too big.
Some of the heads look way off from the picture.
Color matching heads and bodies is a crap shoot.
I realize if I have twice as much from now, it won't be half as much as what I want tomorrow...
I also realize that Phicen/TBL got their suntan color from a dead body they found in an alleyway...

This is the sad reality of this hobby — especially the custom/kitbash end. It’s an expensive and time-consuming process that has pretty much been this way since around 2000 when people really started to explore the idea of making their own figures (obviously using existing bodies, some existing parts, and making their own stuff).

Luckily the invention of 3D printing has helped in many cases, and sewing and other crafting skills helps. But when it comes to matching heads to bodies, clothes that fit, etc., it is ALL Trial & Error, and the chances of that ever changing are nil. That problem has plagued those of us who have been doing this for decades have (unwisely perhaps) come to expect and to a degree accept, though rising costs and ridiculous increases in parted out goods often curbs anyone’s enthusiasm. It also helps that manufacturers of clothes generally design them for a specific body, and if folks choose to use something other than the recommended… well, that’s on them to try to figure out how to make it work, and if it doesn’t, the blame lies with the end-user.

As I said, it helps to have some skill in crafting, but often that isn’t enough and “settling” for something that may not be exactly what we want is often the result. Don’t feel too bad or get too discouraged on your journey. While sites like this one are here to help as much as we can, we are not the end all be all for this hobby.

As much as I despise Google (and the commie b%#@h that runs it), it can often be your friend to find early examples of what folks who are masters in this hobby we’re able to achieve. The “Old Site” (onesixthwarriors) was/is a goldmine of information. Sadly, since 2016-17, when it was bought and consumed under an umbrella of forums, it has become a virtual ghost-town, and the search function is virtually useless (hence Google). So many talented artisans (like Tony Barton, who pops in here from time to time) have tutorials over there that are truly remarkable.

There is also customonesixth, an off-shoot of CollectorFreaks (formerly SideshowFreaks) that has many skilled artisans (though most tend to work on group projects rather than “one-offs”.

Don’t get too discouraged this early in the game. I’ve been in this hobby (off and on) for many decades, and I have boxes and boxes of loose accessories, clothes, head sculpts and bodies — many of them with nowhere to go because of all the things you mentioned.

When I’m upset or disappointed, I like to vent and commiserate with others.   I try to be considerate and keep it to a minimum, but at the end of the day, that’s just who I am.

However, before I get typecast as a miserable person that gets no enjoyment whatsoever out of this hobby, here are some of the positive experiences I’ve had:

Very Cool Complete Figures  Yes, I had some issues early on with Kerr, but once I got them straightened out, she became my favorite 1/6 figure.  Villa, the Jenners, and Miss Spetsnaz have all been fantastic.  There’s some room for improvement when it comes to the build quality of the assault rifles and a few of the hard plastic items, but overall, I’d say Very Cool is the most consistent company out there when it comes to producing quality figures.

Super Duck Kits  Color matching is pretty much impossible on some of their earlier offerings like Mai and Chun-Li, but they’ve improved tremendously since then.  What’s always been and continues to be great is the clothing and accessories.  I have 6 or 7 sets at this point, and haven’t had any issues whatsoever.  The sculpts can be a little bland at times, but when it comes to overall build quality, Super Duck is tough to beat.   Tifa was a home run for me and is my second favorite 1/6 figure next to Kerr.

TB League Nancy from Hell  Why can’t all TBLeague figures be this good?  I’m familiar with the source material, and she’s about as close to perfection as you can get.  She’s also proof that you don’t need a boatload of accessories to make a great figure.

Android 18 - iminitoys Head Sculpt/CDToys Outfit/TBL S10D body This was my first “build” and everything fit together beautifully right out of the boxes. In some ways, I have to blame Android 18 for some of my later disappointments, because I thought building a complete figure that looked so seamless out of items that came from three different companies was the rule, not the rare exception.

SooSoo Toys Mr. Butcher and Damtoys Leon Kennedy   I obviously have a soft spot for the ladies when it comes to personal favorites, but objectively, these are the two best 1/6 figures I own.  Sometimes you get a figure of a character that’s so definitive that you feel like you’ll never need another one.  That’s how I feel about these two.

So, yeah…there have been some big disappointments and some money pits along the way (especially lately), but when I stop and look at everything I’ve bought so far, the good definitely outweighs the bad.

Valentin, those are some awesome displays. I'm sure they have brought a lot of enjoyment to many many visitors.

personally, while not burned out, i rather feel "unfocused" as to where to continue. one'd think that having a 3d printer at hand would be an absolute boon, and it certainly is, but at the point where almost everything is a print away in terms of items, i lately tend to aimlessly print every small stuff at hand and add it to the pile instead get going with what i have.

theres no way i'm ever going to display my figures with every weapon i printed so far, still i find myself in search of yet another "essential" thingie, just because i can.

so far i lost my grasp for space, trying to bring whole fallout into plastic, when room is limited to a few square feet.

plus i easily get distracted in "dead ends" once a game gets my attention for an extended amount of playtime. having fun in dark souls? build a diorama. enjoyed resident evil remake? kitbash a leon and hunk and just for the sake of it buy a cheap chris while i'm at it.
right now i'm binch farming diablo 2 resurrected with a barbarian class. guess what, i preordered a worldbox at030 body.

what i'm getting at is that, personally speaking, stretching your ressources and energy thin can make you feel burned, when all i need is get back on track and finally one thing finished at a time.
even if that means missing out on a future figure.
kind regards

Tjolnir wrote: dark souls? build a diorama. enjoyed resident evil remake? kitbash a leon and hunk and just for the sake of it buy a cheap chris while i'm at it.
right now i'm binch farming diablo 2 resurrected with a barbarian class. guess what, i preordered a worldbox at030 body.

very good taste in games Especially D2.

I'm kinda similar here, if I play or watch something, I'm very much into that thing and look for figures or bashes until I watch a new thing

thx. Yeah thats a nasty habit i got there almost as bad as jesse ventura spitting chewing tobacco on a certain boot in predator what else comes to mind are the "one offs", like a main character gets his figure and after that the company abandons that topic. even if i was going to commit to it, having the x-th geralt for example aint gonna fill my witcher diorama.
thats one of the reasons i'm a happy 10 year old again with neca's tmnt line. I can keep collecting and even army build at a decent price range.

What games are your incentive to go wild with 1/6 stuff?

Tjolnir wrote:

What games are your incentive to go wild with 1/6 stuff?

My interest is in building a DnD (Baldurs Gate) typical "Role Playing Group of six" (Sorcerer, Druid, Fighter etc.) as a personal long time project.
I also like Diablo (quiet similar characters to build, so I won't do both, BG and D2) and grimdark genres like Dark Souls.

Games like Street Fighter or Mortal Combat are also in my interests and I think you can do great scenes and fighting duels with chars from these franchises. So many possibilities in the gaming world.

Main problem will be limited space especially with my ever growing collection of medieval (fantasy) knights or historical figures. So lets see what I can realize in the next years or in 2039 onwards

Valiarde wrote:My interest is in building a DnD (Baldurs Gate) typical "Role Playing Group of six" (Sorcerer, Druid, Fighter etc.) as a personal long time project.  

Interesting. I’m doing something similar. I wrote a book for my wife as a wedding present, and I loosely based the six main characters on the archetypes from the DnD animated series. It was short (a novella) as I only had a year, but I wasn’t satisfied, so I spent the next 10 years writing a full blown epic (around 1500 pages), but changed quite a bit, and only used the archetypes as a starting point. I currently have two of the figures (the ones I loosely based on my wife and I) mostly finished, and I’ve been gathering parts for the others, plus the main villain who only makes an appearance in the book near the very end, but like Sauron, his presence is always felt. I’d like to make some of the other characters that are in the book, but that would get out of hand quickly, and I’ll have a hard enough time finishing the ones I already currently plan to make. I like the head sculpt of the black girl from the Deathloop figures I recently put up in the New Products section, but I’m planning to have a custom head made for Diana/Acrobat (which I might change to just Fighter).

Well, I got the Super Duck Cammy set in yesterday.  I very carefully put the green jump suit on the recommended S22A body, just about had it zipped up in the back, and the zipper pull came loose.  I spent the rest of the evening trying to fix it with no luck.  It’s not like a jacket zipper.  It was sewn into the costume with part of the zipper already up.  First time I’ve ever had something go wrong with a Super Duck set.

My last outstanding 1/6 item arrives today, and then I’m taking a break for awhile as far as buying anything goes.  I’m just having a run of bad luck with 1/6 so the best thing I can do at this point is wait until it blows over.  I’m sure everyone here has experienced this at some point.

Stryker2011 wrote:

Valiarde wrote:My interest is in building a DnD (Baldurs Gate) typical "Role Playing Group of six" (Sorcerer, Druid, Fighter etc.) as a personal long time project.  

Interesting. I’m doing something similar. I wrote a book for my wife as a wedding present, and I loosely based the six main characters on the archetypes from the DnD animated series. It was short (a novella) as I only had a year, but I wasn’t satisfied, so I spent the next 10 years writing a full blown epic (around 1500 pages), but changed quite a bit, and only used the archetypes as a starting point. I currently have two of the figures (the ones I loosely based on my wife and I) mostly finished, and I’ve been gathering parts for the others, plus the main villain who only makes an appearance in the book near the very end, but like Sauron, his presence is always felt. I’d like to make some of the other characters that are in the book, but that would get out of hand quickly, and I’ll have a hard enough time finishing the ones I already currently plan to make. I like the head sculpt of the black girl from the Deathloop figures I recently put up in the New Products section, but I’m planning to have a custom head made for Diana/Acrobat (which I might change to just Fighter).

That sounds like a pretty great wedding present.
Your 1500 pages epic work...pretty great you did that. I always wanted to write a fantasy book but never got more than like 10 pages - I often do some plotting and writing down chars and world but never write the prose.
Is it private or did you release it in self publishing?
I once made a Sarevok (main villain of Baldurs Gate "similar" to Sauron in HdR) but it kinda failed - was one of my first worbla crafts and it looks very bad lol. But maybe in 5-10 years, I have the power and skills to redo it.

Nice that you have also some RPG chars in your mind for the hobby. Hope to see one or two in the next years

Valiarde wrote:That sounds like a pretty great wedding present.
Your 1500 pages epic work...pretty great you did that. I always wanted to write a fantasy book but never got more than like 10 pages - I often do some plotting and writing down chars and world but never write the prose.
Is it private or did you release it in self publishing?
I once made a Sarevok (main villain of Baldurs Gate "similar" to Sauron in HdR) but it kinda failed - was one of my first worbla crafts and it looks very bad lol. But maybe in 5-10 years, I have the power and skills to redo it.

Nice that you have also some RPG chars in your mind for the hobby. Hope to see one or two in the next years

The book is private. I had the first one professionally bound by a book printer located in a nearby big city, but that was 27 years ago, and they've since gone out of business. The second one I had professionally printed, and broke it down (as I was writing it, because it just became too damn big as it's an over-sized -- almost the size of a coffee table book -- and I illustrated it, and added annotations in the margins) into 5 separate books, but I have yet to find a book binder that can do the job to my satisfaction and within my budget. The wife has read it, though, so at least she's been able to enjoy it. I even, insanely, went all out and put the entire thing to music; I have a fairly extensive film soundtrack library and made over 50 CDs to coincide with practically every scene; that took another 2 years to complete as I had to sit and listen to every piece of music I could get my hands on, trying to find the best piece to fit any particular moment, and then catalog the entire thing in hundreds of pages of notes, before committing anything to the compilation. Half the time I would find a new piece of music that would work better and go back and replace stuff. My OCD just wouldn't let me stop on that little "side project."

Your Baldur's Gate character sounds cool. You're already at a high skill level, so it would be awesome to see that made. Maybe Ovy would be willing to make some armor for you...? (hint hint)

Wow, Mark, that sounds like a very epic project. I hope Lady Stryker feels extra special!

GubernatorFan wrote:Wow, Mark, that sounds like a very epic project. I hope Lady Stryker feels extra special!

Well, i guess so. She was pretty shocked when she saw how immense of a project it became. After she read it all, she cried (she cries whether she’s happy or sad, but she was smiling, so she must have been happy  ).  I just need to get off my lazy ass and find a new book-binder.

Driving your wife to tears sounds bad... except of course when they are happy tears!

It does sound like a cool project.

There is a general sense of positive feeling coming out in some of these responses.
I like that.
For me, I like the creative side of this hobby. I'd love to buy a complete kit, but that's not my bag baby.
One way that I keep it going is to look for stuff that I can repurpose.

Another is camaraderie. The smallest response can be enough to keep me going.
We do this hobby for ourselves, but sometimes, a comment on a post is enough to make someones day.
I need to remember this as often as I look at someone's work, I don't take the time to comment, even just a "that's so cool!!!". I think it, but I don't take the time as often as I should.
Sorry about that.
But, I would be here all day. Every photo on here I see is pretty cool, no matter what level.