NECA - General Thread

Wonder if that means 8 inch retro Trek figures. We know Nacelle has the 7 inch, regular figures locked down.

Not necessarily what it means, I know, but interesting to see.
 
I thought I’d want the Trek Halloween kids, it would be funny to put Kirk next to Michael Meyers and what not but actually seeing them isn’t sparking joy in me, hope they do well though
 
PanchaMaestro said:
Ben Cooper Star Trek!!! Look fun. Man I have too many of these things.
Click to expand...
I may have asked this before, but I am very curious about the collector interest in these figures - they seem quite popular and while I certainly like a wide range of figures and oddness and don't begrudge it for anyone, I just don't get the appeal of these at all - is it nostalgia of the costumes themselves? That might be part of it as I never liked those plastic masks back in the day.

What boxes are these figures checking for people? Really would like to hear....
 
Last edited:
fac said:
I may have asked this before, but I am very curious about the collector interest in these figures -
Click to expand...

I just think they’re neat (photoshop of Marge Simpson holding up the Art Clown one or something); the replica boxes, the mini costume recreations… it’s like a little ornament of Halloweens past I can hang on my wall.

I will say I only like them as a boxed product though, like I can understand having a couple loosies for civilians in photos or victims in displays or maybe even you collect one certain character so you only bought that particular kid… but I think it would be a little weird to see like all 40+ of these actually like displayed opened somewhere
 
  • Like
Reactions: fac
fac said:
I may have asked this before, but I am very curious about the collector interest in these figures - they seem quite popular and while I certainly like a wide range of figures and oddness and don't begrudge it for anyone, I just don't get the appeal of these at all - is it nostalgia of the costumes themselves? That might be part of it as I never liked those plastic masks back in the day.

What boxes are these figures checking for people? Really would like to hear....
Click to expand...

I'm far from a completionist on these, but I've grabbed more than a few because I HAD Ben Cooper costumes as a kid, and these strike a nostalgia cord for me that no other current product does. Grouping them all together like this:

Trick or treat by lionpride75, on Flickr

really sets a scene for photos (or holiday decorating if you do that).
 
Is it worth even anticipating the show this weekend? NECA had a full year of lackluster show reveals in 2025, more or less, should we just take it as the new normal? How's everyone feeling about the possibities?
 
cmoney said:
Is it worth even anticipating the show this weekend? NECA had a full year of lackluster show reveals in 2025, more or less, should we just take it as the new normal? How's everyone feeling about the possibities?
Click to expand...
Their Toy Fair last year was their biggest show so maybe that will be true of this year. The other cons were definitely lacking.

The Ben Cooper stuff is basically the new Pop or ReAction. They're unique looking and priced to move, and for NECA they're cheap so they can pump them out. They'll probably crash out at some point, but not before NECA makes some good money off of them.
 
  • Like
Reactions: fac
Makes sense with the Ben Cooper - I never would have thought of it as being a potential figure line, so props to NECA for doing it. And I like Pops and ReAction and all sorts of kitsch.

Must be because I hated those costumes as a kid! Batman didn't have his name "Batman" across the bat symbol, and the Joker didn't wear a shirt with his face on it... Plus with glasses the masks were hard to wear, and the vinyl smocks got hot. I think I got the Batman one when I was 5 or 6 and never again. Have no affection for them at all despite being from my era.
 
Last edited:
Felonious Monk said:
Don't forget the undeniable attraction to cut your tongue on mouth cutout. I loved when Venture Bros included that oh, so common occurrence when Hank became "The Bat."
Click to expand...
I bought the Batman Ben Cooper fig specifically because of Hank Venture.

I too hated those costumes as a kid. Never owned one as my mom refused to spend money on them as well, not that I ever requested one. They really were the worst costumes and represented the bare minimum one could do for Halloween.
 
fac said:
I may have asked this before, but I am very curious about the collector interest in these figures - they seem quite popular and while I certainly like a wide range of figures and oddness and don't begrudge it for anyone, I just don't get the appeal of these at all - is it nostalgia of the costumes themselves? That might be part of it as I never liked those plastic masks back in the day.

What boxes are these figures checking for people? Really would like to hear....
Click to expand...
More than anything, it is nostalgia. Those costumes were TERRIBLE, and incredibly uncomfortable, but if you were a kid in the 70s or 80s, and didn't have a lot of money (or a mom who could sew) these were often the only option for you to participate in Halloween activities. Yeah, it was dumb to have a picture of the character you were supposed to be on your chest, and yeah...the elastic on those masks would snap after about ten minutes ( I remember one year my dad bringing along a stapler to fix the elastic bands on our masks as we went door-to-door). Still, it was SOMETHING for you to get to pretend to be someone else for the evening, and get some candy in the process.

For me, I like to put these figures into displays to fill them out. I have a few in a scene with Dr. Loomis facing off against Michael Myers, and some others in the background of my Halloween III Silver Shamrock trick-or-treaters. The fact that many of these are accurate to the eras those films are set in just adds a touch of authenticity. I'm nowhere near a completist...I actually only have a few, but they are a fun little thing to spruce up various scenes.
 
I admit after looking at them some more, if I was to get the Naughty or Nice Pumpkin dudes, a half dozen of these figures around them in a pumkin patch like the pic in @SalemCrow's post might be fun. Or if I had a "Halloween" display like @TheGillMan mentions.

I forgot how terrible the elastic was. Pretty sure mine snapped as well.

Was reading up on the Ben Cooper company and supposedly they were the first company to license Spider-Man - and in 1963.
 
The crappiness is part of the appeal. I have friends that are really into old Xmas blow molds. I am jealous of their collections. I have 2 minor ones. Part of their appeal is their “bad taste” and questionable execution as well . That aesthetic pleasure is very similar. Hell it’s part of the appeal of comics. They are a “low” art form. Halloween chocolate isn’t good chocolate. Corn dogs and Captain Crunch are wonderful in their awfulness. The mismatched Ben Cooper Spider-Man is an aesthetic delight.

That said yeah I didn’t like wearing them as a kid either for all the reasons listed. I wanted to BE the character I was pretending to be for Halloween not wear his iconography. I was lucky; my mom helped. I was also creative and I would do work too. I loved Dracula so that’s who I was quite a lot. It was the early 70s. The idea that I could have had a comic accurate Spider-Man costume was just so beyond the expectations of Halloween in the 1970s. As I branched out as I was a little older; I was able to do the majority of the work except ask my mom to break out her sewing machine for an hour or so.

As I’ve brought up here a few times as some people might remember; I’m into Halloween. I take days off work. Decorate the hell out of my yard. Usually have a big party (night of Halloween; none of this Sat night before BS) I am way over generous with candy. Ben Cooper costumes used to be the low effort kid costume. Low effort on part of the parents. Often bc they are overworked, underpaid and pressed for time but want to do something for their kids. There’s still plenty of that. It used to bug me when kids had next to no costume trick or treating a long time ago. Then it became so obvious they wore what they could at no fault to anyone. Here have a freaking whole handful of candy. As long as my yard haunt made their little brother freak out a little I’m golden.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top