From Hot Toys to Mezco: The Evolution of a Collector Part 3

Mezco One:12 Collective was something I had pondered in the past, but never legitimately considered collecting.  When Jerry 'Barbecue 17' Reed began picking up The Dark Knight Returns Batman ; that was the only product the company was putting out that slightly interested me, as their others license seemed a bit obscure from Space Ghost to Star Trek. That combined with fact that I only collected movie based figure made the Mezco proposition even less tempting.  Then something happened that changed everything: Mezco got the Marvel license.

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The first Marvel Figure I remember seeing in person was the Captain America that Barbecue 17 picked up one afternoon before the live recording of an episode The Confirmed Epic Podcast.  Sure the figure looked nice in online promo pics, but nothing could prepare me to see this epic 6 inch figure in person.  The most impressive thing about Mezco One:12 for those that have never seen one in person is not really the figure itself, but rather the accessories, and the world class presentation the company provides for their figures. 

The boxes rivaled that of hot toys, and quite often the number as well the level of accessories surpassed that of hot toys.  Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagine a 6 inch figure having this much "oomph" to it.  The boxes were uber collector friendly with the figure be easily removed without damaging them, their was no needless tape or zip ties to combat once you opened one of this figures up.  Also included in the box were special compartments for the figure's accessories, as well as a collector friendly bag to store the many accessories in.

As far as accessories go I have never let the number s figure has make or break a collectible for me.  If the figure comes with the quintessential character defining accessories I am usually good, and as far as what I expect from a quality control level for accessories; well those are never as high as the expectations I have for the figure itself.  That all changed when Barbecue 17 picked up the deluxe Punisher.  A figure that saw the sheer quality, and quality of accessories surpass even what I had seen with Hot Toys.  For each gun, grenade, and knife provided for Frank Castle the paint application and overall quality control was confirmed epic! 

Beyond the weaponry most Mezco One:12 collective figures soon started arriving with multiple head sculpts, and sometimes up to 8 pairs of hands.  However the thing that puts the Mezco brand over the top is their character themed stands.  Most all of their stands also come with an attachable posable display arm for flying or action poses.  The stand alone gives you the type of gravitas that something like the a Marvel Legend cannot replicate, and the motion arm is the type of extra attention to detail that makes Mezco special.

One of the things that drew me to Hot Toys over other higher end lines was the cloth clothing that the uninitiated may be viewed as doll like.  I always viewed well fitting stitched clothing as something that adds an authenticity aspect to a figure that molded plastic cannot.  Mezco provides well tailored cloth clothing on all of their figures, while some may find this reminiscent of MEGO dolls of the 1970's; the type of clothing one can expect to find in a MEZCO One:12 is that of a Hot Toys and MEGO love child.

Perhaps the most important thing to collectors is the bottom line, so how much does the average Mezco cost? At retail the answer is usually just around $80, with larger figures lake the Thor Ragnarok Gladiator hulk creeping up to $135.  While $80 may seem like a lot for an 6 inch figure, you have to consider the investment you are making! I am not one to usually refer to a toy as an investment, but with nearly all Mezco's either retaining of quadrupling their price that odds that you make money rather than lose money if you have to sell your collection are pretty good.