Well, there goes Pop Up Parade's prime directive revolving around affordability. Now they're just defined as "easy to collect". Because sometimes they'll offer a character that no other figure producer is making a figure of…but it's in the Pop Up Parade L or SP subcategories. So now instead of $40, they're $76-$90+.
Pop Up Parades used to be primarily about AFFORDABILITY. They were founded on all figures staying under $40. GoodSmile's website for their Pop Up Parade figure line, used to have affordability, front and center. It used to be how they'd always describe the Pop Up Parade figure line.
They used to always announce new Pop Up Parades, by advertising them as $37.99! The Pop Up Parade figure line used to be about affordability. They plastered $37.99 all over their announcements for the first batches of Pop Up Parade announcements.
They even posted an apology for when they had to raise prices to $43.99! But now the Pop Up Parade information website mentions nothing about affordability. I could forgive the price rising to $44. That's still cheaper than the Nendoroid average ($50).
And I was fine with them offering Pop Up Parade L size and Pop Up Parade XL. Sure, it was more expensive, I wasn't interested in that, and they were as big as scale figures, and I wasn't interested in that either. But for people who do like scale figures, they were still cheaper than scale figures, despite being a similar size to scale figures. And it was nice that they would have that option, even if it wasn't something I was interested in buying.
But now almost all the characters I'm interested in buying, get announced as L sized or SP, with no regular Pop Up Parade options. The old Pop Up Parade website mentioned how there was a demand for larger figures than the standard Pop Up Parade size. So I guess I have those fans to blame for ruining the whole point of Pop Up Parade. I bet these people that can afford an L sized and SP Pop Up Parade, demanding larger sizes, probably actually want scale figures, and likely can already afford scale figures. My problem is that the fans for larger, more expensive Pop Up Parade figures, seem to be becoming the only fanbase that Good Smile Company is starting to cater the Pop Up Parade line towards.
Suddenly, there were some characters that were ONLY offered in Pop Up Parade L size, Pop Up Parade XL, and Pop Up Parade SP/Special. Now, I understand that Pop Up Parade SP are for more detailed figures, and some characters just have more complex character designs, which can't stay under $44. And I am willing to pay $58 for my Pop Up Parade Viktor. But $90 for Pop Up Parade SP Arsene?!? $135 for Pop Up Parade SP Nutcracker Witch?!? Even $78 for Pop Up Parade SP Viktor, after tariffs?!??? That's way too much for a figure line, built on the promise of affordability (under $40).
Meanwhile, those of us in the mid-price range of figure collectors lose one of the few mid-price ranged figure lines: Pop Up Parade. I may as well go back to Banpresto, Taito, and Sega prize figures, marked up by American stores and the after-market. If Pop Up Parade is going to end up, with all the characters I like, only available as L and SP, then they may as well be the same as all the scale figures that I can't afford and skip buying by default.
And honestly, I'm already settling for Pop Up Parades, when I buy them. I prefer articulated figures, not static scale. I'd rather have chibi Nendoroids, than figures with characters to-scale.
The only reason I put up with Pop Up Parade figures, is because sometimes, they're the only (GoodSmile) figures of those characters. There is no other company making an Viktor Arcane figure to the quality that Good Smile is making. There is no one else making a Nutcracker Witch/Homulily figure. There is no one else making an Arsene figure as affordable AND accessible as Good Smile's Pop Up Parade. But I went into Pop Up Parades, willing to buy them because they were even cheaper than the average $50 Nendoroid. If they're not anymore, and they're not articulated, and they're not chibi, then why should I keep collecting them? Unfortunately, it's because sometimes they're the only figures that any manufacturer is making of certain characters. But at these prices, for a figure line that was founded on affordability, sometimes I feel like they're holding my favorite characters hostage. I don't want to pay as much as a scale figure---even a cheap scale figure! But sometimes, there's no other choice!
That being said, if Pop Up Parade makes a post timeskip Claude von Riegan figure or a Jayce Talis (last episode) Pop Up Parade, at normal size, not an L or XL, then I would be willing to buy even SP versions. I don't want to! I just want standard sized Pop Up Parades, that won't take up so much space, and at affordable prices! But no one else is making figures of these characters, and if Good Smile did it, then I'd have no choice. And for these 2 characters...I kind of wouldn't mind. As long as they're not scale figures, because those are definitely out of my budget range.
This is all with the caveat that I'd prefer Nendoroids. I always prefer Nendoroids. Why aren't there post timeskip Claude von Riegan, human Viktor Arcane, and Jayce Talis Nendoroids yet???????
A new figure line "at affordable prices"? Sounds like Good Smile Company's Pop Up Parade line...before they started making lots of L size, XL, and SP versions.😅 Let's hope the idea of mid-range priced figures catches on more economically this time.
Kinda sad what they’ve done with the newer Nendoroids. Like the old ones do not match the new ones at all and the new ones come with way les
That is not a "new version Nendoroid beside an old version Nendoroid". That is a Nendoroid Doll.
Also, there isn't just a Nendoroid Doll Hetalia Germany. Good Smile did make a regular Nendoroid Hetalia Germany. It exists. You could hunt that down and buy it, instead of settling for the Nendoroid Doll. In fact, many characters as Nendoroid Dolls ALSO have a regular Nendoroid version.
I think what you mean to complain about is Nendoroid Basic. That is the newer figure line of Nendoroids with a lack of accessories.
If you want to complain about Nendoroid Basic, you can do that. But please advocate for regular Nendoroid versions IN ADDITION to GSC keeping the Nendoroid Basic line. Please don't make Good Smile discontinue the Nendoroid Basic line! In fact, comment to GSC for more Nendoroids like the Metaphor ReFantazio Protagonist, who has BOTH a Nendoroid version AND a Nendoroid Basic version.
Because Nendoroid Basic are for those of us who can't always afford all those extra parts from a full, regular Nendoroid. Some of us, have depleted our Nendoroid budgets, and have been collecting Nendroroids for so long, that we don't want to be spending extra on accessories, because we already have multiple accessories and Nendoroid More sets for a Nendoroid Basic to swap with.
Nendoroid Basic is not worthless. It is a figure line that I am very happy exists, for my dwindling figure budget. It will allow me to collect characters that I would have had to skip at normal, regular, full Nendoroid prices.
And I much prefer it to Nendoroid DX and Nendoroid "Hero Edition"s. It used to be we had a choice between $50 Nendoroids and $80 DX/special edition Nendoroids. I have been saying for years, that the choice needs to be between $50 Nendoroids and $30 Nendoroids. Now Good Smile Company has finally made an economical version of Nendoroids, in the Nendoroid Basic line, and too often I see it in danger of being discontinued, because people keep complaining about its lack of accessories. I will GLADLY sacrifice accessories if it means I can still get my favorite characters, fully articulated, and still able to swap out parts with Nendoroids I already have! I don't want Nendoroid Basic to be retracted, just like the plastic-less Nendoroid box/packaging proposals. That got obliterated because of all the complaints online that didn't take other preferences into account. And I should have made more public the comments I kept hearing EVERY DAY FOR WEEKS from more environmental figure collectors, glad to see the plastic-free boxes. And I will regret that forever. But the Nendoroid Basic figure line now has full Nendoroid versions (almost) concurrently released with their Nendoroid Basic versions. This will save everyone!
So please, Good Smile....Please don't end the Nendoroid Basic line, just because some people who aren't aware that fully accessorized, regular Nendoroid versions of the same Nendoroid Basic are being released soon after the Nendoroid Basic releases for the same character. ;o;!
What the heck???? This figure is cheaper than a Nendoroid!!! It's like the equivalent of a Figma, and yet it's so affordable! O.o!!!
I mean, I get that it's a stripped down version of a clothed figure, a figure clothed with fabric accessories, which are often more expensive for non-chibi figures. But WOW.
Though, now that I think about it, I guess the Figma Styles are similar. The bikini Figma Styles, which are also unclothed, original characters, were only ~$25.
