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Cosplay: A place to discuss and show off your costuming skills => SW Costumes Robes, Belts etc... => Topic started by: WEDGE ANTILLES on April 13, 2013, 08:52:47 AM

Title: Museum Replicas no longer making Star Wars costumes
Post by: WEDGE ANTILLES on April 13, 2013, 08:52:47 AM
MR has very quietly LOST the SW license.
all the SW costumes have been removed from their site. 
https://www.museumreplicas.com/g-1-star-wars.aspx
there has been no official announcement about this from neither MR nor Disney..
..but when you phone customer service to inquire about this (@ 1-800-883-8838), you will be told "we are no longer carrying SW costumes".
this is the official company line, provided by their customer service people.


it's odd, for some reason I'm more upset about this than I am about LucasArts. LOL
(( I wonder who ELSE will get the axe, as Disney cleans house, and streamlines their business associations with LFL licensees))
(( the MR license clearly overlapped with the Rubies license -- what's next?  sideshow vs gentle giant?))
Title: Re: Museum Replicas no longer making Star Wars costumes
Post by: LUMINARA UNDULI on April 13, 2013, 08:57:43 AM
Well, that is...unfortunate...

They are a great vendor, I can't imagine why in the world that decision would have been made.
Title: Re: Museum Replicas no longer making Star Wars costumes
Post by: Psab Keel on April 13, 2013, 08:26:32 PM
I'm not sure how much Disney had to do with it in terms of axing it just for the sake of axing it.  I purchased the Obi-Wan boots and the quality was extremely inconsistent.  I returned them and am awaiting a refund.  While the company is good, their Star Wars line left a LOT to be desired.  I know I'm not the only one who had had similar experiences with the quality/ accuracy of their work with regards to this line.  Given the prices they charged and their access to the actual screen used costumes, you'd think they would have turned out a far better product. 

I think these issues along with the standard factory sizes doomed the line from the beginning.  Star Wars fans come in all shapes and sizes and given that they tried to keep the sizes within a certain range of the screen used costumes, it didn't allow for many people to be able to purchase a costume that fit properly.  I had a strong suspicion that the line would die.  Especially when we kept seeing prototype after prototype of costumes that were in production that never made it to the public for purchase.  These didn't sell anywhere near where Lucasfilm or Museum Replicas Limited (though they should call it Movie Replicas Limited anymore) had hoped.  I think the intent of the line and the company was really great in trying to offer screen accurate costumes to the fans, but the price point, quality, and accuracy completely missed the mark.

Fan made costumes will always be better.  They reflect the time, energy, research and love that a huge company can never offer. 
Title: Re: Museum Replicas no longer making Star Wars costumes
Post by: Djor-Al Quin on April 14, 2013, 03:42:28 PM
I concur!
Title: Re: Museum Replicas no longer making Star Wars costumes
Post by: Drazhar on May 08, 2013, 12:51:56 AM
I'm not sure how much Disney had to do with it in terms of axing it just for the sake of axing it.  I purchased the Obi-Wan boots and the quality was extremely inconsistent.  I returned them and am awaiting a refund.  While the company is good, their Star Wars line left a LOT to be desired.  I know I'm not the only one who had had similar experiences with the quality/ accuracy of their work with regards to this line.  Given the prices they charged and their access to the actual screen used costumes, you'd think they would have turned out a far better product. 

I think these issues along with the standard factory sizes doomed the line from the beginning.  Star Wars fans come in all shapes and sizes and given that they tried to keep the sizes within a certain range of the screen used costumes, it didn't allow for many people to be able to purchase a costume that fit properly.  I had a strong suspicion that the line would die.  Especially when we kept seeing prototype after prototype of costumes that were in production that never made it to the public for purchase.  These didn't sell anywhere near where Lucasfilm or Museum Replicas Limited (though they should call it Movie Replicas Limited anymore) had hoped.  I think the intent of the line and the company was really great in trying to offer screen accurate costumes to the fans, but the price point, quality, and accuracy completely missed the mark.

Fan made costumes will always be better.  They reflect the time, energy, research and love that a huge company can never offer.

Precisely.
Title: Re: Museum Replicas no longer making Star Wars costumes
Post by: WEDGE ANTILLES on May 10, 2013, 01:24:21 PM
I bought the imperial officer boots (replica WW-II german parade boots) to use for "Hans Olo". ;) I paid full retail price for these.
I also got the Luke ceremony jacket for about $75.   this was a great score for the money, but I never would have bought it @ full retail price.
 

I think they tried too hard to balance accuracy with affordability, and in the end, they provided neither.
Even with a certain level of compromise, re: accuracy.. the anakin and Obi-wan ensembles were still ~$1600, and for THAT price, you'd expect 100% screen accuracy(!).. 
unfortunately this was their attempt at compromise, so the accuracy was NOT there.  regardless of price.

I think they should have aimed for "100% accuracy" at a pricepoint of $2k+.  or even $3k+.   or whatever it takes, to provide accurate "Replicas".
(with a name like "Museum Replicas" the customers EXPECTED accuracy, regardless of price).

 

in the end I think there WERE people willing to spend $1600 on a jedi suit, but they wanted 100% accurate. 
these same people would have spent 2x as much, if they could only get what they wanted.

--> ANY attempt to balance "accuracy" with "price" only alienated the customers who wanted "100% accurate" -- and this was 'everybody'.  :\  (so they lost their fanbase before they even started).
Title: Re: Museum Replicas no longer making Star Wars costumes
Post by: Psab Keel on May 10, 2013, 11:36:16 PM
I completely agree.  To have near perfect accuracy and affordability for mass consumption, is next to impossible.  The two tend to be mutually exclusive.  In order to get the kind of accuracy you would expect, and to have something that fit properly, because let's face it even the most screen accurate costume in the world will look terrible if it doesn't sit on the body properly, you need to pay good money for that.  It means custom tailoring.  The Museum Replicas Star Wars line was doomed from the beginning.  Most people weren't willing to shell out $1600.00 for a costume, much less for one that wasn't nearly as accurate as they claimed it to be. 
Title: Re: Museum Replicas no longer making Star Wars costumes
Post by: Green Ranger on December 23, 2013, 11:29:27 AM
These are dark times indeed :(