Ya I had a few things I wanted to cover but just need some extra free time to put together a more coherent presentation.

It looks gorgeous!

Ben

Beautiful helmet!
Did it have the paint chipped like that when you received it, or from a small accident you had?

The paint came chipped. My guess is some foam frrom the packing stuck to the paint and it came off. The dealer I bought it from has contacted efx, but we haven't heard back, yet.

Even with the paint flaws, I am thrilled with the quality look of the helmet.

I think you not need to weather this one, it's already done...
No for real, wtf is that for a shipping handling from efx?
I look with fear if they ship the tie fighter like this.
Did you ask for a refund or a replacement ?

I have to say I love the helmet and asked for a replacement. I paid in full when I ordered it well over a year ago -so I was unhappy that mine didn't arrive in good condition.

Personally, I think the helmet is amazing. I am thrilled with the quality of the product and really would like to support efx as a company because they made the helmet I have always wanted, but I am also very frustrated with efx's communication. I'd like a Stormtrooper helmet, but I'll have to see if they make this right, first.

The pictures I've seen of the efx Tie Fighter look great! If you've got one coming I hope it exceeds your expectations!

My helmet is being replaced!

good to hear

Good luck on the replacement.

I'm still wondering whether eFX has the rights to produce cheap versions similarly to the Don Post Classic Action and the Rubies Supreme helmet. With a few tweaks to the back of the face mask and back of the tubes, and getting rid of the dome flange rim, but otherwise leaving the shapes intact, there should be no reason why they couldn't produce a super awesome injection molded ABS helmet in the $120-150 range that would blow all the previous attempts of doing cheaper alternatives out of the water. The DP CA was damn good in preserving the original look, but was done in vinyl. The Rubies Supreme looks like it was hit by a space freighter and dragged through the core of a sun, but made from super sturdy ABS plastic.

The material the Rubies Supreme was made of was absolutely perfect and if they'd just not screwed up with the actual look of the helmet, then it would have been beyond awesome. The question is: is this something eFX may have in the pipeline? An injection molded ABS ANH Vader helmet?

you know, they just might. after all they do have many stormtrooper helmets like this for a low cost suck as this.
i wouldn't be surprised if they did what you are talking about.
after all they could maximize their profits from their molds by doing this. and your talking about using the same molds they used for the legends and limiteds right?

would be pretty cool to see that. heck ild even buy one for my boy probably. lets just hope the packing is better this time around if they do.

Actually, you can't use the same molds for injection molding. You'd have to create expensive metal molds for that, but I was thinking they could use the Limited as a base for these. If they don't waste time on the two-tone, like Rubies did (and mirrored it, wasting the effort), and doing it in all black, the same gloss black Rubies used, then that would be beyond awesome.

It could certainly help boost things for them, as seeing as it isn't painted, but gloss ABS plastic they would have no worries with the kind of shipping disaster they've been suffering with the Legend and Limited helmets. And they can just go cheap on lenses, tusks and grills as people wanting to will likely just replace those anyway themselves, like they did on the DP CA and the Rubies.

I honestly think it would be a major seller. Hell... look at the interest there still is in the DP CA, even after the Rubies appeared, and it would give them some capital and a positive rep. Rubies could have struck gold if they hadn't screwed with the face mask and made the dome ridge and brow so soft... now... eFX has that chance to hit a home run that would be perfect for trooping, cheap and affordable, and with the chance that possibly even Legend and Limited owners would get one.

aah yes, the molds wouldn't hold up due to the hot plastic. gotcha.

yeah the limited would be perfect for the abs helmet. and the people who purchased the rubies rots vader supreme costume would buy one for sure.
man they would be foolish not to do it.. you know they would sell a ton of them. because im sure just like the rubies helmet. people would want to modify and paint it to be more film accurate.

Well, compared the the Rubies, if eFX doesn't alter the basic shapes of the helmet too much, I doubt people would do more modifications to it than they did the Don Post Classic Action - that one was a perfect cheap helmet, only made in a crappy material that warps and distorts. If the DP CA was made the same way and in the same material as the Rubies Supreme... that would be a perfect cheap RotJ helmet right there.

Even though the initial investment in the molds will be a lot of money, I really think they'll make their money back and more in no time. However I can understand their reluctance, if they have any, as it may kill their limited version in desirability!?

yeah as long as they dont alter its shape. thats true too. keep it as close to the original molds as possible. and then again like you said it may not be in their interest to do the abs version right now. due to the fact that it may take away from the desirability of the limited.
but if they wait a while and do it sometime later on down the road. after the legend and limited have long sold out. people then could alter it. lets say they make it after the two high end helmets are long sold out. some people would alter it to look more like the legend version. and or like the limited. thats if they do it like you said in an all gloss black abs with no two tone paint scheme. it would be the perfect alternative for the people who missed out on the legend and limited. not to mention the fact that they would be getting it for hundreds less. because then basically the abs version would be a very nice base model for whatever version someone would want to turn it into. or just leave it black and add better lenses and or metal tusks and metal mesh. thats if they are only using cheap plastic for those.

so it wouldn't really take away from the desirability of the limited or the legend for that matter. "if" they make the abs version later on down the road after the two are long sold out..

it would be pretty cool if they did it. would be cool seeing it at a toys-r-us or at a costume shop or something.

eFX Collectibles A New Hope Darth Vader Limited Edition helmet: