I bet every one of you who is into figure collecting has come across Sideshow Collectables/Hot Toys. I think for me it was 3 years ago when I first saw some of their models and I was amazed (a) by the detail and how good they looked and (b) by the price.
To be honest, it was always the price which put me off of on ever buying a Hot Toys figure no matter how much I liked them. I just couldn’t see why I should pay that much money for a figure…..until….
Well, until I had the chance to get my hands onto the Tony Stark – ‘The Mechanic’ figure for a price that wouldn’t make me feel too guilty. So I ordered it. I must admit that I was really looking forward to finally getting my hands on one of these premium figures. 
And on Friday it finally arrived! I felt like a kid on Christmas day. (chuckle)
First impression: NICE! They even have a plastic bag around the box itself for even more protection. I like their thinking.
And inside we have the wonderful Tony Stark. First thing I noticed here, again, is that all the hands, shoes and the head were all protected with plastic bags to make sure that they didn’t get damaged during transport. A thing that I, as a collector, more than appreciate – how many times have I come across a figure where the paint has been damaged because it was in contact to either other parts of the figure or with the plastic of the box itself? None of the above is the case here.
Every spare part has its own place which is molded to fit the different bits and pieces perfectly. Now let’s have a look at all of the pieces that come with this figure.
A nice set of different hands that look amazingly realistic. 
Iron Man hand, arm and the improvised Repulsor glove. 
And guess what…this arm’s repulsor even lights up! Plus all 5 fingers are fully articulated!
The armoured leg is quite easy to attach to Tony’s leg as well. And now comes all the little bits and pieces – they really blew my mind.
Here you have so many objects to choose from. So many options for your figure to pose with. You even have the little kid’s wristwatch, Tony’s sunglasses, a backpack to carry all your equipment and my favourite – the ‘Tony Stark Missing’ newspaper. Now let’s take a closer look at the figure itself. First impression: wow…the figure feels nicely weighted.
This figure looks AMAZING! Ok, Sideshow….I think I now understand why everyone says that your figures are the best on the market, this figure really is fantastic. Amazing quality through and through, from the material, the sturdy joints, the clothing and the realistic look of the face and skin. Everything is just perfect. I mean, just look at his face!
Doesn’t that just looks like Tony Stark? It sure does to me. The artist who created this deserves a medal.
I love these pictures of his face so much! So much detail like the facial hair and skin tone it is almost like the real Tony Stark.
I must admit that I was more than just blown away.
And being Sideshow you can of course switch on the Arc Reactor in his chest as well! And blimey the light of it sure is bright!
Here you can see the Arc reactor and the hand Repulsor switched on. They sure does look sweet!
Now I can say that Tony Stark likes to hang out in our garden. 😉
And doesn’t Tony Stark look sexy even as a figure? After I finally had my hands on a Hot Toys figure, I can say that the money they charge for their figures, at least in this case, is more than acceptable! The quality of the product you get will make up for it and with some spare joints that come with every figure you can be sure that you will have many, many years of fun with it!
So get your next Hot Toys figure from the Model Collector Shop
My biggest problem now is that I would love to have another one. So feel free to send me some Iron Man or other Tony Stark figures. 😉 Well I guess I am now officially a Sideshow/Hot Toys fan and will start to save up for another one of their amazing figures!
NARF….do any of you know the lottery numbers for next Saturday?
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