The great Unobtainium disaster?

dsscse · #1 03-16-2005, 09:54 PM

Could anyone tell the tale? I had just got back into modeling a few years ago when on a web site I saw a 3' Studio replica of the TOS E for sale, lit or unlit, U build or built and was near or in excess of the NorthStar Refit price, It was V expensive in any form, was that it?
Wondering

bil4miller · #2 03-16-2005, 10:20 PM

I lost $834 to that outfit for one never shipped TOS-E standard model. I finally got a Unobtainium deluxe model TOS-E in all its droopiness and split open glory last year for $700. I'm half torn between repairing it or leaving it alone.

Carson Dyle · #3 03-16-2005, 10:29 PM

The model, which came pre-assembled and painted, was available in two versions: an unlit version which sold for around $800.00, and a delux lit version that went for around $1,200.00. I saw the the unlit prototype at ComicCon, and it looked pretty good. Unfortunately, owing to the usual assortment of production problems, they didn't manage to sell very many before complaints from unhappy customers forced the company to suspend production for "re-tooling." Long story short, production never resumed, and it wasn't long before Unobtanium went out of business entirely.

Trek Ace · #4 03-16-2005, 10:58 PM

...and took a lot of folks' good money with it.

Carson Dyle · #5 03-16-2005, 11:29 PM

I consider myself lucky... sort of. Having lost $400.00 to James Latta in the imfamous Icons Jupiter II Scam I was more than a wee bit wary of doing business with the folks at Unobtanium.

dsscse · #6 03-17-2005, 12:49 AM

Ok! spill it "Icons Jupiter II Scam"?????????????????????????????????

Heavens Eagle · #7 03-17-2005, 01:04 AM

Yeah I remember seeing the Unobtainium TOS E on the back of the Star Trek the Magazine. With good old William Shatner holding the original 30"er. The price of the unlit one was way more that I would have paid and the lit one was ridiculous. There was also (supposedly) a version that was signed by WS too. I think it went for something like $1800 (or maybe $2400) Don't remember for sure at this point. But there are a lot of crooks out there. Too bad we don't find out till we have already been bit.

PerfesserCoffee · #8 03-17-2005, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carson Dyle

The model, which came pre-assembled and painted, was available in two versions . . .

Shouldn't that have been:

"The model, which came pre-assembled and painted, was unavailable in two versions . . . "?

PhilipMarlowe · #9 03-17-2005, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carson Dyle

I consider myself lucky... sort of. Having lost $400.00 to James Latta in the imfamous Icons Jupiter II Scam I was more than a wee bit wary of doing business with the folks at Unobtanium.

Me too. I guess I was lucky, I only got screwed out of the bargain-basement pre-order price of $300.00. Did anyone actually receive one?

A Taylor · #10 03-17-2005, 11:34 AM

I met the guy from Unobtainium at a show and pegged him for either a liar or an idiot within about 6 minutes.
Didn't the name "Unobtainium" tip any of you guys off?

Chuck_P.R. · #11 03-17-2005, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carson Dyle

The model, which came pre-assembled and painted, was available in two versions: an unlit version which sold for around $800.00, and a delux lit version that went for around $1,200.00. I saw the the unlit prototype at ComicCon, and it looked pretty good. Unfortunately, owing to the usual assortment of production problems, they didn't manage to sell very many before complaints from unhappy customers forced the company to suspend production for "re-tooling."

There was no "usual assortment of production problems".

The very few people who did receive models had their models de-evolve and become twisted masses of useless resin.

The poor quality resin and/or insufficent design led their models to become twisted, ugly and useless.

That's not a "usual assortment of production problems."

No one who was ripped off by the junk they received caused themselves to be defrauded. Let's keep the blame squarely where it belongs.

PhilipMarlowe · #12 03-17-2005, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhilipMarlowe

Me too. I guess I was lucky, I only got screwed out of the bargain-basement pre-order price of $300.00. Did anyone actually receive one?

Actually, as my wife so cheerily reminded me as she read over my shoulder, it was $325.00! In my defense at least, the J2 looked pretty good on the ol' Icons webpage in the pre-Polar Lights J2 days, and they had a decent-though-prone-to-delays reputation back then.

PerfesserCoffee · #13 03-17-2005, 11:49 AM

I might have bought a kit version of the model but they responded with an email that it wouldn't be available in kit form which made me a little suspicious since, if they were REALLY serious about production, it would be crazy not to knock out some kits while they were at it where the lower price would drastically increase the volume of sales and lower labor cost would vastly increase the profit margin.

PhilipMarlowe · #14 03-17-2005, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsscse

Ok! spill it "Icons Jupiter II Scam"?????????????????????????????????

Icons used to make finished prop replicas with a emphasis on "Lost in Space " and science fiction movies. Way back before Polar Lights came out with the J2 (maybe even before Polar Lights was formed, it was a long time ago) on their web pages and catalogs they announced a 12" Jupiter 2 with full lighting,articulated landing gear and a visible interior, an exact 1/2 sized replica ofthe 2 foot miniature. They had some great looking pictures of a prototype, IIRC correctly the price started at $375 and went up to like $425. It was sold on pre-order, and for a long time after I paid I'd get "updates" on it's progress thru email and snailmail. I remember they even sent pictures of Jonathan Harris and Billy Mummy inspecting the J2 and LIS pistols they also sold. After about a year the updates started coming less and less frequently, and eventually stopped. Rumours ran wild for awhile and tempers were high (Icons stuff wasn't cheap, and a lot of people prepaid for a full sized B-9 robot and Disney Nautilus), eventually it was announced that Icons had went out of business. Some people (but very few) did get the orders honored on some replicas, but I never heard of anyone getting a J2.

At the time the Florida DA's were real responsive about internet fraud, I talked to ours, who said I had a excellent chance of getting a judgement, but little hope of any actual money. Plus it cost about hundred bucks to file and get papers served. A lesson learned.

John P · #15 03-17-2005, 12:40 PM

To clarify the problem with the Unobtanium Enterprise - they cast it out of resin that was too soft, and those few people who DID get one were treated to seeing it sag, sag, sag, and split open.

I don't doubt the Unobtanium folks went into the project with good intentions, but they bailed FAST went it went south.