In the licensing game you PAY even if you produce nothing. So you play by their rules or you get nothing. And you can argue accuracy with a studio, but they have final say and they can squash your item before you bring it to market. Sure you would hope a licensed prop could meet the same quality, and in many cases it starts off with that intention, but after changes by the studio (many changes you just don't understand why they want it changed), and corners that must be cut because the factory cannot mass produce something correctly, the licensed piece starts to become less accurate. But you need to realize a fan building a prop at home, who doesn't need to answer to a studio (who owns the rights) or a factory (who might need to change things due to production limitations), can achieve much more accuracy in the end. Are those fan made items worth the high price tag? Yes, quite often.
So many factors go into pricing and construction of a licensed piece that many people fail to see the process and bottom line.ĭo some fan built items have better build quality and more accuracy? Yes, quite often. Statements like this always makes me laugh!
