Hasbro Clone Wars Count Dooku

Speeder bikes

The Hasbro Black Series Speeder Bike with Biker Scout is a pretty inexpensive figure to buy. And not bad at all for the price...

 

 

Hasbro's Shadow Squadron is very nice.
There are two figures: a Black Stormtrooper with a black pauldron and a Biker Scout.
They are very impressive for the money.

 

 

 

The S H Figuarts offering looks amazing on the pictures but costs vastly more money than Hasbro for a figure/bike that is just the same size.

The publicity photos are fabulous but the real thing is underwhelming.
I really liked the Biker Scout but the speeder bike is not as good as expected.
It may need touching up with Tamiya weathering paints...

 

 

For the money, the Shadow Squadron is easily the most impressive of the three.

How to start your own figure/statue collection?

Start with something inexpensive that you've seen, you like and you think is cool. Something affordable.

A good place to look is e-Bay. Private sellers who list items as 'new' are usually selling displayed used items and should be treated with caution. Ask for photos of the actual item they own rather than publicity pictures. e-Bay shops are normally more reliable and trustworthy.

Why e-Bay? Amazon prices can be OK but can be insane for rarer items. Forbidden Planet and other shops list many products they neither stock nor sell.

On e-Bay you can find and watch items; gauge prices etc. It may take months to find what you want at a price you are prepared to pay. There's always a risk so a discerning eye must be cultivated...

Cheaper figures such as Kotobukiya or Hasbro (toys) are a cheap starting place. Most of Sideshow Collectibles are dolls. Polystone figures are heavy and can be pricey. Cold cast porcelain can be nice but the facial features/painting can range from good to lousy. Look at close-ups.

Movie props are way more expensive than figures/statues.