2014 Best Polystone Statue: Gentle Giant Ltd's "Snowbunny" Padmé Amidala Statue

Gentle Giant Ltd blew away the competition in 2014. Their polystone offerings all hit a home run, but five stood above all others. The two Darth Vader and Kids statues came out of nowhere and won the hearts of many collectors (most that are parents own at least one of these two statues). Their Holiday Special Boba Fett accurately recreated the animated debut of the nefarious bounty hunter, capturing every detail right down to the black 'animation' lines and the proper digit count (each hand only had three fingers in the cartoon). The Yoda (Ilum) statue was equally impressive with its screen accurate prequel era head sculpt and determined look. This was a statue not to be judged by its perfectly 1/6 scaled size. It was this statue's counterpart that takes top honors though. The "Snowbunny" Padmé Amidala statue continues Gentle giant's rich history with this character creating an absolutely awesome must have statue. Like the Yoda, the digital artisans at Gentle Giant chose to give the statue the most era-accurate portrait possible, nailing Natalie Portman's features. Adding to the curb appeal, the statue was crafted to be displayed both on and off the traditional gloss black display base used for the other releases in the line, and the crates she sits on top have a (not so) hidden 1138. Combine these points with a great paint job, a tight sculpt, and a playful pose, the "Snowbunny" Padmé Amidala statue may be tough to beat.



Polystone Statue Honorable Mention: Sideshow Collectibles' Snowtrooper Premium Format Figure

Sideshow Collectibles' Snowtrooper Premium format Figure featured screen accurate detailing in both sculpt and cut and sew elements. The fabrics used, at the statue's scale, closely match the costumes used in The Empire Strikes Back, and its display diameter and vertical spread are very space conscious. In fact, the only thing that doesn't hit the mark is the over weathering on the armor and mask. If they chose to keep the weathering more screen accurate this would be one of their top five quarter scale releases. Looking forward to 2015, the Premium Format Figure collection looks like it will leave all past releases in the dust so there is a chance next year's article might fair a bit better for Sideshow.



2014 Best PVC Statue: Kotobukiya's ARTFX+ Sandtroopers

Even though they were offered as two separate sets, Kotobukiya's ARFX+ Sandtrooper Sergeant and Sandtrooper Squad Leader two pack set accomplished what no other Star Wars licensee has ever come close to: Sandtroopers with consistent yet unique weathering. That's the beauty of manufacturing both sets at the same time. If you were all about army building a full platoon, the multiple arms and accessories would help you quickly pull together enough screen accurate Sandtroopers to be able to not find the droids they are looking for. If Sandtroopers are your jag, you need to get as many of these as you can fit on the shelf. As part of the overall ARTFX+ collection or as stand alone display pieces, Kotobukiya's Sandtroopers are the best we've ever seen!



PVC Statue Honorable Mention: Kotobukiya's ARTFX+ Han Solo and Chewbacca two pack

Due to its fourth quarter release and a hectic holiday season, we didn't have a chance to take this set out of the box. We're confident that, had we the time, this write up may have been a bit different. From what we saw at shows and Toy Fair, this set, with its iconic posing and highly detailed sculpts, will go down as a classic in years to come. Most likely with a market value that reflects its excellence.