Tracking Device Replicas - Update - POSSIBLE SPOILERS

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  • Asp9mmAsp9mm Over the Hills and Far Away.Posts: 7,535MI6 Agent
    Eon doesn't own the design copyright on the B&G plaques. Just the wording that went on them. As for Carta Mundi, well they already issued replicas for general sale, except the SF Floating Dragon plaques of course.
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  • Gadget MeisterGadget Meister Bicester, OxonPosts: 1,972MI6 Agent
    Ah OK Jonathon, wasn't aware that the CR plaques were BetG copyright. I'm sure Cartamundi would be more than happy to sell the SF plaques as well as the chips if they got the go ahead from EON
  • Asp9mmAsp9mm Over the Hills and Far Away.Posts: 7,535MI6 Agent
    I wonder why they didn't do just that in their large poker sets they made. The ginormous suitcase sets they released lent themselves well to have plaques included.
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  • Bond Collectors' WeekendsBond Collectors' Weekends Gainesville, Florida USAPosts: 1,902MI6 Agent
    From memory, reasons include (and I’m sure Kan and others will have further insights, too):

    *Replica casino plaques and chips may be used as currency in unwary establishments - not just the classic bring 'em in and cash 'em out at the caisse robbery attempt but in giving tips to unwary casino employees and etc. - something which interestingly has actually occurred with replica Bond cash before (!)

    *The real casino items, particularly B&G, have multiple design and security features that are patented and quite costly to make in small runs--say 2 plaques from some film times 500 limited sets equals 1,000 plaques, which sounds like a lot of items, but is a very small run for a real casino. Cutting the plastic to suit to millimeter tolerances to match the originals can be tricky and costly.

    *There are quite a number of Bond casino films where the 2-4 denominations of plaques used are all different sizes, which further narrows an FE run to only 500 per size of plastic or clay-ish item

    *There are often 3rd party licenses as mentioned by FE as prohibiting any replica. For example, Dr. No, Thunderball and etc. did not use made up items like "Isthmus City Casino" but chips and/or plaques borrowed from REAL world casinos - so there is an EON licensing process but also foreseeable problems from dealing with the heirs of a casino that may or may not still be serving customers today or would consider the plaques intellectual property AND also from the manufacturing company that made those plaques and is still in business today

    *Unlikely, but perhaps some given nation may seize them in customs...? To be "awesome" a Dr. No replica plaque cannot say ON the plaque "from 1962" and could be mistaken for a current casino plaque by some customs agent. There is some sensitivity there I've heard about from folks.

    *Finally and quite fascinating, for some of the films, I'm thinking that Meg's vault does not have existing examples...? For going back to some of the early Bond casino films, I had to do a lot of research to find plaques in the right size and etc. Fun detective work, but I love it! FE has gone above and beyond to work from originals as much as possible, as have many of you on AJB...

    Casino Bond items are my #1 thing now, lots of fun to research and, um, try to replicate (and hunt down original pieces). I have told FE I'm happy to assist in this matter, of course, though I would add plaques and chips from CR '67 and NSNA to my list! Fans might just love 'em...?!
    Seven (007) James Bond Tours! Mission: Mexico!
  • Factory Q-BranchFactory Q-Branch Posts: 184MI6 Agent
    From memory, reasons include (and I’m sure Kan and others will have further insights, too):

    *Replica casino plaques and chips may be used as currency in unwary establishments - not just the classic bring 'em in and cash 'em out at the caisse robbery attempt but in giving tips to unwary casino employees and etc. - something which interestingly has actually occurred with replica Bond cash before (!)

    *The real casino items, particularly B&G, have multiple design and security features that are patented and quite costly to make in small runs--say 2 plaques from some film times 500 limited sets equals 1,000 plaques, which sounds like a lot of items, but is a very small run for a real casino. Cutting the plastic to suit to millimeter tolerances to match the originals can be tricky and costly.

    *There are quite a number of Bond casino films where the 2-4 denominations of plaques used are all different sizes, which further narrows an FE run to only 500 per size of plastic or clay-ish item

    *There are often 3rd party licenses as mentioned by FE as prohibiting any replica. For example, Dr. No, Thunderball and etc. did not use made up items like "Isthmus City Casino" but chips and/or plaques borrowed from REAL world casinos - so there is an EON licensing process but also foreseeable problems from dealing with the heirs of a casino that may or may not still be serving customers today or would consider the plaques intellectual property AND also from the manufacturing company that made those plaques and is still in business today

    *Unlikely, but perhaps some given nation may seize them in customs...? To be "awesome" a Dr. No replica plaque cannot say ON the plaque "from 1962" and could be mistaken for a current casino plaque by some customs agent. There is some sensitivity there I've heard about from folks.

    *Finally and quite fascinating, for some of the films, I'm thinking that Meg's vault does not have existing examples...? For going back to some of the early Bond casino films, I had to do a lot of research to find plaques in the right size and etc. Fun detective work, but I love it! FE has gone above and beyond to work from originals as much as possible, as have many of you on AJB...

    Casino Bond items are my #1 thing now, lots of fun to research and, um, try to replicate (and hunt down original pieces). I have told FE I'm happy to assist in this matter, of course, though I would add plaques and chips from CR '67 and NSNA to my list! Fans might just love 'em...?!

    That's pretty much the reasons you are spot on. Sadly.
  • Factory Q-BranchFactory Q-Branch Posts: 184MI6 Agent
    Whoa .... that's one hell of shopping list GM -{

    A LALD Shark gun would tick my box. {[]

    PM Sent
  • Factory Q-BranchFactory Q-Branch Posts: 184MI6 Agent
    007storm wrote:
    Does FE still have there licence to produce Bond related stuff or not?


    Hi, yes, we still have the license. We have never 'lost' this or any license. We may choose not to renew certain licenses at the end of their term, but Bond is not one of those at this time.

    As I think we have mentioned before, we don't pick the replicas we make, EON and The Producers have the final say on what gets manufactured. They green-light what we can and cannot make. After a lot of work and pre-production it was decided that the homer from Skyfall was not iconic enough, and/or did not have enough screen time to warrant a replica. So it was not approved to proceed. It's a shame as we thought it was cool, but 'twas not to be...

    We are currently waiting to find out if there any other pieces that EON wishes to have replicated and rest assured AJB will be the first place to hear the news... if there is any of course :-)

    We don't have any special power or ability and certainly do not have free reign to do whatever we want..(licensing does not work like that) we are just honored that we get to play in the Bond sandbox even a little bit.

    What would everybody like to see? The basic rules are;
    1) Iconic and quintessentially 'Bond'
    2) Relevant
    3) In demand enough to warrant an edition at least 500 pieces
    4) Something that can actually be manufactured to an accurate and satisfying standard in a multi-100 edition

    Please remember no real world items , or items that contain any 3rd party brand name or trademark are permitted, and no real world firearms or weapons of any kind are allowed.

    A life-size Monica Bellucci? 8-)

    SOLD!!! I want one too
  • Factory Q-BranchFactory Q-Branch Posts: 184MI6 Agent
    Thank you so much to Factory Ent for posing that question to us fans. Just having you a member of forums like this is really appreciated.

    Great ideas!! In response and my apologies if some are short, I want to tray and answer everybody

    1) Oddjob's hat - Possibly the most likely item. Its one that EON likes, they still have the reference for and would be achievable. Trouble is its not the most visually appealing prop and we would most likely have to add some elements to make it satisfying to own as a thing... for which we would likely get mauled. Trust me nobody would want a 100% screen accurate replica ... its disappointingly bland and uninspiring in real life. Honestly we are slightly scared of the backlash so are somewhat ambivalent on it.
    2) YOLT safecracker - Rejected - No reason given
    3) DAD glass breaking ring - Rejected - No reason given
    4) OHMSS wedding ring Rejected- There are copyright issues with this piece
    5) MWTGG Solex Agitator
    We seriously looked at this piece as an accompaniment to the Golden Gun. But it has various technical challenges that make it impossible to reproduce at a sensible price. So has been sadly dropped.
  • Factory Q-BranchFactory Q-Branch Posts: 184MI6 Agent
    BenSV650 wrote:
    Glad to hear you still have the Bond licence FE! Is there somewhere we could contact EON to try and show them that there is a demand for the Skyfall tracking device? Maybe if they hear it from the fans, it may change their mind?

    Other props I'd like to see are:
    Goldeneye Door Decoder
    Goldeneye Piton Gun
    LTK toothpase and cigarette detonator
    Moonraker and YOLT safecrackers

    I'd also like to see some smaller, lower priced replicas such as the earpiece from Quantum or the tracking device that M hooks up to the clock in TWINE

    Goldeneye has been a big disappointment for us, we love the film. But our GoldenEye device replica has been the least popular item of all our pieces and as such we are not looking to do any more GoldenEye items at this time. Props from it just don't seem to resonate with people. Obviously everybody here is a hardcore fan and cries out in horror at that, we are hardcore fans to and love the films, all of them. But truth be told it seems the worldwide number of hardcore fans for replicas is quite small. For replicas to work we need to do things that everybody immediately recognizes as Bond

    LTK toothpase and cigarette detonator - We are prohibited from doing anything associated with or relating to tobacco or tobacco products. The Toohtpaste without the ciggies does not work.

    Moonraker and YOLT safecrackers - Both rejected. Deemed too obscure.
  • Factory Q-BranchFactory Q-Branch Posts: 184MI6 Agent
    In trying to keep within your caveats, I still say that the Briefcase has to be top of the list and also the full set of Rings, available singly and as a LE Set:

    WOW, quite the list. I want to try and answer everybody so forgive me if the replies are short. When we get a 'no' most often no reason is given. Obviously this also now serves as a go-to shopping list for bootleggers to knock this stuff off. Please note that the strong bootleg Bond community has been a very important part of our deciding whether or not to invest $1000's in future official replicas. If we feel the need has already been served unofficially we are never likely to consider it.

    We have always tried to be open and honest with AJB'ers and my apologies if these replies upset anybody. Just trying to give straight answers.

    GF AG Ring
    GF Oddjob Ring
    TB SPECTRE Ring
    YOLT/DAF SPECTRE Ring
    OHMSS Wedding Ring - rejected - copyright issues.
    DAF Q's Slot Machine Ring
    TMWTHGG FS Rings
    AVTAK Camera Ring
    DAD Sonic Ring

    We have been reticent to look at any future rings based on the slow performance of our SPECTRE Ring, which was intended to be the 1st in a line of all the different SPECTRE rings. Now the fact that SPECTRE is back on the world stage may of course be a big factor in that situation resolving itself. -{

    A decent looking stuffed white Persian cat that could sit on my, yet to be purchased YOLT GPlan chair ... this would appeal outside of Bond collectors too. - LOL I actually love this idea but anything deemed a 'novelty' or 'humorous' is a big no-no

    GF Gold Bar - No permitted, the inclusion of the swastika and Nazi Eagle makes it impossible to manufacture and or ship to many countries.

    GF A sliding heel to match the GF Mini Homer - Rejected

    DAF Brass Urn - Rejected

    TLD Keyfinder - Rejected, Phillips Trademark

    GE Archangel Mines (Also function as an alarm clock as well as SA Functional display) - See previous comment on GoldenEye

    CR Defibrillator with matching AutoJets - Rejected Trademarks and legal issues

    Various IDs and Credit Cards - Rejected Trademarks and legal issues

    Full Set of Casino Chips, Plaques & Jetons (DN, TB, OHMSS, DAF, TLD, GE, TND, TWINE, CR, SF etc) - Rejected

    Scale Models: - Not in our license sadly. At this time.....

    TB Bell/Textron Rocket Pack
    TB JB Aqualung/Propulsion Unit
    TB Bomb Sled
    TB Tow Sled (Matching Scale to the above)
    TB Disco Volante (Obviously to a smaller scale than the above :) )
    YOLT Little Nellie
    DAF Laser Satellite
    DAF BathoSub

    Barry, can you give some idea of what is pending on your list (Approved or not)? At least that would give us some hope ....
  • Asp9mmAsp9mm Over the Hills and Far Away.Posts: 7,535MI6 Agent
    Bond gadgets are pretty obscure. I think the mainstream ones you've done... GG, Jaws teeth, GF homers and TB breathers. For all the 23 films shot, there actually aren't that many items that will sell well outside of our little niche collectors group. It's not like the Star Wars, Harry Potter, Batman or Star Trek franchises where most props are unique due to their fantasy set world. Most Bond props are branded real items and are pretty boring as replicas or due to their nature - weapons.

    The LALD shark gun is unique. But apart from us, is there a real market for it? Most people won't even remember it. And if the Goldeneye didn't sell, there is no hope for the piton gun. As much as I'd love to see it happen, the FRWL briefcase won't work either due to cost and the items that it holds being a nightmare to import/export.
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  • Factory Q-BranchFactory Q-Branch Posts: 184MI6 Agent
    Asp9mm wrote:
    Bond gadgets are pretty obscure. I think the mainstream ones you've done... GG, Jaws teeth, GF homers and TB breathers. For all the 23 films shot, there actually aren't that many items that will sell well outside of our little niche collectors group. It's not like the Star Wars, Harry Potter, Batman or Star Trek franchises where most props are unique due to their fantasy set world. Most Bond props are branded real items and are pretty boring as replicas or due to their nature - weapons.

    The LALD shark gun is unique. But apart from us, is there a real market for it? Most people won't even remember it. And if the Goldeneye didn't sell, there is no hope for the piton gun. As much as I'd love to see it happen, the FRWL briefcase won't work either due to cost and the items that it holds being a nightmare to import/export.

    Sadly sir you are pretty much 100% right! But as huge fans we persevere and won't give up :-) We take pride in being a licensee and having produced Bond items for 6 years and want to continue doing so.

    The FRWL case is my personal nemesis. I've been making collectibles for 15 years and have been trying to do the case for 5 of those, with no success. I have spoken to literally dozens of factories,craftsmen and all manner of manufacturers and nobody wants the project. I even tried to get some of the talented fan producers out there to take this piece on commission and still had no luck. I still intend one day to do a FRWL case, if it kills me! I just do not know how.....
  • DBSDBS Los Angeles, CAPosts: 1,015MI6 Agent
    I would love a "Skyfall" engraved plaque, as seen on the stone pillar outside of Bond's ancestral home. While not exactly a prop (I believe it falls under Set Dressing), it would be an amazing piece to have and ripe for displaying with a collection. It's at the top of my DIY list, but sadly I just don't have much free time these days.

    Kind regards,
    Craig
  • Factory Q-BranchFactory Q-Branch Posts: 184MI6 Agent
    DBS wrote:
    I would love a "Skyfall" engraved plaque, as seen on the stone pillar outside of Bond's ancestral home. While not exactly a prop (I believe it falls under Set Dressing), it would be an amazing piece to have and ripe for displaying with a collection. It's at the top of my DIY list, but sadly I just don't have much free time these days.

    Kind regards,
    Craig


    I also love that piece. It was proposed but not approved when Skyfall was released. But we will try again.....
  • texas007texas007 Houston, Texas 77041Posts: 2,356MI6 Agent
    like James Bond .... FE will return -{
  • Asp9mmAsp9mm Over the Hills and Far Away.Posts: 7,535MI6 Agent
    It would be a pretty impressive piece, and not costly to produce. But I don't think many people actually realise how big it is. It would look great hung on any collectors wall, and would appeal to the masses too.
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  • The Domino EffectThe Domino Effect Posts: 3,638MI6 Agent
    As someone else mentioned, I would love a really good GF gold bar. I suppose the swastika could be a bit problematic for you FE, but I think they would be relatively inexpensive to make and I could see many enthusiasts buying several. They could even come in a wooden packing case with 'Fort Knox' branded on the outside to make it more than 'just' a gold-coloured brick. They're pretty iconic too.
  • minigeffminigeff EnglandPosts: 7,884MI6 Agent
    As someone else mentioned, I would love a really good GF gold bar. I suppose the swastika could be a bit problematic for you FE, but I think they would be relatively inexpensive to make and I could see many enthusiasts buying several. They could even come in a wooden packing case with 'Fort Knox' branded on the outside to make it more than 'just' a gold-coloured brick. They're pretty iconic too.

    But the nazi gold bar used in the golf game didn't get anywhere near Fort Knox, those bars were just smooth brick IIRC....
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  • Gadget MeisterGadget Meister Bicester, OxonPosts: 1,972MI6 Agent
    Thanks for the comprehensive reply Barry, I've never doubted your commitment to the genre and was badly informed as to the staus of the FE Licence, I for one was very unhappy when I heard of this. As you know I have the complete FE collection and have been very pleased with these. Putting myself in your shoes for a moment and applying your/EONs criterion, it is difficult to see what other legacy items could be produced, as you say, what appeals massively to us doesn't necessarily appeal to none purists. I feel your pain but trust that you will continue to strive towards your next offering. {[]
  • 007storm007storm The NetherlandsPosts: 345MI6 Agent
    Thanks for the explaination Barry. I understand its pretty hard process.

    How about:
    * the moonraker toxic vial and or blueprint
    * Scaramangas rings
    * Bellydancer charm (bullet of Golden Gun)

    Keep up the good work. -{
    My James Bond Collection:
    Antens007Archive
  • icsics Posts: 1,413MI6 Agent
    Barry – in my mind you have some unfinished business… Just like you did the breather evaluation – you need to finish the spectre rings – you did FRWL version but lacks YOLT, TB and DAF version… the timing is best now due to SPECTRE movie…
    If look at potential Bond props that is unique for the masses and not us idiots, you should look at iconic items….
    What about Dr. No metal hands ? – Rosa Klepps knife shoe (knife should be made so it is not a weapon) ? – Oddy hat – this just some ideas from Connery era.
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