At OTSN, Barzso Playsets showed their new Roman coliseum. There are two different foam section a straight piece and curve piece. The foam sections are $49.95 each which allows you to build either a gladiator coliseum or coliseum which can be used for chariot races. You can see pictures how it looks at the links below.
http://www.barzso.com/playsets/Rome.html
To go with the coliseum, Barzso Playsets did various groups of figures for the coliseum, the first group they did was spectators. The bag contains 13 figures in six different poses. The figures are well detailed and are 54mm to go with the Marx 54mm Ben Hur figures. What I like about these figures are they are of the plebian class or commoner. The Marx Ben Hur figures are of the upper class. Most of the people who attend the games were the common people who went to the games to escape the boredom of life. The figures are nicely detailed.
The other set by Barzso Playset is gladiators. Once again the figures are very detailed and good action poses. The one complaint someone might have is the figures are 60mm and not 54mm to go with the Marx Ben Hur figures. The Barzso Playsets should go well with the Pegasus and Italeri Gladiators.
Please note that the figures are done in Resin.
I agree Paul. I really like the commoners, especially seated. Maybe a couple eating or with cups, and a fan would have been good also. Someone needs to do some seated western figures, drinking whiskey, and playing cards, would be good poses. Some can can girls, shop keepers and shoppers.
Beautiful sculpted. Gladiators should match perfect with Atlantic and Reamsa if 60 mm.And commoners if they are skinner as Marx they may go next to as tall people could go along short. I guess!. Wonder if seated figures stand much taller than Marx?
After looking closely I must say the facial and anatomy of fleshy body is very well done. Wonder few poses not done: Children, women and finger down=death. !
I have the MARX and the ITALERI Gladiators, now I’m going to buy the PEGASUS and BARZO sets. There will be GAMES and BLOODSPORT for 60 Days!
He vows to endure to be burned, to be bound, to be beaten, and to be killed by the sword.” The gladiator’s oath
The most valuable and needed figures in this offering are the CROWD figures!
Ed,
Replicants offers exactly those figures you are talking about. I think it was 2 or 3 years ago they came out with that set and they had guys drinking, playing cards, dance hall girls etc etc.
Yes Replicant did some of the western figures , were good but most are out of production now and the cheapest set including a civil war figure (4 seated poses) for $13.00 aprox without shipping cost.
If the costs of new plastic soldier start increasing over $3.00 per figure as we start seen on many new releases without counting shipping cost the plastic toy soldier cost will create a low demand. No everybody can afford this; specially if need good quantities. I think $3.00 per new figure is the top of the line , any price above that could/ may be for a very rare pose character or else. I understand the production cost and mold but demand is better in order to accelerate fast production and variety per year. Otherwise are going to see less variety on sets like those done by TSSD last!A good set of poses should not have less than 7-8 poses in any new army/troops. With double of each per case/pack.
I notice that new companies are making a lot of new sets with multiple pose system weapons/heads. Yes a good idea, but still if you want to create new extra poses you need to buy more figures/bodies in order to add the extras weapons/heads. It is a smart hook idea reducing cost for them and making you buy more sets to fit the few extra weapons/ head in one set to another from other set and so on.
What are you going to do with extra arms, heads weapons if not extra torso/figures to add on!?.
Once again, my opinion.
Erwin
I do not disagree with you on price resistance as we are reaching the $3.00 to $4.00 per new foot figure. The Russian figures are selling for $4.00 each. I saw a complaint on comic book web site about a new Batman comic being raise from $3.99 to $4.99 by the Batman creative team. It will be interesting to see how the figures sell.
The latest set by Paragon gave you four of each pose, granted there were only 4 poses.
I can always use extra arms for my conversions, so extra parts are always welcome. The extra arms can fit in well with TSSD’s and Conte’s Defenders so I’m a happy camper. The same with the extra hands offered by TSSD in their last set of Mexicans and Defenders, I wish the would have made knives and pistols for the left hand too, all his replacement hands are for the right hand.
I know not everyone does conversions, but if anyone has extra parts they don’t want they can always send them to me, I can find a use for them.
I had so far being lucky on waiting in new production and getting then later for a better price lot either at show or eBay/else with free shipping. Will hold and wait in any new product coming to market with $4.00 per figure price till goes down or get it at a better deal. Sorry I have to stop myself on giving up my money for new products. If I find an old rare figure, especially from Europe I will pay top if like. Some replicants are nice and true of value, but prefer to buy them from a local, shipping from UK put the figure at $5-7 per. That is insane in my opinion. Sorry.
About extra arms for those doing conversion, congrats and perfectly agree. But to make other poses out of the same coming within the set; Not as once again you need extra bodies unless you are playing an articulated game all time and not fixing gluing the arm/head to torso on figure. That was my point on the so call special hook/sale with extra arms.
Erwin
I agree I usually try to hold the line on paying no more than $3.00 for a new figure. On old figures I hold the line at $25.00 a figure. I have gone above my limit in certain cases. I justify that rare breaking my rule to dollar cost average. I have gotten so many figures for very little or nothing. Many of my additions have been through buying junk lots and finding little treasures, They not worth anything, but they are great or better than those expensive figures as I can do use them in my stories.
One of my ancestors was bankrupted by the G;gladiator games – he bet all his money on the Christians to win
One question: What the sad face standing pose is doing or suppose to be doing?
My thoughts as well, is he a slave?, attending to his master, or say a disappointed spectator seeing a bet being lost. Marx has a similar standing figure, market slave with hands chained. I haven’t compared these with Marx yet, but am interested if you can get some interaction going between them and the Marx figures. Creating some “subtext”, say this figure standing next to the standing Marx guy that’s standing with his hand by his mouth, you can imagine the one is excited that his gladiator is winning, while the other guys is loosing. But in general, the figure needs to be a bit more animated, just a little, more emotion, one way or the other, as is he’s undefined. Too Ambiguous.
Well as far I know Christians back then were just being murder, not fighters…!!Sad your ancestor did NOT live long enough for seen how Christian eventually won and took ever the falling empire with Constantine …Any way, let’s go back to the toy related talking please!!My humble e opinion!!
Is Barszo planning to do more figures on this arena!?
Chris. I hear they are close to 60 mm.Will be good to take off the chains in the Marx pose you say and put both together as you mention, good idea; still don’t know about one next to other because size. I think Atlantic did a pose very similar in the roman life or other set. I have to check. Note two very slight different type of short clothing used on mold, typical summer commoner wear. Good choice. Also gladiator armor are very original and true roman era copied .Not like Hollywood /else style. Will be good to have sharp a bit more the weapons I guess!!?.Overall excellent addition to the arena, together with Atlantic, Pegasus, Reamsa, Marx 60 mm and Furuta 9 poses set Romans/gladiator are a plus for the games.Marx,cressent and other smaller size figures could may be use to as well.
I believe someone stated the citizens were 54mm, and that the gladiators were 60mm (?) which I found a bit odd at least. The figures at 54mm (Marx size) seems to make the most sense. A few “giant” gladiators are fine, but Atlantic figures I feel are just a bit too big to add more than a few, TSSD Romans! Mutants! Italeri gladiators, Pegasus should fit in well. Barzso’s two new gladiators style is more to Pegasus/Italeri, just need to see the size relation. I took an image of Marx Ben Hur figures and the new Barzso figures, set them side by side, mixed together the sitting ones will be neat, but wish some more standing to mingle together were done.
Probably the helmet and higher base made the GLADIATORS look 60 mm!!?..Will have to see then in hand. Or someone please; who had the figure confirm right size on then!?Interesting were done in resin; as Barszo old style figures!?.
For now I will skip both poses as $7.95 plus shipping is for me and my opinion, ridiculos price. I got plenty gladiators from many other companies. I’m not that picky on figures size range from 54 to 70 mm as far the disproportion goes is not too big if the width/thick does not go over too much; is like a 5 f person versus a 6.5 f person. That is very common. Also high pick helmet elevate your stature too in the field or else. So I could match all above brand figures. What I can no match is those prices. (Spectator bag price is perfect/fine; gladiators no way. I have the money but not feel is the right price. I could easy and had in fact bought a vintage Atlantic full set for a $2-3.00 / figure. Some time less.
Erwin
Jim Clouse has posted over on Hobby Bunker Forum photo comparisons of the Barzso Romans and the Marx Ben Hur Romans. Barzso’s Romans work well with the Marx Ben Hur Romans. The Barzso gladiators will work with the Marx Romans but they little out of size especially at the waist. They will work well.
If you can get Atlantic Romans for $2 to $3.00 a figure great, I have not seen them at a show for that price. I can sell them for $5.00 each for foot and $10.00 for mounted.
Thank admin for the update, will look at pictures soon.
After looking at pictures link thanks to admini I see they are all 54 mm and perfect match with Marx 54 mm.Not 60 mm.They matches in and mix well with Marx 100%.Great!!