In this day in age where most Hot Toys or even Sideshow figures are running collectors $225 to $250 and up it's always a pleasant surprise when less gets you more. DamToys has been giving collectors more bang for their collective buck for years. Their Military and Gangsters Kingdom figures have been making collectors squeal with delight with each new release and their sister company Virtual Toys also known as VTS Toys have been putting out some non-licensed figures which should make companies like Hot Toys and Sideshow take notice....because collectors are. Which brings up today's review and my first one for Go Figure News. I recently had the SR-71 Black Bird Test Flight Engineer by DamToys arrive in my shop and wow.....just wow. These figures are part of DamToys Elite Series and are worth well more then the asking of $139.99 (retail price).
The figure can be had even cheaper if you pre-order. I got mine for $119.99. So, comparitively, less than $145 off the latest Hot Toys Iron Man XL (retails for $284.99)....you can have a piece which is like I said...Wow.
This collectible is actually part of a trio of figures released (so far) which is based on real life pilots against fictional counterparts from the movie Space Cowboys. The first was the U2 Dragon Lady Pilot figure - which had a Clint Eastwood looking base figure in the well known yellow high-altitude flight suit. Those sold out within weeks of the release and are now on the secondary market for $160 and up and prices are climbing as people realize just how damn sweet these pieces are. The 2nd and 3rd release came out together which is the SR-71 Black Bird Flight Test Pilot and Engineer. The Pilot in white flight suit looking like Tommy Lee Jones and the Engineer in brown flight suit looking like Donald Sutherland....which is the piece I'm reviewing today. So enough of the history lesson, let's get in with it.
The SR-71 Black Bird Test Flight Engineer comes in a handsome slip cover box. Brown in color like his flight suit with sliver reflective print. Now where the box isn't very wide compared to what most figures come in these days the box is pretty thick and deep.
Once the slip cover is off you see the inner box which has the figure framed out through the box window. Very nice and neat presentation without knocking you over the head with a bunch of fluff.
Once out of the box you will find the figure all the accessories (and there are a lot) are safely stored in multiple trays. Here is where you start to realize just how nice this piece is. If you think my pictures are incredible, just know in hand he is even better. The suit is so highly detailed and the tailoring and fit are stunning. The patches and sewn in bits and pieces are pure fabric art. The boots are beautifully sculpted and the paint apps are perfect. No slop and that goes for the whole figure. From the head to toe to all the accessories the paint apps are simply some of the cleanest I've ever seen. Speaking of the head the likeness of Donald Sutherland is dead on. Sculpt and paint should make even the most critical collector happy. The eyes are superb and very life-like. The tiniest of details on the accessories are present and believe it or not even under magnification can be read.
For collectors of Space, Aerospace, and Pilot figures. These figures have got to be a collectible holy grail. The helmet with all the detail and hoses and multiple visors is nothing short of spectacular. Not to mention before putting the helmet on the figure you have the head cover which has an adjustable mic on it. Your figure comes with two sets of hands, one pair bare but with excellent paint apps (again) and a pair of gloved hands which actually have the cuffs lock down on the suit. You get two food tubes and a water bottle all which have tubes that fit through a tiny hole in the helmet just like their real world counterpart. You also have a clipboard with mission paperwork attached. Two 1/6 pens, hoses for the suit and helmet which both connect to the hand held ventilation unit.
To top it off you get a SR-71 Black Bird flight patch, and a beautiful figure stand with name plate which the top mimics the look of the tarmac of a runway. Not to mention up under all of that your figure is wearing long underwear. Sincerely my pictures do not do this piece justice. I truly see a lot of figures through my shop and none of them take up residence, but these guys will definitely find a hanger to land themselves in within my home. It sounds funny to say a figure is beautiful but this figure is. It's detailing and execution is flawless.
I know most people love to have a point or numbering system for reviews. I've never done that before because most of my reviews on my YouTube channel have been just my thoughts or concerns about a piece. However, I think I should adopt something similar now that I'm contributing to Go Figure News. So with that said let's go with the good old standard of a 5 star system:
Packaging ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sculpt ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tailoring ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Value ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I know it sounds like I'm having a love affair with this figure and in a way I am. After seeing figure upon figure that I've had come through my shop and completely wondering where the money goes because it's not in the final product it's nice to see a company putting out high quality for a more then fair price. So he is definitely a get if he falls into your collecting realm, and I honestly feel these pieces are going to do nothing but increase in value for those interested in that.
As always take care ~
Jase Marshall
Jase Marshall is a Collector, Customizer, Fabricator, and Toy Broker who has been running Marshall Made Collectibles (MMC) out of the foothills of North Carolina for close to two decades.