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Stand Tall Display System

Roswell Sun is a new guest review, and he steps up tonight with a review of a nifty new display system.  Tell us all about it!

I've been a fan of Michael's site for a long time and I'd like to thank him for giving me the opportunity to do a "different" type of review. You can call me RoswellSun. I've been collecting Star Wars since I was about 4. I also collect some other action figures such as Transformers, Marvel Legends, and DC Super Heroes. This is my first review so go easy on me and my pictures (I'm not a photographer by any stretch). Today I'll be reviewing Stand Tall Display Systems, which I first discovered from an advertisement on a Star Wars collector's site. Stand Tall provides a new method of displaying your action figures, Hot Wheels, or collectibles. It works with a method of connectors and disks (the stands) that can be arranged in a limitless number of ways. The set I purchased includes 90 pieces. These consist of 10 disk platforms, 20 straight legs, 20 angled legs, 20 double length legs, and 20 connectors. Because this type of review does not lend itself very well to the action figure categories, I did my best to fit it in as I saw fit. I apologize in advance. 







Packaging - ***
Everything comes nicely factory sealed in one large bag with a standard paper size backing that contains the logo, description, and directions. In addition the 90 pieces are each separated and sealed in individual bags by type: disk, 3 different legs, and connectors. It's nothing really fancy but is very fitting for the product. The image I provided is after the package was already opened. 

Sculpting - ***1/2
The sculpting is excellent. This is probably the most important category for this type of item. After all if the pieces aren't sculpted well the display system as a whole won't work. I was happy to discover that the pieces all fit together perfectly. They are tight enough to stay sturdy in a large variety of configurations but easy enough to take apart and rebuild. Whoever designed them really thought a lot of things through. Because the 45-degree piece is longer than the 90-degree straight piece, the height when connected to the disk of the 2 pieces are the same and meet perfectly at any level. The double length pieces are the exact same height as 2 straight pieces or 2 angled pieces. It's hard to describe but hopefully you get the idea. Everything connects together very well. So why only 3.5 stars? I would have liked to see foot pegs sculpted into the discs but I can understand why they weren't. These were not made for Star Wars figures only and different figures have different size pegs. Many collectibles such as cars don't have any need for pegs. It's really no big deal because you can use your own pegged stands with the disks and they look fine (as with the image containing the Jedi) or just balance them (as with the Shocktrooper image). But I'm a selfish Star Wars collector so I'm taking off a half star anyway because the universe should revolve around me and my collecting needs. 

Paint - N/A
They are manufactured in black so there's no paint at all. 

Display Feature - ****
Maybe in this case it should technically be referred to as feature. The feature is the reason you are buying them which is to display your collectibles. This is exactly what it does and it does it very well. There are a million configurations you can use (many of which I'm not nearly creative enough to come up with and show you). The reason I purchased them was to help display my figures in the back of my glass display case and to create mini dioramas. They work perfectly for both these features. 

Fun Factor - ***
These will be a lot of fun for collectors who don't play with their figures but focus on displaying them. Some entertaining time can really be put into building different dioramas. I found myself experimenting with the levels, disks, angles, and balance in a variety of configurations. I could also imagine kids having fun with the building aspect of these. I would have definitely put these to use as a child when I built forts and such for my action figures. 

Durability - ***1/2
I decided to add this category because it is important to this product. These are made of sturdy, durable plastic. With all the different types of displays I built, there was no sagging. This plastic is not your current Star Wars weapons grade quality. It is strong and holds even the heavy figures very well. I often found myself using supports when none were needed. However, with heavy play, I mean rebuilding, the plastic does get slightly worn. By worn I mean they tend to get "dented" at the sights where the connector pieces meet. This does not detract from the appearance or the quality as it's barely noticeable and does not prevent the pieces from remaining tightly held together. 

Value -  ***
$19.95 for a 90-piece set, $89.95 for a 450-piece set, and $159.95 for a 900-piece set. To some that seems like a lot but let me break it down for you mathematically: for a 90-piece set you're paying about 22 cents per piece (not taking into account shipping), for a 450-piece set you're paying about 20 cents per piece, and for a 900-piece set you're paying about 18 cents per piece. That's not a bad deal in these days and times when the price of oil for plastic is high. Not to mention the quality of these are very good. 

Overall - ***1/2
This is definitely a great product. I had a need for something like these stands and they fulfilled that need. They are sturdy, durable, and the vast numbers of configurations you can create make this a fun product for collectors that enjoy displaying their collection. Personally I'd like to see straight connector pieces added to connect the disks horizontally but they're not really needed. I'd also like to see Star Wars specific disks with pegs but that's probably not very cost effective, as it's meant to reach a wide variety of collectors. Overall, I highly recommend them. If you have any questions or comments for me, just email me at roswellsun@gmail.com.

SCORE RECAP:
Packaging - ***
Sculpt - ***1/2
Paint - N/A
Display Feature - ****
Durability - ***1/2
Fun Factor - ***
Value - ***
Overall - ***1/2

Where to buy
You can purchase Stand Tall Displays directly from their eBay store or you can email them at standtalldisplay@yahoo.com


Figure from the collection of RoswellSun.

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