Review of Claudia - Warehouse 13 statue

Introduction

Unfortunately, the SyFy channel hasn't done a great job over the years creating original programming. There's been a few too many prehistoric sharks and man-sized mosquitoes. But the best and brightest star in their original programming is the show Warehouse 13. It's been suggested that the show was derived from the excellent mini-series The Lost Room, and carries with it some of the flavor of the odd and unique items that are so much more than they appear to be.

Quantum Mechanix, makers of some very cool prop replicas, statues and other collectibles from various sci-fi licenses, has been working with the Warehouse 13 license for awhile. Their replica of the Farnsworth might be expensive, but it's also extremely popular due to the terrific quality.

Allison Scagliotti plays Claudia Donovan, the super sexy and super smart nerdy techno-wiz that works within the organization. She's a super hacker of course, and she just happens to be smokin' hot. Hey, I did say this was 'fiction', remember?

Qmx has released their first statue based on the show, highlighting the character of Claudia. They've done similar statues for other licenses (like Firefly), in a non-realistic, slightly exaggerated anime style. This approach seems to work quite well with the fan base.

Claudia is just starting to ship, and she's a limited edition of 1,000. She runs $60 direct from the Qmx store, but you can find it for a few bucks cheaper at some of my sponsors - check the Where to Buy section for details.

Packaging - ***1/2
I love the graphics and colors - it reminds you of old documents and lost treasures. The interior trays are very sturdy, and the two pieces - statue and base - are well packed.

The one thing that would up the score to the full four stars is a Certificate of Authenticity, particularly one done in a similar style. The edition size and number are on the bottom of the base, but the addition of a COA would be nice.

Sculpting - ***1/2
Claudia is not a large state, coming in at 6" tall from foot to head. The detailing on her is really quite impressive, however.

Let's start with the pose, slightly cocky, certainly sexy, she's adjusting her goggles with one hand on a hip. There's a Tesla hanging out of her back pocket, making her ready for anything.

This is an anime style of course, and yet they've done a very good job of capturing the look of the actress, from her attitude to her sly look. Fans of the show will know exactly who this is when they see it.

The base is designed like a large gear resting above the floor on big springs - a design that works well with the theme of the show.

Paint - ****
Every year, the Poppies awards honors a collectible that has exceptional paint work, where the paint elevates the figure, bust or statue to the next level. Me thinks Claudia is going to be on the nominations list next year.

Get up close enough, with some macro photos, and you'll find minor issues. You'll see a little bleed here or there, or a slightly sloppy cut line. But with the human eye, this hand painted statue really shines. Small details look excellent, and there's a high number of ops.

There's also a translucent quality to the skin, something that gives it depth. Higher end Japanese statues often exhibit this quality, and it adds a lot to the look, especially on the face.

Value - **1/2
This is a small statue, with Claudia running 6" tall. However, it's not that much smaller than the Batman Black and White statues, which run $80 or more depending on the retailer. That makes this statue a reasonable deal at $60, especially since the edition size is quite a bit lower than any of the DCD statues these days.

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing!

Overall - ***1/2
A show like Warehouse 13 isn't going to get a ton of collectibles, so when you do get some it's critical that they be the best they can. Quantum Mechanix is showing this license the love with some great prop replicas and now this line of statues. I can't wait to see what else they have planned!

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***1/2
Sculpting - ***1/2
Paint - ****
Value - **1/2
Overall - ***1/2

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Entertainment Earth has her at $60.

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
This is my only Warehouse 13 review so far, but other Qmx product includes the Stargate Teal'c statue, and the Malcolm Reynolds stunt pistol.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

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