When it comes to the world of high-end toy and pop culture collectibles, many new collectors often ask themselves the simple question: is Sideshow legit? It’s a fair ask given that a typical Sideshow Collectibles item can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars and are often large, potentially delicate items that can be damaged during shipping.
The simple answer is yes. Sideshow Collectibles is a legit and reputable provider of statues, toys, accessories and figures. In fact, the company has quickly grown to become one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of high-end pop culture items in the world.
Why is Sideshow Collectibles Legit
Below we break out the six reasons why we feel that Sideshow is indeed a legit brand when it comes to high-end pop culture sculptures and figures.
- Partners: Currently, Sideshow features statues and collectibles for some of the biggest entertainment brands in the world, including Warner Bros., Marvel, DC and Disney. It seems unlikely that these corporations would trust Sideshow Collectibles with their valuable characters and IP licenses if the company wasn’t legit and trustworthy.
- Growth: The company has grown substantially over the past few years and is available in hundreds of countries around the world and thousands of local comic book shops and hobby stores (not to mention a massive display at events like San Diego Comic Con). Again, it seems unlikely that this growth would have occurred if Sideshow was offering an inferior product or taking advantage of consumers.
- Shipping: This is often one of the biggest issues that many users have with Sideshow. And while shipping can be expensive (particularly given the size and fragility of items) the company actually has a pretty decent shipping policy (which you can check out on their website). Issues may crop up, but in my experience the company does deal with them fairly.
- Pricing: There’s no doubt that Sideshow Collectible statues and figures can be extremely expensive (see our blog entitled “Why are Hot Toys so expensive?”). That being said, their products are often handmade in low numbers and take a significant amount of time and effort to produce. Given what other manufacturers are charging for their products, Sideshow’s prices seem fair and simply what the market will bear.
- Return Policy: This is something I’ve actually experienced firsthand when dealing with Sideshow. In fact, they have a decent return policy (which you can also check out on their website) which handles damaged items or even items which you may no longer want. Again, if the company wasn’t legit they simply wouldn’t have a policy like this in place.
- Reviews: Of course, the ultimate proof is with the collector community itself. The vast majority of reviews from customers are positive, including from reputable sources like:
- Trust Pilot: Sideshow currently maintains a 4.6 out of 5 star rating on the popular consumer review site Trust Pilot.
- Facebook: As of this writing, Sideshow’s own Facebook page has an average customer rating of 4.5 out of 5 (based on on over 1,700 individual reviews).
- Reddit: The collector community on Reddit (which is an incredibly valuable source of information) also has largely positive things to say about the company, with only a handful of complaints and detractors.
- The BBB: While there are a small number complaints against the company on the Better Business Bureau, these appear to be fairly standard and Sideshow actually responds to them directly on the BBB website (many of which appears to be unwarranted).
Conclusion
So is Sideshow legit? Based on my own experiences and what I’ve presented above, the answer is a resounding yes. If you’re interested in purchasing a Sideshow Collectibles product directly from their website or from a local store, you can enjoy your new found collectible knowing that it’s made by own of the most trusted names in the hobby. Nuff’ said.
See Our Other Sideshow Reviews
Check out the links below for the latest or visit our Sideshow Reviews page.
- Sideshow Captain Marvel Statue Reveal
- Sideshow Batman and Catwoman Statue Reveal
- New Psylocke Statue from Sideshow Revealed
- Moon Knight Statue Reveal from Sideshow
- Sideshow Power Girl Statue Preview
- Sideshow Collectibles Batman Who Laughs Statue Review
- Sideshow Red Sonja Statue Preview
Learn More About Sideshow
Check out the links below visit our Sideshow Collectors Guide.
- Where is Sideshow Collectibles Located
- Is Sideshow and Hot Toys the Same Company?
- Where to Buy Sideshow Collectibles
- Are Sideshow Collectibles a Good Investment?
- Is Sideshow Collectibles Reliable?
- Are Sideshow Collectibles Worth It?
- Is Sideshow Legit: What Collectors Should Know
- What is Sideshow Collectibles?
*We are a participant in the Sideshow Collectibles affiliate program, which allow us to earn fees by linking to products at no additional cost to you the consumer.