User avatar
By Alex Venkman
#4924255
Hi all,

Alex here. I'm happy to join a GB showgroup very soon.
This is like a childhood dream comes true. (as kids we built our packs from cardboard).
For this I'd like to have a proper proton pack of course. I searched the net for them but could
only find kits to assemble. Finished packs are only to get in US (I'm from europe)
For many people and gb fans its obviously a great project to realize. Due job, family and house I don't have the time to
do it or it would take me years.
Long story short, anyones knows where to get finished packs preferably in europe?
Or anyone is selling his one?

Thanks
Alex
#4924598
Alex Venkman wrote: September 23rd, 2019, 2:05 pm So, Ben is not making full builds. Too bad, but I'm aware at the a$$load of work that's in. ;-):whatever:

The only decent proton pack as full build I found was https://www.etsy.com/de/listing/4904452 ... ch_click=1 one. Loved the video.
Price tag seems more than fair for what you'll get. Anyone here has that proton pack?
Curios for opinions.
You can find some more information about his packs in the following threads:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=45423&p=4917908&hil ... s#p4917908
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=44466&p=4911803&hil ... s#p4911803
viewtopic.php?f=31&t=45706&p=4921690&hi ... k#p4921690
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=42449&p=4883102#p4883102

edit: to be honest though, I doubt you will get one before Halloween. All builders and shops are in high time right now.
#4924624
twmedford23 wrote: September 23rd, 2019, 2:14 pm Why do ppl decide they want a fully built pack just a month before Halloween? Every single year....
And here we are again... Reading guys, reading! :sigh:
Personally I don't care about Halloween nor will I go to an event.
I stated in the entry of my posting that I will join a permanent GB show group.
Apart from the fact that soon ist halloween I'm not in a rush to get it.
I just don't want to build it myself and try to gather infos where to get a complete pack.
Clearer now? ;-)
Last edited by Alex Venkman on September 24th, 2019, 12:30 am, edited 2 times in total.
#4924625
obiwanjabroni wrote: September 23rd, 2019, 2:28 pm You can find some more information about his packs in the following threads:

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=45423&p=4917908&hil ... s#p4917908
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=44466&p=4911803&hil ... s#p4911803
viewtopic.php?f=31&t=45706&p=4921690&hi ... k#p4921690
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=42449&p=4883102#p4883102

edit: to be honest though, I doubt you will get one before Halloween. All builders and shops are in high time right now.
Thanks for the links, I will check them.
Also here, I don't need the pack for Helloween... For only this I'd go for cheapo solution.
People take this Helloween way to serious... ;-)
#4924726
To close this thread, I found what I was looking for.

Just post it to help people like me looking for a full built proton pack .
Found a great prop shop in UK making very good proton packs to a fair price.
https://www.epicprops.co.uk
Very friendly and helpful guy. A good example to draw on when it comes to helpfulnes.

Nothing wrong with the US located prop shop in the link above
but for european customers it's less problematic to order in UK.
NotSabbat, Pata-holm liked this
#4929960
Alex Venkman wrote: September 25th, 2019, 12:46 pm To close this thread, I found what I was looking for.

Just post it to help people like me looking for a full built proton pack .
Found a great prop shop in UK making very good proton packs to a fair price.
https://www.epicprops.co.uk
Very friendly and helpful guy. A good example to draw on when it comes to helpfulnes.

Nothing wrong with the US located prop shop in the link above
but for european customers it's less problematic to order in UK.
How has it been making business with Epic-props soo far? Any problems?
#4930725
Pata-holm wrote: January 13th, 2020, 9:44 am
Alex Venkman wrote: September 25th, 2019, 12:46 pm To close this thread, I found what I was looking for.

Just post it to help people like me looking for a full built proton pack .
Found a great prop shop in UK making very good proton packs to a fair price.
https://www.epicprops.co.uk
Very friendly and helpful guy. A good example to draw on when it comes to helpfulnes.

Nothing wrong with the US located prop shop in the link above
but for european customers it's less problematic to order in UK.
How has it been making business with Epic-props soo far? Any problems?
Considering they stole my trap and pedal design and have been selling it as their own - I would not recommend buying from them. Maybe the most insulting part is their casts look like garbage.
#4930732
countspatula wrote: February 2nd, 2020, 7:29 pm Considering they stole my trap and pedal design and have been selling it as their own - I would not recommend buying from them. Maybe the most insulting part is their casts look like garbage.
Well, I don't know anything about copyright troubles you have with epicprops and its got nothing to do with my pack.
I just dealt with them as a client on a commercial base and nothing more I was reporting.
Secondly its amazing how any prop maker can claim a GB prop as his own design.
Sorry about your issues with them but please handle these with them privately. Thanks.
#4930743
Alex Venkman wrote: February 3rd, 2020, 5:15 am
countspatula wrote: February 2nd, 2020, 7:29 pm Considering they stole my trap and pedal design and have been selling it as their own - I would not recommend buying from them. Maybe the most insulting part is their casts look like garbage.
Well, I don't know anything about copyright troubles you have with epicprops and its got nothing to do with my pack.
I just dealt with them as a client on a commercial base and nothing more I was reporting.
Secondly its amazing how any prop maker can claim a GB prop as his own design.
Sorry about your issues with them but please handle these with them privately. Thanks.
Sorry - I should have been more detailed. I was not accusing you of any wrongdoing - just calling out Epic Props. Yes, I don't have rights to the original trap or pedal design (none of us do) but I do have rights to how mine is designed and put together. I spent weeks designing an accurate trap that could be fully 3D printed. I released all the files for free under an Attribution - Share-alike - Non-commercial license so other fans could build their own. (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1394492) Epic Props printed my parts, modded some and then made casts of them which they market and sell as their own design. I would not be surprised if they have done the same with the pack.

My original design:
Image

What they are selling:
Image

That's just 2 pieces - the rest are also my parts - resistor, knobs, plates, etc. They are also selling on Etsy which is where I run my shop and is part of my income - it's just scummy. I fired off a reply yesterday because I was steamed. Someone at Epic Props actually tried to buy the 95 page electronics guide I wrote and fully own. They used the wrong email address and had the stones to message me and ask if I could resend it to a different address - I cancelled the order.
#4930751
Alex Venkman wrote: February 3rd, 2020, 5:15 amWell, I don't know anything about copyright troubles you have with epicprops and its got nothing to do with my pack.
While technically speaking, nobody holds a copyright on the Ghostbusters props other than Columbia Pictures/Sony, there's still a certain understanding of respect that is woven into the prop-making community.

The bottom-line is that taking one prop maker's work and copying it is a pretty big infraction. This act, "recasting" is not supported by the majority of prop-building communities and websites, and would usually result in the recasting prop maker getting permanently banned.

There's also additional incentive for the customer to be wary with who they deal with, as more often than note, recasted pieces aren't anywhere near as clean or as strong as the originating artist's work. Just looking at Epic Props' website, the resin pieces look rather bad, and the ribbon cable poorly constructed, with notable gaps.


It could potentially have plenty to do with your Pack, as Packs and Pack shells produced by other notorious recasters have often been poor quality, requiring plenty of extra work to fix, if the products can be salvaged.

countspatula had no malicious intent towards you or your product, he simply wished to warn you that Epic Props might have sold you ripped off/poorly assembled props.


And I have to note, looking at the photos of the Pack he's got on his website, the fins on sides of the Gear Box look proportionally wrong, as does the knob on the Clippard Valve attached to the Pack, and the motherboard appears far too big for the shell he's using.
#4930754
Kingpin wrote: February 3rd, 2020, 2:03 pm
Alex Venkman wrote: February 3rd, 2020, 5:15 amWell, I don't know anything about copyright troubles you have with epicprops and its got nothing to do with my pack.
While technically speaking, nobody holds a copyright on the Ghostbusters props other than Columbia Pictures/Sony, there's still a certain understanding of respect that is woven into the prop-making community.

The bottom-line is that taking one prop maker's work and copying it is a pretty big infraction. This act, "recasting" is not supported by the majority of prop-building communities and websites, and would usually result in the recasting prop maker getting permanently banned.

There's also additional incentive for the customer to be wary with who they deal with, as more often than note, recasted pieces aren't anywhere near as clean or as strong as the originating artist's work. Just looking at Epic Props' website, the resin pieces look rather bad, and the ribbon cable poorly constructed, with notable gaps.


It could potentially have plenty to do with your Pack, as Packs and Pack shells produced by other notorious recasters have often been poor quality, requiring plenty of extra work to fix, if the products can be salvaged.

countspatula had no malicious intent towards you or your product, he simply wished to warn you that Epic Props might have sold you ripped off/poorly assembled props.


And I have to note, looking at the photos of the Pack he's got on his website, the fins on sides of the Gear Box look proportionally wrong, as does the knob on the Clippard Valve attached to the Pack, and the motherboard appears far too big for the shell he's using.
Well thanks for that info. As said before. I was looking at it as a customer with no intentions to support recaster.
It's not easy to divide between honest shops or scumbags. I read a lot about proton pack making and propshops offering them. Haven't heard anything bad about them before and they were the only european based propshop offering finished packs. Apart from that, I was asking here before i ordered. The pack itself seems well made.
But for future projects I'll have a closer look where to buy.
#4930755
countspatula wrote: February 3rd, 2020, 11:27 am Sorry - I should have been more detailed. I was not accusing you of any wrongdoing - just calling out Epic Props. Yes, I don't have rights to the original trap or pedal design (none of us do) but I do have rights to how mine is designed and put together. I spent weeks designing an accurate trap that could be fully 3D printed. I released all the files for free under an Attribution - Share-alike - Non-commercial license so other fans could build their own. (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1394492) Epic Props printed my parts, modded some and then made casts of them which they market and sell as their own design. I would not be surprised if they have done the same with the pack.

My original design:
Image

What they are selling:
Image

That's just 2 pieces - the rest are also my parts - resistor, knobs, plates, etc. They are also selling on Etsy which is where I run my shop and is part of my income - it's just scummy. I fired off a reply yesterday because I was steamed. Someone at Epic Props actually tried to buy the 95 page electronics guide I wrote and fully own. They used the wrong email address and had the stones to message me and ask if I could resend it to a different address - I cancelled the order.
Ok from this side of view I agree with you. This looks very identical to your design.
I have only little insight in the propmakers world. So I was looking at it as a customer.
My apologies.
At the time when I was looking for a pack epicprops was the only european based propshop
that offered finished packs. As far as I can judge it the pack is pretty well made.
The communication wasn't always good but under the line ok.
I hope you get this illegal design copy problem sorted.
User avatar
By Lempo
#4942166
Sorry for reviving this old thread, but I didn't find another thread where Epicprops UK were mentioned...
I have big troubles with them as I bought their proton pack tubing kit for about 20€ on 29.oktober via ebay(I know, that's not that much, but that's not the point) and it still hasn't arrived. Emails were answered very slowly and he/she/them make promises and then don't reply again for days... They said, they send them without tracking, but 2 days ago they replied and promised to send a second kit with tracking without additional charges, but still nothing, no replies and no tracking number... Ebay can't/won't help as because of corona I should be patient for delivery times...
The problem is, I am from Germany and I thought, buying in the UK before the Brexit would be a good idea because of the taxes if I ordered it from the US... And it is impossible to buy this tubing in Germany without the problem to have to buy it in rolls of at least 50meters...
Damn, I'm so frustrated, the tubing is the last missing thing before my pack is finally finished...
#4942233
Not trying to make a sale - just looking to help - but I have sets in my shop - shipping is typically $14-20 to Europe.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/764243002
Lempo wrote: November 14th, 2020, 5:11 am Sorry for reviving this old thread, but I didn't find another thread where Epicprops UK were mentioned...
I have big troubles with them as I bought their proton pack tubing kit for about 20€ on 29.oktober via ebay(I know, that's not that much, but that's not the point) and it still hasn't arrived. Emails were answered very slowly and he/she/them make promises and then don't reply again for days... They said, they send them without tracking, but 2 days ago they replied and promised to send a second kit with tracking without additional charges, but still nothing, no replies and no tracking number... Ebay can't/won't help as because of corona I should be patient for delivery times...
The problem is, I am from Germany and I thought, buying in the UK before the Brexit would be a good idea because of the taxes if I ordered it from the US... And it is impossible to buy this tubing in Germany without the problem to have to buy it in rolls of at least 50meters...
Damn, I'm so frustrated, the tubing is the last missing thing before my pack is finally finished...
User avatar
By Lempo
#4942250
Thank you both, I will wait this week and then see what I can do/will do... I am only frustrated that it seems I have to buy a second time... And that is money thrown out the window,because I already paid for something... But it seems that I have no other choice than that... We'll see by Friday...

    I found a cool tube at Ollies discount outlet, and[…]

    Finally got my copy today - It's not the worst I'v[…]

    I don't remember exactly, But I think I've had pr[…]

    Someone ID'd them on Facebook first, there w[…]