HERO COLLECTOR
Hero Collector was the flagship pop-culture collectibles and publishing imprint of UK-based publisher Eaglemoss Collections. Officially established in 2016, the imprint unified Eaglemoss's die-cast model starships, hand-painted figurines, 1:8 scale vehicle build-up kits, and reference hardcovers across franchises such as Star Trek, Marvel, DC, Doctor Who, and Fallout. Following Eaglemoss's administration in July 2022, its tooling, remaining stock, and iconic lines were acquired and continued by Master Replicas and Fanhome.
Cronologia
Panoramica
Hero Collector served as the primary pop-culture collectibles and publishing imprint of London-based Eaglemoss Collections (Eaglemoss Publications Ltd, founded in 1975).
Formally launched in 2016 to unify Eaglemoss's vast array of licensed partwork collections under a single banner, Hero Collector produced detailed die-cast models, hand-painted figurines, hardcover reference publications, and graphic novel lines for major global entertainment properties.
The imprint operated across several distinct scales and formats, including 1:21 scale polyresin character figurines, 1:16 scale resin statues (such as the Marvel Movie Collection, The Walking Dead, and WWE Championship Collection), 1:18 scale metallic figures (Marvel Heavyweights), and flagship 1:8 scale die-cast build-up kits. Positioned as an accessible yet highly detailed gateway for fans, Hero Collector targeted pop-culture enthusiasts seeking complete, screen-accurate archives—ranging from Star Trek starships and Doctor Who display pieces to 1:1 scale wearable replica construction kits like the Fallout Pip-Boy 2000 MK VI.
Storia
Eaglemoss originally entered the collectibles market through individual subscription partworks accompanied by magazines, debuting successful lines like the Classic Marvel Figurine Collection in 2005, the DC Superhero Collection in 2008, and Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection in 2013. In 2016, Eaglemoss consolidated these offerings under the official 'Hero Collector' brand imprint.
Between 2016 and 2021, the brand experienced peak expansion, introducing new lines covering video games (Sonic the Hedgehog, Star Trek Online, Fallout), television sagas (Battlestar Galactica, The Expanse), and reference literature under Hero Collector Books.
In July 2022, rising shipping, production, and supply-chain costs forced Eaglemoss Publications Ltd into administration in the UK, suddenly halting all active subscription lines. Transition began in 2023 when Heathside Trading acquired Eaglemoss's warehouse inventory, factory molds, and unreleased prototypes under its Master Replicas imprint, distributing remaining stock and finalizing delayed models through weekly drops. By 2024–2026, Fanhome (a subsidiary of DeAgostini) acquired rights to reboot and continue primary partworks using original factory molds, while back-stock distribution settled with specialist retailers like Real-Merch.
I PEZZI DI HERO COLLECTOR
Collezionismo
Hero Collector occupies a distinct niche in pop-culture collecting due to its encyclopedic scope and subscription partwork origins. By utilizing official studio digital assets, the imprint produced an unmatched variety of obscure background starships, deep-cut comic characters, and full canonical runs across Star Trek, Doctor Who, Marvel, and DC. The secondary market dynamics shifted dramatically after Eaglemoss entered administration in July 2022.
As production abruptly ceased, market values for hard-to-find single issues, complete 1:8 build-up sets, subscriber-exclusive variants, and unreleased prototype models escalated quickly. The acquisition of molds and leftover stock by Master Replicas in 2023 offered collectors a temporary venue via weekly limited drops to complete missing collection slots. With Fanhome officially resuming production of core Star Trek partworks and build-ups from 2024 onwards, complete sets and pristine back-catalog pieces distributed by vendors like Real-Merch remain prized acquisitions for serious sci-fi and comic collectors.
After Eaglemoss filed for administration in 2022, Master Replicas used original Eaglemoss factory molds to finish and release unproduced prototype models like Stargate ships.
