eFX Inc. to begin taking pre-orders on Disney’s Nautilus replicas this Thursday

Jim Hill

15 years ago

“ … There is hope for the future. When the world is ready for a new and better life, all this will someday come to pass, in God’s good
time.”

The above quote is – of course – from Walt Disney Productions’ Academy Award-winning version of “20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.” The late James Mason says this in a voiceover, as the Nautilus sank out of sight. Seemingly lost to the depths forever.

Mind you, “20,000 League” enthusiasts have been hoping that there was indeed “ … hope for the future” ever since eFX Inc. first showcased its new four-foot-long replica of Captain Nemo’s submarine earlier this year. Fans of this 1954 film became absolutely transfixed when they saw this 1/45^th version of the Nautilus on display at Comic-Con International & at the
inaugural D23 Expo. And 20K collectors have been itching to add this highly detailed model to their collections ever since.

The only problem was that the folks at eFx, Inc. were kind of vague about when actually they’d start taking orders on these Nautilus replicas. But as Bryan Ono, president of this collectibles company, explains, there was a perfectly good reason for all this vagueness (vague-itude?).

“Scott Brodeen, the man who designed and built this replica … Well, the Nautilus is his life,” Ono said. “So Brodeen wanted to make sure this version of the sub was absolutely perfect. That every rivet be in just the right place before this collectible was then released to stores. And as fans of our Star Wars products will tell you, eFX Inc. is all about getting the details
just right. Making sure that we deliver the sort of highly detailed, quality products that collectors demand. Which is why we gave this master model maker all the time that he needed in order to get the Nautilus just right.”

Which – in Brodeen’s case, anyway – meant taking a few extra weeks to come up with an aesthetically pleasing way to hide this collectible’s battery panel & on/off switch. As well as giving collectors a way that they can access the LEDS that illuminate the Nautilus’ wheelhouse as well as Capt. Nemo’s salon.

“The LED lights featured in this replica are supposed to be good for 10,000 hours. But in the unlikely event that a bulb did burn out or malfunction, Scott wanted to give collectors a way that they could then replace that LED,” Bryan continued. “That’s the sort of fan-friendly attention to detail that you only get from someone like Scott Brodeen.”

But now – after lo these many months – someday has finally come to pass. This Thursday, eFX Inc. will begin accepting orders at www.efxcollectibles.com for its Nautilus replica. Which is then expected to begin shipping in the Spring of 2010.

What’s that you say? You have a “20,000 League” fan on your holiday shopping list? And you were hoping that you might be able to put one of these four-foot-long beauties under the Christmas tree for them?

Not to worry. In the tradition of Kenner’s Early Bird Certificate Package from Christmas of 1977 (which has long been popular with / highly sought after by Star Wars collectors), anyone who places an order for a Nautilus replica prior to December 31^st will receive a special suitable-for-framing certificate that’s been printed on a reproduction of the stationary that Walt Disney Productions used while it was promoting the release of this Richard
Fleischer film. Just please be aware that eFX Inc. can not guarantee just-in-time-for-Christmas certificate delivery for any Nautilus orders that
are placed after December 17^th.

Here’s another reason that you might want to consider getting
in early on this particular collectible. All orders placed for the Nautilus
replica prior to December 31st will receive a special early pre-order price of
$1699.00. Which I know seems kind of steep. But when you consider that eFX Inc.
will only be making 500 of these highly detailed models. More importantly, that
each replica will come with a numbered plaque and a certificate of authenticity
… Well, it’s not like the collectibles market is going to be flooded with brand-new
models of this iconic submarine.

And let’s not forget that each of these Nautilus replicas
will have its own custom display stand. Not to mention a removable skiff, a
freely rotating propeller as well as a pivoting rudder. Which is sure to give
the rivet head (i.e. rivet head. n. A somewhat affectionate term that hardcore “20,000 Leagues”
fans use to describe one another) in your family hours & hours of enjoyment.

There’s another reason that you should seriously considering ordering a Nautilus replica before December 31^st. You see, as of January 1, 2010, the price of this new eFX Inc. collectible jumps to $1799.00.

So if you’re a “20,000 Leagues” fan and/or you know one that you really want to surprise this holiday season, you don’t want to waste too much of “God’s good time” when it comes to pre-ordering this 1/45^th scale model version of this iconic submarine. Especially if you’re looking to get a copy of that special certificate and/or save $100 on your Nautilus
replica.

One final word of warning for those of you who may be on the fence here. eFX Inc. is going to require a $500 non-refundable deposit when you order this highly detailed collectible. But on the upside … This collectibles company is offering a four-part installment plan. So that – if need be – you can pay for your Nautilus over time.

Anyway … For further information on this eFX Inc. collectible (as well as the two other Disney-related items that this Company expects to make available for pre-ordering in the coming weeks), please click on this link.

Your thoughts?

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If you do that … Well, JHM then gets a teeny tiny chunk of whatever you spend. Which would be a very nice way to show your appreciation for all the great stories that you’ve read at this website over the past year.

Happy Holidays!