Let me preface this by saying, I absolutely hate *Regular Sculpey*; it's way too soft and doughy, it sticks to wooden tools, it tends to want to spring back when nudging details, and it's rubbish for modeling detailed miniatures (even at a 10"-12" scale)...

Having said that, aside from being able to bake your sculpt in a consumer-grade oven to harden, *Super Sculpey* is nothing like Regular Sculpey. It has a medium density that can be softened a bit if you work the clay in your hands. When using tools, it feels a lot like carving a wax surface: the clay holds what you add or subtract from the forms, impressions don't "pinch" or "drag" the clay, sharp edges are easy to create without a hassle, and overall the clay feels very controllable.

It feels like a hybrid between moldable wax and plastilina. It can be firm enough to carve, but, if you need to blend new clay into a sculpt, a bit can be softened and used like an epoxy to attach the new part. This method allows a very smooth blend, secure bond, and eventually the softer bit will become more firm again. That's just a method I've found that works best for me, but it isn't necessarily the best or only way; you'll find that the clay is really very intuitive and easy to work with.

One of my favorite things about this compound is that it will always bond to itself. Even if you've baked a piece, you can add new clay to it, bake it again, and it will hold together beautifully. Knowing this, I like to build up certain underlying forms in my sculpt (like bones for example), bake at a fraction of the time to harden these forms just enough to hold their shape. On average I bake pieces like that in a preheated oven for about 5 minutes (max). That gives the clay plenty of stability, and I can still bake it again when I'm finished with the whole sculpt.

Anyway... This is a great sculpting compound for any skill or experience level. I would almost recommend this over any other option for a beginner. This clay is closer to what you want to be using to do quality detailed sculpts. I can't say that about the softer doughy stuff out there. To me, that stuff feels more like a toy to mess around with, whereas with something like Super Sculpey you have a compound that can handle a lot of intricate detailing and still be pliable enough to easily shape forms.

If you're a serious beginner (you haven't sculpted much or ever, but you plan to really dive in and give it a serious shot) then try something like this. You can reuse the clay if you don't bake it, it doesn't harden if you leave it out, it's super easy to work with, and you can bake your best creations to harden and paint them. It's not messy at all either, which can be a good thing for some people.

*Sculpey-Firm (grey) is good as well, and you can mix the two*.

This is the first clay I have ever used. My goal is to sculpt little cats. It is a bit more difficult than I expected, but I am enjoying the process! This clay is firm but soft enough to manipulate into whatever shape I need. It is smooth and pliable, with almost no odor and a very pleasant sensation in my hands. The color leaves something to be desired, but it is easy enough to paint once it is baked! The baking process is so easy. I have never had it crack or give me any problems, although that is because I limit the clay width to 1/2 inch. It is a good price for the amount, for the most part! I have enjoyed my experience with this clay.
My only criticism is that when it gets very warm, it can become too soft to create firm shapes. At a higher temperature, the surfaces of clay shapes can begin to stick together. That is undesirable. But this is easily remedied by putting it in the freezer for a few minutes, after which is firms up considerably. A great clay for beginners. Just don't drop it on the carpet! :D

This product came to me in a small plain cardboard box wrapped in bubblewrap without any instructions for baking or any tips on anything at all. No Super Sculpey box, and no instructions, which really bothers me since I paid a nice chunk of money (for me anyway) for this. I'm assuming it is just a chunk cut from some sort of massive bulk block. Since I've never had Sculpey before, I can only assume it is what it is supposed to be, and that it is in fact Sculpey and not some off-brand whatever. It is a light tan color, the texture seems nice, and there are no signs of drying.

UPDATE: It has been a few months, and I have since had a chance to play with this stuff a bit more, and ponder on my purchase. I've been using it to make pendants for necklaces, and it is very nifty. It sands well after baking, is semi-flexible from what I can tell (my pendants are pretty thin), and seems to hold paints (I've just been using acrylic with a glossy topcoat) relatively well. I looked up baking directions online... and when you bake it there is a definite toxic odor smell... but turns out nice, and the home oven baking concept is really convenient. Still no sign of drying on the block, and it still kneads into a good smooth texture. ((Bake in a preheated 275° F (130° C) oven for 15 minutes per 1/4" (6 mm) of thickness.))

UPDATE 2: So, it has now been a few years (Bought in 2011, and now it is 2014). I had originally played with my Sculpey for a while and then moved on to different creative endeavors, only to discover it again last week. It was in the plastic zippered bag that I stored it in, and what remained of the block seemed pretty hard at first... but upon kneading it quickly softened. It was like new. It sculpted and baked up like it always had. I was shocked and amazed. So much so that I felt I needed to update this review. This is some cool stuff. Even if you get bored with it and only wander back to it a few years later, it will be just like new. I'm just amazed.

I do find that Sculpey can be a bit more difficult to use.

Definitely more on the hard side but if you want to use this for detailed work then its perfect. It stays in place really nicely because its harder but it definitely can be used for bigger stuff too if uou just play with it and roll it out or whatever, if youve worked with polymer clay this stuff is perfect for making anything. Also doesnt break easily too so thats really nice again for small details. Will buy again!