MisterPL

Minimates are not a condiment. They're the main course, baby.

No, it was the plain vanilla version that had been eluding me. I do own the Previews Exclusive (really horny Hellboy). That showed up in my comic shop no problem. But thanks to all those variants of the retail version, folks were snatching them up and leaving none for MisterPL. Until now. :biggrin:

I'm a believer in toy karma. Maybe it's because I continue to regard toys as playthings rather than collectibles. On plenty of occasions I've been shopping for that rare new figure when I see a kid looking for the same thing – a kid who'd probably faint at the sight of my collection at home – and relinquish my find to him or his parents knowing it'll make someone that much happier. Besides, I'm a vet and will probably have other opportunities to get the thing without having to plead with my parents to take me shopping on their dime. Just last week there was a contractor in our office building putting up shelves for our receptionist. For whatever reason, he had to bring his 2-year-old son with him and the boy was getting pretty bored with the few things he'd brought. The receptionist, knowing I might be able to help, asked me if I had anything to occupy his time while his dad finished the job. She was thinking crayons and a coloring book but instead I quickly surveyed my small stash at work for something kid-friendly and offered her a Marvel Legends Thing and Juggernaut. I said, "Here's a good guy and a bad guy. He can bang these things together all morning." "Are you sure," she asked, knowing these might have some value, but I insisted. The boy ended up taking them home with my blessing. Better off in his toy box than collecting dust on my shelf at work. My reward was two-fold. Not only did I get a case of modern Cylons I thought I'd missed out on (thanks again, Amazing.JL!) but just yesterday I was the victim of a random act of kindness by another member here. I'd been looking for a Mezco Hellboy from the movie since it came out and it proved completely elusive to me. Even after its second release, I could find every other figure BUT the one that best represented the title character. It was pretty frustrating and, as with the modern Cylon Minimates, I'd pretty much written it off. Then I get this package in the mail from my comrade The Donster and in it was the latest addition to my collection, completely unsolicited. (Thanks bunches, Don!) There are other instances as well (OmegaMatt sent me a Pocket Superheroes JLA table gratis a couple weeks back) too many to list. I just hope toy karma is as good to these people as it's been to me so far. It's folks like these and others in the toy-collecting community that make this hobby fun. And it's those opportunities to put a smile on someone's face – often a stranger's – that make it truly rewarding. Play nice. Have fun. Pass it on.

Yeah, but unfortunately I was referring to the centurions, not the sexy skin jobs. If I can figure out how, I'll contact DST to let them know and see what they're willing to do.

Upon examining my case of Modern Cylons, I noticed one on the "Valley of Darkness" Centurions was missing his codpiece, making him noticeably shorter than the rest. I'm just not sure what I should do about it. Should I contact Diamond and ask for a replacement? Should I keep it as an oddity? Should I use it as custom fodder? I was contemplating swapping hands on the VoD Cylon so I could have two versions, one with weapons drawn and one without. But with the missing panties, it'd just be wrong. Suggestions? (And for the record, this is the very first time I've EVER had a QC problem with Minimates.)

This is the story of a skeptical loser, a man so cynical he had almost lost faith in human kindness. He was once giddy as a schoolgirl at the prospect of owning Battlestar Galactica Minimates, but when he read reports of army-building cases of Cylons featuring short-packed chase variants that would be blind-boxed and limited in number, he allowed his negativity to take over and instantly wrote off ever being able to acquire them for his collection. Fortunately the gods of Product Development smiled upon more optimistic collectors as plans changed and the 'mates ended up blind-box free as well as unexpectedly affordable. UNfortunately for Mr. Pessimism, he didn't bother pre-ordering a case. Instead he lamented to read posts describing other collectors' joy as they received their armies of robotic nemeses. (Just days after Christmas, no less!) He ran to his local comic shop and had them order two cases, one Classic-, one Modern-flavored. Classic Cylons were in abundance (hurray!) but Modern versions were nowhere to be found. The roller coaster ride was at another low. It was then that he received a message from a fellow collector, a kindred soul who took pity upon the jaded old man and offered to help him complete his collection for a nominal fee. Jubilation! And today the blessed package arrived. He took it home over lunch and opened each one tiny box, once again giddy as a schoolgirl and with a renewed faith not only in the power of the internet but in human kindness as well. Amazing.JL, thank you. You da man. (I warned you you'd get some serious praise. )

I did the same thing on the Art Asylum forum as a moderator there and it didn't seem to hurt DST's relationship with them. Having worked with DSTChuck on the previous Q&A's for AA, I think I have a pretty good sense of the guy's disposition. I'm not trying to speak for anyone but myself of course, just suggesting that my "translations" are often what corporate representatives would generally LIKE to say but can't due to policies and political correctness. Anyone who's been in retail or customer service knows exactly where I'm coming from. I just couldn't help seeing this on the AA site and reading between the lines. And I try to take as many shots at collectors as I do the hard-working, eager-to-please folks at DST. I'm an equal opportunity offender, but if it's making Ady the least bit nervous, I'll knock it off because I love him like a brother. Now if Dirk Benedict wants to chime in, I'm all ears.

Matches Malone. Haywire. Muhammed Ali. President John F. Kennedy.

Are the BSG Minimates going to be sold anywhere other than specialty shops and online stores? Will we see them in Toys R Us or Target? DSTChuck: So far no big chains are interested BUT Comic stores, online retailers as well as Suncoast will be supporting the line - so please support them! Translation: Write to your favorite big-box retailer. Whine like a cranky fanboy that you have to travel 100 miles to the nearest stinking comic shop just to order these at ridiculous prices and smile while doing so. They might take the hint. Hell, if they can stock Battlestar Galactica die-cast ships at $4.99 each, they should have been able to pick up a few Minimates. Then again, DST isn't as sneaky as Hasbro, slipping a few BSG SKUs into the Star Wars assortments. Maybe we should try sneaking some BSG 'mates into the Marvel cases. As if your typical retail buyer is even gonna notice. Now that you've acquired the Office Space license can we expect to see Minimate versions of our favorite cubicle-bound heroes? DSTChuck: Maybe some day. Translation: Ummm... no. Next. Since Marvel is doing a cross-over with Dynamite which will pit Ash of The Evil Dead Trilogy fame against the Marvel Zombies can we expect that trend to continue into the 2" scale? Marvel Minimate Zombies vs. a Minimate Ash? DSTChuck: We no longer hold an Army of Darkness license. Translation: And even if we did, figuring out the math on royalties would NOT be worth the nosebleed. And speaking of Ash, has DST thought of acquiring the Army of Darkness license? DSTChuck: See above. Translation: I'm sorry, what? You were mumbling. Can you explain the extreme price-drop and subsequent cancellation of the Resin Display Stand? DSTChuck: Sales on the initial offering were very weak but we thought it was a cool item. We offered again at our cost and sales were not much better, so wasn't worth going forward. Translation: Noboday wanted the friggin' thing. And yes, you will ALL be sorry, especially when you see how great it would have gone with the BSG and 24 'mates. You people have no vision. And you're CHEAP! Next question! Has DST considered making a carrying case for the Marvel Minimates or even one for the upcoming BSG line? DSTChuck: Would be cool, but something like that is just not practical for a company like ours. Items like that are best suited for places like Target and Wal-Mart etc.. and most of what we do is more specialty. Translation: I've got a carrying case for you. It's called a TACKLE BOX. Or how about Mr. Pocket? Maybe you could ask mom for an extra paper bag, hm? NEXT QUESTION. What does DST think of the fan-based Minimate sites out there? I'm asking specifically about Minimate Headquarters but I know that you guys pop in on the Multiverse from time-to-time. DSTChuck: I think its great that there is so much interest in these little guys that people dedicate their precious free time to making a website! I'm honored as are all of the people involved. Translation: It's pretty damned scary there are so many of you out there obsessing over every little aspect of someone else's job. Really keeps us on our toes. No, really. Will the second wave of Street Fighter Minimates be released? DSTChuck: Not looking good... Translation: If by "released" you mean sent back to video game oblivion where it belonged, then yeah, it's totally gonna be released. What's you guys' take on the AA Kellogg's minimates? DSTChuck: You'd have to ask AA. Translation: Snap crackle crap. We're SO angry Adam Unger jumped on this property before we did. Because it was looking pretty sexy for a loooonnnngg time. Damn us for sitting on the fence for so long. DAMN us. Are the Street Fighter 4-packs doing as well as you guys hoped? Do you think they could warrant the release of wave 2? What's your take on the trouble with the first wave? Was it the lack of availability, or would a more popular pool of characters have sold better? DSTChuck: Sales on the 4 packs have been lukewarm. Translation: Street Fighter 'mates should be kept away from beasts of burden because, in our experience, they suck donkey balls. What prompted the decision to release a Cylon heavy first wave of BSG Minimates as opposed to one featuring a wide array of characters? Also, any updates on the release of the classic line? DSTChuck: We REALLY wanted to get something out during season 3 and to all the fans that had been waiting so long. For now, the only classic BSG Minimates on the schedule are the Cylons. Translation: We went with Cylons first because it's a really, REALLY cheap way to test the waters. I mean, c'mon, we're talking TWO sets of toolings for two SKU's. And since orders for Modern Cylons totally kicked the collective ass of the Classic Toasters, it's gonna be a while before you see a dude named "Starbuck" in this line. (Probably as a chase variant.) In a previous Q&A, I asked if there was a P2 colored Lilith in the blind-packed Street Fighter Minimates made for the Japanese market. In response, you said that you'd have to check the matrix to find out for sure. Have you come across that matrix recently, and does P2 Lilith exist? DSTChuck: I believe it does exist. Translation: You're mumbling again. I can't understand a word you said. Next. Are the post-wave 1 Battlestar Minimate faces 'set in stone' or can they be tweaked? DSTChuck: Everything seen so far for BSG past the Cylon wave has been the hand-painted prototypes. Translation: Oh, we're sorry. We neglected to get your approval on this wave! Tell you what. From here on in, we're just gonna go ahead and let you sign off on concept art. Universal Consumer Products will love that. NEXT. Any chance of a C3 viper for BSG? DSTChuck: I don't think so. Translation: Yeah, there's a chance. Oops, there it went. I know Palz use to have a Buffy Minimate type line. Any thoughts of pursuing that? DSTChuck: Maybe Translation: Abso-griggin'-lutely are we gonna be offering Buffy 'mates. It won't be as cool as Palisades' with all the extra accessories and build-an-environments, but hey, they'll be in scale with most other lines! AND we'll have the added fun of hard-to-find chase figures! Yippee! Is there any pursuit of Minimates being sold through other, less conventional outlets? DSTChuck: I'm sure our sales guys are turning over every rock possible. Translation: Unless by "less conventional outlets" you mean a stripper's g-string, probably not because most sales associates lack something we call kinetic energy. Especially when it comes to licensed properties, these lazy bums expect the product to sell itself. Sloths. Since the first series of BSG has changed from the original planned characters(Apollo, Adama, Baltar, Six, Starbuck, Boomer), does this change things for the previously mentioned 4-packs as well? Has the line-up changed for the "classic"BSG assortment also? When might we expect these, the vehicles, and the "classic" BSG series to hit specialty market and/or retail? And lastly, ARE retail (TRU, Target, etc.) stores going to carry these (if so, who, what, and WHEN)? Thanks for all of your hard work! DSTChuck: Everything that you heard in the past (over a year ago) on BSG is no longer acuate. All plans were re-done and the line has been re-focused. Translation: Despite what the licensor desperately wanted us to believe, Classic BSG does NOT resonate with the collecting community NEARLY as well as the modern version does. Classic BSG is a pimple on the ass of its contemporary counterpart when it comes to sales potential and we've now got the numbers to back it up. So sorry Dirk Benedict, but it's gonna be quite some time before you get that residual check for all that hard work you gave ABC back in the late 70's. Maybe if you'd just suck it up and do a cameo or twelve on the new show like your old pal Richard Hatch did, you could join us in the 21st century and make a few bucks on a DECENT show instead of crying like a bitch and resting on your 30-year-old laurels. Good luck on the convention circuit, has-been.

Just wondering if anyone would be interested in Minimates of either of the Trek animated series. The classic one only interests me in as far as getting unique versions of classic characters (Spock from Yesteryear) or original characters like M'Ress. And it might be too early too tell, but the upcoming webseries looks promising. I wouldn't mind if certain characters found their way into the line somehow.

Sorry, but I'd have no interest in Bones' sloppy seconds. Ew. Or do you mean Minimates?

Lt. Arex. Though I'd love to see a Minimate with three arms and legs, I just don't see AA getting much mileage out of the tooling. I think someone's taking the "Minimate" concept a bit too literally. :tongue:

All the real required reading is right here. I don't even have that site bookmarked. It's a shadow of its former self. Makes places like this truly appreciated in my book. So long as I've got the licensee's ear here, I've no reason to go elsewhere.

Crap. I'm gonna have to have these, too.

Holy crap. Captain Berns must be wetting himself right now. These things are dripping with nostalgia. I may actually have to buy one.

See, I'm thinking ORIGINAL Teen Titans (Nick Cardy era) would go better with that Dick. That'd be the original Speedy, Wonder Girl, Kid Flash, and Aqualad like DCD offered in the Pocket Superheroes line. We need an adult Dick (different domino mask, longer cape, different hair, no smile, just a grin) for NEW Teen Titans.

I just hide them around the house. Like Easter eggs. (Hey, there's Captain America in the freezer!) Or Ministalkers. (Dad, why is Batman in the medicine cabinet?)

As I recall the initial PALz bodies looked almost identical to Minimates until someone from AA contacted them. Palisades ended up changing them. If DST wanted to solicit X-Files Minimates, I'd be all for it. Of course I'd need a second job...

How will I collect Minimates in 2007? Apparently pretty damned frequently. It'll make a diet easier to follow without all that disposable income for fast food. Seriously, I've started selling off other parts of my collection so I can get the lines I'm interested in. That would be BSG; DC; I, Robot; Marvel; Star Trek; 24; and possibly Rocky. I might pick up others on clearance (Street Fighter and Speed Racer, but not Kellogg's) but for the moment I'm concentrating on these properties. I'm gonna try REAL hard to stick to Star Wars and Minimates and nothing else.

I've got no problem informing people of what's going on over at the DC Direct boards when it comes to Minimates, and I fly Ady's flag proudly when they ask where I get my info. DC Direct has a similar issue with its online community in that the powers that be never talk to them. There's the rare interview once in a while where they insist they're reading but they've NEVER interacted the way AA used to and even DST does now (loving those Q&As). We've got a sculptor or two on that board, but that's it. No one on staff. At least not openly. If DCD actually held a Q&A with their consumers on that board...

Shake things up a bit. The first wave included Pike & Kirk, let the second series include the next two captains: - Picard & Troi (Season 1) - Sisko & Kira (Season 4) - Worf & Dax (Season 4) Variant Troi (Season 2)

I want Bridge sets and other environments. Sell them as replicas, just make them affordable and in scale with 2-inch Minimates. See, that's the odd thing about this property. It's the main characters who make the most cost-effective "army-builders" thanks to the common uniforms. It's aliens like Klingons and Romulans and, ironically, even the Borg that have very individual looks. This is one of the reasons that toy companies like Trek; because the most popular characters can share toolings so often.

Now that we're getting TWO Thor Minimates (thank you DST) I was wondering who's replacing him on the Most Noticeably Missing-In-Action List of Marvel Minimates. Namor, the Sub-Mariner gets my vote.

Does this mean all Elseworlds titles are in continuity?

If reaction to this series is any indication, there will be more Avengers in the future. And is it really a coincidence that the Marvel line waited until now – a year in which so many JLA characters are being released – to finally offer other Avengers?