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Star Trek - Reincarnated from the Genesis Planet!


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Sorry, Matty-lad.

Most collectors don't buy multiples, even when a single figure can be two characters, so we can't rely on that as a sales possibility.

The success of Marvel Series 60 indicates that many collectors do buy multiples. Maybe calling it out in the solicitation copy, images, and packaging helped telegraph the added value of alternate characters and variant looks.

Either way, this is definitely something that should be considered for other lines, especially Star Trek.

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Sorry, Matty-lad.

Most collectors don't buy multiples, even when a single figure can be two characters, so we can't rely on that as a sales possibility.

The success of Marvel Series 60 indicates that many collectors do buy multiples. Maybe calling it out in the solicitation copy, images, and packaging helped telegraph the added value of alternate characters and variant looks.

Either way, this is definitely something that should be considered for other lines, especially Star Trek.

The success of Series 60 where? On this board? With Luke? Luke's a big customer, especially on this assortment, but he has a very savvy customer base, and he ran a promotion designed to encourage buying multiples. Unfortunately, the Multiverse is not the entire Minimate market. I think the series did well, but I have not compared overall sales to past Marvel series.

I'm pretty sure we've considered this before for Star Trek. We've considered a lot over the past 13 years! :)

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Do you really care where they're sold or who's buying them when you have to manufacture at least 300 more cases? It's safe to say this assortment sold beyond expectations.

As much as I love Luke's Toy Store, I was planning on buying two of this assortment anyway. His promotion simply guaranteed that I spent my money with him.

I credit DST's additional copy:

Exclusively available through Previews, this assortment has the X-Men's Strike Force team (as seen in Uncanny X-Men #275) take on that era's Brotherhood of Mutants, a.k.a. Freedom Force! Plus each two pack of 2-inch Minimates includes bonus parts to create an alternate X-Men character! The two-packs include Wolverine (with Forge parts) vs. Blob, Banshee (with Gambit parts) vs. Pyro, Storm (with Psylocke parts) vs. Avalanche, and a short-packed, one-per-case two-pack of Jubilee vs. Destiny!

I credit the images on the solicitation featuring the alternate looks:

0003666_marvel-minimates-series-60-x-men

I credit the callouts on the front of the packaging:

61BiGgw13RL._AC_UL320_SR280,320_.jpg

I'm not sure why you're trying to diminish the success of a winning formula when you should be taking a bow for exploiting it to its full potential.

And considering things is all well and good but maybe it's time to do it. You know, given the 50th anniversary of the franchise coming up next year. Back to the Future is getting a new box set for its 30th. Seems like Trek would warrant at least one.

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Not sure where you got the "300 more cases" part (hopefully not from case numbers ;D), or what our expectations were, but thanks for the kind words about our marketing. I give full credit to the Minimates team for coming up with the assortment, and to the people who wrote and drew the X-Men in the '90s, for making them the most popular X-Men in the world.

Next year is the 50th of TOS. You want TOS sets? I think we've made everyone in TOS twice over, who has a uniform. Everyone else is unique sculpts, just looking at Mystery Man's wish list. Interchangeable heads wouldn't really factor in, except in those space suits.

I was under the impression people wanted interchangeable heads for TNG. I've pushed for TNG, but we made more X-Men because X-Men sell well. Making more Trek would need to be based on something else entirely.



PL is certainly passionate, and well-spoken, and I have all due respect for him, but he does not want to debate Chuck when Chuck has all of the facts at his disposal. I am a much easier debate, as my knowledge of the business side of things is largely anecdotal. If PL came to a panel, he could ask Chuck whatever he wanted. I'm trying to get a chat function set up on our website, but in the interim, maybe we can do one here after SDCC.

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I'm getting the 300 more cases from one of DST's sales reps through Luke.

Next year is the 50th anniversary of the entire Star Trek franchise. I'm sure CBS and Viacom will be celebrating more than just TOS. I'll never understand why DST insists on being so myopic regarding this property. There's a lot more than just three seasons of a twice-failed TV series to draw from.

If people want TNG, give them TNG, just make sure they include the same kind of successful play pattern, marketing, and character selection that made Marvel Series 60 so successful. (Assuming it makes better business sense to sell twice as many SKUs.)

As for PL v Chuck, I'm more interested in straight answers. It's a lot easier to accept something when it's fully understood and it seems Chuck underestimates DST's end consumers' capacity for that. An online chat function would be welcome but I'd probably be better off meeting Chuck at a pub than a panel for the level of honesty I'm looking for. wink.png

And I have nothing but respect and admiration for Mr. Oat. We may differ from time to time but I believe we're on the same page. Someday, when he inherits the Iron Throne of Hunt Valley, we'll look back at these correspondences and laugh and laugh!

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Having met Chuck several times, and having had the chance to talk to him for quite awhile at C2E2 a few years ago, I can confirm that you'll get straight answers from him. Guarded, perhaps, but straight nonetheless. I still think Zach would be a better debate choice because I think (and Zach can certainly set me straight if it's not the case!) he enjoys the back and forth more then Chuck.

Anyway, PL, just plan to come to C2E2 next year!

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I agree that DST could make Star Trek a success if they go at it like they did Marvel Wave 60.

But I think some box sets could also be successful.

If they did a set of four 2 pack, and did it similar to how Marvel Wave 60 was, this it could be something like:

Riker (with parts to make LT Junior Grade Worf from season 1) with Gowron

Data (with parts to make LT Gordi LaForge) with a Ferengi

Crusher (with parts to make Deanna Troi) with Guinan

Q (in judges robes with Starfleet Uniform under and extra hairpiece) and Tasha Yar

(This would lead to multiple purchases to make all the alternate characters. I would purchase at least four of each set for sure maybe five because you could then use the Worf head and a Data body to make LT Worf and the Gordi head and LT Junior Grade Worf Body to make LT Junior Grade LaForge.)

A box set could be done to make say Picard, Data, Riker and Q from the episode "Q-Pid" where they were in a reality Q created based upon the myth of Robin Hood. (Picard was Robin Hood, Riker was Will Scarlet, Data was Friar Tuck and Q was the Sheriff of Nottingham) They could then make a chaser two pack with Vash as Maid Marian (with parts to have her in an everyday outfit) and Worf as Little John.

Then they could always do the same for the rest of the Star Trek Series (DS9, VGER and ENT).

I would like to see an Ensign Ro with parts to make Commander Shelby from TNG, Deanna Troi in the miniskirt tunic from Episode 1 of TNG, Kira in her uniform from Season One with parts to convert her to the Starflleet Uniform she wore at the end of the series, Odo with parts to make him as seen in "Necessary Evil". I would like to see a box set of the Mirror Universe versions of Sisko, O'Brien, Kira and Worf.

Anyway, I would say that if they promoted Star Trek the way they did wave 60 of Marvel there could be a large number a sales to make it worth the effort.

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I don't know how accurate that "300 more cases" is, but I believe it includes the 50 cases that should have been part of the original order. But even if the rest of them immediately find homes, I still don't know if that plus the original run adds up to "runaway success."

Besides, even if it was an increase over our usual Marvel numbers, you'd have to do the same math to our Star Trek numbers, which have been much lower. It still might not be enough.

Chuck is nothing but candid in panels and Ask DST. I'm amazed at how much info he gives out in panels sometimes. Many people dislike his Ask DST answers because he doesn't elaborate on a "no" or a "maybe," but it's hard to elaborate much when most of the questions are "Will you make this guy?"

I don't know that Chuck doesn't enjoy the back-and-forth, but yeah, I guess I do. I'm already in withdrawal from the Daredevil thread, which was fun and painful at the same time.

"I came here for an argument!"

"No, you came here for an argument!"

- Monty Python

Edited by DSTZach
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I don't know how accurate that "300 more cases" is, but I believe it includes the 50 cases that should have been part of the original order. But even if the rest of them immediately find homes, I still don't know if that plus the original run adds up to "runaway success."

Besides, even if it was an increase over our usual Marvel numbers, you'd have to do the same math to our Star Trek numbers, which have been much lower. It still might not be enough.

Chuck is nothing but candid in panels and Ask DST. I'm amazed at how much info he gives out in panels sometimes. Many people dislike his Ask DST answers because he doesn't elaborate on a "no" or a "maybe," but it's hard to elaborate much when most of the questions are "Will you make this guy?"

I don't know that Chuck doesn't enjoy the back-and-forth, but yeah, I guess I do. I'm already in withdrawal from the Daredevil thread, which was fun and painful at the same time.

"I came here for an argument!"

"No, you came here for an argument!"

- Monty Python

Luke said in his store thread that he was told if the amount of reorders reached 300 cases, there would be a second run which would include his missing cases. It did, so he'll be able to fill all his orders. This came from his Diamond sales rep.

Chuck really is very open in person. I mean, he is on AskDST questions too, but not to the same extent. He'll tell you whom he's talked to, lines that were designed but then dropped, lots of stuff. I think he appreciates when he gets to talk to people that are passionate about what he does.

You're like most of us here Zach, in that we enjoy having a running dialog, and don't mind defending a position, but almost always stop before it gets heated. Yeah, the Daredevil thread was fun for a couple days.

As for Star Trek, I've said this before, but I think you guys underestimated the enduring popularity of the Next Generation crew. For a lot of people, that really is their Star Trek. I think your best bet for success with ST at this point is to focus on that crew, either in a wave or box set.

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I've never been a fan of the show but it's been argued here many times before that Star trek Minimates begged for some sort of Bridge diorama .....or even some Bridge chairs . I guess somebody somewhere loved the Enterprise sets....one would have been quite sufficient for me .......... but a few chairs &/or a Bridge diorama would surely have promoted the line better?

A chair or couch in a Minimate line ......would that ever happen ?

Personally I'm waiting for a version of this guy ......... post-638-0-63398500-1434798627_thumb.jpg ..... wasn't he in the 'Budgie Smugglers' episode ?

Edited by buttheadsmate
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The captain's chair from the Enterprise is the only reason I even considered picking up the set. It does seem like a challenge to get the proportions right for minimate chairs though; Kirk looks like a little kid sitting in the chair in all of the pics I've seen.

Whether they would sell or not I wonder what bridge dioramas would have to cost? Even at minimate scale they would make for substantial pieces of plastic with a fair amount of paint and probably stickers. I can see that being a hurdle even if DST was confident they could sell 2500 of them.

Edited by stack32
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I have that. It's quite underscaled for 5" figures but I'm not sure it would be any more suitable for 2" Minimates.

I have my eye on AMT's TOS bridge kit, especially now that it includes the whole bridge. Maybe they'll offer the D-class bridge in the same scale for the 50th anniversary.

http://www.round2models.com/models/star-trek/star-trek-bridge

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Luke said in his store thread that he was told if the amount of reorders reached 300 cases, there would be a second run which would include his missing cases. It did, so he'll be able to fill all his orders. This came from his Diamond sales rep.

I know, PL had posted a link that I was responding to. I just meant, 50 of those cases were not "extra", and we may not have waited to sell the other 250 before we pulled the trigger. We may sell them all, but again, I don't know what the ultimate grand total would be, and how that compares. The argument was whether the bonus parts made this wave a juggernaut. Or naut.

You're like most of us here Zach, in that we enjoy having a running dialog, and don't mind defending a position, but almost always stop before it gets heated. Yeah, the Daredevil thread was fun for a couple days.

I usually stop AFTER it gets heated. :S Your strategy sounds better.

As for Star Trek, I've said this before, but I think you guys underestimated the enduring popularity of the Next Generation crew. For a lot of people, that really is their Star Trek. I think your best bet for success with ST at this point is to focus on that crew, either in a wave or box set.

I don't disagree, but I think the 50th anniversary of TOS may keep it in the mix a while longer.

Edited by DSTZach
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I know, PL had posted a link that I was responding to. I just meant, 50 of those cases were not "extra", and we may not have waited to sell the other 250 before we pulled the trigger. We may sell them all, but again, I don't know what the ultimate grand total would be, and how that compares. The argument was whether the bonus parts made this wave a juggernaut. Or naut.

I know you didn't say this but I read "bonus parts for Juggernaut" and thought how cool bafs are. MiniBaf.

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Hey, I just thought of this.

I would buy it merely for the humor of it.

With Zombies being the "Tending" thing right now, I would actually like to see a set of the TOS Trek Characters as zombies.

With all that the crew of the original ship has undergone, Why couldn't they have a parallel universe set of twins in a zombified universe?

I would like to see Kirk, Spock, Scotty and McCoy as zombies in a box set with a second set of zombie versions of Uhura, Sulu, Chekov, Chapel and Rand. I would buy at least two sets of each merely to have in my collection but would be a fun set to have as well.

Then if they are a huge success, there could be a TNG Zombie set, a DS9 Zombie set, a VGER Zombie set and an ENT Zombie set.

I wish I had enough extra Star Trek bodies and enough extra Walking Dead Zombie parts to make a set of Star Trek TOS Zombies.

Just a wild thought.

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