Ninja Mate Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 I could never figure out whether there was love for these ? Well....I wouldn't have bought them at full price.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THE_CRIPPLER Posted August 4, 2014 Share Posted August 4, 2014 I enjoyed all three movies with the second one being my favorite. I don't own any of the mates though. I will probably buy them if I can find them for cheap enough. They have some great accessories that I could use for customs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 I bought all the boxsets at full price and would happily do the same for a third movie. They're good likenesses loaded with accessories. Even if you've never the movies (our any other action movie), you've got a cool squad of mercenaries and some well equipped rogues. I think it's one of the best sub lines DST has tackled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bzorio Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 I don't have any box set yet but I still want them all. Movies 1 and 2 are great but the last one is a regular movie imho. Even considering this we're talking about the classics! They deserve that. =) Oh, and Ronda Rousey was spectacular in the red dress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterPL Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 This is one of those rare properties where I have to ask, "Why even bother with the license?" Like I suggested earlier, these Minimates are so generic, this could have been an extension of the M.A.X. line. Guys in black outfits wearing black body armor with black weapons who just happen to look a little like movie action heroes. And since likeness rights aren't required in this particular noseless format, I'd consider doing a line of 'mates that parodied any actors AA wanted. Call it "The AA-Team™!" Start casting, folks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 This is one of those rare properties where I have to ask, "Why even bother with the license?" Like I suggested earlier, these Minimates are so generic, this could have been an extension of the M.A.X. line. Guys in black outfits wearing black body armor with black weapons who just happen to look a little like movie action heroes. Guys in black [from the waist down] with an occasional different coloured torso are my particular memory of the entire Star Trek Minimate line . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSTZach Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 This is one of those rare properties where I have to ask, "Why even bother with the license?" We bothered because of action figures, but those turned out to be more problematic than we were led to believe. Minimates were icing. We would never have gotten it just for Minimates, for financial reasons more than visual, but the Expendables name certainly moved more sets than the MAX name would have. Wave 3 of MAX had a pair of night ops soldiers in it. TRU passed. But they took two Expendables box sets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterPL Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Since having the license is a moot point, that's why I'm recommending rebranding. If DST knows that Minimates collectors bought Expendables sets because of the content rather than the logo, then they may want to consider coming up with something else, maybe with one or more of these newfound retailers like Kmart/Sears or GameStop. There might even be an online retailer or two willing to take a chance on such an offering. Either way you have to admit that The AA-Team™ is pretty inspired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TENIME_art Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 I bought 2 of every set to get extra weapons & tac gear. Plus I now have a Chuck Norris Minimate. Bring on 2 sets for the third movie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSTZach Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 Since having the license is a moot point, that's why I'm recommending rebranding. If DST knows that Minimates collectors bought Expendables sets because of the content rather than the logo, then they may want to consider coming up with something else, maybe with one or more of these newfound retailers like Kmart/Sears or GameStop. There might even be an online retailer or two willing to take a chance on such an offering. My point was that the license made it happen. We had a generic version with MAX, and it had no strong retailer support, so I believe retailers would likely not have taken a chance on the Expendables line without the name, and I believe they still would not. And Minimates collectors liked them for the gear, but we would need it to appeal beyond that audience, via the movie or the actors represented. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterPL Posted August 6, 2014 Share Posted August 6, 2014 My point is that you wouldn't need the line to appeal beyond Minimates collectors if you didn't have to pay for the license. The Expendables brand has served its purpose in this case; to identify an action hero treatment in the category and get Minimates collectors to buy something for the content rather than the movie logo. Maybe M.A.X. didn't pan out because it was all good guys; cops and firefighters. Maybe by the time DST got around to offering characters like the ones in The Expendable, TRU looked at sales and decided to pass. Yes, the license is what got what is essentially the next incarnation of M.A.X. in the door at TRU but it's the content that actually moves product out the door. And if someone at DST isn't already thinking about a "Mad M.A.X." line of vehicles and figures, shame on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSTZach Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 My point is that you wouldn't need the line to appeal beyond Minimates collectors if you didn't have to pay for the license. The Expendables brand has served its purpose in this case; to identify an action hero treatment in the category and get Minimates collectors to buy something for the content rather than the movie logo. Maybe M.A.X. didn't pan out because it was all good guys; cops and firefighters. Maybe by the time DST got around to offering characters like the ones in The Expendable, TRU looked at sales and decided to pass. Yes, the license is what got what is essentially the next incarnation of M.A.X. in the door at TRU but it's the content that actually moves product out the door. And if someone at DST isn't already thinking about a "Mad M.A.X." line of vehicles and figures, shame on them. Firemen and soldiers sold well at TRU. They ordered and sold out of a second series. Some jets lingered, but not the two-packs, that I could see. Not sure what happened with Series 3, maybe the buyer changed. That affects things more than any other factor. But no other retailer was interested in picking it up. I appreciate that people think the Expendables product sold itself on its own merits, but I still think the branding was responsible for 99% of its success, in both retailer and consumer sales. And those sets were not a slam-dunk, either. TRU sets seem to have done okay, but the first specialty set lingered, and Set 2 had a much smaller run. And I'm sure MM collectors would buy a generic soldier set, but would comic shops? They are kind of necessary to be on board with it, and historically we have not done well with our own MM IPs at specialty. The two box sets we offered in the MAX and Pirate Raiders lines did not do gangbusters; one was even cancelled. BB did not do well at specialty, either, and that had a recent comic and a semi-known name. So without mainstream support, I do not think a generic line would happen, is what I'm saying. Not having to pay royalties does not give us carte blanche to make whatever we want and sell it as best we can. We need retailer support, and if it's not a slam-dunk at comic shops, as history has shown, that means mass retailers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 (edited) Random thoughts: Like I said I didn't like the 'legs' on these but I liked most everything else about them & I was somewhat amazed that few people raved about them . They were readily available ,the likenesses were spot on,they were loaded with accessories & as far as I know had few if any QC problems . I picked up early on the rarity of Specialty set #2 which indicated to me immediately that we were done with this line in any event .......... that set is fairly easy to obtain 2 years on ! Identification of the individuality of each set is very very difficult .....I still struggle to tell which set is which without the help of the MMDB . The packaging .....the logo 'Expendables' is way too small on the first 2 sets released whilst the second 2 sets' are little better ..........I'd go as far as to say that they may all have looked like 'new' MAX sets to the uninformed . These sets should have done better especially when you realise that all of them (at least 3 of the 4 sets) were eventually sold via TRU.com .....they didn't [do better] & I would be looking for answers as to why way before I'd be designing & producing & soliciting another line of anything. I fortunately don't make those decisions. Hopefully the questions were asked & the answers found because there are an awful lot of other new lines that have been announced lately. Edited August 7, 2014 by buttheadsmate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSTZach Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 S1 Statham Willis Rourke Crews S2 Jet Li Couture Van Damme Lundgren T1 Stallone Arnold Stone Cold Eric Roberts T2 Stallone Arnold Norris Willis Maybe it was a lack of star power? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ninja Mate Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 S1 Statham Willis Rourke Crews S2 Jet Li Couture Van Damme Lundgren T1 Stallone Arnold Stone Cold Eric Roberts T2 Stallone Arnold Norris Willis Maybe it was a lack of star power? I think you're right. I've never even heard of anyone in the list except Chuck Norris. *I will say that the likeness's were pretty awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ufemizm Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 The only minimates I buy are those based on actors, so these were really fun sets for me to get. The likenesses were almost all great. The accessories were cool. I didn't really like the movies that much... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlushyFrog Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 Hmm, can someone clarify something for me? Is it actually true that likeness rights are not needed because of the lack of noses on Minimates? And theoretically it's possble for DST to release Minimate heads of any person (to the best approximation) they'd like without needing permission? This is just out of curiosity -- I'm not asking whether it makes fiscal sense for DST to do so or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterPL Posted August 7, 2014 Share Posted August 7, 2014 Yes, if AA and DST wanted, they could make noseless Minimates of anyone they liked with no legal repercussions. That doesn't mean there wouldn't be political or business repercussions, however, and that's what keeps manufacturers from taking full advantage of this option. For example, I'm sure they could probably offer Minimates of Harrison Ford, Wesley Snipes, and the rest but they wouldn't be able to use any Expendables trademarks (the logo, the trade dress, etc.). And when the time comes for DST to license the next product through that studio, the Powers That Be would likely not look kindly on such a move and choose not to do business with them. AA might be able to sneak a vague likeness of, say, Bill Bixby into the Marvel line, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nessex Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 Will DST be release Expendabelles minimates? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterPL Posted August 8, 2014 Share Posted August 8, 2014 Probably depends on likeness rights so they can sell Select figures and not just Minimates and bottle openers. (Or lipstick holders or makeup cases or whatever might appeal to that crowd.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mystery Man Posted August 10, 2014 Share Posted August 10, 2014 Sadly, I never got these and wanted them. At the time there were too many other Minimates that took precedence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roccothegreat Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 I deff want a staham mate for transporter minimate haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSTZach Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 I think you can make one using only the first two sets: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roccothegreat Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 I can hear his voice though the screen right now. Love it zach! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDM101 Posted August 17, 2014 Share Posted August 17, 2014 (edited) Just seen the third film. Loved it. Shame there was no mates to go along with. First thing I did when I got Stath was a transporter lol. Like that version tho Zach Edited August 17, 2014 by DDM101 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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