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DC Minimates & everlasting optimism


buttheadsmate

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All though I would love to see new DC mates, I accept their fate entirely. At this point I would love to see refocus on other franchises. Seeing as we now have Walking Dead, I would go crazy for an Image set. Or continue with my "Give me Jurassic Park or give me death!" campaign. For now though, I agree with Kostis....my wallet can't even handle what's out now.

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We still occasionally ask, but the DC license is pretty tied up with other companies. Not a lot of room for us.

Wait wait wait... so Minimates actually are getting crowded out by Mez-its, Squinkies, Funko Blox, Weeble People, and those pardon my language fucking ridiculous little bowling pin shaped guys that come in a block of alka seltzer? DC licensing thinks all of those guys are better options than Minimates?

Edited by Lobsterman
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This is my new favorite thread. :whistling:

I know, right? Pass me another margarita, will ya?

Oh look everyone, the comic relief has arrived to thread crap <_< Listen guys, knock it the hell off already. While DSTChuck might have put a nail on the subject I don't see the harm in folks having hope either. As he's fond of saying, "Never say Never". DC wasn't your thing or your tired of the constant resurrection of the topic? Easy enough, move onto another thread. Given the amount of members and topics I'm sure there are more suitable one's that would welcome your smart ass remarks. Me? I'm getting a little bored with it. So grow up and move on.

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I was more referring to how it deviated into Monty Python and "You Bastards" humor, but i won't deny i'm happy to get clarification on the DC issue.

And no, i'm a DC boy first and foremost and loved DC Mates. It just gets annoying when people drudge up a topic DST has repeatedly turned down (and seems quite annoyed when they have to).

Considering THIS IS the topic of the thread, i think we have every right to comment on it. I'm not getting into again, but come on.

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Wait wait wait... so Minimates actually are getting crowded out by Mez-its...

And that's the part that bothers me most; Mezco essentially got the license for the collectible mini-figure (IE - Minimates) category in the specialty AND mass market. They're not just offering keychains at TRU, they're offering the figures now, too. They couldn't get the vehicle category hence the Batmobile has wheels that don't spin so it qualifies as a figure instead.

All the other mini-figures are probably covered under different categories (pack-ins for Fisher-Price sets, non-poseable figurines and such) but Mez-Itz are basically taking the place of 'mates at TRU and at specialty shops and they probably used DST's existing market model to prove it could work.

So no, DC is definitely not "dead." It just appears that DST doesn't share the same urgency to offer this product that fans have to acquire it. If Mez-Itz fails, hopefully WBCP will give DST a try rather than assume that the category just isn't a good fit for the DC brand. I'd like to think that anyone with half a brain at WBCP could look at the pegs at TRU, see Marvel's The Avengers and The Amazing Spider-Man movie 'mates and think, "Gosh, that format might work well with the Superman movie we've got coming out next summer. We should give those people a call." Which is exactly what DST is waiting for, apparently.

All that said, I'd need a year to save the money for all the DC 'mates I'd want to buy. :woot:

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Mez-Itz are basically taking the place of 'mates at TRU and at specialty shops and they probably used DST's existing market model to prove it could work.

I have seen exactly two DC Mez-its at TRU, ever. Movie Green Lantern and Movie Sinestro. And they are still on clearance. So, yeah, way to pick a winner there, DC.

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I'm not too proud of how I'm almost relieved that Chuck has said what he said . I'm decidely 'gutted' that DC Minimates are confined to the ex-licenses thread ,my DC & C3 collection would be the last to go in any sale I'll ever have of my collection....despite the fact that I'm a Marvel fan of the oldest school :biggrin:

However I'll be happy enough debating all the great licenses that DST endeavour to deliver to us but I shan't miss the posts that purport to be from 'God's Most Immense DC Minimate Fan'.

My vocabulary is finite so let me just say that I loved DC & C3 .....I loved the f*ckers.....loved them... but I have long since tired of the sychophnatic shit & the bile that could have been avoided with a decent funeral of them.

If they return I'll be ecstatic but in the meantime....move on.

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We still occasionally ask, but the DC license is pretty tied up with other companies. Not a lot of room for us.

And don't compare it to Marvel -- different companies, different business strategies.

And Brewer is no longer with DC Direct, sadly.

Those of you who kept insisting this wasn't the case in the '66 Batman thread DID read this, right? I'll take that apology now. DST will always ask DC for the license, it's just good business sense.

Ask DST #157, May 2 2012: "DSTCHUCK: We never say never at DST."

Again, as I mentioned in the '66 Batman thread, there won't be DC minimates while Mezco holds the 2" license. Once that license expires, negotiations can resume. Maybe Mezco will renew, but what are the chances of that?

Part of the fun of MinimateMultiverse is the discussions and wishing about minimates that we love so much. I wish those loud, obnoxious few would stop throwing their misguided opinions in peoples faces as "fact". More importantly, if you DONT WANT something, you're welcome to say so, but please take your negativity elsewhere after you've said your piece. Someone felt the need in that thread to tell everyone he didn't want those minimates, then continued to snark and moan at everyone else that did. Then another poster kept insisting DC mates were "dead" and "Everyone needs to accept that already". Of course, that doesn't stop these individuals from coming to this thread to continue spreading their negativity. I'm tired of it. Others are tired of it. If you have nothing to add other than sarcastic replies about how this is your "favorite thread already", just don't bother unless you actually have something constructive to add to the conversation. That kind of comment is the definition of trolling.

As far as DC being a "closed door", doors are meant to be open. And again, don't forget: "DSTCHUCK: We never say never at DST." That's all I've been saying all along, only be be constantly insulted by the loudmouths mentioned above.

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I'm tired of it. Others are tired of it.

You are undoubtedly a Minimate fan & in many respects I admire you for your resilience but I too am tired ...& I am tired.

Enough surely?

Don't worry, it's not going to be a daily thing for me. As I've said before, it might take 20 years. I only take offense when people spout "NEVER!", when even Chuck and Zach are not saying "never" (see my new signature :biggrin: ). I'm not trying to start a fight, there are just a few who are so vocal in their opinions that they try to drown everyone else out with their protests. I really prefer civil discourse. Willful ignorance just ruffles my feathers. Street Fighter was "dead" before too.

It's a little sad though, how Zach first mentioned the civility and comraderie found here, and lately we haven't been keeping up with that standard. That said, maybe someday we all can gather at a con for a drink :)

Edited by monkeycrumb
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Heated debate is one thing, but check your tempers. We rarely have to ask folks to behave and I'd like to keep it that way.

I agree with the point that MrPL was making. It almost seems like DC is holding a grudge. Maybe they are and maybe DST knows about it or (God forbid)even deserves it. I don't care...I just want DC minimates, just like most here. Everything else is RAMPANT SPECULATION.

One last thing... I understand and appreciate Chuck saying "we never say never", however, it was he that told me directly that Street Fighter was dead and buried, implying that he wished folks would quit asking about it. I try never to rule anything out with Minimates(especially Star Wars). :whistling:

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Chuck also seem surprised that SF came back as well though. I think that was a happy surprise. Here's to more like that. :thumbsup:

I wonder how well Mezco's line really is selling. Aside from the flub up with Green Lantern, they can't keep in stock around here.

I'd also like to formally apologize for my role in pushing people to the proverbial edge in recent days. I enjoy you guys and respect all y'all (Yes, even you, MC. :P) If I intentionally or inadvertently caused harm, I'm sorry.

Edited by TM2 Dinobot
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I agree with the point that MrPL was making. It almost seems like DC is holding a grudge. Maybe they are and maybe DST knows about it or (God forbid)even deserves it. I don't care...I just want DC minimates, just like most here. Everything else is RAMPANT SPECULATION.

One last thing... I understand and appreciate Chuck saying "we never say never", however, it was he that told me directly that Street Fighter was dead and buried, implying that he wished folks would quit asking about it. I try never to rule anything out with Minimates(especially Star Wars). :whistling:

I don't think it's a grudge as much as shortsightedness. Something like "Minimates? We tried those once. It didn't work". Which ignores: a.) Minimates are in much better shape then they were five years ago; b.) DST has a great, lucrative partnership with Toys R Us, which puts their product in front of a wide audience; and c.) part of the problem was probably the way DC 'mates were done, and allowing DST to distribute them may make all the difference.

Something else to consider is that Chuck said once that Minimates on their own are generally not profitable enough to justify; you need to have a wider variety of products. I don't know if that's still the case, or if that would be the case for what would be a long-running, expansive line like DC, but it might help explain "no room for us". Since DC already does a lot of the things DST does in house (statues, busts, ect), there's not a lot of other items DST could produce for DC.

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I don't think it's a grudge as much as shortsightedness. Something like "Minimates? We tried those once. It didn't work". Which ignores: a.) Minimates are in much better shape then they were five years ago; b.) DST has a great, lucrative partnership with Toys R Us, which puts their product in front of a wide audience; and c.) part of the problem was probably the way DC 'mates were done, and allowing DST to distribute them may make all the difference.

One other thing to add is the business model. As much as I disliked DST's early chase figures (pairing a Thor variant with Loki), it did seem to force retailers to buy more cases thanks to the one-per-case variants. I'm sure that if DST had their way, a character like Ma Hunkel would have been a variant and these days she'd have been paired with an army builder.

Something else to consider is that Chuck said once that Minimates on their own are generally not profitable enough to justify; you need to have a wider variety of products. I don't know if that's still the case, or if that would be the case for what would be a long-running, expansive line like DC, but it might help explain "no room for us". Since DC already does a lot of the things DST does in house (statues, busts, ect), there's not a lot of other items DST could produce for DC.

I'd like to think a big property like DC would be a rare exception to the "not just Minimates" rule but that's another reason I'm suggesting the 1966 Batman license. A couple weeks ago that was wide open. I'm sure potential licensees descended upon the WBCP booth to talk terms so there may be a number of agreements in the works for a variety of categories. I expect DC Collectibles to pick up whatever slack might be left behind but it seems they'd prefer to license the categories than take the risk of manufacturing certain items themselves. I certainly don't expect to see Adam West Blammoids any time soon, though.

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ugh. I just saw the DC Mez-itz at TRU ($12 for a two pack!! good luck with that price).

Still, Mezco must have found one heck of a loophole to be able to produce comic and movie items at both specialty and brick/mortar stores without the involvement of Mattel or DC Direct.

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The biggest problem I've seen over the years with the 'bring back DC' way of thinking is that most people tend to look at DC or DC Direct and try to apply logic to how those comapanies are run and marketed. That is where their thinking is flawed. Can DC mates return? Of course they can, especially when you consider the line was dead before as C3 and 'returned' with a much better release plan. Can DC see the potential profit in a well done Minimates line and see the error in how they ruined the line before? Doubtful. If they can't do it in other lines, why shold this be any different.

Like many of the members here, I hope DC mates will be released once again, but I draw the line at thinking that the folks at DC know how to market themselves and their characters in the best way possible to make the most profit and give fans and collectors what they want. Until they get a clue overall about what they're marketing, DC Minimates have little chance of seeing the light of day again.

Edited by groundhog7s
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ugh. I just saw the DC Mez-itz at TRU ($12 for a two pack!! good luck with that price).

Still, Mezco must have found one heck of a loophole to be able to produce comic and movie items at both specialty and brick/mortar stores without the involvement of Mattel or DC Direct.

That reminds me: When DC Direct offered Minimates, their MSRP was $2 higher than Marvel's. My LCS owner said there was no way he could move them at that price so he dropped them closer to whatever Marvel's was at the time. So either DC's sales margin was ridiculously higher back then or the costs of using AA as a third-party manufacturer was too high to keep the retail down.

As for Mezco, where there's a will, there's a way.

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The biggest problem I've seen over the years with the 'bring back DC' way of thinking is that most people tend to look at DC or DC Direct and try to apply logic to how those comapanies are run and marketed. That is where their thinking is flawed. Can DC mates return? Of course they can, especially when you consider the line was dead before as C3 and 'returned' with a much better release plan. Can DC see the potential profit in a well done Minimates line and see the error in how they ruined the line before? Doubtful. If they can't do it in other lines, why shold this be any different.

Like many of the members here, I hope DC mates will be released once again, but I draw the line at thinking that the folks at DC know how to market themselves and their characters in the best way possible to make the most profit and give fans and collectors what they want. Until they get a clue overall about what they're marketing, DC Minimates have little chance of seeing the light of day again.

Now that's good posting. :yes:

zyinm9.gif

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I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to say this, so let me try this:

Until the universe reverts back to normal, I want DC minimates to stay dead and will actually be very upset if they come back before that.

I don’t New 52 minimates. I want to round out Batman’s rogues with CLASSIC versions of the characters, it’s bad enough we got a white tux Penguin (instead of one, you know, in black LIKE A PENGUIN or blue like the Golden Age) I wouldn’t want a Mega Rage Two-Face (sorry “ONE-FACE”) but that’s probably what we’d get. I don’t want the gimicy new GL’s, I just want the leaders of each Corp and to finish up the OLD Earth Lanterns... and don’t get me started on how stupid the ‘faux armor’ would look on a minimate.

Nope, Go ahead and stay dead for the next 5 or 6 years DC, that door can stay shut until DC fixes it’s own universe.

Instead of DC, I’m going to hope for a different improbable (but not impossible because statistically nothing is, although let’s be honest, impossible) license:

MONSTER HIGH!

We got Universal, we got Munster, we (could get) Mad Monster Party... so we NEED Monster High minimates!

I need to recreate this picture with minimates:

post-1897-0-44823200-1340216315_thumb.jp

They appeal to the same market as Lenore and probably Femme Fatales too!

So c’mon DST! Ask Mattel next time you inquire about MotU if you can have Monster High too! Maybe you can get a library bundle license deal! I think this is just as likely as new DC and I’d rather have a Frankenstein girl then a trunkless ‘armored’ Batman, so I say leave DC Direct alone and let’s Badger Mattel!

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