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What do Minimates need to get to the "next level"?


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On 4/17/2020 at 8:36 PM, AugieWargo said:

but what would everyone's reaction be if they did KickStarter and offered an obscure character you really wanted and it doesn't make the goal?

Then that’s goes into the bucket of at least they tried. 

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Is there any reason to involve KickStarter?

DST is already a business with broad distribution. As with other crowd-funded campaigns, if a product sees a certain amount of interest from end consumers, retailers tend to jump in and order it by the carton.

I mean, if I really wanted a particular Marvel Minimate, for example, all I'd need to do is throw enough money at DST and wait for Marvel to approve it.

What would that dollar amount be? If it's a new figure with lots of sculpted bits, maybe 3,000 units? Would Marvel allow a single pack? We've had blind bags that retailed for $5.99 each. Not sure what DST's wholesale price would be but assuming at least a 30% markup with a 10% pittance for the retailer and you're talking about $5,000.00 for a single figure.

Who wants a bunch of SHIELD agents? Or AIM soldiers? Or some other army-builder that would encourage multiple purchases, maybe even one that could be a popular character like Nick Fury, Phil Coulson, and others?

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Like most people my life is on hold at the moment but when we all turn the corner I would dearly love to complete my collection with a minimate or 2 that I have been involved in 'happening'.

"Would Marvel allow a single pack?" -MisterPL.......

I rarely buy anything 'olde' these days (eBay) but I couldn't press the trigger quick enough recently when I saw...... a Shop-Ko Spider-man .  So what ?   So....it's a singly packed Minimate & it is nothing short of beautiful .   I have that same 'first' Spider-Man Minimate in 8 other packaging variants yet the Shop-Ko package is glorious ......whenever I see them at sane money I will buy them .........even when my life is on hold.  

My Minimate grails 'fluctuate'* but I would happily finance my grail & TBQHICGAF if I ended up with all of them :D I have never been more serious.

 

 

* currently Super-Adaptoid :thumbsup:

 

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Yeah - I put in money for two sets of rewards to ensure I got all the minimates. I ended up with a digital download of the movie, and a hardback book 'The Art of 88'.
I never saw the movie, and the book looked like a collection of fan-art for something that. no-one was a fan of.

Despite the sh*tty experience with Kickstarter in this instance, I'd be willing to roll the dice on exclusive Marvel Minimates if DST wanted to try crowdfunding.
I wouldn't expect DST to act the way D****r did.

Neither of the peeps I've dealt with at DST (Chuck & Zach) ever seem interested in promoting themselves. They're promoting the products. They're out to run a company that makes cool toys that people like.  D****r always seemed more interested in being a rock star than in letting his work speak for itself.

Also - D****r was trying to make a film. He made a film. He got what he wanted. He didn't *really* care about the toys.
DST would be making toys and making money *from* the toys. The toys wouldn't be an incentive to support some other product.
Similarly, DST wouldn't be luring in connoisseurs of amateur, low budget, Tarantino knock off, handy cam films with the promise of a bonus DVD with every Minimate sold.

If it meant getting a chance at characters like the Mutant Liberation Front or the Imperial Guard, and it was handled by DST, I'd give it a go.

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i think there's a psychological aspect to kickstarter that is unique though.  at least i feel like i'm supporting it more directly and that my purchase is making a difference.  even projects that i know will happen w/out me i feel like this is the chance to put my money where my mouth is and support it.  if a property i didn't feel that strongly about went to retail first, lets say like the pathfinder minimates, i ignored.  but had they gone to kickstarter i probably would have supported.

and i actually just got the idea, has anyone ever floated any mystery science theater minimates?  that would probably work better on kickstarter than in retail.  they did the comeback shows on kickstarter (or some crowdfunding site) to put it on netflix i believe.  kickstarter does have a different market than retail (and i'd love a patton oswalt minimate).

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On 4/29/2020 at 4:02 PM, MisterPL said:

Is there any reason to involve KickStarter?

DST is already a business with broad distribution. As with other crowd-funded campaigns, if a product sees a certain amount of interest from end consumers, retailers tend to jump in and order it by the carton.

I mean, if I really wanted a particular Marvel Minimate, for example, all I'd need to do is throw enough money at DST and wait for Marvel to approve it.

What would that dollar amount be? If it's a new figure with lots of sculpted bits, maybe 3,000 units? Would Marvel allow a single pack? We've had blind bags that retailed for $5.99 each. Not sure what DST's wholesale price would be but assuming at least a 30% markup with a 10% pittance for the retailer and you're talking about $5,000.00 for a single figure.

Who wants a bunch of SHIELD agents? Or AIM soldiers? Or some other army-builder that would encourage multiple purchases, maybe even one that could be a popular character like Nick Fury, Phil Coulson, and others?

I am still floored we haven't gotten more AIM. Tons of Hydra, I would buy more SHIELD but to be honest I already army built that. I think 3K is the number since that feels familiar based off of the Deadly Foes 4 Pack Luke did. I'm still a big supporter of the UltiMATE idea that has been talked about with a mate with multiple accessories and different hands.

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18 hours ago, buttheadsmate said:

AIM = no brainer.  

Whilst '3K' seems like a magic number ,there are many Minimate sets that have been produced in far less numbers. Many.

I think I recall reading from Luke that 500 is the smallest set number since that's what they did for Multiple Man. But there were caveats which is why we didn't get multiple heads, etc.

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20 minutes ago, thereasonsy said:

I think I recall reading from Luke that 500 is the smallest set number since that's what they did for Multiple Man. But there were caveats which is why we didn't get multiple heads, etc.

Plus it was a figure that had already been planned for production in the main wave, so there was no need to tool any new pieces or tampos. They were just extending the production numbers, as opposed to creating a whole new figure with additional costs that needed to be offset

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