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DC Minimates


asu928

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On 4/4/2017 at 7:17 AM, Nervous Rex said:

I will probably get some of the DC vinimates, to display at work,  I do really like what was shown and hope for some favorites to pop up, like Firestorm and The Atom. Also Elf (if we ever even see that) and The Iron Giant. After that, I don't think there's anything for 'ol Nervous Rex to look forward to.  

Sorry, I was responding to something Nervous said in passing. Although the Freedom Fighters did battle Elf, one of Santa's elves who went bad.

http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Elf_(Earth-One)

Edited by DSTZach
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I still sense a grudge on DCs part after the whole DAVE School thing.  Maybe, I am off base, but the way we were talked to by the DC guys years ago, they seem to be holding a grudge.

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I was wondering the same thing. Even the picture of Digger that says "DO NOT SERVE!" posted next to the cash register at the WB commissary is out of date.

 

All it takes is one person with a long memory but given that DST has gotten other DC properties for Minimates, I doubt that's the case.

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DC Mez Itz have been around since 2011. Their license expanding or even existing has nothing to do with Minimates. That line (barely) predates competing, prohibitive licensing.

Even if New Times affected the C3 line in 2005, it seemed to have no bearing on the DC Direct line in 2007-2008. I don't think it is an concern anymore. We have a dozen licenses with Warner Bros. There are simply multiple competing licensees in that particular area, and two of them are fairly large.

 

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At this point, I think we all just have to accept that there's not good reason for DC to hold out on Minimates.  I'm dubious about licensing restrictions being the reason, since there's plenty of crossover with Minimates and similar style figures with other properties.  If we think that Minimates might be too close to existing products, I would point out that Vinimates are a LOT closer to Pops than Minimates are to Legos or Mez-its, and that doesn't seem to be an impediment. And it's not like DC is all that choosy about what they license; there's a guy over at AFI who has been writing for ALMOST THREE MONTHS NOW about these things called Mighty Meeples, which appear to be little blocks of wood with different DC characters printed on them, and I'm pretty sure he's the only person in the world that cares about them.  They'll let these things be made, and not Minimates?

They just don't want to do Minimates.  Who knows why.  And yes, I did write this post mostly to complain about those AFI Mighty Meeples articles.  Seriously, who is reading them?

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Licensors often love to split hairs. If there's a way to make more money without stepping on someone's toes, they'll do it. Some toes (LEGO, Mattel, Hasbro) are bigger than others but if there's no clear competition, it's usually not a problem.

 

Look at DST's Marvel license. They've claimed that they can't make Minimates over 2" tall but under the agreement for Marvel Select they can. While a 7" scale, fully articulated, Minimate-style Sentinel action figure might do gangbusters within this community, it probably wouldn't go over too well with their existing demographic. (Despite the fact that the block figure style goes pretty well with the robotic look of the character design, but I digress...)

 

Then there's market. Mattel is the global master toy licensee for DC Comics. They don't have all the categories but their agreement lists many. And apparently they're allowed to sell anywhere they like but mostly the mass market. That doesn't keep NECA and DC Collectibles from offering VERY similar product in shared markets. Usually that's a no-no but there are loopholes to be exploited to WB's benefit.

 

Not to be gloomy but there could be other reasons Mr. "Never Say Never" seems definitely pessimistic about DC Minimates. Suppose the licensee that's standing in the way of DC Minimates just signed a 10-year contract extension. The guy who's in charge of Minimates has to wonder if the brand will be around that long. Heck, given the general volatility of the toy industry, one has to wonder if DST will be around that long. So long as Diamond is satisfied, I see no cause for concern but obviously I'm not privy to the numbers Chuck is.

 

And, yeah, screw Mighty Meeples and all the other truly strange, out-of-left-field product WB lets manufacturers slap DC characters onto! 

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I feel like we've either gotten Minimates first or have seen previews/been informed of future Minimates releases for all of the Vinimates licenses shown so far. It just seemed like the logical progression given the way that every other license in the Vinimates line has worked. That's why the hard "no" was kind of blindsided me.

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The world's only wooden action figures are allowed, because they compete with nothing. It's got its own category, wooden collector toys. DC Collectibles actually made their own wooden action figures for a while, they were kinda cool.

I don't know the full story, myself, but Minimates are fairly similar to other toys being made by two very big companies, both of whom would probably rather there were no similar products, and have the juice to ask nicely. Not to say that there were NO competing products grandfathered in, or that they don't have competition in OTHER toy categories, but it's a completely different ball game.

Funko was not the first/only company making DC vinyls, so I can't imagine they have any sort of hold on that category.

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I think that's a pretty harsh comment about someone who thinks about what collectors want as much as Chuck does, and pushes hard to get it. Even if you don't care for Gotham and Watchmen Minimates, I think there was always a perception that they could lead to other things, in addition to being strong properties on their own. 

Chuck loves Batman as much as Spider-Man, and he knows what the fans want, so if you think he's relieved or content to give that answer, you're wrong  I'm sure he wanted to be honest.

Edited by DSTZach
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9 hours ago, buttheadsmate said:

MisterPL said what I was thinking...          again.

 

I am saying ...........             Mr. "Never say Never " saying  "Never"  is quite simply .................pathetic :down:

 

 

 

 

It's perhaps bad form to repeat my short post , I do so in the interests of clarity . 

I'll stand by my remark .....his comment is pathetic . My dictionary .....which is an English dictionary .....notes that the word 'pathetic' means 'arousing pity ' . The emoticom was a poor choice ...my bad.

 

 

Chuck's bad news about DC 'mates isn't just bad news, it's worse, it's 10 year old bad news with no elaboration of the old news. 

  

 

 

 

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Understood. "Pathetic" has a pretty negative connotation in the US. Implies a weak showing, lack of effort. Maybe not in England? Of course "pitiful" is no better. "Pitiable"? Sad? It is sad, for sure. 

Edited by DSTZach
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Oh well I guess if comic dc mates happened now tptb would be pushing for nu52 designs and whatever bullshit is the hot trend right now and classic Legion of superhero characters would be roughly 52148th on the to do list.

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