SDCC Exclusive Speculation

[MiniFiend UK]

and for those of us that dont get access to alot of minimates from a bricks an mortor store to fondle bags and work out whats in them. I would guess blind bags will be hell. i have to say I'm against it if it happened.

[whywing]

So you would rather have limited access through brick an mortar with no blind bags at bigger retailers?

There is one store within 40 miles of me that sells Minimates so I think that blind bags are great from the perspective of getting them at more stores.

[buttheadsmate]

Blind-bagging could work but it needs to be handled carefully ,DST ain't no fools ,have massive integrity & I genuinely believe they could succeed .

I'm not looking for stupid puns but blind-bagging with some amount of transparency regarding numbers/ratios might help ?

Edited May 22, 2014 by buttheadsmate

[Mnemosis]

Blind-bagging could work but it needs to be handled carefully ,DST ain't no fools ,have massive integrity & I genuinely believe they could succeed .

I'm not looking for stupid puns but blind-bagging with some amount of transparency regarding numbers/ratios might help ?

Rob, I couldn't agree with you more.. it will be all about the execution. I kind of like what you said about how the Kubrick variants worked. What if we had SOME codes to go by?

Avengers

4x A - Captain America

4x B - Iron Man

4x C - Thor

6x D - 2 each of Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Ultron

4x E - 1 each of Strucker, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Alternate Ultron

This gives the stores a better pack out of the franchise characters. It gives collectors some of the characters they want, and gives then a chance to narrow down their search. At last I know I only "need" Ds and Es. But, it still gives the stores their blind bag business wherein no one can know for sure which figure they're getting off the short packs and casual shoppers will be completely blind sided

[youbastards]

It's TRU exclusive blind bag figures.

So, next question....thoughts on the retail cost?

If they are $2.99 that makes them less than a 2-pack, if they are $3.99 that makes them more than a 2-pack.

Is this method of selling Minimates replacing or co-existing with the 2-pack format?

[bigvis497]

So you would rather have limited access through brick an mortar with no blind bags at bigger retailers?

There is one store within 40 miles of me that sells Minimates so I think that blind bags are great from the perspective of getting them at more stores.

Yes. #+$@ blind bags.

As far as store presence, you could accomplish the same thing by having TRU simply get their act together. And maybe sharing/adding exclusives to other stores.

Edited May 22, 2014 by bigvis497

[Modefan]

Why does everyone have the idea for blind bags?

IMO I think they would sell, But the problem I see is retailers actually getting them to the customer...... They are small, retail employee tend to stick them in whatever hole they can find and there is a higher chance of theft.

Did you guys get some inside info at the last con is that why there is so much blind bag talk?

[Ninja Mate]

Why does everyone have the idea for blind bags?

IMO I think they would sell, But the problem I see is retailers actually getting them to the customer...... They are small, retail employee tend to stick them in whatever hole they can find and there is a higher chance of theft.

Did you guys get some inside info at the last con is that why there is so much blind bag talk?

At my LCS blind box/bags are generally on the counter next to the register or behind the counter....I dont really see theft as in issue. And setting them on the counter near check out is good because the customer buys them as an impulse buy, plus at $3-$4 each is easier to buy then $10 for a 2 pack. Its a mind f**k really, but it works.

[Modefan]

Theft might not be an issue @ LCS but large retailers may have a bigger problem with it

[youbastards]

Why does everyone have the idea for blind bags?

IMO I think they would sell, But the problem I see is retailers actually getting them to the customer...... They are small, retail employee tend to stick them in whatever hole they can find and there is a higher chance of theft.

Did you guys get some inside info at the last con is that why there is so much blind bag talk?

A few weeks ago there was some "hypothetical" talk that Zach was involved in, i think it was the "future of Minimates at TRU" thread?

Regarding theft, I just had to explain to my daughter yesterday that someone took the ponies out of the blind-bagged MLP packs that she wanted.

[Ninja Mate]

Theft might not be an issue @ LCS but large retailers may have a bigger problem with it

Last time at my walmart, they had the simpsons minifigs on a shelf right in the middle of the isle mixed in with the larger Lego boxes. I didnt see any ripped open. As a matter of fact I DID see TWO large Spiderman Lego sets ripped open for the minifigs. but I'm not sure a large retailer is concerned about theft on a $1.50 wholesale item.

I dunno, I just dont see theft as an issue to not carry a product. otherwise we wouldnt have physical stores.

[Modefan]

I dont think theft would be a deterrent - just an annoyance for people who truly want them

The one that worries me the most is what would be done with them in large retail stores - Look at stuff like grab zags and Kre-O's or even mega bloks - they just seem to be all over the place

[MisterPL]

There's a good chance DST was looking at pre-order sales for Aliens dump cases, which were reportedly higher than expected, and decided that if collectors were willing to order those by the case, they'd be willing to order blind bags by the case as well.

[karamazov80]

Regarding theft, I just had to explain to my daughter yesterday that someone took the ponies out of the blind-bagged MLP packs that she wanted.

I hope TM2 Dinobot is happy with himself.

[hellpop]

There's a good chance DST was looking at pre-order sales for Aliens dump cases, which were reportedly higher than expected, and decided that if collectors were willing to order those by the case, they'd be willing to order blind bags by the case as well.

That makes sense. I wonder if they would do boxes, like Kubrick, rather then bags. I also wonder if there are restrictions in their contracts about whether they can do blind bags with a particular license. Personally, I'd rather see them do this with in-house properties like Battle Beasts.

[Freaqualizer]

I would love blind bags. It would be great to grab a handful of minimates while walking through Walmart/target. That would be dope.

[Mnemosis]

I'd think blind bags would be 3.99 each. It is only a 25 cent mark up per figure which MIGHT be offset by increased packaging/shipping costs

[TENIME_art]

Like I said, if a case GUARANTEES me a full set, I have no issues with blind bags.

Funko's don't, and that is very angering/hard on the wallet.

I'll buy a case.

I just don't want to have to buy 3 cases, and still end up going to eBay for 2 or 3 figures.

[MisterPL]

I've seen so many blind-bagged collectibles opened in the store (especially Hasbro's Fighter Pods) that I'd be concerned about thievery as well. These things would have to be merchandised where it's most inconvenient to pocket them.

[karamazov80]

Like I said, if a case GUARANTEES me a full set, I have no issues with blind bags.

Funko's don't, and that is very angering/hard on the wallet.

I'll buy a case.

I just don't want to have to buy 3 cases, and still end up going to eBay for 2 or 3 figures.

Maybe they'll go the Medicom route--you get a "full set" in your case, but you may not get rare chase figures! That would be fun, wouldn't it?

[Valo487]

Like I said, if a case GUARANTEES me a full set, I have no issues with blind bags.

Funko's don't, and that is very angering/hard on the wallet.

I'll buy a case.

I just don't want to have to buy 3 cases, and still end up going to eBay for 2 or 3 figures.

Maybe they'll go the Medicom route--you get a "full set" in your case, but you may not get rare chase figures! That would be fun, wouldn't it?

NO. That to me would be the best possible way for DST to piss off every collector that has been with their minimate line since day one. I don't want this line which I love to become a challenge or a hassle to collect, after all the problems that some people have had with the Toys "R" Us exclusives, you would hope they would know better than to do something like that.

If they want to do blind bags as a supplement to the existing lines, then okay, I can roll with that, but I absolutely do not want blind bags to be the default approach going forward.

[buttheadsmate]

Oh Sam you're not up to speed ...........in the latter days of the Star Wars DX series' there were 2 'supposedly' 1:96 chase figures . I say supposedly because the reality was you had to buy a master-case of 96 to get the first one & another master-case of 96 to get the second one. In reality you had to buy 196 figures ,16 cases of 12 @ in excess of $120 each . I'll stress that I understand that it wasn't a certainty to get a different one in each case !!!

I stopped collecting them

[Mnemosis]

Yeah... the only way I'd be okay with variant chase figures is if they're pointless. IE an all gold Cyclops or something. I don't want an actual character to be impossible to get.

[karamazov80]

^^ Many of the Medicom ones were totally new characters/molds. Back in the day, one 1/96 chase was Grand Moff Tarkin from Star Wars, which was a pretty important character!

And I did notice that's how it apparently worked with the master cases. Fortunately for us, Minimates will only cost about half of what the Kubricks do, so that means folks will only need to shell out about $1,000 to get all the rare figures they want!

[Lobsterman]

I'll preface this by saying I've been collecting Minimates since near to the beginning, and I've been fortunate enough to live near TRUs that plentifully stock exclusives (until the recent…whatever). The only Minimates I don't have in my collection are gold and silver Spidey, along with various retailer blanks, and I'm honestly not interested in those, so I don't consider them personal "grails." I buy full sets from Luke, so I always get the "chase" figure right off the bat. As a result, the only Minimates I ever really want for are the ones that haven't come out yet. I get that momentary thrill of the hunt when TRU exclusives are first spotted in the wild, but that lasts about a week, then I get them, then it's back to waiting another three months for the next series to come out. I suspect that's the case for most reasonably diligent Minimate collectors. Certainly if you just started collecting, there are going to be older figures like Gambit, or Swordsman, or what have you, that are going to be more difficult or more expensive to find, but that's the case with any line you get into late in the game.

Maybe rare chase figures could bring some sport back into collecting Minimates. Say what you will about TRU sets, they are not impossible to obtain (until the recent…whatever), between getting help from members on the board or resorting to ebay for a reasonable price. Adding to the mix some rare chases that don't fall into your lap with a bit of effort — knowing that there are some Minimates out there that are going to be your grail, that there's a chance you might never own — could introduce some excitement into collecting the line. Would I be infuriated looking at that white-costume Iron Fist-shaped hole in my collecting knowing he was a 1/144 chase? Absolutely. But would it add a bit of… I don't know, purpose?… to my collecting? I think it might. At least then my collection wouldn't be functionally complete as soon as I opened a new wave.

Of course, maybe I'm the only one interested in that sort of excitement.