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SDCC 2018


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Yeah, I don't think that anyone wants to go back to the days of exclusives only being available on the show floor, save for the scalpers. That Spider-Man set was never going to sell well as an exclusive; neither was the one before that with the Vision in a suit (literally the easiest custom possible if anyone really wanted him in that look). Those exclusives went way too far in the other direction and were too plain and boring.

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7 minutes ago, hellpop said:

Yeah, I don't think that anyone wants to go back to the days of exclusives only being available on the show floor, save for the scalpers. That Spider-Man set was never going to sell well as an exclusive; neither was the one before that with the Vision in a suit (literally the easiest custom possible if anyone really wanted him in that look). Those exclusives went way too far in the other direction and were too plain and boring.

To be fair, the Vision set was really a Scarlet Witch set, a frequently fan-requested character and the only version of her we made that year. Vision was just to keep her company. Then that scene got cut. Sigh...

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5 hours ago, hellpop said:

It was! And the other two sets were in New York. That was a special deal between the retailer, which held the license to make Thundercats products, and which then commissioned DST to make the product. It's too bad they never did anything else, but the change in ownership at Icon Heroes seems to have ended that relationship. I know you know all that, BHM, I'm just reminding everyone else. :lol:

Icon Heroes is still owned by the same person, I believe, only AFX was sold. I do not believe we have done any exclusives with AFX since then, not sure why, but if Icon asked us to make Minimates for something, or we could sub-license from them, we might still. Maybe. I'm sure it would depend on the license.  

After Alpha Flight didn't do so well, we tried more mainstream comic sets (Wolverine, AvX, etc.), then we tried Movie sets. The thinking was that the SDCC audience is increasingly a mainstream audience, and therefore a mainstream-appealing product might do better. But maybe there's a balance we were missing. Obviously, Adrian Toomes could have been a more exciting character, but we needed the wide releases to be exciting, too, and we only have so many choices of characters and variants in the very early planning stages. I like the set, personally. 

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I remember once interviewing Eric Ripert and asking him about specials at restaurants he told me “ a special has to be special or else it’s just an item you left off of the menu”. I think that’s the same philosophy to have with exclusives. Look they may be annoying to get and to find but at the end of the day they need to be exclusive and a bit challenging to find but also special. Scarlet Witch was special.... but I waited to but her loose since inonly wanted her anyway. The homecoming set was cool... but I waited until it was available on discount from TRU. The only time in recent years I remember “falling” for a special was Luke’s sticker packs. I don’t even use them but I want them in case I ever figure out how to get them on! 

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2 hours ago, thereasonsy said:

I remember once interviewing Eric Ripert and asking him about specials at restaurants he told me “ a special has to be special or else it’s just an item you left off of the menu”. I think that’s the same philosophy to have with exclusives. Look they may be annoying to get and to find but at the end of the day they need to be exclusive and a bit challenging to find but also special.

Why? The funny thing is Scarlet Witch, a minimate people wanted, is basically a character that was left off the menu.

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On 7/7/2018 at 5:07 AM, stack32 said:

Why? The funny thing is Scarlet Witch, a minimate people wanted, is basically a character that was left off the menu.

I agree about Wanda but Vision in a tux? Not so special. I actually waited for years to buy her figure until it was just her loose (thanks Luke) because I knew that the vision would end up in my parts bin.

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This is why a Deluxe offering like a single Minimate with oodles of parts and maybe a diorama component would make a special exclusive. 

For example, offer a Tony Stark figure with lots of new Iron Man parts and/or a light-up alcove base for display. If those bases interconnect (because, hey, that’s the brand’s play pattern) DST won’t be able to manufacture enough in the first year. 

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It doesn't usually take me long before I lose my 'casual reader' so goodbye to you .

 

If you're still reading, not English & not au fait with English soccer then either 'Google' or again 'goodbye' .

 

The Minimate brand has become  been for some while a lot like Arsene Wenger's Arsenal football team ............could have been great ,enjoyable but ultimately.....in need of new blood because TBQH it just aint 'appening is it ?

I could have chosen soooooooooooooooo many threads to say that,so why this one ?SDCC has become ( I'm daring to say this) a bit  lot like 'people' travelling to Mecca albeit different gods & definitely a different religion. I apologise for any non-PC opinion but it's true is it not ?

16 years of minimates & it seems to this particular collector that whoever that deity is who has a hand on the tiller of the USS Minimate needs to steer the ship out of Pearl .

 

 

 

 

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I'm not getting out of Minimates nor is BHC ?:blink:  

I have always wanted the Minimate brand to achieve rather than under-achieve & it has been my opinion that the current malaise brought about by the sad demise of TRU should be seen as an opportunity to 'change' .  

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Agreed, it's time to get creative.  Build-a-figures is a good start, but really invest into the brand and come up with some fun product.

- Dioramas that can connect together

- accessory packs

- generic vehicles

Bring back M.A.X., experiment with an in-house Monsters/Monster Hunters line, Famous people (Weird Al, Michael Jackson, Pee-Wee Herman).

Aim for more Hollywood nostalgia properties like Buffy, Firefly, Princess Bride, Monty Python, Austin Powers, etc, while not being afraid to try the more obscure boxset from time to time.  One of the primary reasons Back to the Future was a success was because DST was the only company producing product at the time, including characters not just the DeLorean.

With Walking Dead gone, Aliens and Predator are both wrapping up (if not done), we need another tentpole license.  Aim high.

 

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5 hours ago, buttheadsmate said:

I'm not getting out of Minimates nor is BHC ?:blink:  

I have always wanted the Minimate brand to achieve rather than under-achieve & it has been my opinion that the current malaise brought about by the sad demise of TRU should be seen as an opportunity to 'change' . 

(I guess subliminally I consider you more of a comrade than a mate. Apologies.)

 

Yes, this brand really needs to move to the next level. The only time I get enthusiastic about Minimates is when DST acquires a property I want (still waiting for Planet of the Apes) or when they offer something we've been asking for like build-a-figures. 

Unfortunately there seems to be a reluctance to "rock the boat." Brands stagnate when companies are more concerned with maintaining a status quo than taking the occasional risk. 

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I agree with the talk of going to the next level with Minimates, but the line is always touted as have a very low profit margin.  I don't know the specifics and have never been privy to the wholesale price of a Minimate, but until the line makes considerable money for a retailer, I doubt DST will give it much more attention.

Mainstream characters for exclusives has never offended me because I have always been able to acquire the sets.  Yes, maybe a few bucks more than a regular set, but that is the idea.  Go to the con/event or buy secondary.  That is the way it works.

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DST needs to revisit their Marvel agreement and ask the licensor how they might be able to offer something like vehicles. And I'm not just talking about Ghost Rider's criminally absent motorcycle. An assortment Deluxe SKUs of Fantastic Four characters, each with a component of the Fantasticar, might be something retailers would be interested in.

Unfortunately I sense an unwillingness to ask the question.

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I don’t know why but this thread really inspired me. I’d love to have an exclusive like. YellowJacket where he came with additional parts to turn into Rita, accessories and even part of a lab or something. I’m tired of buying select characters just for the dioramas since I don’t collect that line. Again, space is an issue for me so collapsing things would be swell. Lastly, whomever has been in charge of the MOTU and Gi Joe lines gets it. The online store has been great and So many of my friends love it. I just troll them for accessories ?

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44 minutes ago, MisterPL said:

DST needs to revisit their Marvel agreement and ask the licensor how they might be able to offer something like vehicles. And I'm not just talking about Ghost Rider's criminally absent motorcycle. An assortment Deluxe SKUs of Fantastic Four characters, each with a component of the Fantasticar, might be something retailers would be interested in.

Unfortunately I sense an unwillingness to ask the question.

Hang on 'Comrade MisterPL'  what you talk of might be classed as insurrection ........ I mean it's only been 15 years since DST got the Marvel license... we don't want to rock the boat do we ?

 

 

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5 minutes ago, buttheadsmate said:

Hang on 'Comrade MisterPL'  what you talk of might be classed as insurrection ........ I mean it's only been 15 years since DST got the Marvel license... we don't want to rock the boat do we ?

 

да. And those were the days when Marvel was in the toy manufacturing business. They were protecting Toy Biz's interests.

Now it's Disney, and they're more likely to listen. Maybe they'll say no. It's worth a conversation.

(Assuming DST wants to grow the business. It's possible they don't. I'm sure there are those hoping a bigger fish comes along and buys the brand.)

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My $0.02 (and maybe a little extra):
Has Marvel Legends innovated much in the last 10 years? They gave away dioramas and brought in the BAF figures early on. I haven't seem them do much more since then. Recently, they have been delivering some awesome character selections. I have actually been considering getting back into ML because of the cool X-Men waves. But then when I think of the new MLs I want, like Warlock, Shatterstar, Polaris, Punk Storm, Dazzler, etc... I realise that Minimates has actually already done all of them. 
I think minimates has tried a lot of innovative things to move the line along. MAX gave as armed forced, police, fire fighters and vehicles. The line isn't around any more because it ran it's course and DST made what they could off it (including giving us a Blackbird for the X-Men). If it were still profitable, DST would probably still be doing it. 

Minimates' strength, for me at least, has always been the depth characters we see made. We might complain a bit about not having various line-ups completed, but I certainly don't have Rictor, Feral, Avalanche, or Destiny in my Marvel Legends collection. 
The accessories are also a lot better than what we get with the ML line. Look at all the weapons that came with the recent Hand Ninjas. ML is getting better. At least the new Psylocke actually came with power effects and a sword. But Minimates stuff like Thor's spinning hammer effect? That was gold! 
I think most collectors get fatigued after a while. How many toy lines seem fresh and exciting after 15 years? I've gone from something close to a Marvel completionist to only buying the waves of packs that excite me. I don't feel compelled to buy everything anymore. But some other kid has come along and is now buying everything that gets released.

I'm not against DST trying things like dioramas, but I'd hate to see the figures suffer because of it. So long as DST keeps the quality up, and continues to find ways to release new characters, I'll keep buying. 

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6 hours ago, thereasonsy said:

 Lastly, whomever has been in charge of the MOTU and Gi Joe lines gets it. The online store has been great and So many of my friends love it. I just troll them for accessories ?

Going to have to disagree on the GI Joe part there. The club has been out of touch with the fan base since they started offering the smaller Joes. The membership subscription service was what put the line out of my reach. $30+ for one figure?  Sure I could pick them individually up for $45+, but that’s still crazy. 

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That's the first time I've seen someone say something good about those subscription services.

Does anyone really believe that another niche property, dioramas, or generic product is going to make a difference? I think you all know better.

Nessex is right. Two or three awesome Marvel comic waves and this malaise would disappear. Right now things seem tentative and safe, like the line is dying.

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I agree about character variety but for me that goes well beyond Marvel. It extends to "niche" properties like Elf and Beetlejuice and Alien and Predator and Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek, etc. Dioramas and "generic product" can fill holes in collections that license agreements forbid and offer retailers higher price points with better margins.

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