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G.I. Joe Minimates!


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17 hours ago, THE_CRIPPLER said:

How can the ReAction G.I Joe figures that are warming the pegs at Targets be on wave 6, yet the G.I. Joe Minimates be struggling to get wave 3/4 released? I'm wondering if it is due to lack of awareness/no advertising for them. G.I. Joe Minimate fans need to start posting pics of them on any G.I. Joe Facebook fan pages that you are a part of. Help get the word out.

I enjoy the reaction figures but agreed - i need to start doing some legwork on spreading the word!

Edited by nandoninny
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4 hours ago, Mattallica said:

I think you nailed it, this combined with the high price is not working.

I love GI Joe and got the FCBD set as soon as I could, suffering through the delays until I finally got them.

But re-releasing half of them in the first two sets (with some new decos), and charging $40 for them has put me (and others?) off from buying them yet (keep looking for a sale.)  I have no interest in this old timers stuff.  More power to those who do!

DST released some Predator minimates shortpacked in a case and that killed my interest in that line.  Sometimes they make weird business decisions.

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I didn't ask for AT GI Joe, but I will definitely get these.  I was born long enough ago that my childhood was at the tail end of the Adventure Team era.  I also had lots of older cousins and lucked into their hand me downs.  I still have some 12" Joes in my office that the minimates will compliment.  I didn't really get into the Super Joes as a kid, but these minimates are great and I will get them.

Interesting stuff to me.

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These are cool looking, and I love any and all vintage nods. I might be just a tad bit young to remember the originals. AT FIFTY. But they recall vague memories I have of playing with similar toys from Remco and Marx. I may even have had an AT jungle hunt set with a big jeep. I seem to recall flocked beards. But I'm sure these old toys disintegrated or were garage-saled before my collecting days really began in earnest.

But if the intent is to find something you think will sell better than 80s Joes... I don't even know where to start kicking the tires on that logic. I'm sure there are plenty of 60+ collectors out there still, and even on these boards, but if you couldn't get the 80s Joes to catch fire, what's the plan of attack here?

If this is a passion project that Chuck wanted to squeak out before you retire Joe Mates, that would make more sense. I'm not opposed to these in the least, but the logic doesn't track.

 

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19 hours ago, nandoninny said:

Any chance we’ll have sdcc exclusives?  I plan on this being my last year going and would love to pick something up in person one last time

There will be a Transformers MM SDCC exclusive. No Joe at this time. 

19 hours ago, fwoosheyman said:

Instead of doing things like simplifying the packaging to reduce the price of gijoe boxsets to be in line w other sets, stop releasing the same characters over and over or an army builder boxset the decision was to do not one but two older/more obscure boxsets. 🤯

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again DST management makes horrible choices time and time again when it comes to minimates (Trek, KH, DC)

DC line was a work-for-hire joint. I don't think we chose the characters. 

19 hours ago, fwoosheyman said:

I sure hope this works or the retailer comes through. GIJOE mates have been my favorite of the hasbro lines and the one w best potential to last a long time.  As others have said this is a total disappointment and sure looks like a death blow. 

Taste the Fwoosh! ;) 

17 hours ago, Onyx_6 said:

Has Hasbro acknowledged Minimates on their social media? It would be great if they could have given shout outs to the lines when their properties were getting released/promoted. 

Not sure it was available before, but I have actually been talking to them today about pushing the product. I just sent them info on Joe Series 1 and hopefully it will lead to some online promo. 

17 hours ago, Onyx_6 said:

will these sets be on the retro cards at $10 a mate? Or will they at least be in the more palatable/affordable box format?

I believe they are individually carded, it was mentioned in the voiceover and I have seen the art. 

1 hour ago, Shanester said:

@DSTZach Will Luminos be clear?

I believe so, yes, they mention it in the audio description. I'm not 100% familiar with the toy. I'm only 45.

12 hours ago, BCDX97 said:

DST released some Predator minimates shortpacked in a case and that killed my interest in that line.  Sometimes they make weird business decisions.

Decisions are based on sales. At one time, I believe shortly after Kmart and Hot Topic requested blind-bagged TMNT and NBX 'Mates, we tried blind bags as a way to appeal to different retailers. I don't think the Marvel Now set did very well, but I think the Predator wave did okay. Notice we don't do it anymore. 

43 minutes ago, elhonez said:

But if the intent is to find something you think will sell better than 80s Joes... I don't even know where to start kicking the tires on that logic. I'm sure there are plenty of 60+ collectors out there still, and even on these boards, but if you couldn't get the 80s Joes to catch fire, what's the plan of attack here?

If this is a passion project that Chuck wanted to squeak out before you retire Joe Mates, that would make more sense. I'm not opposed to these in the least, but the logic doesn't track.

I don't think we said, "80s Joes aren't selling, let's do 1970s Joes", I think these were developed in parallel as a potential exclusive, but now we are trying them at retail because Series 2 was a disappointment. We're just trying to change things up a little. 

Series 3 in a simplified format is still possible. An army-builder set is still possible, but not before 3 and 4 come out. I'll keep fighting.

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i went ahead and sent photos to Hisstank's facebook page to try to get coverage there.

Hasbro does thier pulse events -- not sure if they ever promote the super7 stuff but yeah, i think these just need exposure.  i know my comic shop just doesn't like carrying them b/c they're small and are hard to see amongst all the other stuff they carry so they only order what i ask them to order. 

here's where i suck, i'm not even sure if there's a GI JOE comic coming out right now.  i think last i read the license was going to a new publisher but that publisher hasn't been announced yet.  anyone that's willing to take a risk on a new comic is probably interested in this line.

zach, thanks for fighting the good fight and for taking the time to respond to all of our questions.  while i am feeling let down that no new real american hero characters have been shown, i am looking forward to these sets.  i thought i knew a lot about the joe history but that second set has me perplexed!  i'll be looking up the history of those as soon as i can b/c i have never seen any of them before!  i worked at a store in the late 90's/early 2000's that was all about the 12" joe stuff so i got educated by some hardcore fans on the history of the joe line and got to see some really cool stuff.  but honestly, none of it was cool as the 80's stuff to me.

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1 hour ago, DSTZach said:

There will be a Transformers MM SDCC exclusive. No Joe at this time. 

DC line was a work-for-hire joint. I don't think we chose the characters. 

Taste the Fwoosh! ;) 

Not sure it was available before, but I have actually been talking to them today about pushing the product. I just sent them info on Joe Series 1 and hopefully it will lead to some online promo. 

I believe they are individually carded, it was mentioned in the voiceover and I have seen the art. 

I believe so, yes, they mention it in the audio description. I'm not 100% familiar with the toy. I'm only 45.

Decisions are based on sales. At one time, I believe shortly after Kmart and Hot Topic requested blind-bagged TMNT and NBX 'Mates, we tried blind bags as a way to appeal to different retailers. I don't think the Marvel Now set did very well, but I think the Predator wave did okay. Notice we don't do it anymore. 

I don't think we said, "80s Joes aren't selling, let's do 1970s Joes", I think these were developed in parallel as a potential exclusive, but now we are trying them at retail because Series 2 was a disappointment. We're just trying to change things up a little. 

Series 3 in a simplified format is still possible. An army-builder set is still possible, but not before 3 and 4 come out. I'll keep fighting.

I appreciate you, both in response and in fighting for the Joe fans.

I know it may seem abnormal, but I would almost really recommend asking here and even on Hisstank what characters would get people the most interested. Joe fans can be temperamental and fickle.

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These are...interesting. Not terrible but it's like looking at an old family photo and not recognizing anyone in it but still trying to figure out who they could be. I like some of the designs and vaguely remember some of these (I'm a few years older than Zach). 

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1 hour ago, Navaan said:

I appreciate you, both in response and in fighting for the Joe fans.

I know it may seem abnormal, but I would almost really recommend asking here and even on Hisstank what characters would get people the most interested. Joe fans can be temperamental and fickle.

I think the team knows who the most popular Joes and Cobras are, because Series 3 and 4 are all killer no filler. It's not like we made a set with Raptor and Crystal Ball and wondered why the sales weren't there, there must be other reasons. The character repeats are what they are, but I am not sure the carded figures were the best way to go. We'll see how these do. Chuck said in a live Ask DST today that 3 and 4 are not dead. 

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23 minutes ago, DSTZach said:

... I am not sure the carded figures were the best way to go. 

i seem to remember us having a discussion on expensive cardboard

i dont know about anyone else but i buy minimates for the minimates not the packaging

Edited by Mattallica
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I love the carded nostalgia of the GI Joe figures...it's one of the reasons I buy multiples so I could display a set still on card but open others. That being said, I will GLADLY lose the cards and buy them on simple blister card for cheaper if it allows the line to continue on. 

My own personal opinion is like many others that if this line is struggling for sales I have to believe one of the biggest reasons are the cost due to packaging but even more so the selection. Now I love Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow but having 3 of them each released in the first few sets is a bit much and likely discouraged some from spending the money to get any new characters. If 3 & 4 perhaps have the likes of say Flint, Lady Jaye, Gung Ho and Spirit in one pack and Firefly, Major Bludd, Scrap Iron and Zartan in the other. I REALLY believe these will sell...especially if you reduce the packaging cost and bring the price down even some. Maybe im biased (I am) but I still really believe this line could succeed and succeed big if it hits it's stride. 

Oh and army builders, we keep harping on it I know but these things will be like printing money. You give me a Cobra Trooper, Viper, Eel, Crimson Guard, BAT or Snow Serpent and Im buying minimum 10 and probably 20 of these packs. Pinky promise!

Edited by jettstorm
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2 hours ago, Navaan said:

I appreciate you, both in response and in fighting for the Joe fans.

+1 to this. Thanks Zach!

I am certain it's an issue of exposure, because how could these not sell?? They are golden. Have you sent a set to Hisstank.com for a review? Or secondarily Yojoe, GeneralsJoes, 3DJoes? Looks like someone already mentioned Hasbro's feed, that would be fantastic exposure.

24 minutes ago, Mattallica said:

i dont know about anyone else but i buy minimates for the minimates not the packaging

I used to, until these Joes came out. :) And now also the D&D mates, because those boxes are epic throwbacks to the old rulebooks I grew up with.

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32 minutes ago, jettstorm said:

I love the carded nostalgia of the GI Joe figures...it's one of the reasons I buy multiples so I could display a set still on card but open others. That being said, I will GLADLY lose the cards and buy them on simple blister card for cheaper if it allows the line to continue on. 

My own personal opinion is like many others that if this line is struggling for sales I have to believe one of the biggest reasons are the cost due to packaging but even more so the selection. Now I love Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow but having 3 of them each released in the first few sets is a bit much and likely discouraged some from spending the money to get any new characters. If 3 & 4 perhaps have the likes of say Flint, Lady Jaye, Gung Ho and Spirit in one pack and Firefly, Major Bludd, Scrap Iron and Zartan in the other. I REALLY believe these will sell...especially if you reduce the packaging cost and bring the price down even some. Maybe im biased (I am) but I still really believe this line could succeed and succeed big if it hits it's stride. 

Oh and army builders, we keep harping on it I know but these things will be like printing money. You give me a Cobra Trooper, Viper, Eel, Crimson Guard, BAT or Snow Serpent and Im buying minimum 10 and probably 20 of these packs. Pinky promise!

For the Joes, Flint, Lady Jaye, Stalker and Spirit would be my top recs, but I can see Gung Ho sliding in there. Flint and Lady Jaye are *the* top two for the Joes.

 

Cobra is easier with a top three; Zartan, Firefly, Major Bludd. You can then argue Zarana, Dr. Mindbender, or Serpentor.

 

Troop builder isnthe easiest. Cobra trooper with male/female head/torso, Crimson Guard with male/female head/torso, Viper (vest and helmet make gender obscured on Mininates), and BAT. That right there will sell, sell, sell.

Edited by Navaan
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I would elect Serpentor and Doctor Mindbender to take priority just because of how cool and interesting they look compared to some of the other Cobra cronies. Zartan would look great, too. Admittedly, I don't know too much about G.I. Joe so I'm not sure how prominent they are in the show compared to the other suggested characters. I only know what I think looks neat!

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2 hours ago, NerdyTrev said:

I would elect Serpentor and Doctor Mindbender to take priority just because of how cool and interesting they look compared to some of the other Cobra cronies. Zartan would look great, too. Admittedly, I don't know too much about G.I. Joe so I'm not sure how prominent they are in the show compared to the other suggested characters. I only know what I think looks neat!

If you are not a big GI Joe fan, Serpentor is kind of difficult to explain briefly, but I will try. Keep in mind, GI Joe is military sci-fi fantasy, so some elements are goofy.

Dr. Mindbender (or others, depending on lore) grew distrustful of Cobra Commander (again, lore reasons from his ego, to his treachery, or his competence in the cartoon, etc) and created a 'general' via dark science that he instead meant to push as the new Cobra Emperor. Designed with DNA taken, copied, mimicked from Genghis Khan, Adolf Hitler, Julius Caesar, Attila the Hun, so on, Serpentor was meant to be a regal, charismatic, commanding battlefield presence. The cartoon... went in a much wilder direction.

For his overall importance in the story, think of him as a more honorable ;usurper' to Cobra Commander and the other side of certain Cobra 'civil wars.'

Dr. Mindbender, on his end, is Cobra's 'main scientist,' and certainly has a unique look in his OG depictions. He was actually, originally, a kind man, who was trying to find ways to alter brain activity to help with pain management (often in dentistry, in the different lore) until an experiment went wrong, warping his personality. He's outlandish, but some people really like him.

If you were to list Cobra's 'important' characters in tiers, it would probably be-

Cobra Commander, Baroness, Destro, Storm Shadow, Zartan
Firefly, Major Bludd, Tomax, Xamot
Serpentor, Dr. Mindbender, Zarana,
Buzzer, Ripper, Torch, Wild Weasel, Copperhead
Dr. Venom, Zandar, Road Pig, Overkill

There are then ancillary characters that, dependent on the version or telling, have more importance; Blackout, Dr. Knox, Scarface, Fred VII, Kwinn, Venomous Maximous (think Serpentor, but more animal), Skull Buster, Pythona, Golobulus, Big Boa, Interrogator, Wraith, Raptor, Ghost Bear, Cadet Deming, Lt. Clay Moore, and dozens and dozens of others who have had major stories in comics, or cartoons, or toys, etc, but rarely became 'mainstays,' whereas the ones above have at least more than a few appearances or places in numerous iterations.

You know, with all that said?

I would almost say the next Cobra one should be Zartan, Firefly, Major Bludd and then either Tomax or Xamot, with parts to make the other. *Yes,* this forces a collector to buy two, but hey, whatever increases orders... >.>;

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Sorry, further thinking of it, I would rank the important Joes in Tiers as such-

Snake-Eyes, Scarlett, Duke, Roadblock
Flint, Lady Jaye
Gung-Ho, Spirt, Beachhead, Tunnel Rat, Shipwreck
Hawk, Cover Girl, Stalker, Barbecue, Dusty, Torpedo, Mainframe, Heavy Duty, Sgt. Slaughter (yes, yes, I know), Ripcord, Quick Kick
Wet Suit, Falcon, Jinx, Doc, Clutch, Breaker, Bazooka, Chuckles, Ace, Helix

Clearly, there are the main Joes in all media (top four) with Flint and Lady Jaye the easy 'next tier' with the rest as following, based on multiple appearances, or how dominating their primary (maybe only) real presence.

And, like before, there are certainly ancillary Joes or ones that have decent roles in Canon A or Canon B, etc, such as Dialtone, Dialtone II, Doc II, Grunt, Steeler, Barrel Roll, Bombstrike (who is now getting added to things more, so this may change, some point), Marissa Fairborne (one could argue her an Autobot), Varona, Alpine, Outback, Lowlight, so on.

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These are amazing. There is a huge Adventure Team fan base out there and the recent Super Joe relaunch has sold like gangbusters.

 

You guys should reach out to Cotswolds and have them carry these.

 

 

SUPER stoked!

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This prompted me to go back and look at all of the old Adventure Team stuff, and I'm getting more excited about these. I remain unconvinced that these will sell like Mini-Hotcakes, but I'm certainly on-board for a set. And they'll be single-carded? I can't wait to see the art. I love retro 70s action ephemera.

I also came to a bit of a shocking revelation: I actually owned Luminous as a kid. I had no idea it was a Joe figure. Seeing pictures of the vintage figure triggered all sorts of old-toy memories. I never had any of the other figures, so maybe my folks picked it up on a whim once it hit clearance.

...just like how I plan to buy these

ZING!

But seriously, I'm down.

 

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