captain_cbecker

Well, yesterday AA/DST posted an updated ship list at the AA website:

http://www.artasylum.com/blog/2008/09/ship-date-update/

Oddly enoough, neither DSS or Platoon showed up on this week's ship list.

Any bets on next week??? The week after???

So Sept. 4th has come and gone, and no Platoon minimates. Are the release dates on AA's website west coast or east coast?

AFX & Corner Store Comics (both West-Coasters) didn't have them - so I'm betting they didn't make it West either.

My bet is the Release dates are wrong.... again.

Check again this week.

I have the pirate set and I got some blanks to flesh out the over-abundance of pirate accessories that came with the set.

Though I thought they look cool, the joints are kinda wierd - not fluid and I don't much care for them. I spent a lot of time trying toi finish the joints and file the flash from the runners and I'm still not happy.

Mates are so much better

Just ordered 2 sets of accessories plus some guy I don't give a hoot about.

I'm glad for his fans, sure.

But I just paid 20-ish bucks for accessories.

So while it's really cool that we're getting these... it's still the "Desperately Seeking Susan Effect" for me personally:

The Desperetaly Seeking Susan Effect is when I see something like this and in my head automatically say to myself:

"But why does DCD suck so much that we can't have DC minimates?!"

The cake guy is truely an exception to all the rules - this was almost entirely a private enterprise that had nothing to do with licensing or popularity or any of the market factors that drive DCD or Desperately Seeking Susan. This product was ordered as an exclusive for a single, pseudo-retail outlet, based in large part to the guy's notoriety on the Food Network, his fondness for minimates and his ability to capitalize the order. I don't really see that Duffmates compare to the rest in that respect.

As for the DSS Effect - sure its a little obscure and odd to have a toyline based on that property. But the decision to cancel was DC's all along. DST's marketing of the DSS 'mates again doesn't compare. Different companies & different licenses suggest that market factors are also different. DCD and DST may use very different criteria for marketability. DCD may also have other avenues that they are pursuing with other toymakers that may not be open to to DST's DSS license.

The success/failure or availability of any of these licenses does not seem to affect or be affected by the success/failure or availability of the others.

perhaps I should buy a case and ask they are shipped in it... then keep them for a couple of yrs and make a fortune selling them as VERY RARE Mint on card versions!

Someone needs to point out to them that Toy collectors value packaging and they wont sell many if they turn up trashed!

T.

I'm betting collectors aren't the target market - try fans.... and I'd bet they're a lot less discriminating (afterall, have you watched the food network )

Personally, I don't care about the packaging, since they're custom fodder only. I couldn't care less about Ace of Cakes and I don't watch the show, so Duff isn't a celeb IMO.

I'm not a lazy consumer, I'm just apathetic because the package isn't what I was buying the 'mate for.

Doesn't it upset you even a little bit that you paid 8 bucks for shipping for something that came a looking destroyed like someone didn't care? On the off chance you were not going to open it I bet it'd piss you off. So c'mon help the rest of us out a little bit

True apathy will be demonstrated when you try to complain to UPS that they should not have used the package to chock the wheels of the van that delivered it.

Here's a little preview....

Press the issue with Charm City, who will, in turn, point the finger at UPS for mishandling the package.

UPS will, in turn, point out that the item should have been packaged better and redirect blame to Charm City.

Charm City will assert tha the package WAS sufficient and UPS should have used a better standard of care.

UPS will concede that you can place a claim once you prove damage and fill out about 4 different claim forms in English, Spanish, German and a dialect of Russian that hasn't been spoken in about 500 years.

When the claims department contacts one day short of the 3-week processing timeline, they will ask for pictures and proof of damage.

Assuming that you can successfully argue that they are liable for damage to the packaging (even though the Minimate is intact), they will validate your claim for the default insurance on UPS ground charges which will probably work out to about $.60 /lb - and promptly cut you a check for $1.80 for your trouble.

Though I wouldn't charactierize myself as lazy, my time is certainly worth more than that trouble.

Sorry - but I'd say this battle is all yours.

At this stage, I'd almost like to see anything... No offense to those who are into the Marvel stuff, but all the Iron Man, Hulk, Avengers, Invaders, Defenders, Secret Invaders (Skrulls) and even more Iron Men leave me a little cold.

I'd be happy for any new Star Trek News to look forward to at this point.

That being said, I'd still like to see a couple more TOS aliens and then focus on TWOK movie characters, TNG and DS9. Wave 4 was great.

How about:

Geordi & Data

Dax & DS9 Worf

TWOK Spock w/ book & McCoy w. leaky-Microwave Spock w gloves as the variant

(... but let's not forget Battlestar Galactica either)

Ok, where does Razor fit in? Was it released between season 3 and 4 or 2 and 3? I've seen up to the end of season 2 and I'm not sure if I should watch Razor now, or after Season 3. Any help?

Also when will Season 4 be out on DVD in UK? I didn't want to google BSG Season 4 because of spoilers. Thanks.

Razor aired last fall (November??) at the end of Season 3, to bridge the long gap before season 4 started.

The events portrayed follow the Pegasus & crew from before the Miniseries events and continue through the end of Season 2 including

.

No ideas on Season 4 DVD's - Amazon has the listing, but no date yet. Hopefully they don't split the set like Season 2 - which just makes them more expensive.

Hey, check it out, this minimate got a short write up on USAtoday's Pop Candy column.

It may not be much, but at least it is a little more exposure for minimates, which is a good thing.

Maybe if this does well, other shows might pick this up. Just imagine a Mythbuster's minimate. Adam, Jaime, Kari and Buster. Yeah.

I'm all for Mythbusters mates but I'd add an exclusive 2-pk of Tory & Nauseous Grant (that guy can't walk from here to there without chucking)

Very original custom!

What made you decide on this character?

I like the movie and the books - as well as the Hornblower series and non-fiction about the Napoleonic war at sea.

I think the uniforms are great and wanted to try and duplicate one in minimate scale

I received an email from them (since I asked when I should expect to hear about my backordered status) and they said

We're getting the minimates wednesday. Will ship by end of week. Your card has been charged. Many thanks!

So, for those who've purchased them, I'd suggest looking for them around the end of next week sometime. (Keep in mind, Monday is a postal holiday and no mail will move.)

woo hoo! I was # -4

I can't wait to see these.

I though I'd try some custom work - beyond the army of quick-customs that I've done.

Here's my first try at Captain Jack Aubrey from the movie Master & Commander

How I did it:

Uniform Coat: BSG labcoat w/ front cut away - custom dark blue paint w/ gold accents

Face: Jack Bauer from FYE/Suncoast Exclusive 2-pk

Cutlass: Mega Blocks POTC series

Hair: BSG Uniform Starbuck from Wave 2 - repaint flat brown

This is the source material:

Just got word that the Chef Duff Minimate is now available for order from the Charm City Cakes website.

Yeah and they are all out already. I went ahead and backordered just in case.....

I'm thinking one of two things, since it's unlikley that they've torn through the initial 3,000 (the rumored initial order):

Either they posted them for sale with a small, initial shipment that has sold and the balance of the order is being shipped

or

This is their verson of a pre-order and they posted them for sale based on a notice that they shipped/are shipping (Remember the BTTF.com exclusive)

Yeah - I was excited to see the order in process and shipping soon notice from AFX.

I've been waiting too long for another Clint Eastwood Minimate fix.

i know a bit about TNG, but not alot so can someone tell me who the Borg guy is/was before his assimilation, as he wears a communicator badge under his borg chest piece?

In Star Trek: First Contact, Picard kills a borg who is the recently assimilated Ensign Lynch (the Borg invaded the ENTERPRISE and then started assimilating crew). Lily, Zephram Cochrane's assistant, notes that the Borg who Picard has brutally killed is wearing "...one of your uniforms...", having noted the insignia on the Borg (former Ens Lynch).

This Borg likely represents a similar Starfleet crew who was assimilated.

It seems that our good buddies over at DST are going to be releasing a Star Trek bridge playset for their Mego Trek line. This is disappointing news, as DST has gone on record saying that a ST TOS minimate bridge playset is will never happen. C'mon DST our Trekmates need a bridge plaset!

I wouldn't call the news disappointing -

First - the Mego Trek was really the first real ST action figures with pretty good sculpts, great accessories for the time and cloth uniforms. I had a set with the bridge when I grew up and they were my favorite toy. If I weren't collecting a couple of lines, like minimates, I'd be jumping all over those retro figures - especially since the HTF aliens are available AND all the characters that we wish were made in the 70's (Chekov, Khan, Sulu). Don't under estimate the market for such a great, nostalgia item.

Secondly - this bridge and most of the work for these is "low hanging fruit" - the line is mostly designed and with a couple of exceptions, the actual creative and design work is done - that's a huge advantage for getting these into the market. It's just finding a manufacturer.

It's disappointing that the minimate bridge is unlikely, but I wouldn't interpret this news that DST is putting more focus on retro than minimates - it is, afterall a business decision - they have an opportunity to make something that people want, without all the work.

Cheers to DST for getting the rights to bring these back.

After lots of waves of the TOS/TV, I think we might start seeing it shift more toward TNG and other licenses - but I think it's a little early to see Voyager or Enterprise yet:

DS9 Dax & O'Brien

Geordi & Data

ST II Spock & McCoy

ST II Radiation Burn Spock & McCoy (Variant) "...Remember..."

About the only cool thing I saw there was a hand crafted Enterprise pridge for the 8" figures that included lighting and everything.

where'd you see that at?

Here's where I posted it originally

http://www.minimatemultiverse.com/index.ph...amp;hl=trekkies

But the AA forums are gone now, so there's nothing left

so long and thanks for all the fish

Finally - the move of Q&A to the AA forums.... it's understandable, though it's gonna be a lot harder to get stuff answered, considering they're gonna be hammered with questions from every other product line, in addition to 'mates.

Ain't that the truth. Don't know if you've all seen the 1st q&a done there yet, but its mostly Trek, 6" BSG, Trek, oh, and "Where's the forum?" Meh. I still think Chuck will answer questions if we submit them, but he's going to have a difficult time wading thru the dregs of ST fan questions....

Sadly - if you've ever read the old forums, expect the Q & A's to be a lot of complaints about the Dr. Crusher or (insert another action figure here) face sculpts or which ST Ships are going to be made and when.

About the only cool thing I saw there was a hand crafted Enterprise pridge for the 8" figures that included lighting and everything.

I'm a ST fan, but I gave up on those AA forums long ago -

I don't think the promise of DST Q & A's is enough to lure me back.

any other ideas for TNG QC?

Commander Shelby:

http://stng.36el.com/st-tng/images/cast-shelby.jpg

(Nurse Chapel hair and Jean Grey head)

Ensign Ro Laren:

http://www.durfee.net/startrek/images/TNG203.jpg

(Mystique hairpiece sharpie'd black and Valkrie head)

There'd be some small sharpie work needed for their boobs though....

And once we get a blue TNG suit you can do a Troi with a Wonder Woman head and black sharpie'd Rogue hair

I think the Kim Bauer hair may make a passable Cmdr Shelby

I'm back from my honeymoon and what do I see here? ST wave 4!?! Is this a west coast thing or was the east coast fortunate enough this week.?

It was on the Previews ship list and showed up everywhere as gar as I can tell... BBTS, SciFi Genre and a lot of the interent plaes back east show that they're in stock and shipping

Cool, thanks CBecker! I saw yesterday in the Kubrick forum that they had this:

http://www.entertainmentearth.com/prodinfo...?number=DC82075

They were already sold out when I saw the link, though.

Here is another mini-item:

http://www.entertainmentearth.com/prodinfo...?number=MF11622

One of the LCS's I go to used to have the spawn Bearbrick for 3.99. They may still have them - if anyone os interested, PM me and I'll see if there are any left.

Just got an e-mail from BBTS:

BBTS - Ace of Cakes Duff Minimate Orders Cancelled

Hello! When the "Ace of Cakes" Duff Minimate was displayed at SDCC, we were of the understanding that all items displayed were available. We have since learned that the "Ace of Cakes" Duff Minimate is to be exclusive to Charm City Cakes, and not available via normal Diamond channels. We apologise for this misunderstanding, and we will be cancelling all pre-orders for this item and removing it from our site. If you have interest in this figure, we suggest you check with the Charm City Cakes website for further information. Thanks for your understanding! Joel Boblit BigBadToyStore.com

Yeah - I got the same "Dear John" e-mail from BBTS - I can't say that this comes as a surprise... I was actually surprised to see them in BBTS catalog to begin with.

I noticed that Entertainment Earth is having a summer clearance sale - when I looked for minimates, they had Rocky 1 boxset and 24 Season 1 boxset each at 1/2 off retail price.

If you need/want these sets, $7.50 isn't a bad deal and they offer pretty reasonable shipping (unlike AFX).

Here is the sale link, filtered for minimates:

http://www.entertainmentearth.com/hitlist....ort=0&new=0

Interesting Q & A - always nice that the DST guys take time for our obsession with Minimates.

my thoughts:

That sinking feeling...

The recurring TITANIC mention is interesting - I honestly would have liked to see a Rose minimate if for no other reason than her costumes were so elaborate and I'd bet that there would be some neat new parts to carry off the look. A Captain E.J Smith mate would have been cool too. Like BSG and BTTF, I doubt we'd get the Minmate-scale TITANIC to go with with the mates - or perhaps the fact that it'd have to be like 73' long may also prove problematic - especially if a retailer is concerned about shelf space :tongue: .

"You're gonna need a bigger boat..."

Interesting note about Jaws - sounds like those might be/might have been seriously considered - which I'd snap up in a minute.

"My name is Inigo Montoya..."

...and I want to see some Princess Bride minimates too.

set phasers on... marketing

I'm hoping that they can keep Star Trek going so that we get some complete crews for TNG and maybe the original cast in their movie uniforms and/or DS9. I'd hate to see the line waste away because there were too many Kirk variants and get shorted on other lines (kinda like what we saw with BTTF - too many Martys)

"...with fava beans and a nice chiante."

I'm encouraged that the DST license for SOTL minimates includes multiple movies - it's just too bad that none of the other movies are as memorable or iconic as Silence.

brains!

Resident Evil - I hope this license gets realized some day, 'cause I sure like zombies.

so long and thanks for all the fish

Finally - the move of Q&A to the AA forums.... it's understandable, though it's gonna be a lot harder to get stuff answered, considering they're gonna be hammered with questions from every other product line, in addition to 'mates.

Got mine today and I'm very happy. Star Trek minimates have made me the happiest of all the mates this year. And I ended up buying three Picard/Borg sets and will be doing the movie professor -- good suggestion.

BBTS sent me my order processing notice - hopefully I'll see mine by the weekend