DSTZach Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 But not everyone who has bought TMNT Minimates "needs" a Kraang. Not every one is a completist, not everyone knows who he is, not everyone knows he exists. As a cross section of in-the-know collectors who are actively seeking him, this forum is as good a sampling as any. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 Yep it's me again . So according to you ...not everyone "needs" a Kraang & not everyone is a completist ,not everyone knows who he is or that he even exists . Why the fuck is he even featured on the packaging then ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mnemosis Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 (edited) Normally I have a tendency to agree with Zach, but I can't go along with that last post... 1) Whatever version of ninja turtles a child is exposed to features either Kraang or the Utrom. Any person wanting ninja turtle Minimates can identify the pink brain in the robot suit as the alien bad guy. Even if they don't know EXACTLY who he is. Now, the parents buying may not know, but their kids do. 2) No company should be making the argument "Not everyone needs every figure." That's just a bad business model. 3) But, were you to make that argument about Kirby bat or Tiger Claw, I'd say "Sure." Referring back to my first point, this is a major character. Not only does everyone know who he is, most everyone wants him. 4) Plus, even for people like me who don't want/need every character, he's a very unique design. So I would LOVE to have a Kraang. But both of my Kmarts are closed and he's not worth above retail to me. So I go without, and I do so quietly, accepting that is a reality of collecting. But... Don't try to argue that people buying these figures may neither know who Kraang is nor want him regardless. There may be SOME who just want the four turtles, but I'm betting they are few and far between. Moreover, Kraang is a potential army builder. There are plenty of people who not only wanted him, but wanted multiples. I'm just saying... make blind bags. Make store exclusives. Make blind bagged store exclusives. That's DST'S call. But don't piss in my face and tell me it's raining, and don't make a highly desirable character the hardest to find, then claim people probably don't even know who he is or want him Edited January 24, 2015 by Mnemosis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arnim zola Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 I think Zach was more casually speaking as himself and I'm sure he was referring to parents, or casual collectors like the guy at my work who bought a tru pack for shredder but didn't give a Shit about Don or any turtles, or the peeps that have bought blind bags for one turtle and don't want anything else. No one's peeing on anybody in the rain around here unless I'm there with a camera. Which site was I posting on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterPL Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 I think Zach was trying to say that there's still hope that those who do want this character will still be able to find it since not everyone's seeking it. (Correct me if I'm wrong, Zach.) Which makes perfect sense outside of blind bags where parents and grandparents might be looking to get the title characters as gifts. But with blind bags, you get what you get. I have a tough time imagining an 8-year-old discovering an unwanted Kraang in a blind bag and putting it on eBay so that someone here can acquire it. It's not impossible, I suppose, but it seems unlikely. Personally I'd hope that DST addresses the demand in 2016 by offering something like an army-builder 4-pack through Previews. Same figure, different packaging, and no impact on mass market sales. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valo487 Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 (edited) They could solve the problem by putting him in TRU Wave 2 like they said they would, at least you can get one and know exactly what you're getting. But having TWO exclusives at a chain that is not available to everyone and is blind bag on top of that is the sort of frustration people were concerned about when blind bags were announced in the first place, and like others have said Kraang can also be an army-builder, you are losing sales. An easy solution would have been Kraang and Foot Soldiers as army-builders in Wave one and save Footbot for Wave two. I'm not trying to give Zach a hard time, I completely get it. This is what it took to get another retailer on board, that's why almost every line now has exclusives at different retailers, I get it from a business perspective. But it is not ideal for buyers, and I don't buy the arguments that are being made for it. It's a business move, and it worked for DST. That's good. But I don't buy into the idea that frustration is good for a license. Edited January 24, 2015 by Valo487 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fwoosheyman Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 We all know that finding a Kraang was very difficult due to the one per strip and limited availability of Kmart's. The lack of them on eBay and the high cost also back this up. However, Zach is a DST employee and they are a customer. He's not going to have anything bad to say about them in a public forum. No matter the industry you don't bad mouth your customers in public. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mnemosis Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 You've never worked retail, I see lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCW Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Kraang are technically the main villain in the current show. Hopefully we get the blue exosuit Kraang as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prowlar Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 So I'm going on record as saying that I dislike all exclusives. That being said I may be the only one that likes the fact that Kmart has minimates exclusive or otherwise. The angst that is going around over this exclusive is exactly what I have to experience every time TRU releases a wave and the website doesn't get it in or it quickly sells out. Sure I get upset over it but I either find another way to get the figures I want or I live with the fact that I may never have them in my collection. However, as infuriating as exclusives are, at least minimates are still going strong and even expanding their markets. Even more importantly DST listens to its fan base and even tries to accommodate our concerns (All New X-Men Bobby colors, P5 Cyclops Armor, etc) unlike two well known toy companies that don't seem to care about anything except making a quick buck and moving on to the next "new" thing. That said, for years I've believed that all "exclusives" should be exclusive for their packaging and when they are released. After a year they should be repackaged and given a mass release returning them to the realm of toys rather than collectibles. That way everyone wants the toy can get it and the elite mint in package collectors and retailers can have their exclusives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mnemosis Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 I'd go one further and say exclusives should be variants. Mutagen turtles work as exclusives. Anyone can get the turtles, but if people want the variant, they have to work for it. That's a fine model. Does it still suck for completists? Yes. But at least the kid who wants to have every character can get them. Let's imagine I'm 8. I buy some ninja turtle Minimates on a trip yup toys r Us with my parents. I go online to find out when they're going to make Kraang and find out he already exists, but only at Kmart. I tell my parents, but there's no Kmart near us. THEY go online to try to get him for me and see 30 dollars for a 6 dollar figure. My parents kind of spoiled me, so they'd probably get him, but... how would they feel about my continued purchase of Minimates if they realized that was going to be a recurring problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 (edited) We all know that I'm a completist but I'll bare my soul & elaborate what completism means ...leastways what it means to me ......... Completism means buying every minimate that is produced ......pretty obvious huh? What might not be obvious but what I feel often gets overlooked is that as a completist I buy every Minimate in more or less equal quantities ......that includes sets like (e.g) Peter Pan & Marvel v CapCom ......... sets that TBQH I could have given a damn about [apart from a Modok & Dormammu ] .......I still buy them . I don't pick & choose licenses & I buy equal quantities of standard sets or variant sets .........I have, for example, been buying Marvel god-cases since 2007 , I might moan at this or that but I still buy them . To elaborate when I see,for example, TRU sets for sale on TRU.com I have absolutely no conscience in buying just as many of the rarer exclusive sets as the standard sets . Whether I'm 'right' in doing so is for you to decide but I don't set the rules ......the supplier does . Sometimes I'll pursue further sets of exclusive/rare /odd stuff to use for trade ....trust me , 'rare' minimate sets are very useful offerings when you are trading for other rare minimate sets.......Kraang for instance My point is that there are people 'out there' who target 'tough to find ' (TTF) Minimates ....I'm one of them . The 'tougher' they are to find the more they'll be scalped ........I'll take the higher moral ground here by saying that I am a hoarder not a scalper.....but then I would wouldn't I ? This scenario places even more strain on the limited resource of exclusive Minimates ......it makes matters worse . TMNT Minimates are some of finest, most innovative Minimates I have ever owned & the bottom line is........ everybody would have bought them whether there had been exclusives or not ,I'll also speculate that more casual buyers would have bought them if there had been no exclusive or chase figure . Edited January 25, 2015 by buttheadsmate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shogi Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Kraang are technically the main villain in the current show. Hopefully we get the blue exosuit Kraang as well. It's been confirmed as being in series 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterMiracle Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 (edited) What's the point of being a completist and buying EVERY Minimate even for licenses that you don't even like? I have every TMNT Minimate so far but I have no interest what so ever in Peter Pan, Halo , Mass Effect, or Plants Vs. Zombies so I don't buy them. I mean, it's good for the toy company that you're buying all of this stuff but doesn't that make you bitter if you're spending money on stuff that you don't even want? Edited January 25, 2015 by MisterMiracle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattallica Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 I'd just like to state for any future reference, and this is true for all lines not just TMNT, DST DO NOT MAKE AN ARMY BUILDER THE CHASE FIGURE this is the equivilent of tying someones hands behind their back before kicking them in the balls, at least give us a fighting chance for fucks sake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 What's the point of being a completist and buying EVERY Minimate even for licenses that you don't even like? I have every TMNT Minimate so far but I have no interest what so ever in Peter Pan, Halo , Mass Effect, or Plants Vs. Zombies so I don't buy them. I mean, it's good for the toy company that you're buying all of this stuff but doesn't that make you bitter if you're spending money on stuff that you don't even want? I'm saying this with a smile on my face......... I can't answer your question about the "point of being a completist" .......I have no idea why I do it except that I enjoy it ,leastways I used to Am I bitter ? Nope . I might not want a particular licence but I realise that other people do & when it's trade time I find it easier to trade away a Minimate that I have little interest in (& is rare) rather than trade away one I love . Works for me . You ought to try Mass Effect & Plants Vs Zombies .....they are exceptional & went from zeroes to heroes in my collection Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MisterMiracle Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 But...if you're trading stuff away then doesn't that mean that your collection is no longer complete which would also mean that you are no longer a completist? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valo487 Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Kraang are technically the main villain in the current show. Hopefully we get the blue exosuit Kraang as well. It's been confirmed as being in series 2 I remember them saying that, but it's not in the Wave 2 blind bags, and I thought Zach said it got bumped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zak Katz Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 He said he buys large quantities of each line. Go to the thread minimate pictures you rather not see, to see the numbers he has. BHM goes all out when it comes to minimates, that's why he feels like he does. He's not able to buy the strips from Kmart so he can't have the numbers he ideally likes. Let me know if I'm wrong BHM. But he's disappointed that his hobby is made more difficult then it should. I got lucky and found Kraang while on a vacation, otherwise I'd be like all the others without him, bitter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkerbean Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 I'd still like to know why K-Mart (assuming it's them it could be DST) would spend good money paying for CE safety tests to make sure they're safe to sell in Europe...... to then not sell them in Europe!, the same goes for the comic shop wave, every comic shop I've spoken to says the same thing "they're not available in the UK" who's wasting all this money safety testing these things to then not sell them in that area!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zak Katz Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 Well, they do have key chains... You all could choke if you swallow them! Their probably just keeping in mind your best interests and health! In a place called reality, that sucks winkerbean, I'm sorry you have to jump through hoops!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 (edited) I'd still like to know why K-Mart (assuming it's them it could be DST) would spend good money paying for CE safety tests to make sure they're safe to sell in Europe...... to then not sell them in Europe!, the same goes for the comic shop wave, every comic shop I've spoken to says the same thing "they're not available in the UK" who's wasting all this money safety testing these things to then not sell them in that area!! Pure speculation .... as they are CE tested then potential distributors based in the EU could sell them in Europe without further ado ? There is no branding (KMart etc.) on either type of blind bag ....if either blind bag line had stalled due to poor sales then they could immediately be distributed in Europe by A.N.Other . Conversely if they did extremely well in the US then they could have another production run for sale in the EU. Edited January 25, 2015 by buttheadsmate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shogi Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 This is the specialty/comic shops assortment. If it was a retailer-exclusive assortment, it would have said. And yes, there will be both TRU and Kmart assortments, each with an exclusive character or two, similar to how Series 1 broke down. More to be announced. Blue Kraang will be out in Series 2. Didn't say where. Two of these specialty figures will NOT be available anywhere else. Turtles will be everywhere, the way you see them here. I remember them saying that, but it's not in the Wave 2 blind bags, and I thought Zach said it got bumped. We've only seen the LCS blind bags for wave 2, there's still Kmart blind bags and TRU 2 packs we haven't seen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valo487 Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 If Kraang ends up at K-Mart again, it will be hilarious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattallica Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 If Kraang ends up at K-Mart again, it will be hilarious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.