Diamond Declares Bankrupcy

[buttheadsmate]

18 hours ago, cylonchaney said:

I imagine bhm being a secret millionaire and buying up DST would be the best thing ever for Minimates.

 The best thing for Minimates ?

 'Games Workshop' 

 

 

  

[TheMinimateKing30]

11 hours ago, Padrino said:

I hope everyone lands on their feet. I feel like a heel for even thinking about the product at a time like this.  Its hard because these lil guys have been a hobby/obsession of mine for the past 20 years. I hope we get at least what has been solicited so far and I hope there is a future ahead for everyone involved.  

I don't think it's wrong to admit that you're concerned about the product for a selfish reason so long as you also show genuine concern for the people themselves as well, because they're going to be suffering a lot when shit hits the fan. Two things can be true at the same time.

To clarify: when I say selfish, I don't mean in a vain, self-centered, narcissistic, or apathetic sense. I mean in a sense where you can be honest about your own personal interests in something. Selfishness isn't inherently wrong; there's a good kind and a bad kind.

I hope this helps.

[Padrino]

2 hours ago, TheMinimateKing30 said:

I don't think it's wrong to admit that you're concerned about the product for a selfish reason so long as you also show genuine concern for the people themselves as well, because they're going to be suffering a lot when shit hits the fan. Two things can be true at the same time.

To clarify: when I say selfish, I don't mean in a vain, self-centered, narcissistic, or apathetic sense. I mean in a sense where you can be honest about your own personal interests in something. Selfishness isn't inherently wrong; there's a good kind and a bad kind.

I hope this helps.

🙏

[buttheadsmate]

On 1/15/2025 at 1:02 PM, buttheadsmate said:

I'm following 'BleedingCool' & I'm merely quoting :

" .......Something that previously hasn't previously been specified is that Diamond Select Toys & Collectibles LLC has also declared bankruptcy..." 

 

I have no affiliation to 'BleedingCool' .....the site continues to update the story & give some perspective . 

Edited January 20 by buttheadsmate
sp.

[TheMinimateKing30]

18 hours ago, buttheadsmate said:

I have no affiliation to 'BleedingCool' .....the site continues to update the story & give some perspective . 

If D.S.T. themselves are declaring bankruptcy, I think that just confirms that the line's fate is sealed.

I would love it if I were wrong, but real life, sadly, doesn't usually work that way.

R.I.P. Minimates, 2002-2025

They may have been small, but they stood tall.

Edited January 21 by TheMinimateKing30

[cylonchaney]

37 minutes ago, TheMinimateKing30 said:

If D.S.T. themselves are declaring bankruptcy, I think that just confirms that the line's fate is sealed.

I would love it if I were wrong, but real life, sadly, doesn't usually work that way.

R.I.P. Minimates, 2002-2025

They may have been small, but they stood tall.

At least wait for the ambulance to show up before you pronounce the patient dead.

[TheMinimateKing30]

1 hour ago, cylonchaney said:

At least wait for the ambulance to show up before you pronounce the patient dead.

I don't see any way out of it. Genuinely.

I doubt that other manufacturers are gonna pick up the brand. It's too niche of a line that only appeals to the more dedicated fans/collectors.

Not necessarily "hardcore" ones, per se, but you need to be looking for Minimates if you want them. They aren't like LEGO where you can find it anywhere you go.

Maybe I'll be proven wrong. Like I said, I HOPE I'm proven wrong. There's nothing I would like more than to be proven absolutely incorrect and the line survives all of this.

It could be the pessimist in me, but I just don't see it happening, realistically.

[AugieWargo]

14 hours ago, cylonchaney said:

At least wait for the ambulance to show up before you pronounce the patient dead.

Exactly this.  Try to keep a PMA.  They have a lot of licenses that people could be interested in, such as Marvel, AEW, GI Joe, TMNT, LOTR, etc.  Never know what's going to happen. Having worked for several companies that have gone through bankruptcies, it's really not uncommon for companies to come in and tweak things to get existing properties and customers.  I'd rather be positive. 

[thereasonsy]

23 minutes ago, AugieWargo said:

Exactly this.  Try to keep a PMA.  They have a lot of licenses that people could be interested in, such as Marvel, AEW, GI Joe, TMNT, LOTR, etc.  Never know what's going to happen. Having worked for several companies that have gone through bankruptcies, it's really not uncommon for companies to come in and tweak things to get existing properties and customers.  I'd rather be positive. 

Marvel declared bankruptcy. Anything can happen.

[Navaan]

2 hours ago, thereasonsy said:

Marvel declared bankruptcy. Anything can happen.

Marvel also declined DC when the latter offered to be purchased by former during their financial issues.

 

Things can always happen.

[buttheadsmate]

I have always endeavoured to "just talk about the toys" on this forum because Minimates have been a passion of mine for years & "talking about toys" has been a form of escapism for me.   I stopped, however, "just talking about the toys" several years ago as I became increasingly frustrated with the company selling them  .   

I genuinely wish this thread didn't exist ,that we weren't talking about the possible demise of Minimates but here we are.  

'The elephant in the room' ?   There's a small herd of them unfortunately .

Regards the product , Minimates , they have finally evolved into an extremely classy product & I just can't comprehend that they'll disappear , they're too good .  I can't say whether Minimates would survive without DST but I am totally sure that they could without Diamond Comic Distributors .

 

4 hours ago, thereasonsy said:

Marvel declared bankruptcy. Anything can happen.

ToysRUs declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy on September 18th 20017 . Anything can happen & does.                                                                                            

 

 

Edited January 22 by buttheadsmate
sp.

[cylonchaney]

Worst case scenario for us.

My printers are old and cheap. Better figures can be created.

But I would prefer to be able to continue buying factory made figures.

[thereasonsy]

34 minutes ago, cylonchaney said:

Worst case scenario for us.

My printers are old and cheap. Better figures can be created.

But I would prefer to be able to continue buying factory made figures.

Beautiful. 

 

4 hours ago, buttheadsmate said:

I have always endeavoured to "just talk about the toys" on this forum because Minimates have been a passion of mine for years & "talking about toys" has been a form of escapism for me.   I stopped, however, "just talking about the toys" several years ago as I became increasingly frustrated with the company selling them  .   

I genuinely wish this thread didn't exist ,that we weren't talking about the possible demise of Minimates but here we are.  

'The elephant in the room' ?   There's a small herd of them unfortunately .

Regards the product , Minimates , they have finally evolved into an extremely classy product & I just can't comprehend that they'll disappear , they're too good .  I can't say whether Minimates would survive without DST but I am totally sure that they could without Diamond Comic Distributors .

 

ToysRUs declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy on September 18th 20017 . Anything can happen & does.                                                                                            

 

 

TRU is currently alive. Listen, I hear you on the company and I’m not known for being their biggest cheerleader. I am however hopeful that they will continue Minimates. 

[TheMinimateKing30]

I admire y'all's optimism and hope for the line. I really wish I felt the same way.

[SCW]

It's certainly not a good thing, but it is a bit too early to completely consider everything dead and gone.

THAT SAID... Honestly of all the DST product to picked up by another manufacturer, I think Minimates may have the best chance. It's really their only unique item. I could see the "Marvel Select" name being picked up by another company as well, but not necessarily the scale and form factor.

There's nothing really inherently unique about the busts, figures, banks, statues, etc. 

Minimates have a unique IP factor with the aestheic, scale and form factor. As we know from DST, Minimates aren't a big numbers mover so they could certainly just die off, but if you were looking to buy pieces of DST's business, I actually think Mates would rank relatively high as an additional product design you could offer. Hasbro, McFarlane and potentially some other big players could have an interest in the concept of the figures, especially when it has such a long history attached.

[Navaan]

26 minutes ago, SCW said:

It's certainly not a good thing, but it is a bit too early to completely consider everything dead and gone.

THAT SAID... Honestly of all the DST product to picked up by another manufacturer, I think Minimates may have the best chance. It's really their only unique item. I could see the "Marvel Select" name being picked up by another company as well, but not necessarily the scale and form factor.

There's nothing really inherently unique about the busts, figures, banks, statues, etc. 

Minimates have a unique IP factor with the aestheic, scale and form factor. As we know from DST, Minimates aren't a big numbers mover so they could certainly just die off, but if you were looking to buy pieces of DST's business, I actually think Mates would rank relatively high as an additional product design you could offer. Hasbro, McFarlane and potentially some other big players could have an interest in the concept of the figures, especially when it has such a long history attached.

Funko Minimates doesn't sound terrible.

[Trekker 42]

2 hours ago, Navaan said:

Funko Minimates doesn't sound terrible.

And Funko has a hell of a relationship with licensors. 

[cylonchaney]

4 hours ago, Navaan said:

Funko Minimates doesn't sound terrible.

 

2 hours ago, Trekker 42 said:

And Funko has a hell of a relationship with licensors. 

 

 

[Trekker 42]

18 minutes ago, cylonchaney said:

 

 

 

Exactly

[Padrino]

 

25 minutes ago, cylonchaney said:

 

 

 

lol

Edited January 23 by Padrino

[thereasonsy]

I feel like Super 7 would understand the assignment if they got the minimates. Either way hoping this is all much to do about nothing and the best happens for all. 

[Navaan]

2 hours ago, thereasonsy said:

I feel like Super 7 would understand the assignment if they got the minimates. Either way hoping this is all much to do about nothing and the best happens for all. 

Oh I'm absolutely hoping that DST either survives or is bought and righted wholesale with no impact to employees or jobs lost.

[buttheadsmate]

7 hours ago, thereasonsy said:

 Either way hoping this is all "much to do about nothing" and the best happens for all. 

" The comedy of errors "  ?

-Billywaggledagger

[buttheadsmate]

This news has come at a time of the year when I'm mainly bogged down indoors (weather) ,scratching around for useful things to do .  For years I haven't let my old head get too deep into the depths of the corporate world despite having been involved with several businesses over the years . That doesn't mean to say that I know any more about "what might happen" than anybody else here   I have however had some time to get some personal perspective on what is actually going on 'right now' & it didn't take long to forge an opinion . Hasbro,for example, is reportedly in debt (September 2024) to the tune of $3.99B USD whilst Funko is in debt (September 2024) for a mere $223M USD & Mattel $2.33B (September 2024) . Note well the B for Billion & M for Million & be very aware that most of these companies employ accountants who would argue the case that "debt is good for business" & that those 'reported' figures have no relevance ,aren't accurate & misleading .      

   

[buttheadsmate]

I'm not into politics & I don't vote in US elections .

Reading between the lines of the news headlines, Mr.Trump's expected tariffs,especially on Canadian / Chinese imports into the US will be another nail in the coffin for everybody involved in toys & comics .  I must emphasise that I am not criticising or supporting this decision , all I am saying is that initially it ain't going to help anybody if these tariffs come in overnight .  It will come as no surprise to anyone that China manufactures the vast majority of all exported toys exports but  I ,for one, didn't know that Canada prints a huge amount of US comics .