Is There A Reason There's No New Figure Line?

[beaker]

I cannot sing the praises enough of the Disney Muppet Star Wars action figures(despite the price points), but I don't get why they not just stopped the line...but, why they aren't making a regular TMS or Muppets Most Wanted line in that same scale? We got a lot of figures in the Palisades line even tho they were these huge insanely detailed behemoths...imagine if they were smaller scale? Again, I am endlessly grateful for the Star Wars Muppet figures that came out in the last couple years. I guess my imagination is just running wild on imaging a large array of characters in that scale.

 

[Drtooth]

Yes. The action figure market has cooled off considerably since the last toy line (10 years ago), especially with the HUGE indie toy market crash of 2005. The only indie based figures I ever see are extremely pricy. I'm talking 30 bucks for a 6" Heavy from Team Fortress 2 pricy. The mainstream lines are barely hanging on. The only thing that consistantly sells out are the new TMNT figures. The best I could see for the Muppets would be a mediocre mainstream deal with barely the main characters that cost a fortune that no one would actually buy until they hit clearance.

A set of smaller, non-articulated buddy pack figures seems like the best we could have at this point. I'd rather something like that.

 

[beaker]

Yes. The action figure market has cooled off considerably since the last toy line (10 years ago), especially with the HUGE indie toy market crash of 2005. The only indie based figures I ever see are extremely pricy. I'm talking 30 bucks for a 6" Heavy from Team Fortress 2 pricy. The mainstream lines are barely hanging on. The only thing that consistantly sells out are the new TMNT figures. The best I could see for the Muppets would be a mediocre mainstream deal with barely the main characters that cost a fortune that no one would actually buy until they hit clearance.

A set of smaller, non-articulated buddy pack figures seems like the best we could have at this point. I'd rather something like that.

I see a ton of indie produced figures by the buttload at record stores, comic shops and even Toys R Us. What bugs me is you have all these dinky shrimpy GI Joe sized figures for $10-$12, but for a gargantuan figure its only a few bucks more. Again, makes no sense. I could give a crap about Star Wars/WWF wrasslin/Comic book figures, but I am excited to see video game figures still coming out. As much as I do not like the look of the new TMNT cartoon, I am as always grateful there's a new generation of kids always eager to buy new turtle toys(recently got to meet Kevin Eastman at a signing) The hulking cavemen looking Michael Bay Turtle figures remind me of the Image Comics 1996 TMNT toys.

Anyhoo, here's the bottom line: Every time a big Disney cgi cartoon or Dreamworks cgi cartoon comes out, there's whole aisles of toys based on it. But for the second time in a row, we have a massive Disney tent pole they're sinking zillions into marketing...yet ONCE AGAIN, nary much if any Muppet merch to be seen in regular stores. Makes no sense

 

[Drtooth]

Anyhoo, here's the bottom line: Every time a big Disney cgi cartoon or Dreamworks cgi cartoon comes out, there's whole aisles of toys based on it. But for the second time in a row, we have a massive Disney tent pole they're sinking zillions into marketing...yet ONCE AGAIN, nary much if any Muppet merch to be seen in regular stores. Makes no sense

While I think the Monsters University toy line was... okay at best, I would not want Muppet figures like that. I could only see a cartoony, stylized collection of like 5 characters made out of shiny hard preschool toy plastic, and selling for like almost 20 bucks.

As for Dreamworks, it's like every other movie. Most of them have no toy line, and the ones that do are so obscure, you just can't find them unless you scour the preschool aisle. That's the only way I even knew Croods had a line. And they were done by Mattel. There's no excuse why it was so impossible to find. Any Turbo merchandise pretty much cleared out everywhere else by now. And as for Peabody and Sherman, there was nothing. A Happy meal promotion. You'd think they'd at least have a line of Classic Bullwinkle T-shirts. So it isn't exactly that great for them either.

 

[minor muppetz]

And as for Peabody and Sherman, there was nothing. A Happy meal promotion. You'd think they'd at least have a line of Classic Bullwinkle T-shirts. So it isn't exactly that great for them either.

Actually, I just found out that Funko Pop is coming out with some Bullwinkle figures this month. The toy line includes Rocky, Bullwinkle, Mr. Peabody, and Sherman.

Here's the info: http://www.hollywoodgonegeek.com/20...sherman-funko-pop-vinyl-figures-revealed.html

 

[beaker]

While I think the Monsters University toy line was... okay at best, I would not want Muppet figures like that. I could only see a cartoony, stylized collection of like 5 characters made out of shiny hard preschool toy plastic, and selling for like almost 20 bucks.

As for Dreamworks, it's like every other movie. Most of them have no toy line, and the ones that do are so obscure, you just can't find them unless you scour the preschool aisle. That's the only way I even knew Croods had a line. And they were done by Mattel. There's no excuse why it was so impossible to find. Any Turbo merchandise pretty much cleared out everywhere else by now. And as for Peabody and Sherman, there was nothing. A Happy meal promotion. You'd think they'd at least have a line of Classic Bullwinkle T-shirts. So it isn't exactly that great for them either.

Mass. must be a whole different world as I saw a glut of Croods and Turbo merchandise here in California. I kind of liked Turbo, despite the terrible last act. However the only cg cartoon films I feel elevated the cinematic arts in the last 5 years were Up and Rango.

But no, I definitely would take a Monsters U-esque glut of Muppet merchandise, hands down. As if the funko or vinylmations are accurate likenesses

 

[Drtooth]

Heh. The only Croods stuff I finally saw was tucked away in the back of TRU's Preschool section. Turbo at least was out front and everywhere, but it cleared out really quick when the movie flopped in the US (except for TRU, they never clear stuff out until years later).

I agree that we should have seen an MU level of merchandising blitz (especially with the obscure one scene characters they made into bean bags... what? They can't make a Scooter bean bag?). But I'd hope the toys would have been a higher level of quality than the MU action figures. I'd think we should see smaller PVC carded figures, and that would be a lot more collectible than larger scale figures. As long as they didn't cost what the Despicable Me ones did. I mean, 8 bucks for a 3" puny figure? Really?

 

[beaker]

Heh. The only Croods stuff I finally saw was tucked away in the back of TRU's Preschool section. Turbo at least was out front and everywhere, but it cleared out really quick when the movie flopped in the US (except for TRU, they never clear stuff out until years later).

I agree that we should have seen an MU level of merchandising blitz (especially with the obscure one scene characters they made into bean bags... what? They can't make a Scooter bean bag?). But I'd hope the toys would have been a higher level of quality than the MU action figures. I'd think we should see smaller PVC carded figures, and that would be a lot more collectible than larger scale figures. As long as they didn't cost what the Despicable Me ones did. I mean, 8 bucks for a 3" puny figure? Really?

Disney has clearly spent an insane amount of money promoting this film. So if the box office returns show a poor outing by society, then it's not for a lack of advertising.
People on muppet forums keep saying "the Palisades days", but to me that's living in the past. Ken and company bent over backwards to appeal to nitpicking spoiled fans and still got spat on by ingrates.

To me, those Disney Parks Muppet Star Wars figures were, in my 36 years of collecting this stuff, hands down the coolest Muppet figures and scale I've seen. No idea why they discontinued them, nor why they never thought to make regular Muppet figures in that scale.

The state of toys is a weird one. If its not Skylanders(god I hate those), Pokemon, WWF, Ben 10, Power Rangers, Transformers, TMNT or Disney/Pixar it doesnt have a chance. However now we are seeing a glut of Despicable Me action figures and toys....yet nothing Muppet wise in toy stores. Really sad.

 

[havesamantha]

The only figures that there really are, are the ones from the Disney Store, Muppts Most Wanted collection. The Disney Store is literally the only place I can walk into a store and actually find Muppets memorabilia so at least TDS is doing that right. I actually own the Muppets Most Wanted figurine set, and I was pretty happy with it for what it cost. It's detailed and nice, and it's better that not having any figure set at all!

 

[Eyeball]

The only figures that there really are, are the ones from the Disney Store, Muppts Most Wanted collection. The Disney Store is literally the only place I can walk into a store and actually find Muppets memorabilia so at least TDS is doing that right. I actually own the Muppets Most Wanted figurine set, and I was pretty happy with it for what it cost. It's detailed and nice, and it's better that not having any figure set at all!

yeah the figurine set is a rather nice piece to have, trouble is the disney stores in the UK (at least the london ones when i checked) didnt have/stock it so it was a pain to get it shipped from the US, but yeah as you said they arent palisades quality but they're good enough for now.