Packaged Palisades Sesame Figures on eBay

[beaker]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Muppets-Sesame-...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item5885b1906c

http://cgi.ebay.com/Muppets-Sesame-...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item335982ecd3

http://cgi.ebay.com/Muppets-Sesame-...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item5885b1909b

http://cgi.ebay.com/Muppets-Sesame-...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item335982ed32

*speechless*

So this is what we would have seen at storeshelves if Palisades hadnt gone under.

My question is, just HOW close were these to actually hitting storeshelves? To me its strange these got that close to production if the company was going under.

Just imagine what wave we'd be at if these had come out.

I don't know why these are even being sold, as aint noone going to be able to afford them...the auctioneer should just keep them for their collection.

Bottom line is, for the Sesame and Palisades figure fans, I can imagine the frustration of seeing the finished product and seeing just *how* close to production they were.

 

[Drtooth]

The thing that was frustrating for both parties was that they WERE so close. We could Monday Morning quarterback the whole thing, but the company had too many licenses going at once. That's what I heard. And the fact that the Freakables were years ahead of their time. The whole Blind Box thing exploded well after the company went bankrupt. I bet that's really frustrating for the company executives.

But what's really frustrating is the 40th anniversary merchandise. SS action figures were part of the 35th anniversary, which had all this great other stuff. Pez dispensers, a collectible Chess Game, the Gund little plush of fan favorites... A lot of great stuff all over (though I think the 30th anniversary figures and bean bag sets were the best... wish I got the figures). Even without any action figure line there was some great stuff.

Now, I know we got that great book and DVD set... but what do we have in the way of collectibles? Fisher Prices overpriced line of missed opportunity. A 40 recreation of the 123 playset, and 7 dollar packages of 2 cheap, remolded figures of 6 characters, and a plush line with only the distinction of having the Count and a Honker in it. No fan favorites, no nods to older characters... nothing. No wonder why SW is dropping Mattel like a hot potato for Hasbro.

 

[The Count]

Heh, looks like Ken's gettin' a wee bit desperate. Since I have the 2HM, I'd like to know what the packaging's like, if any different than a clear version of the Palisades' Muppets clamshell from S4 onwards.
Still gunning after the playset and maybe the Count proto... Just gotta get my accounts in order first and see if I can save enough for them both.

 

[Pino]

I wish I was a milionair.... indeed very frustrating seing these...

 

[beaker]

The thing that was frustrating for both parties was that they WERE so close.

See, I'm wondering *how* close. I mean those ebay auctions are the absolute last point before the real stuff was to be rolled out.
I mean, we talking 3 months...2 months...a few weeks?

Now, I know we got that great book and DVD set... but what do we have in the way of collectibles? Fisher Prices overpriced line of missed opportunity. A 40 recreation of the 123 playset, and 7 dollar packages of 2 cheap, remolded figures of 6 characters, and a plush line with only the distinction of having the Count and a Honker in it. No fan favorites, no nods to older characters... nothing. No wonder why SW is dropping Mattel like a hot potato for Hasbro.

Correct. There is NO Sesame Street 40th anniversary collectibles for the non toddler market. There's some shirts at Spencers and Hot Topic. Theres the 40th annv book and dvd. But toys/collectibles in the way of non toddler stuff? Nada. Oh and the Sesame Street toddler toys in the 2000's SUCK.
Remember in the late 90's, how Tyco released a special edition 30th annv set with pvcs of virtually every character including Snuffy? And then released a freaking Sesame Street Martian Yip Yip action figure playset? Tyco was so much cooler than Fisher Price.

Im surprised noone at SW said "hey, maybe we should release more than just stuff for toddlers for our 40th?" I mean, in 2004 for the 35th we got pretty rare plushes.
Talk about royally dropping the ball, big time.

 

[beaker]

Heh, looks like Ken's gettin' a wee bit desperate. Since I have the 2HM, I'd like to know what the packaging's like, if any different than a clear version of the Palisades' Muppets clamshell from S4 onwards.
Still gunning after the playset and maybe the Count proto... Just gotta get my accounts in order first and see if I can save enough for them both.

I love buying from Ken/Corndog on ebay, as he often has the exclusive sets and other non Muppet Palisades retail stuff I never was able to get ahold of with no shipping charges.

But the prototype stuff...yeah...I don't think anyone in their right mind would pay a thousand bucks for a prototype 2 centimeter accessory to a canceled Sesame figure. Those finished Sesame figure packages sure are gorgeous though.

Was Super Grover the only one commercially released?

Also, strange how close we got to Fraggle figures by Palisades.
I'm still miffed we never got the Sal the Monkey or Muppet Mini Electric Mayhem figures

 

[Drtooth]

Correct. There is NO Sesame Street 40th anniversary collectibles for the non toddler market. There's some shirts at Spencers and Hot Topic. Theres the 40th annv book and dvd. But toys/collectibles in the way of non toddler stuff? Nada. Oh and the Sesame Street toddler toys in the 2000's SUCK.

I have to say I do like the Collect-a-pal line... but yeah. It brings me up to why I never really cared for Mattel, especially now. Their prices are well higher than they should be (7 bucks for a die cast car?) and there's such a gap on quality... I will say they're doing a good job with the DC Comics line, but if they didn't they'd have a million comic book geeks breathing down their necks.

I mean, they made some progress with smaller goods, but to me, it's always going to be about giant singing plushes. Elmo Live almost killed them since no one was willing to shell out 60 bucks last year for one, leading to SS's budget crunch.

Im surprised noone at SW said "hey, maybe we should release more than just stuff for toddlers for our 40th?" I mean, in 2004 for the 35th we got pretty rare plushes.
Talk about royally dropping the ball, big time.

Economy maybe... Frankly, if they had much smaller affordable collector's friendly stuff instead of large, honking, expensive toddler junk maybe they'd get enough off of the funding so we don't have to sit through the same Abby 3 times a season. I really think the PVC sets were a huge blown opportunity. I'd gladly pay the inflated 7 dollar for 2 figures price if they had more than 6 characters. Not even a Bert to go with Ernie. Total let down.

I'm still miffed we never got the Sal the Monkey or Muppet Mini Electric Mayhem figures

I could go on a long negative post about what we didn't get... but I'm still glad with what we actually got. Still, I never liked how they started doing block figures like everyone else. Maybe if they didn't, it wouldn't have been such a drain on the money for licenses.

 

[The Count]

Yeah... To think, all of Jim's 3 main big franchises in figure form under one company's roof and a loving company it was too.
I love my Muppets collection, though I have come over to beaker's side that a multi-teared PVC Muppaverse collection might've been better and soooo much more diversely fleshed out.
But yeah, I do love my collection.

And yes, Super Grover was the only commercially released SST figure.

 

[beaker]

I love my Muppets collection, though I have come over to beaker's side that a multi-teared PVC Muppaverse collection might've been better and soooo much more diversely fleshed out.
But yeah, I do love my collection.

Well what's big now? Those "buddy" styled 2 packs of 2.5" figures based off of star wars, transformers, gi joe, and pretty much every hot property out there. They've managed to recreate a huge portion of SW characters in that form.

And just the 3 3/4 scale has made a huge comeback now, as a backlash against the 1997-2007 Mcfarlane stranglehold on the figure standard. (Sadly, most these small figures today run about $10 each)

Now I've been saying this for 11 and a half years on this forum:
Small Muppet figure lines would be the optimum scenario, as you could literally have every character imaginable.

Have them pretty much in the same style and scale as these:
http://www.muppetcentral.com/collectibles/muppetpics/toy_figure_fpstickpup.jpg
http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/The_Muppets_Take_Hollywood_PVC_figures

People have taken issue with this idea, however we don't need 8" insanely detailed figures anymore. Having more cartoonish smaller figures where more characters than ever could be made would truly be a dream come true.

 

[Drtooth]

Well what's big now? Those "buddy" styled 2 packs of 2.5" figures based off of star wars, transformers, gi joe, and pretty much every hot property out there. They've managed to recreate a huge portion of SW characters in that form.

It seems that Mattel's 40th anniversary line was trying to recreate that, but I think they failed on the level of using old figure sculpts and having such a skimpy line up... Had they packaged new figures in the same way, but packaging one popular "Gotta have it" character with a semi-obscure classic character, they would have had gold. I mean, think about it. Elmo and Sherlock Hemlock, Cookie Monster and Guy Smiley, Ernie and The Two Headed Monster... The popular characters would help sell the not so popular characters. I'm not talking Monty or Preston here... just ones that are fan favorites and classic iconic characters.

The era of the large, ultra detailed action figure, while not quite dead, is passing. Now companies want to charge the exact same amount we paid (initially at least) on Muppet Action figures for those skimpy Star Wars 3 inch things. And collectors are flocking to blind boxed vynals. And I'm back to whatever I can find on clearance.

I'm hoping with the shift to Hasbro, the company that invented the minifigure buddy pack, we'll see something that will be profitable to kids that adult fan collectors will enjoy. Not just the same old same old of Singing Elmos.

Man, I Miss Applause.