Disney Store Muppet Merchandise Released

[Bellygrub]

, the ball was TOTALLY dropped by not giving the movies a rerelease with either Muppet BTS footage or a free movie ticket or something (like every other movie and franchise manages to do)

You get a free movie ticket with the purchase of any previous Muppet movie or Season set. It's been made available through Amazon and Disney Movie Club.

http://hip2save.com/2011/11/amazon-...-2-free-movie-tickets-to-see-the-muppets.html

 

[Drtooth]

The Muppets, sadly, are no different. Someone in the bean counting department thinks that stuff like G-Force is a profit machine waiting to happen, but they thus far do not see the potential with the Muppets. Sad. I hope that will change, but then again, they still haven't been able to buy a clue and realize that there is a huge demand for Tangled merch, and not so much for Princess and the Frog merch.

Exactly what I was saying. G-Force could have potentially been a marketing hit and a cartoon series or something had the movie not been a loud 3-D eye sore and fart fest (or they waited until after the Chipmunks surprise hit). They spent and entire several months clearing them out. Yet, they oversaturated on Ratatouille, a movie that's a little too adult (but not in a dirty way) and they couldn't sell the merchandise. Somehow I think they thought of that as far as Up went it would be the same kind of movie. But they fluffed that merchandise as well. Who would have wanted large expensive talking plush of the unlovable dogs? The Dugs sold out quick (at least, the ones that weren't life sized) but they just sat there. It took almost a year for a Bean Bag Dug and a plush Kevin to come out. They had no confidence in the Up figure sets that only a handful were made. Yet, no one saw how high the demand those things were on E-Bay. And Manny The Handy stuff sat there.

Even the Henson Company bean counters knew that Muppet merchandise works best when backed by a popular project. People misunderstand Palisades. While the figures were fantastic, critically acclaimed and popular in a lot of circles, the profits couldn't sustain the series. This of course has no bearing on the marketing or quality. It's just that ultimately there wasn't enough interest or demand for the characters to support that sort of item. After the film there will be. At least, I'm placing my faith in that.

That and Palisades had too many lines going at once at some point. They were far too early with Freakables... the blind box market didn't heat up until after the company folded... you should have seen it. For years they just sat there, and then one day, without so much as a major price decrease, they just started getting snatched up quickly.

But it's no surprise that the Muppet figures only went to older collectors... and the causal collectors only wanted the name characters. These things literally only sold in places adult collectors buy toys. TRU had no faith in them, Target tried their best, but buried them under movie toys... no one cared about a collector line that wasn't MacFarline's cool sculpt for cool sculpt sake statues. But then again, this was when 10 bucks a figure meant something. Now the puny Star Wars line goes for that much.

Still, PVC sets or single carded PVC's in retailers wouldn't have hurt. Some goofy Christmas Stocking stuffer stuff couldn't hurt. Still, Diz needs to get their head out of their butts and go back to McDonald's toys. If they can make fun dip and candy and sugar breakfast cereals with Cars, they can put Cars in a pack with fires and a burger.

 

[frogboy4]

That and Palisades had too many lines going at once at some point. They were far too early with Freakables... the blind box market didn't heat up until after the company folded... you should have seen it. For years they just sat there, and then one day, without so much as a major price decrease, they just started getting snatched up quickly.

But it's no surprise that the Muppet figures only went to older collectors... and the causal collectors only wanted the name characters. These things literally only sold in places adult collectors buy toys. TRU had no faith in them, Target tried their best, but buried them under movie toys... no one cared about a collector line that wasn't MacFarline's cool sculpt for cool sculpt sake statues. But then again, this was when 10 bucks a figure meant something. Now the puny Star Wars line goes for that much.

Still, PVC sets or single carded PVC's in retailers wouldn't have hurt. Some goofy Christmas Stocking stuffer stuff couldn't hurt. Still, Diz needs to get their head out of their butts and go back to McDonald's toys. If they can make fun dip and candy and sugar breakfast cereals with Cars, they can put Cars in a pack with fires and a burger.

In the end, none of that really mattered as much as we all think it did. The Muppets line of figures was inherently limited due to the consumers' lack of interest in the characters and that was largely the result of the lack of film and television appearances. VMX may have helped a little bit, but Henson Co didn't sustain the momentum.

 

[Drtooth]

In the end, none of that really mattered as much as we all think it did. The Muppets line of figures was inherently limited due to the consumers' lack of interest in the characters and that was largely the result of the lack of film and television appearances. VMX may have helped a little bit, but Henson Co didn't sustain the momentum.

Indeed. That's why I say we'd never have someone with the vision to keep it going as long as it did. Mainstream consumers didn't care... and it's their loss. These things go for a fortune on e-bay depending on the character. But then again, there was a huge wave of other, more mainstream friendly Muppet stuff as well. The Muppet figure line rode the wave of success of the adult action figure collection era when everyone and their mother were making action figures off of random properties. If they tried that stuff today, even with a movie, they'd be lucky to even see a second wave of common characters. The line did better in certain places than others, mainly comic stores... but even then, said comic stores went in and out of the line all the time.

No one buys action figures anymore. Even when they did, the line was solely for those hard core collectors. it was running on just the vision of Palisades until they couldn't contain it longer. That's why the company was visionary.

That said, putting Kermit on a candy bar and making some cross promotion there wouldn't have hurt. I don't see anything even close to Sababa or Palisades hitting mainstream outlets anytime soon... but little cheaper plastic ornaments, like the ones they have of Spongebob and Cars really should have happened. Some small, cheap little somethings that the mainstream would buy. But as I said before, I'm shocked the Smurfs stuff did as well as it did. It was in stores one day, and gone in a week. Little kiddy PVC's with minimal articulation may just have done well... there's just no way of telling.

 

[robodog]

Was there really a life size plush Dug? If so I want it so very badly.

Action figures actually have a fairly large collector base. Some of them are really nuts about the things. I'm glad I'm not interested in most things like that. I collect toy dogs and that's about it. I've lurked on action figure boards. They get their panties in a twist over the silliest things.

I'm still holding out hope that when the movie's a success there will be more stuff. Not just at The Disney Store but at places like Wal Mart and Toys R Us. The Muppets surely appeal to a wider group of people than G-Force or Happy Feet.

 

[beaker]

1. The Palisades line came out during the Muppet dark ages, so one really has to credit Ken and his team for insisting the line continue to the very end. As Frogboy said, its better when you have a major project for the public is aware. Kids are way more into Phineas and Ferb than the Muppets...sometimes I wonder if in the end itll mostly be college kids and adults more into the Muppets resurgence.

2. The figures did not look kid friendly. I said it in 2002 I'll say it a decade later: They were perfect for older collectors, in the tradition of Mcfarlane and now NECA. But they were a bit too ornate, grotesquely detailed, and just not kid like enough for kids to be interested. But if Disney were to make smaller smoother action figures ala the upcoming Star Wars figures, those would have a better chance perhaps with all demographics. Even the buddy 2 pack thing ala Toy Story would be great.

 

[beaker]

Was there really a life size plush Dug? If so I want it so very badly.

Action figures actually have a fairly large collector base. Some of them are really nuts about the things. I'm glad I'm not interested in most things like that. I collect toy dogs and that's about it. I've lurked on action figure boards. They get their panties in a twist over the silliest things.

I'm still holding out hope that when the movie's a success there will be more stuff. Not just at The Disney Store but at places like Wal Mart and Toys R Us. The Muppets surely appeal to a wider group of people than G-Force or Happy Feet.

I love some Dog stuff to. I LOVE Dug from Up, and I always wanted an Ein plush from Cowboy Bebop...never been much of a cat person

 

[beaker]

That said, putting Kermit on a candy bar and making some cross promotion there wouldn't have hurt. I don't see anything even close to Sababa or Palisades hitting mainstream outlets anytime soon... but little cheaper plastic ornaments, like the ones they have of Spongebob and Cars really should have happened. Some small, cheap little somethings that the mainstream would buy. But as I said before, I'm shocked the Smurfs stuff did as well as it did. It was in stores one day, and gone in a week. Little kiddy PVC's with minimal articulation may just have done well... there's just no way of telling.

Is there any Muppets/food promotion going on like that? Candy bars, cereal, doritos?

Its like Disney have focused everything on tv/internet and billboard saturation...but didnt think to spend any effort on cross promotion, STORE promotion, merch, etc.
Shoot I remember it seemed like I couldnt go to any store(grocery, retail, big box retail like best buy or convenience) without seeing tons of Toy Story 3 displays and cross promotion. It's like their confidence in the project only goes so far...

I just find it weird that the only company doing a sponsorship is...Underwriter Laboratories. A safety agency.

 

[robodog]

Dug's the reason Up's my favorite Pixar movie. I'm not much of a cat person either but my yellow lab and german shepherd are my best friends.

 

[Drtooth]

Was there really a life size plush Dug? If so I want it so very badly.

I can't recall if it was really life sized, but it was pretty big. They had Dug in a big plush (I wanna say around the size of the larger Muppet toys) and a very large one that cost I wanna say well over 30 bucks. It sold, but not all that well. it was never cleared out, but I can't imagine anyone would want something that big. Whereas it took them almost a year for a manageable bean bag plush. I hope to see Bean Bag sized plush when the DVD comes out. Something I can sit on a desk.

Is there any Muppets/food promotion going on like that? Candy bars, cereal, doritos?

Its like Disney have focused everything on tv/internet and billboard saturation...but didnt think to spend any effort on cross promotion, STORE promotion, merch, etc.
Shoot I remember it seemed like I couldnt go to any store(grocery, retail, big box retail like best buy or convenience) without seeing tons of Toy Story 3 displays and cross promotion. It's like their confidence in the project only goes so far...

While I see a crap load of Cars candy and to a lesser extent things with other Disney characters on it (including Kellogg's line of fruit snacks), I really don;t see why we can't have Muppet SOMETHING. Other than the Pez we'll get (when does that come out and TELL me it isn't an international only item). I wanna at least see Kellogg's Fruit snacks... but it would have been something to have a Muppet Cereal. Maybe a new Croonchy Stars. But not even a candy bar wrapper. And I LOOOOOVE collecting candy wrappers with cartoon characters on them.