Ask Ken at Palisades

[MuppetQuilter]

GW Gumby

About Bunsen's coloring... Bunsen is pale green. The picture of Bunsen, along with several other recent pictures, looks yellow or tan because of the lighting. But he is, basically, the color of a honeydew melon.

 

[GWGumby]

Muppets for kids

I just thought I'd relate my experience yesterday at TRU. I went to a local store on Tuesday on the odd chance that they had received the figures. After looking around and finding no evidence, I went and asked the guy at the customer service booth. After looking at me with a blank stare for a few moments, he told me he hadn't heard anything about muppet figures, then he told me to wait a second and proceeded to yell across the store to some guy manning one of the registers.

"Hey Mike! Do you know anything about new Muppet toys?"

"No," replied Mike.

Then he turned back to me and said, "Well Mike is in charge of our Baby/Toddler department, so he would know whether we had any new Muppet stuff or not."

I attempted to briefly educate the TRU employee that this was meant to be a collectible figure line celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Muppet Show, so it certainly was not for babies and toddlers. He shrugged his shoulders. I left.

The end.

 

[Link Hogthrob]

Oooooh, I don't like the sound of that at all!!

I hope you go back to the same TRU when the figures arrive and show him your "proof"!

Jim

 

[beaker]

>>>I attempted to briefly educate the TRU employee that this was meant to be a collectible figure line celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Muppet Show, so it certainly was not for babies and toddlers. He shrugged his shoulders. I left<<<

wow. It doesnt surprise me though. Recently at Dennys the worker just gave me a blank stare when I asked if they would be getting any Muppet stuff in. "uh...uh ...who?" gee, theres only a ton of Muppet posters all around you idiot, ok i didnt say that...but, yeah, inseptic clueless workers are everywhere.

At any rate, that's what I was getting at in previous posts...'Sesame Baby' products have such long permiated the market, saturating toy stores with goo goo gah gah, no wonder people only know of these 'baby products' when you mention Muppet figures. wow.

...but times are a changin'

///beaker///

 

[towels]

Okay...I think Ken probably has the best idea of whether this line will be successful or not. I'm not sure how much he can share but I'm curious to know:

• How did the retail orders for this compare to other lines of figures?
• How did the orders for this compare to the initial forecasts or projections from Henson/your company?
• How soon will we know by way of reorders/Wave 2 orders what the retail reaction is?

 

[BlueFrackle]

Guys,

Well i called a store in London, England that is definetely getting the Figures. They either dont know anything or are right, I hope they are not right.

They told me that the figures have been delayed and that they wouldnt have them until the end of July !

Ken -

Can you just give me an idea of dates, So i can call them back and tell them. I would appreciate it, I havent gotten into this date thing yet. But this is like a big shock, im sure they are wrong.

Thanks !

 

[King Prawn]

Ken or Micheal (is that the other guy from Palisides name)

I was

just wondering i know Lobster Bandits are coming out with the Swedish Chef Kitchen but could you possibly include a chicken. I now Camilla is coming out with Gonzo in Series 5 but when i display them i want her next to Gonzo on Rowlfs Piano with Rowlf playing on it but i'd love to have a chicken in a pot to look as if the Swedish Chef is cooking it.

And i know that there's no confimation on a Biker Piggy but you said you were thinking abiut the idea, i think if we do get her then might we get a Gonzo on a moter cycle i know it was used alot.

And any word on Maha Maha and two snowths.

thanks

 

[Luke]

I think it kinda is aimed at an all round market of adult collectors and kids. Looking at the list of stores selling the figs, it looks like there are some kiddie specific stores.

What i'm saying is that i reckon they'd kinda have to appeal to both sides of the divide, there are only so many adult muppet collectors and this aint the Simpsons.

 

[frogboy4]

On the topic of figures at EB
Eeeeeeek! I tried to reserve/buy the figures by telephone at my local EB but their policy didn't allow it. They couldn't confirm when exactly they would hit the shelves and sold out within an hour. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get them. They told me to try back tomorrow, but I told them - thanx anyway, I'm buying them online. This could all seem like complaining, but I took the proactive rout here. I'm less of a collector and more of a Muppet fan. I know some collectors out there probably find half the joy in locating the figures - I find mine in actually having and being able to play with them. I wanted to select the figures myself, but I'm going to bypass that altogether. Too much stress for the frogboy. Maybe it will be a little smoother in the future. I should get them by Satrurday

On Toys R Us' Muppet confusion
You can't really blame the store for not knowing much about Muppets because they only have been exposed to Sesame Street characters for years. The only item I have heard that was in stock was the Sesame Street commemorative Talking Kermit. I think some of this has to do with Muppet product licensing and they haven't been that poputlar the past decade. Most Muppet merchandise is either released around the holidays or a project. It's good to see that there's something at TRU. They'll get it soon enough I hope.

About Pepe
I can see the points made by various people, but I wouldn't mind seeing the guy in waves 6 or 7. There are many characters yet to be made, but I feel Pepe will be insturmental in to the Muppets longevity. There are so many characters that just haven't worked, but Pepe started off like a firecracker and hasn't lost momentum. He represents everything I like about Muppets. I don't think he would "cheapen" the line no matter what banner he is packaged underneath. I do hope to see Lips and other classic characters too, but the prawn would be a much bigger seller IMHO.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Another thing to keep in mind about TRU, too: most of the folks there don't have any idea who THEY are, much less what they have in stock...ever, such as my experience with them goes. Call and ask them if they have something you know they have, they put you on hold a bit, come back and say "No," then go over there and you'll find it. Happens all the time.

Pepe? 2003? Groooooovy!!

I'm too excited about all this. I want my figs NOW! LOL!!

Oh, and Muppets for kids? Nah, otherwise they wouldn't be nekkid! HAA!

FZ