I found that chain that MR's Animal was supposed to come with - EFX has been yanking it all along! It appears their business plan was to hype this nonexistent product into being. Many companies do that, but EFX had begun talking accessories and leading us to believe these items were months away from hitting store shelves.
I commend them for taking a stab at the Muppets. Posers are such a gamble with a very slim profit margin, but EFX knew the challenges. Let's be honest, they aren't just staffed by MR employees, they really *are* MR, but leaner, with a different shingle and tax ID number. Many insiders who have spoken to me expressed some of misgivings long before they announced the Muppet line. I never felt they were quite on the level either.
Anyone can open a collectibles company out of their garage with a little start up cash and some connections. Follow-through is what counts. EFX has the Star Wars license. They really don't need anything else. We're really not "entitled" to anything, but I deal with large and small collectibles companies on a daily basis and EFX's customer service has fallen remarkably short of the median. Where most companies have bent over backwards to keep my business or that of my little store, EFX comes off as either evasive or abrasive. Maybe that's just an isolated incident. I'm an incredibly customer-service-friendly. You have to be in this business unless you're selling hemp-filled Yodas. (No, we do not sell hemp-filled Yodas.)
I admit to being a little bit sour about the posers, but in the end I still want to see them made - by EFX or anyone! If affording one requires my pulling a bank job then so be it! Our store would still be proud to display Rizzo, Reporter Kermit or whatever Muppets anyone releases! I'm at work right now and just received raves about Animal, Kermit and Gonzo. There is a market for these guys.