A few thoughts & opinions...
Would Miss Piggy be a big selling Photo Puppet?
-You betcha! It all depends on how well she is made to reflect the genuine article. Something like this has never been attempted and the type of collector who would buy a poser would definitely buy a Piggy poser. Sure the action figures and other Piggy related items don't do as well when pegged next to other Muppet characters, but this is different. It's not a doll, figure or Pez dispenser. This is owning a real life Miss Piggy! The pig does best when she can really shine. That's what this is...if done right. Also, let's not forget of the success of the classic Piggy puppet from the 80s. It was a great likeness and a good seller when pegged next to Kermit, Rowlf and Fozzie.
Will EFX inherit the same challenges as MR?
-Yes and no. MR bravely explored new ground and of course made some mistakes along the way. EFX can learn from these missteps - from material and likeness issues to marketing. Disney is now pushing the Muppets more than Henson did in Palisades' prime or Disney did while MR held their license. That alone tells stores that the Muppets are rising in public consciousness and backed by heavy-hitter Disney. Retailers will take a second look at this. I think MR suffered from lack of firm support from both Disney and their parent company. It seems to me like timing played a great part in things. The wild success and exposure of the Whatnot Workshop provides proof of a working high-end Muppet merchandise model.
What's with another Kermit, Rizzo and Pepe?
-A respectful reboot! EFX never had the chance to handle the frog and it's important that they release one. Muppet merchandise is hard to sell unless a Kermit is present. It's a fact of life (not just opinion). The promise of a Kermit coming will only increase future sales to new collectors. They need new customers. That means hold off on Fozzie Bear and more difficult to manage character items in favor of sure-fire favorites. Rizzo and Pepe are crowd pleasers that are light, take up a small fraction of warehouse space and they are easy to ship. Once EFX hits a healthy stride they can take more chances. i just hope that Kermit would be the GMC version and not a rehash. People really do respond to Reporter Kermit.
Should we start a Scooter Fan Club?
-Frog yeah! These are collectors items and honestly, at this high end - success can sometimes have more to do with quality than character. As long as it's classic shiny jacket Muppet Show Scooter he could fare very well. He's also small enough to ship without incident like a Rowlf or Fozzie Bear (or Sweetums
). Heck, I think we should include the Mayhem in the fan club too. I don't know how two-packs like Statler & Waldorf or Bunsen & Beaker would fare because it doubles the already expensive price point. However, there is potential in all of this if sales of initial offerings (Piggy, Rizzo, Reporter Kermit & Pepe) are strong enough. How cool would a Janice, Sam Eagle or Dr. Teeth be? I think they are possible!
So that's my two cents from the tiny bit that I have experienced. The usual Muppet product equation shouldn't be ignored, but it doesn't easily fit here. This is new territory. It's success factor is anybody's guess. I just hope that EFX will also branch out into other sections of Muppet collectibles. Their Star Wars items look amazing.