Fun-4-All may produce Sesame Street Action Figures

[Luke]

I AM SICK OF KIDS GETING ALL THESE TOYS AND WE GET NOTHING. I want to see a slew of accessories 14 point articulation of more and don't worrie about the price tag because if the quality is there people will buy its that simple.

Ok, so why aren't the Muppets figures selling as well as they could be then? You have 14 points of articulation, slews of accessories and the price isn't all that crippling in the states. They are all mostly classic household name recognisable characters except the few obscures we have seen. It would be exactly the same with Sesame, except Sesame is even more of a kids license. Face facts, Fun4All depend even more on greater sales than Palisades do, and even though they don't invest as much money into the products they throw more money at the licenses and getting all of the major bricks and mortar stores to carry their products. They aren't as specialist an action figure company as Palisades and don't specifically cater to the adult market. The only reason they bought the Sesame license was because they knew kids would buy the figures too, the adults are just a nice bonus. They aren't interested in just selling to adults as there isn't enough profit in it for a big company like them and seeing as the figures were already shown to adult comic stores through Diamond Distribution they probably found out for sure the adult market wasn't strong enough by itself and if thats all the interest they got they'd probably have to end the line at wave two. In my opinion it would be very tricky to do the whole high quality, slew of accessories, loads of articulation thing for adults yet get the figures stocked in kids stores retailing at a price acceptable to parents too.

Quality costs money, which parents of a 5 year old generally wouldn't pay or even neccasarily want/need for their kids who just want a toy to play with so they have obviously had to make compromises right from the start. That's meant people here complaining that they aren't upto the quality of the Palisades Muppets and Fun4All getting negative reactions (which they are partly to blame for themselves i admit) but these are being made for a fairly different market than the Muppets are right now. It has to be that way and probably will not change despite what people say, they have just spent a long time trying to reach a compromise level in design where they aren't too shabby for adults yet are still within the reach of the kids market.

 

[LadyVader]

Ok I don't know how muppet sales are in the U.K. But where I am from Palisades Muppet figures fly off the shelves they can't keep them in stock. and if I wasn't clear it has been 35 years and not even once has the older fan of sesame street been thought of. and as for price take a walk thoue a toys R us action figures department Action figures aren't cheep they can go as high as $10.95 depening on what your looking for the lowest price figure is a Star Wars figure at $4.77 but that going to change there price will be going up with the new wave and this is comeing from Hasbro themselves. When parents buy they don't look around the toy store they go right to what popular like Spiderman, Power Rangers, Shreck, its years since the Muppets had a Movie and a t.v. show. But when your talking Sesame Street what is the frist thing that comes to a kid mind it ELMO not Big Bird not Bert & Ernie Not even Cookie Monster it ELMO, ELMO. the kids at the Sesame Street age range don't care what they play with its the parents who do the buying and ELMO, ELMO, ELMO is the only thing they hear then I the USA the hottest toy at Christmass time for the last 3 years has been Elmo. Now don't getme wrong I like the Dolls and the other thing But really it time we adult fans got something if I am going to pay the price for a better Sesame Street figure shouldn't get it. Hay I even like a Playset or two. As I said before it been 35 years. Hay and since where talking about Action Figures what about Fraggle Rock why dolls I am sick of dolls I want a Gobo Action figure with slew of accessories 14 point articulation or more why can't we get thoues there a market for them and you in the U.K should know this better that any one eles you got the DVD set first we I the USA have to wait. that not fare. and how about the Dark Crystal no action figures for them just busts like we need more busts. so it goes like this for adult fans No Cool Sesame Street Figures for you only dumded down one. No cool Fraggle Rock figures just dolls wwhhooppee! and last but not least Dark Crystal No cool figures for them thet get busted the Muppets are the only Action Figures that are made for the Fans and I guess that the way its going to be.

 

[Luke]

Ok I don't know how muppet sales are in the U.K. But where I am from Palisades Muppet figures fly off the shelves they can't keep them in stock.

No i meant the USA market. The Muppets might seem to fly off the shelves where you are but that could be due to the stores not actually buying many in or you just being in a particularly good area. From Ken Lillys comments overall it seems they aren't selling as well as they should be in any market, so much so they aren't commiting to carry on past Series 10 until they see the latest sales figures. If the Muppets aren't selling enough to adults then Sesame certainly won't. I understand your points that there should be collectable Sesame figures for adults but it just seems that if the Muppets are anything to go buy there is not enough of an adult market who actually want to by them.

 

[Gonzo]

But when your talking Sesame Street what is the frist thing that comes to a kid mind it ELMO not Big Bird not Bert & Ernie Not even Cookie Monster it ELMO, ELMO. the kids at the Sesame Street age range don't care what they play with its the parents who do the buying and ELMO, ELMO, ELMO is the only thing they hear

That's changing too...

Grover, Big Bird, Ernie, Cookie Monster and others are getting much higher profile on Sesame Street...have been for the last few years. As soon as the merchandising catches up with what's actually on the show, I think we'll see more balance in the Force. I mean...in the toy aisles.

 

[WiGgY]

Yeah, Big Bird and Ernie have their own segment. Then they show a Bert and Ernie skit (some times classic!). Grover has his own thing and he now does the voice over so it is actually his segment. We all know Cookie has his own thing and he gets a street segement now and then. It isn't all Elmo. Some times Elmo isn't een seen until the end for Elmo's World.

 

[LadyVader]

I give up!

Ok Ok Ok I Give Up I Can't Seem To Get Any One To At Least Agree With Me Even A Little So I Give Up I Will Just Sit Quiet Here In The Cornner And Deam About My Sesame Street Figures With Slew Of Accessories And Over 14 Points Of Articulation. And Every One Eles Can Have There Kiddie Toys With Very Little Of Any Thing.

 

[WiGgY]

Are you typing in code? Why is every first letter of every word capitalized? Let's see:

O O O I G U I C S T G A O T A L A W M E A L S I G U I W J S Q H I T C A D A M S S F W S O A A O P O A A E O E C H T K T W V L O A T

Does anyone see a code? If you rearange A D A M S you get Sadam. Does his name have 2 d's or one?

It's not that we don't WANT the fgures you describe. We just know it won't happen. Palisades offered that and the idiots at Sesame Workshop turned them down.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I still think they should be the same quality as Palisades, look more like the actual Muppets, whether they have that amount of articulation and accessories or not. Heck, to be honest, I'll forego the accessories to get really good action figures!!!

 

[Luke]

I still think they should be the same quality as Palisades, look more like the actual Muppets, whether they have that amount of articulation and accessories or not. Heck, to be honest, I'll forego the accessories to get really good action figures!!!

I agree, although Fun4All don't have the same quality sculptors working for them or put so much budget into making the actual figure - the Palisades stuff goes through a lot of stages in production, painting etc. Fun4All probably want to spend more of that money on advertising, point of sales promotion and just spending less to make more profit from the sales. I think thats a big clue as to why the figures have never changed dramatically since we saw the first sculpts despite the feedback. We were really lucky to get the Muppets done by a small specialist company.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I'm there wit'cha, brother!

However, the Fun 4 All figures do look good for what they are, and are better than any prior Sesame Street action figures in the past; and I suppose complaining doesn't help things either since it's already in production, etc.

I can't wait to see them in person and determine what, if anything, I think of them and to know if I'll be adding this to my collection.

*Interest builds...*