i wouldn't say they've "jumped the shark" at all. what Palisades has done is create a very vocal fanbase for their figures. i'm sure they have data (can't say "figures") that shows some of the lengths to which fans have gone to get some of these figures. this is information that can be quite useful if you're trying to sell a company like Wal Mart or whomever on the concept of carrying Muppets. if you can say "look how well these sold, and this is just one cross-section of people", then that can definately be an effective tool...especially if they then make an offer to sell them an exclusive of their own to carry.
that, and they're just cool, too.