regular figures...mega sized...what about minis?

[frogboy4]

ZootandDingo

Palisades has quite an investment in this series and have publicly expressed their intention for it to last at least 3 more years. They have a lot riding on that. The three different types of figures would offer a choice and would be aimed at different markets.

I'm with you, I hope that it doesn't negatively effect the regular line, but how will they know until they try? I say give them a chance with the Mega Beaker. If you don't want it send the message by not buying it. If they see the Beaker isn't faring well they may scrap the megas and any plans for minis. I think the regular line would be the last thing they scrap. No worries here. We could get some really cool items out of this.

 

[MuppetQuilter]

Originally posted by Luke


It's not really about how much work it would take to produce three lines. It's more about how it looks for Palisades to be rushing out three seperate toy lines based around the Muppets in a short space of time.

Ah, but who says they are rushing out three lines? The mini line is pure speculation at this point. If Palisades takes on a mini line, there is no reason they have to rush it out the door right away. Development takes time. It would be interesting to know when Palisades began working on Series 1... probably well before we heard about it. I can't remember right at the moment when Mega Beaker is due out, but I don't think it is in the next couple months. I think there is time to develop the main line of figures.

I also assume Palisades knows a bit more about what they are doing than we do. Just a hunch....

 

[Luke]

Originally posted by MuppetQuilter
Ah, but who says they are rushing out three lines? The mini line is pure speculation at this point. If Palisades takes on a mini line, there is no reason they have to rush it out the door right away.

Yeah that was kinda my point exactly that i raised - i was hoping they wouldn't and mentioned my concerns. Mega Beaker is due out at Christmas i think. Palisades have a few Muppet lines for later this year but i don't think the others are supposed to be figure related. To me, three figure lines before the end of this year would be rushing it a bit so i would be hoping for the minis (IF they are doing it) to debut around Wave 3 time.

Originally posted by MuppetQuilter
I also assume Palisades knows a bit more about what they are doing than we do. Just a hunch....

Yeah totally, it's not like either of us has a degree in media strategy and has just spent a year studying the toy industry is it ?

 

[frogboy4]

Luke

I do agree, Christmas could be too soon for these minis, but I find that very unlikely. It takes months of tooling and approval to realease anything and there have been no peaks at minis yet. I'd bet they'd come out next Summer or in time for Christmas next year. Ken did express that these would be different scuplts if they came to market so that's another plus! And these sets could likely make it into places that the 6 inch and Megas can't. I'm gung-ho for minis! Just not exclusive minis please! ****!

 

[ZootandDingo]

Originally posted by MuppetQuilter
Maybe I'm misreading, tone does get lost in typed text, but it sounds like you're upset, ZootandDingo. I don't think anyone expects an apology for bringing up a valid concern.

Thanks for asking. I guess I was being a tad sarcastic in the post. It just seems like more recently that a few people have been complaining that there's this "You must agree with us" attitude around here. I want to stress that I don't believe that was Jamie's intent, of course, but still I just wanted to convey that a blown off point is still a point nonetheless.

As I said, I hope Palisades can find the resources to pull off another product type, but why go with the obvious? I would rather see the license go as far away from ordinary as possible (which, you can see, it started to do from the get-go).

I painfully remember the peak of Hasbro's Batman line with 4", 6", 7", 8", 9", and 12" series all out at the same time...and they were all basically the same kind of product, articulated plastic figures. Whoever coined the phrase "Can't have too much of a good thing" obviously never collected a licensed character.

I don't hate the mini-fig idea outright, but I just can't get jazzed about it either sight-unseen.

 

[frogboy4]

ZootandDingo

I see what you mean. What type of things would you propose Palisades do? I'm not sure how far their contract extends and I have heard that it doesn't cover plush. I hear another thread coming on.

I wonder if figural mugs would be covered. Now that would kick major butt! A Janice figural mug! Christmas ornaments could possibly be covered too. They did come out with the lunchboxes so there seems to be some non-figure related things they can do.

 

[MuppetQuilter]

Originally posted by Luke
Yeah totally, it's not like either of us has a degree in media strategy and has just spent a year studying the toy industry is it ?

No offense intended here, but a degree is not the same as the experience that comes from working one's way up in the industy and running a company. I expect Mike Horn has studied the toy industry for quite some time. Ken as well. Plus, they've put out product before, and successfully.

I am NOT knocking anyone's experience or knowledge (I expect you know a lot more about the industry than I do), just pointing out that Palisades isn't flying by the seat of their pants.

Originally posted by ZootandDingo
Thanks for asking. I guess I was being a tad sarcastic in the post. It just seems like more recently that a few people have been complaining that there's this "You must agree with us" attitude around here. I want to stress that I don't believe that was Jamie's intent, of course, but still I just wanted to convey that a blown off point is still a point nonetheless.

Every view, so long as it is respectful of others, is valid! Personally, I don't think Jamie was blowing off your point, I think it just isn't a concern for him. (Sorry Jamie, don't mean to speak for you.) Doesn't mean it isn't a valid concern for others and I think Palisades has considered this. Ken's post indicates that at least he has thought about a mini line and I'm sure market concerns and maintaining quality are the top issues invovled in considering a new line.

 

[Luke]

Originally posted by MuppetQuilter
No offense intended here, but a degree is not the same as the experience that comes from working one's way up in the industy and running a company. I expect Mike Horn has studied the toy industry for quite some time. Ken as well. Plus, they've put out product before, and successfully.

Just pointing out that not all of us are working 'blind' here and have worked our way up in very similar industries and even dealt with the same companies as Palisades. This kind of promotion is the same whether you are talking TV, Music, Celebrities, Print Media, Toys or any other kind of entertainment and being a very small company without any kind of promotion people onboard right now, it's easy for them not to know about things that could lead to opportunities that would (and have) been missed otherwise. Pointing them in a possible right direction can only benefit the Muppet fans - and if you look back on the last year a large majority of things happening with the line have been directly influenced by the fans and Palisades pretty much have been 'flying by the seat of their pants' in some areas.

This is not any kind of comment against you specifically, but it's easy to think that just because someone comes here and openly says what they do, it puts them a step above the general fans. Being relatively new you probably have yet to discover who else may be lurking around Muppet Central as a 'general fan' giving their input - it would suprise you, believe me. Not everything hinges on Ken's every word.

 

[MuppetQuilter]

Come on, Luke, give me some credit. Just because I have been around a year or so doesn't make my views any less valid. I'm glad to see you have experience on the subject and I respect your opinion. All I ask is you respect mine. After all, you don't know what experience I have.

 

[Luke]

Originally posted by MuppetQuilter
Come on, Luke, give me some credit. Just because I have been around a year or so doesn't make my views any less valid. I'm glad to see you have experience on the subject and I respect your opinion. All I ask is you respect mine. After all, you don't know what experience I have.

Annika, I didn't once relate the validity of your views to how long you have been here. I said that not having been here all that long you probably have not been exposed to the 'full picture' of who might frequent this forum and what it has been used for by these people in the past. Ken most certainly isn't the only licensee here though he has been the most visible, he's not the only person involved in Henson stuff, and not the only person with any relevance to what merchandise is made and how it looks. Then of course you also have the fans who have some Henson connection, work someplace else in the industry, or just have an expert knowledge of the Henson company who might bring up something that wasn't thought about and is worthwhile looking into. Fan forums can be very deceptive things, not always as innocent as they look - if you think about Muppetfest time last year you might get an idea of what i mean.

I don't think i have disprespected your views in any way at all - in fact i kinda felt it was the other way around from what you have said but then the written word always interprets differently to different people. I guess your constant references to Ken and Palisades as if they are the 'know it all' toymakers in the history of the toy universe and would never need help or make a mistake just kinda floor me. They've done a superb job and i'm certainly NOT knocking them, but if they are so perfect and will always make the right decisions, and are so expert on this Muppet line that nothing is a worry, then why on earth do you think they are here everyday asking so many freakin questions ?