Quality
I know people are touchy about this subject, but here's my opinion...
It's all about the quality for me. The Kermit Replica was a homerun - absolutely fantastic, worth every penny. Animal came out, and not being the biggest animal fan, I passed. Plus, there was something that just wasn't quite right about his face. Then, the one I was the most excited for, Gonzo. I'd saved money for this one...
I know a lot of people on the board love their Gonzo, but I just couldn't stomach shelling out that much money for something that was of that level of quality. It was a very fine posable plush, but far, far from a "replica." Some people have tweaked out Gonzo with pupil position, lip coloring and stuff to get him closer, but still the face shape and nose texture isn't right, IMHO. This is particularly disappointing, having seen the original prototype, photos of which were passed around previously. It was fantastic.
My original plan was to get the main three - Kermit, Gonzo and Fozzie, but MR is going to have to work pretty hard on likeness and come in at a decent price point to warrant my purchasing of Fozzie. On a positive note If they DO make a Fozzie worth my money, I would reconsider Gonzo as well.
Sorry to be a bit of a downer, but I don't think I'm alone on this one, so there it is...
- Derek