Varient Floyd Found!

[ResidentLilly]

Hey Rick,
Sorry to slip that in on you, that chase figure thing. In reality it was in response to some complaints from people who want the band repaints but don't want them to be exclusives or hard to find items. In some respects, it isn't that we would want any retailers, especially the comic shops, to order more product to get more chase figures, but it does benefit the small guy to help them recover their investment to have one figure in the case they can sell at a slightly higher price, since the foot traffic at some smaller retail outlets results in a much slower sell through time. You guys have to usually shell out a ton of cash on stuff and then wait to recover it, so the chase figure, at least in concept, is designed to help alleviate the financial risks of the smaller retailer, while at the same time allowing fans somewhat easier access to a figure they want.

Anyway...cool to see you on the boards. Retail perspective is something this forum is lacking. Good to see someone who can represent that section of this "Cycle of Plastic"...

 

[NewForceComics]

Hello all...
No worries, ResidentLilly and all...we don't take anything said "personally" (everyone is entitled to their responses/opinions)...I just wanted to clarify our position.

The problem with that line of thought (again, just my opinion), is that smaller retailers (or any retailers/resellers for that matter) that charge premiums on chase/variant figures, can often times be chastised or resented for doing so by the collector community, labeled "scalpers", discussed in a negative light (word of mouth can make or break) etc, etc...in reality, while some customers will appreciate easier access and don't mind paying the extra $'s, the average customer does resent it, both at retail and at the manufacturer level....And yes, there is a certain excitement created with the prospect of "scoring" that elusive exclusive at retail, but, in this case, 66.6% of customers will not be so lucky, and will probably be frustrated, or some other reaction if they have to pay a retailer/reseller a premium, which is sort of defeating the purpose of collecting in the first place.

So, what is my point?...make all basic product accessible and make variants and exclusives available as well (via the fan clubs, or mail in's, or via retailer exclusives with supply able to meet demand, etc).... have the manufacturer produce a quality product (which Palisades has most definitely done with this line) and have retailers price themselves competitively and fairly...the rest will take care of itself...
Rick, www.newforcecomics.com

 

[Luke]

Hey Rick,

Just wanted to welcome you, and wow - what a great recommendation to your customers on the Muppet line. Ken and the crew can be way proud of that !

I just wanted to say, that as a consumer - i am very happy with the idea of chase figures in the Muppet Show line. It makes it slightly easier (especially now with the seperate SKU) for us fans to locate a repaint that would have otherwise cost us around $100 on Ebay if we couldn't have got to the industry shows (point of example :- Wizard World Dr Teeth), it means more of these repainted figures are actually manufactured for us all, and it seems to me a good deal for the retail outlets and Palisades because there'll be more people hunting around the shops for the varients (giving some extra promotion for the line at ground floor level) and obviously once the person is in the shop they might buy other stuff in the line or even just other products benefiting the store owner. Of course there is the not so good aspects like some stores (not yours) hiking up the price of the varient or maybe feeling like they have to buy more cases to get the varients, but then thats not so bad for Palisades even if it isn't their intention. I dunno, i just feel its the best, and a good compromise rather than the way the repaints were being done before.

I was looking at 'The Osbournes' line and they had two variants per case (one Ozzy, one Jack) - they were totally new sculpts but i'm not sure if that is better or worse for everyone. The retailers get two of the premium figures to sell, but the fans then have to hunt down two figures instead of one to be a 'completist'.

Anyway, i'm sure you guys know best from an industry point of view but they're my thoughts as a fan.

 

[NewForceComics]

Hello all (and Luke)
Great perspective....one thing to keep in mind, there is no "right or wrong", just a melting pot of everyone's perspective/insight/opinion...

Just for further comparison/discussion, in this day of internet stores, the majority of folks selling, don't seem to have brick and mortar type stores (or in our case, a warehouse store) for customers to frequent...I think the average comic book store will order their 1 or 2 or 5 cases via Diamond, and the larger "on line" sellers, will order 25-100 cases direct from Palisades, relative to their presold quantity and anticipated demand. So, the advantage of the chase figure, is really not that critical to walk in traffic for the smaller on line seller, as they have no store for someone to walk into...of course, the same statement could hold true that attracting a perspective customer to a website store, can have the same results (impulse sales), but there is something more tangible to holding something in your hands, versus having to order online and pay shipping, when it comes to Impulse purchases. etc.

Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of variants and exclusives, I just don't like the idea of the hoarding/scalping/price gauging, etc that accompanies them, because I want to see this industry stay healthy and strong (after all I support my family off the living we make in this business) and history has all to well told the effects that these limited type collectibles can and do have on the market place, and more specifically various lines of popular collectibles (I could sight dozens of examples if folks are not already aware of them). I LOVE the muppets, as I think most folks do (kids and adults alike)...I LOVE the job Palisades has done on the first series and beaker set ...my kids love them, our customers/collectors love them...I just want to see this line continue in excellence, and not hamper itself...
thanks,
Rick, www.newforcecomics.com

 

[Ken Plume]

Many of you MC "old-timers" know that I don't chime in too often around here nowadays, but I do want to put out a special "welcome" to Rick from NewForce.

I've been a *very* happy customer of NewForce's for almost a year when it comes to buying my Simpsons toys - NewForce is by far the cheapest, quickest, and nicest e-tailer I've ever run across.

If you're a toy collector (or just a toy lover), I'd recommend you head over to NewForce and check them out.

I now return to my 3-year lurk cycle...

-Ken

 

[NewForceComics]

Hello all (and Ken)...
I thank you for your comments...we certainly try our best...I spoke with Kate Horn of Palisades today and the topic of Muppets came up, and I learned that Ken Lilly ( is that ResidentLilly?) is the Muppet product designer, so let me personally thank him for doing such a wonderful job on the line...
I will try to stop by from time to time and share thoughts, concerns, etc
Rick, www.newforcecomics.com

 

[Pschtyckque]

I concur. As a new customer of NewForce, I would like to say their service is excellent, prices are amazing, and packing is superb!

Rick and crew are a great asset to the toy purchasing community.

 

[Ken Plume]

NewForce is the type of company that exclusives should be granted to...

wink wink, nudge nudge...

-Ken, who has two weapons - subtlety and a big stick...

 

[towels]

Originally posted by NewForceComics
Hello all (and Ken)...
I thank you for your comments...we certainly try our best...I spoke with Kate Horn of Palisades today and the topic of Muppets came up, and I learned that Ken Lilly ( is that ResidentLilly?) is the Muppet product designer, so let me personally thank him for doing such a wonderful job on the line...
I will try to stop by from time to time and share thoughts, concerns, etc
Rick, www.newforcecomics.com

Just to toss a quick answer in...Yes.
(ResidentLilly is Ken Lilly...imortalized on the back of Muppet packaging forever, and the newest celebrity autograph sensation on ebay)

 

[Luke]

Hi Rick

Hmm yeah - i take your point about the advantages of the chase figures being less for the online stores, and as you say, they way out-number the 'bricks and mortars'. It must give some retailers pretty much no option than to gouge so that they can pay for the extra cases they might need. I'm glad you guys are taking the better route of distributing the variants randomly. Palisades have been trying to find a good way to manage the way variants and exclusives are handled recently. This has kinda ended up with the collectors club being created so that the exclusives can be had via mail, and also a slowdown on the amount released so that the regular line builds up. In a way they have been caught between a rock and a hardplace between pleasing the fans and the retailers while also trying to come up with a good solution business wise.

I liked your ideas about how this should all be managed (especially mail in offers which would rock) but i also think that some of these wouldn't create as much of a fan buzz having a hard to find figure out there can create. The Muppets have no TV show on air yet, there's little advertising for the figures, and few large 'bricks and mortar' stores are carrying them so i guess with only very small numbers of off-net fans being aware of the line, they've gotta try to do what they can keeping the ones they've got amused and work up some anticipation there. Maybe having the band repaints be retailer exclusives IS a better way to go but then Palisades also lose the advantage they get sales wise of doing 'chase figures' and i'd think the current retailers taking the exclusives prefer totally new charcater variations. Giving the less important repaint exclusives to a number of smaller retailers might be a nice gesture though and it might retain the whole 'fan buzz'.

I just wanted to echo everyone elses comments saying you are most welcomed here Rick. All the Palisades staff, especially Ken have been great with us over the past months, but it does help quite a bit to also have someone independant, who can also give their views from a professional angle.