What future Muppet Replicas do you want?

[frogboy4]

We just want DA BEAR!

I would have to disagree a bit on the customer service side. Out of the number of products they have, and the licenses coordinating with all the interest groups each day, at the right websites, while handling direct e-mail, and customer service phone lines? I for one felt very fortunate to have Trav-Daddy here for us with what information he gave us as it was not in his job desription. CSTom was very very attentive oer at the MR forums, and i believe those two gave us enough attention. Not alot, but enough. I unfortunately can put aside my overwhelming desire for Fozzie, and see all sides of this difficult coin. How long did it take Terry to build the first photo-proto? (see your term has endured) Now multiply that time and cost by 1500. HOLY MOLY. Now think about 150-200 people trying to replicate that exactly 1500x. But we go back to the thread question... we just want our bear. That's all. I'll have Miss Piggy from Jimmy Dean tomorrow morning.

KK

EDIT: I just want to make sure it is known that I appreciate not only the efforts made by Terry and the folks at Master Replicas but also what they actually achieved = three great posers on my shelf!

We were very lucky to have Travis and Tom was great to eventually stop by here to clear things up.

One particular reply (to one of my first very respectful inquiry) I was sent from their first PR lady was almost contemptuous of fan interest in the posers. It appears from Tom's statement that the company’s leadership may not hold us customers in the highest esteem. I could have read that wrong. When you are in a fan-based industry PR and a personal touch is paramount. Aside from our wonderful Travis, MR was aloof at best in getting us any actual info. Palisades went above and beyond and nobody expects any company to come close to that. Ken was uniquely dedicated and it wore him out at times. Some other companies are downright cold in such matters, but usually they can afford to be. This was a delicate specialty product to sell and it likely would have benefited from some extra care. I think the timing of the economy, license losses and management shakeups over there impacted more than just the Muppet line.

Ultimately as a customer I did not see enough support on the PR side to match Terry's great efforts. I guess that's what I am saying. They did what they could I suppose. It’s not the largest company. I’m still glad to have what I’ve got.

As far as the future of the posers, I think they should hold off and see if Fozzie is doable in the future. I wonder if the bodies can be made in China (easier to QC there) and the more difficult heads can me specialty made by puppet builders? I have no idea if that would help.

 

[Nick22]

Why don't we put fozzie on hold and concentrate on products which will help promote whats been made already, and perhaps sell whats left. This may not be possible, and it may be crazy, but one of the problems people found with gonzo was his eye focus, would you be able to perfect these on the ones you have left, perhaps people would be convinced to buy them then, or buy a second. At the minute you say retailers find fozzie a risk because of his size, why not go for the smaller rizzo, this may help sell more gonzos as well.

For animal, in an ideal world producing replicas of the electric mayhem band would be amazing, but I understand at the minute, them not being the most famous of the muppets, they would not sell well. So how about some really great figures, that can you could pose with the animal replica, or the electric mayhem bus?

For the replicas we have at the minute, why not produce some accessory packs that have been mentioned before, this could be really great fun, and not too expensive, and may tempt people into buying the posers too.

I would really like a muppet show sign too.

Also correct me if I'm wrong, but were animal and gonzo bigger edition sizes then kermit, perhaps this is why so many are left too. I say fozzie is too big a risk of killing the licence once and for all at the minute. Lets go perhaps for some of the ideas above here, and an edition size of say 500 for the rizzo poser?

you actually have a really good point there!

 

[Nick22]

EDIT: I just want to make sure it is known that I appreciate not only the efforts made by Terry and the folks at Master Replicas but also what they actually achieved = three great posers on my shelf!

We were very lucky to have Travis and Tom was great to eventually stop by here to clear things up.

One particular reply (to one of my first very respectful inquiry) I was sent from their first PR lady was almost contemptuous of fan interest in the posers. It appears from Tom's statement that the company’s leadership may not hold us customers in the highest esteem. I could have read that wrong. When you are in a fan-based industry PR and a personal touch is paramount. Aside from our wonderful Travis, MR was aloof at best in getting us any actual info. Palisades went above and beyond and nobody expects any company to come close to that. Ken was uniquely dedicated and it wore him out at times. Some other companies are downright cold in such matters, but usually they can afford to be. This was a delicate specialty product to sell and it likely would have benefited from some extra care. I think the timing of the economy, license losses and management shakeups over there impacted more than just the Muppet line.

Ultimately as a customer I did not see enough support on the PR side to match Terry's great efforts. I guess that's what I am saying. They did what they could I suppose. It’s not the largest company. I’m still glad to have what I’ve got.

As far as the future of the posers, I think they should hold off and see if Fozzie is doable in the future. I wonder if the bodies can be made in China (easier to QC there) and the more difficult heads can me specialty made by puppet builders? I have no idea if that would help.

they should hold off on fozzie. they should come out with something a bit samller like pepe or rizzo.

 

[frogboy4]

they should hold off on fozzie. they should come out with something a bit samller like pepe or rizzo.

The Fozzie issue isn't the size it is that no company will take another poser after the tepid response from Gonzo and Animal. A new prototype would be costly to make and just as costly to manufacture as a Fozzie Bear. At this point since his prototype has been built and approved he is actually the cheaper and better bet. Unfortunately not enough retailers are biting.

This is still a long shot. We have been supporting the making of these posers since they were announced a couple of years ago. The recent complications are not due to lack of fan support. We want these and MR knows about that. There are just too many other hoops to consider.

I'd still love me a Pepe! I have wanted him since these were first announced.

 

[Nick22]

The Fozzie issue isn't the size it is that no company will take another poser after the tepid response from Gonzo and Animal. A new prototype would be costly to make and just as costly to manufacture as a Fozzie Bear. At this point since his prototype has been built and approved he is actually the cheaper and better bet. Unfortunately not enough retailers are biting.

This is still a long shot. We have been supporting the making of these posers since they were announced a couple of years ago. The recent complications are not due to lack of fan support. We want these and MR knows about that. There are just too many other hoops to consider.

I'd still love me a Pepe! I have wanted him since these were first announced.

i see. but i still think that they should just hold off on fozzie for now make pepe or rizzo and release accessorie packs, then they can give fozzie another go. once they have more money. i would also LOVE to see a Miss Piggy replica, but im sure that is never going to happen.

 

[frogboy4]

i see. but i still think that they should just hold off on fozzie for now make pepe or rizzo and release accessorie packs, then they can give fozzie another go. once they have more money. i would also LOVE to see a Miss Piggy replica, but im sure that is never going to happen.

Holding off one character to make another one just creates the same problem for MR. Fozzie isn't the issue. There is a lack of interest in Muppet posers in general so they won't be pouring more money into any character for research and development. If they moved forward with one it would likely be Fozzie since they already have the blueprints.

Poser accessory packs are just another money-pit for MR because even fewer people would buy them and the cost to them would be too high. I would suggest they make something like the Muppet Show sign or Scooter's jacket. I also think they should be making Muppet figurines the quality of their Disney ones. It would be nice to have a small statue of Rowlf at his piano or Muppet arches with a character inside that can be stacked, mixed and matched.

There are some golden opportunities, but it appears that the leadership at MR has already said no to the Muppets even though they hold the license. If that is the case I hope their license isn’t exclusive.

 

[Nick22]

Holding off one character to make another one just creates the same problem for MR. Fozzie isn't the issue. There is a lack of interest in Muppet posers in general so they won't be pouring more money into any character for research and development. If they moved forward with one it would likely be Fozzie since they already have the blueprints.

Poser accessory packs are just another money-pit for MR because even fewer people would buy them and the cost to them would be too high. I would suggest they make something like the Muppet Show sign or Scooter's jacket. I also think they should be making Muppet figurines the quality of their Disney ones. It would be nice to have a small statue of Rowlf at his piano or Muppet arches with a character inside that can be stacked, mixed and matched.

There are some golden opportunities, but it appears that the leadership at MR has already said no to the Muppets even though they hold the license. If that is the case I hope their license isn’t exclusive.

well w/e. lol. you do have some good ideas though!

 

[Gonzo the 2nd]

how about good quality pictures in print of Muppet Characters?

I am still looking for a print quality picture of Gonzo the Great to hang on the wall of my office... Anybody knows if this is merchandised? Cheers!

 

[howlingwind13]

Pepe
Statler & Waldorf

 

[frogboy4]

I am still looking for a print quality picture of Gonzo the Great to hang on the wall of my office... Anybody knows if this is merchandised? Cheers!

Here is a nice Gonzo Desktop Image that I cut a while back and still have on file.