Will there be a proper Disney Muppet figure line?

[beaker]

I've now managed to track down all of the Disney parks Muppet Star Wars figures, which fit peerfectly into my other 3 3/4-4" scale. Hate me, but I prefer these scale and texture way more than the Palisades line(yes I know some of the sculpts are based on the Palisades sculpts)

My only complaint is they're hard to come by and them being park exclusives, as well as the pricepoint.
Immovable pvc figurines are ok, but could there ever be a chance of Muppet figures in THIS scale and sculpt style? I mean the fact I finally have a Bean Bunny in the scale of the Fisher Price 1978 or 2003 Jack in the Box line is great. I said this in 1998 on here, but imagine if we had a 3 3/4-4" Muppet line even 1/100th as diverse as the post 1995 Star Wars figures? Digit, Carl, Sal the monkey, Luncheon Counter, Mildred, Droop, Nigel host/Nigel director, Doglion, Yolanda rat, etc. The possibilities are endless. I know I've complained and moaned about the lack of Disney Muppet toys since the movie came out, but if I had one single Muppet merchandise holy grail wish, it would be a Muppet Show/Muppet Universe line.

For a history of Muppet/Muppet related action figures in this scale:

http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Muppet_Show_Stick_Puppets

http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/The_Muppets_Take_Hollywood_PVC_figures

http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Sesame_Street_poseable_figures?file=Tarabertposeable.jpg

http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Star_Wars_Muppets_action_figures

 

[The Count]

I love my Palisades Muppets collection. It's what rekindled that spark of Muppet heritage at a time I could afford to fully pursue it, and it led to all the friendships I've made here.

But I'll say it again... I agree with beaker on this regarding a smaller scaled Muppets/Muppet Universe PVC figure line. It could have just minimal swivel articulation when needed, it could span signature and variants from all the movies and shows under Disney's Muppet Studios name the same way Star Wars has continued churning out figures, and it'd be easier on storage/display possibilities.

 

[jvcarroll]

The days of Palisades are over.
I'm not just talking ridiculously detailed toys, but action figures in general. Gone are the young, up-and-coming dotcommers and their disposable incomes. If a toy is going to make it in this competitive market it either needs a wide appeal or a niche appeal. There's not much room for anything in between.

What needs to happen?
The Muppets need enough current projects to generate an active popularity in order to justify an action figure line. Even so, it's not an easy sell. One would think that Pixar would make a mint off making extensive action figure collections based on their vast library of characters. For some reason, they don't. All we really get a limited lineup of Happy Meal type toys.

The gamble
Right now they're releasing some odd kitsch of Star Wars and Vinylmations. Maybe they're charting those numbers, maybe they're not. Who can say? I'd love to see a wide variety of moderately detailed Muppet figures and mini playsets at reasonable prices. However, fans will probably still balk at the prices and that's the rub. Some of the greatest supporters are also the biggest complainers, so why take the gamble at all?

Simple is good
I really hope this does happen eventually. I don't mean rebooting or continuing the Palisades line. Something fresh and new. Let's start at a smaller scale with less articulation and limited accessories. Simple is good.

 

[BobbyBenson64]

I am all for a new SIMPLE toy line as long as Disney has characters that the younger fans will no and then every once and awhile having a classic/one note Muppet characters for us super fans. that way sells are good so it can last more than 4 years.

And if they are the need to hurry up!!!!!

 

[Drtooth]

What needs to happen?
The Muppets need enough current projects to generate an active popularity in order to justify an action figure line. Even so, it's not an easy sell. One would think that Pixar would make a mint off making extensive action figure collections based on their vast library of characters. For some reason, they don't. All we really get a limited lineup of Happy Meal type toys.

And we no longer even get that! Pixar does have an extensive line of toys when a kid friendly movie comes out (boy does it ever with Cars), but when something like Up comes along, there's only hard to find collectors stuff... sometimes from other countries.

However, Disney does do one thing right. PVC sets. Almost everything gets one, Wreck it Ralph got 3 (and they sold out so fast, I wasn't able to get one). What we need within reason is for Disney to make a deluxe set with more characters (like they do initially with certain movies). Or multiple sets with at least 2 anchor characters in a set, and more fan favorites in the line up.

I don't see why we can't have general retail PVC 2 packs, like the Looney Tunes Show sets (only without having to re-buy the same Bugs and Daffy figures to get the whole set). That would be a great way to get character variety. Pair up a popular character with a generally more obscure one.

 

[BobbyBenson64]

I don't see why we can't have general retail PVC 2 packs, like the Looney Tunes Show sets (only without having to re-buy the same Bugs and Daffy figures to get the whole set). That would be a great way to get character variety. Pair up a popular character with a generally more obscure one.

Exactly!! sells we be good with popular characters that kids will recognize such as ... etc. and it will give us the fans more obscure characters like Bobby Benson, Hilda, Gorge the janitor... etc. and even if possible even throw in some Muppet Tonight one note characters like Bill the bubble guy, Seymour, Mulch, Mr. Poodle Pants,.. etc.

 

[beaker]

I love my Palisades Muppets collection. It's what rekindled that spark of Muppet heritage at a time I could afford to fully pursue it, and it led to all the friendships I've made here.

But I'll say it again... I agree with beaker on this regarding a smaller scaled Muppets/Muppet Universe PVC figure line. It could have just minimal swivel articulation when needed, it could span signature and variants from all the movies and shows under Disney's Muppet Studios name the same way Star Wars has continued churning out figures, and it'd be easier on storage/display possibilities.

Oh no doubt the Palisades line, from the tease of 2001 when Ken first appeared on the Delphi Muppet Central forums til the last figure came out in 2005, it was one of THE most transformitive moments in modern Muppet/Jim Henson history. Way bigger than any special made in the 2000's. There is no doubt that Ken would have gone to great lengths to eventually make any and every character ever, licence willing, if the line had continued. However, the price point/quality/etc may have ended up suffering like every other toy line these days. I don't see how it could have feasibly lasted, especially looking how dramatically the toy industry has changed(huge price jumps, lower quality, etc)

But it opened the door. From a pricing, sculpting, etc position the Disney Star Wars Muppets scale to me has shown to be so perfect for a dream line. (SOLD in retail stores, I should add)

 

[beaker]

Simple is good
I really hope this does happen eventually. I don't mean rebooting or continuing the Palisades line. Something fresh and new. Let's start at a smaller scale with less articulation and limited accessories. Simple is good.

I've always believed that! I still regret the massive headache "fans" caused Ken. Though maybe for creative or quality control purposes every groan and nitpicking comment needed to be heard? I think fans were not used to for the first time in their life a company had a direct line and working relation with the fans. That, like never happens.

Jazwares is the new Palisades. And by that I mean 2003-2004 Palisades when they had a massive expansion into Adult Swim, Ren and Stimpy, Invader Zim, etc. But Jazwares is the exception to the rule.

Super 7 got the rights from Fox to release officially for the first time the 1979 Alien1 action figure line that was available in prototype form only before. So that's a sign of where some niche markets could be headed. All these companies release all these super deformed, weird, vinyl, bobblehead versions of Muppets and all these characters but rarely do we get just a normal figure line.

The biggest problem with the toy industry is that the scale and quality of toys went way down yet the price point went up. A figure that would have cost $4.95 in 1995 is now $10.99 and way more frail dinky and small. Its like every figure line went from Mcfarlane mode in 1999 to GI Joe circa 1984. The Avatar figures from 2009 being a perfect example of this unfortunate age.

 

[beaker]

And we no longer even get that! Pixar does have an extensive line of toys when a kid friendly movie comes out (boy does it ever with Cars), but when something like Up comes along, there's only hard to find collectors stuff... sometimes from other countries.

However, Disney does do one thing right. PVC sets. Almost everything gets one, Wreck it Ralph got 3 (and they sold out so fast, I wasn't able to get one). What we need within reason is for Disney to make a deluxe set with more characters (like they do initially with certain movies). Or multiple sets with at least 2 anchor characters in a set, and more fan favorites in the line up.

I don't see why we can't have general retail PVC 2 packs, like the Looney Tunes Show sets (only without having to re-buy the same Bugs and Daffy figures to get the whole set). That would be a great way to get character variety. Pair up a popular character with a generally more obscure one.

What is that new Looney Tunes line with the weird big elongated dialated pupil eyes? I love those pvcs! Had to pick up a few and I dont even know what line its from. Its funny as I see some small pvc figures cost close to $10 each. Talk about inflation!

All I know is 27 years after his debut, I finally have an articulated Bean Bunny action figure, so I can't complain

 

[Drtooth]

and it will give us the fans more obscure characters like Bobby Benson, Hilda, Gorge the janitor... etc. and even if possible even throw in some Muppet Tonight one note characters like Bill the bubble guy, Seymour, Mulch, Mr. Poodle Pants,.. etc.

Far...too...optimistic.

I'd say it's insane to even consider something on the level of Muppet Newsman. On the one hand, Disney has bean bag plush of roughly every monster from Monsters University. Some of those characters were only named in the credits and had no lines. But then again, hypothetically if you have by sheer quantity the same amount of Muppets, You'd get the main 5 (Kermit, Gonzo, Animal, Piggy, and Fozzie), Possibly two more members of the Electric Mayhem, Beaker, maybe Bunsen, Rizzo, The Chef, Statler and Waldorf, Rowlf, Pepe, and Walter. That's barely scratching the surface. There are far more Muppets than they can handle without fan not favorites like Poodlepants. While there are various properties Disney has to scramble and shove obscure characters into, be it plush or otherwise, they have enough popular characters to work with. I'm far more disappointed that they didn't expand the plush line or try a smaller bean bag line yet. THEY had BETTER do it for the next film.

The days of Palisades are over.
I'm not just talking ridiculously detailed toys, but action figures in general. Gone are the young, up-and-coming dotcommers and their disposable incomes. If a toy is going to make it in this competitive market it either needs a wide appeal or a niche appeal. There's not much room for anything in between.

I shoulda commented on this earlier.... I agree that's why we barely see any upstart companies with retro action figure collectors lines, and whatever retro lines they have, no matter how large the fan base is, they don't sell that good. Jazzwares's Nickelodeon line never got to go to a second series. No Real Monsters or Rocko characters, and the ones on store shelves were discounted to Marshalls. I swear they edged out a Secret Squirrel in their HB line, but that's it.

Let's also not forget the BIG action figure crash that killed off many companies due to the over abundance of indie companies flooding the walls with ridiculous niche toy lines that had no niche... not to mention MacFarline's ever crappy grotesque, highly breakable statues and sports heroes. Even the Muppet line didn't do great when you took it out of a niche market and put it in a regular store. What, it lasted like, 2 waves at Target just barely? Not to mention the vynals and blind boxes put the nail into the coffin... and now even those have cooled off considerably (especially the Blind Box... the American companies got it wrong.... oh so wrong).

But make no mistake... the TRUE villains in toy lines sucking and being expensive? The retailers. While they are the ones that buy the lines to sell them, they have far too much power. They can get cartoon shows CANCELLED. Let me put it at that. Green Lantern didn't get renewed because it didn't get a toy line. And if a toyline doesn't sell, don't get attached to a cartoon series (cough cough Thundercats 2011). If it's not from a movie, a toyline can go die in a dumpster. Not for nothing, kids don't buy toys anymore because they aren't Apps. Collectors collect online virtual gewgaws that cost upwards of hundreds of dollars, but put a Star Wars figure in front of them, and they'll scoff at it.