Wocka-Wocka... He's at it again!

[staceyrebecca]

Remember back in the day...the day being 1984, when people saw something in the movie theaters and, if they wanted to see it again they had to wait for a magical thing called "being aired on television?"

We've forgotten patience. That makes me sad. We think that our lack of patience gives us the right to take something now.

People used to write letters when they wanted something.

 

[Was Once Ernie]

And as far as pricing goes, ravagefrackle is exactly right. Frank Oz told me on the set of Sesame Street that each of the puppets cost $10,000. That was in 1973 dollars! I can't understand how people can expect a one-of-a-kind handmade puppet to be made cheaply. Remember the old adage, "you get what you pay for".

I think it goes to the corporate mentality, where people's skills are not valued anymore. If this guy doesn't do the job for the cheap price we want to pay, there are ten other guys lined up behind him who will take the money we offer.

I've been burned many times by people in my own business undercutting the going rate. It makes it harder and harder for me to make a living because instead of my experience and expertise allowing me to charge more for my services, I now have to take less just to survive.

End of rant... I'm making myself sick.

 

[spcglider]

Was Once Ernie,

We live in the land of "Expect more. Pay Less" and "Lowest Prices... Always." The problem with that is it's an artificial economic construct. There are companies that produce product for the major retailers that are doing so at a loss just to have the business. Sad but true. You can get a bank to lend you LOTS of money when you can show contracts for production with a retailer of that size.

But we all need to remember this: The rest of the world doesn't pay this little for anything. What that means in a global sense is that THEY are paying for what we don't. Hooray for us, huh? I'm not proud of it.

-G

 

[Telly]

So then the people on these boards shouldn't be making the replicas they're making then? I've seen some beautiful pieces on here. It'd be a shame to have to see them destroyed.
Is that what you're telling me? People shouldn't be building the replicas AT ALL...even if it is for themselves? Yet they do and nobody tells them they shouldn't be.

 

[Was Once Ernie]

So then the people on these boards shouldn't be making the replicas they're making then? I've seen some beautiful pieces on here. It'd be a shame to have to see them destroyed.
Is that what you're telling me? People shouldn't be building the replicas AT ALL...even if it is for themselves? Yet they do and nobody tells them they shouldn't be.

Building one for yourself is completely different than selling them for profit.

 

[ravagefrackle]

building for yourself, is just that , for YOU,

you are not profiting from this unless you consider the skills learned in recreadting something profit,

i have built replica puppets formy own self as akid(the are in not way pro )
but the skills i praticed were important to me,

but i never sold any ,

and despite the numerous offers i get to build replicas, of muppets or any other characters, i do not now, nor would i ever build areplica for profit.

 

[Kevin the Frog]

I'm trying to stay out of this, but a thought just occurred to me (imagine that!).

If certain people or MC as a group takes this stance against replica Muppets, shouldn't we also take the same stance against trading Muppet mp3s?
Should we not reply every day in the Muppet Central mp3 threads urging them not to trade mp3s because it is a copyright violation?

We should also email the web hosts of MC users who host unavailable Muppet mp3s and videos on their websites for our benefit, and insist they cancel their website accounts?

If you want to get really technical about it, I don't think the MuppetCast is adhering to the "fair use" clause as they are playing full versions of copyrighted songs. We should write to Disney and demand they sick their lawyers on Steve and the MuppetCast as well.

Or should we allow links to copyrighted Muppet videos on YouTube?
Should we encourage people to upload videos, as we're doing now, just because the videos are not available? Just like the puppets aren't available?

We all must start an email campaign to YouTube and get everyone of those Muppet videos off the website! They are copyrighted and youtube does not own them!

If you're going to talk about copyrights regarding replicas, you can't ignore copyrights regarding everything else we love.

Just adding a little fuel to the fire!

 

[ravagefrackle]

Bring on the Gasoline!

 

[Telly]

I guess I don't see how one's able to build something for their own personal pleasure, but can't build one for somebody else if that person buys the materials.

 

[ravagefrackle]

I guess I don't see how one's able to build something for their own personal pleasure, but can't build one for somebody else if that person buys the materials.

HAHAHAHA, because, we live in a capitolist society(something everyone keeps telling me), and no one is going to build a muppet for you just because you buy some fleece and foam,

if i did business that way, i would never eat, or sleep in a bed, and i wouldnt have a computer in front of me.