Writing Campaign: Save the Fozzie Photo Puppet

[frogboy4]

It appears MR will be making more non-Muppet products like Ghostbusters etc, but they don't want to hear from their fans or customers so they closed their forum. I smell a turkey well before the Thanksgiving season. Maybe some bologna too. This is why I am a vegetarian.

 

[mickeymouse18]

I've had quite a few replies now, a couple have said definitely not interested, but most have said they are just waiting to hear from master replicas, a couple have even said they will contact master replicas

 

[Reevz1977]

More Replies...

FAO Schwarz:
Dear Stuart,

Thank you for writing to FAO Schwarz. The Fozzie Bear Poser is currently not available on our website, and we do not show an expected availability date in our system for this item.

This item may be available in our stores, so I am forwarding your inquiry to our Retail Customer Service team. You should expect a response from them within two business days.

In addition, since we add new inventory to our website every day, you could check back periodically to see if the item has become available.

Thank you again for writing to FAO Schwarz. We look forward to your continued business.

Sincerely,
Jennifer W.
FAO Schwarz Customer Service
www.fao.com

Toytoyko.com:
Havent heard anything about it! So sorry!

BigBadToyStore.com:
I am not sure on this one. I will pass this on to our President .
Thanks!
Rita
Customer Service Specialist

Figuresdirect.com:
At this stage the Fozzie Bear doesn't appear on any Master Replicas price
lists that I have. I've just sent an email to the Australia Distributor to
see if that have any info.

I'll get back in touch as soon as I hear back from them.

Talk to you soon,
Paul,

Epicheroes.com
We have added just for you and your friends the only master replicas muppets merchandise available to us at present see link below.Plz note these are very expensive items and our supplier only have few units left so if you would like to order plz let me know soon as they will sell out within the next few days?

http://www.epicheroes.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=14_429

Best Regards

bobby

Michael Koenig:
The have canceled the plan for this item

Pixelbarrel.com:
We are inquiring about Fozzie right now but what we can tell, he hasn't been
produced yet and it may not since it was due out around this time, I think.
Master Replicas does not have it as a pre-sale.

If we find out any more information about Fozzie, we'll let you know.

Please note that if Fozzie is being produced, he's going to be almost 4 feet in
height (standing) so shipping Fozzie may be prohibitively expensive unless you
live in Canada.

Chris

Wizardent.com:
We currently have no information from the manufacturer for this product. I apologize for the inconvenience.

Entertainmentearth.com:
Thank you for your e-mail. We have forwarded your information request to our purchasing dept. We will get back to you as soon as they are able to research the possibility and get back to us. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Thank you for giving us the chance to serve your needs. Please let us know if you have any further questions, or if there's anything else we can do to help you.

Sincerely,

Edward Haller
Department Manager
Client Services

Cornerstorecomics.com:
We have no information on that. We have not even received a solicitation from Master Replicas yet.

Thanks!
Ryan Young
Office Administrator

Amazon.co.uk:
Thank you for writing to Amazon.co.uk.

I'm sorry, but it appears that we do not currently sell "Master Replicas 1:1 Fozzie Bear Muppets Poser" on Amazon.co.uk.

Occasionally, our supply of popular items is limited and some products sell out quickly. I am very sorry that you were not able to place your order before our supply ran out.

Perhaps you could check our website from time to time to see if this item has come back in stock or if it is available from a third-party seller through Amazon.co.uk Marketplace.

Videodrome.com:
No sorry, dont do Muppets.

Join the bring back Fozzie movement - email Master replicas

Thanks
The Videodrome

Mrtoys.com:
Sorry we are not stocking that item.

Thanks!
Kristin
MrToys.com

Reelcollectibles.com
Hi Stuart,

Thanks for your email. We're big fans ourselves (which is why we run this
business I guess!) and have Kermie, Gonzo and Animal in our own personal
collection. We had heard rumours that Fozzie would be next in the line of
MR Muppets, however have not been able to find out anything recently about
if this is still happening or not. Our main suppliers over this side of the
world are no longer dealing with MR either, so there's a chance we may not
even be able to get any more MR products anyway, until we can sort out a new
supplier.

Sorry I can't help you out just yet, I send out an e-newsletter notification
that advises customers of incoming stock, new arrivals and internet
specials. Please let me know if you'd like to be added to this list.

Kind Regards,

Hugh Clark
Reel Collectibles

Toysonfire.com:
We do not carry the line of Muppets.
Thanks,
toysonfire.com

Propstore.com:
I'm afraid that's not something we will be selling

Tim

Toywiz.com:
Dear Valued Customer,
Thank you for choosing Toywiz.com!

Unfortinitley we are probably never going to get this item back in stock. If you would like to keep checking the website we will update the website if we are able to get it back in stock and you will be able to order it then but we can't place an order for an item that we do not have.
We hope to see you again!
Thank you,
Danielle
Toywiz.com

Arcomputerworld.com:
Hi Stuart,

Thanks for the email. Master Replicas has this item on hold. So as of
now, it's not being released.


Thanks,
Mike

Nitrocomics.com:
We have not stocked these items because they are slow sellers. We can order them for you though since we are a Master Replicas Authorized Retailer. Please fill in the order information and you will be billed a 20% deposit now, the balance once the item gets here.

Go to:

https://www.nitrocomics.com/orderform.html

Your price will be Master Replicas suggested retail price plus shipping charges to get him to you.

Regards,

George

Imaginegate.com:
We will not be carrying the Muppets line from Master Replicas.

Best,

Rudy
ImagineGate Toys

 

[MuppetCaper]

Aparently, they are putting up a new website is why they are closed. I wonder how much this changes anything that was put on there.

 

[frogboy4]

Just some Froggy thoughts...

The main reasons cited for the Palisades Muppet figures ending as I understood it (and how that might relate to the Master Replicas Muppet line):

* There wasn’t enough of Muppet awareness in general (i.e. current Muppet projects or other exciting products) to interest enough lay consumers and mainstream retailers to invest in the figures.
--This is no longer true for MR.--

* The great expense of the figures did not match the low suggested retail price. Raising the price a bit and limiting the articulation points and accessories could have helped, but would not have been as exciting.
--This appears to be an issue for MR in searching for the appropriate middle-ground.--

* The detailed playsets. Even when successful it is hard to recoup the production expense. Facades would have sufficed. There’s much more I have to say on the topic, but the Backstage was the only necessary set.
--External products like mini bookends, the Muppet Show sign or other quality Muppet Moment facades would help fund pricier poser gambles like Fozzie.--

* Release structure of withheld characters and playset excusive figures for heavy hitters like Animal, Swedish Chef and Beaker so early in the line didn’t help the line as a whole.
--Planning a small run of 4-5 main Muppet posers from the beginning could have helped focus MR sales confidence in the initial few releases.--

* Palisades went out of business. That was largely because of too many high-end/bargain-priced products like the Muppets. Frog bless them!
--It appears MR is in economic decline for unknown reasons. They could be in the process of being absorbed, streamlining or closing down.--

Hindsight is 20/20 but the marketing of MR didn’t match the great lengths the relatively small company of Palisades took with the figures. Palisades put too much money into their quality figures without a sufficient marketplace to support, but always got the word out everywhere they could. MR kept fans out of the loop, didn’t have the greatest strategy and sparsely promoted the posers with obviously unflattering photographs. I barely saw any toy trade magazine nods either. Why is that? That ain’t the economy. People wanted to talk about the figures throughout the industry.

Heck, there's this cool Animal, Gonzo and Kermit product out there. Why isn't it invading ToyFare Magazine in any of the op-eds or the cartoon stips?

 

[ElecMayhem]

Hey all, thought I would give my $.02. Well, actually, I am only going to give you a penny, because if I wrote everything I wanted to, it would (a) probably offend some people, and (b) go on for pages and pages...

First of all, let me say, as a fan, that I appreciate the passion here, and the fact that you guys keep trying to find new and inventive ways to make this work. Ultimately, I think the dice have been cast, but you know what they say -- One Frog Can Make a Difference -- so I don't want to discourage anyone from making the effort to get Fozzie un-cancelled.

In terms of what MR did "wrong," or could have done differently... well, it's not really relevant now. But there are some posts in this thread (and other Fozzie-related threads) that frankly seem quite ludicrous and in some cases, even offensive to myself and my former co-workers. Please believe, no one WANTED this program to end, or to fail... and we did everything within our power -- without the confines of our budgets, of course -- to promote the brand, and to plan for the releases in a way that we saw fit. Personally, I have no issue with the order of release... and if you think you can do better, you know what? Go start a company, get a license, and do it "correctly."

Could some things have been done differently? Sure, of course. And everyone is entitled to their opinions. But those of you crying foul, and implying -- or flat out stating -- that MR owes you something... well, I say... grow up. Unless the company took your money for a Fozzie -- and I know that they did not -- you are not owed anything.

Master Replicas is a business... and ultimately they are in the business of making money. And if a product looks as though it will lose money, it gets cancelled. Plain and simple. And no one can fault the company for that -- Apple does it, Nike does it, heck... every company under the sun does it. At the end of the day, the company has to make money.

Muppetguy -- I hear you, and I agree with you -- I also believe that there are 1,000 fans out there that would buy a Fozzie. But the company has not seen evidence of that. (Look to the polls here and other places for evidence... yes, those polls are a double-edges sword, huh?)

Frogboy4 -- Again, I agree with a lot of what you are saying, but I think the Palisades/MR comparison is apples/oranges. There's a huge difference between a $9.99 (or $12.99) action figure, and a $400 Photo Puppet... you can pretty much cut out the "casual" and "impulse" buyers on the high end stuff. And while I agree that the Muppets are BEGINNING to make steps to come back into the limelight, I would hardly say that they are there. Perhaps in a year or two MR (or someone else) will see fit to tackle this type of project again, once Kermit is truly a house-hold name again. As for planning the line from the beginning... well, in truth, it was never PLANNED as a line. Kermit was supposed to be a one-off product. And when he did well, we DID plan out the next 4-5... (although the plan changed several times...) And also, I think some of your alternate product suggestions MIGHT not be covered by the license, technically...

Anyway, I think I've ranted enough, and I hope that I am not being abrasive. Like I said, I encourage inventive, productive grass-roots attempts to show MR that Fozzie should be made. But I don't condone lashing out at the company for making what the believe -- and I agree, at this juncture -- is a smart business decision.

There's my $.01.

 

[frogboy4]

Hi Travis!

I always give you praise and high marks in my posts. I wouldn't say that any company *owes* its customers more than the products and services they provide. I do feel a business built on fan-based product should take extra care in the areas of customer relations than I felt over at MR.

Again, you were and always are terrific – even when justifiably distressed you are always cordial. But you were the only one that seemed to care in my limited perspective - partly because you are kind person, partly because you care a lot about the great job you do and partly one of us fans too! I mean that with all sincerity.

I agree that several of the company comparisons are apples and oranges and some of them were listed in my last post. My comparisons of MR to Palisades are usually focused on the customer relations and advertising sides. My email and forum correspondence with others at MR left me with a rather cold feeling. I know that Palisades was comprised of many creative, enigmatic people and it appears that MR is more corporate in their approach. These Ken (or even Travis) types are usually freelance artists retained by MR (rather than work directly in Walnut Creek) like the great Terry Angus was! That sort of arm’s length doesn’t matter a bit with a top-seller such as Star Wars, but it does with many other licenses. The personal touch was lacking. I have always felt the runaround with even Master Replicas’ corporate approach. Customers tend to frown on that and tend to see it as interacting with “suits”.

Here’s a popular example. Sideshow Toys didn’t owe it to the fans to create a Floyd bust or explain why they didn’t make one, but they can’t be surprised with spotty sales of other busts. Many fans passed on these wonderful items because they felt it would always be an incomplete collection. The bad sales helped nix future items from the company and put the word out in the industry that the Muppets were bad business. Fans are certainly not owed a Floyd or Muppet products but I feel we deserve to be heard by more than just our pocketbooks. (I will add that I do have the entire Sideshow collection.)

The product photographs are never quite given the attention they deserve in my MR correspondence. They are the very face of the product and I wouldn’t have purchased Gonzo or Animal if I had felt they actually looked like that. That’s an easy fix for anyone with a digital camera and a better eye for Muppets. In the end that is what stands out to me the most of MR’s desire for the posers to succeed. I don’t understand how those snaps received approval. I feel it needlessly created damage that later required control.

In the end, I have three beautiful posers! It took a little fussing to get them to where they are, but it would have no matter how they looked out of the box. That’s the fanatical part of the fan in me. I am still floored that any company would take a chance on Muppet posers and commend everyone involved in the process (except the photographer). Hindsight is 20/20 and we're fans over here who still want a Fozzie no matter what has passed.

So, Fozzie’s gone. I’ve accepted that. Muppet product has always been sticky. I always believed the Muppet figures should have been $19.99 SRP. That’s why I’m on the creative end and others think of the businessy things. I suppose that since the defunct MR Mayhem figurines that they could produce something akin to bookends etc.

I think there is a general frustration with Master Replicas. Much of it is the usual fan stuff and much of it could have been prevented by the company employing a bit of care to the customers already supporting their product. And none of my frustration has ever been with you Travis. We just miss you. Not with the MR stuff, with the MC stuff!

 

[ElecMayhem]

Hey Jamie-

As always, I appreciate your rational, honest thoughts. And I agree with most of them, including the comments (both yours and other peoples') about the MR photos. I wish you guys could have seen the Fozzie photos that we took, that I oversaw. In fact, I wish I still had them... I used existing Photo puppet pics as reference, and replicated them down to the last detail, including the well-used pic of Fozzie with a banana in his ear...

As for frustration with MR... well, all I can say is that the sentiment is not exclusive to Muppet fans, or even MuppetCentral. I've been hearing that from people all over the place. Some of it warranted, and some of it not. And since I am no longer there, I don't feel that it's my place to comment, honestly. But the people there are good people, and they do want to make cool products, as much as you guys want to buy them. There are often other factors, sadly.

But I do appreciate the kind reception that I have personally always had at MC, and like I said before, I have no plans to NOT be here anytime soon. I just get frustrated with SOME (not all) of the more accusatory posts, and those posters with some weird sense of self-entitlement...

But at the end of the day, we're all on the same page. No one wants Fozzie to come out more than me, I assure you!

Here's to hoping it turns around!

 

[muppetperson]

No, have had 100% personal replies so far.

Here's one from Corner Stone Comics -

We have no information on that. We have not even received a solicitation from Master Replicas yet.

Thanks!
Ryan Young
Office Administrator

Look at the one from F.A.O. Shwartz.May already be in our store.Hmm.

 

[Luke]

Master Replicas is a business... and ultimately they are in the business of making money. And if a product looks as though it will lose money, it gets cancelled. Plain and simple. And no one can fault the company for that -- Apple does it, Nike does it, heck... every company under the sun does it. At the end of the day, the company has to make money.

Agreed and understood, i've always thought it was a risk doing the posers in the first place, and it's great they even made any, but to be fair, although there isn't the biggest Muppet hardcore "will spend over 20 bucks" fanbase i'm not quite sure what Master Replicas was expecting taking on the license when it didn't have the budget to actually market them much. I appreciate you guys made efforts to show them off at the comic cons and do the tour promotion but it would have been cool to get some collector magazine or website coverage whether that was reviews or buying ads. You may well have made efforts to get them in these magazines/sites and got no interest from them, i dont know, so not laying blame on anyone. Obviously the photos, and various likness or design fault issues probably affected peoples views a bit, not that it would have meant 100's of extra sales, but that was another thing down to Master Replicas that for whatever reasons they occurred didn't exactly help the cause.

Anyway, glad u support the collectors trying to rally up a bit of retailer attention. I did realise it was probably not gonna happen anyway but also thought it didn't take much effort to just drop some emails to at least get the buyers asking about the Fozzie and if there is any slight glimmer of hope encouraging Master Replicas to continue to try find a way. Wudda loved to see those Fozzie photos!