Eamon
Super Freak
There's a Man of Steal teaser?
A General Chat about Hot Toys
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Uncanny Web-Slinger
Super Freak
Waiting For
Charles Xavier
Barney Ross
Batman Arkham City
Still waiting
How come?
Out of all the Nolan figures, that's an absolute stand out.
Honestly, i got sick and tired of Joker, and all the overhype and worship he & the films the films get, i sold off all my Batman figs and am just having one Batman fig to represent the character.
Rzeznikk
CELLAR FREAK
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Yeah. HT has also said that "Man of Steel, The Wolverine and Amazing Spider-man" (which we already know of) licenses will be exploited in 2013.
I think part of the reason Hot Toys has boosted up their price point is to off-set the costs of the licenses they snatch up like crazy and then don't end up producing anything from. As thus, they boost the prices on some of the other items because they "KNOW" fans are willing to pay a slight premium for their favorite figures from their popular licenses like Aliens, Predator, Marvel movies and The Dark Knight series.
They've had Green Lantern, Expendables 2, X-Men First Class, Prometheus and lets not discuss the one-off's they've done from buying other licenses. Hot Toys needs to slow it up with pre-buying these licenses before they're proven commodities.
They've had Green Lantern, Expendables 2, X-Men First Class, Prometheus and lets not discuss the one-off's they've done from buying other licenses. Hot Toys needs to slow it up with pre-buying these licenses before they're proven commodities.
I think if they just included a detailed base with all their figures, the pill would be easier to swallow.
EXOTICLEX
Super Freak
Or if they included multiple head sculpts and outfits.
I'll second this something along the lines of the DX Luke, Or even the DX01 Joker, Really would make me feel better about my purchase.
Just without the extra $100 in the price tag.
VintijDroidGutzz
Super Freak
I know what you mean. I've only got two Nolan items; the BRJ & the 1:18 scale Hotwheels tumbler. I'm hoping they do a DX Begins Batman, which I'd consider getting, & then either Ann or Tom or Liam, & that would be it.
EXOTICLEX
Super Freak
The T-1000 is a great example of what they can put inside a MMS release. Two headsculpts. Two uniforms. Plenty of accessories and well under $200. You don't get jack crap for under $200 anymore.
Uncanny Web-Slinger
Super Freak
They've paid out money to aquire those licenses, it's their own fault for not using those licenses to make money from by making products.
They don't need to slow up on buying licenses they need to hold off announcing them until they've got them in development for a good amount of time so as not to leave them with no progress updates thus losing customers interest. It'd be better if they slow up on remaking the same characters and figures over and over and develop new cash cows by taking calculated risks by exploiting new licenses.
"Proven commodities" is non-sense as no license can be proven without first being exploited to gauge profit/loss.
If they want a license to be successful they need to back them with products so they can become successful. By not using them they've got a 100% chance of a loss, by making a few figures they've got a 50% chance of a loss and a 50% chance of a profit.
The problem with Hot Toys is they've become stale, too easily do they settle back into the same old same old rather than taking calculated risks to build new cash cows.
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No, they do need to slow up on buying licenses. They need to better gauge customer interest in certain properties before even beginning to pursue them. I'd even say wait until the movie has come out and see how things went from there. Sure, they could acquire the license and keep it quiet until they have something, but Hot Toys seems to drum up the interest by announcing they have the license and then waits back while fans and customers speculate.
My biggest speculation is that Hot Toys is passing all these LICENSE ACQUISITION COSTS onto US, the customers. Which is perhaps why we have seen an increase in Hot Toys' figures' pricing over the past 2-3 years. They add an extra $20-$30 to the price point of the Avengers' figures FOR EXAMPLE to offset the costs of the non-profitable acquisitions of Prometheus, X-Men First Class, Green Lantern, etc. Kind of like in America where insurance companies claim their rates are slightly higher to offset the costs of those people who don't pay insurance. Or your taxes are higher to help pay for roads, poverty support, etc. even though you don't drive on those roads or partake in supporting the poor...you're still paying for it.
Green Lantern is an example. A popular DC character outside of Bat and Supes and fans were excited for the movie. Hot Toys announced the license, speculation grew and when the movie came out and turned to be a dud (or less than what everyone was hoping for, it's opinionated), Hot Toys decided to turn their attention elsewhere. Now...granted, it doesn't mean they'll come back to it later on, but it has been left there to sit. I'd say Hot Toys was better off NOT getting the license.
Hots Toys has taken risks. EVERY license they get is a risk. The issue is that Hot Toys isn't very "calculating" when they get them. Like you suggest, Hot Toys could keep quiet until they have a product to show, but we know that's not how this market operates (you see Enterbay, Sideshow, Medicom, etc. doing much of the same by "showing off" their license acquisitions) OR they need to wait and see if the license is WORTH acquiring. But perhaps they get the better price before the movie is released? Who knows.
Proven commodities are debatable. There are licenses you KNOW are going to be a hit, both past, present and future based upon various factors (production crew involved, pre-release critical attention, etc.). But typically a lot of the licenses now are on proven franchises: Marvel and DC superheroes, ALIEN, Predator, Terminator, etc. and even certain elements of every franchise have their up's and down's but Hot Toys knows well enough to re-explore them because they will almost guarantee a profit. Look at how many times we've gotten Nolan Batman and Joker figures, Terminator revisited, and now Hot Toys is redoing the Predators. If you're a CEO and I tell you that we can make either a Joker next or an Expendables 2 Barney Ross. Both figures cost the same to make, but we're more than likely to sell out of the Joker and overshoot profits. Which route are you going to take? Which figure would you order the higher production run on? And which one is worth the directing the production facilities towards?
At the end of the day these companies are businesses and they make money. They will continue to do a fan service here and there, but to maximize their profits they will continue to do the same ol' same ol' because it makes them the money they want to see. I just think Hot Toys needs to be smarter about acquiring licenses instead of scooping everything up here and there because it has some 'hype'.
My biggest speculation is that Hot Toys is passing all these LICENSE ACQUISITION COSTS onto US, the customers. Which is perhaps why we have seen an increase in Hot Toys' figures' pricing over the past 2-3 years. They add an extra $20-$30 to the price point of the Avengers' figures FOR EXAMPLE to offset the costs of the non-profitable acquisitions of Prometheus, X-Men First Class, Green Lantern, etc. Kind of like in America where insurance companies claim their rates are slightly higher to offset the costs of those people who don't pay insurance. Or your taxes are higher to help pay for roads, poverty support, etc. even though you don't drive on those roads or partake in supporting the poor...you're still paying for it.
Green Lantern is an example. A popular DC character outside of Bat and Supes and fans were excited for the movie. Hot Toys announced the license, speculation grew and when the movie came out and turned to be a dud (or less than what everyone was hoping for, it's opinionated), Hot Toys decided to turn their attention elsewhere. Now...granted, it doesn't mean they'll come back to it later on, but it has been left there to sit. I'd say Hot Toys was better off NOT getting the license.
Hots Toys has taken risks. EVERY license they get is a risk. The issue is that Hot Toys isn't very "calculating" when they get them. Like you suggest, Hot Toys could keep quiet until they have a product to show, but we know that's not how this market operates (you see Enterbay, Sideshow, Medicom, etc. doing much of the same by "showing off" their license acquisitions) OR they need to wait and see if the license is WORTH acquiring. But perhaps they get the better price before the movie is released? Who knows.
Proven commodities are debatable. There are licenses you KNOW are going to be a hit, both past, present and future based upon various factors (production crew involved, pre-release critical attention, etc.). But typically a lot of the licenses now are on proven franchises: Marvel and DC superheroes, ALIEN, Predator, Terminator, etc. and even certain elements of every franchise have their up's and down's but Hot Toys knows well enough to re-explore them because they will almost guarantee a profit. Look at how many times we've gotten Nolan Batman and Joker figures, Terminator revisited, and now Hot Toys is redoing the Predators. If you're a CEO and I tell you that we can make either a Joker next or an Expendables 2 Barney Ross. Both figures cost the same to make, but we're more than likely to sell out of the Joker and overshoot profits. Which route are you going to take? Which figure would you order the higher production run on? And which one is worth the directing the production facilities towards?
At the end of the day these companies are businesses and they make money. They will continue to do a fan service here and there, but to maximize their profits they will continue to do the same ol' same ol' because it makes them the money they want to see. I just think Hot Toys needs to be smarter about acquiring licenses instead of scooping everything up here and there because it has some 'hype'.
Uncanny Web-Slinger
Super Freak
The reason Prometheus has been unprofittable is because they haven't made anything to potentially bring in a profit.
New figures are higher in price tag is because they know they've got customers by the balls and they'll pay it, it isn't anything to do with other license aquisition fees.
There is no reason to believe that other license aquistition fees are to do with rising prices as all companies have raised prices the last few year
I agree they shouldn't be snapping up licenses and announcing them to the public only to not use them and leave people waiting for nothing, but without new licenses there is little hope of getting new original figures and the company will be at a standstill, they must time goes by.
As for the 'it's a business' statement, well Sideshow are doing fine as a business without retreading their steps constantly, they rarely do the same character in the same format.
Sideshow haven't done another Spider-Man PF or Comiquette even though it'd easily outsell The Commander Shephard PF, they could've done another Vader PF instead of that Conan Dio but they choose to do the one that'd be less profitable becuase they have the integrity not to indermine the collectibility of their past products or become stale and stuck in the same licenses or characters.
Doing the same profitable characters/licenses over and over is fine for short/mid term gain from the same customers, but there comes a point when customers become bored and wants new things, that where new licenses come in as they provide new and exciting never before made characters.
Sideshow understands that, which is why they offer a variety of original characters and new licenses, not only to existing customers but to new customers, of sideshows current pre-orders, few are the same characters they've done before, whereas with hot toys few are original characters.
New figures are higher in price tag is because they know they've got customers by the balls and they'll pay it, it isn't anything to do with other license aquisition fees.
There is no reason to believe that other license aquistition fees are to do with rising prices as all companies have raised prices the last few year
I agree they shouldn't be snapping up licenses and announcing them to the public only to not use them and leave people waiting for nothing, but without new licenses there is little hope of getting new original figures and the company will be at a standstill, they must time goes by.
As for the 'it's a business' statement, well Sideshow are doing fine as a business without retreading their steps constantly, they rarely do the same character in the same format.
Sideshow haven't done another Spider-Man PF or Comiquette even though it'd easily outsell The Commander Shephard PF, they could've done another Vader PF instead of that Conan Dio but they choose to do the one that'd be less profitable becuase they have the integrity not to indermine the collectibility of their past products or become stale and stuck in the same licenses or characters.
Doing the same profitable characters/licenses over and over is fine for short/mid term gain from the same customers, but there comes a point when customers become bored and wants new things, that where new licenses come in as they provide new and exciting never before made characters.
Sideshow understands that, which is why they offer a variety of original characters and new licenses, not only to existing customers but to new customers, of sideshows current pre-orders, few are the same characters they've done before, whereas with hot toys few are original characters.
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Well, the price increase can be anything in actuality. The cost of the materials could have gone up, leasing and use of factories/machines, worker pay-rates, the market could dictate higher prices, the license costs are more so the price point is higher, etc. etc. My thought process was simply that Hot Toys needs to be more strategic and thoughtful when acquiring licenses that will incur more costs to them. Typically those sorts of costs in business are passed onto the customer.
Enterbay doesn't really put out the amount of figures that Hot Toys does and neither do they have the licenses either. Enterbay has plenty of potential to grow, they just haven't been as aggressive as Hot Toys. They don't really do the same stuff over again, but they really haven't grown much over the past few years either. It's also possible that Hot Toys snags the licenses they're interested in to keep them from their competitor.
Sideshow has done their fair share of rinse and repeat. But Sideshow has also evolved to become a distributor as much as an actual production company. Sideshow now distributes as much if not, more than they actually develop. They distribute Hot Toys, Bowen Designs, LEGOs, Medicom, Enterbay, Pop Culture Designs, etc. You can see the whole list on their website.
As for Sideshow doing the same over again. Take a look at Sideshow's 1/6th scale figures. They've done countless Stormtroopers/Clonetroopers variants as well as Cobra Troopers and Ninjas. However, Sideshow has primarily focused their products on statues and prop replicas in recent years and drifted away from 1/6 scale figures. I believe these statues are easier to develop and produce than 1/6 figures like Hot Toys. This allows Sideshow to do more and put more out from all their licenses. Their resources here might also be greater than Hot Toys. For example, Hot Toys may rely on 4 or 5 factories for their products while Sideshow may have close to 10. The production machines used to create a 1/6 figure with clothes, plastic, light effects, and paint are more than that of a statue with paint.
Enterbay doesn't really put out the amount of figures that Hot Toys does and neither do they have the licenses either. Enterbay has plenty of potential to grow, they just haven't been as aggressive as Hot Toys. They don't really do the same stuff over again, but they really haven't grown much over the past few years either. It's also possible that Hot Toys snags the licenses they're interested in to keep them from their competitor.
Sideshow has done their fair share of rinse and repeat. But Sideshow has also evolved to become a distributor as much as an actual production company. Sideshow now distributes as much if not, more than they actually develop. They distribute Hot Toys, Bowen Designs, LEGOs, Medicom, Enterbay, Pop Culture Designs, etc. You can see the whole list on their website.
As for Sideshow doing the same over again. Take a look at Sideshow's 1/6th scale figures. They've done countless Stormtroopers/Clonetroopers variants as well as Cobra Troopers and Ninjas. However, Sideshow has primarily focused their products on statues and prop replicas in recent years and drifted away from 1/6 scale figures. I believe these statues are easier to develop and produce than 1/6 figures like Hot Toys. This allows Sideshow to do more and put more out from all their licenses. Their resources here might also be greater than Hot Toys. For example, Hot Toys may rely on 4 or 5 factories for their products while Sideshow may have close to 10. The production machines used to create a 1/6 figure with clothes, plastic, light effects, and paint are more than that of a statue with paint.
Eamon
Super Freak
Oh yeah!!!
thenammagazine
Super Freak
The detailed stands I always see as an unnecessary gimmick to price-gouge, like PERS.
Eamon
Super Freak
I just ordered Bane and Black Widow from two sellers that I know but don't use on ebay.
My usual guy Loontenttoys was out of these two.
I ordered Bane from Guobie12345 and Black Widow from goodshipped.
Any idea what Guobie is like with getting stock? Is he like Loontentoys who gets things a week or so later than most?
Who else buys from these?
My usual guy Loontenttoys was out of these two.
I ordered Bane from Guobie12345 and Black Widow from goodshipped.
Any idea what Guobie is like with getting stock? Is he like Loontentoys who gets things a week or so later than most?
Who else buys from these?
cheeseman69
Super Freak
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Hi you won't have problem from both dealer. Been dealing with guobie for 3 year purchase on hot toys. I get discount
Eamon
Super Freak
Hi you won't have problem from both dealer. Been dealing with guobie for 3 year purchase on hot toys. I get discount
I've been with Loontentoys for over 2 years now with about 40 figures from him and no discount.
So this is one reason why I should bother being loyal. He's very realiable but he doesn't seem to give me any special treatment. Maybe it's because he doesn't sell as many as the others?!
Anyways, I rearranged my collection today into something what I think is much better than how I had it. Got some more u-bolts so went to town.
I should also say that much or this was done by my girlfriend so special hugs tonight for her methinks!
Needs more lights but flippen Ikea have gone and changed the colour of these particular bulbs so i have to change them all out now.
VintijDroidGutzz
Super Freak
Some really nice display ideas man! 
The middle Iron Man shelf in particular, & your Rescue Cap spotlight set up - well done. 
The middle Iron Man shelf in particular, & your Rescue Cap spotlight set up - well done.
