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[Coheteboy]

There seems to be a general disinterest in the Premium Formats from the regular Disney collectors. Is it too outside what they're used to? Or is it something else?

Micechat is very very theme park Disney fan heavy so you will only find a handful of us that are interested in collectibles. And even among those, PRICE is a big issue with Premium Format.

Another thing is that the majority of those members will not even bother looking at a thread discussing collectibles unless it was so specific and particular to what they're into.


If Sideshow's products actually sold at the theme parks or disney stores, you will begin to see a lot more Disney fans become aware of these products. They all know about the Big Figs that are sold at the resorts and those aren't too different than premium format.


It's all about awareness. Disney just isn't doing enough to get the word out. Their Twitter doesn't either. I think they need a collectibles guru on their team.

 

[Darth Waller]

I asked a guy who worked at the Disney Gallery in Disneyland if they were aware of Sideshow's PF line and if were going to sell them.

He had the Evil Queen himself and said they were aware of the line, but there just wasn't any profitability in carrying them. I'm not sure how their business model works, but it seems like they could find a way to get them even if Sideshow worked out a deal with them. Judging by the WDCC and fine art in that store, I think the Sideshow PFs would be a perfect fit.

 

[Runawaybrain]

I'm not sure price is the biggest deterrant...accessiblitiy maybe? The economy has hit collectibles hard, but the secondary market for vinylmation is crazy right now. Personally, I haven't taken the dip yet, but have the Jack Sparrow PF pre-ordered. That said, I'm considering dropping it for size and space reasons. I tend to be more into 12" and 4" lines, and can't really get into the PF even though I can afford it.

 

[Coheteboy]

I asked a guy who worked at the Disney Gallery in Disneyland if they were aware of Sideshow's PF line and if were going to sell them.

He had the Evil Queen himself and said they were aware of the line, but there just wasn't any profitability in carrying them. I'm not sure how their business model works, but it seems like they could find a way to get them even if Sideshow worked out a deal with them. Judging by the WDCC and fine art in that store, I think the Sideshow PFs would be a perfect fit.

The Disney Gallery isn't the best spot for them to sell these collectibles, but Disney does own THREE different stores in Downtown Disney for collectibles:

-World of Disney
-Vault 28
-D Street


There's plenty of arenas for them to get their fan base aware of the product at the very least. Theme park goers aren't always Toy followers so they're not going to know to even look for such a thing.

 

[wofford29]

If it's Disney I'll find out about it here.

 

[sigep756]

I'm curious, do the Disney Parks sell the Art FX Disney props in their stores? These includes items like the Snow White jewelry box, Snow White bookends, etc...

 

[Coheteboy]

I'm curious, do the Disney Parks sell the Art FX Disney props in their stores? These includes items like the Snow White jewelry box, Snow White bookends, etc...

I haven't noticed that, but they have started stocking the Electric Tiki busts (Queen, Triton, Ursula, Horned King, etc)

 

[Kuzeh]

I'm a member of Muppet Central, but that's obviously Muppets...
I lurk MICE Chat...
It is weird that Disney fans aren't that attracted to these PF... they are amazing!!! But most Disneyana can be VERY expensive...

 

[The Mike]

I'm a member of Intercot and WDWMagic.

There seems to be a general disinterest in the Premium Formats from the regular Disney collectors. Is it too outside what they're used to?

Quite the opposite actually. Disney has offered larger pieces for years before Sideshow. The Big Figs are the most recent but there have been larger scaled statues from WDCC from Disney themselves from imports so there is a variety to choose from and from many who would have purchased SS PFs already have a larger piece representing them. Most Disney fans especially Disneyana fans are elitists in some fashion with a "need" to get something and Sideshow's piece aren't hitting the bill. Now if they were super limited or really promoted by Disney themselves then that might be different but most casual Disney collectors don't even know they exist.

The majority of Disney fans won't even join the official fanclub because they have to pay. Sideshow is going to have a hard time breaking in that nitche, it killed Master Replicas' line because they couldn't get Disneyana fans to bite, they even had focus groups and offered pieces for people to keep and review on Disney sites and still nothing.

I tried to talk up Disney PF and got a real big "meh" and a ton of Big Fig comparisons.

 

[theguru1]

I tried to talk up Disney PF and got a real big "meh" and a ton of Big Fig comparisons.

Was that from a general PF point of view or with specific comparison of the Evil Queen PF to a Big Fig (is there an Evil Queen Big Fig)?

I'd love to know exactly what they found 'meh' about it, because like Dave and others, I just don't understand the disinterest.

If done right (which the Evil Queen is), to me the PF version is the ultimate way to realise and bring to life in 3D a flat 2D character. I thought that when I got my first PF and long before any Disney license was announced. I just never expected it to actually happen. Of course I have a few issues on character choices, but that's a whole different discussion.

 

[Coheteboy]

I think the biggest issue is price. If Sideshow could get these sold in the theme parks, all the folks who have Annual Passes would purchase these items with their discount.... even if it's between 10-20%. Cast members too would get in on it with theirs.

Basically, if you don't put it out there, people will not buy. With the economy slowing, shipping also puts a damper on interest.

 

[The Mike]

Was that from a general PF point of view or with specific comparison of the Evil Queen PF to a Big Fig (is there an Evil Queen Big Fig)?

Big Fig Evil Queen:

Sideshow PF:

I can see why most Disneyana fans would just shrug their shoulders because the PF for the most part looks to just have fabric.

Maleficent Big Fig:

Maleficent PF:

The big figs IMHO actually look a bit better....

I think the biggest issue is price. If Sideshow could get these sold in the theme parks, all the folks who have Annual Passes would purchase these items with their discount.... even if it's between 10-20%. Cast members too would get in on it with theirs. Basically, if you don't put it out there, people will not buy. With the economy slowing, shipping also puts a damper on interest.

Yes and no. Most diehard Disneyanas will go buy figures from anywhere, they go to conventions and haul back swag for God's sake. SSC already said it wouldn't go into the parks mainly because people wouldn't want to carry it around and getting it shipped home is really no different than getting it shipped from SSC for the most part. Yeah you see it in person there but you have to remember that at the parks they'd be surrounded by Lenox, Big Figs, and a ton of other sculpted pieces that would make it seem lost in the mix.

Master Replicas put their props in the parks and the Lightsabers for example were amazingly marked up. They were usually about $50 above full MSRP, sometimes near a $100 over. They were selling the .45 Lightsabers for example for $90 when they were $45 through MR Direct. I'm sure the same thing would occur here and that'd make them nil impossible to move.

The yes comes in to the pricing because the Maleficent PF for example is around $280. The Big Fig which was fantastically done comes in at $125. Other than fabric what is really the selling point to get it? We defend it because we are Sideshow fans, Disney fans just want a large representation and being able to get it for less than half means you can get something else too.

 

[theguru1]

The Maleficent Big Fig one does look better at this stage, the skin tone is correct and I think the pose is better but I'm waiting to see production pics.

As for the Evil Queen, the Big Fig just seems to have a very static, plastic toy look and feel about it, at least from the photo. Sure the PF is a lot of fabric, but then that's the point. Since I own the PF and compared to the Big Fig photo, the PF wins out, easily.

I wonder if part of the problem, is just the lack of any general experience with mixed-media polystone. At first I was rather 'meh' about PF's, till I got a couple. When done right, the PF format is just amazing.

 

[The Mike]

That's just the thing. Do people generally give a ____ about mixed media Polystone? People on these boards don't even see eye to eye on them. I'm telling you, if the thought process is "Hey I want a big Evil Queen" and both are the same height the cheaper the better.

Like I said if you put them both in a Disney shop next to one another, I guarantee you most people would just say "That one has more fabric"....that is a major hurdle for SSC to get over.

 

[theguru1]

I wonder if the same problem occurred with other licenses, when PF's first started to appear. Are Star Wars, Marvel, LOTR, etc collectors all that different from likely Disney collectors.

Of course, that then assumes the line survives long enough for things to change.

 

[The Mike]

The thing is that before Sideshow there were no big scaled Marvel Figures except the rotofigures from toy companies. LOTR usually just had smaller statues. Even Star Wars didn't have mixed media or things this large.

Disney already had something in this particular niche. Not as good of course but still for a lot of the collector not as mindblowing as we saw in those other licenses.

 

[Coheteboy]

Good points, The Mike. I guess it really doesn't matter if it's in the parks. I would probably avoid it all the same too. I never bought into the Big Figs either but mostly because of price. Premium Format being even more... it's just not even worth thinking about.