End of the PF dream?

[The Josh]

That is the main 'gripe' as it were. Numerous people on numerous occasions have done exactly what you are advocating now and not managed to get a definitive answer and some will keep trying like yourself. I know I will.

The reason they probably haven't given one is cause I think they want to try and get a full set out.

Macaroni Gimli was a PR gaff and not directed at the collector in general, more I think a quip about how they as artists would like to be able to meet the demand for characters but it will take a landslide of protests / petitions / pasta based artwork to move the real controllers of Sideshow, those who control the purse strings. It's easy to understand how it can be taken as an insult given that collectors have invested their money into the company and yet it seems no one is prepared to answer straight forward questions without marketing another line or fudging the answers because of the possibility some people may give up on staying with a line if it becomes clear where it is headed. But..how many more will stay with it if they knew in advance that the minimum you would get is the core characters from whichever line, in this case the Fellowship, and then everything else would be a possible and worth the fun of the 'hints and maybe's' to see if it's a character you would like to see? .

As I said it was a joke and nothing more. If you where insulted then you might need a bit of thicker skin. Sorry to be rude there but I mean come on there was nothing there that should have really insulted anyone. Also I have no doubts that the intention of the line was to get out tons of characters. Things didn't work out to the way anyone wanted. So there was no intention to make it appear that they would start a line and not finish.

Now, in regards to answering straight forward and basically calling them liars (which is absolute BS and ____ty on your part). I don't get why its hard for some to understand that and realize there are some things they can and can't say. None of these major companies that I know of in any area open up about anything like this. So why would Sideshow do that? They give us more than HT does when it comes to things in this market.

It's good to know that Sideshow has a sense of humour and they show it in lots of ways through their web site and product blogs. I am also sure that they appreciate honest comments and twists on their own brand of humour without taking their proverbial 'bat and ball' away', and may well stop with the hints, teases and avoidances and answer the simple enough question 'Do you intend to make available the full Fellowship in Premium Format?

Hobbits in Premium Format along with Boromir and Gimli pretty please Sideshow

Yeah, they have a great sense of humor and take jokes made by us and them quite well. They can also take honest comments both good and bad (mind you constructive ones) but the ones that are snotty and crappy I'm sure don't get as much attention (thats my guess mind you)

Thanks for the feedback over the last few days Dave and Josh. I am really just trying to find ways to be pro-active and positive about approaching Sideshow for this situation. We can all complain or vent about situations like this, but just being upset and angry seems impotent. I'd rather try to keep communicating with Sideshow, and maintaining a positive tone in my communications. If it doesn't work, so be it, but at least we tried, right?

I think I'll start a request in the Ask Sideshow subforum too, but I want to make sure that I've worded a request clearly that will garner positive feedback from other fans that might want to reply on this issue too.

No problem sea! I don't mind chatting it up at all. I do think you seem to get that Sideshow answers things about as honestly as they can.

 

[Blu Falcon]

All these words make my head hurt.

 

[tomandshell]

The problem is that maybe Sideshow might intend to make the full Fellowship, but intentions are only part of the equation. It would be much worse if they flat out promised something and then didn't deliver. I really don't expect them to come out and guarantee something's coming until it's ready to go up for preorder.

 

[DaveMac]

The problem is that maybe Sideshow might intend to make the full Fellowship, but intentions are only part of the equation. It would be much worse if they flat out promised something and then didn't deliver. I really don't expect them to come out and guarantee something's coming until it's ready to go up for preorder.

I can understand that commitment to a long range project in something as variable as the collecting market is very risky, but we are only talking about a few more figures here (less if Gimli is already being developed in PF). SS have already commited to the Fellowship in the new line so why not this one as it is still up and running and there is also a good amount of interest?
I'm still hoping that that after ML , Mordor Orc and Gollum that it goes back to a few 'hero's' with Boromir, Gimli and HE archer for 2012

 

[El Skutto]

My two cents...

Sideshow is in this business to make money, period. If the new maquette line starts slowing down and releases constantly end up on the gift card list, then I guarantee they won't complete the whole Fellowship.

And that's what they meant with the macaroni Gimli comment - unless they get some kind of irrefutable proof that the item will sell well, they're not going to take the risk. They didn't mean that they wanted a handful of fanatics to go out and do pasta-art projects related to the characters they want; they meant that there had to be enough demand to justify the cost of production.

I'm sure Sideshow goes into these licenses with good intentions to produce as many characters as they possibly can, but they're also not crazy enough to keep churning out product when no-one's buying.

 

[Blu Falcon]

My two cents...

Sideshow is in this business to make money, period. If the new maquette line starts slowing down and releases constantly end up on the gift card list, then I guarantee they won't complete the whole Fellowship.

And that's what they meant with the macaroni Gimli comment - unless they get some kind of irrefutable proof that the item will sell well, they're not going to take the risk. They didn't mean that they wanted a handful of fanatics to go out and do pasta-art projects related to the characters they want; they meant that there had to be enough demand to justify the cost of production.

I'm sure Sideshow goes into these licenses with good intentions to produce as many characters as they possibly can, but they're also not crazy enough to keep churning out product when no-one's buying.

Yep. That pretty much sums it up. We can end the discussion with that right there.

 

[DaveMac]

O.k ............

 

[FrodoEyes]

Yep. That pretty much sums it up. We can end the discussion with that right there.

That's a lock people!

 

[LOTRFan]

I'm sure Sideshow goes into these licenses with good intentions to produce as many characters as they possibly can, but they're also not crazy enough to keep churning out product when no-one's buying.

Sad too, look at the gift card list.

But I equate that more with the specific choices on characters/scenes than LOTR being a weak license.

 

[The Josh]

Its not as strong a license as it was some years back but I wouldn't call it weak either.

I don't know how much better some of the other characters would sell compared to the main guys chosen so far.. I want to see Eomer really bad but I just don't know how well he would sell or Theoden for that matter. If you struggle to sell Aragorn and GTG will other guys sell well enough? Picking the ES is always the biggest issue IMO.

Is there enough demand not just from us but from those folks who ride the bandwagon?

 

[DaveMac]

some good points raised but I think that's it for now.

 

[Darkmatter]

It wasnt meant as dismissive and they get all of that. Some of you are really taking this a bit more personally than ya need to.

yes, people do take it personally when they've spent a large amount of money on a line, just to get a condescending reply from a staff member when asking if they will ever be able to complete that line.

these figures aren't $10 neca pieces, they are fairly expensive. ss should give the collector the respect they deserve.

 

[Darkmatter]

My two cents...

Sideshow is in this business to make money, period. If the new maquette line starts slowing down and releases constantly end up on the gift card list, then I guarantee they won't complete the whole Fellowship.

And that's what they meant with the macaroni Gimli comment - unless they get some kind of irrefutable proof that the item will sell well, they're not going to take the risk. They didn't mean that they wanted a handful of fanatics to go out and do pasta-art projects related to the characters they want; they meant that there had to be enough demand to justify the cost of production.

I'm sure Sideshow goes into these licenses with good intentions to produce as many characters as they possibly can, but they're also not crazy enough to keep churning out product when no-one's buying.

you don't believe ss has a commitment to satisfying the collector, the people that made them the business they are today?

my grandfather used to tell me stories on how, 'the customer is always right.' it's nice to know where you stand in today's marketplace. giving the customer what they want is obviously a lesson in history.

 

[Darkmatter]

Yep. That pretty much sums it up. We can end the discussion with that right there.

i'll bet dimes to dollars that you're not one of those people looking to complete their collection.

 

[The Josh]

yes, people do take it personally when they've spent a large amount of money on a line, just to get a condescending reply from a staff member when asking if they will ever be able to complete that line.

these figures aren't $10 neca pieces, they are fairly expensive. ss should give the collector the respect they deserve.

It wasn't condescending and believe me they give the collector plenty of respect. They know these aren't $10 neca pieces. Ya know honestly some of you really need to get some thicker skin because if a joke like this hurts your feelings then that says a lot.

 

[DaveMac]

i'll bet dimes to dollars that you're not one of those people looking to complete their collection.

Take heart Collectors of the Fellowship!


Keep plugging Sideshow with questions and you never know. SW fans have got their 'never thought would be made' little Ewoks and we might someday get our little Hobbits!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NCZgjlMXwo&NR=1

 

[El Skutto]

you don't believe ss has a commitment to satisfying the collector, the people that made them the business they are today?

You said it: Sideshow is a business, not a charity. Chruning out products for a small fanbase might make those fans happy, but the company'll be bankrupt in no time. Any product that gets released should allow them to recoup their production costs, as well as turn a profit. That isn't going to happen with sales of 500 units or less.

 

[DaveMac]

Take heart men of Gone......(ssshhhhhhHH THUNK!!)

Where did that arrow come from?


That d**n Marvel thread

 

[67L88Stingray]

Back from the dead, wow, almost 2 year old thread

 

[guitarmandan]

Just been reading through this thread...and it's funny how people kept justifying SS's reluctance to complete the fellowship in PF form because "they can't make product for a handful of collector's",and how they "can't keep on churning out product when no-one's buying".

mmmmm....funny that,as EVERY SINGLE MEMBER of the fellowship in PF sold out...and that's BOTH the exclusive and regulars OF EVERY CHARACTER......what does that tell you? What's the excuse now???