If you rush ahead with small production runs in order to produce a varied range of figures, with customers missing out and maybe no guarantee of a second run, won't you be risking upsetting more people in the long run? You may please someone if they manage to get a pre-order in for one figure in a series, then upset them if they miss the next one in that series.
It doesn't sound like five years of fun. And after all, a hobby is supposed to be fun. lol
If figures are selling so well so far you've already hit on a winning formula. You could be fulfilling more orders and extending your five year deadline into a plan that's more relaxed.
But then I'm only looking in from the outside, and you have your plan for success set out.
It's been a long time since I've had to worry about getting a pre-order in within minutes of it opening. I'd be ordering from the main UK source, but even they sold out of Janeway quickly. It doesn't bode well for when even more popular figures go up for pre-order.
Not sure if I want to the play this game, because I certainly wouldn't be paying eBay premium prices for anything I missed out on.
You are missing the key to 1/6 Trek. I owe the production, and is a totally different ball game in production. In that aspect, we must keep production running in every single minute of working hours for ALL employees. Any inefficient use of any one of them, will increase production cost exponentially in terms of hour used. They are not workers that can be hired anytime. They need to be trained, and they are becoming highly sort after by other factories now.
If I go by demand, then production schedule will be very choppy, thereby becoming inefficient. At least 1/3 of the employees will be sitting around counting fingers every week and eventually they will move on to better earning work. We workers were properly trained and motivated for 2 years. High demand.
The list goes on, and very very long, just image I screwed up the relationships with all those factories who are helping me (business world, I keep them happy they keep me happy)
Regular TOS TNG or releases like Twok won't have this problem. These productions run like any other producers. I have good ordering schedule for these like the choice of colors. They are a lot easier to schedule.
Everything else, go to speedy release and production.
That's why no one wants to do Trek. It will either fail in 4 years or move on to something else after 3. No way around this except what I am doing now.
Only way to do what you said is to have other licenses, expand the business and try my best not to give up Trek because it earns so little profit in such a long time comparing to other licenses.
Expand business beyond Trek means more constraints from all side. Naturally everyone in the operation wants to earn more. Then Trek will be one of those first thing to cut.
