Gentle Giant cancel upcoming items

[Bonehead15]

Looks like GG just canceled all of their crap.


The "classics" busts were garbage. GG was basicly trying to pass off smaller busts for the same price they were charging for "regular" busts.



GG as a company has just about tanked in the last 2 to 3 years. Between their horrible QC and CS, it's no wonder collectors as a whole hates them so much. Their lame a$$ exclusives also really pissed off their customers. In a way it's nice to see that the public has spoken and now they'll have to make amends or they'll end up just like MR.


If it wasn't for their HB2 license I wouldn't be even concidering buying anything from them. I was really hoping Sideshow would have gotten the license to do mini busts and maquettes from HB2 since they had the first movie plus they have a good relationship with Universal.

 

[TOE]

Sideshow, please take note

 

[wax murderer]

What I think a lpt of people don't realize is that GG was originally a Product Developement shop that has managed to branch out into producing their own lines of merchandise. They were and still are primarily a pattern shop,about the only one that's still holding on in the Bush economy.Many aren't;those here on the East Coast have either cut back their work force or shut down altogether. With no incentives to get PD done domestically, the clients have out-sourced most of the work, to the detrement of those who used to do it here(like me).Thanks, George...PS

 

[Agent0028]

I hope they make an Indiana Jones Animaquette. And I hope the Indy and Henry Sr. in the motorcycle gets made because I just may buy that as well.

 

[Mighty_Jabba]

I hope they make an Indiana Jones Animaquette. And I hope the Indy and Henry Sr. in the motorcycle gets made because I just may buy that as well.

Just saw this when browsing the net the other day, and if they did something like that I'd be all over it.

 

[SolidLiquidFox]

GG is now interacting with fans over at rebelscum.

Sales of jackets and winter coats went up in Hell.

 

[Wetanut]

Not surprised at their cut back. They were oversaturating with minibusts, animaquettes, classics busts, yada yada for the same franchises. And the new lines were not really very good. It backfired. Their emphasis on exclusives also backfired. They created a premier membership and their handling of it was amateurish and .... backfired.

True, their bread and butter was product development and rotocasting until they branched out into producing their own pieces. Too bad they didn't invest some time and money to seeing how other companies conducted business and developed and SUSTAINED their client base. Their business model had continually shunted off collector customer's complaints and concerns. I've talked to dealers who've said that they were the worst company to deal with. Now they're beginning to feel the pinch and they're trying to recoup. I wish them well in their attempts. Hopefully they've got some smart people in their camp now to turn this around

 

[coolkansaswind]

GG stinks any way ... they can go out of bizz for all i care

 

[Ktjn]

In this instance, I don't think it's the economy at play. GG's been digging it's own grave long before the economic troubles kicked in. Over the years, their product quality has been lesser than early on, some pieces even horrible tragedies, they've played shady games with exclusives, they've just been a poorly run company for some time and without someone or something to save them from themselves, they'll eventually die out.

...and SS hasn't had simular situations? Give me a break . Wetanut pretty much sumed it up with the oversaturation.

Their emphasis on exclusives also backfired. They created a premier membership and their handling of it was amateurish and .... backfired.

yeah, the raffle system wasn't the best idea. Good intentions though, but ti just failed. Bowen has a membership fee as well.I think the only thing keeping them a float are the comic shops.

 

[Lee in MI]

For SDCC '06 and '07, GG had the longest lines and the most sought after exclusives. In '08, they seemed happy to just get folks to look at their product. They have cut off their nose in spite of their face.

 

[Bonehead15]

...and SS hasn't had simular situations? Give me a break . Wetanut pretty much sumed it up with the oversaturation.

Sideshow has definately had their fair share of QC problems but they are nowhere near as bad as GG.

Sideshow at least has an excellent customer service department that tries to fix any problems you have. They also listen to their customers unlike GG which basicly ignores them.

...
yeah, the raffle system wasn't the best idea. Good intentions though, but ti just failed. Bowen has a membership fee as well.I think the only thing keeping them a float are the comic shops.

What keeps Bowen going is excellent pieces along with loyal customers. Bowen takes care of his customers and they in turn show him the respect he deserves.

I'd say that online stores/dealers sell more Bowen pieces that comic shops. Maybe 10 years ago that was true but nowadays the market has changed.

 

[The Josh]

GG shot themselves in the foot with all their exclusives and how they treat their customers. Honestly, if they go down its not a big deal as I dont think collecting wise they'll be missed.

 

[thx217]

GG shot themselves in the foot with all their exclusives and how they treat their customers. Honestly, if they go down its not a big deal as I dont think collecting wise they'll be missed.

That's very true.

 

[Agent0028]

The thing I don't understand is that people have been complaining about the exclusives and the way they treat their customers that I can't understand why GG hasn't done something to try to compensate for it. And I don't why they didn't do it along time ago when the complaints first started arising.

 

[MaulFan]

Well, I don't remember exactly how it went about, but I imagine MR had the same sorts of signs of trouble. Some companies just don't know how to get out of their own way, or they just don't care, they make their $$$ while they can and if it runs out they close or move onto something else.

 

[LOTRFan]

Well, I don't remember exactly how it went about, but I imagine MR had the same sorts of signs of trouble. Some companies just don't know how to get out of their own way, or they just don't care, they make their $$$ while they can and if it runs out they close or move onto something else.

But it was that Corgi/MR just didn't renew the license (SW that is) and fortunately most of their exclusives were just variants like the lame gold and "smoked" chrome mini sabers; so you could easily ignore those.

 

[MaulFan]

But it was that Corgi/MR just didn't renew the license (SW that is) and fortunately most of their exclusives were just variants like the lame gold and "smoked" chrome mini sabers; so you could easily ignore those.

I thought it was more than that though, I thought I read somewhere around here that the some of the guys behind eFX were former MR employees and started their own company because they weren't happy with how things were being handled by MR towards the end.

 

[LOTRFan]

I thought it was more than that though, I thought I read somewhere around here that the some of the guys behind eFX were former MR employees and started their own company because they weren't happy with how things were being handled by MR towards the end.

Most of the eFX chaps are former MR employees, and in talking with them at SDCC this past year they definately have "learned" from their former mistakes. They made it seem like it was a combination of Corgi's influence too though, so who knows?

Either way you are right people were certainly getting fed up with them.

 

[MaulFan]

In the end, where some companies show they care about their collectors, you can't afford to act the total opposite of that, it'll alienate and hurt you in the end. Sideshow's had it's problems, but they treat you like they care and are bothered by letting people down and what not. SSC likely would never have let something like the Clone Obi-Wan maquette come out as poorly as it turned out in production, but if it had, I'm sure they'd have made up for it in some capacity better than charging more money for a bust that isn't a great deal better.

 

[Havok]

Just saw this when browsing the net the other day, and if they did something like that I'd be all over it.

I would love an Indy Animaquette in this style, or something similar. With the cancellations though who knows. Doeos anyone know if something like this has been hinted at? A Marion companion piece with inter-connecting base would be great too.