JND/Kojun Works - 1/6 Harry Potter Line

[MPCanes]

Beyond bizarre from a business POV - the addressable market for HP high end collectibles isn’t too large, and to not account for the fatigue of having just preordered these characters (they aren’t even out yet!) tells me JND has limited/no business sense - and I say this as the owner of 2 JND pieces.

To say “the licensor may require it” - well, don’t acquire that license then? No need to set yourself on a path to ruin…

 

[PizzaCake]

Definitely agree it is odd and boring to continuously follow one step behind your competitors with the exact same versions of the same characters, however from a business perspective in this case they might find some success with those collectors who secured Ron and Hermione InArt orders, but missed out on Harry with InArt being so new. InArt has indicated that they won’t be reopening preorders or doing re-releases to maintain their collectible status. We’ll see how long that lasts, but if someone doesn’t want to gamble on fighting over a Harry upon release, this might be an attractive option, especially since InArt’s aftermarket prices end up closer to JND. Especially with this Lite version being added as an option.

Conversely, if people skipped InArt’s Ron and Hermione preorders due to not having a guaranteed Harry, JND might be able to lock them in for their line.

However, as InArt’s reputation grows, that strategy falls off real quick.

 

[SwedishHeat]

We're seeing JND offer theirs after InArt, but it's probable, and likely, that they both signed deals at the same time, and that they didn't know the other had signed a deal.

It wasn't that long ago that this forum was saying "Give the license to someone other than Star Ace. We need quality HP merch" ... and now everyone is saying "There's too much HP merch." Competition is good and healthy for the industry. It's great for customers to have options.

For the longest time, holding a license meant you had exclusive rights, and it was rough. Only Sideshow could make Star Wars in sixth scale, then it opened up to Hot Toys and it got much better. Now, Hot Toys is the only one that can do Star Wars and we're tired of it. We criticize HT for holding the Alien, Predator, and Terminator licenses and not doing anything with them. And here we're presented with the flip side of that coin, and we're still criticizing?? Make it make sense.

With WB-Discovery being what it is right now, they are probably trying to get as much money for their IP as possible, trying to sign as many deals as possible. You've probably got a bunch of marketing folks trying to show their boss how profitable their division is, in order to keep their jobs.

 

[Bleah]

It doesn't seem like the market or the demand for 1/6 Harry Potter is that big. So it does feel like a waste. Also, Inart's attempt looks really well done so there is less desire for somebody else's attempt to step in to offer a "better" product.

Then there's JND's price tier which is significantly at a higher level. Unaffordable to most collectors here by my observation. It doesn't really offer any competition that benefits the consumer. Sure, they'll do that lite version for HP but nobody knows what that will look along with the pricing. JND's first 2 attempts in the 1/6 area have been met with criticisms because of the price and what you get out of it. The value wasn't there for a lot of the collectors here.

When Inart showed their 1/6 Joker, that was the game changer because it looked like a custom figure but mass produced with a price that's within the range that HT charges. It significantly looked better than HT's previous attempts. People were tired of HT just dialing it in, saying capturing the likeness of the character with better accuracy but actually looks worse than their numerous past releases. When Inart continued their releases, HT knew their 1/6 hold was in trouble so they tried to up their game not only with DC products but with their Disney ones as well. Expectations were raised for what one can get in a 1/6 product within a certain price range. You can see it with majority of HT's recent releases. That competition did benefit the collectors.

The same can't be said with JND. Maybe had they offered their 1/6 figures with silicone body and rooted hair at the same price tier or close to HT's Artisan and Inart's premium/deluxe, then maybe it will be to the collectors's benefit.

 

[Shoo]

Another update and teaser image.

Today I will try to communicate about; "What is the standard for JND's quality?".

In fact, when figures are reduced, it is always difficult to express how far reality will be expressed.
Moreover, 1/6 action figures that are much smaller than 1/3 have quite a lot of restrictions on detail representation. No matter how much JND makes the best details.

It's a question of how far should we express the part that we feel a lot of difficulty with each project.

This is because the biggest goal of JND figures is "hyperrealism."

Of course, it feels like an express train to Hogwarts that our production teams are passionate about...
Sometimes I stop?. and yet the enthusiasm that JND has for detail is beyond anyone's control.
What's unfortunate is that the details can't be expressed well through videos or pictures.

In particular, I was always disappointed as a representative in that how smaller the scale, the more the detailed level of experience differs greatly from the actual and media materials.

In that respect, I'm going to show you a good example of JND's sincerity in detail. This is the smallest Harry Potter part (even with Kojun Works Lite, the quality of the parts are all the same as Kojun Works).

It's an express train ticket to Hogwarts. It's only the first image in the movie, and the second image is scaled down to 1/6th. If you actually reduce this ticket to 1/6 size, it's very small, 1.8cm wide x 1cm long.
If you use it in 1/6 action figures, the details are almost invisible, so as to whether the details are important. You might think that it's a part that's safe to think that there's nothing you can do.

And considering the standards in general figure factories, it may be considered almost impossible for low-level details to be implemented in 1/6.
If you have to mass-produce thousands of them, even more so..

So we have mass-produced those parts in Korea this time. No, this part is already mass-produced...(Why do we do this? lol). Because that's what you have to do to keep JND's detail standard.

And I'm going to use it for the prototype, so what you're seeing now is what you're going to get ^^

Don't be mistaken. The first image is a train ticket in a person's hand, and the second image is a 1/6 train ticket in a person's hand. ^^

The reason I'm showing you this is because I want to "communicate" with you that our true feelings about quality are this much ^^

Oh, and there's something I want to correct, there are not 6 teasers for Harry Potter this time, but 6 main videos ^^

I hope you have a happy and beautiful night today!
James

 

[dominishin]

What are they rambling about, this isn't the first time companies have mass printed things in 1/6 (most common example being bills) or even engraving onto a 1/6 ring. They're acting like this is revolutionary or something, what?

Just work on the likeness, no one cares about a 1/6 piece of paper when the likenesses aren't even 90%.

 

[Spiln3r]

Who care about this?

 

[Godfather1408]

Yeah JND your boring us!

Over priced silicone dolls that will perish in time. Wouldn't be so bad but when Inart have just given us this line there's 0 logic.

 

[Sidewinder]

Skip the child versions and go straight to mid year or last year versions. It would be smarter to get in before InArt start doing the older versions. There's no way of knowing yet if you will be able to mix and match different makers. They might not be completely in scale with one another.

 

[a-dev]

For the longest time, holding a license meant you had exclusive rights, and it was rough. Only Sideshow could make Star Wars in sixth scale, then it opened up to Hot Toys and it got much better. Now, Hot Toys is the only one that can do Star Wars and we're tired of it. We criticize HT for holding the Alien, Predator, and Terminator licenses and not doing anything with them. And here we're presented with the flip side of that coin, and we're still criticizing?? Make it make sense.

I'm anticipating a 3way Terminator war in the coming years. Inart apparently have T1 already - I'm not going to assume that that means Hot Toys have lost the rights so, odds are, they'll revisit Terminator to counter Inart. And then JND will probably jump in too.

 

[GaryPool]

Don't really understand the rejection of choice people have here. It's good to have options for what you like.

If you like inarts more get inarts and vice versa, if you don't like JND why mind what they do or make?

 

[Cap'n Cook]

Don't really understand the rejection of choice people have here. It's good to have options for what you like.

If you like inarts more get inarts and vice versa, if you don't like JND why mind what they do or make?

Mostly due to the lack of diverse character options in the marketplace from varying properties.

All the big hitters are (mostly) currently doing the same as each other.

 

[MPCanes]

Don't really understand the rejection of choice people have here. It's good to have options for what you like.

If you like inarts more get inarts and vice versa, if you don't like JND why mind what they do or make?

Speaking for myself only, I think it comes down to capacity and fear of it leading to a businesses ruin.

For capacity, I mean this - there are only so many artists/factories/companies that can produce high end collectibles. By tying up your artists and factories on the same exact product as a competitor, it takes away from doing something else (opportunity cost). So if we had the choice (in some kind of magical fantasy land that doesn’t exist), I’d rather jnd tackle something different vs give me a choice.

Second - if a company fails to deliver/make the necessary profit to succeed, it will likely lead to their demise. I like JND! I have 2 of their pieces. I want more. But if they can’t sell anything in this line due to oversaturation, then they’ll refocus on 1/3rd or go away entirely, and that lack of competition is a bad thing.

The problem in the collectible market is the same as what’s happening in media and entertainment - spend on collectibles is better thought of as a giant lump sum of discretionary spend that may go to a lot of different things (statues, figures, props, other collectibles - posters, comics, original art) similar to how all entertainment competes with one another from an attention point of view - YouTube vs fortnite vs traditional movies.

 

[Godfather1408]

Jnd seem to not want to take risks, instead they are just following inart.

For me it boils down to logic if they wanted to sell they should of gone for the older versions or another license.

 

[Chopper Face]

JND showing me evidence that they have a very fine nozzled printer doesn’t give me any additional faith that they’ll be able to sculpt better likenesses of the kids than InArt.

What an odd flex. It’s like they went out of their way to think of the solitary accessory InArt didn’t include in one of their sets and then brag about how it’s emblematic of their unmatched attention to detail.

Looking forward to seeing their protos but I’ve known all along that I won’t be buying any of the main trio. That ship has sailed.

 

[Gipetto0812]

Looking forward to seeing their protos but I’ve known all along that I won’t be buying any of the main trio. That ship has sailed.

same. They really should’ve started with other main characters aside from the trio. Might not have rooted hair, but a silicone Voldemort headsculpt with JND’s painting techniques and the translucency of the silicone would look killer.

 

[i_amjam]

Don't really understand the rejection of choice people have here. It's good to have options for what you like.

If you like inarts more get inarts and vice versa, if you don't like JND why mind what they do or make?

I’m just sad we aren’t getting a 1/6 Raiders Indy from them yet

 

[Gipetto0812]

I’m just sad we aren’t getting a 1/6 Raiders Indy from them yet

Well, they previously mentioned how difficult it was to even get the license for their 1/3 Indy piece and mentioned that Disney only allowed them The Last Crusade and not a whole Indy license. Not to mention that only IF that piece sold well enough that they (Disney) would then reconsider allowing JND a stab at more Disney licenses. So, I can't see any Disney IP being made by JND or InArt in the near future unless there are some sort of breakthroughs with their deal with HT.

 

[i_amjam]

Well, they previously mentioned how difficult it was to even get the license for their 1/3 Indy piece and mentioned that Disney only allowed them The Last Crusade and not a whole Indy license. Not to mention that only IF that piece sold well enough that they (Disney) would then reconsider allowing JND a stab at more Disney licenses. So, I can't see any Disney IP being made by JND or InArt in the near future unless there are some sort of breakthroughs with their deal with HT.

That is completely heartbreaking damn you Howard. I guess I could settle for a 1/6 Deckard

 

[GaryPool]

Jnd seem to not want to take risks, instead they are just following inart.

For me it boils down to logic if they wanted to sell they should of gone for the older versions or another license.

I understand, but I do think this is more to do with what licensors are giving companies in general rather than x company copying x company. I think it was with JND's The Batman where they mentioned on a video that another company was releasing one also and they had no idea, but were stipulated by the licensor to push that one through.

I also can see why they would go for a more popular character that other companies are doing also, because they want to pull people in to experience their offerings, you do that with a not-so-popular character and you're already reducing the potential market of who will jump onboard.

I don't think it's fair to say JND are copying anyone, you only need to look at their 1/3 offerings of South Korean actors, a Basquiat statue, going for Arthur Fleck over Joker etc. to see that they're not adverse to risk-taking, although I do agree that within their 1/6 sphere they're not as adventurous; but again, I do think the reasons are obvious, and I don't think it's as black and white as just wanting to copy another studio.

Personally I'm long past collecting things just because I have an itch to have something new, or having an alliance to one company over another. I think in Inarts offerings of these are enough and the cost is night and day then Inart will be the best choice. But JND may well pull it out of the bag, especially with the Lite option of bridging the gap to be more accessible. There's never a problem with choice, and I always think to weigh what's worth more, regardless of price, if you're going to be happier with the quality of something more or less expensive, that's a choice you need to make and be happy with, companies don't really owe anyone anything.