Make no mistake, Star Ace’s marketing department knew with perfect certainty that the Deathly Hallows Big Three was at the very top of just about everyone’s Wish List. But they also knew that they had a limited time with the license and had to maximize sales of all of their releases in order to make the venture a profitable one.
That’s why they decided on the chronological movie order release schedule. They knew that they needed to build the reputation and popularity of the line to bring on loyal customers, and with the strength of KA Kim sculpted pieces like first year Hermione and Harry, they would do just that.
In other words, they knew (with near perfect certainty) that if they released the DH TRIO too early, a SUBSTANTIAL percentage of collectors would bag those, a Dumbledore or two, and then never come back to the line for any more releases.
But what they failed to predict was that SO many of us were content to wait out the earlier movie figures for the most part, hoping the later movie releases with the older Golden Trio would be along any time. So after the initial releases, sales started to head downward, money began to get tight, and all of a sudden they couldn’t afford both periodic payments to continue the license and also to pay for top level sculpting talent like the aforementioned KA KIM.
Then, the death spiral….
Figures not selling up to required levels, third and fourth tier sculptors for later releases make sales fall even more, until finally, inevitably, they reached the point where the could no longer afford to maintain the line, and never got to our grail pieces in the Deathly Hallows.
A tragic tale of what might have been, but here’s hoping InArt will pick up the ball and do it right!
… my wallet will have no defense against them.
