vaanrose
Super Freak
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2021
- Messages
- 503
- Reaction score
- 762
Hot Toys does lazy reissues all the time and people still want QS to tackle those characters. I think it's a bit of both.
One thing is certain: whether the average collector missed out on Baleman (at this point... how?) or they want to see Queen's super-premium take on him, they're always going to want Baleman over something new. He's most people's "it" character and if you have such a character, you can never get enough of them in your preferred format.
What's it take to start a collectible company these days? Can one start as an LLC and scoop up some B-licenses for small runs? Do a bit of God's work? And by that, I mean Conan?
There's certainly overlap; my Asmus Gandalf's not even a year old and I'm already ready to buy an upgrade. I'd trade in my Wolverine or Jack Sparrow for a newer model. But most of the time if someone has "missed out" on a figure it's because they weren't even in the hobby yet. There's always new blood and they want these iconic characters, too.
A good example is how much the Star Wars prequel figures go for on the aftermarket. Anakin and Obi-Wan fetch at least double retail because they're really in demand. And that's because the audience that loves those versions the most, kids who grew up with the prequels, are only just establishing themselves enough to participate in such an expensive hobby. And so both characters break the top 10 of this poll even though Queen has repeatedly said Star Wars is an impossible IP to get.
Similar thing going on with Tobey and Andrew Spider-Men. A lot of the furor is younger fans who never would have been in a position to buy those characters when they originally released.