Sideshow, do Disney right!

[Agent0028]

The difference between a maquette and a PF is pretty much null if we are discussing the quality of the line. All he needs is some leather wings and he is a PF.

 

[IrishJedi]

Its hard for me to imagine anything where all you're proucing is like a 1000 units as a risk. They should eventually find buyers. \

Dude, Sideshow made an Elvis PF with an ES of only 150 units, and it took over 2 years to sell out. Of course, the quality of the headsculpt was the major culprit, but still... ELVIS. 150 units total, and they just recently Sold Out after spending more than a year in Gift Card status. That's a disaster.

Anything outside of something obvious like Star Wars (and there have even been a couple of duds in there) is a risk for them. Producing several hundred $300 statues based on the Prince of Persia movie certainly is. Or maybe they just need the tax write-off.

 

[anakin1138]

Actually all are complaining about the choice of Prince of Persia... well even Hot Toys made the choice to produce Dastan... so It's not Sideshow's fault... I guess they thought the movie would really be a new Pirates of the Caribbean in terms of success... that said... The PF Disney line is young and they have really done a wonderful job with the Evil Queen PF which I have... Rocketeer... yeah the head is a little big but anyway it's cool... Maleficent is very good and I think they'll change a bit the face sculpt before the release... Jack Sparrow looks great... The chernabog even if it's a maquette it's great and now it lights up too... and you can count it in the villains PF line as even in disneyland in the parade of villains he's not in scale with the other characters of course as he's big as a mountain ... so Dastan... it turned out really good, I haven't watched the movie yet... of course for me too it will depend... I'll buy it if the movie will be at least good... I will cancel it if I won't like the movie so much as in these periods of world crisis you must save money for other collectibles more sought after... anyway I would say Sideshow is doing a great Job with the Disney line and my thought is with the probable launch of Captain Hook at sand Diego Comicon this line will really start to be more than great...
by the way I do think they'll do even heroes and Princess of course in the future...

 

[Deak Starkiller]

What if Disney made them do it? Like written into their licensing agreement?

 

[Silent December]

Its hard for me to imagine anything where all you're proucing is like a 1000 units as a risk. They should eventually find buyers.

The biggest debacle is the lack of SSC's ability to market to Disney collectors. You really have to be inept marketing to not sell out a lowly produced item like the Evil Queen PF.

I think its awesome that they are actually producing items for new movies instead of 70 year old movies. LOL.

Tron Legacy please!

yeah, I can't for the life of me figure this one out. Having pieces as amazing as the Evil Queen and from the looks of it - Maleficent, and not have sell outs is kinda mind boggling. Tell you what, put those PF, with an amazing display in any of the Disney galleries and I can almost guarantee a sellout. Put out an ad for Christ sake SS!

 

[ProgMatinee]

SSC seema to market through the same channels no matter what the item is, be it Star Wars, Elvis, or Disney. That diesn;t seem right.

 

[theguru1]

I still say that 'sets' are the way to go. Just putting aside the fact that many would buy a Snow White that looked as good as the Evil Queen does, would there really be many Evil Queen owners that wouldn't also get Snow White.
As long as the ES for each is kept around the 1000 mark, then they each help to sell out the other.
Belle with the Beast, Jessica with Roger, Jasmine with Aladdin or Aladdin with Jafar, or all three.

Sideshow must already know this, wouldn't they.

 

[Coheteboy]

yeah, I can't for the life of me figure this one out. Having pieces as amazing as the Evil Queen and from the looks of it - Maleficent, and not have sell outs is kinda mind boggling. Tell you what, put those PF, with an amazing display in any of the Disney galleries and I can almost guarantee a sellout. Put out an ad got Christ sake SS!

Right! Think about it. How well do your "average" Disney fan know about Sideshow and Premium Format? I'm guessing not a whole lot. I'm guessing ZILCH.

If you follow any line of toys, you generallyknow what's out there across the board. And since all of us here follow toy manufacturers, we see all types of product they're making. Even the crappy stuff. Or even the stuff we're uninterested in.


Typical Disney fans though, who would be slobbering for this kind of product only follow the theme park news, the Disney Store website, and official news magazines like D23.

What's lacking in the Theme Parks stores?
What's lacking at the Disney Store?
What's lacking in the publications and Disney expos?

They're all lacking high end toy presence like Sideshow, Medicom, and Hot Toys. They got their Mattel because they're sold at retail stores. But anything else is a complete mystery.



I've been telling the merchandise team at Disneyland since 10 years ago to "really look at Medicom. Really look at Tomy. Sell that stuff in the theme parks." Last year, some medicom vinyl dolls made it to the Disney Store online. Some Runaway Brain merch made it to Downtown Disney... and that's about it.



All the Disney theme parks are selling are their Big Figs, sculptures, and cheap action figures as well as the major toy licenses (Cars, Star Wars, Marvel Universe). They don't even have Thinkway's Toy Story Collection. What's up with that?

I think they have a long way to go to spread the word to the masses.

 

[Trustey]

The piece itself looks insanely awesome, nothing but praise. The choice however it what gets me. And I've said before, I am just jealous that some other pieces I have don't appear to have the same detail.

 

[Something Sexy]

Don't listen to the OP, bring us more Rocketeer statues!!!!

 

[Darklord Dave]

Licensing is a complex and arcane thing with the studios wishes and desires sometimes at odds with the licensor. The studio will always want a licensor to market something from a current product - they could care less if a PF of Snow White comes out if they don't have a movie or DVD coming out that the item could cross promote.

Making a PF from a new release is most likely part of the licensing agreement.

 

[theguru1]

They may care a lot more when PoP just doesn't sell and someone asks where's the license fees.

Sorry, no one was interested in it, hence they didn't sell, hence no money, they all want Snow White, etc, etc.

Just because Disney want to push the latest thing, doesn't mean it's going to work. At $300 a pop, we are going to be way more selective in our purchases.

Plus I don't just think it's Disney. The focus on the villains for the animated characters I feel is just as much Sideshow then anything else. They tend to go more for the bad guys, or the big ugly monsters, etc, etc, maybe from the point of view that some 'pretty' Belle or Snow White just won't sell. And for the most part I'm sure it won't, not to the general 'Alien loving' Sideshow customer. But that just means they need different customers, and surely expanding ones customer base is a good thing, even if it does take time.

 

[IrishJedi]

SSC seema to market through the same channels no matter what the item is, be it Star Wars, Elvis, or Disney. That diesn;t seem right.

They are a company that is absolutely scared to death of changing their business model. And it's really holding them back now that they've grown and have almost every huge license under the sun. Sideshow has long since outgrown the need to use the "few guys in a garage" approach to production & marketing/distribution.

 

[Darth Snoopy]

Don't listen to the OP, bring us more Rocketeer statues!!!!

**Cough**Jennifer Connelly as Jenny**Cough**

Licensing is a complex and arcane thing with the studios wishes and desires sometimes at odds with the licensor. The studio will always want a licensor to market something from a current product - they could care less if a PF of Snow White comes out if they don't have a movie or DVD coming out that the item could cross promote.

Making a PF from a new release is most likely part of the licensing agreement.

Yup. That's the way it is, unfortunately. I really want a Snow White PF.

BTW...All the armchair CEOs in this thread crack me up!

 

[IrishJedi]

Please. You don't have to be an "armchair CEO"... this stuff is Product Management 101, something Sideshow has never really adhered to. That worked just fine when they were doing their own original product (and horror stuff). But in the market with Star Wars, Disney, Marvel, G.I. Joe, Indiana Jones, etc? Their old business model is totally impractical now. The most obvious sign is that they STILL do not have any full-time employees based at their production warehouses, which results in consistent QC issues. And that's just one example.

 

[Darth Snoopy]

That's all fine and dandy...but you Armchair CEOs still crack me up.

 

[LOTRFan]

Licensing is a complex and arcane thing with the studios wishes and desires sometimes at odds with the licensor. The studio will always want a licensor to market something from a current product - they could care less if a PF of Snow White comes out if they don't have a movie or DVD coming out that the item could cross promote.

Making a PF from a new release is most likely part of the licensing agreement.

My first guess as well, funny to think that some here still seem to think that SS is an upstart company (though I do think that some of what Carl is getting at with marketing/merchandising is valid - esp what was brought up about making this PF line known). I'm sure it's enlightening for them to read that collectors would actually purchase a Snow White, etc ...

 

[IrishJedi]

My first guess as well, funny to think that some here still seem to think that SS is an upstart company

That's my point. Their business model is still one of a start-up company.

 

[Something Sexy]

That's my point. Their business model is still one of a start-up company.

I am with you on that one.

 

[LOTRFan]

That's my point. Their business is still one of a start-up company.

I think I follow you, but care to elaborate on that?

I know they go all-out at the events they attend, anyone who has seen them in action at a convention knows that (not to mention all their other fan interaction). I assume you are referring to marketing/etc.