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Gijoe Newsletter From Mastercollector


JayC

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Hmmm

I never heard of master collector until it was mentioned about here and a few other sites. If I had never visited the various joe sites, I would of never known about it. I also would of never had known about the conventions. Not to good a job of advertising, if you ask me.

 

I was kind of on the fence about joining. I kind of liked the Jungle Viper figure, and access to the newsletter might of been interesting. This whole issue though has made the case for not joining.

 

I can understand them not wanting the pics posted before they "officially" post them. I can also understand them not wanting people scanning and/or posting the newsletter verbatium.

 

What I can't accept is the not talking about information found in the newsletter at all. If joining means signing a non-disclosure contract, then I won't be joining. I also find it misleading that you have to dig to find that part about joining, and it is not worded well at all.

 

All in all, mastercollector sounds just like any other shady corporation.

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Kind of like how George Lucas has they hyperspace (I think that is the name of the club) that offered the trailer to "members only".

 

There is a big difference between Hyperspace and this....If something as big as the Hiatus had happened.....the only thing I could think of would be Fox pulling out as distrubtor. (Although that wouldn't even be as bad as the Hiatus, cause GL would just pitch it to someone else and they'd be like only a few months delay over all) that new would be on Star Wars.com for ALL to see....Hyperspace or not.

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Fella's lets be sure about one thing. Mastercollector is a business in it for the cash, not to keep the joe line alive. The person who runs it does this full time for a llving, and that is where his interests lie. I don't want anyone to not join because of what has been said, and what is perceived as their attitude, but you should be fully aware of others experience before you make that decision.

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I disagree and think Brian was a dick for asking the pictures to be taken down. But I think everyone else here is just whining to whine.

 

Here's a list of easily usable whines:

"The single exclusive figure I get for my $36 because I can't afford to attend the Con (which is where the real savings would come in) isn't worth it." Glad to hear it, I agree.

 

"I wasn't going to get a Con set until I saw the pics." Out of the three Con sets they've done for the 3 3/4" crowd, only one hasn't been exciting to me (Dreadnok Rampage), but I am still very glad I have the figures because it adds a) depth to my Joe-verse, and B) some figures that aren't easily available to the rest of the world. (While you may dispute it, will EVERY collector at the end of the day have a Con set? No, not when I make an attempt to own four of each.)

 

"I was thinking of joining, but since you got burned, no way in hell will I join now." Glad to hear it. If I pay to be a part of something, I want it to be the best that it can be. If you don't think it will be the best it can be because one customer out of <who knows how many> has a bad experience, then that customer sure as hell better have a huge stake in the company...

 

GAH! Sorry, this just pisses me off. Yes, Master Collector (Brian Savage) screwed up by asking the pictures to be taken down. But aside from Tazzman, I don't hear any of you saying anything nice about Master Collector. If it really bugs you, don't attempt to own anything they make. The items are called "exclusive" for a reason. You get them from the people who make it, or you pay a higher price...

 

-Kevin

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Kev- Your right to a point. My MAJOR beef with Mastercollector is that they are fostering an attitude of elitism in a hobby that really doesn't have a need for it, and that attitude will drive people away who might otherwise have something really good to bring to the table.

 

I am glad to have the exclusives that I have. You wouldn't believe some of the hoops I had to jump thru to get some of them. I just don't feel that the club membership is worth it to the "Joe average" collector, and that they should consider giving you a little bigger bang for your buck. Also I really feel like some of the things they want us to buy are really only mediocre if you take away the "Con Exclusive" angle and that shoudln't be the case when they are asking the prices that they are.

 

It's just that if your going to take the stance that you want to sell the collector's a particular item or set don't be po'ed when they get excited about it and want everyone else to know too. This is supposed to be a friendly hobby (yes, there are personalities) and I just want it really be that way. Not a bunch of guys who think that they are better than everyone else for one reason or another.

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But I think everyone else here is just whining to whine.

 

I highly doubt that's true of /everyone/. While I'm sure some people are jumping on the bandwagon out of anger and spite, there are some really valid gripes here.

 

"The single exclusive figure I get for my $36 because I can't afford to attend the Con (which is where the real savings would come in) isn't worth it."  Glad to hear it, I agree. 

 

Valid.

 

"I wasn't going to get a Con set until I saw the pics."  Out of the three Con sets they've done for the 3 3/4" crowd, only one hasn't been exciting to me (Dreadnok Rampage), but I am still very glad I have the figures because it adds a) depth to my Joe-verse, and B) some figures that aren't easily available to the rest of the world.  (While you may dispute it, will EVERY collector at the end of the day have a Con set?  No, not when I make an attempt to own four of each.)

 

I don't know about you, but I kinda like to know what I am purchasing before I actually purchase it. I'd also like to know what I am purchasing well in advance if I am to save up more than $200 for it, as I work a pretty crappy work-study job at my university and make about that much in a month. So, from a consumer standpoint, I'd say that this, again, is a valid gripe. Then again, I guess I'm not as dedicated (or mindless) as some...

 

"I was thinking of joining, but since you got burned, no way in hell will I join now."  Glad to hear it.  If I pay to be a part of something, I want it to be the best that it can be.  If you don't think it will be the best it can be because one customer out of <who knows how many> has a bad experience, then that customer sure as hell better have a huge stake in the company...

 

You make this sound like a run-in with a cashier. This isn't just some low-man hanging up on /a customer/, this is the owner trying to keep information from the Joe internet community at large. Please tell me that you can understand the difference. Again, it's a valid gripe.

 

GAH!  Sorry, this just pisses me off.  Yes, Master Collector (Brian Savage) screwed up by asking the pictures to be taken down.  But aside from Tazzman, I don't hear any of you saying anything nice about Master Collector.

 

That was a MAJOR screw up, and not one to be ignored when you take into account the already unhappy fanbase at this particular time. So, no, you likely won't hear much positivity about MC, because there isn't much to be said at this point in time. The prices are way too high, MC releases the images too late in the game for some people to save up enough to buy his stuff, and on top of all this, Brian has made a move that can only further alienate the Joe fanbase from MC. Really, what would you have people say? The MC inspired them to kick a crack addiction? Yeah, and Hitler was a beautiful dancer, so all is forgiven.

 

Let's be realistic, here.

 

If it really bugs you, don't attempt to own anything they make.  The items are called "exclusive" for a reason.  You get them from the people who make it, or you pay a higher price...

 

I love this conclusion. "If you don't like it, shut up and don't buy it." I don't intend to buy it, but I also don't intend to keep quiet about my unhappiness, nor my reasons for that unhappiness. If the people who work for these companies (MC and, in other threads, Hasbro and DDP) think that these gripes are invalid simply because they are negative (as you seem to), then so be it. But at least I tried.

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If it really bugs you, don't attempt to own anything they make. The items are called "exclusive" for a reason. You get them from the people who make it, or you pay a higher price...

 

-Kevin

really? then how do you explain my getting their exclusive glow in the dark Heavy Water for less than what they were selling it for, and that included with shipping from Hong Kong? hmmm.

 

and if everyone else's opinion is just whining for whining's sake, what does that make your opinion? gospel? I don't think so. complaining for complaining's sake me guesses.

 

fact is MC is behaving elitist and by doing so is isolating themselves from a great amount of the community. but sorry if our discussing that seems to be whining to you, complainer.

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I gotta disagree with what most everyone is saying about MC. My experience has been nothing but great since I joined.

 

It always makes me laugh how people get upset with MC.. you don't have to participate in anything they are doing. If you don't want to be a member, just pretend that they don't exist... if you do want the benefits of being a member, then join.. if you can't afford it, well thats just the way things go sometims. Don't be spiteful that something exists that you can't be a part of.

 

As for the con sets and exclusives.. yep, they are expensive. But its not like you would be getting them cheaper if MC didn't make them. Either be happy to have the opportunity to buy them at the higher price, or they would never be made. It does not effect your collecting experience at all. I couldn't get the Crimson Strike Team, but I wasn't pissed at MC. Its not their fault I couldn't get a set, I wouldn't have been able to get one if they didn't make it either, right?

 

Some people just get jealous. If they can't be a part of something, they want to trash it or have it go away so others can't enjoy it either.

 

As for it being strictly a business, I can say 100% that this isn't true. I have met Brian Savage a couple times and he goes all out for GiJoe fans. Like when he had about half of the items at the casino night auction be available to kids only... or when he made sure that everyonewas able to get a parachute figure from the drops... or when I saw him in Sacramento at a Joe show.. (the guy lives in Texas!)

 

now for the recent stuff. I can understand why he was pissed that Alyosha stole the thunder of the official release pics... I would be pissed too. I can understand why he doesn't like people using their newsletter word for word. What if somebody just copied everything from this website and took it somewhere else, why would people come here anymore?

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If it really bugs you, don't attempt to own anything they make.  The items are called "exclusive" for a reason.  You get them from the people who make it, or you pay a higher price...

 

-Kevin

really? then how do you explain my getting their exclusive glow in the dark Heavy Water for less than what they were selling it for, and that included with shipping from Hong Kong? hmmm.

well, basically you bought a stolen figure. Some factory worker stole them or stayed late and made extras for themselves to sell on ebay. That's how it was cheaper, your seller didn't have any costs.

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Some people just get jealous. If they can't be a part of something, they want to trash it or have it go away so others can't enjoy it either.

can't? the people who don't belong don't want to. I don't know how you come to the can't conclusion, which your jealousy claim is based on, which then makes the jealousy issue non-existent. please show any evidence you have that those who don't belong are just poor and can't afford it and are jealous of the luxury you live in with your MC membership.

 

 

and this isn't a participate or not issue. this is an issue of how MC treats people, especially non members, and not just in a business sense. a smart business treats all POTENTIAL customers with respect, as to hope to make them customers. MC doesn't, they choose to push away non-customers, thus they have earned the ire from them.

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If it really bugs you, don't attempt to own anything they make.  The items are called "exclusive" for a reason.  You get them from the people who make it, or you pay a higher price...

 

-Kevin

really? then how do you explain my getting their exclusive glow in the dark Heavy Water for less than what they were selling it for, and that included with shipping from Hong Kong? hmmm.

well, basically you bought a stolen figure. Some factory worker stole them or stayed late and made extras for themselves to sell on ebay. That's how it was cheaper, your seller didn't have any costs.

sure. but I did happen to buy it for cheaper than what MC offered it, thus Admiral Hunter's claim was succesfully disputed. it was a rhetorical question.

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Well whoever finked out Aloysha to their lords and masters at MC, pass this along too.

 

Kiss my shiny white ass. Thieves have more honor than you do.

 

 

I just thought that I would add my opinion on this topic since no one seems to be saying anthing positive about the club that keep collectors collecting when GIJOE was not in all stores.

 

For a criminally overhiked fee of course. The almighty MC can do no wrong.

 

I bet their farts smell like roses too.

 

 

 

and this isn't a participate or not issue. this is an issue of how MC treats people, especially non members, and not just in a business sense. a smart business treats all POTENTIAL customers with respect, as to hope to make them customers. MC doesn't, they choose to push away non-customers, thus they have earned the ire from them.

 

Damn right.

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I gotta disagree with what most everyone is saying about MC. My experience has been nothing but great since I joined.

 

It always makes me laugh how people get upset with MC.. you don't have to participate in anything they are doing. If you don't want to be a member, just pretend that they don't exist... if you do want the benefits of being a member, then join.. if you can't afford it, well thats just the way things go sometims. Don't be spiteful that something exists that you can't be a part of.

 

As for the con sets and exclusives.. yep, they are expensive. But its not like you would be getting them cheaper if MC didn't make them. Either be happy to have the opportunity to buy them at the higher price, or they would never be made. It does not effect your collecting experience at all. I couldn't get the Crimson Strike Team, but I wasn't pissed at MC. Its not their fault I couldn't get a set, I wouldn't have been able to get one if they didn't make it either, right?

 

Some people just get jealous. If they can't be a part of something, they want to trash it or have it go away so others can't enjoy it either.

 

As for it being strictly a business, I can say 100% that this isn't true. I have met Brian Savage a couple times and he goes all out for GiJoe fans. Like when he had about half of the items at the casino night auction be available to kids only... or when he made sure that everyonewas able to get a parachute figure from the drops... or when I saw him in Sacramento at a Joe show.. (the guy lives in Texas!)

 

now for the recent stuff. I can understand why he was pissed that Alyosha stole the thunder of the official release pics... I would be pissed too. I can understand why he doesn't like people using their newsletter word for word. What if somebody just copied everything from this website and took it somewhere else, why would people come here anymore?

I agree with you completely. I have stayed out of this for reasons and will continue to but this was the first very rational post I agreed with completely.

Draven

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man , lots of issues with mc lately.

 

 

it seems to me that alot of the dreadnok conv stuff can be picked up for peanuts on ebay. why bother with the membership if you can pick them up for less on ebay.

 

also if you arent attending , you usually can find someone to get you the stuff at cost so why pay for a membership. i got the exclusives at cost. granted i didnt get the trike from last years convention at cost, but i didnt go so why does it matter.

 

i was a member last year, and i haven't renewed my membership this year, i might if i am able to go(work situations) but if i dont, i will save the member ship fee and just have a friend pick up the stuff i was going to order.

 

heres a big complaint, why must i fax or mail in my registration, why cant they have web registration? they could surely afford to get online registration worked out with all that they charge for membership fees.

 

heres is one that i dont understand about MC , and this is why i think they dont have any business sense. why are they charging more for an electriconic version of the newletter than they do for the print version. i would think the overhead on the electronic version would be significantly cheaper than the print version, so why charge more.(its kind of like how every credit card company tries to get you to take electronic billing over paper billing and they offer 5-10 credit to you first bill to do so. they save money on it) Maybe i am just missing something in the subscriptions part of there website.

 

sorry off topic... flame on

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can't? the people who don't belong don't want to. I don't know how you come to the can't conclusion, which your jealousy claim is based on, which then makes the jealousy issue non-existent. please show any evidence you have that those who don't belong are just poor and can't afford it and are jealous of the luxury you live in with your MC membership.

 

Exactly....I COULD be a part of Collectors Club is I wanted to. It's not a like it's some high class elite club. As long as you pay your dues, your in. I just choose not to because of how I've seen them treat other fans. It make me not want to support them, and thus I don't.

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it seems to me that alot of the dreadnok conv stuff can be picked up for peanuts on ebay. why bother with the membership if you can pick them up for less on ebay.

That's the chance you take. The 2 previous con sets haven't really lit the secondary market ablaze like the Crimson Strike Team did. However, I see this year's figures taking off in aftermarket popularity and doubt many of them will ever be available for less than original price due to their army building nature. Just a hunch. :)

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It's more fun ,when those who disagree with my opinions, slice and dice them up, quote by quote, so I can defend my opinions that are being disagreed with! ;)

 

Hot sh@# attitudes rub me the wrong way and when I see this type of ridiculous elitism spreading, more and MORE, around the various Joe boards, and all the hot air that gets blown up peoples BUTTS, because some yay-hoo nerd boy thinks he's an "insider" now that he's part of a PAID membership, and is convinced by the operator of that club, that "why YES..he is special and BETTER than the non-member Joe fans out there" so he runs out and spreads a bunch of bullsh@# which in turn, is usually what causes 98% of all the rumor spreading and incorrect info we hear, to get falsely circulated around to the less than REAL Joe fans websites......to finish my train of thought, let's just say I get fairly fired up!

 

Okay okay...we're GUYS...it's in our nature, we like to compete and demonstrate some authority and flash our stuff like a big Peacock! :rolleyes:

 

You want to know who I respect in the Joe community?

 

The guys that put in TIME and EXPENSE in entertaining the rest of us with either their awesome and creative customs and/or especially the ones that create these awesome dio's like Violentfix, Hammerfel and many others.

 

They're doing it for fun, a way to show off their creativeness and imaginations, and most importantly to SHARE with and get feedback from the rest of us. I don't see any of them requiring fees from us in order to have "exclusive" privileges, in be one of the few to view their work!

 

I don't have to respect Master Collector...it's a freaking business! He's making money on HIS ventures, and not a dime LESS than what he feels he deserves. He sure as sh@# ain't doing it for attention or the hell of it, to be accepted into the Joe community, of which (like half the other elitist pricks in the fandom) he has little repsect and regard for most of those in it...ANYWAY!

 

It's all about the TOYS folks! If most of you who are members at MC, would be honest about it, the newsletters and first viewings of exclusive figures, are probably no big deal. You just WANT the damn toys is all, so you sign up and now have access to them.

 

When I read what this Brian Savage has to say about the Joe community and places those who join his club or attend his conventions, at a HIGHER level than those who don't (for whatever numerous reasons)..it's just laughable, but certainly no surprise, given that THAT kind of attitude flourishes anymore, and you can see it all around the OTHER Joe boards.

 

Join the collectors club and YOU TOO can become a REAL Joe fan, with all the lastest news and a chance to BUY things from us!

 

There's dipshits out there that think if you're a "REAL" Joe fan, you buy everything, even the crap you don't like, cuz well...that's what a REAL fan does, and they don't complain or put down Hasbro or collector clubs either! :rolleyes: The whole Sigma Six fiasco is going to burn down the house that Joe built, I can see it coming and it's happening already!

 

This Brian Savage isn't above it, he's helping to generate it, by the BS he feeds his members (like most people who NEED members for profit) and in turn, seperating the fans into categories of "class" or from what I understand, those who have opinions and those who DON'T!

 

It's not jealousy over the perks of exclusive news (we all get it eventually anyway) or the opportunity to buy club exclusive figures, (whether you think they suck or not) it's just the plain ol' attitude that it generates out of some people, that pisses most of us off, and with what's going on in this thread, I think it's obvious it comes right from the TOP on down!

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To be honest the only thing that really bothers me about MC having asked the boards to take down the pics is how Mods at certain boards (not specifically TNI) are so willing to bend over for MC.

 

Like when Alyosha posted a list of what was coming out and it got deleted from some boards at the Request of MC.

 

Ummmmm by that reasoning shouldn't those boards also delete picks of protos from ebay, since they're not official release.

 

In short all I'm saying is some people need to take their tongues out of MC and Hasbro's @$$

 

And if anyone has more pics of the Con exlusive set, like destro, mayhem or the condor, by all means PM them to me!

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I can understand why he doesn't like people using their newsletter word for word. What if somebody just copied everything from this website and took it somewhere else, why would people come here anymore?

 

For two reasons.

 

First, since another site would almost exclusively be taking the newsbreaks from your site, it stands to reason that no matter what they do, your site would always /by nature/ have to be the first site to break said news. As such, people would want to have /up-to-the-minute/ information would need to come here, and not the other place.

 

Second, there is no cost for going to either site, so without that under its belt, the other site would have pretty much nothing on you. There is also the issue of service here, as well as community and comradery. In short, the other site would have to outdo you in every way possible, otherwise there would be no reason to go there.

 

So, I'm afraid your analogy doesn't hold very much water.

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I've read a bit of this thread and this issue boils down to copyright for me.

Brian Savage can rightly claim and is entitled to protect his copyright and the copyright of his contributors in the Mastercollectors newsletter. His product is released to a paying audience, making it and its content exclusive to that audience.

Its that exclusivity that is one of the selling points of membership.

He can control that material as he sees fit whether or not anyone else likes it.

If the information can be had from another open source then its fair game to share, but if its exclusive to MC then he can claim infringement if someone else posts the info on a commerical site.

For better or worse, TNI is a COMMERCIAL site, because it has paying sponsors.

There is no "fair-use" entitlement for any subscriber or club member with the material they recieve--the rights remain soley with Master Collector--so someone posting MC material here is out of line, IF THEY DO NOT HAVE EXPRESSED PERMISSION TO DO SO.

Sometimes getting that permission just means asking beforehand--but could also mean being turned down too.

 

 

It not a matter of whether we like this or not, these laws and rights work for each of us and our own works and creations as much as they do Brian Savage. He's exercising his rights and we have to live with that.

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I think what it boils down to, is that there is not all that big an audience out there, in the Joe fandom, to be stepping on peoples (or even potential members) toes, like what's being done here.

 

There's more going on, than just the whole copyrights thing! We can reasonably understand the issue behind all of that, but when it's poorly handled, like what this has been, it's not serving any GREATER good for the club...imo.

 

Just like the whole issue with posting pics of ebay auctions that involve "stolen" prototypes, or items not yet released to the public at retail. It's Hasbros problem not ours! They need to tighten up their ship a little better in how they handle those items, and prevent them from disappearing like they apparently do, so often and so easily. <_<

 

I don't know how these images can get copied from MC, if they're not yet posted or included in the newsletter updates yet, for the members to view privately (or exclusively) but THAT is the issue that needs to be handled. Sending out notices to all the fan sites, about possible legal actions against them for having such images posted therein, is trying to solve the wrong problem AFTER the more important fact.

 

They're just pictures! Who knows, they MAY even encourage (god forbid) a desire out of some, to make a PURCHASE?

 

Seems like a big fuss, and even bigger RISK being taken, over something so stupid as a members lost NA'NER NA'NER rights!

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