Maxim
-
Posts
321 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Posts posted by Maxim
-
-
I didn't think ML would do an entire series on X-men?
Well, I'm sure another 1-3 figure could be added to that list that aren't X-men. Don't forget ML6 and 10, 6 was 5 X plus Movie Pun while 10 was 5 X plus BP and Spidey.
-
Thanks. Cool. The heads are close to ML after all.
-
Can you take a pic next to an ML or equivalent kind of figure?
-
What a waste
Of what? A spot in the preschool aisle?
-
Modulok and Multibot would have been cool pack-ins. Include a pair of arms and legs with one figure, a torso and head with another, etc. Then with a wave you could build one of the two.
-
Just a FYI, this wasn't developed by Hasbro. It was done by TB as well, it just went along to Hasbro as part of the deal.
-
No thanks. No 50 yr old Thor.
-
HHH could be a decent actor in films, but not Thor. I don't see him being able to pull off the role at all.
-
As much as I'd love a F4 She-Hulk, the sculpt they've gone with doesn't really open itself up to it. The texture of the suit wouldn't let it turn out well.
-
X3 Phoenix - Avengers' baddie Morgan Le Fay variant
Yellowjacket - MC2 The Buzz variant
-
I don't know why he wasn't repainted for the "best of series"... the normal version was included instead..
as for Juggs.. I wouldn't bet on getting that figure again.. its too big and gas prices are too high....
he would be a build a figure now.
No he wouldn't. We're still getting Hulk figures that are large in ML. The new BAFs are more to size problems of the figures, ie Annihilus's wings, Blob's belly. They would be more difficult to fit into a standard card. Juggernaut would be fine.
Add in the fact that his mold is already done and he wouldn't cost much at all to add into a wave.
-
And all the things you listed as not selling aren't them losing money. Once they get to retailers, SOTA has made their money. They don't get returned to them, just clearanced. That may impact future orders, but doesn't equal a loss on SOTA's part.
Actually, they do get hurt from their products being clearanced. From what Jerry said a year ago, when action figures go on clearance, the toy companies have to buy them back so that stores like TRU or tower records can sell them for clearance prices.
Hell, he said that his accountant was mad at him when he made Akuma from a new sculpt rather from a Ryu and Ken mold.
Even though, Sota does do FX stuff(they do monster FX, that is why their monstrous characters look better than their normal characters), that still doesn't mean they don't lose money from their figure line. From the sounds of it, it seems to me that you are saying as if Jerry is making toys just for fun more than profit and that he can continue despite what hardships his company may endure from selling toys. Correct me if I am wrong, but that is how I am reading your comments.
From the comments I read from Jerry either on Viper's site or a-f.com, it seems otherwise. He comments how he now sees the sf line as a business more than a fan venture as he originally did once he started. As such, I don't agree with your comments.
Truth be told, SOTA toys is a toy company like how Stan Winston toys is a toy company. Their FX studio is a different branch to it. Jerry no longer sculpts mainly since he is busy handling the SOTA toys. He did sculpted when his company was just an fx company.It is like Mcfarlane toys is a different branch from image comics. For those who don't remember Stan Winston toys, they were sold at TRU until the company and TRU went sour towards one another.
Jerry said that starting a toy company is hard to do and that a lot of toy companies are goin under. Even Palisades, whom Jeryy has connections to, went down. It is different from his fx company since the people he is trying to attract our us and not some hollywood studio.
Compared to Mcfarlane, I doubt that there as much sf collectors as their are spawn collectors. We are the minority and with all the issues that Sota is enduring, they are indeed suffering.
I wasn't aware that they were getting charged by retailers. From my experience in retail, it varies from retailer to retailer on how they handle their markdown merchandise.
As for the rest, I probably generalized more than I should have instead of keeping it in relation to SF. Street Fighter figures are not a "bread and butter" line for them. According to a recent posting on af.com, Johnny Cash made more money for them than the last 2 SF lines combined. They're continuing with SF and Darkstalkers because of a love of the license more than for making lots of money off of it. Things like Fall Out Boy are being made to make money so they don't have to succeed as much with the other lines.
-
I don't like the idea of a box set. While I may want 5 Hydra, what if I only want 1 or 2 Brood?
I think the Henchmen would be better served by online shop release individually. Then they don't have to worry about fancy packaging, just a plastic baggy or white box. Then you can go to the site and order as many of each as you want.
Hasbro could even stage them over time to reduce cost and risk. One month release Hydra, next month AIM, etc. As long as sales stay strong, they can keep doing them, even expand on it later with SHIELD, Mandroids, Kree, etc.
-
Are they printed by Hasbro though?
can't find another company's logo on it other than Hasbro, so I would say yeah.
Ah, I don't own any of their other comic-included product. Hmm, that may be more because they are the original owners of the property so they can use those. Getting the right to reprint comics including Marvel's properties may be a different matter. I believe reprinting rights were part of the reason behind the foil posters in foreign releases of TB's ML.
-
You have to consider the costs involved though. This could actually be something they would have to pay Marvel for each comic used. It was different when TB was doing it all themselves. Hasbro may also not have facilities for the printing to be done in HK.
There's several factors that may have caused this move.
They have comics for joe and tf from the marvel, dd, and idw run included for their products. I don't think facilities for printing is the case.
Are they printed by Hasbro though?
-
You have to consider the costs involved though. This could actually be something they would have to pay Marvel for each comic used. It was different when TB was doing it all themselves. Hasbro may also not have facilities for the printing to be done in HK.
There's several factors that may have caused this move.
-
I'm not really up on all their film work. I know they did alot of effects work on Charmed which led to the figures getting made. I believe the F/X company has been around since like '93.
And all the things you listed as not selling aren't them losing money. Once they get to retailers, SOTA has made their money. They don't get returned to them, just clearanced. That may impact future orders, but doesn't equal a loss on SOTA's part.
I'm pretty sure the Round 1 debacle was insured. So, they've continued to make money on their products.
One figure a month is their goal and until they miss their first deadline, I won't automatically fault them on it. They're dealing with a totally new and much better factory than their previous one.
Zangief and Dee Jay are pretty much done, the rest of Rd 5 is probably close to being completed, so that will cover the first half of 07. They'll have from right now until middle of next year at least for the remainder. That rolling timetable should give them plenty of time to keep up with the figures.
-
I hate to say it cause I love their products and Jerry seems to be a real cool guy who is very fan-oriented,but I will be surprised if SOTA is still around by the end of 2007.There are a lot of signs pointing to the fact that they are really struggling.
Well, the difference they have compared to other toy companies is that they aren't "just" a toy company. The bulk of their money comes from their movie fx work, I believe. The toys are just a side thing, almost a hobby in many ways. They're doing the figures they want to make, otherwise, they could have gone into Walmarts and TRUs and settled for crappier production.
This online model will allow them to continue to make them the way they want to. They aren't losing money on anything yet. They've said they would be content to just break even on most of these lines, just to make them. Plus one SF a month is better than the Round setup was working out.
-
Heh, those name plates under the figures just stumped you, huh?
-
Did you really "waste" that much time sending one email with your vote? Come on now.
And they are still supposed to be available to outside US customers through the distributors that carried them before.
-
-
Speaking of chases, how many are there in the Modok wave??? It seems that there are one for every freakin figure made!!!
ML14 and 15 each have 5 out of 6 variants. Only Longshot and Beta Ray Bill don't have variants.
-
It's still the same Toy Biz guys working on the line.
-
I was really hoping for another horde member
Yeah, bring on Modulok!
ML customs BOOMER,GLADIATOR and FIRELORD
in Marvel
Posted
There's way too much Sinister showing through on Gladiator.