171 replies to this topic

[DSTZach]

Now I want to know who Rob talked to and what they told him! Was it Chuck?

[1701D]

 
Well, we didn't have things. Borg is still being sculpted, painted, diorama base being finalized. Reliant still being decoed or outputted or some such, I forget. Neither is at the factory yet., neither is being tooled and/or produced. We can't just "run one off," we're still working on the master prototype for each. There is ONLY one, and not even that. I was under the impression they would be ready, but they were not.
 
Now, the ROMULAN ship is at the factory, as is the Cobra phaser. I wish they had run off one of each of THOSE, even sans electronics, but they did not. The Romulan protoype is not even around any more, but I hope to get a working sample this month. Possibly same with the Phaser, I showed a lit photo at the panel (it's nothing I want to circulate at this time).
 
If that timeline doesn't work for people, I'm sorry. Work continues. I get enough smack talk from David Ellis on Twitter, asking why we're not at STLV -- well, because the people that make sure stuff gets done also work the shows. If we went to every show there would be no toys.

Sorry Zach but all of this is bull.

You've had this licence for 10 years now and you're telling me essentially that it's still suffering from the same problems. Problems with factories, Delays after delays, sloppy quality control issues, more delays, ...

Come on man, we get it, you'll defend DST because you work for DST but honestly you're showing yourselves up to be complete backwards in trying to come forwards. Your presence at shows seems lacklustre compared to other companies like NECA, MEZCO and DC Collectables...

As for your Star Trek line... Well what Star Trek line? It's a random selection of products ranging from Ships, figures, vinyl statues, props, mini mates.... Why not just focus on one or two product lines? Why this throwing shit at the wall in the hopes something sticks?

You look at the other Star Trek licences like Eaglemoss and QMx and MEZCO and you see a perfect selection of product that is displayed with love and affection and pride. In contrast, in star trek's 50th year, it's longest running toy line is non existent...

What the hell is going on and why is it you come across as being completely disinterested in this line?

No more BS, DST need to up their game because there are certain things you do really well but just don't put it out there well enough, instead it's shoved in the corner as an afterthought.

Your ships are brilliant, your select line isn't a line it's a random figure every year, your prop line is again a random prop every year or two.

We know these things take time to produce but shit Zach, there's taking time and then there's DST.

As for not turning up to STLV50. A lot of other companies who had done a full SDCC this year made the extra appearance at Las Vegas for this 50th year. If you're telling me that DST couldn't have done something then clearly what you're saying is that yo haven't given Star Trek a proper thought becaus all of this could have been planned a year in advance.

It's not as though the 50th was sprung on you. You should have been prepared and hit this year with several new products in development.

Quite frankly Zach, DST have completely screwed themselves over this year by not exploiting the 50th Anniversary and the 10th Anniversary of your own Trek line.

Where's the Captains Box Set of action figures?

Where's the Captains Chair action figure box sets?

Where's the mock ups of the Reliant and your next two ships after that?

Where's your Legacy of Spock action figure box set?

You lot over at DST could have been building to this very year knowing that this was your best ever shot at launching a brand spanking new Star Trek range that included ships, 6/7 inch figures and props which would have rolled out in 2016 into 2017 and hopefully garnered interest in CBS giving you the licence for the new Star Trek TV show.

And finally where's the forward thinking in terms of building excitement for Star Trek. Where's the fun and enthusiasm gone from DST? Why haven't you identified that what really works for companies these days is for them to be engaged with their fans on a highly personal and detailed level on what works and what doesn't work in terms of what product fans want to see?

Showcasing product in development, building interest in your lines? You being here on this forum is great but simply not enough.

I don't know how everyone else feels here but I just don't know who DST are? Are you in it to create the best product for collectors out there or are you in this business to sell product to the biggest toy shop?

It's time you guys figured out how to sell Star Trek because you're doing a lousy job right now and that's a shame becaus when you do come out with a product, it's great. But way too little, way too late.

Sorry Zach but I just don't see the enthusiasm in DST for Star Trek anymore. I hope that changes, I hope you guys are awarded the licence to STAR TREK: DISCOVERY and I just pray that by getting that license, it fires you up to look at how best to launch a new Star Trek line!

It's dead Jim...

[Qcjoe]

Wow Phasers set to kill on that one!

[1701D]

Sorry guys, my blood boiled quite frankly and it just really pisses me off that we get the same old excuses from DST and seemingly nothing ever changes.

You'd think after 10 freekin years they'd know how long a space ship takes to make and refined the process or at least improved upon how they document the process to engage the fans more with what it takes to actually make a damn ship

and to have not planned out what they were going to do for the 50th Anniversary just seems bonkers to me!

They've not moved with the times at all, they lag behind all the other companies competing for our hard earned money and have just been so lacklustre in their approach to Star Trek.

[Alteran195]

The RBoP is their 50th anniversary product!

And Khan...

I would have loved to see a TOS Kirk in chair as a select at least.

What would have been really amazing would have been releasing the entire TOS bridge crew throughout the year with diorama pieces that build the Enterprise bridge.

I would have bought every single one.

I know not everyone likes the Trek select line, but I love it how it is.

[djc242]

Wow Phasers set to kill on that one!

I'd call that a transphasic torpedo!

[trekhunter1701]

Well said 1701D. You said everything that I and I'm sure others feel. It funny how DST can put out all kinds of other product lines but Trek is crapped on year after year. The excuse is none of the retailers want to buy. Well produce something like figures and playsets along with the ships. If not just give it up already.

[1701D]

Well said 1701D. You said everything that I and I'm sure others feel. It funny how DST can put out all kinds of other product lines but Trek is crapped on year after year. The excuse is none of the retailers want to buy. Well produce something like figures and playsets along with the ships. If not just give it up already.

If the excuse is retailers don't want to buy, then find another way to sell, promote and excite fans over your line of product.

Here's an idea... Get the resources and go to STLV50, Star Trek Destination Europe and Star Trek Mission New York... How is it DST fail to roll with the times! How is it that other companies such as Mezco, QMx, Avanos, Eaglemoss... Have no problems spending the time and money to promote their product at conventions as well as SDCC and DST couldn't spare one or two people with some volunteers dressed in Star Trek uniforms to go and promote their product!

How is it DST fail to realise the potential in actually spreading the word about their stuff.

How is it that a company of DST's size can't do this?

I bet if this were a huge Marvel anniversary they'd do it.

Enough is enough. You want the Star Trek license, fantastic, but for god sake, do something great with it! Go out there and contact the Okudas, Drexler, Eaves! Get them onboard to help design and promote your ships! Partner up with someone new to sculpt a totally awesome box set of captains figures that would be sold exclusively through startrek.com or entertainment earth, big bad toy store, forbidden planet, you know, somewhere that Trekkie's actually buy product from instead of trying to get everything into Toys R Us! beyond this smattering of randomly release product.

All of the excuses, all of the reasons Zach has given us over the months/years about how Star Trek doesn't sell is utter bull shit and suggests two dimensional thinking.

First of all if it didn't sell they wouldn't be making it still

If Star Trek wasn't a profitable and marketable brand no one would be making Star Trek merch. Not Mezco, not QMx, not Eaglemoss, not Mega Bloks, not The Wand Company... NECA, Hot Wheels, Titan Merchandise... The list goes on forever and all of those companies saw the potential in making a profit out of Star Trek... Some of those companies won't continue making Trek of course but every one of them has agreed to spend the money to produce product for Star Trek and hit this year hard with a huge amount of product... Where's DST? A ship, a figure and a prop that may or may not be out in time for Christmas? That's not how you make a profit from anything, let alone Star Trek.

There's no creativity or imagination left at DST, and seemingly no one who gives a moments thought to where and what it is they want from their own Star Trek line.

[Dilithium1]

Don't make them mad; I want my Reliant!

[JMW326]

If the excuse is retailers don't want to buy, then find another way to sell, promote and excite fans over your line of product.
Here's an idea... Get the resources and go to STLV50, Star Trek Destination Europe and Star Trek Mission New York... How is it DST fail to roll with the times! How is it that other companies such as Mezco, QMx, Avanos, Eaglemoss... Have no problems spending the time and money to promote their product at conventions as well as SDCC and DST couldn't spare one or two people with some volunteers dressed in Star Trek uniforms to go and promote their product!
How is it DST fail to realise the potential in actually spreading the word about their stuff.
How is it that a company of DST's size can't do this?
I bet if this were a huge Marvel anniversary they'd do it.
Enough is enough. You want the Star Trek license, fantastic, but for god sake, do something great with it! Go out there and contact the Okudas, Drexler, Eaves! Get them onboard to help design and promote your ships! Partner up with someone new to sculpt a totally awesome box set of captains figures that would be sold exclusively through startrek.com or entertainment earth, big bad toy store, forbidden planet, you know, somewhere that Trekkie's actually buy product from instead of trying to get everything into Toys R Us! beyond this smattering of randomly release product.
All of the excuses, all of the reasons Zach has given us over the months/years about how Star Trek doesn't sell is utter bull shit and suggests two dimensional thinking.
First of all if it didn't sell they wouldn't be making it still
If Star Trek wasn't a profitable and marketable brand no one would be making Star Trek merch. Not Mezco, not QMx, not Eaglemoss, not Mega Bloks, not The Wand Company... NECA, Hot Wheels, Titan Merchandise... The list goes on forever and all of those companies saw the potential in making a profit out of Star Trek... Some of those companies won't continue making Trek of course but every one of them has agreed to spend the money to produce product for Star Trek and hit this year hard with a huge amount of product... Where's DST? A ship, a figure and a prop that may or may not be out in time for Christmas? That's not how you make a profit from anything, let alone Star Trek.
There's no creativity or imagination left at DST, and seemingly no one who gives a moments thought to where and what it is they want from their own Star Trek line.

I completely agree with this.

[tuvok47]

DST at a Star Trek con would be the saddest little booth ever.  The Khan Select, TNG phaser, and a drawing of the Reliant in a glass case.  

[djc242]

A ton of the booths here now have DST stuff. Mostly stuff from the last 2 years but some older AA figures, ships, and props. The ENT phase pistols are still $150

[Prometheus]

Don't make them mad; I want my Reliant!

Customers shouldn't be afraid of Companies.... Companies should be afraid of their Customers.... LOL


Serioysly guys, how pathetic is it that we have to kiss butt in hopes we will get a crumb from DST.

Im not trying to rabble rouse, Im just being honest.... The whole Trek Merchandising Machine stinks....

Eaglemoss is the only company with open arms towards their customers.

I feel like I have to walk on eggshells around here... Its become sad... We are paying these peoples salaries and we get talked to like children.... Worst thing... Some people like it that way.

I dont really come to this site much anymore and really dont care to. There still are some great people on here... I wish you well.

Ive moved on to greener pastures.

Live Long, and Prosper....

I'll see you.... out there!

[djc242]

Don't go Pro! Crush the mother-cussing egg shells!

[Commodore Kor'Tar]

If waiting for the Enterprise-B, NCC-2000 Excelsior, and the Klingon Bird of Prey starships has taught us anything, it's that patience is a virtue when it comes to DST. 

Yes, we get news of the next ship in drydock being built, and the fans in us want to know what it is, see pictures of it, and be able to order it all yesterday. 

Sure, we get annoyed and impatient at times. I keep myself distracted with Netflix, Star Trek news, various things on the book of faces. I know that one day in the future, Diamond Select Toys will have a fully decoed, fully painted, and assembled sample of the Reliant off the production line, and I know on that fateful day, Zach will take multiple images and upload them to DST's Facebook page, and news of it will go around the moons of Nibia and spread like Perdition's Flames. 

 

[Alex]

If waiting for the Enterprise-B, NCC-2000 Excelsior, and the Klingon Bird of Prey starships has taught us anything, it's that patience is a virtue when it comes to DST.

This cannot be overstated enough; it's exactly why I don't get upset with DST handling things the way that they do, even when other companies might lap them with loads of releases on (significantly less complex) items. For better or worse, DST is basically to Trek what Apple often is to computers. They release things on their own schedule, march to the beat of their own drum, and the end result is usually phenomenal. Sometimes "version one" has a rather odd flaw in it, but subsequent releases never fail to impress even when this is the case. Like Apple, DST releases their products when they're ready instead of shoving them out the door because the calendar says that it's time to do so; and the end result is always worth the wait. We always tend to get cranky waiting for DST's latest release, but once it gets here, it never disappoints, and always feels like they went the extra mile to get it right. I'm fine with this, I admit that it would have been nice for DST to have the resources to crank out a huge 50th anniversary line, but they just don't seem to be able to do that, and I'm happy with what we're getting. As you've said, with DST, patience is a virtue, and every recent ship we've gotten reinforces the "good things come to those who wait" mentality. If DST were delivering a substandard product I'd be the first complaining about this, but the simple fact is that what we're getting seems to be great to me, and if it takes a little longer for us to get about as close to perfect as possible instead of "good enough," I'll go with the wait.

 

About the only thing I really disagree with DST on is that a full VGR crew couldn't sell in a 7" articulated figure line, but that's because I think you'd have to package it correctly to get it to sell. When TOS "wouldn't sell" in the '90s, Playmates put the whole bridge crew in one "gift set" box and sold it that way so that people got everything at once for a slightly steeper than usual price. I'd buy VGR figures anyway, but if DST put the entire crew in a box and marked it up, I'd happily pay that mark–up to have the entire crew, even if they were made almost entirley with head–swaps. Characters like 7 of 9, the EMH, and Janeway should sell easily though so even if the "gift set" was a limited run, DST could still reissue those particular characters on a much wider scale and easily turn a profit. I'd pay a small fortune for a full VGR bridge crew, and am not ashamed to admit it. Then again, I also pre–ordered the Maltz/Kruge two–pack, Sisko+Chair, and would have pre–ordered 7 of 9 had she ever made it to the pre–order phase, so as far as I'm concerned I spoke loudly in support of this stuff with my wallet prior to it being cancelled. I just wish others had joined me.

 

If history is any indication, the Reliant will be awesome, I can be patient enough to wait for it, even if I wish I could have it sooner.

[Alteran195]

It's easy for DST to take their time, and never change anything since there is no competition for the products they make. 
 
They know people will buy their ships regardless, because they are the only ones making larger scale ship replicas. 
 
This is why Moebius getting the Kelvin-verse license excites me so much. I know they make damn nice quality pre-built kits based on my experience with their BSG models. 
 
If they end up releasing pre-built Trek kits, even unlit, i'd be more interested in them versus DST. Especially if they get the license for the Prime Timeline.
 
They know people will buy their figures because no one else is making reasonably priced Trek figures.
 
I'd love for QMx to make smaller, statue like figures like they have for Firefly and DC. I'd also love NECA to take a swing at making Trek figures, since they make damn nice stuff for other franchises.
 
Props is tough.
 
Again, they are the only one making reasonably priced ones, but I can't really think of another company that makes stuff similar to what DST makes in this department. 
 
The Wand Company has been releasing some damn nice stuff, but it's also significantly more expensive. QMx has made a couple Kelvin-verse props, but they are few and far between, and also a bit more pricey than DST's stuff. 
 
I just wish CBS would give some other collector level toy companies the Trek license so we can get more options than just DST. Competition is a good thing, and maybe then we'd get the changes a lot of us want. 
 
 
 

Customers shouldn't be afraid of Companies.... Companies should be afraid of their Customers.... LOL


Serioysly guys, how pathetic is it that we have to kiss butt in hopes we will get a crumb from DST.

Im not trying to rabble rouse, Im just being honest.... The whole Trek Merchandising Machine stinks....

Eaglemoss is the only company with open arms towards their customers.

I feel like I have to walk on eggshells around here... Its become sad... We are paying these peoples salaries and we get talked to like children.... Worst thing... Some people like it that way.

I dont really come to this site much anymore and really dont care to. There still are some great people on here... I wish you well.

Ive moved on to greener pastures.

Live Long, and Prosper....

I'll see you.... out there!

I'd hate to see you stop showing up on here Prometheus, I love seeing your posts and what not. 

[robster]

Qcjoe - I wanted to do that but don't know how to change it,lol! Was gonna go with NotSoRandomRobster,but since that's too long I want RandomRobster. Since my posts are kinda random,and unfocused,and all over the place anyways,LOL!

 

Zach - I hear ya,and there are a few things I want to know as well,but that's not gonna happen,lol. And how much trouble would he be in if I told you anyways. And it wasn't Chuck,I know who that is and didn't get to talk with him at all this time. Maybe I'll e-mail ya,keep this little thing outta here.

 

I was gonna write a whole lot more.....but just can't be bothered right now.

 

J-R!

 

 

[Jay K]

Yeah Prometheus, this forum isn't just for DST, and your posts are always good (t'is crap having nothing much to talk about though, so I get that...). At least post any models you make.

I see Zach and Robster are now assuming the roles of forum Yridians.

[robster]

Whatever those are. LOL!

 

J-R!