New Star Trek Edition blog at art asylum's web site
#1
Posted 20 July 2009 - 02:57 PM
Other than the ships, it seems that they are having a hard time marketing the action figures.
#2
Posted 21 July 2009 - 04:12 AM
#4
Posted 22 July 2009 - 12:06 PM
From the blog, things may be looking much dicier for the action figures than the ships and Trek Tech. Can only hope that as the recession eases interest will pick up again I suppose. I so want those TMP figures lol....
#5
Posted 22 July 2009 - 05:18 PM
I'm glad they are finally learning not to announce release dates until the products are closer to production. That will save on a lot of headaches.
#6
Posted 10 August 2009 - 01:56 PM
Speaking of Chuck's blog, something caught my eye. The following is a direct quote from DSTChuck in response to Jeremy Killion's question about the borg line:
#7
Posted 10 August 2009 - 02:06 PM
1. Why hasn't Rick ordered more Enterprise-Ds? Are there no more available, or did Rick simply order fewer Enterprise-Ds, than ships released in the past?
2. Is the reason the Enterprise-D needs to sell many more units to break even because of the saucer separation?
3. When Chuck said the Enterprise-D needs to sell more units to break even, does he mean more units from the current run, or does he mean that DST will need to do more production runs (thus incurring more expense) in order to break even on the Enterprise-D?
Basically I'm confused, on one hand a DST employee is telling us that the Ent-D needs to sell many more units to break even, on the other hand, Rick's own website has "SOLD OUT" in big red letters. I mean, I highly doubt that all of the Ent-Ds sold out within the past couple of weeks, and if they did, wouldn't DST want to do another production run, maybe with the "missing windows" this time? I'm just not sure what to make of this; I'm seeing mixed messages here. Any information is appreciated.
#8
Posted 10 August 2009 - 02:38 PM
One is that NFCC is a preferred retailer for a lot of us - we all buy through Rick, and he buys enough to cover his demand with a bit leftover. There may be other retailers out there, including the local Comic Shop, that still have plenty in stock (since we're all buying from Rick ). So going by NFCC might not be the best metric.
Also, you're right, it could very well be that DST can't cover all their costs with one run, and can cover it with a second. Toys have a large original outlay of fixed costs; the variable costs added on are much less expensive to recoup.
Speaking of Chuck's blog, something caught my eye. The following is a direct quote from DSTChuck in response to Jeremy Killion's question about the borg line:
Now, here's where I get confused. If you head over to Newforce Comics & Collectibles, and into the "Ships & Accessories" section under TNG, you'll find that as of 08/10/09 at 3:46P.M. EDT, everything except the BD 1701-E and the BD 1701-E "openers" are SOLD OUT. There are no Enterprise-Ds in stock, so here are my questions:
1. Why hasn't Rick ordered more Enterprise-Ds? Are there no more available, or did Rick simply order fewer Enterprise-Ds, than ships released in the past?
2. Is the reason the Enterprise-D needs to sell many more units to break even because of the saucer separation?
3. When Chuck said the Enterprise-D needs to sell more units to break even, does he mean more units from the current run, or does he mean that DST will need to do more production runs (thus incurring more expense) in order to break even on the Enterprise-D?
Basically I'm confused, on one hand a DST employee is telling us that the Ent-D needs to sell many more units to break even, on the other hand, Rick's own website has "SOLD OUT" in big red letters. I mean, I highly doubt that all of the Ent-Ds sold out within the past couple of weeks, and if they did, wouldn't DST want to do another production run, maybe with the "missing windows" this time? I'm just not sure what to make of this; I'm seeing mixed messages here. Any information is appreciated.
#9
Posted 11 August 2009 - 02:13 PM
One is that NFCC is a preferred retailer for a lot of us - we all buy through Rick, and he buys enough to cover his demand with a bit leftover. There may be other retailers out there, including the local Comic Shop, that still have plenty in stock (since we're all buying from Rick ). So going by NFCC might not be the best metric.
Also, you're right, it could very well be that DST can't cover all their costs with one run, and can cover it with a second. Toys have a large original outlay of fixed costs; the variable costs added on are much less expensive to recoup.
#10
Posted 11 August 2009 - 03:14 PM
One is that NFCC is a preferred retailer for a lot of us - we all buy through Rick, and he buys enough to cover his demand with a bit leftover. There may be other retailers out there, including the local Comic Shop, that still have plenty in stock (since we're all buying from Rick ). So going by NFCC might not be the best metric.
It seems like the variants that sold out the most quickly were the Mirror Universe NX-01 and the AGT-D, yet DST continues to milk the TOS 1701 mold for all its worth. I would think that if a variant, such as the AGT-D, sold as well as it did, DST would at least consider a second production run as a "non-exclusive" item, but then again, they never did reissue the Mirror Universe NX-01 and that also sold out rather quickly if memory serves.
What I don't get is that DST talks about having certain "key items," like Phasers, and Tricorders, and Kirk figures "always available," for sale, but they don't give the starships the same treatment. I can't go out and pick up another, updated 1701-A if I want to, I can't pick up an updated and reissued 1701-E, even in a "limited" 1701 production run, and once the Ent-D is totally sold out, it too will probably wind up in starship limbo begging for a reissue from the fans who didn't descend on the almost already sold-out first run. Even the original TOS 1701 seems difficult to find these days, which it shouldn't be when DST is churning out two variants of that ship. My worry is that the TOS 1701 will eventually be like the current run of Kirk figures: Just as Kirk-fanatics are happy to have a new head sculpt, TOS 1701 fanatics will be happy to have a "new orange slice sculpt" on their nacelles one day. Likewise, just as most of us are getting sick of "all Kirk all the time," most of us will also get sick of "all TOS 1701 variants all the time" eventually. I'm hoping that "we need to sell more units to break even" also means that DST needs to produce more 1701-D units to break even. If they want to go variant happy with the 1701-D to meet that goal, it's better than a seventh variant (sixth if you don't count the gold Japanese-exclusive 1701) of the TOS 1701. At least one of the Galaxy-class ships in DS9 had the "phaser-strip" warp-engines from the AGT-D, so DST could do that ship as a variant, and there are a slew of other Galaxy-Class variants that come to mind as well (U.S.S. Odyssey, U.S.S. Yamato, and so on,) that DST could use to ensure that they break-even on the mold if the problem is that they need further runs of the Enterprise-D.
I think that this might be worthy of a question for "Ask DST," unless someone like Rick with "inside information" can shed some light on the situation, or someone like DSTChuck decides to post on TrekToy and let us know whats going on. In truth, I could use another run of the standard Ent-D; if they add the windows to the "neck," that's great, if not, well I'd like to have a better quality box for the ship I'm keeping sealed than the one I have now, so either way, another run would be more than welcome on my end.
#11
Posted 12 August 2009 - 03:11 PM
But then again, I'm mad at Disney for waiting 30 years to release Dr. Syn alias The Scarescrow on DVD, but only making 70,000 copies (in a nation of 300 million people) so it sells out in 2 1/2 weeks. They must teach this type of marketing in some liberal school somewhere. Sounds socialist to me. Everything is a collectible and only available for people with ready cash. <no flames .. just kidding ... sort of)
Well, at least I have time to sve up for the BOP and Excelsior class ships. Now I know to grab everything at once.
Also, Big bad Toys came up in another discussion. Are they okay to shop with? I've heard some discouraging words online.
Mike T alias The CanOpener 1956
It seems like the variants that sold out the most quickly were the Mirror Universe NX-01 and the AGT-D, yet DST continues to milk the TOS 1701 mold for all its worth. I would think that if a variant, such as the AGT-D, sold as well as it did, DST would at least consider a second production run as a "non-exclusive" item, but then again, they never did reissue the Mirror Universe NX-01 and that also sold out rather quickly if memory serves.
What I don't get is that DST talks about having certain "key items," like Phasers, and Tricorders, and Kirk figures "always available," for sale, but they don't give the starships the same treatment. I can't go out and pick up another, updated 1701-A if I want to, I can't pick up an updated and reissued 1701-E, even in a "limited" 1701 production run, and once the Ent-D is totally sold out, it too will probably wind up in starship limbo begging for a reissue from the fans who didn't descend on the almost already sold-out first run. Even the original TOS 1701 seems difficult to find these days, which it shouldn't be when DST is churning out two variants of that ship. My worry is that the TOS 1701 will eventually be like the current run of Kirk figures: Just as Kirk-fanatics are happy to have a new head sculpt, TOS 1701 fanatics will be happy to have a "new orange slice sculpt" on their nacelles one day. Likewise, just as most of us are getting sick of "all Kirk all the time," most of us will also get sick of "all TOS 1701 variants all the time" eventually. I'm hoping that "we need to sell more units to break even" also means that DST needs to produce more 1701-D units to break even. If they want to go variant happy with the 1701-D to meet that goal, it's better than a seventh variant (sixth if you don't count the gold Japanese-exclusive 1701) of the TOS 1701. At least one of the Galaxy-class ships in DS9 had the "phaser-strip" warp-engines from the AGT-D, so DST could do that ship as a variant, and there are a slew of other Galaxy-Class variants that come to mind as well (U.S.S. Odyssey, U.S.S. Yamato, and so on,) that DST could use to ensure that they break-even on the mold if the problem is that they need further runs of the Enterprise-D.
I think that this might be worthy of a question for "Ask DST," unless someone like Rick with "inside information" can shed some light on the situation, or someone like DSTChuck decides to post on TrekToy and let us know whats going on. In truth, I could use another run of the standard Ent-D; if they add the windows to the "neck," that's great, if not, well I'd like to have a better quality box for the ship I'm keeping sealed than the one I have now, so either way, another run would be more than welcome on my end.
#12
Posted 12 August 2009 - 09:11 PM
Well, at least I have time to save up for the BOP and Excelsior class ships. Now I know to grab everything at once.
Also, Big bad Toys came up in another discussion. Are they okay to shop with? I've heard some discouraging words online.
Mike T alias The CanOpener 1956
Sounds more capitalistic (which we definitely are) than socialist to me. In fact, sounds the opposite of socialist.
Regarding BBTS, I have ordered quite a bit from them and it has always gone smoothly. I once got a Data who had a horribly messed up eye paint application, so much so that he looked blind in one eye, and they quickly sent out another one and told me to not worry about sending the other back.
Also, regarding the Enterprise-D, I got the last regular D at my local Hastings, and there are still 2 AGT D's there as well.
#13
Posted 12 August 2009 - 09:28 PM
I thought the same exact thing!!
As for the exclusive ship concept....what it does is force people to buy two of the same item with minimal changes/expenses made by the company. I myself love variant ships because it gives me the opportunity to get a fleet that has some variation. Obviously the TOS Enterprise is a great example because DST hooked me for 5 ships whereas Playmates only got me for one. So for the extra tooling and paint apps they get a heck of a lot more bang for their buck. The other benefit is the rental of the factory itself. Im sure they do some sort of deal where the price of time decreases when more is purchased or a minimum amount is needed to be purchased. So instead of making more of just the original TOS, they vary it up so they can sell more product. I would assume (and I stress assume) that the main expenses are the tooling and then the factory time. So if you dont plan on rerunning the orginal ship for a second release then a variant ship really isnt needed. I would also assume that if DST saw enough demand for a second run of the AGT then they would go ahead and do that, but I may suspect that it would take place of a 3rd Ent-D variant.
To answer your question directly, DSTs variants are not meant to stay in stock for long. Its been the case with the Cage/WNMHGB Ent, its the case for the shortpacked figure, now the case with the AGT and I assume will be the case with either the Ent-B/Exclesior.
#14
Posted 13 August 2009 - 04:27 PM
I'm not so sure. Capitalism will make a product and sell it to anyone who has money. Lots of product, makes lots of money. Under socialism (or, actually, as a direct result of its policies), little product only goes to certain select people who have contacts, time and lots of cash (as opposed to just a little cash). I sometimes feel that in today's world, if you are not part of the heaving mass waiting in line at 8am on a "release" Tuesday at Best Buy, you are out of luck on some items.
My concern (and my opinion alone), is that this is a trend that I have been seeing develop in many places among many products, an "exclusive" or "limited" mentality. It seems everything is a 'collectors" item nowadays. Over the years, I think it has increased. Or I'm just getting older and grumpier. Or, I'm just nuts and seeing things. Who knows? <and I'm not taking a poll >
[quote name='spider1981' date='Aug 12 2009, 10:11 PM' post='44540']
Sounds more capitalistic (which we definitely are) than socialist to me. In fact, sounds the opposite of socialist.
#15
Posted 13 August 2009 - 07:36 PM
Feel free to gripe all you want about not getting what you want at the price you want to pay w/o politicizing it.
#16
Posted 14 August 2009 - 08:48 AM
Feel free to gripe all you want about not getting what you want at the price you want to pay w/o politicizing it.
#17
Posted 14 August 2009 - 11:13 PM
King of the who?.... well done!
Now back to our regularly scheduled programming...
#18
Posted 16 August 2009 - 03:58 PM
Quoting an "Anarcho-Syndicalist" about being "repressed" from griping about capitalism!
#19
Posted 21 August 2009 - 04:48 PM
#20
Posted 21 August 2009 - 05:02 PM
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