26 replies to this topic

[VulcanFanatic]

Something Jules said today made me think about the old AACC club, a club that a lot of collectors belonged to that was connected with the old Art Asylum website, way before DST came on the scene. The Club started out great, with a membership kit that included exclusive items, including a 2003 Convention exclusive Yellow shirt Kirk figure (YSK),membership card, blank minimates and other miscellaneous stuff, a newsletter that was published every couple of months and supposedly exclusive info concerning AA's upcoming products. I think the club started in 2002 and ended in 2004 or so. How many members here do we have here that are Alumni of the AACC? By the way, FHC has the distinction of having been the AACC Vice President for a time.

[FHC]

Oh no here comes the hate mail in my PM Box.....

[slayerone76]

Oh no here comes the hate mail in my PM Box.....

Is that different for you Mark?

[The_Donster]

I belonged to the AACC from inception to conclusion. Mark did his best to insure that everyone got what they ordered and we're taking care of before the forum shut down that time. While yes, there were some good times when it comes to the AA forum, there were also some dark times. Most that were there and made the leap over here remember what those were, so I don't see the need to drudge up the past. I'm like you though, just another member, but as I said in another forum, I try to treat every forum like Vegas. What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. That way any animosity doesn't follow to another forum and taint other members experience. Yes, we should never forget the past, least we repeat it. Unfortunately though, folks have a tendency to want to bring the ugliness back to the forefront in other communities.

[JulesLuvsShinzon]

^^^Well, that's your view but I don't see it that way at all.

If people have dealt with the bad bits of the past and actually moved on from those times, then it does no harm to talk about good experiences that were shared in other places that no longer exist ~ otherwise I guess that most of us would still be there. Remember, it was AA who pulled the board (twice in fact) not that we got so disgusted that we all left. Remembering the past doesn't have to be negative, and it's how a lot of us met.

I'm not AACC allumni as such, but do recall thanking my lucky stars that I didn't take advice to join up because it seemed to be a little devisive if I recall because there was a big debate about members possibly getting news and other favours before the general punter. I think I decided not to because it seemed to be more geared up for US customers and I live in the UK and as such it was have cost me considerably more to join. I do recall that Mark was the hero who tried his best to clear everything up when things went tits up and got goods out to people. If I recall, it took a long time and he was probably left out of a pocket as a result ~ so I don't think that's a kindness that we should forget even if I wasn't directly involved.

[pickard]

I was a member. Those weren't good times. I, too, see no good coming from this discussion. There are still lingering animosities from that period, some of it between current members of this board.

[TheHSBR]

Check in if you'd like but please leave your opinion at the door. It would be nice to see a number but anything else really doesnt fit the original question.

[VulcanFanatic]

Jules, you gave me a good laugh, had'nt had one of those in a while. I guess i was'nt looking to dredge up any of the old animosities or the bad things about the AACC, just taking a trip down memory lane. I remember how exciting it was to be getting TOS Star Trek figures back in 2003 and thinking about how different Art Asylums style was from Playmates stuff. It was a big change, a welcome change, but at the same time, i liked both of the styles, it was like toy figures vs Collectors figures. I lurked at the old AA board for some time before registering, then took some more time before i made the leap into the AACC. I miss KBtoys.com too, because thats where i bought most of AA's stuff from back then, because you couldnt find it at TRU. KBtoys would have sales where you could get figures for 5 bucks a piece. I ordered tons from them. I know the AACC didnt turn out to be what the collectors wanted it to be, and it would be great if DST could have something like that, only run by someone in DST this time. You know, i wish i knew where some of the old members from that forum went, i can still see their avatars when i think about them. Pickard had a Robin avatar wasnt it? I used to have a bookmarked site that cataloged forum websites that were sort of like snapshots of the forum back in the day, it was kinda neat to look at, but i lost the link ages ago.

[UFP-1701]

I am still waiting on my AACC "Official Membership Certificate" suitable for framing. Mark shall not rest til I have it...

[pickard]

Pickard had a Robin avatar wasnt it?

Yeah, it might've been this one, or another.
It's usually either Obi-Wan or Robin.

Good memory, VF.

Those were interesting times. I was actually an AA fan from their earlier Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon line (which was amazing). When the news broke that they got the Trek license, I was psyched. In my opinion, they never lived up to the initial promise, but it was always interesting.

[VulcanFanatic]

I am still waiting on my AACC "Official Membership Certificate" suitable for framing. Mark shall not rest til I have it...

Yeah Mark, i never got mine either! Send mine out when you send one to Roger.

Yeah, it might've been this one, or another.
It's usually either Obi-Wan or Robin.

Good memory, VF.

Those were interesting times. I was actually an AA fan from their earlier Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon line (which was amazing). When the news broke that they got the Trek license, I was psyched. In my opinion, they never lived up to the initial promise, but it was always interesting.

Having a exclusive forum for a collectors club was a great idea, and if DST was running it, i think it would have been a bigger success. We get lots of info now, compared with the AA days. The Enterprise figures that AA put out to begin with were great figures, with outstanding likenesses, too bad the show wasnt more popular so that the figure line had been more of a success too. AA started out with Enterprise figures, Nemesis, and the Borg figure line, and none of the three lines were very successful. I still think AA should have started out with TOS or maybe a sort of Legacy line that showcased all of the Star Trek series that could have made the line more of a success earlier on. The Star Trek line could be a bit different now if AA had made different decisions back then. I happen to think the way its turned out is probably better than if AA had not went with DST, but you never know.

[pickard]

Having a exclusive forum for a collectors club was a great idea, and if DST was running it, i think it would have been a bigger success. We get lots of info now, compared with the AA days. The Enterprise figures that AA put out to begin with were great figures, with outstanding likenesses, too bad the show wasnt more popular so that the figure line had been more of a success too. AA started out with Enterprise figures, Nemesis, and the Borg figure line, and none of the three lines were very successful. I still think AA should have started out with TOS or maybe a sort of Legacy line that showcased all of the Star Trek series that could have made the line more of a success earlier on. The Star Trek line could be a bit different now if AA had made different decisions back then. I happen to think the way its turned out is probably better than if AA had not went with DST, but you never know.

I don't think that anyone could pull off what AA attempted with the collector's club. The concept of releasing images and information to a select few is just not feasible these days where all information is shared across the Web as soon as it is released. Other companies have succeeded with the exclusive figures for their club members, but you just can't contain information.

The Enterprise figures were great. There's no doubt that you're right, and AA would've been better served by starting off with TOS.

[VulcanFanatic]

I don't think that anyone could pull off what AA attempted with the collector's club. The concept of releasing images and information to a select few is just not feasible these days where all information is shared across the Web as soon as it is released. Other companies have succeeded with the exclusive figures for their club members, but you just can't contain information.

The Enterprise figures were great. There's no doubt that you're right, and AA would've been better served by starting off with TOS.

I think the info for the most part that we was supposed to get in the AACC was just an earlier release (maybe a week or a month) before everyone else was supposed to get the same info. I think we were supposed to get some exclusive pics and or maybe other inside info from the AA staff.

[The_Donster]

Yeah, but Pickard is right VF. Right now DST releases their info via their blog or Facebook, like most companies out there. So what's the advantage to having a CC? Especially with the economy in the toilet. I'm not saying I wouldn't love it, but I also see the headaches it's bring to Mattel at the moment too. Trust me, it's more work than it's worth.

[pickard]

Wasn't it the Wonder Woman minimate image they posted in the AACC area that caused the whole poopstorm that ended the release of early info?

[Wildcard]

AACC alumni as well (still waiting on my YSK though ). There were some hard lessons learned from those boards, but I think most of us who migrated to this site learned enough to NOT fall back into those habits, at least not on open forum. This site reminds me most of the good times had on that board. It was my first BB that I ever joined.

[The_Donster]

Yeah, I can't remember if it was AA or Palisade's forum that I joined first. I'll agree with WC though, this is where most of the good people migrated after the fall. Pickard, I can't remember what the deal was and what caused the final countdown there. I just remember feeling like I wasn't getting information before other boards by the end

[VulcanFanatic]

AACC alumni as well (still waiting on my YSK though ). There were some hard lessons learned from those boards, but I think most of us who migrated to this site learned enough to NOT fall back into those habits, at least not on open forum. This site reminds me most of the good times had on that board. It was my first BB that I ever joined.

I think i can safely say that your YSK "IS NOT" in the mail. The post office can be slow, but not quite this slow. If i remember correctly, some new info from AA ended up being released on another website before it got to us, and that set of a chain reaction to the meltdown. I cant remember what the info was though.

[CanOpener1256]

Is this club you are all talking about different from the "DST Radicals" club they have on DST/AA's website. I joined that earlier this year (2/2009) and have never received so much as an email or an obscene phone call.

[VulcanFanatic]

Is this club you are all talking about different from the "DST Radicals" club they have on DST/AA's website. I joined that earlier this year (2/2009) and have never received so much as an email or an obscene phone call.

No, not the same club. The AACC was an exclusive club connected with the Art Asylum website back before DST came along to produce Star Trek figures as a partner with AA. The club existed from 2002 to 2004 or early 2005.