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Where in Samhamey did they unearth bloody variants of Gene? Did they ship stuff back to the toyplant to have them open and slap some paint on? This is just nonsensical! I hope the Dressed To Kill figures are done with the actual likeness of Ace and Peter so I can buy multiple sets! If things continue to go this way...this line is going to die a sad death. As it is KISS as a traveling band is on its last legs with Paul's dead voice.
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I love the nightlife..I love to boogie:googly: -
I'm a pretty die-hard Kiss collector but I'm going to have to pass on these. I actually liked getting a Tommy and Eric (love 'em or hate 'em, they are helping to keep the band alive) in the Sonic Boom set as they've never been done as toys before. However, I think it's a complete misstep on CTVT's part to release another set of the current line-up so soon (if at all). I wasn't as happy with the Sonic Boom set as I was with the first two waves... and, now, these Monster figures are WAY too similar to the SB ones to merit another purchase so soon. They really should have saved these for a year or two down the road and made sure to get other sets out first, like the Dressed to Kill ones they've been teasing.
Plus, what's with them releasing all these waves so quickly in succession? Maybe they have to race the license running out or something but it doesn't seem like a smart thing to do. They are already reaching a burnout point with collectors and they are going to be sitting on a TON of unsold figures.
Also, someone mentioned the McFarlane figures going for dirt cheap. Actually, there are a few sets that actually command some premium prices. The Alive, Creatures, and Love Gun boxed sets are actually quite pricey and seem to keep rising.Comment
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I'm not personally interested in any of the KISS figures past the first series, but I still think they look all right. Heads don't look to be in any worse scale than the BBP stuff. Costumes look really nice.You are a bold and courageous person, afraid of nothing. High on a hill top near your home, there stands a dilapidated old mansion. Some say the place is haunted, but you don't believe in such myths. One dark and stormy night, a light appears in the topmost window in the tower of the old house. You decide to investigate... and you never return...Comment
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I can see some box sets going for more simply because they are boxed sets. But the figures themselves have little staying power. See examples below. And these are good sculpts on fairly good looking figures.
Here's even one for the whole lot going on the cheap.
But I do agree with you that CTVT is quickly smothering the market and pushing the consumer base away. If the quality remains like this, I can only see the custom market becoming more lucrative in the aftermath because people will be able to part these out and do exceptionally better work. As these stand, I doubt most diehard fans want to invest in those prices since they lack enough presence to even display.Comment
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So... has anyone bought and opened these figures? I for one, would love to see some more pics!Comment
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I can see your point. Several of the single figures that were produced in bigger quantities (Paul and Gene) do go for reasonable prices. However, someone got a pretty good deal on the four Creatures figures compared to what that set usually sells for. Many recently completed auctions are around the $100 mark with one set even going for $150. The boxed set with the stage and lights sells consistently in the $100 - $150 range. The Alive single sets and boxed sets also sell in that range. The Love Gun boxed set has consistently sold in the $150 range, recently ... and even higher.I can see some box sets going for more simply because they are boxed sets. But the figures themselves have little staying power. See examples below. And these are good sculpts on fairly good looking figures.
Here's even one for the whole lot going on the cheap.
But I do agree with you that CTVT is quickly smothering the market and pushing the consumer base away. If the quality remains like this, I can only see the custom market becoming more lucrative in the aftermath because people will be able to part these out and do exceptionally better work. As these stand, I doubt most diehard fans want to invest in those prices since they lack enough presence to even display.
I'm not trying to start an argument. These sets do sell very consistently at much higher than original retail price. Not bad for post-reunion merchandise.
Regarding the new CTVT Monster figures, I'm guessing they already realize they've made a mistake releasing another current lineup set so quickly. I got an email from Kiss Museum announcing the set and preorder less than a week ago. Already, today, they've sent out another promo e-mail announcing a free Gene variant figure with any preorders of the 12" or 8" set of Monster figures. I would imagine they are going to have a really hard time selling these. Like you said, the quality isn't there, either. Even if both current lineup sets looked amazing, a Monster set this soon would still be a hard sell.Comment
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Oh no argument. We're just exchanging ideas on the market. You make some really good points too. I think CTVT is beginning to build a sizable backlog/surplus in unsold figures. So they're having to create new product (like the Monster figures) or entice buyers with "giveaways" to try and move it out. Personally I think they just got greedy. I know they paid alot for that license. And maybe they made alot of that back with the first edition figures. But then again, maybe they didn't. I just know these prices are way too high for the product coming out of the factory. Perhaps they got sloppy because they figured people would buy it simply because it was "KISS". They might have thought the brand name had a built in following like Star Wars and fans would simply flock to it without expectations. My thinking is they know better now. Making figures from each era of albums was probably the kind of thinking that might have worked back in the 70's when you could have bought these figures for $8.00 to $10.00 on the 12 inch scale. But $70.00 a pop today is just insane. KISS as a license is saturated and cloth covered dolls that appeal to us 70's folk probably have less enticement to figure collectors of this era. Plus KISS is pretty much now just a nostalgia act to line the retirement accounts for Paul and Gene. I don't think anyone is interested in paying premium prices for action figures with their prominence reduced to that level. Charging an inflated price for a figure that should be half that much is just not going to turn a profit from what I'm seeing. Had they started with Farrow figures and just manufactured new costume sets, they would have made a killing. And the manufacturing overhead would have been considerably lower.I can see your point. Several of the single figures that were produced in bigger quantities (Paul and Gene) do go for reasonable prices. However, someone got a pretty good deal on the four Creatures figures compared to what that set usually sells for. Many recently completed auctions are around the $100 mark with one set even going for $150. The boxed set with the stage and lights sells consistently in the $100 - $150 range. The Alive single sets and boxed sets also sell in that range. The Love Gun boxed set has consistently sold in the $150 range, recently ... and even higher.
I'm not trying to start an argument. These sets do sell very consistently at much higher than original retail price. Not bad for post-reunion merchandise.
Regarding the new CTVT Monster figures, I'm guessing they already realize they've made a mistake releasing another current lineup set so quickly. I got an email from Kiss Museum announcing the set and preorder less than a week ago. Already, today, they've sent out another promo e-mail announcing a free Gene variant figure with any preorders of the 12" or 8" set of Monster figures. I would imagine they are going to have a really hard time selling these. Like you said, the quality isn't there, either. Even if both current lineup sets looked amazing, a Monster set this soon would still be a hard sell.Comment
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I think you are absolutely right about CTVT getting greedy and thinking the license would sell itself. $25 is way too much for an 8" ReMego and the $70 for each 12" figure has kept me from even entertaining the thought of buying them. At $35 to $40 (which I think is a somewhat fair price for a specialty market "12), I would probably have picked up the 12" ones, too. As it is, I was planning on getting just the 8" figures. However, a price hike, declining quality, and questionable release choices have me even resisting some of the 8" figures.
I think they made the correct choice in doing some costumes we've never seen in Kiss figures before (or at least this style of figure) with the First Album figures (who would have EVER thought we'd get toy of Peter in that crazy 1st album makeup?!) and Dressed to Kill. I still think that's their best bet. They should have got the DTK figures out first after Sonic Boom and then made an announcement for something like Dynasty figures or even Creatures of the Night with Eric and Vinny (if that's even possible, rights-wise). However, like you said, no matter what they produce, they are still up against a wall trying to do so many series (and in TWO sizes, to boot). They need to stay completely away from any non-makeup stuff, too. They seem to be teasing something like this on the cardbacks. That would be the ultimate nail in the coffin if these two most recent waves haven't already done it. Most die-hard Kiss fans on Kiss forums think these are a complete joke. They probably only appeal to a small segment of Kiss fans that had Megos as a kid. The rest probably couldn't care less about these. Being a Kiss fan and a toy collector (that grew up on Mego), these couldn't be more in my "wheel house," so to speak. I just can't see them getting much more market penetration after selling the first wave of repros to nostalgic fans that remember the Megos but have no interest in Mego-like figures past that.Comment
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Spot on. I've never seen any love of these figures on KISS forums. They're pretty much hated. But as you stated so well, we fans from the 70's have a soft spot for the Mego KISS figures. For some fans that was their introduction to the band. So they hold a very special place, but for strictly nostalgic reasons. I think what gets me is you can practically buy the originals (loose) for the same kind of money CTVT is asking. And those originals are much better especially with the properly styled hair. Plus you get a Mego Lex Luthor for Peter Criss and the Captain (From Captain and Tennille) for Paul Stanley! Two for one! LOL! But I agree with you. I think their last, BEST, hope to save this sinking ship is to put out those Farrow figures in the Dressed to Kill outfits.Comment
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ditto ditto ditto.
CTVT is going to have to slash prices big if these figs are going to move...
Discount all this stuff now - forget the stupid variants....sell out...keep interest high by doing those first two things...and THEN give the DTK Farrow figures.
At least $22-$24 for an 8" Farrow KISS figure is worth the money IMHO.Comment
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It would also be nice if you didn't have to automatically restring or replace the bodies to get them to stand correctly.Comment
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My bad.. no need to be a jerkComment
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