Lost but no more RA!!

[MegoNutt]

Please MegoScott take no offense. i know you've worked hard getting new Lost waves into production. A heck-of-alotta-buz and hard work to get made! kudos. but how in the world is this happening and Retro-Action is over?!! its just crazy.

[samurainoir]

Two different companies, two different sets of criteria, and two different retail models (despite EMCE's involvement with both). Bif Bang Pow does not need to sell the numbers that Mattel does to make it worth their while. One is focused on an adult collector specialty market, the other knows their bread and butter is Barbie and Hot Wheels and kids (Matty Collector not withstanding).

I'd make the assumption that they would need to sell much more than 1,000 to make it worth their while even on Matty Collector.

There has been speculation that if a collector focused company with their own distribution channels like DC Direct and/or Diamond picked up Retro Action, that they would be happy with the kind of numbers that Mattel had. Sideshow just announced a partnership with DC Direct as well, but given how high end their stuff is, I don't think 8" is their thing... probably 12" Hot Toys style or the 13" DCD.

[megoscott]

Yeah, Mattell needed to sell at least 20 times what BBP did.

[palitoy]

Yeah, I'm sorry to say that a "fail" to Mattel is a total win to a company like BifBangPow or a Diamond Select.

[samurainoir]

Btw, Megoscott does deserves huge props for what essentially was a grass roots campaign directed at a very specific collector demographic and fan base. It's actually quite a fascinating case study to have observed how he managed to move the needle like that just through pure passion for the product.

He really kept on message with the notion of "pre-order", which made all the difference in this case whether or not BBP/EE would pull the trigger. The cool custom content was also terrific in driving traffic and attention to the line and scale... Differentiating it from the previous McFarlane statue-figures. The custom culture surrounding this format is at the end of the day a huge argument FOR 8", particularly since 12" is costing themselves away from a merely casual consumer into high end.

Also worth watching is the JLU campaign around STRIPE right now. They are pretty much united on message as well, although it will be interesting to see if that momentum can possibly hold up when it comes time for them to pull the trigger on Amanda Waller en masse.

[megoscott]

That's kind of you to say, Ed. BBP did say the campaign wasn't the deciding factor in going forward with Wave 2, but I know it sold a bunch of people on it.

You gotta remember that Lost was troubled from the start. Not enuff Mego fans were Lost fans, and most Lost fans weren't into toys, especially Megos...the protos weren't great, the production was delayed....so I was on it very early on trying to build it up and show what it could be.

In contrast (and despite all the "I told ya so's") Mattell RA seemed like it was in fine shape. Waves were planned for years in advance, there was a ton of buzz here...nobody knew it was in trouble until it was too late.

In retrospect if all of it's fans had been mobilized to evangelize to the rest of the world...who knows. But we didn't know we had to be the marketing department for Mattell. Doh!

[Werewolf]

I'm very happy for the Lost fans but it does kind of seem like an odd alternate reality thing going on when figures like Hurley sold well enough to continue Lost but Batman and Superman didn't sell well enough to continue Retro-Action.

I do understand Mattel has to sell way more than BBP but I still can't quite wrap my mind around how Matty keeps claiming this "The Retro-Action fans are more vocal than numerous" spiel or how Retro-Action can be called a poor seller when no one can actually find the stuff at retail except for a couple of Cold or Sinestro figures here and there. You don't see any Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, etc. figures clogging the pegs.

Weird.

[ODBJBG]

Same thing that happened with JLU. Except there, Mattel kept purposely cranking out characters that did not sell at retail, claiming that they needed them in the line for it to thrive.

Mattel's higher ups demand a very high success rate. Which is why Mattel constantly has to cost cut and can't match certain things that other companies can do. This is why NECA can make a figure with twice as much sculpting, paint aps and articulation that DCUC, sell half as many at a lower price point... But Mattel can't match it. Because their infrastructure is set up different (IE: The CEOs of Mattel have personal jets, nobody at NECA or BBP do) etc...

[ctc]

>it does kind of seem like an odd alternate reality thing going on

It really does. I don't think too many would have guessed this outcome, but I think it illustrates the conundrum of such things: you can never say for sure what's gonna hit without actually taking the chance and putting it out there, even though experimenting like that is prohibitively expensive.

But that's why I like to see the really odd figures come out. Tests the water and has the potential for new things.

Don C.

[Earth 2 Chris]

It's odd that we as fans would have been better off if some smaller company could have worked with EMCE and made a deal to get the license AWAY from Mattel for this line. Kind of like how Round 2 is getting the Marvel license away from Hasbro for Captain Action. The figures probably would have been produced better as well.

It's similar to how a show like Smallville managed to survive for 10 years on a small network, but wouldn't have made it out of a first season on one of the big 3 or 4.

Chris

[jimsmegos]

While I'm not big on the 'Lost' figures I am very much thrilled with Bif Bang Pow's efforts as a whole. To me it also seems that BBP has much more heart as a company when it comes to their products. I can easily see the folks in the office actually having figures overtaking their desks because that are indeed fans of their work. Mattel on the other hand. I get the feeling that the folks there are surrounded by various shades of grey, a very sterile looking environment if you will with catchy positive affirmation posters all over the place with fun statements such as "The bottom line is the tops!"

Live long Bif Bang Pow!

[BifBangPow! JLabs]

Yeah, Mattell needed to sell at least 20 times what BBP did.

FYI -we have formally sent a proposal to Mattel.

[palitoy]

FYI -we have formally sent a proposal to Mattel.

Exciting!

[BifBangPow! JLabs]

While I'm not big on the 'Lost' figures I am very much thrilled with Bif Bang Pow's efforts as a whole. To me it also seems that BBP has much more heart as a company when it comes to their products. I can easily see the folks in the office actually having figures overtaking their desks because that are indeed fans of their work. Mattel on the other hand. I get the feeling that the folks there are surrounded by various shades of grey, a very sterile looking environment if you will with catchy positive affirmation posters all over the place with fun statements such as "The bottom line is the tops!"

Live long Bif Bang Pow!

Thank you for the kind words. You are certainly 100% correct about us. We just moved our offices and let me say that I had to pack up PALLETS of toys to move out. Our conference room display every single Bif Bang Pow item we've ever made, and our archives room houses all of our prototypes. And that's only our BBP products - I personally have a massive collection of Star Wars figures, all of the RA and Star Trek figures, etc.

I won't get into all of the details here about Lost, except to say THANK YOU for making these figures happen. BBP is now focusing on Doctor Who, and our next wave looks incredible (see them at SDCC). Lots of great stuff to show next week. Looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible. Check out our lineup as well...

@BifBangPow: Look who's coming to the Entertainment Earth / Bif Bang Pow! Booth #2343 at SDCC 2011!

[boss]

coolness. you hiring?