Has Master Replicas "jumped the shark" lately?

[TheQuestion]

Hello, I am a long time lurker and just decided to see what others thoughts were on this subject. I have read a lot of the threads about MR lately and noticed that items aren't selling out as quickly.
So my question is as stated in the the thread header: Has MR jumped the shark this last year with their Star Wars license?
Some examples the make me ask this:

The Elite Editions- why reoffer items that collectors already have? And the original items were said to be made of high quality materials so why make others and come out saying that these are better than the originals? Does this means are originals are not as good? If so why did we even bother supporting their company to have them say our originals are now sub-standard?

The LE vs. CE- what's the point of the CE's. What collector really wants them? No acyrlic cover, not limited, made of lesser materials, what's the point? It just takes away from the LE's. I think the CE's were done as a hind sight to MR getting greedy and only offering LE SW items on their website and cutting out dealers but then realizing that whoops we'll still need dealers for the FX and .45 items and items not as popular a SW to get our products out into the public.

.45 Scaled Lightsabers- When these were first offered they were limited to a production run of 3000-5000. They were an alternative to the fullsize for collector's who couldn't afford the fullsize now have something to collect that wouldn't break their bank. MR's newest policy of making them unlimited editions has destroyed their market for them, check ebay if you don't believe me and see how the prices are WAY below retail. Have any of you seen the prices people are paying for the gold exclusives? Here's a secret for everybody, the gold's from the regular release are the same as the exclusive gold's. Trust me I have scored a few of the exclusives and compared them the the regulars and the only difference is the base. Which means people are paying high dollar for a base that says exclusive on it. When all you have to do is put a gold one on the base and PRESTO you now have the exclusive!!!
and how rare are the gold's if the editions are open? They say 5% of the run are gold, but what is 5% of the run if they are open editions?

ROTS lightsabers- the second plaque thing is a joke. Why not put the edition size on the plaque in the first place instead of keeping the editions open and then deciding to make a second plaque when popularity and sells die out. Who wants two plaques? I would like my plaques with the edition sizes listed right there with the edition number, wouldn't you?

These are my questions.

[risingstar]

I have read countless gripes regarding the EE. Fans were fuming when they learned that some of their lightsaber collectibles dwindled in price overnight. This was especially the case for those who paid top dollar for the first editions. It never occured to them what MR was planning with the EE.

MR is paying the price for that. Whenever something comes out now, people typically respond by saying, "Why bother buying that when they'll release a rarer or signed version in a few months which would render the first edition obsolete". That a reputation talking. Once people start to lose faith in your company, it's darn near impossible to get it back. The Darth Vader helmet fiasco didn't help either.

I am very much hoping that MR does bounce back from this because I'm interested in the Enterprise and Millennium Falcon replicas. However, I would hate to pay 2K for something and then watch it plummet to $500 because MR decided to cash in further by offering a (preplanned) better version or signature edition three months later.

I really like my MR collectibles. The quality of the pieces are typically top notch. However, I must admit, I've become a bit gunshy when it comes to MR. These items aren't cheap. I have a right to want to feel more secure with my puchase and long term investment.

The biz has taken bizarre turns in the last couple of years... While on the surface things like variants and revisits may sound great to some, the long term damage is far more insidious.


JMO :)

[risingstar]

Sometimes I wonder if many of these company execs get caught up in that "I want some of the secondary market money too" scenario. When they see their items sky rocket in price, perhaps it bothers them that they're not the ones who are profitting from it...

This is where I disagree. These companies, especially long term, definitely profit because their company builds a rep for not only offering quality products but also in offering items that are potentially good investments as well. Fans and collectors will reward the company with buying additional products because a mutual trust and respect had developed.

All this to say that collectors today are very savvy. They pay very close attention to what companies do and do not do to protect their investment and interests.

[TheQuestion]

Risingstar, thanks for adding your thoughts and expanding on my opening. Your statements are very true, I agree with what you added and it adds more to this thread.

[ELMI*]

Hello, I am a long time lurker and just decided to see what others thoughts were on this subject. I have read a lot of the threads about MR lately and noticed that items aren't selling out as quickly.
So my question is as stated in the the thread header: Has MR jumped the shark this last year with their Star Wars license?
Some examples the make me ask this:

The Elite Editions- why reoffer items that collectors already have? And the original items were said to be made of high quality materials so why make others and come out saying that these are better than the originals? Does this means are originals are not as good? If so why did we even bother supporting their company to have them say our originals are now sub-standard?

The LE vs. CE- what's the point of the CE's. What collector really wants them? No acyrlic cover, not limited, made of lesser materials, what's the point? It just takes away from the LE's. I think the CE's were done as a hind sight to MR getting greedy and only offering LE SW items on their website and cutting out dealers but then realizing that whoops we'll still need dealers for the FX and .45 items and items not as popular a SW to get our products out into the public.

.45 Scaled Lightsabers- When these were first offered they were limited to a production run of 3000-5000. They were an alternative to the fullsize for collector's who couldn't afford the fullsize now have something to collect that wouldn't break their bank. MR's newest policy of making them unlimited editions has destroyed their market for them, check ebay if you don't believe me and see how the prices are WAY below retail. Have any of you seen the prices people are paying for the gold exclusives? Here's a secret for everybody, the gold's from the regular release are the same as the exclusive gold's. Trust me I have scored a few of the exclusives and compared them the the regulars and the only difference is the base. Which means people are paying high dollar for a base that says exclusive on it. When all you have to do is put a gold one on the base and PRESTO you now have the exclusive!!!
and how rare are the gold's if the editions are open? They say 5% of the run are gold, but what is 5% of the run if they are open editions?

ROTS lightsabers- the second plaque thing is a joke. Why not put the edition size on the plaque in the first place instead of keeping the editions open and then deciding to make a second plaque when popularity and sells die out. Who wants two plaques? I would like my plaques with the edition sizes listed right there with the edition number, wouldn't you?

These are my questions.

Hello Question, your thoughts do sound locigal....could 'greediness' be the answer to all your concerns?

[ResinDog]

I was bitten by these greedy tactics with the AT-AT replica.
And it seems many others were too because MR can't seem to sell the signature version! :banghead:

I was tempted by a lot of their pieces but I steer clear now because you just don't know with them.
I for one will not be funding these crazy shenanigans! :rolleyes2

[chasethedragon]

I was bitten by these greedy tactics with the AT-AT replica.
And it seems many others were too because MR can't seem to sell the signature version! :banghead:

I was tempted by a lot of their pieces but I steer clear now because you just don't know with them.
I for one will not be funding these crazy shenanigans! :rolleyes2
Jeez, are you living my life or what? :laugh: This has been my EXACT experience with MR. I ponied up big bucks for the first AT-AT replica relying upon MR's pitch that this was a limited edition, finest possible materials, blah, blah, blah. When MR decided to release another, "bigger and better" version six months later, I was more than a little ticked, especially when the price of the first edition immediately tanked.

It would have been a different thing if the market just wasn't there so the value went down. It's another thing altogether when the product manufacturer stabs you in the back before the ink dries on your credit card statement. SO much for exclusivity and limited editions. :banghead:

I haven't trusted MR since then, although I just ordered the Fett blaster. I know this company will likely do the same thing, but it's a bit different when you're talking $600 vs. $1,500. Or maybe I'm just insane.

[TheQuestion]

Chase, I don;t think you are any crazier than the rest of us. That is why I have been having trouble getting further into MR collecting. They have great stuff but why buy when it will just be released again? It takes away from the market and destroys a company. A lot of people have been talking about not trusting MR anymore.

[tripoli]

MR started as a collectables market and sold it as such. Given the popularity of the franchise and low competition at the time, MR started off quite successfully. They also marketed differently as noted and kept they quality top notch. They have definitely had problems as of late. The question many have asked is can the past success be sustained.

First to issue on the Star Wars license. MR has screwed its collectors with its new lines and revised editions. They noted that were trying to fill current demands by the market shown by past rising values on the secondary collectors market. MR changed their marketing to the above noted lines to curb that demand. Given the results with the current MR buyer’s base getting frustrated with these new saber lines and current values on eBay, that marketing strategy was a failure. The SW franchise will go on with the television shows coming out and other ways Lucas plans on keeping the franchise interest alive. The bigger question now is, has MR learned anything or will they continue to stray away from the original successful direction that they had at first.

MR has opened other lines of products/franchises, the largest and most important currently being Disney. There is some question to whether the SW line can stay active and continue to be a money maker for them. As long as they do a great job on quality control with Disney, they should be able to develop a new customer base which will have build a very long term loyalty and product demand base. Disney fans and buyers are a huge customer base, create a great product line and it will sell. BUT...
Disney floods the market with tons of products. MR will need to properly predict what products will sell. Since they are venturing into unknown waters with new Disney items like those seen at the toy fair, it’s hard to say where this will go. Frankly, I would rather have the newer Big Figures Disney is producing than some of the items I saw at the show, much bigger bang for the buck.

MR's final issues at hand are that there are many more prop companies out on the market than before. Not only are they competing to sell on that market, they cannot afford to deal with the quality control issues that are hurting them now. They have a damaged reputation with service, QC and perceived commitment to honor their previous limited editions. That has to change and right now, it’s not looking good. They also will now deal with an economic down turn. With gas prices rising through the year, it will have an effect on their customer base as with most consumer businesses. It’s another punch at a time they do not need it, so it will be interesting to see how they proceed.

The potential is great for MR, but they do need to start thinking as their customers would, not from the greedy CEO perception many think they have. Their QC has to take a huge turn around now; they need to train their phone staff to be knowledgeable about their product. They need to watch their public relations on several community boards (too much foot-in-the-mouth public relations postings). They will have to carefully choose what they market and how they market. And they will have to take a roll of the dice with the current economy to boot, looking at that almost as much as their product lines to determine production properly assuming they don't want to duplicate the mistakes being made with the SW franchise now.

[YakFace]

Mmmmmm... Greed leads to hate...

Mass Replicas has seriously naffed of it's core customer base. I've been collecting from them right from the start and I used to buy every item they released. Since the announcement of the CE range and the fact that they lied to the customers about an item being "retired" after it's edition run (which began with the EE's), I'm only buying one or two things from them that interest me. I'd rather give Attakus and GG my money.

[tripoli]

At the beginning of the year, I was posting about issues I was seeing with QC going to pot on a prop communiuty board. After 6 individual mistakes with my orders in a short period of time, I gave up and noted as such onthe RPF. I still buy from MR, but have droppped out of purchasing most of the things I would have before.
I also noted at the beginning of the year issues dealing with the economy. I was shot down on that. If you don't think long term, both with your customers and the general market, your going to be screwed in business.
I noted that there are other manufactures out there now. Again many said nothing like MR's line of products. Does not matter as much as there is a fixed pool of money from the fan base and if there is something else that might grab that pool away, they have to think competively about what else is onthe market.
THAT is going to be the major issue with the Disney franchise for them now. They have issues that they cannot bury their heads on currently.

[SWRN]

I haven't posted in these forums for awhile but I saw this thread and it grabbed my interest. I used to collect everything that MR threw out there up until ROTS and the second coming of the AT-AT. Around that time it seemed to me that MR was throwing a lot of items out there and a ton of versions of the same collectible. Why?? What was wrong with making a ONE high-quality replica of a prop and leaving it at that? Now there has to be 2-3 versions of everything made. I just got tired of it and actually am now planning on selling quite a few of my MR items. I plan on keeping some of my more prized peices but most of my money now goes to SS, GG, and Attakus.

[robomorph]

I think MR is committed to producing a high quality product but they seem dogged by 2 issues:

1. Quality control. Since moving plants in China, the QC has slipped noticeably. EVERY Nautilus rep produced was faulty and the Star Wars helmets were delayed because of paint app problems. This is a problem that needs to be addressed quickly in a market where finish quality is crucial.

2. Edition sizes/price dumping. MR has been guilty of making optimistic estimates for sales on some of its products, meaning that said products are heavily discounted for clearance. Example: the Studio Scale Snowspeeder. Instead of dumping the surplus into Europe, MR upset lots of folks by dumping them in the US, where many collectors were understandly upset at having only recently paid full retail price for them (and indeed MR are STILL charging this price on their website despite some dealers offering the clearance stock at more than $200 cheaper). MR need to be a lot more sensitive about pricing issues and take greater care not to alienate their core market.

As a company, I find their products generally excellent and their after-sales service admirable. They really do need to clean up their PR however.

[nash]

Seems as if majority of MR's items are plagued with one problem or another. from incorrect number of grips, to missing plaques, to paint and clear coat problems, to excessive glue, to missing photo on SE COAs, to damaged display cases (BD Maul LE), to grips falling off (dooku LE)....

I really hope 2006 is when they start to turn things around.

[Cotasnoova]

I remember when my room was full of sabers, i even had a 1 of 1. Then the CE line came, and all my sabers went bye bye. Now my room is filling up with mini-bust and statues. Gentle Giant rocks, and recently learned that smaller editions are better for their health.

Master Replicas sucks, no 2 ways about it.

[Rude Dog]

Jeez, are you living my life or what? :laugh: This has been my EXACT experience with MR. I ponied up big bucks for the first AT-AT replica relying upon MR's pitch that this was a limited edition, finest possible materials, blah, blah, blah. When MR decided to release another, "bigger and better" version six months later, I was more than a little ticked, especially when the price of the first edition immediately tanked.

If I had bought the first edition available and had to watch them produce a superior item 6 months later I think I would have returned the original under the trades description act. Dont know if you Americans have the same thing as us in the UK but if they say that Example a is the best they can produce and then release example b which is better then they are surely lying through their teeth and should be suitably chastised. I do feel that buyer apathy is to blame as well. If YOU as the consumer doesnt tell them about their bad business practices they won't stop. The way to tell them is to boycott their products.
The MR stuff is very nice but way out of my price league which I am actually grateful for :)