SDCC 2019 Tweeterhead

[Augen]

Originally Posted by grphyx1

Yeah Chad had stated that he had to reevaluate and do a realistic pre-order schedule. Too many balls up in the air at once. We will most likely have less releases each year. There were to be several more pre-orders this year but the Superman re-do was definitely the turning point of things spiraling somewhat out of control. Because so many items were out for production. Once that is resolved it should be the last of the outstanding quality issue Tweeterhead faced early on with the superpowers line. So less pre-orders will give time to focus on quality.

Wonder Twins although sculpted, didn't look quite right to Chad, so they didn't make the show.

Understandable, and thanks for addressing it. I just hope I make it to 2035 to see all the characters I want come to life in this amazing line.

[grphyx1]

Originally Posted by Mister H

Any word on the Gaslight Batman? Pretty hyped for that one.

Jason Wire Production is handling that particular line up, so I'll see if I can get him to pop in and give an update. Last I saw he was enjoying the San Diego zoo.

[Mister H]

Originally Posted by grphyx1

Jason Wire Production is handling that particular line up, so I'll see if I can get him to pop in and give an update. Last I saw he was enjoying the San Diego zoo.

Nice. You da man G.

[MisterJ]

Originally Posted by grphyx1

Yeah Chad had stated that he had to reevaluate and do a realistic pre-order schedule. Too many balls up in the air at once. We will most likely have less releases each year. There were to be several more pre-orders this year but the Superman re-do was definitely the turning point of things spiraling somewhat out of control. Because so many items were out for production. Once that is resolved it should be the last of the outstanding quality issue Tweeterhead faced early on with the superpowers line. So less pre-orders will give time to focus on quality.

Wonder Twins although sculpted, didn't look quite right to Chad, so they didn't make the show.

This is 100% NOT a grab the pitchforks and torches comment. If it is poorly worded to make people think otherwise, please give me the benefit of the doubt.


This is why I was urging TH to get on top of Flash and Aquaman. If we went by Chad's original schedule, we would already have the 7 JL in our hands by now. That was already pushed back to at least preorders only by this time and now maybe the final preorders in 2020. But now, I fear it will get pushed out even farther as he seems to keep 'mentally' moving on to the next thing before 'actually' finishing his original plans. We suddenly needed villains to "balance things out". We are injecting this new line (tdkr/gaslight batman etc...). He's promising to fill out the Titans by next year. Hawkman/Hawkgirl is 2020. He is promising the 66 line figures. There are also other lines and one offs they are probably doing (elvira/addams/etc...).

Now according to you we need to have less figures per year to get things sorted out.

I think Chad needs an intervention. He needs to stop talking about all the stuff he wants to put out, and DEFINITELY stop saying it's coming out this year and next year. He needs a filter, because otherwise he's causing a trainwreck of anger and disappointment.

I (humbly) suggest he stops, takes a beat, refocuses and:

1. Put up Cheetah, Black Adam, Darkseid, and a '66 this year.

2. Put up Flash and Aquaman 1st in 2020

3. Then, alternate between Teen Titans - '66 - Misc - Classic -Superpowers every 4 weeks

4. Focus on getting already preordered products done and in collectors hands. (with excellent qc)

That's a total of 14 preorders/year and satisfies everyone that collects stuff from TH.

Do that for the rest of 2019 and 2020 until you get a better/smoother process in place and can up the amount of releases per year in 2021

Example:

1. Flash
2. Aquaman
3. Titan
4. ’66
5. Misc (addams etc..)
6. Classic Batman
7. Hawkgirl
8. Titan
9. ’66
10. Misc (Elvira/Gaslight etc..)
11. Classic Batman
12. Hawkman
13. Titan
14. ’66


Finally, you need to hire probably 2 people.

My guess is that if you polled everyone, most people would be fine with a 'moderate' increase in price in order to pay new employees and deal with whatever tariffs issues are popping up. Getting quality statues on a regular consistent basis with reasonable release schedules and good customer service is all anyone wants.


Again, just throwing my thoughts out there to try and help.

[grphyx1]

Originally Posted by MisterJ

This is 100% NOT a grab the pitchforks and torches comment. If it is poorly worded to make people think otherwise, please give me the benefit of the doubt.


This is why I was urging TH to get on top of Flash and Aquaman. If we went by Chad's original schedule, we would already have the 7 JL in our hands by now. That was already pushed back to at least preorders only by this time and now maybe the final preorders in 2020. But now, I fear it will get pushed out even farther as he seems to keep 'mentally' moving on to the next thing before 'actually' finishing his original plans. We suddenly needed villains to "balance things out". We are injecting this new line (tdkr/gaslight batman etc...). He's promising to fill out the Titans by next year. Hawkman/Hawkgirl is 2020. He is promising the 66 line figures. There are also other lines and one offs they are probably doing (elvira/addams/etc...).

Now according to you we need to have less figures per year to get things sorted out.

I think Chad needs an intervention. He needs to stop talking about all the stuff he wants to put out, and DEFINITELY stop saying it's coming out this year and next year. He needs a filter, because otherwise he's causing a trainwreck of anger and disappointment.

I (humbly) suggest he stops, takes a beat, refocuses and:

1. Put up Cheetah, Black Adam, Darkseid, and a '66 this year.

2. Put up Flash and Aquaman 1st in 2020

3. Then, alternate between Teen Titans - '66 - Misc - Classic -Superpowers every 4 weeks

4. Focus on getting already preordered products done and in collectors hands. (with excellent qc)

That's a total of 14 preorders/year and satisfies everyone that collects stuff from TH.

Do that for the rest of 2019 and 2020 until you get a better/smoother process in place and can up the amount of releases per year in 2021

Example:

1. Flash
2. Aquaman
3. Titan
4. ’66
5. Misc (addams etc..)
6. Classic Batman
7. Hawkgirl
8. Titan
9. ’66
10. Misc (Elvira/Gaslight etc..)
11. Classic Batman
12. Hawkman
13. Titan
14. ’66


Finally, you need to hire probably 2 people.

My guess is that if you polled everyone, most people would be fine with a 'moderate' increase in price in order to pay new employees and deal with whatever tariffs issues are popping up. Getting quality statues on a regular consistent basis with reasonable release schedules and good customer service is all anyone wants.


Again, just throwing my thoughts out there to try and help.

The funny thing is Chad hadn't started saying what he wanted to put out until everytime something would go up for pre-order, collectors would ask when will we see so and so. He is well intentioned but with so many cogs in the machine, things don't always flow smoothly.

Your itemized list is great, from a collectors position. Building a company with some legs to stand on and not burn out, takes a bit of navigation. We're all on the sidelines and it seems so simple for us 'if you build it they will come" But that hasn't been fully realized yet. If running a statue company was so easy then everyone on here would be doing their own boss.

And he did have an intervention, that's why the releases are going to be less.

It nice that you put the thoughts out there in a constructive way MisterJ. there is a lot of information in there that is a functional mapping. I'm sure eventually Chad will get on the ole boards and chatz witchu all

[MisterJ]

Originally Posted by grphyx1

The funny thing is Chad hadn't started saying what he wanted to put out until everytime something would go up for pre-order, collectors would ask when will we see so and so. He is well intentioned but with so many cogs in the machine, things don't always flow smoothly.

Exactly why he needs to stop a minute and get a filter. He likes to 'riff' and go stream of consciousness on livestreams, and he needs to stop.

Originally Posted by grphyx1

Your itemized list is great, from a collectors position. Building a company with some legs to stand on and not burn out, takes a bit of navigation. We're all on the sidelines and it seems so simple for us 'if you build it they will come" But that hasn't been fully realized yet. If running a statue company was so easy then everyone on here would be doing their own boss.

And he did have an intervention, that's why the releases are going to be less.

It's great for a collectors position, but also a companies position. Building trust, consistency, and reliability is one of the things that makes a successful/secure business.

I don't really buy into the "sidelines/we don't know" kind of mindset. Have I worked at a statue company? No. But I have worked in manufacturing, run kitchens, run my own business as a recording studio juggling multiple projects/clients/timelines/etc... It's not like a statue company is some mysterious entitiy that is 100% unlike any other business. Are there particulars and idiosyncrasies? Sure, but it's not like all of us collectors are completely unable to see problems and have reasonable solutions.

Nobody is saying it is easy, what people are saying is there seems to be some pretty obvious holes in the basic business practices regardless of what the product is. I think simply having a clear and consistent framework in which to operate in is what people are trying to convey.

Originally Posted by grphyx1

It nice that you put the thoughts out there in a constructive way MisterJ. there is a lot of information in there that is a functional mapping. I'm sure eventually Chad will get on the ole boards and chatz witchu all

Appreciate that.

[BrandonJF]

Originally Posted by MisterJ

I don't really buy into the "sidelines/we don't know" kind of mindset. Have I worked at a statue company? No. But I have worked in manufacturing, run kitchens, run my own business as a recording studio juggling multiple projects/clients/timelines/etc... It's not like a statue company is some mysterious entitiy that is 100% unlike any other business. Are there particulars and idiosyncrasies? Sure, but it's not like all of us collectors are completely unable to see problems and have reasonable solutions.

Nobody is saying it is easy, what people are saying is there seems to be some pretty obvious holes in the basic business practices regardless of what the product is. I think simply having a clear and consistent framework in which to operate in is what people are trying to convey.

Very well said. Totally agree.

[Augen]

Originally Posted by MisterJ

Exactly why he needs to stop a minute and get a filter. He likes to 'riff' and go stream of consciousness on livestreams, and he needs to stop.

On the streams I sort of feel like maybe doing one per quarter with structure could help.

I'm at part to blame as a lot of collectors go "Are you making X? Is X still coming? I want X!"

Chad is a nice guy and people pleaser so he says "yes" the majority of the time. It is amazing, but it can lead to unrealistic demands. I remember when I asked about Big Barda and I got the sense at the time may see her release in 2020. Now? I've personally scaled that back to 2023 in my mind.

For example, if he did a stream that is all about Shazam and Black Adam pieces we've seen it would be reasonable to ask about Freddy and Mary. If someone is going "Where's Riddler?! Where's Zod?! Where's Aquaman?!" the blanket answer is ""in due time, nothing to report right now".

Most companies we have no idea what is coming. Sideshow PFs? We know exactly when they show them off and just hope, there is no face of the company saying yes or no building excitement as well as expectations.

[AlexT]

Originally Posted by MisterJ

collectors are completely unable to see problems and have reasonable solutions

[grphyx1]

So what I'm reading is:

1. TH/Chad not discuss characters that he would like to eventually get to, and only talk about characters that are being put up for pre-order.

2. Everything that goes up for preorder should be shown with everything it will come with.

3. Fully functioning website with complete set of available characters, with correct delivery dates and flexibility of customers to edit address and have it reflected on all orders going forward.

4. TH/Chad possibly hire someone as a dedicated CS representative to timely respond to customers and their issue or suggestions.

5. TH/Chad stick to deadlines that he makes.

6. Have any and all questions be only about items that were shown and going up for pre-order.

Am I missing any major point that would not be addressed under the umbrella topics listed above?