Darkseid - Super Powers Collection 1:6 Scale Maquette

[Sonic Boom]

Originally Posted by Spec Fiction

That was a huge pricing mistake on our end. That is NOT the correct pricing. our mistake.

OK cool. Now I don't feel so bad lol.

[built2shred]

I'm sure the pricing mistake played a part in low sales of the EX but I have a feeling that the poor customer service over the last year has a lot to do with it also... The fact is Tweeterhead has given itself a bad reputation when it comes to customer service... Even if they have fixed it, I imagine it will be a while before people come back IMO...

[mmk123]

I think also Darkseid is - for lack of a better term - a niche character. He definitely has a fan following and even though it is a large one, a character like him I do not think would sell as quickly as a Batman or Harley Quinn or Superman.

[Sonic Boom]

Originally Posted by built2shred

I'm sure the pricing mistake played a part in low sales of the EX but I have a feeling that the poor customer service over the last year has a lot to do with it also... The fact is Tweeterhead has given itself a bad reputation when it comes to customer service... Even if they have fixed it, I imagine it will be a while before people come back IMO...

Yep. I was looking at a couple statues last week and noticed the shipping went up a lot. Now that it's been corrected, I will PO Shazam. As far as CS goes, they can only go forward and improve from here.

Originally Posted by mmk123

I think also Darkseid is - for lack of a better term - a niche character. He definitely has a fan following and even though it is a large one, a character like him I do not think would sell as quickly as a Batman or Harley Quinn or Superman.

I feel that's why 1/6 is such a great scale for less popular characters. I want a Darkseid statue, but probably wouldn't really want a 1/4 or 1/3.

[AlexT]

Originally Posted by mmk123

I think also Darkseid is - for lack of a better term - a niche character. He definitely has a fan following and even though it is a large one, a character like him I do not think would sell as quickly as a Batman or Harley Quinn or Superman.

And we arrived at the root of the problem. Most collectors complain that companies are doing the same characters over and over and we need more B or C listers. When B o C lister is released maybe 1% of the people will put money where their mouth is...

[mmk123]

Originally Posted by AlexT

And we arrived at the root of the problem. Most collectors complain that companies are doing the same characters over and over and we need more B or C listers. When B o C lister is released maybe 1% of the people will put money where their mouth is...

I can agree with that whole heartedly Alex. I love that Chad is taking a risk on doing lower tier characters (and I do not think that Darkseid is C level at all but not A level like Batman or Superman or Harley Quinn.)

[MapleDonut]

Originally Posted by AlexT

And we arrived at the root of the problem. Most collectors complain that companies are doing the same characters over and over and we need more B or C listers. When B o C lister is released maybe 1% of the people will put money where their mouth is...

I personally don't want Darkseid but I am committed to ordering Black Adam from TH. These forums let you ----- about what frustrates you (maybe too much sometimes), but I like TH's products -- and so I'll happily buy Black Adam to help sustain the company's business requirements.

[grphyx1]

Originally Posted by mmk123

I think also Darkseid is - for lack of a better term - a niche character. He definitely has a fan following and even though it is a large one, a character like him I do not think would sell as quickly as a Batman or Harley Quinn or Superman.

If you think he is a niche character, what about all the people asking for The Question and Booster Gold and Blue Beetle? Then all the JSA would be considered niche characters and even the New Gods! So essentially he makes Aquaman and maybe Flash and no other character? I dunno? it's a pickle for sure.

[George Clark]

Originally Posted by MapleDonut

I personally don't want Darkseid but I am committed to ordering Black Adam from TH. These forums let you ----- about what frustrates you (maybe too much sometimes), but I like TH's products -- and so I'll happily buy Black Adam to help sustain the company's business requirements.

Totally agree - while I won't be buying all of the non A-list characters, Darkseid, Black Adam and Shazam for certain will be on my shelf.

Really want to see TH succeed where Hard Heroes didn't!

[Neon2102]

All of you make valid points. I think it's a combination of several different factors.

1) I think gone are the days of the majority of buyers trying to collect an entire line. There's too much competition for collecting dollars out there. People's interest are too varied. Sure there are some people who will go all in, but I think a lot of people will just pick up the characters they really love or complete a team (i.e. Teen Titans, Justice League).

2) People may love the character, but not the statue. For example, I really wanted to love Shazam, but I didn't. In my eyes, something was off with the portrait, I hated the gold and wanted yellow accents. At this point in my collecting days, if I don't love it, I'm not going to buy it. I used to buy everything, just because it went up for order, but with increased costs of everything and limited space, I really had to change my habits.

3) Track record, the past year has been rough as far as Customer Service for TH. It's really off-putting to customers. I've had issues and it took over 40 emails and 5 months to finally get a resolution. People don't want to deal with that kind of hassle. It's much easier to order from a 3rd party and not have to stress out if an issue arises. I know Chad said to give them another chance, but it's got to be tough trying to get people back after they've had really difficult experiences.

4) Character selection - I think there's been a great mix so far in this line. But when I look, I don't feel like the characters people request most are the ones getting made soon. Flash, GL, Aquaman, etc... People like completing lines, whether it's a team or specific theme, they want those characters. Personally, I'm in for all the Teen Titans and a lot of the Bat family. We have 3 Titans so far, with really no idea if or when we'll see Raven, Cyborg, Kid Flash, Changeling. The question then becomes, is it worth waiting that long, am I still going to be in this hobby by the time that team is completed. Poll the forums and Facebook. Use that feedback to decide which characters should take priority.

5) Deposit - Asking for 50% up front might be difficult for people. If they order TH product from a 3rd party they're saving up front money. I personally don't mind the deposit, but I can see where it may not work for everyone. If the EX isn't a must have, there's really no incentive for a person to order direct. They get to hold onto a bit of their cash for awhile longer. A lower initial deposit and payment plan options would surely help here.