COLLECTORS CLUB FIGURES-Take prepaid orders and produce to what's ordered-

[AndyMatz]

I suggested this a while back, but this seems like a good time to bring it up again..
I say for future CC exclusives, get the sculpt done, and ready to go.. Then have a one week window for us to place our PREPAID orders, set a maximum of 2 per person, with the clear understanding that product will arrive in 3-6 months....
Then produce to whats ordered... I can't think of any glaring downside to this... The only problem I forsee happening is if there is a legal or manufacturing issue that prevents the figure from being made, after all the orders are placed... Any thoughts?

[ryjay]

I like it! But why not let us buy as many as we want?

[alex99]

TMP is all about the "buzz".
Didn't they tried that with the Varitek/Umpire exclusive and now it's still available and on clearance.

[RaiderFan18]

Well, that actualyl sounds pretty good Matz, good idea!!!

[ryjay]

TMP is all about the "buzz".
Didn't they tried that with the Varitek/Umpire exclusive and now it's still available and on clearance.
Well if they did try it, then a lot of people lost thier deposits if they didn't pay up and collect the piece.

[eaglefreak21]

great idea!!

ryjay- because it is not an exclusive if we can buy an infinite amount

[AndyMatz]

I like it! But why not let us buy as many as we want?

Not a bad idea, and if I was TMP of course I'd want to "open the floodgates", but lets not forget, for alot of people, this hobby is about "collectibility" and allowing people to buy as many as they wanted would hurt the "mystique"... And don't under-estimate it's importance in this hobby.. I'd put some kind of cap on the amount one person could order... but thats just my opinion.

Alex99 - I dont think they took prepaid orders and produce to whats ordered.. If they did, there wouldn't be any left.

[ryjay]

Actually, the only down side to this is when everyone can get one, then no one really wants one...the secondary market is a strong driving boost for the initial marketI. I bet they sell more figures because people feel the 'need' to get it, rather then the 'want' to get it! TMP knows this all too well! :)

[ryjay]

Not a bad idea, and if I was TMP of course I'd want to "open the floodgates", but lets not forget, for alot of people, this hobby is about "collectibility" and allowing people to buy as many as they wanted would hurt the "mystique"... And don't under-estimate it's importance in this hobby.. I'd put some kind of cap on the amount one person could order... but thats just my opinion.

Alex99 - I dont think they took prepaid orders and produce to whats ordered.. If they did, there wouldn't be any left.
You beat me to my own rebutal, lol!!

[alex99]

Alex99 - I dont think they took prepaid orders and produce to whats ordered.. If they did, there wouldn't be any left.
My mistake Andy ... I didn't see the PREPAID ... the Varitek/Umpire they did take a list. I thought it when smoothly ... the site at least did not crash.

[alex99]

I also like the idea of paying to belong to the club.
Example ... $50 membership which entitles you to 5 exclusives for the year ... all you do is pay the shipping charges.
or
$10 membership and you get first crack at each exclusive.

[ryjay]

I also like the idea of paying to belong to the club.
Example ... $50 membership which entitles you to 5 exclusives for the year ... all you do is pay the shipping charges.
or
$10 membership and you get first crack at each exclusive.
I like the membership exclusive idea. Kinda' pay to hold your spot!

[AndyMatz]

I think creating a CC with membership dues might make things more complicated for TMP, then they might want to deal with. Then they have to start keeping track of stuff, and its probably more trouble then its worth...

[Thur34]

I think creating a CC with membership dues might make things more complicated for TMP, then they might want to deal with. Then they have to start keeping track of stuff, and its probably more trouble then its worth...

Hot Wheels does it. Starting Lineup used to do it with the old mailers. With computer technology these days, it's really not that hard.

What Hot Wheels does, is anyone can buy from the store, but the first day of availability, only the "Red Line Club" members can buy. If the item sells out the first day, so be it. If not, everyone else can buy... The site is linked up to your sign on. Once you buy the annual membership, which you do with your "account", the site obviously recognizes you when you come back, therefore it knows that you bought the membership back in January. They don't release any major exclusives around that time, to make sure the renewals and new memberships are working fine.

[WIP1]

I agree. Great idea. Hasbro is doing it every couple months with their limited pieces of Star Wars figures. Product is still limited and fetches quite a price in the secondary market, but it has nowhere near the insanity (and stupidity) of trying to get in and buy stuff from the CC store here. I've been a die-hard fan from before McFarlane had the licensing to put the team logos on it, and I've never understood some of the thinking behind some of the things I've seen done.

BTW, can somebody show me some supportable numbers/data on the "secondary market value drives primary market demand" claim? Sounds like hogwash to me, especially if McFarlane were to do a better job of regional marketing. Example: Why don't we see more NFL regional cases like we do with baseball. NFL outsells everything else at least 4 to 1 in my area, but I've yet to see a case devoted to a football player that would sell like hotcakes here. But I've seen plenty of Baseball........!!!

[Smbdyfnkillme]

Oh please!!! Most of the people collecting these figures are doing it for future profit. Nobody in their right mind should want a Deion figure from a team that he was terrible on (Ravens). But, since it's limited and valuable, everybody wants one. The same thing with the Varitek. He's a marginal player, but his figure was very sought after until they released more. Now, you can't give that figure away. Regional cases would work, but the hobby still needs the valuable figures that draw people in. I only collect what I want, but let's not fool ourselves here. Scarce and valuable figures draw people to this hobby.

By the way, I mainly collect Houston Astros, Rockets, Texans so I obviously don't collect for profit:p

[yakester21]

signed!

[sportsnut2006]

Oh please!!! Most of the people collecting these figures are doing it for future profit. Nobody in their right mind should want a Deion figure from a team that he was terrible on (Ravens). But, since it's limited and valuable, everybody wants one. The same thing with the Varitek. He's a marginal player, but his figure was very sought after until they released more. Now, you can't give that figure away. Regional cases would work, but the hobby still needs the valuable figures that draw people in. I only collect what I want, but let's not fool ourselves here. Scarce and valuable figures draw people to this hobby.

By the way, I mainly collect Houston Astros, Rockets, Texans so I obviously don't collect for profit:p


I want the deions not for resale but because i like both the fiugres and want to keep them. You think TMP would want to take orders so they could sell all of those figures plus make a few more so when they come out and people decide they want them also they can buy them. TMP doesnt make any money off of a resale. So when a guy buys its for 10 on the spawn store then sells it for 50 they only make the 10 so wouldnt it be smarter to make enough for the people that want them instead of having so many people pissed?

[EDBSIP]

good idea, but let us purchase however many we want

[Smbdyfnkillme]

I want the deions not for resale but because i like both the fiugres and want to keep them. You think TMP would want to take orders so they could sell all of those figures plus make a few more so when they come out and people decide they want them also they can buy them. TMP doesnt make any money off of a resale. So when a guy buys its for 10 on the spawn store then sells it for 50 they only make the 10 so wouldnt it be smarter to make enough for the people that want them instead of having so many people pissed?

But if they do it your way, nobody will want the figure. People want the CC figures because they have more value. It's the same reason that you can go to your nearest store and see all of the regular figures on the shelf and zero chase figures. Nobody cares about figures you can easily get unless it's their hometown team. I'm a huge Bonds fan and I'll never get the World Series piece. Does that mean I think they should have made more? No, it was rare and everybody had a chance to get it. We can't all get what we want. I just wish society would stop raising people to think otherwise.

[sportsnut2006]

But if they do it your way, nobody will want the figure. People want the CC figures because they have more value. It's the same reason that you can go to your nearest store and see all of the regular figures on the shelf and zero chase figures. Nobody cares about figures you can easily get unless it's their hometown team. I'm a huge Bonds fan and I'll never get the World Series piece. Does that mean I think they should have made more? No, it was rare and everybody had a chance to get it. We can't all get what we want. I just wish society would stop raising people to think otherwise.


Well they way TMP is doing it is all not that fair. If you have a job and have to work all day on the July 31st you have no chance of getting a figure so at least to a lottery system which is a fair way. And the only reason you would agrue against a lottery is if you are going to be at a computer all day on the 31st which is not fair.

[Smbdyfnkillme]

I'm arguing against a lottery because it's unfair to the people that can be there. One of my friends was first in line for his Gamecube at a store that had instituted a lottery system. Luckily he got one, but the guy behind him didn't. Is that fair? Absolutely not. If you can't be there, you can't be there, but this lottery system is nonsense. If I can't get one on the 31st, I still won't want a lottery system.

[Noleman]

I am all for this way! It still limits the amount produced (nobody knows the actual production numbers anyway) and avoids all the hassle.

I wouldn't mind the current way except for the fact that it has proven time and time again that the store can't handle the traffic and that just creates too many problems.

[sibelius]

I'm arguing against a lottery because it's unfair to the people that can be there. One of my friends was first in line for his Gamecube at a store that had instituted a lottery system. Luckily he got one, but the guy behind him didn't. Is that fair? Absolutely not. If you can't be there, you can't be there, but this lottery system is nonsense. If I can't get one on the 31st, I still won't want a lottery system.

I guess I don't understand why the criteria for who should get one is based on who happens to be able to show up at a certain time or date. People who work for a living and don't have the flexibility to hang out at their computer all day waiting for the magic moment get left out in the cold. Are these people expected to use vacation days or something, when it can be avoided completely with a lottery? How assinine is that? Who CARES if someone is first on that particular day?

I work online. I can get to the online store pretty much any time I want. So I'm not arguing for myself. I just think the bullrush approach is unfair and exclusionary to a lot of people, whereas a lottery is the most fair and democratic approach - other than preorders.

On the other hand, I was just in the hospital for 14 days - if the Deions had been released during that time I would have been denied any chance to get them. If a lottery was used, my wife could have submitted my name any time during the week or two they alloted for submissions - no problem. Or even better, if they had preorders I wouldn't be excluded.

A lottery gives everyone an equal chance, regardless where they live, what they do for a living, what kind of connection they have, what their family commitments are, etc. It isn't based on who can hover around the store all day on 7/31 like a starving dog waiting for table scraps. It eliminates the need for TMP to pay for hardware and bandwidth to handle the peak volume - well, TMP obviously hasn't done that based on yesterday's debacle so I guess that's not a real advantage. LOL But IF TMP actually DID want the thing to run smoothly, a lottery would allow them to avoid that cost.

The best solution would be preorders. That would eliminate ALL of this nonsense. But failing that common sense approach, a lottery is much more fair to EVERYONE and not just those who have the flexibility to hang around here at TMP's beck and call.

[Smbdyfnkillme]

But here's the problem. Do you actually NEED this figure? Will you die if you don't get one? Didn't think so. There are plenty of figures that I want and will never have. I'll get over it. I was first in line to get an Xbox 360 and I have a great job. Plenty of people went home that day emptyhanded. Should we institute a lottery just so they have a chance when they showed up too late? I don't like to play games of chance, that leaves too many random elements at play. Either I'm there or I'm not.

[raven112]

Yep. Sign me up for that one.

[sibelius]

But here's the problem. Do you actually NEED this figure? Will you die if you don't get one? Didn't think so. There are plenty of figures that I want and will never have. I'll get over it. I was first in line to get an Xbox 360 and I have a great job. Plenty of people went home that day emptyhanded. Should we institute a lottery just so they have a chance when they showed up too late? I don't like to play games of chance, that leaves too many random elements at play. Either I'm there or I'm not.

What does that have to do with anything? Whether someone will die or not because they don't get a SP? These are collectibles, things people want. The fact that they aren't life and death items has no bearing on whether they should be sold by bullrush or lottery.

You're obsessed with people showing up too late. You're stuck in the mentality of "we have to camp out for the latest game console" or something. If a lottery system was used it wouldn't be a question of someone showing up too late. Why should someone who works away from a computer or is in the hospital or has family obligations be denied the same opportunity to buy a figure as you? Why should they have to use their vacation days for it? Like you said, it's not life or death. That's just really stupid. If you have a lottery you need less network infrastructure (meaning TMP has a lower cost to sell) and you give all your collector base an equal shot. No crashing the server, no angry threads about your shopping cart being dumped because the system failed.

Random elements? Game of chance? Doing a bullrush sale on a system that has failed every time it's been challenged IS a game of chance. That does have random elements - how good is your connection, what is happening to the internet between your ISP and the TMP server, are you able to be online at the exact moment they go for sale, does their server crash and burn AGAIN and screw up your order but favor someone else. In a lottery there are no random elements - you submit your name and they either draw it or they don't.

[Smbdyfnkillme]

Well, I wish you good luck because they're not doing a lottery. No, you shouldn't get something if you weren't there on time. Want that TV that's on sale the day after Thanksgiving? Well, there's no lottery so you actually need to be there on time, get used to it. My life or death analogy makes sense because you people are all acting like you will physically die if you don't get the Deions. Spoiled people that are used to getting everything they want can't get used to the word limited.

[RUI23MJ]

I'm arguing against a lottery because it's unfair to the people that can be there. One of my friends was first in line for his Gamecube at a store that had instituted a lottery system. Luckily he got one, but the guy behind him didn't. Is that fair? Absolutely not. If you can't be there, you can't be there, but this lottery system is nonsense. If I can't get one on the 31st, I still won't want a lottery system.
Couldn't have said it better myself.

[sportsnut2006]

What does that have to do with anything? Whether someone will die or not because they don't get a SP? These are collectibles, things people want. The fact that they aren't life and death items has no bearing on whether they should be sold by bullrush or lottery.

You're obsessed with people showing up too late. You're stuck in the mentality of "we have to camp out for the latest game console" or something. If a lottery system was used it wouldn't be a question of someone showing up too late. Why should someone who works away from a computer or is in the hospital or has family obligations be denied the same opportunity to buy a figure as you? Why should they have to use their vacation days for it? Like you said, it's not life or death. That's just really stupid. If you have a lottery you need less network infrastructure (meaning TMP has a lower cost to sell) and you give all your collector base an equal shot. No crashing the server, no angry threads about your shopping cart being dumped because the system failed.

Random elements? Game of chance? Doing a bullrush sale on a system that has failed every time it's been challenged IS a game of chance. That does have random elements - how good is your connection, what is happening to the internet between your ISP and the TMP server, are you able to be online at the exact moment they go for sale, does their server crash and burn AGAIN and screw up your order but favor someone else. In a lottery there are no random elements - you submit your name and they either draw it or they don't.
You are 100 % right.

[sportsnut2006]

Well, I wish you good luck because they're not doing a lottery. No, you shouldn't get something if you weren't there on time. Want that TV that's on sale the day after Thanksgiving? Well, there's no lottery so you actually need to be there on time, get used to it. My life or death analogy makes sense because you people are all acting like you will physically die if you don't get the Deions. Spoiled people that are used to getting everything they want can't get used to the word limited.


Well its nice to know you will buy as many as you can and then sell them for 100 bucks for the pair.

[Smbdyfnkillme]

If that was the case, I would've already sold my NH McNabb. I haven't sold one figure as of yet.

[sportsnut2006]

If that was the case, I would've already sold my NH McNabb. I haven't sold one figure as of yet.


Ok my bad. But hey some systems are fair to some and not fair to others. There is a poll right now and Lottery is leading the way.But i just dont like it because i have 0% chance of buying the figures and i am not going to pay 100 bucks either for them so too bad for me. Like you said i will live.

[Addicted 2 Collecting]

they don't need to do a lottery. first the sale starts on a sunday, alot of us are off work. Second if they limit figs per household like Spawn 30, more people will have a chance.

[sibelius]

the sale starts on Monday

[AndyMatz]

Does this NOW sound like a good idea?

[sibelius]

I think many people agreed with you, Andy. I had recommended this months ago when I saw how irrelevant the collector club is in its current form. The key is that preorders must take place before the figures are produced so that sufficient figures are made to meet the preorder demand. If they're concerned about scalpers buying 500 of the figures and deluting the value, charge for club membership and restrict the number of exclusives each membership can order. In that manner the preorder system solves all the problems. It provides exclusivity, it eliminates competition amongst the avid collectors who want figures, it ensures that sufficient supplies are made to fill the orders for collectors who make preorders, it lowers TMP's cost to do exclusives - don't have to pay for bigger servers and new programming that will fail anyway. It's just the right way to do it.

[bigpoppad]

I think the prepaid thing is a terrible idea. Makes the piece worth less than the price paid for it, and has no collectibility whatsoever. Selling any piece on a pre-sell is basically just an effort to cut out the middle man.

Then again, this would make the value of the 1st Deion's skyrocket......think about it Todd, oh the DRAMA!!!

[sibelius]

I think the prepaid thing is a terrible idea. Makes the piece worth less than the price paid for it, and has no collectibility whatsoever. Selling any piece on a pre-sell is basically just an effort to cut out the middle man.

Then again, this would make the value of the 1st Deion's skyrocket......think about it Todd, oh the DRAMA!!!

That's an interesting perspective - how would taking preorders, creating only enough to fill the orders received and shipping the figure sold out make the pieces worth less? Understand that for other collectibles clubs, this is how they do their exclusives and those club pieces are extremely valuable.

Again though, if you're really concerned about limited editions, you do the pre-order route but you allow only people with paid memberships to the club to order, and the quantities each membership can order are very limited.

[AndyMatz]

Of course it depends on why you are in this hobby... I definetly like the thought of my figures going up in value, but as someone who has been collecting Sports action figures for 17 years, the reality is that a VERY small percentage of them remain "valuable" over the long term. Except for NHL1 repains, NFL1, NFL1 no helmet and the Superbowl Tomlinson and Seau, how many SportsPicks have true collectible value... Think about it.
And Sibelius, I think your perspecitve on this hobby is right on !!

[Hokies]

Sideshow Toys is doing it for Star Wars. It works well so far. You have a few days to preorder and then they set the limit a little bit over the orders.

[AndyMatz]

figured I'd bump this one last time....

[sibelius]

I think the discussion is theoretical at this point, Andy. Rick continues to state that they won't do preorders because they want to strictly restrict edition sizes. Rather than limiting edition size by time for placing preorders, they want to stick with setting specific quantities. I agree with you, though. Set up preorders. I like the idea of limiting orders to those who have a paid membership to minimize the scalpers getting multiple figures. But we're losing on this one, unfortunately. I think the lottery is better than everyone crashing the server and I'm glad they've gone that far at least. But pre-orders look like a pipedream at this point. :(

[wilycoyote]

figured I'd bump this one last time....



Makes too much sense Andy:( ...And what do you know,your only a collector of these awesome figures..:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :D .