TODD MCFARLANE will answer your questions. I'm up to post #267

[Todd McFarlane]

Hey Gang:

Todd McFarlane here. I thought I'd drop in and take the time to answer some of your questions. I've been doing that over on the comic book boards since our relaunch of the SPAWN comic. It seems to have worked out pretty well there, so I am hoping that we can take a stab at doing the same thing here.

The way it works, is you post your question (please keep it fairly short and I like those questions that have meaning to more than just the person writing it). I will then go into your actual post and edit my answer into your question. When you see:

****TODD SAYS**** that means I have given you an answer. I will go in numerical order and try to answer most of them, though for some reason or another I might skip over the odd one. At some point in time, I'll cap the thread and start another one fresh.

Before we get going, I'd like to announce that both Mark Weber and Ben Vance will no longer be moderating these boards. Both of them, especially Mark, have done a tremendous job facilitating these boards and keeping it in line so that it is a reasonable place to spend time. They have also been instrumental in getting out the word of our coming product lines. Marks dedication and professional efforts were some of the building blocks of gathering so many of you out there in cyber space. And his presence at some of trade shows helped bring some of you face to face with our company. He will be greatly missed. Ben, has also been pouring his efforts into getting out the information to you and we wish him and Mark all the best in the future. Neither one was fired, as some have quickly speculated. Their absence is a sad byproduct of my company dealing with the reality of the current business world.

Recently, my company was forced to reduce some of our workforce. Most of those that unfortunately were laid off were very good workers and even more, very good people on a personal level, but in an effort to continue to stay competitive, some hard decisions were made. I wish I could say that my company was somehow special or unique, and that the reality of the world had no bearing on our day to day activities. Sadly, I can't say that.

Does this mean that my company is on the verge of going out of business? No. Does it mean that we will be pulling back on our efforts for the sports lines? Absolutely not. It simply means that some corrections were needed within my company. If you have been reading the news you know that I am in the same boat as many hundreds (and perhaps thousands of companies that are also feeling the same business pain).

My company has been through these bumps before. Remember it's now been about 15 years we've been doing this. Though each day hasn't been all fun, we have learned how and when to adjust so that we can continue to bring you products at a high quality and a fair price.

So with that said, I wanted to come here to answer your questions on what the future holds for all of us in the world of SPORTSPICKS. So please fire away and I will give you the honest truth to all that is a mystery to you.

Thanks for your continued support.

TODD MCFARLANE

[Todd McFarlane]

First
!!!

TODD

[mac21]

second

****TODD SAYS****
Second?!! You sound like a Tampa Bay Rays fan. If you look at the post directly above you you'll see I am more like a Phillies fan.

TODD

[mac21]

Any plans to insert "game used" or auto's into future SP's???


****TODD SAYS****
In an effort to try and keep reasonable pricing for our product, I feel that adding game used items would not be a popular item because it would have to be added to the cost. With that said, it doesn't mean we can't ry something from time to time in our Collector's Club like we once did with the Barry Bonds World Series figure.

TODD

[POGELOCUS]

Can you adopt me?



****TODD SAYS****
This is one of those global questions that is of interest to all board members, I believe.

TODD

[matzushocka]

thank you todd!

will the cost of fuel being lower possibly open the door for the cardboard packaging to go away?

The forums arent going anywhere are they?


****TODD SAYS****
No the forums aren't going anywhere. As for the fuel cost, though the price of a barrel of crude oil has been coming down dramatically, alot of the companies that transport good haven't taken away the surcharges. They say they are just trying to make up for what they lost in profits during the price run up.

TODD

[coltsfan16]

Why have you decided to change the facemasks on NFL figs from the style the player uses (and shown in the proto's) to generic designs?


****TODD SAYS****
As a way of trying to be cost effective, there is a complication in using just one part of equipment for a player that may be specific to them. Yes, I know we did this in the past, but if you could see the cost we incurred in doing so you would know that from time to time we have to decide if getting everything absolutely correct outweighs being able to maintain the pricing to our retail accounts.

TODD

[stupidsuck]

will you be doing these Q+A's more regularly now?



****TODD SAYS****
I haven't made any concrete schedules for this kind of interaction, but I will try to be more active here on this board. My time is inconsistent with what I do so I will try my best to continue to answer your questions. Though it may not be at the pace you might want. Just keep checking to see if I've gotten around to your question in the thread.

TODD

[yakester21]

So Todd, what are Mark & Ben doing now for you? Or did they resign?



****TODD SAYS****
As mentioned in my initial post on this thread, both Ben and Mark are no longer with the company. We hope they find bigger and better opportunities and will let you know if we hear anything.

TODD

[BigFred]

Did Mark and Ben get a reasonable severance package?


****TODD SAYS****
They did get a severance package. Whether it was reasonable, well, you would need to ask them first.

TODD

[Jimmysru]

hey todd will we ever get sportpicks back the way they were circa 2007


****TODD SAYS****
Not to sound dumb, but could you please give me more details as to what specifically you mean by 'circa 2007'.

TODD

[The_Kid]

Painted parts, correct facemasks, and licensed goalie mask art in the future or more molded plastic and generic equipment?


****TODD SAYS****
We will be going back to painting almost all of our part once again. I tried the experiment and wasn't pleased with the results either, so we will be returning to the look of the past for the most part (as it concerns the figure). To accomplish this, we needed to find the cost to do so elsewhere. That is one of the reasons for playing with and making slight modifications.

For instance, the rights to a particular goalie mask would add costs to our goalies which are already way above those of a regular figure. The time it would take to secure those rights (even if we could) would slow down our selection of the goalies that might be 'hot' at that time.

TODD

[DMM77]

Will we ever see nets included with goalie figures again?

****TODD SAYS****
We have done a couple of those in our two-pack boxed sets and are considering doing some with the goal posts, but the price point would be higher than those of a regular figure.

TODD

[Voodoo Chylde]

Todd,
Now that I've read your entire post, future 12 inch NHL; yes, no, maybe?


****TODD SAYS****
12 inch NHL figures are on the planning list for 2009. We will let you know details when we can.

TODD

[Eazy-D66]

Will it be possible to bring back the smaller and nicer packaging of the generation before the cardboard series were released?


****TODD SAYS****
For now we are going to stay with the package sizing. What we will be looking into is whether we can make the entire package all plastic like the smaller sized blisters from a few series ago. I understand the cardboard issue too. We will make every attempt to get those kinks ironed out AND not have to pass on any additional costs over the slight increase we are looking at for 2009.

TODD

[biteyahard]

Is the size change going to be perminent?


****TODD SAYS****
Again, this was an experiment that I wasn't quite happy with, so we are going to return to the slightly bigger figures we were doing in the past. That doesn't mean from time to time we might have a player come out a little smaller than the others, but we won't be trying to do it on purpose.

TODD

[The Trove]

Thank you for listening, Todd, your Sports Picks have provided me a lot of joy. My question: Are you going to stick to one universal scale, no matter what, from now on? The fluctuation has been terrible recently...


****TODD SAYS****
We will be trying to do better in the coming year as we get past some of our attempts to contain our costing issues. Let us know what you think. Though when we reuse some of the existing molds, we are at the mercy of that sizing.

TODD

[Poochiesdead]

Sorry to hear about the tough times Todd. Hopefully you guys can get back to the old ways.

Please tell me Griffey's next figure will be in that classic follow through we all know and love...


****TODD SAYS****
There is still lots of things for us to be positive about for the next year. And, yes, Griffey will be in his follow through swing!

TODD

[etc22]

Todd,
Mark & Ben were your interface here for getting information out.(shadows, line announcements etc...) Will we still be seeing those types of announcements and by what means?

Thanks



****TODD SAYS****
Yes, we will continue to try and get information out to you in a timely fashion, though there may be a bit of a lag with the holidays and our transition of new moderators.

TODD

[The_Kid]

Will a price increase to maintain quality be considered?


****TODD SAYS****
We are doing a slight price increase (about 3%) for the first time in five or six years. I have always been resistant to any increase, but it just has become impossible to maintain the pricing levels. Hopefully this will not get passed on to you at any higher rate, but each store is in control of their price structure.

TODD

[Purdue_Pete]

Thanks Todd! Long live the NFL line!



****TODD SAYS****
Amen brother, Amen!

TODD

[BigFred]

Can we expect 3 NFL waves in 09? Will Ed Reed ever get made?



****TODD SAYS****
Absolutely, we plan on the three waves of NFL next year, but no Ed Reed in the bunch. Sorry.

TODD

[Scout1982]

Hi Todd,

As a small Canadian Distributor, I find it very disturbing that All of the sportspicks are offered to everyone as Solid Cases for each player in the series, except for hockey. Why is that? Personally, I am unable to order 3000 of one individual player that would be most popular in my area and with that result, I am stuck with players that I have a hard time unloading. Are there any future plans to offer Solid Cases of Hockey figures like they do in other sports?

As a strickly McFarlane retailer/distributor, I feel that McFarlane doesn't look at the small guys like myself, and want to help me grow into a larger distributor that I know I could be. Feel free to PM me if you are at all interested in my concerns north of the boarder up here in Edmonton. I have a few questions that I would like answered regarding our B2B relationship.

Ryan



****TODD SAYS****
I will look into the suggestions you have made here. Also, please give us a call or talk to your representative at our company (her name is Patty) for more information. Thanks for your support.

TODD

P.S. - as a side note I checked into your comment and we do sell hockey players in slid packs. Whomever you are getting them from is giving you bad information if they say they don't exist. They may not have any to sell you, but that is different than they aren't being made.

[shandy_man]

Hey there Todd...with the whole molded colour plastic issue, some people have complained about how glossy the final product is....will you guys ever consider applying some sort of dull coat to tone it down?

Also what's with the smaller pegs? It surely has an effect on those who purchased the rink. Will you guys be making corrections to this issue in future series?

Thanks

Shandy



****TODD SAYS****
Yes, I will be looking at those changes. As mentioned above, I wasn't happy with the non-painted series of players as I had hoped. We are making modifications right now.

TODD

Thanks for the updated Todd. As for my ? How many NFL lineups do you have in plan for 2009?


****TODD SAYS****
We still have our three waves planned for next year.

TODD

[etc22]

Todd,
Any thoughts on expanding the NFL legends line to 2 series and reducing the regular lines? There are more legend players available from all the teams that would be popular rather than having to stick with rerepresenting the same players that are available now that sell ie. Brady, LT etc.... This could be a possible answer for those that want to see all the NFL teams represented rather than just the big markets.



****TODD SAYS****
It is very hard to track down and get under contract the retired players. That is why we limit the number of those players. Also, unlike the current players, the retired ones don't have 'hot career years' that has the media talking about that player in the news as much. So sometimes it is easier to sell a current player that might not ever make the Hall of Fame compared to a player already there.

TODD

[Xar]

Thank you Todd for coming onto the boards and posting. Its a true shame that both Mark and Ben are gone. Obviously business decisions were make, and us here on the boards really only see Mark and Ben, but the business is much bigger than those two. Obviously I wish them both the very best in the future. Im glad to see that these boards will remain, as these boards have become more of a community, and a true asset to your collecting base of customers IMO. Im also glad to hear that Sportspicks will be going nowhere anytime soon, as long as you start making more Packers, Jays and Stars

I do actually have two questions.......

1. Was Mark given the opportunity to stay with the business under a different job description at all? Just to me, like many other boardmembers, he has become the face of the Sportspick lineup, even above yourself, simply because he was here and would ALWAYS do his best at keeping up communications with all us, and giving us little tid bits of insight to what was occuring. He never had a problem answering a question if he was allowed to, even tho sometimes it wasnt the answers we wanted. I just hope that he was given the opportunity to stay with the company in another capacity.

2. Vernon Wells.........he has twice been removed from the MLB lineups. Ben did mention that TMP was currently working on a way to get him released in another form. Has there been any progress on this? Should we Jays fans look forward to seeing a Wells figure, or has the figure been placed on the shelf next to my ultimate grail......The "Lambeau Leap" figure........

Thank you,

Calvin



****TODD SAYS****
As mentioned earlier, Mr. Weber is no longer with us. Like you we wish him nothing but the best also. Veron wells has been bumped in exchange for some players that had more national impact. The toughest part of our selection process is picking players that will be good sellers around the country and not just in one or two regions.

TODD

[ryan_G]

Originally Posted by Todd McFarlane

My company has been through these bumps before. Remember it's now been about 15 years we've been doing this. Though each day hasn't been all fun, we have learned how and when to adjust so that we can continue to bring you products at a high quality and a fair price.

So with that said, I wanted to come here to answer your questions on what the future holds for all of us in the world of SPORTSPICKS. So please fire away and I will give you the honest truth to all that is a mystery to you.

Thanks for your continued support.

TODD MCFARLANE

Even though my support is still here, it is hard to agree with your last statement when it was hard as a collector to say the quality was high when we were not really seeing the quality craftmanship put into the sportspicks line like it was in the past.

With that being said I wanted to ask you a question in regards to the return of the classic chase figures being brought back up into the mix. Will the chases as well as the regular figures in the lines return under the quality of old with some good old paint apps or will they still be like the latest products being put out with the molded plastic look?



****TODD SAYS****
In some of my answers above you will read that we are re-looking at the paint operations of the figures again. The original samples from the factory were quite good, and didn't have the 'shine' to them that the final products did. So I have spoken to those factories and we will be correcting that very shortly.
Froma business perspective, we need to look at various ways to try and keep pricing inline and this was an attempt at that. It didn't work the way I wanted and will be corrected, but that doesn't mean we can stop experimenting. The easiest thing would be to raise the price of all my figure about 60%, which is the pricing increase my company has had to swallow over the past five years. I have not passed that on to you the customer. We will be adding a slight 3% increase next year, but that is far short of where we should be.
So my choices are to just raise and raise prices OR attempt to experiment with ways to give you a quality item in a certain price range. I will always attempt the latter.

TODD

[Mozam]

Todd
Appreciate your efforts, my question revolves around poses. Any chances of new OL poses (pass blocking or 3-point stances), QB under center pose, running back in pre-snap pose. Some poses similar to what are in the mini-sets would be great! also more defensive players with new poses. The newest Randy moss in the stance was a great pose addition.
thanks again.



****TODD SAYS****
I like some of your suggestions, but the harsh reality is that at the store level, those types of player don't sell well. So we will be doing them on a limited level only. The "leap" would need to be a boxed item with players and fans and a grandstand which would push the price into the $30 dollar range and our retailers aren't looking for those price points right now.

But we have it on the drawing boards for years.


TODD

[starscream's ghost]

Todd, I'd like to officially volunteer as a limited-role, unpaid moderator if such a spot is exists



****TODD SAYS****
Such a spot might exists, but that person would need to be located in the Phoenix area to be close to all of our day to day activities. Thanks for the offer though.

TODD

[thepress]

As a customer who has been buying spawn toys since series 1 in 1994 I would echo other comments here to ensure that the quality that has brought your product and company this far be examined even at the risk of a price increase.


****TODD SAYS****
I appreciate the comment, though there is a balancing act that must be included where quality and price make sense for everyone concerned. For example, if I were to just look at the artistic side of the items without regard for pricing, I might have the best looking toys but no retailer or store owner would want to buy it at the increased prices, which would mean that I'd sell very little or none of an exquisitely high quailty product.

TODD

[GMLBFan]

Sorry to hear about Mark, he was a great choice as moderator and I hope all the best for him in the future. Thanks for clearing up the rumors and I hope SP's remain in business for both the immediate and long range future. This has been much more than a hobby for me for many years and there isn't another product out there that could match the enjoyment I've gotten from Sportspicks. Good luck!!


****TODD SAYS****
Thank you. We will be bringing you all the sports lines that we have in the past. A weakened economy doesn't mean that your product is bad, it mostly means that you will just sell less of them.

TODD

[TRDouble]

Thanks for coming on and quelling the rumors, etc, Todd. Mark & me sometimes 'tussled' on the boards, but he will be missed, as will the neophyte, Ben.

As for Sports Picks, some of the recent ones I have picked up obviously are forgoing paint for color plastic. On some it's not so bad, while others, it is just awful. But even on the good ones, the shine can kill the look of the figure, while others that are duller are the ones that have worked.

Is this something that will be adjusted and tweaked? The sculpts are still top notch -- the Stan Mikita sculpt is a beautiful figure to behold -- but the paint/nopaint issue is really holding these back.

Oh yeah, we need some more variety in the line-ups too (i.e. Buffalo Sabres! )


****TODD SAYS****
I will continue to say it, we are in the process of fixing the shiny unmolded items. I wasn't sold on them either so its back to the drawing board to do better.

TODD

[ryan_G]

Originally Posted by mac21

second

****TODD SAYS****
Second?!! You sound like a Tampa Bay Rays fan. If you look at the post directly above you you'll see I am more like a Phillies fan.

TODD

Todd that was great and anytime you want to come to Philly, a game is on me.


****TODD SAYS****
When I was a kid of 11 years old, Steve Carlton won 27 games for the last place Phillies and he forever became my all-time favorite pitcher. I too am a lefty and I emulated his windup when I pitched, I still have the same high leg kick as Carlton to this day. (And that Schmidt guy wasn't too bad either).

TODD

[UFCFan]

Thanks for taking some time out of your schedule during what is surely a tumultuous period.

My question is this:

I know in the current economic climate, attaining the maximum amount of sales on any given item is paramount, more so than ever. However, going forward, do you have any plans to start being a bit more equitable in terms of teams being represented with SP's, especially in the NFL line? I am aware that the "casual" buyer has taken more importance with your company the last couple years, but I also believe that a lot of diehard collectors have become very disenfranchised with your product because of it. I realize exactly how well merchandise of teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers, Oakland Raiders, etc. sells, but it honestly feels like over half of the league's teams get continually ignored, even when they have some legitimate star players. Is it at all possible to start "spreading the love" around a bit more, even if it is a shorter produced, shorter packed out figure every series or two?

Again, thank you for your time, and Happy Holidays.


****TODD SAYS****
I completely understand your frustration. Here is my problem, as the world of business continues to change, so too do the rules that are given to me. For instance, the number of figures I have to order from the factories has been getting higher and higher. Which means the teams that have only a small fan base, become more diffficult to contemplate because I need to make more of a player from a small market area and sell him nationally.

Those are the players that historically sit on the pegs at the stores after the diehard fans have picked them up, and I can't make so little of them that the factories will take the order.

TODD