How do you keep the faith?

We're told that our favorite lines are never dead. But, Highlander is gone and if you peruse the polls for best and/or worst figure shipped in 2006 you'll find a common factor:
*********************************************************
Poll Options
Best 1/6 Scale Figure Shipped in 2006?
Luke Skywalker
Anakin Skywalker
Kit Fisto
Darth Vader
Han Solo
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Mace Windu
Qui-Gon Jinn
Darth Maul
Bib Fortuna
**********************************************************

Umm...notice anything? If you're not a SW fanatic, is your favorite line represented with a figure offering? Granted, we've all heard that SW is the money making machine for Sideshow, but don't tell us our lines aren't dead. If they're not, they're sure as hell in ICU.
Yes, I know its a post from the SW area but you get the idea.

I think most of the other lines are resting in peace quite comfortably. If other lines could hav half as many releases as Star wars did last year they would be doing extremely well.

Since this poll is from the Star Wars section, I didn't take it as a slight that other figures weren't represented. Perhaps the title of the poll should have been "Best SW figure shipped in 2006"?

For those of us who collect other lines, it has been kinda rough this year. I love the Star Wars offerings, and if anything, the toys have actually made me appreciate the Star Wars movies more than I have in a long time. I do wish that licenses that were closer to my heart, like LOTR or Buffy were getting the same treatment, but until then, I guess I'll have to rely on faith to get me through to each announcement for other lines.

To totally misquote and paraphrase the exchange between Gandalf and Aragorn

Aragorn: "Everyday, another figure from outside the SW universe moves closer to production"
Gandalf: "Do we know that"
Aragorn: "What does your heart tell you?"
Gandalf: "That other lines live"

You are right. However, if it were other lines having that many releases I can't help but wonder how many character rehashes we would have gotten. No dupes in Star Wars. Buffy had multiple rehashes, and GOD!!, how many Taylor's did we get? Maybe if they treated all the lines equally some of the others would/could sell better.

It seems like the 1/6 lines outside of Star Wars may not be moving as fast or as strong, but the non-Star Wars offerings from the company are there, Bruce from JAWS, T2 and Rambo busts, Terminator Ships, more horror items, I think they're trying to branch out in variety, I'm sure like anything some of them get tired of some subjects after a while and want to explore other things and with a line like Star Wars getting them into spotlights (and I'm sure they were in many well before the Star Wars line) it only entices other licenses to get involved with them or makes other licenses give in when Sideshow pursues them for rights.

Protozaius said:

Since this poll is from the Star Wars section, I didn't take it as a slight that other figures weren't represented. Perhaps the title of the poll should have been "Best SW figure shipped in 2006"?

Click to expand...

I meant my post partially in jest. The fact remains though, that I can't think of another line [please save the but its Star Wars and Star Wars sells] that had that many figures shipped in one year with NO DUPLICATION OF CHARACTERS!!!

EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL LINES!!!

My faith has been tested to say the least. I love Star Wars but I have diversified my interests in other licenses. Highlander is DOA. You can pretty much say the same for Apes. I personally loved that line and have almost every figure. X-Files is pretty much done. Terminator, while there are MANY possibilities to expand this line has limped its way to final production after a year from pre-order date. All I am getting from Sideshow is Star Wars.

That's not to say I am not totally starved for 1:6 figures. So far Hot Toys has really come through for me with the HIGHEST quality 1:6 figures around... Aliens, Predators, Rocky, Rambo, and Robocop. Right now my faith resides with Hot Toys. Sideshow is now merely secondary to them. Looks like the competition has taken the lead.

dekadentdave said:

That's not to say I am not totally starved for 1:6 figures. So far Hot Toys has really come through for me with the HIGHEST quality 1:6 figures around... Aliens, Predators, Rocky, Rambo, and Robocop. Right now my faith resides with Hot Toys. Sideshow is now merely secondary to them. Looks like the competition has taken the lead.

Click to expand...

Here comes Superfan to put you in your place!

Oh, I'm sorry Nash, did I leave you poor Medikommies out? I was talking about 1:6 scale not 1:16

When Highlander kicked the bucket, it seemed like a decision by the license holder. Maybe they made some of the wrong-headed decisions about which figures to release as well.

I still hope that Horror lines will continue, both the classic Universal Monsters and the Modern (all New Line?) stuff. Buffy and Angel should hopefully be able to keep their pace of three to four offerings a year. Just trying to keep my chin up!

Protozaius said:

Since this poll is from the Star Wars section, I didn't take it as a slight that other figures weren't represented. Perhaps the title of the poll should have been "Best SW figure shipped in 2006"?

Click to expand...

The title was fine, not just cuz I made it, but it's in the Star Wars forum, i would think someone wouldn't look for Buffy on the ballot in a Star Wars thread.

The point of this thread was not to bash Star Wars. It was intended as a poke in Sideshow's ribs to put other figures into our hands as well. They do not seem to frequent the POTA thread but the figure line has taken on new fans, all of which admit wishing they had been in from the start. Granted, sure it would've been better for all if they had but the interest is still there. And the line still boasts some of Sideshow's best work. You can't tell me its not worth another couple of figures.
Milo at least?
Virgil?
Aldo?
C'mon!!!
How about a Universal rebirth?
Maleva?
Ygor?
Dr. Frankenstein?

Well Sideshow has to consider costs when choosing things. While some non SW lines seem to have a strong following in these threads, it doesn't seem like a great deal of people post here, so who knows if there's enough backing on some of the other lines to support the figures, where SW is a cash cow.

I'd say the faith is dwindling. After Star Wars, what licence can spawn a multitude of figures that will sell as well. I see the shift into higher end items being the future of Sideshow, with a complimentary 1/6 figure now and then. We have stated on numerous occassions our wants, and most of the biggies have been done, the others with licences not being obtainable or not profitable. Something for smaller or more focussed companies to squabble over. Unfortunately we'll have to wait for the next imaginative film or series to come along for now.

I agree with Creecher. It appears SSC has almost "moved on" from some of its old licences - the only hope for them is that the next "Sideshow" emerges and runs with them. Maybe someone like Majestic may get their act together - there's definitely a market but there's no arguing that that market isn't as big as the one for Star Wars.

creecher said:

I see the shift into higher end items being the future of Sideshow, with a complimentary 1/6 figure now and then.

Click to expand...

That's how I see it as well. The only 1/6 lines with regular releases will be Star Wars and, to a lesser extent, LOTR. Sideshow is more of a statue company now. I'm sure we'll see a random offering now and then, but the days of Sideshow having several 1/6 lines going full force are gone.

I keep the faith by focusing on the Premium Format figures in my collection. I have always preferred statues to 12" figures, so my faith is not being tested as much as most of you.

But I do feel for you.

If our places were reversed, I would be distressed.

Distressed and forlorn.

If our places were reversed, I would be distressed, forlorn and morose.

With a dash of ennui.

tomandshell said:

I keep the faith by focusing on the Premium Format figures in my collection. I have always preferred statues to 12" figures, so my faith is not being tested as much as most of you.

Click to expand...

I find myself more attracted to PF and statues lately simply because that's where the variety is now, and because the price of 1/6 imports are starting to approach statue prices. If I'm gonna have to pay statue prices, I might as well just start buying statues.

MaulFan said:

Well Sideshow has to consider costs when choosing things. While some non SW lines seem to have a strong following in these threads, it doesn't seem like a great deal of people post here, so who knows if there's enough backing on some of the other lines to support the figures, where SW is a cash cow.

Click to expand...

Indeed.
Star Wars is the cash cow and ours the one led to the slaughter.
That being said, I still refuse to believe that Salacious Crumb, Endor rebels or Bobu as secondary characters [or less] can get made and would outsell the likes of Maleva, Ygor, or the Ape-O-Nauts. And it seems rather early in such a vast universe as that of Star Wars to have even gotten to such characters.