Gentle Giant ... Or How to Destroy a Company in 5 Easy Steps

1.) No Customer Input / Feedback - I could go on for days about this one. But I think everyone realizes that GG doesn't give a damn what we think. It didn't bother me so much until they started charging us 50 bucks to enter RAFFLES. Exactly why do I have to pay for something that collectors use to get for free - i.e. random after convention listings. Some people may complain, but 50 bucks should buy me something else other than a shot in the raffle. So, what exactly is that money being used for?
2.) Release Substandard Products - Apparently our money is not being used for sculpting classes - the Obi-Wan statue proves it. GG use to be a company of excellence with the occasional miscue. Now, they are a corporation of miscues with the occasional excellent piece. For every Chewie, there is a Qui-Gon or Clone Obi waiting to kick us in the balls.
3.) Ignoring Customer Complaints and Request / Customer Service - Yes, I realize this one could go into number one, but it is different. The first one was about customer relations. While smart in the business world, its not mandatory. This goes to actual customer service. Best example - 2 years ago, I bought a Tarkin Mini-bust from a respected online retailer. It arrived with a busted chair. It was obvious the item had not been opened ... and their was no box damage, so it must have been shipped from GG that way. I called the retailer and they were out of stock. They told me to contact GG and give them the retailer code. If GG couldn't help me, they would refund my money. I did exactly as instructed and after 2 weeks waiting for a reply, I got a message saying, "send us pics of the damage and the edition number and we will replace it." I did that the same week I got the e-mail and waited .... and waited. 2 months later I sent an e-mail asking for help. "What? Broken bust? This is the first we have heard of that. Send us pics and we will help you." Okay, I went through this same wash and repeat crap for a year ... then gave up. They had Tarkins in stock the entire time, yet did nothing. If they had been upfront and told me no, I could have at least got my money back. Now, I know this sounds like me whining. And it probably is. But situations like these are becoming more common. You read about them on the forums everyday. Now GG has simply stopped answering e-mails. It's pathetic.
4.) Inflate Edition Sizes - I really do not have a problem with this one. However, I know a lot of you do. And, if they are going to piss off the non-Edition-list like myself ... they really should be working to keep the hardcore happy. Well, they aren't. Edition sizes are all over the board. And they are making it impossible for completest to complete sets (random edition sizes on the clone commanders ... so only 1500 people can have a complete set ... and that's if they are lucky).
5.) Irrational marketing and planning - I can see the board meeting now. Okay, gentlemen ... what's hot in Star Trekkie right now? Um ... sir, we have the Star Wars license. Yeah, yeah, whatever. So, what's hot? CLONES! Yes, these silly internet people keep clamouring for Commander G and Behoe. We should make these now. But ... wait, I have a better idea. Since these characters are so popular, .... lets make them convention exclusives. That way, only people with the ability to go to the conventions can buy them at retail. Yes ... and we will keep a handful for ourselves - the Ebay profit will make a nice bonus this month ... mwaa haa haa. And, in place of these clone commanders that everyone wants, lets make this figure as the next regular bust in the line :



Yes, blue is a pretty color. Lets make 5,000 of them. Make it so.

I dont see Gentle GIant being destroyed any time soon. Regardless of how many people are pissed off at the way GG does things, the fact is that they still sell products.

nash said:

I dont see Gentle GIant being destroyed any time soon. Regardless of how many people are pissed off at the way GG does things, the fact is that they still sell products.

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Yep until we say screw you guys we are not buying anything it will never happen. Look at the poeple trying all kinds of way to figure out how to get the clones, what do they have to worry about we as collectors are the only ones who can make them fix it and complaining won't cut it. If we want it fixed boycot them. If we could get it so they sold virtually no Clone Commanders except to flippers and let those sit on ebay forever they would get the point and things might change, but I have a feeling Hell will freeze over before that happens.

nash said:

I dont see Gentle GIant being destroyed any time soon. Regardless of how many people are pissed off at the way GG does things, the fact is that they still sell products.

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Never said "destroyed" meant out of business. However, their loss of reputation and lack of customer support is already evident. Look at all the GG busts ... the older, more valuable ones ... that are popping up on Ebay all the time. They will still "sell products", but Caesar's dead and the Empire is in decline.

DouglasMcc said:

...They will still "sell products", but Caesar's dead and the Empire is in decline.

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Actually, after Caesar died Rome entered into 200 years of unprecedented innovation, progress and peace known as the Pax Romana.

Sideshow may have some miscues but at least they have First Class Customer Service. I have never seen ANY company go above and beyond the way that Sideshow does. That's why I order direct from them as much as possible.

Actually, at some point Lucasfilm might step in and *****-slap them.

Even the Howard Roffman $$$$ regime has to have enough at some point, because this is breeding considerable ill will.

pixletwin said:

Actually, after Caesar died Rome entered into 200 years of unprecedented innovation, progress and peace known as the Pax Romana.

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Wasn't Ceasar a term for Emperor in the Rome not technically a single person? I have forgot a lot of my Western Civ stuff but for some reason that stick out to me.

DouglasMcc said:

Never said "destroyed" meant out of business. However, their loss of reputation and lack of customer support is already evident. Look at all the GG busts ... the older, more valuable ones ... that are popping up on Ebay all the time. They will still "sell products", but Caesar's dead and the Empire is in decline.

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You act as if this is something new.... This is the way GG has been since day one, and since day one people still buy their stuff. They could probably care less about their reputation, theyre a business, not out to hold collectors' hands.

I'd like to see proof of this "decline" because from what I see, GG is stirring up more and more hype to their products and taking full advantage of that which comes with the conventions.

Case in point...since when was the blue royal guard a highly sought after character? Now look, you cant find that thing anywhere, except buying a whole case, or buying them in 2 and 3 packs with the red one playing tag-along.

IrishJedi said:

Actually, at some point Lucasfilm might step in and *****-slap them.

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I thought we all agreed that LFL was the very one who had authority and power on what a company can sell?

pixletwin said:

Actually, after Caesar died Rome entered into 200 years of unprecedented innovation, progress and peace known as the Pax Romana.

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Damn so....like GG has 200 more years huh?

DouglasMcc said:

2.) Release Substandard Products - Apparently our money is not being used for sculpting classes - the Obi-Wan statue proves it. GG use to be a company of excellence with the occasional miscue. Now, they are a corporation of miscues with the occasional excellent piece. For every Chewie, there is a Qui-Gon or Clone Obi waiting to kick us in the balls.

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This happens with any company.

This whole thread is pretty pointless.

pixletwin said:

Actually, after Caesar died Rome entered into 200 years of unprecedented innovation, progress and peace known as the Pax Romana.

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(priceless)

DarthNeil said:

(priceless)

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Caesar (plural Caesars), Latin: Cæsar (plural Cæsares), is a title of imperial character. It derives from the cognomen of Gaius Julius Caesar ("Julius Caesar"), the Roman dictator. The change from being a familial name to an imperial title can be loosely dated to 68 / 69, the so-called "Year of the Four Emperors".

Nero[1] Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (December 15, AD 37 – June 9, AD 68), born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, also called Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus, was the fifth and last Roman Emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty (54–68). Nero was adopted by his grand-uncle Claudius to become heir to the throne. As Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus, he succeeded to the throne on October 13, AD 54, following Claudius' death.

Popular legend remembers Nero as a libertine and a tyrant; he is known as the emperor who "fiddled while Rome burned" and an early persecutor of Christians.

The list of Emperors who adapted the title of Caesar is too long to list in a forum. But I think you get my point.

Oh, and DarkHelmet ... um, I mean DarthNeil, my favorite Canadian bacon ... what was that ... oh, just a few days ago, you said about making assumptions? Another greek word comes to mind:

Greek υπόκρισις (hypókrisis) --- both meaning 'play-acting' or 'pretense'

Oh, and for everyone else, if I was talking about Julius, I would have said Julius Caesar. I meant the Emperor in terms of the position ... i.e. Gentle Giants position in the collectibles market. Maybe not the most original metaphor, but still rather obvious.

mfoga said:

Wasn't Ceasar a term for Emperor in the Rome not technically a single person? I have forgot a lot of my Western Civ stuff but for some reason that stick out to me.

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Thank you. At least one person here didn't nap during Western Civ class

nash said:

This whole thread is pretty pointless.

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Lol ... every time Nash responds to one of my posts, he reminds me of this bit from Scrubs:

[about Dr. Cox]
Dr. Kelso: And I'll be damned if he doesn't disagree with everything I say just because I said it.
J.D.: Sir, I don't think that's true.
[Kelso turns over]
Dr. Kelso: It's hotter than hell in here, Perry!
Dr. Cox: Freezing!
Dr. Kelso: Great coffee, though!
Dr. Cox: Rat piss!
Dr. Kelso: Dr. Murphy here is an incompetent suck-up!
Dr. Cox: No, Bob, in fact he's one of the finest young doctors I ever had the good fortune of working with.
Dr. Kelso: [to J.D] Your witness.


Oh well, to each his own. But if the topic was so pointless ... why waste your time replying to it over and over?

when you have stupid people that keep buying the GG crap ... they will keep doing things they way they do

coolkansaswind said:

when you have stupid people that keep buying the GG crap ... they will keep doing things they way they do

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Yikes... this post is a bit rough. I keep buying it because I like it. I feel like 95% of their stuff is great. This makes me stupid now I guess. I certainly think GG needs some help in the fan relation/customer service dept... but I don't think it makes me a moron to buy their products.

swabie2424 said:

Yikes... this post is a bit rough. I keep buying it because I like it. I feel like 95% of their stuff is great. This makes me stupid now I guess. I certainly think GG needs some help in the fan relation/customer service dept... but I don't think it makes me a moron to buy their products.

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No Swabie we are,
Come on say it with me I am stupid Gentle Giant collector.

I am stupid enough to want to get into their new Star Wars/LOTR crossover line: