yep, just did. Seems an odd way to try to get sales - a bit needy . Obviously mustn't be selling that well.
I got it, too. Absolutely bizarre. I decided if they were going to resort to these desperation emails, I may as well send my opinion of all the goings-on lately. I hope it wasn't too harsh, but I really do think they need some constructive criticism...
Hi Jeff,
This is obviously a new kind of desperation marketing, and I'm not really impressed with it. As a 1/6 collector, I keep very much up to date with your offerings, as well as offerings from other 1/6 companies. I like the occasional Star Wars figure, but only iconic things, not "people for Vader to choke". I'm not big on endor troops, Padme in a costume the actress never wore, or imperial officers, either, sorry. I know times are tough, but this reads like panic over a figure that's not selling. We all know most SW releases sell through preorders pretty fast- the fact that you're emailing about this one means it's not. As times are tough, my choices have to be more thought out, too- I don't bother with non "must-have" figures these days. I'm unemployed right now, frankly affoding anything is hard. Make figures people want more, and you will sell more- iconic characters like Boba Fett, Greedo, Bossk, Yoda and Chewbacca- I would be on board for every one of them. A Medicom Yoda and Boba Fett are not good enough- they are not in scale with your other releases, Medicoms are too short. You're dabbling too much in fringe characters, background armies, and weird versions of characters, and collectors are afraid they will never see all of the important characters they want, much like what has happened with X-Files and Planet of the Apes. Frankly, I limit my SS produced figures purchases because I do not like the "Buck" body, and I'm really not much more impressed with the Prometheus. You guys should license Hot Toys' True Type bodies. Their bodies are scaled nicely, and are consistently tight in poseability- I never need worry that they will fall over and dive off of my shelves. All of your new body releases so far have had floppiness issues, just like the Buck- the Hobbits, Clone Kenobi, Indiana Jones. Why can HT be so consistently solid, and yours so consistenly in need of fine-tuning? Until you guys stop cutting corners on most things (neckties that are just a foldover with thread wrapped around it, etc) I pretty much only buy Hot Toys figures from you. I would be willing to pay more per figure (and buy more) if you upped the quality and detail of the figures you guys make, and set your sights for the same sort of bar that Hot Toys sets. I don't mean to make you feel bad, I really mean this in a constructive manner- I'm letting you know what collectors/purchasers are expecting from 1/6 figures today. I'd love for my action figure dollars to totally stay in America, but this whole situation is a lot like the automotive industry situation- the American offerings are very average, while overseas companies are making the amazing product that wows customers. All of the amazing work is coming out of Hong Kong of all places. I truly hate coming across as being so negative, but I figure most people just don't bother to let you know, and they just move on- I want to let you know in the hopes that your product will improve. Hot Toys has "changed the terrain" of 1/6 figure collecting. So many of their releases are must-haves for me, and I can usually skip most of yours because each one tends to have a glaring defect or two- floppiness, heads too big, poor paint ops, clothes that look like corners were cut.
Please do continue to send me the weekly newsletter, I enjoy it, but please don't send me this type of email any more. It is unnecessary. I visit your website multiple times a week, and keep up to date on your releases. Besides, with the current floppiness issues of your bodies, I don't hold out a lot of hope that Vader will even be able to hold his own arm up, let alone another figure. :-(
Thanks,
(The Drizzle)
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