High End "The Walking Dead" collectibles?

[Deckard]

No pirates on this show to dress up like so Sideshows not interested.

 

[The Josh]

The fact that weekly ratings for the show are floating between 5-7 million viewers on Nelson Ratings boxes alone and the comic has been a best seller since it's inception would argue it has a plenty big enough fan base.

Yeah, I think there's enough support. I would love to see it tied in with The Dead somehow either through your generic example earlier or something else. Good quality stuff would do just fine.

 

[thenammagazine]

Yulli pointed out a while back that she'd love to do some 1/6 scale zombies...imagine if HT picked this licence up. I'd like a surprise or two from them in 2011.

Yeah. I didn't pay $200 for that Fulci zombie, there's no ____ing way in hell I'd drop $150+ for an HT zombie.

Yeah, I think there's enough support. I would love to see it tied in with The Dead somehow either through your generic example earlier or something else. Good quality stuff would do just fine.

Unfortunately, as far as The Dead is concerned, Sideshow's too infatuated with pirates, knights and musketeers to do anything like that.

 

[The Josh]

Unfortunately, as far as The Dead is concerned, Sideshow's too infatuated with pirates, knights and musketeers to do anything like that.

Done right those would look cool as well but as we've talked with before I find the subject matter interesting. The Dead though hasn't had them though we've seen the PF Knight previewed in the past.

 

[Fluoride Drinker]

I like the show and I'm hoping it revives the 1:6 Dead figures from their slumber since I loved collecting those. I would like a zombie killer to be created whether it's 1/6 Rick Grimes in a Sheriff outfit and that bag full of guns or some other bad ass (custom or Sideshow created) looking character with lots and lots of firepower to take on the zombies.

 

[ArmoredFoe]

With all that being said even if SS brought back the dead, do you think we would start seeing the price point start in the $100s. With things becoming more expensive and all just wondering if there pricing would still be the same or would it go up.

 

[Shropt]

Don't think sideshow would ever do this, does the walking dead have that big of a fan base?

No, it doesn't. I have to agree that Sideshow wouldn't touch this license after what happened with Shaun of the Dead.

 

[thenammagazine]

With all that being said even if SS brought back the dead, do you think we would start seeing the price point start in the $100s. With things becoming more expensive and all just wondering if there pricing would still be the same or would it go up.

I'd be cool with Dead figures in the $100 range, so long as Sideshow makes the extra effort and sculpts the exposed parts of the Pro as well.

No, it doesn't. I have to agree that Sideshow wouldn't touch this license after what happened with Shaun of the Dead.

This is why you fail. Again, the show's ratings bounce between 5-7 million just among Neilson ratings boxes (meaning there's considerably more) and the comic has remained a best seller since it's debut. The fan base is plenty big enough, whether or not they'd buy is another story entirely.

 

[ProgMatinee]

The Shaun of the Dead figures sucked freaking ass and were dramatically overpriced. They should have been $40 max. You got about half the clothing as their Civil War line at almost 1.5 the price.

I think its just not worthwhile for SSC to do anything that they can't absolutely milk for the most money. If they can't sell a billion units like their SW license then they just price it to the point that everyone doesn't want it anyway.

SSC is pretty much all about major licences and mega$ now.

Seriously, click here and tell me these were worth $60. SSC priced them so that only uber Shaun of the Dead fans would want them. Also, SSC consistently fails to attract general fans of a license to their product. Look at how long it takes for SSC to sell out of DISNEY items for goodness sakes.
There just weren't enough uber SotD fans that knew about SSC that would pay $60 for basically the worst 2 figures SSC produced short of Pam Voorhees and Van Helsing.

https://www.sideshowtoy.com/?page_id=4489&sku=73231&ref=listing-page
https://www.sideshowtoy.com/?page_id=4489&sku=73241&ref=listing-pag

 

[ProgMatinee]

The truth of the matter is that SSC competes with 2 companies. Hot Toys and THEMSELVES. The reason I say this is that for every new license or figure SSC releases, its probably 1 less figure from a different line they will sell. The reason is as I said, SSC is horrible at recruiting new collectors (evidenced by Disney line and the Indy line and from second hand knowledge what I read from people in the GI Joe circles that oldschool Joe fans have not accepted the line).

So if The Walking Dead line was picked up by SSC where would the new $$ come from? It would come from people who collect SW or Joe or other anyway. So what is SSC's incentive to doing it? There is none UNLESS they try to milk profits by raising prices or doing a shoddy job (like with Shaun).

 

[thenammagazine]

The truth of the matter is that SSC competes with 2 companies. Hot Toys and THEMSELVES. The reason I say this is that for every new license or figure SSC releases, its probably 1 less figure from a different line they will sell. The reason is as I said, SSC is horrible at recruiting new collectors (evidenced by Disney line and the Indy line and from second hand knowledge what I read from people in the GI Joe circles that oldschool Joe fans have not accepted the line).

So if The Walking Dead line was picked up by SSC where would the new $$ come from? It would come from people who collect SW or Joe or other anyway. So what is SSC's incentive to doing it? There is none UNLESS they try to milk profits by raising prices or doing a shoddy job (like with Shaun).

Oh, Prog...

The Disney stuff needs to be marketed right, I agree there. People are dropping millions on ridiculously overpriced Disney merchandise every year. Sideshow needs to get their stuff into the stores and parks. That's the target audience they should be looking at. Indy has to do with poor character selection and QC issues, otherwise what they offered would've sold better to their main customers. But again, I'll agree that they were impotent when it came to capitalizing on the hype of the Film and then later the release of the DVD.

Joe is another story entirely. Most Joe collectors are used to cheap Hasbro ____ and lack the concept of paying even Dragon prices, let alone Sideshow prices. That's a different beast entirely and likely not folk to change lifelong habits. The only reason we're seeing them pop up In Stock is because Sideshow doesn't understand this and they got a little greedy with the Es.

The Walking Dead line would do great if advertised correctly. If they produced the half-zombie from the premiere and sent that to, say, 200 comicbook shops along with a prototype pic of Rick, and then made that the Ex with Rick, that would do more for selling the line than putting pretty pics in Wizard, ToyFare, Insider and the other mags. The idea is to put the actual item in front of the market you're looking to pick up (not through Facebook and Twitter expecting miracles ). Other than that, potentially negotiating some Ad time with AMC during the actual episodes would also help.

That said, I'd bet a C-note that a 1:6 Rick w/half-zombie Ex would outsell the O'Donnel Mummy PF.

 

[Johnny Utah]

Damn all this talk has me building some hope...it's only matter of 'when' now, not 'if'.

 

[ProgMatinee]

Oh, Prog...

When you said that, I thought you were going to completely disagree...

Like I said, the Joe knowledge comes second hand. I don't really know the core collector base at all. I do know that even a place like yojoe.com took a long time until they even acknowledged SSC had the license. Still, there is no direct advertising on the site. The ads on the site are from 3rd party on-line stores. I'm not sure if yojoe.com is small potatoes in Joe circles, but is SSC doing anything at any of the other Joe sites to clue people in? If there are 100,000 (pulling that out of the air) hardcore Hasbro Joe collectors only like 5% of them need to see value in SSC in order for SSC to make out like bandits. How hard is that? Has SSC ever made an appearance at a Joe Con?

Considering SSC is paying Hasbro a royalty fee, have they ever discussed putting a flyer in some of the Hasbro products? I would wager the thought never even crossed their minds.

Its all about marketing, because SSC's hardcore fan base is dwindling, as evidence by the scaling back of their 1/6th product from 7,000+ units to 2,500.

 

[thenammagazine]

When you said that, I thought you were going to completely disagree...

Like I said, the Joe knowledge comes second hand. I don't really know the core collector base at all. I do know that even a place like yojoe.com took a long time until they even acknowledged SSC had the license. Still, there is no direct advertising on the site. The ads on the site are from 3rd party on-line stores. I'm not sure if yojoe.com is small potatoes in Joe circles, but is SSC doing anything at any of the other Joe sites to clue people in? If there are 100,000 (pulling that out of the air) hardcore Hasbro Joe collectors only like 5% of them need to see value in SSC in order for SSC to make out like bandits. How hard is that? Has SSC ever made an appearance at a Joe Con?

Considering SSC is paying Hasbro a royalty fee, have they ever discussed putting a flyer in some of the Hasbro products? I would wager the thought never even crossed their minds.

Its all about marketing, because SSC's hardcore fan base is dwindling, as evidence by the scaling back of their 1/6th product from 7,000+ units to 2,500.

I believe the biggest Joe forum is https://www.hisstank.com and they do have Sideshow ads (from other retailers) and product announcements. Though the infantile member base is pretty much identical to what I described earlier.

I also think if they could do a reasonably priced 2-pack, a human and kickass zombie with each release, the license would pull it's own weight. A live Kirman and zombified Tony Moore would make a ____ing awesome 2-pack SDCC Ex! Might even be a good way to start/test the success of the line.

 

[The Josh]

The Disney stuff needs to be marketed right, I agree there. People are dropping millions on ridiculously overpriced Disney merchandise every year. Sideshow needs to get their stuff into the stores and parks. That's the target audience they should be looking at.

I agree. I said back when they got this license that it wouldn't sell well unless they went into Disney shops around the country and the parks. Thats the only way those folks for the most part will see the stuff.

Joe is another story entirely. Most Joe collectors are used to cheap Hasbro ____ and lack the concept of paying even Dragon prices, let alone Sideshow prices. That's a different beast entirely and likely not folk to change lifelong habits. The only reason we're seeing them pop up In Stock is because Sideshow doesn't understand this and they got a little greedy with the Es.

Again agreed. Actually, much in the same way SW fans are with things. They're a bit more willing than Joe collectors but I see the same complaint that these pieces are too expensive more than the Hasbro stuff they collect. Over time it might change but as a whole these collectors will always be "cheap" because they're so used to Hasbro. The proper ES is the main way to make sure these sell enough of each figure to keep things popular and moving.

The Walking Dead line would do great if advertised correctly. If they produced the half-zombie from the premiere and sent that to, say, 200 comicbook shops along with a prototype pic of Rick, and then made that the Ex with Rick, that would do more for selling the line than putting pretty pics in Wizard, ToyFare, Insider and the other mags. The idea is to put the actual item in front of the market you're looking to pick up (not through Facebook and Twitter expecting miracles ). Other than that, potentially negotiating some Ad time with AMC during the actual episodes would also help.

I don't recall seeing prototypes of any collectible the last time I was in a comic book shop. They only have production pieces in the stores but do have proto pics on say a website if you can order. Using those magazines is quite smart. They're in comic shops and book stores all over the country that hits people in the market as does Facebook and Twitter. Covering all your bases is smart IMO. Collectibles companies outside of Hasbro have TV ads.

 

[thenammagazine]

I don't recall seeing prototypes of any collectible the last time I was in a comic book shop. They only have production pieces in the stores but do have proto pics on say a website if you can order. Using those magazines is quite smart. They're in comic shops and book stores all over the country that hits people in the market as does Facebook and Twitter. Covering all your bases is smart IMO. Collectibles companies outside of Hasbro have TV ads.

That is why I think it'd work. The heart of The Walking Dead is the comic readers. Imagine being at your LCS, picking up the latest issue of Walking and there, in a case on the counter is the 1/2 zombie in 1:6 scale along with a 1-sheet showing Rick with the zombie. I'd definitely snag a 1-sheet and start saving up. Now imagine you're a collector watching the show on AMC and all of a sudden, there's Allison talking about Rick and the half-zombie!

 

[The Josh]

That is why I think it'd work. The heart of The Walking Dead is the comic readers. Imagine being at your LCS, picking up the latest issue of Walking and there, in a case on the counter is the 1/2 zombie in 1:6 scale along with a 1-sheet showing Rick with the zombie. I'd definitely snag a 1-sheet and start saving up. Now imagine you're a collector watching the show on AMC and all of a sudden, there's Allison talking about Rick and the half-zombie!

I agree it could work. It would garner some interest in the show, comic, and line I would think. Especially with the crowd that should be in comic shops. I think its a good move so I think its something they should do along with the other marketing things they do.

 

[adegregorio]

That is why I think it'd work. The heart of The Walking Dead is the comic readers. Imagine being at your LCS, picking up the latest issue of Walking and there, in a case on the counter is the 1/2 zombie in 1:6 scale along with a 1-sheet showing Rick with the zombie. I'd definitely snag a 1-sheet and start saving up. Now imagine you're a collector watching the show on AMC and all of a sudden, there's Allison talking about Rick and the half-zombie!

I have been a faithful reader since the first issue came out way back in 2003. And if I saw a WD statue or figure, Without a second thought I would scoop it up in a second ...

Al

MySpace
Kit Builders Magazine

 

[Johnny Utah]

Todd McFarlane's last 3 tweets have all been TWD related. Ratings, chatting about Kirkman etc.

I strongly think this will happen. Randy of NECA said he has heard things, a moderator on the Spawn.com board said "Interesting thread..." when someone put up a poll...this line is becoming a Grail for me.

 

[thenammagazine]

Todd McFarlane's last 3 tweets have all been TWD related. Ratings, chatting about Kirkman etc.

I strongly think this will happen. Randy of NECA said he has heard things, a moderator on the Spawn.com board said "Interesting thread..." when someone put up a poll...this line is becoming a Grail for me.

Todd's a publicity whore though and being the biggest head honcho at Image, it makes sense that he'd be pimping out Walking any and every chance he gets considering, unlike Spawn which is decomposing, it's lining his pockets with greenbacks.