LOOOONG post about Indy toys. We need polls! Campaigns! Action for action figures, now!

Posted by Bellosh from tc01-s15-192-6-49.cwcom.net on January 12, 2001 at 20:04:10:

In Reply to: Where has Bud-arc been? posted by Gobler on January 12, 2001 at 19:14:12:

Listen guys, we need to get moving on Indy toys NOW, never mind the ones that have just been released and might never be that easy to get. We've got a window of opportunity now to press for new toys, proper action figures and all, and hey, if Mad Max can get its own line so can Indy. It's the 20th anniversary of Raiders, and Lucasfilm must do something to mark it, it doesn't matter that we've heard no plans yet - no one had heard about the Disney Indy toys till, like, yesterday. Years ago I read an interview with Lucas where he talked about a special edition of Raiders, restoring the Ravenwood bar scene to full length and more. Given how Lucasfilm markets and remarkets itself mercilessly it'll happen (but see below), and then - a DVD? Nope! First we'll get a final rerelease of the videos, then a release of the special edition Raiders. If it's not happening yet, then it'll happen when Indy 4 becomes a reality, if and when. Now when it does, that'll kill any prospect of a line based on the old films, because the Hasbro Dorks will think, oh no, we'll release toys for the new film, no point in doing it for the old ones. Of course, if there definitively isn't going to be an Indy 4, well, we're screwed then too, we'll never see a 4" Mola Ram or Henry Jones Snr. figure. BUT they'll sell now, when there's still the PROMISE of a new film, when the communication between Hasbro and Lucasfilm isn't too good. We need to get going NOW, here's a few ideas. POLLS. I want polls! I must have polls! Yakface and Rebelscum type polls that tell Hasbro there's a market for new figures. Questions like, would you buy Indy figures? And, which six characters would you like to see in a new Indy 4" line? This is important because the original 1982 Raiders line wasn't a great success - Indy sold, there were some great figures (Cairo, but overproduced, Sallah) while there were some that kids hated. I love the Kenner Belloq now with his nifty map, but at the time? No thanks, likewise Toht. And Hasbro will remember the unsellers more than the sellers from the 1982 line. So we need to choose the figures we want and say we'll buy them, in numbers, numbers that a Hasbro bean counter can cradle in the darkest recesses of his or her soul. Likewise playsets, vehicles. A Chachapyoan Warrior temple playset? An OB1 seaplane with pack-in Jock and Reggie figures? Yes please, and lets vote for them! CAMPAIGNS: Maybe we need to collect a list of email addresses (someone trustworthy has to do this - Micah?) that we will give to Hasbro when it reaches, say, 5,000, with 2 lists - one proper email addresses, one web-based - and where we'll say, right, we'll all buy Indy toys when they come out, please email us with an order form, and yes, even tell us about all your other lines (what the hell, we all get lots of junk email, we can just delete the stuff we're not interested in). Such a list would be a pretty valuable property for Hasbro to have, and remember that whole Wizards of the Coast thing/Star Wars fan club is going to lead to more internet based sales/exclusives. The shift in Star Wars sales, from kids to collectors, is going to help us too - if POTJ can sell to collectors, so will Indy, so do lots of toys nowadays, Hasbro, when they produce a line of toys, don't have to think first, hmmm, hope the kids buy these. Micah, get a toy poll or five up on your home page, please!!!!!!!!!!! And if there are toys and interest, remember, that makes Indy 4 that much more likely. Lucasfilm is mighty cautious. Why? Well, I've been watching them for 20 years, and they've been successful for only about 7 of those years. Willow, Tucker, Howard the Duck - I bet Lucas still cries into his plaid pillow at night thinking about the money he lost on those bombs. That's why they're so cautious about Indy. Hell, re: Star Wars, it took a lot of testing the water and the success of the novels in 1990/1 onwards before he even committed himself to the prequels (forget all that it was always intended to be six films crap). But if we make a loud enough noise, and get organised about it, Indy is going to become an even bigger part of our lives. How high did your heart jump when you saw the news about the Disney toys? Wouldn't it be nice to get more moments like that? Well, WE'VE got to make it happen! Okay, I'm done, I've been waiting to say all this for months. If you're still here, thanks for reading.

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i'm still waiting for a Bob Falfa figure! nim) Howared the Duck 02:38:22 1/13/2001 (0)

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: Listen guys, we need to get moving on Indy toys NOW, never mind the ones that have just been released and might never be that easy to get. We've got a window of opportunity now to press for new toys, proper action figures and all, and hey, if Mad Max can get its own line so can Indy. It's the 20th anniversary of Raiders, and Lucasfilm must do something to mark it, it doesn't matter that we've heard no plans yet - no one had heard about the Disney Indy toys till, like, yesterday. Years ago I read an interview with Lucas where he talked about a special edition of Raiders, restoring the Ravenwood bar scene to full length and more. Given how Lucasfilm markets and remarkets itself mercilessly it'll happen (but see below), and then - a DVD? Nope! First we'll get a final rerelease of the videos, then a release of the special edition Raiders. If it's not happening yet, then it'll happen when Indy 4 becomes a reality, if and when. Now when it does, that'll kill any prospect of a line based on the old films, because the Hasbro Dorks will think, oh no, we'll release toys for the new film, no point in doing it for the old ones. Of course, if there definitively isn't going to be an Indy 4, well, we're screwed then too, we'll never see a 4" Mola Ram or Henry Jones Snr. figure. BUT they'll sell now, when there's still the PROMISE of a new film, when the communication between Hasbro and Lucasfilm isn't too good. We need to get going NOW, here's a few ideas. POLLS. I want polls! I must have polls! Yakface and Rebelscum type polls that tell Hasbro there's a market for new figures. Questions like, would you buy Indy figures? And, which six characters would you like to see in a new Indy 4" line? This is important because the original 1982 Raiders line wasn't a great success - Indy sold, there were some great figures (Cairo, but overproduced, Sallah) while there were some that kids hated. I love the Kenner Belloq now with his nifty map, but at the time? No thanks, likewise Toht. And Hasbro will remember the unsellers more than the sellers from the 1982 line. So we need to choose the figures we want and say we'll buy them, in numbers, numbers that a Hasbro bean counter can cradle in the darkest recesses of his or her soul. Likewise playsets, vehicles. A Chachapyoan Warrior temple playset? An OB1 seaplane with pack-in Jock and Reggie figures? Yes please, and lets vote for them! CAMPAIGNS: Maybe we need to collect a list of email addresses (someone trustworthy has to do this - Micah?) that we will give to Hasbro when it reaches, say, 5,000, with 2 lists - one proper email addresses, one web-based - and where we'll say, right, we'll all buy Indy toys when they come out, please email us with an order form, and yes, even tell us about all your other lines (what the hell, we all get lots of junk email, we can just delete the stuff we're not interested in). Such a list would be a pretty valuable property for Hasbro to have, and remember that whole Wizards of the Coast thing/Star Wars fan club is going to lead to more internet based sales/exclusives. The shift in Star Wars sales, from kids to collectors, is going to help us too - if POTJ can sell to collectors, so will Indy, so do lots of toys nowadays, Hasbro, when they produce a line of toys, don't have to think first, hmmm, hope the kids buy these. Micah, get a toy poll or five up on your home page, please!!!!!!!!!!! And if there are toys and interest, remember, that makes Indy 4 that much more likely. Lucasfilm is mighty cautious. Why? Well, I've been watching them for 20 years, and they've been successful for only about 7 of those years. Willow, Tucker, Howard the Duck - I bet Lucas still cries into his plaid pillow at night thinking about the money he lost on those bombs. That's why they're so cautious about Indy. Hell, re: Star Wars, it took a lot of testing the water and the success of the novels in 1990/1 onwards before he even committed himself to the prequels (forget all that it was always intended to be six films crap). But if we make a loud enough noise, and get organised about it, Indy is going to become an even bigger part of our lives. How high did your heart jump when you saw the news about the Disney toys? Wouldn't it be nice to get more moments like that? Well, WE'VE got to make it happen! Okay, I'm done, I've been waiting to say all this for months. If you're still here, thanks for reading.

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