Darkbill wrote:Hi Reis,
For the moment I won't add to the huge and terrific list of 'wants' as most of these are covered in the Wishlist section.
Just a couple of questions about the line in general.
1. When you do a Wave 2 will it be in the same sort of numbers, i.e. another batch of 60+ figures or will releases slow down and be more spaced out? (Incidentally, I love that you announced such a huge list last time - a year's worth of figures all in one go!)
2. If so, is it likely to be an even split between follow-up waves for the best selling lines, i.e. BTTF or Firefly and completely new properties?
3. Is there a target for how many new properties you will add in 2015?
4. I'm really pleased you said the figures are selling well. Have some lines surprised you by doing better than others, and are those lines more likely to be extended with a further wave?
5. If it's not a trade secret, are there particular figures proving to be best sellers within the first wave?
6. Finally, I'm a fan of the Rocketeer figure but I'm not sure I'd buy a whole line from that movie. How deep would go into a property before you hit the real peg warmers? Would you consider doing similar single 'iconic' figures from certain franchises, i.e. Judge Dredd, Riddick, Ash, The Prisoner (I know other fans are going to jump in and say No! Make them all!)
1. It'll probably be the same amount, but will hopefully be spaced out better throughout the year. That was the original plan, but working with a new factory led to a little confusion and a bunch of stuff got produced all in one big chunk.
2. Probably not. What we release next is based on sales and collector buzz. And we're still a little more into releasing new properties. But second waves of our first launches will come eventually! At least, for some licenses.
3. Yes, but I can't say what that is.
4. Yes, the best way to make sure you get a second wave of a license is to buy the first wave. Universal Monster is becoming a happy surprise. I was personally a little worried that UM may have been only a moderate seller, but the pre-orders and sales have been amazing. People still love classic monsters!
5. Not sure about individual figures. But we went into this expecting some figures to sell better than others. Like, more people are going to buy a T800 Endoskeleton than a Sarah Connor, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't make figures like Sarah Connor.
6. Yes, there are some figures that just lend themselves to being a one-off release, such as Rocketeer. We have a few others like that coming up, but I can't say which ones.
Great questions!