THE Mike™ wrote:
Dark Horse wrote:
I have a personal friend who deals with invoicing at the factory that make Star Wars and DC direct figures. She also oversees pricing on most of the other similar factorys. 5000 is the MOQ.
That is FACT. Anything else would count as a prototype run.
You have NO clue what you're talking about until you've dealt with them ONE ON ONE.
Less than 5000 is NOT considered protos. Consider the limited Edition WWE figures for starters. I'm not going to sit here and argue with you. I've actually spoken, emailed, and dealt with companies over there. I was in the process of getting a figure done, that is all you need to know. You are wrong on this, I'm sorry, but until you actually proceed with getting your OWN item done, you can not, and will not convince me otherwise. You are wrong. Period. Just because a "friend" says something (alot of people have those "friends") doesn't mean it's fact. Every company, toyline, and product is different.
As for pricing, I'm not wrong. For a typical Hasbro run, your price is in the range.
Dark Horse wrote:
Mike, if those numbers are the ones you're getting, I think your factory/ company may be taking you for a ride.
Jakks Pacific, Hasbro, Playmates Toys - yeah, they're known for taking people for rides.
It's ok to be wrong DH - you were fed wrong info, and you passed it off as truth. As far as you knew, that was legit - but it's not, so please don't tell me I'm wrong when I've dealt with it first hand - not via a "friend".
Tut tut tut. How do you think I became friends with that person in the first place? I would consider a business partner that I have dealt with for over two years and have spent long hours on MSN chatting with as a friend. I think that ccounts as "dealing with them one on one". I have prices and invoices directly from 3 different factories on several different types of figures (ML / SW and 25th). I know exactly what I am talking about. I think you've been misled, as have a lot of others. I'm not just flapping my gums for no reason.
Roguetiger hit the nail on the head. 5000 will always get made. No matter how many they tell you, or what any secondary company tells you, 5000 get made. There is no way in hell the remaining ones can get tracked, but like RT said the Midnight dealers scoop up most of the rest whether you hear about it or not. Other LTD Ed figures are usualy re-released with a different card/ box/ boxset/ playset somewhere along the line. We've all felt the bite of thinking we have something rare or exclusive just to find the exact same figure six months later with a new hat.
I know every aspect of production/ ordering and costs. EVERY ASPECT. Please don't try and punk me out. I think the likelier case is that you wanted to get your figure made, went to the first available source and accepted the first quote as the benchmark.
It is very difficult to make sure you get a good deal with any overseas factory. Pretty much the only way to do it is to go to the main ones in person. Though as I have said, my friend (Linda at Boying toys if you want to google her/ them to validate all I've said) works with several factories and can get really good deals. It's never a set in stone cost either, you can barter.
So in future, please be less quick to judge another man as ignorant, especially when your own evidence is one dimensional and unsubstantiated.