Harvinger Studios, Savage Crucible

[Damien]

Whatever money he's "leaving on the table" clearly isn't worth the hassle for him.

And, to the point of your quotation marks there, it's REALLY important to remember that the idea he's leaving -any- money on the table is purely speculative from a bunch of people that have literally no idea if that's actually true.

 

[Dek]

I think the elephant in the room that isn't getting much discussion is Harvinger owner Rob Post. I purchased a bunch of resin parts from MAFC over the years and Rob always made it super clear that he couldn't give a shit about customer wants or convenience. He ran that business at his convenience and he was very up front about it all over his website and newsletters. I think the Soup Nazi is an apt comparison. He would produce a limited run of something and once it sold out, it was gone, maybe forever, and he had no tolerance for questions about parts being reprinted, questions about when orders might ship, or questions about commissions. I wouldn't say he was an asshole, but the only customer service he wanted to engage in was sending you a replacement if something arrived broken or wrong.

It sounds like he makes pretty good money as a consultant for a major accounting firm. I'm sure he doesn't want Harvinger to go into the red, but he doesn't need, nor likely wants, Harvinger to blow up in size, either. As has already been pointed out, this business is still just a hobby for him and the cap on production numbers is probably more about keeping the company small and manageable than the financial appreciation of the toys they produce. Whatever money he's "leaving on the table" clearly isn't worth the hassle for him.

This is the impression I've always gotten but struggled to convey. Thank you for doing what I could not.

I think he does this for fun, and when it stops being fun he'll stop doing it despite whatever money he might lose. I think a larger business model is more than he wants to deal with.

 

[TheSameIdiot]

It is kind of obtuse to take people at their word while assuming that word means something different from what they mean. Just because they say no reissues doesn't prevent variants.

If they've said anything about variants publicly, I haven't seen it. I think what someone says to you at a con booth could be anything from "insider information" to "total bullshit to make more sales." In my experience, it's mostly the latter.

 

[fac]

And I have yet to see a single piece of evidence for the existence of these mythical toy collectors that appear out of the aether to buy one specific branded item, and then disappear again because they're not actually toy collectors.

Agreed, wasn't talking about that, at least not in major quantities.

I don't even think there's a statistically relevant percentage of toy collectors that would go buy an Elric figure but never be interested in anything else Harvinger does

This is where I disagree, I think there sre plenty of toy collectors who mainly focus on licensed stuff and may have never paid any attention to Harvinger prior to this and won't after. There are a lot of companies and product out there, very easy to not know about something until it starts getting reviewed or talked about when it is in hand. The analysis - more on the Facebook page than here - that everyone knew they should have pre-ordered assumes a level of engagement that I think is unrealistic.

There are collectors buying NECA for the first time due to Sesame Street, never did a HasLab until Ghostbusters, etc. it happens with all companies that a new license brings people on board.

I was just making the argument that licensed is a different animal and a company ought to recognize and account for that. Not saying I expect it here.

No matter what, catering to the "collector value" market is, I think, a poor model. But not my company.

 

[Damien]

very easy to not know about something until it starts getting reviewed or talked about when it is in hand

But this has nothing to do with what I'm saying.

What I'm saying is in opposition to the idea that some people (or any statistically significant percentage of people, at least) will find out about this line and ONLY want Elric and then nothing else. I don't think those people really exist. So this immediate sell-out -does- function to train those people to keep an eye out and make sure to pre-order the next Eternal Champion or Silver Warrior or whatever might appeal to those people that aren't into generic barbarians and fish people, but would be interested in something like Elric.

 

[Damien]

In an addendum to the above, I guess I should point out that the above also triggers my earlier statement about how immediate sell-outs of Elric can -also- make those very same people not even WANT to collect other Eternal Champions or licensed things because they missed out on such a major one. Double-edged sword, as it were.

 

[fac]

What I'm saying is in opposition to the idea that some people (or any statistically significant percentage of people, at least) will find out about this line and ONLY want Elric and then nothing else. I don't think those people really exist.

Will just have to agree to disagree on that.

But I was going to say what you added above, just as likely people say "I'm out" as go "I'll be in next time."

 

[Damien]

Will just have to agree to disagree on that.

I'm willing to be proved wrong. But every time someone makes this argument about one line or another, there's literally never anything to support the idea beyond 'I just think it must be true.'

But I was going to say what you added above, just as likely people say "I'm out" as go "I'll be in next time."

100%
I hope Harvinger doesn't shoot itself in the foot with decisions like this. And, selfishly (and not selfishly, because I care about the hobby on behalf of others as well as myself), I would just like to see the make decisions based on what is actually fun for the majority of collectors rather than what's fun for the 200 dickheads online that love to lord over other people that they have rare stuff no one else can ever get.