joshsquash729
Born on the cob
Yeah, NECA is a company that I really want to root for. When they're good, they're quite good. But when they're bad, it can be painful, and it's even harder to stick up for them sometimes. I haven't had many experiences with their store- one was great, one was pretty disastrous. And I shudder to remind everyone of the catastrophe that was the Sewer Lair shipping debacle.
Don't get me wrong- it's totally fine for a company to have their priorities, which TMNT certainly is for them. But to neglect other properties or let them lapse into disarray is disappointing, especially when it's clear that there's some pretty passionate people who work for them, who do genuinely love some of those smaller properties. And it's not like they don't sell- all I ever see in my neck of the woods are the same handful of Jaws figures, an Evil Dead 2 pack, and some TMNT figures (Ultimate-wise; there's always a bunch of old Toony Terrors). Every other figure that pops up from time to time is gone the next time I'm there. I don't know if that's more to do with distribution, the elusive NECA rep that supposedly exists but I never see, or what. Part of me is tempted to grab figures I'm not even interested in, just because I know how rare it is to find something new, and I probably never will again. At worst, I can help someone else out who's looking for it.
I've wondered too what they're gonna do when they catch up on TMNT releases. Sure, there's probably a fair amount of ground left to cover. I only just saw the 2012 show figures the other day. I assume they'll move on to maybe the live action ones and Mutant Mayhem after that? But then what? They'll hit a wall eventually, and I don't necessarily see them putting the same amount of effort into any other property they have.
In this day and age, with as expensive as everything is, what I want more than anything (aside from quality, of course) is a guarantee of dedication. Meaning they acquired the license with the goal of making as many characters as possible, giving them all the same love and attention, and making sure that they're readily available. Obviously I understand things happen- prices go up, sales fluctuate, rights issues pop up, etc., but especially with some of these older, more beloved properties, they know that there's a dedicated fanbase that wants more than just 1 or 2 characters. While sure, sometimes you have a property where it can be represented by 1 or 2 title characters, when it comes to teams or families, why even bother if you don't fully intend on completing it? You wouldn't get the Laurel and Hardy license only to give us Laurel. You wouldn't acquire the Three Stooges and give us 2 of the 3. The fastest way to lose fan interest, and therefore sales, is to show a clear lack of dedication.
Don't get me wrong- it's totally fine for a company to have their priorities, which TMNT certainly is for them. But to neglect other properties or let them lapse into disarray is disappointing, especially when it's clear that there's some pretty passionate people who work for them, who do genuinely love some of those smaller properties. And it's not like they don't sell- all I ever see in my neck of the woods are the same handful of Jaws figures, an Evil Dead 2 pack, and some TMNT figures (Ultimate-wise; there's always a bunch of old Toony Terrors). Every other figure that pops up from time to time is gone the next time I'm there. I don't know if that's more to do with distribution, the elusive NECA rep that supposedly exists but I never see, or what. Part of me is tempted to grab figures I'm not even interested in, just because I know how rare it is to find something new, and I probably never will again. At worst, I can help someone else out who's looking for it.
I've wondered too what they're gonna do when they catch up on TMNT releases. Sure, there's probably a fair amount of ground left to cover. I only just saw the 2012 show figures the other day. I assume they'll move on to maybe the live action ones and Mutant Mayhem after that? But then what? They'll hit a wall eventually, and I don't necessarily see them putting the same amount of effort into any other property they have.
In this day and age, with as expensive as everything is, what I want more than anything (aside from quality, of course) is a guarantee of dedication. Meaning they acquired the license with the goal of making as many characters as possible, giving them all the same love and attention, and making sure that they're readily available. Obviously I understand things happen- prices go up, sales fluctuate, rights issues pop up, etc., but especially with some of these older, more beloved properties, they know that there's a dedicated fanbase that wants more than just 1 or 2 characters. While sure, sometimes you have a property where it can be represented by 1 or 2 title characters, when it comes to teams or families, why even bother if you don't fully intend on completing it? You wouldn't get the Laurel and Hardy license only to give us Laurel. You wouldn't acquire the Three Stooges and give us 2 of the 3. The fastest way to lose fan interest, and therefore sales, is to show a clear lack of dedication.
