NEW Ask Diamond #47

[Browncoat]

To the other aussies, i wrote to casefresh a few weeks back asking when the xander/cordy wave will be released and this is their response (should have postes this earlier!):

There have been a number of issues surrounding the Buffy and Angel range within Australia which has resulted in unreliable shipment of product prior to a different company taking over management of the line. We are now purchasing product through this new company and this will fix any availability issues. While the Xander and Cordelia wave has been delayed we will definitely be receiving stock and future figures should be arriving in a far more timely manner from now on.

This arrangement has only been a very recent one and we are still waiting to receive confirmation of actual arrival dates of the delayed product but as soon as we hear something we'll update the site.

[Thorn Of Deucalion]

browncoat said:

To the other aussies, i wrote to casefresh a few weeks back asking when the xander/cordy wave will be released and this is their response (should have postes this earlier!):

There have been a number of issues surrounding the Buffy and Angel range within Australia which has resulted in unreliable shipment of product prior to a different company taking over management of the line. We are now purchasing product through this new company and this will fix any availability issues. While the Xander and Cordelia wave has been delayed we will definitely be receiving stock and future figures should be arriving in a far more timely manner from now on.

This arrangement has only been a very recent one and we are still waiting to receive confirmation of actual arrival dates of the delayed product but as soon as we hear something we'll update the site.

thanks Browncoat - i have chosen xander on order from nov-dec - and i have heard nothing from the store.....(a different store)

[MasterPizza]

I hope santuary ends well in that way i can switch the head of chosen for it, revamp lines sounds great especially that Angel will come with his vamp head, that's excellent and more interesting.

[Haephestus]

O/T - Thank you Browncoat.

I'll keep an eye on their website.

Cheers,
Haeph.

[madvicks]

Question:

While it is nice of DST to offer freebies for DST shop orders (T1 Buffy etc), international fans are scouring eBay and paying inflated prices. Is DST ever going to throw open the DST shop to International collectors?

[slayer489]

Question for Ask Diamond #48:

Do you think we'll see Riley, Gunn, Harmony and/or Connor in the near future in any figure form?

[SlayerLV]

Thanks for the info DST and Flobbster.

[xander000]

question for ask #48:

-would dst consider doing a monster line?
-could the delux come with little stand to help them stand staight as it would really help
-would it be possible to go the same way as the marvel legend line and ad a buil a figure in each delux wave
-will dst make more then one delux wave a year
-will revamp line serie 1 be only buffy and angel or will you had one or two other character
-is there any chance for new charater in the revamp line, like jenny, lilah, the beast...?
-even if the regular line is ending will dst still make two packs and boxset in the future with reuse and maybe a new sculpt in each set? giving the fan some new character in the old mac style...like gunn, harmony, the mayor...

[Spike_the_bloody]

QUESTION FOR ASK #48

Can you just make it clear weather or not you will be continuing the regular ANGEL wave or is that dead along with the BTVS regular line?

[JP]

1. The Giles/Faith assortment ranked #6 on February's Diamond Best Seller list. All other Buffy/Angel assortments have ranked in similar positions. How can you say the line is dying when sales figures do not support that claim?

2. Are the Stargate and Star Trek lines also in danger, as they ranked one above and two below the Giles/Faith assortment?

Link: www.action-figure.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=21301

[deannaB]

With the Spike Essence statue:
* Is the flame of his lighter also illuminated?
* At Wizard World, the teddy bear that was on the ground in front him in previous photos was behind his coat. Is it a separate, removable piece, or was that accidental?
* What is that teddy bear supposed to signify? Is he Evil Spike who just killed a child and left destruction in his wake, or is he Good or Semi-Good Spike who just fought off the demons who were attacking the innocent?

[henz]

Wow can't believe my question was aksed... and answered hehe. Darn their vague no though.
I think we should sit tight on extra regular style figures. DST will always be looking for the profit so if they I'm sure they wont turn down at least some of the many easier figures to produce. It's just no longer a priority.

[JP]

1. You just announced Steve the Wraith as a mail-in figure for the Stargate: Atlantis line-up. That's very cool.
Is there any chance that a similar offer can be put together for the Buffy or Angel lines for a fan-favorite character? You could do it retroactively for any four UPC codes sent in for existing figures, you get a free figure, or you could combine this with The Judge waves to encourage stores to purchase both case sets, or even with the Willows.

This could be a great way to produce some fan-favorite characters, such as The Mayor, Principal Snyder or Jenny Calendar.

[bagofknives]

Question: Who do DST class as core characters in the Buffy/Angel-verse, as you have previously stated that you have made all core characters in figure form. Is it characters that have appeared in the main title of the shows? If so why haven't we seen figures of Riley, Gunn, Harmony, Doyle and Connor?

[MasterPizza]

38. What is the scale of the revamped line, will it be compatible with existing figures?

DSTChuck: They are not 100% compatible with the MAC line, but close enough not to grossly out-of-scale.

What this mean, are they in the same scale of deluxe figures or taller like Fred or Cordelia?

is there gonna be a boxed angel set with Gunn?, since you keep saying that he isn't too popular for be release in a regular line but the new line of Oz and Dru have a figure of Principal woods and this figure is less popular than Gunn.

[JP]

1. Out of Deluxe Series III, the most-requested figure is "Tough Love" Willow. Why isn't this figure in the main assortment, where she would guarantee strong sales?

2. Why are main assortments so small? Especially in the deluxe line, where every body is the same. Kennedy and the two Willows share every part but a head and arms, so why isn't a fan-favorite, completely new sculpt being included in the main assortment to help the sales of the rest?

Because really - 4 Chosen Willows?

[Ebola]

1. The Deluxe Tough Love, Dopplegangland, and Holloween Willow's are fantastic and about the best representation of Willow in the 6 inch line. If exclusive retailer's don't pick them up, what are the chances that they will be in their own case assortment (with a normal face Dopplegangland with chase Vampire face). It would be great if they come out this year.

2. Do you plan to unveil new Buffy/Angel product at SDCC?

3. Do you plan any Buffy/Angel exclusive at SDCC? The last time I was at the Con, I did't know about the bagged exclusive until I got home and online.

[deannaB]

• I've noticed that the busts (from Tara onward) are now barely larger scale than the figures, as are the Essence Of statues and the Revamped, and even some of the figures such as Fred and Dawn seem to be this "new" scale. It it an artistic decision to sculpt everything in the same scale, or is there a big advantage in production and/or costs?

• What size batteries do the Essence statues take, and how many?

• If the Essence statues do well, is there a chance in the future to get an unvamped Spike and/or a vamped Angel?

• Who would you say, offhand, are the most popular characters in terms of merchandise sales, in vaguely approximate order?

• With characters such as Faith and Spike who were both good and evil at different times of the show's run, would you say that overall you market them as heroes or villains, or is it entirely episode-specific?

• With the exclusive SDCC blood drive figures, is there any way to get them for those of us who are there at the convention but for medical reasons aren't allowed to give blood? Say, giving a cash donation to the Red Cross?

• Is it possible that you might eventually produce some Deluxe monsters?

• Before Palisades folded, there were plans to produce beanie demons and a plush stake. Is anything like that possible under your plush license? Or, say, mini-sized Puppet Angel?

[seregloth]

• With the exclusive SDCC blood drive figures, is there any way to get them for those of us who are there at the convention but for medical reasons aren't allowed to give blood? Say, giving a cash donation to the Red Cross?

Last year they had a final thing setup for people going in with their families that didn't want their parents to know they had VD or whatever that you can lie your ass off up to the very end, where you get to put one of two stickers on your application which aren't distinguishable to the eye which are a USE or DON'T USE sticker. it will be filed w/ the blood after they take and afterward (when you already have your blood drive figure) they scan it before using it and discard it (in an appropriate fashion).

No one wins but you, but hey- you win...
(For the record this is not something I did, but when I related the story to my fiancee she volunteered to do it for this upcoming year if I REALLY wanted a second one [she can't donate blood thus did not do so this year thinking she wouldn't make it through anyway, but upon learning of these other circumstances volunteered for next year...]) Which is very sweet of her, but I think it would officially CROSS A LINE in our relationship if a spare action figure was worth more than her blood to me...

Luckily I can donate, so I have no such concerns- I get to do-good and get a cool exclusive. I'm hoping for a NFA Angel or some other Human Face on Vamp A body. Though it would be cool if it was faith from when she tortured Wes (she drew blood right?)

[deannaB]

seregloth said:

• With the exclusive SDCC blood drive figures, is there any way to get them for those of us who are there at the convention but for medical reasons aren't allowed to give blood? Say, giving a cash donation to the Red Cross?

Last year they had a final thing setup for people going in with their families that didn't want their parents to know they had VD or whatever that you can lie your ass off up to the very end, where you get to put one of two stickers on your application which aren't distinguishable to the eye which are a USE or DON'T USE sticker. it will be filed w/ the blood after they take and afterward (when you already have your blood drive figure) they scan it before using it and discard it (in an appropriate fashion).

I don't think that would work, because they've got me automatically banned from donating since the last time I donated, years ago, when my blood apparently tested "indeterminate" for Hepatitis (somehow it tested neither clearlly positive nor negative), so they've got my Social Security number on file so when they type it in, it flags me as rejected for donation. The doctor said I don't have it, but because one test when I donated years ago couldn't absolutely prove that, now I can't get my SDCC Blood Drive Exclusives. Grrrr.


Oh, and a few more questions:

• I realized that I still haven't seen anything official from DST saying why/if the snowglobe was cancelled. So what's the official word?

• Are the release dates for the Essence statues staggered every couple months because of marketing reasons or production reasons?

• What's the likelyhood of seeing a Deluxe Illyria?

Edited to add another:

• Was the Mr. Gordo patterned after the actual screen-used prop, or photos of it, or was it a DST creation for what Gordo might have looked like, since it's extremely difficult to tell what he looked like on screen?