We'd value it if it was truly worth it. But is getting exactly what member in the US get, and paying more than twice what they pay, really worth it?

 

You can't be comparing Brian with Glenn, surely?

 

This is an item that we're in complete agreement on, and I've attempted to join in as an advocate for this cause on a few occasions. The response *I've* always gotten is that such comments are either "incorrect" (he loves that word, doesn't he?) or that I'm complaining without offering an alternative. Of course, I *have* offered alternatives when it comes to shipping rates. Now I'm trying to get together a truckload of specifics to send him alternatives. I've already gotten some folks from the UK to contribute to a list in
this thread already, but would welcome more specifics for other countries. The more we provide specific alternatives, the less they'll be able to ignore us.

 

*inserts joke about being used to it*

My renewal notic... well, envelope turned up today. I think I'll just keep the pretty stamps.

 

*watches thread veering somewhat off-topic... then nudges it further*

On a related note, upon receiving the renewal envelope a few days ago, I was struck by the cost of an MC-only subscription relative to that of a Club membership. For US third class, it's $28.95 vs. $40.00 (72%). For non-Canada foreign, it's $77 vs. $89 (86%!). Now, unless there's an extraordinary amount of price-hiking going on for an MC-only subscription, a generous portion of our membership fees is going toward the production and shipping of Master Collector. Which -- and correct me if I'm wrong -- just about none of us wants. Based upon FP's other out-of-the-US shipping rates, were I a foreign member, I'd be especially interested in a membership option that, at least, eliminated the off-month MCs.

Several of us have made suggestions on the Club forums about the possibility of offering a membership option that eliminates MC. At first, we even suggested that the dues could stay the same. (Now, though, I would definitely want a price cut.) Of course, we got the standard responses about how valuable MC is to us, since we don't realize how many "offline" people our MC ads would reach. Oh, and how much hand labor would be involved in putting the newsletter into an envelope.

 

So if I understand you right, the primary point of the club is to sell the Master Collector magazine?  

 

Being one of those people who first suggested the "eliminate MC" option, I actually looked at the subscription rates as listed *in* MC a few months back. (EDIT)Oddly enough, they were even higher! Strangely enough, it seemed that one could subscribe to MC only for more than the cost of a club membership (it might have been a GI Joe club membership, which is, I think, $36, but I don't recall, and don't have my MC handy while I'm at work). It seems clear that the cost of an MC subscription has little to do with the actual cost of its production, but I'm totally at a lost to guess at how much MC actually
does cost to produce given the oddball figures.REASON FOR EDIT: I just looked through my copy of MC. Seems I mistakingly was comparing 1st class with 3rd class. All the above in italics can be safely ignored. Sorry for the misinformation.

The other observation that is relevant here is that a lot of the troubles we seem to have with FP in this and other areas is related to the shipping charges they charge international folks. So far, I've seen no reason to assume that FP doesn't actually have to spend these exhorbitant shipping rates they claim they have to spend. But it's increasingly well-documented that there's no reason why FP should be stuck with these ridiculous rates. This is, in my opinion, the single largest item that FP needs to address if they are to maintain club viability for the future.

 

Man, on top of that, the magazines you receive are not in best shape and the images in the issues are already plastered on the net??? Our international friends are getting quite the shaft...

I guess it's safe to say that I am quite glad I didn't sign up for the club... I almost did... But I wanted to see how the first year went before I signed up... And now that the first year has passed, I will definitely not sign up...

 

...but I don't want the MC mag... matter of fact I just got one today and tossed it in the trash...

So basically what you're saying is that a suggestion was made and blown off? Sounds about par for the course with this group.

Like I said earlier in the thread. I intend to continue to support the club this year, however, if things don't start getting better (IE: Actually delivering on promises and other such things). I won't be renewing my membership.

The main reasons I joined the club were for the newsletter (couldn't give a rats tail about the MC mag), the club store exclusives and the remoulded combiner character.

The newsletter has subpar articles about toys that I've had for weeks (sometimes months) before the TCC reviews them. The interviews always seem relatively interesting, but they only seem to come once in awhile. The comic was really cool, but within the last issue just entered the zone of fanwank... I mean, Omega Prime just shows up out of nowhere and beats the shit out of Nemesis Prime and than starts talking to Sentinel Maximus as if he has an intement relationship with him. Vector Prime doing that, okay, Omega Prime... give me a break... the comic has just become a fanwank, but I'll wait and see what the new year brings. Oh, the articles done by the Hartmans were very interesting and informative... they should write more. The only really interesting thing that I enjoy every other month are the club bios... the tidbits of exclusives that MC gets in the club mag are pretty cool too, but I've usually seen them all over the net before I get my mag... which is sad to a point, but I'm not stupid enough to think that it won't happen.

The club exclusives... we keep hearing that they are working on them, but it seems that they keep getting pushed back. The last email said we should have heard something about it by now I believe. Or perhaps I'm wrong, I don't save the TCC emails.

The thing that's really got me irritated I suppose is the deal with the free combiner figure. From day one we were told that they were going to all be remoulds, with the exception of the first figure, because Skyfall was done on short notice. Now Landquake comes around and he's not remoulded either... and it seems that it was done as a cost cutting measure. I seriously doubt we're going to get remoulds for the other three at this point, maybe they'll prove me wrong. The thing is; this was my biggest draw for joining the club... and if the next piece of the combiner doesn't wow me... I won't be renewing next year.

 

Read this (specifically point 3) and this , and you'll have a pretty good idea of my part in this discussion.

 

I don't think it's reached the level where MC is the second coming of Glen (Or would that be the 3rd coming of Dennis "MenInBlack Toys" Berger?). It may be bad, but it's not THAT bad yet...

Does anyone know how long MC has the license for before it's up for renewal? (Certainly not trying to start an outcry here, I don't think they should be stripped of it...heck I'd like to see a license get to the end of it's contract for TFs, it would be a novelty....just wondering.)

 

I like it. If I get two more like this, I'll make a mock-up of Superion Maximus' ghost brother.   I was hoping that all the pieces would have matched Superion Maximus, with the exception of color.

 

That's precisely what's disappointing me right now. I'm pretty sure if we were told from day one that the "freebies" wouldn't receive remolds (makes sense, doesn't it? Being a "free" figure and all) I'd probably supported the club either way. It's not like I don't ever buy repaints, which I do - A LOT!

But like most others, I feel a retool is SO MUCH better than a redeco. And we were led to believe that retools were coming on the "freebies".

One other thing: if I've understood it correctly* from the explanations posted by Rik and Pete, it seems that remolds on future "freebies", while expected to happen, are not guaranteed and may never happen due to the same limited run, cost cutting issues, lack of possibility to cover the extra expense on the price of the figures, etc.

* I may haven't understood the reasons correctly, so don't take my reasoning as fact.

-airfox

 

who in their right mind would want it?

 

I just hate the fact that it's basically come down to "Join our club and help us pay for the neat figures for Botcon whether you go or not and you get this translucent figure and access to higher the retail priced merchandise. And did we mention that you don't really have access to all the exclusive figures unless you shell out a shitload more money and go to Botcon!" YAY!

 

IMHO the club actually has HUGE potential. It's just that no one has yet lived up to it.

 

As I expressed earlier in this thread, I definitely support the club with my membership; and while I do feel they're receiving undue hostility at this point, I have to agree that the Master Collector classifieds are a waste. Mine arrived today, and (knowing there is no TF magazine within), I have not the <i>slightest</i> inclination to open it and read one word. It will be in the bin with the rest of the junk mail following the completion of this post.

Perhaps this format does work for an aging Joe-collector fandom, but newspaper classifieds are quite antiquated in their concept, and utterly pale in comparison to the exposure one can get for items in an online forum.