Gift sets, why don't we see them?

Discussion in 'Transformers 3rd Party Discussion' started by Nighthawkblack, May 10, 2015.

  1. Nighthawkblack

    Nighthawkblack Well-Known Member

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    I often wonder how much the nicer individual packaging on 3p products adds to the costs. Shipping individual bots also adds up for us as consumers. I wonder why no 3rd party has sold combiners as a gift set similar to how old G1 did at times. I'm the first one to admit I like nice boxes but a gift set makes me more inclined to open and enjoy them. I don't read many posts of people that don't get all the combiners in a group anyhow.


    I only had one giftset as a kid and seeing all six in alt mode in the package was so cool.

    Just wondering what the rest of the fandom thinks.
     
  2. OptimushedPrune

    OptimushedPrune Impressive Member

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    Maketoys Green Giant and Quantron.
     
  3. TheGame2K5

    TheGame2K5 Well-Known Member

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    I think part of the reason more dont do box sets is they need sales to help fund their projects. If they had to wait till they had the entire team finished to earn any money they might not be able to make a combiner. Also its a good way for people to sample a product a a cheaper price by picking up one member to see if they like it vs having to go all in on a box set.
     
  4. Bountyan

    Bountyan Well-Known Member

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    Maketoys does this. Most other companies don't because people are impatient and like getting their toys right away I guess. It also makes it somewhat easier to get fixes for previous figures.
     
  5. Electro Rush

    Electro Rush Just a guy waiting for the perfect Whirl

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    TFC also did it with their Perseus repaint of Hercules.

    As to why it isn't more commonplace? Cost probably. It's easier to sell 5 figures over several months at $100 a piece than it is to sell the same 5 figures all at once for $500.
     
  6. Nighthawkblack

    Nighthawkblack Well-Known Member

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    True, but the larger scale ones seem to pass on that. I think TFC Hercules or MMCs Feral Rex would have done nicely as a boxed set. Even a stacked double sided box would be cool. Perhaps when a release has been out for a while they could consider this?

    I for one hope Fanstoys makes a combiner one day, and a gift set would blow my mind if they did. I like MMCs stuff. Even the DJD would be cool as a gift set, to me it's not just for combiners. The space the boxes take is starting to add up. I also thought storing them and taking them out would be easier also if they went back in one box.
     
  7. jackisking

    jackisking Well-Known Member

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    Boxed sets are fine as long as there is nndividual availability. Lose or break a figure and you be up a creek.
    By one second hand or its a part the retailer can't replace and you are screwed. I got a green giant minus the crane. I had to settle for the yellow because there was not even the two pack release for them. And in Maketoys case the individual bot modes are often lacking and something you wouldn't want to be stuck with if they didn't combine.
     
  8. LazyAza

    LazyAza MMC color go brrrr

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    Its very expensive to store, ship and sell large heavy box sets and large heavy box sets come with a very hefty price tag that has the effect on people of discouraging purchases.

    Individually packaged product can be shipped out at a faster more consistent and more profitable rate as well with less cost to the manufacturer and the sellers.

    The economics of box sets being viable simply aren't in place. Especially if they are done after an initial product run has already happened with individual releases where companies want to sell out of those individual releases not shelve them and bring in new waves that are guaranteed to sell less. Customer convenience in this regard is a very very low priority compared to the financial stability companies prefer from not doing box sets.

    Maketoys are an exception because they've been doing box sets up front with two big releases for a bit now but their combiners are also on the more modest size and weight end of things so its not the same as it would be for say a box set of feral rex which would cost 500 dollars, require an insanely enormous box and be very very heavy so the shipping would be nuts.
     
  9. OptionZero

    OptionZero Well-Known Member

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    because they're stupid and people are lame

    gift sets rock

    tell me this aint the sexiest packaging

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    if someone made the same style box for M3 and type Yellow, i would buy it
    yes
    just the box
     
  10. Nighthawkblack

    Nighthawkblack Well-Known Member

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    Yep, very sexy packaging indeed.

    I'm not sure I agree with shipping being more for a boxed set. Use feral for example. The weight would be less and so would the bulk to ship the five feral rex figures in one box vs fIve as they are boxed now. Looking at the space they take up on my shelf it's clear they could save a bunch. I'm not sure why G1 made gift sets vs carded figures but I loved the idea. In G1 days I agree the giftset took up more room and weighed more than the separate carded figures.

    I also think they display nicely in alt modes as a set. Warbo would look sick in a box

    It does make sense to me about them needing sales from certain releases to complete others but I think sales would increase if the cost went down a bit by lowering shipping and packaging.
     
  11. Artereis

    Artereis Well-Known Member

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    I think gift sets become a problem at larger bot scales. Look at the size of individual boxes for Rex or Warbotron. A box set would be huge. You need enough packaging to support the figures or they'll start getting damaged in shipping, and the outer box itself needs to be sturdy enough to support the combined weight.
     
  12. opt1musaber

    opt1musaber Victory Saber's Recruit

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    Can you imagine the weight and size of these 3p sets. Prometheus is just under 1.5kg alone. Rex alone is already pushing over 1.5 kilos without any packaging. Packaging for him and alike would have to be a very large sturdy thickish box, or padded very well, which just adds to the overall weight. Then you add the outer box and packing materials and it'll easily exceed 3+ kilos, which if you're shipping internationally that is getting to the very expensive bracket...I love giftsets, I own nearly all G1 sets, but they are considerably smaller and lighter and yet even their shipping isn't that cheap...Also, paying 500+ (I have spent more at once, but that was in the past...) just feels like a lot to swallow at once for most, even though it probably works out the same buying individually.

    Oh ye, after it's sold out and you break one, would be tough tracking down a replacement.
     
  13. Crimson87

    Crimson87 Senior Member

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    While I packaged group is fine as well.

    I've found that opening up a figure and playing with it as a single piece for a month before the next one comes in gives me time to enjoy the individual highlights for each toy before putting on the display shelf.

    When i get a packaged gestalt.... it usually goes to gestalt mode a lot faster and the enjoyment time of its sub-figures kind of disappears/lessens... a lot.
     
  14. Loosecannon

    Loosecannon Cos I know I'm right...

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    It's simple.

    Most companies release the first part of a combiner before the rest is designed. Put out the first member before any other company = more sales and customers hooked. Then the other figures can be designed and finished.

    Warbotron is a classic example of this. All released within a few months was what was promised and look what happened. They even released the first member of another team before finishing the first.

    Re-releasing in a box set or recolour does make sense though as the figures have been designed, fixed (so you don't need replacement parts in the next release) and people normally wouldn't want just one figure.
     
  15. ComputronX

    ComputronX Till all are MP

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    They als know that most people couldn't afford the combiner then. At the costs of about 500 bucks many people would pass on them.
    Releasing one by one is much easier for every collector, even if it means to pay a bit more at the end and wait a little bit longer.
    I personally have the MT combiner sets, and I love them, but it was no fun paying that much for them, especially if you have a family and bills to pay.
    It would be nice if they would release them on by one, as they are doing it, and offer a boxset at the end for all the collectors who wish to buy them all together! So both sides would be satisfied.
     
  16. MyTea Boc

    MyTea Boc Do you smell that?

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    I got the Quantron set last year, and it was tougher to pay for all five bots upfront. I think it would have been nicer if MT had done something similar to what they did with the yellow giant figures - 2x two figure packs and then sold Scattorshot on his lonesome.

    I like individual releases. Apart from spacing out the spending, it also means gives you a chance to get an understanding for the quality and engineering that you are likely to see on the rest of the figures.

    Giftsets would be nice for those who like to get all the figures at once, but shouldn't be the only option.
     
  17. Renidragon

    Renidragon Toys on my table!

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    Same here. Even though I saved up for awhile for Quantron, dropping $400 at once was really hard to swallow.
     
  18. DocSeth81

    DocSeth81 Well-Known Member

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    I'd love a gift set up the Nottlebots. Just add some sparkly paint or something to distinguish between the original release and the box set
     
  19. mephinc

    mephinc Well-Known Member

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    It's..... its.... so.. cute?

    Just Fierce Attack's box alone is larger than that lol.


    As everyone else is saying, the packaging would be HUGE, which in turn makes shipping ridiculous, not to mention what are the odds that a ginormous box actually makes it to your house without being used as a step stool by some braindead UPS driver?

    And the logic doesn't add up, but I can't justify dropping $500+ on one set all at once, yet $100 a month is easy to deal with.
     
  20. TheGame2K5

    TheGame2K5 Well-Known Member

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    And with dealing with third party releases its more like $100 every 4-5 months per member. LOL