While I don't disagree with your fundamental point, you have to consider a couple of things.

1) Every group out there is doing dinos because prior to these reveals, everyone was demanding dinos. When there were none, every group saw the demand. It might be nice if they hadn't all moved to fill the supply side at the same time, but you can't blame any of them for trying to give the market what it wants. It's only now that each group has made the rational choice to do dinos that everyone is freaking out. Lesson: be careful what you wish for.

2) An aspect of what led to my first point: Groups want to make money, thus they want to appeal to their market. While it's always dangerous to take an internet message board as in any way representative, if we look just at TFW, you can see how ridiculously narrow focused the market is. If it isn't a top flight character, it's development time and money being wasted. If it isn't suitably G1 (I'd use the word slavishly, personally, but I'm not a G1-er so I'm biased), most of the board balks and at least claims they aren't buying. The market is being flooded with the same characters, done in the same styles, because that's what the market is telling these groups to produce. Oversaturation of such a market is unavoidable.

 

I've been semi retired from TF collecting for a while. Just focus on MPs now. But I think even at semi retired... I'm spending more due to 3rd parties. It's just that some of their products are too hard to ignore. Over the weekend I managed to buy the FP headmasters that are our. And now I'm targeting the rest... And that MT Scorponok. Don't even know how I will afford that shit but I'm going to have to find a way. If MT ever decides to make a Unicron I will be screwed!

Thank you 3rd parties for making awesome crap but... God dammit...!

 

Yes from the pov of the 3Ps, when they decided to invest the time and expense into designing a 3P version of the Dinobots. It was probably felt as the safest alternative over doing a non-G1 or obscure G1 property or character especially in light of the presence of the dinobots in the movie. If you looks at the results of the Dinbot poll (http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/trans...3751-dinobots-unite-dinobots-you-getting.html) it a reasonable projection that the inevitable sales are not going to be distributed equally. The ones who got there earlier or the more well placed companies are inevitably going to get the lion's share of the sales.

 

How small is their consumer base, though? Yes, the collector segment of the "western" consumer base is both highly represented here, and very small in terms of overall buying power - but how many units are they going to sell in China?

I honestly don't know. I'm not trying to ask a leading question, just put forward a possible scenario: my understanding is that Transformers is very popular in China. Perhaps that's a large enough pool to make all these ventures viable.

 

I am not blaming the third parties for doing what they feel is right. I think, perhaps, some better communication between the various third parties would be of benefit.

It is a self destructive practice. Not only are we getting third party dinobots everywhere, we're getting MP Grimlock reissue, AOE Dinobots everywhere.

The big question is (and I don't have a definitive answer) can the third party consumer base sustain 5 or so different Dinobot projects?

That's a VERY good question. Something I hadn't considered. That could change the financial outlook for many of these third parties. Even though, saturation affects all markets.

I think the buying power of 'Western' third party collectors is actually quite powerful but it is small meaning the majority who are amiable towards Dinobots will support one project - two at a stretch. Therefore they have the power to give life or grant death to a project.

Transformers are indeed very popular in China btw, I've worked on official projects before and can vouch for that. Plus the results of AOE also validate this too.

The bigger question is how popular is G1 in China, that is a different question altogether.

 

I don't see that happening. Most of these groups are active competitors. While there are obvious advantages to communicating, as you say, it creates a prisoners dilemma type situation. Hell, do you remember the rumors back before the Predaking wars started? Supposedly one of the groups reached out to another to make sure they wouldn't be stepping on toes, and heard back that no figure was being worked on. Which was a flat out lie, by all accounts, creating unnecessary competition. True? I have no idea, but that's the kind of thing that becomes possible.

In addition, communication could easily lead to collusion, which is extremely bad for consumers. Think 3P is expensive now? Just wait to see what a 3P cartel would do to your wallet!

 

I hope 2015 becomes year of the LIOKAISER! Let them all make them! Then we can choose the best!

 

LOL. I would be ok with that, as well. Though I'd rather split it. Half the groups do LioKaiser, the other half Star Saber. And my quest for the holy grail can finally end!