Hadnt considered this as much till I saw Warbotron's Computron and I really like their Scattershot but not really the whole combiner so if it was only a boxed set Id miss out on just the one I like so far.

 

All at once, or one at a time... Either way, just give me my toys and I'll be happy.

 

Yes it is indeed.

 

i buy the toys for the toys..not the boxes..im actually fazed to why a voyager like heavy noisy has a box bigger than a leader class at times..

perhaps the box size is proportionate to the price?

i get this with graphics cards too..my gfx card box size is the same as a motherboard box..

 

Maketoys sized figures? Individual box sets are alright, I guess, but individual should also be offered.

Feral Rex sized figures? INDIVIDUAL ONLY. Shipping for one is nearly as much as the figure itself. Are you ready to drop a grand or more on a boxset? 

 

Individual. Easier to pay for, you get the figures much faster, enjoy them individually more and get to have the satisfaction of experiencing the progress up towards completion.

Now redecos however, completely different, I only want a redeco in a boxset, that way it feels more special.

 

Boxsets definitely feel more fun to me, all that waiting is only made worse when you have 1/2 or 3/5 or whatever of a team hanging around.

Plus when the product is developed all at once you can see what you're getting more easily. At tfcon make toys showed prototypes of three members of Guardia and the full combined form in concept art.

Contrast that with tfcs defensor where people have already got one member but have no idea what the finished combiner will look like.

I much prefer the all in one approach, feels like a cohesive product.

This discussion is a bit of a moot point though really since only one of the five or six companies doing combiners has gone the boxset route.

 

I prefer individual myself. I can keep the shipping manageable by getting each one with other figures that I want, and I don't need to worry about getting import tax added in. (I live in New Zealand and the taxes generally only kick in on things around US$250.) It can be a bit annoying waiting to complete a set, but it's quite nice having the individual figures before being able to make combined mode too.

It's also handy when you like some characters on the team but you're not sure about the combiner. I'd quite like to be able to get a separate Hot Spot for example even if I didn't get Defensor.

 

Individual please. I like being able to split up the cost and enjoy each figure as it comes. Even now, I could get the whole set of glacialord right now, but splitting up the cost and adding an individual figure at a time is working so much better for my tastes. im really getting the most enjoyment out of each piece by itself right now, but when i can combine it ill def enjoy that as well.

I much prefer the whole combiner be developed at the same time though, with the combined mode shown off before anything goes on sale.

 

I'd like them released all at once but boxed separately. Unlike most people I have no interest in the combined form and buy them as individual characters. With Defensor I only want Streetwise and Firstaid. Boxed set means I end up with 3 characters I have no interest in.

 

I voted for Box-Set, but my actual view is a bit more nuanced:

Individual figures, then full Box-Set.
To elaborate:

Put out the individual figures as they become ready, then once they're all out and any bugs that have showed up have been fixed then re-release them all again, all at once, for us 'I-want-them-all-at-once-and-don't-mind-paying-a-lump-sum' types. Preferably slightly cheaper than the individual cost for all of them, to reflect the packaging/P&H difference. Sturdy-but-compact for the boxed set - make sure the toys won't get damaged, but otherwise keep it as small as possible to keep shipping costs down.

At the same time as the box set, release the 'updated' molds individually, with a slightly updated name/colour scheme. Call it (X-line) Type 2X or Perfect Edition or something. Don't necessarily mention you're going to do this to the fandom at large from the start btw - you need to generate sales for the next figure in the set, but let people get the new/updated molds for doubles/triples.

Also, include specialised accessories/colour schemes with the original-run figures - shinier paint, or slightly different weapons etc, or little Targetmaster-type accessories that you can later sell separately with different decos. IMO, say, Columpio would still sell well without his little axe-dude, especially in a set with the 5 EDIT - 4 other 'classic' Dinobots, but enough people would pay to have him sooner + with an extra 'exclusive' accessory that he'd still well enough to make the next not-Dinobot member - even if they knew a later version was coming out. And you could always sell a differently-coloured box set of the not-Target Masters (Dinosaur-Riders Plus!) separately afterwards as well, with a few 'Exclusives' in between for good measure.

This way the Individual/First-Run buyers have a special set of their own, the people who want multiples of some figures but not others can buy the way they want, and the full-gestalt-types (like me) still get their full-gestalt figure all at once, for slightly less than the cost of individual releases - but without some non-essential 'special features'. Unless they're willing to buy them separately later on at a hopefully-not-awful markup, anyway.
As long as 3PPs don't start skipping 'essential' parts for any of the releases (*cough*TFC*cough*) then everyone's more or less happy and the 3PP in question gets maximum sales.

i.e. In the case of Feral Rex, I just want a full gestalt team with the bugs ironed out and a few colour fixes. I don't mind waiting or paying extra postage, and I don't mind missing out on Felisaber, and I wouldn't mind if MMC had done a metallic deco for the first run or included a "Trouser Snake of Rex" extra part/weapon-add-on with Felisaber (though TBH I probably would buy that   ) or whatever - I just want an updated set of awesome Predacons. If MMC did as I suggested but skipped on, say, the sword, I'd be ticked off, but if it was a full figure I wouldn't mind missing out on a set of Targetmaster-type accessories for the individual crew, or a 'metallic' finish, or a special comic or whatever. I might even buy the extra bits later in a box-set-matching deco, who knows?

So yeah: Both. One then The Other. Individual Release then Box Set.
Milk those cash-cows.

 

I loved how you just eloquently worked in trouser snake in your response.

 

I like boxed sets. I'm a sucker for nice boxes. Plus the box set usually comes out after the individuals have all been released for a bit and lot of times have improvements/fixes implemented.

 

Thanks.

There are slots in Rex's crotch-plate.
They could do it. 

 

Individually or paired. The full set more than likely won't get through customs adding a couple weeks and about $US100+.

 

I simply cannot justify a whole box at one time. I maybe get 3-4 $100 figures a year. I am not waiting over a year not buying things to get a toy, so if something is in a $400+ box, I will not be purchasing it.

Something for sellers to remember is that "box set" people will still buy a toy individually, but "individual toy" people will not buy a boxed set. So if you want to sell a combiner to more people, sell them individually or maybe in pairs. By selling in a boxed set, you are eliminating about 40% of your market, according to this thread.

 

Single releases for me (or two packs like Yellow Giant). The amount saved on shipping isn't anything special and with single releases you get to play with your toys as they arrive instead of waiting an eternity for them. You get to appreciate each one more.

 

this is very good point!

 

Individual. Three reasons:

- Boxset is a big financial hit all at once.
- If one or more figures suck, you've already bought the whole set. With individual releases, if the first figure is bad, you're only out a little money and know to skip the remainder of the project.
- If one or more figures has a problem, there's no "next figure" in which the developers can include replacement/extra parts.
- Never done this myself, but individual releases are nice if you only want a couple of the members of a particular combiner team.