317 replies to this topic

[Ericnilla]

Hell turtle will likely only be available for January or till he sells out.

[TheRiddler]

when i buy Hell Turtle I'll trade somebody the Gorewad..i don't collect them, though some are really cool!!

[ironmask]

Yeah, we're going to change up how we release figures, to be able to put out more figures more frequently. We'll have a formal announcement soon, but we're going to release one new UoV figure a month, every month. When the new figure goes on sale, the last month's figure will go to the vault.
But, look at it this way.... 2012: six new figures.
2013: twelve new figures, and new accessories and micro companion figures.
Can't beat that, I say.

[ironmask]

http://ironhauspro.b...nd-changes.html

There. Eric and I both posted the official statement on how things are going to go in 2013.
We're defnitely interested in feedback, as well. Don't be shy about what you think, or what concerns you have.

[NamaNiku]

Hell Turtle is my favorite keshi figure of the past year, hands down. Fantastic design.

[Ridureyu]

Well, now i've got to order extras just for those exclusive guys.

[BaltanII]

I ask this in the least dickish way possible, but what's going on with the prices? Hell Turtle costs as much as two normal UoV figures. Not counting the bonus Gorewad, is he really that big? And will this $16 per figure thing be a regular deal or only in cases of Bosses like this?

The new figure a month system might be a little more challenging compared to the way UoV is now, but it's still a far cry from limited numbered editions, so it's not that big a deal. A month is a lot of time to save up for one sculpt, even if they all suddenly cost $16 each.

[Ericnilla]

Thats a great question to ask for sure, thanks for bringing it up.

Hell Turtle with a Gorwad is the same amount of rubber as Eyeklops and cedargeif. The Next figure will be a "BOSS" figure as well and will cost the $16 and be packaged with Gorewad.

I purposely am offering the UoV figs at a cheaper price. Overall on them I ain't making much of a profit at all.

The average figure will run $10 now as singles, but depending on how the figure is packaged will determine the price. New figures will come with accessories or mini figures as well. But Who else sells a single custom mini figure at their size for this price~? Others would charge $25-$30+

...and depending if I change rubbers I may have to raise prices again.

Edited by Ericnilla, 03 January 2013 - 05:12 PM.

[fkro6784]

The new approach seems like it'll work well. It will be nice to see new figures more often. The only thing I'm wondering is if more than one exclusive companion/accessory is going to be available with each figure (like the 4 Gorewads with this one), if it will be possible for people to collect them all. For example, I'd love to be able to have at least one of each Gorewad sculpt in my collection, but will only be able to buy one Hell Turtle.

[Ericnilla]

no the exclusive gorwads will be available with other certain figures not just Hell Turtle.

[Ridureyu]

This is true about prices - just about every other indy toymaker out there charges waaaaaaaaay more for the same stuff. Onell Designs is different but they have large production runs and a contract with a Chinese factory.

[ironmask]

We absolutely have priced these as low as we can... And if you get a Hell Turtle in hand, you'll understand why. He is a hefty, tankish figure. When we do the single packed regular figures, the aim is to price them from $10 to $12 (like Eric said, depending on how many extras are included with the figures), which I think is a very fair price given the quality of the materials we use as well as the comparison to other single packed mini figures in this market.
We thought doing larger "Boss" figures would add an extra element to the line, and would be a neat visual juxtaposition against the regular figures. Clearly, if you all hate the boss figures concept, then it probably won't survive because of the economics behind the whole deal.

Eric and I strive to give you guys the best deals that we can within our means, and as much new original content as possible. This seemed like the best way to be able to do that, while still affording us opportunities to work on other projects (that I hope will capture different parts of the imagination as well).

In closing I do want to assure you that we are not gouging you guys, and $16 for a regular sized figure was never a part of the deal. We've been pretty dedicated to offering our customer base a value for their hard earned dollar, and that is not a trend that we're stepping away from. Please, have some faith in us.

[fkro6784]

no the exclusive gorwads will be available with other certain figures not just Hell Turtle.

Good to know, thanks. The way I took it was that those 4 would only be available with that specific figure.

[ironmask]

The new approach seems like it'll work well. It will be nice to see new figures more often. The only thing I'm wondering is if more than one exclusive companion/accessory is going to be available with each figure (like the 4 Gorewads with this one), if it will be possible for people to collect them all. For example, I'd love to be able to have at least one of each Gorewad sculpt in my collection, but will only be able to buy one Hell Turtle.

And, as far as the Exclusive Gorewads and the other accessories, there are a handful of different accessories ready to go, and we'll definitely include them with enough frequency that you guys will have a chance to get everything you want. We're not jackbooted toy-lords, and if you guys make enough of a demand heard for specific pieces, I can almost guarantee that they'll get more attention.

I mean, that is kind of the neat part of the project... We're taking consideration of what our market wants, and unlike what some of the large companies are even able to offer, we can make these things happen. Our main goal though, is staying progressive and moving forward with the line.

[Ridureyu]

We're taking consideration of what our market wants,

I want toys.

[ironmask]

I want toys.

Well, the actual price breakdown has the customer coming out ahead.
$8 UoV figure + $4 Gorewad + Accessory @ $10-$12 (Based on 2012 pricing)
I'm not at all trying to be pedantic, but nobody is losing anything in this deal.

[Ridureyu]

Now I want a girl.

[ironmask]

Now I want a girl.

You're on your own, Fred.

[Ridureyu]

That's not my name.

Or, you could give me Canful of Monsters.

[ironmask]

That's not my name.

Or, you could give me Canful of Monsters.

You're going to get this thread junked, or at the very least grinded down to a snail's pace.

[Ridureyu]

True, true.

But anyway - yeah, the pricing isn't really an increase.

[imperfecz]

Has anyone even thought of canfu... oh nevermind.

[NamaNiku]

Keep in mind that these are hand made, and take a lot of time to produce. From the sculpting, mold making, casting, and even cleaning you have a lot of time and money invested. Throw in expensive silicone, casting rubber, tint and packaging, and you are really getting a hell of a deal.

I can't think of another talented indi maker that produces hand made stuff at this low price.

[PlasticSoul]

Ok let me just say first i have no personal financial interest in the line whatsoever. As an outsider who has spent a good part of last year working in the mini-figure toy realm and some of that working with Eric himself i think i have a good base of knowledge to chime in with my PERSONAL opinions about their pricing.

I can say without a doubt that their pricing structure is ridiculously low. They factor in the cost of supplies and materials and basically value their time and effort at almost nothing. Compared to other small run toylines and even major retails lines the UofV profit margin is crap. I would guess(and am probably dead on)that they pretty much use one release to pay for the next one. The don't put an actual monetary value on the time they take to imagine a character and then sculpt it which is so totally time consuming. Hell even if Eric has the molding/casting down to a science the cleaning(removing flash)from ONE figure can take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes(takes me like 45 minutes). If they were just to calculate the actual hours spent in the entire process selling these things at 16 bucks a pop probably pays them a few CENTS per hour. It's stupid, awesome for us but if anyone is getting taken in the deal it's them.

The "average" price for figures like this is about 25 bucks a pop. And that is usually for remakes or bootlegs or kitbashes, not original creations and that's with NO extras.

Honestly i wish they would charge a few more bucks per figure for the simple fact the best thing about the line is their creativity and more profit might mean more figures and bigger bosses and playsets and backdrops and crazy add-ons and maybe even awesome packaging.

Neither of the two bastards making these toys would ever say this themselves but i can say without a doubt that they are doing this for us and for toy fans in general, not for a quick buck or even a slow buck. It's a labor of love but make no mistake it is indeed a labor.

And this is in no way intended to insult the guy who questioned the pricing at all. It's our right as humans to question the prices on EVERYTHING and if you haven't tried making toys yourself you probably wouldn't know most of this stuff so asking is always the right way to go. I only own a few of their UofV stuffs for the simple fact i am pretty tapped out these last few months and every penny counts these days but their prices would honestly be closer to the toy world standard at double what they charge now.

[BaltanII]

Guys. Guys. I am aware the intent isn't to insult me or belittle my question, but I think I of all people know a thing or two about the love and care Eric and Jimmy put into this line. Without a single dime invested in the line I'd already ended up with three unique figures (and a fourth on the way). I've already seen the quality of this line firsthand and was satisfied enough to drop a chunk of change on the line and plan to get even more when the chance arises. They are beautiful, imaginative designs and for what they are very fairly priced. I asked because I had to or someone else would less cordially, because I've had enough experience where less scrupulous toy manufacturers move the goal posts with no satisfactory justification. I will admit I had more of a brief "WTF" reaction to the news initially, but that was before the talk of the exclusive Gorewads.

I don't recall any teaser images showing Hell Turtle next to existing sculpts, but I could have forgotten one, so you could understand why I asked whether Bosses were larger UoV figures or not. I'd recommend a shot like that in the store (with an obvious "sold separately" clause) or in a blog update, but that's just me.

Eric, Jimmy, you guys have alleviated every one of my concerns, real and imaginary. Thanks. Eric, hopefully I can bother you for a Hell Turtle with my current order...