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Agreed that the mismatched business model probably tanked it. The retailers and customers probably both had the same thought - $15+ for a blind item? No thanks, retailers not stocking and customers not buying. Most blind bag items are small, cheap and simply made. TLS figures in comparison are large, sturdy, highly detailed, articulated, collector quality figures. I think they definitely command the price point that they are listed at - but not when you don't know what you're getting. To put another company as example, Funko. Their POP and other figure lines that appeal to collectors/adults are large, detailed, and put in visible packaging, even the chases. The blind packaged items that they do are much smaller, simpler figures or something like buttons/keychains/etc, a cheaply made item that can be sold at only a couple of dollars to the consumer.Blind items should be marketed to kids as they are typically $2 pocket money items and have a "collect em all!" style marketing that the price range allows to be feasible, and kids are way more likely to collect with school friends and physically trade their doubles away. If TLS were just in visible packaging, I think they would have done a helluva lot better. They were appealing to the right market (collectors) but using the wrong packaging and advertising strategy.In regards to doubles, the case assortments definitely need work on top of that. A pop culture collector channel that I enjoy watching (maxmoefoepokemon, warning that he's not exactly family friendly) recently opened an entire case of TLS Dragon Ball Z figures, and there was much angry screaming. He got both the 1/48 and the 1/96 chases from the same case, but was missing one of the "commons", and got 4 of one character, and 2 each of five others. And there was an additional build-a-figure of Shenron, but the pieces of him were seemingly ALSO randomly assorted, so he only ended up with half a dragon and a bunch of doubles of the minor accessories too! It's so frustrating that TLS as a company would produce such worthwhile products but allow themselves to be kneecapped by their own packaging decisions.
I'm happy they existed at least. Shame, I'd like to get less remade characters from SOME line, whether it have been in that form or the Bridge Direct ponies. Can we please have more than the collectors ponies and rainbow ponies? I hope the BD ones don't go the way of these ones where they scrap their other ideas due to low sales.
I really hate the fact that TLS company marketed the rarity of their chasers being worth "hundreds to thousands" (as stated at their website). So very exclusive and "rare" that now they complain of losing money. Poor distribution and poor marketing strategy that obviously didn't entice enough buyers.
LOL Surprise Confetti Pop are $14 each, entirely blind packed, and yet super popular. That said they first built up a loyal fan base with cheaper, simpler products before making the ones with more bells and whistles. Funko could release something similar and because they have that brand loyalty they probably would do OK. But TLS haven't built their brand up yet.