Forum - View topicINTEREST: 74,394 Miku Nendoroid Quake Charity Figures Ordered
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Freakmasta
 Posts: 370 |
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Preordered mine. And that's a lot of money from one toy company. Keep up the good work GSC.
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PetrifiedJello
Posts: 3782 |
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Thank you, ANN, for the follow-up. I had heard the figure sold over 50,000, but it was very tough confirming it and to hear it come straight from GSC makes those rumors a fact now.
July is getting closer! I'll also pre-order the next offering, regardless what it is. Personally, I wish more companies would open up sales worldwide and offer the pre-order system just as GSC did (money out, order placed). This current system blows ash. She's going to look so cute on my shelf. >.< |
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egoist
 Posts: 7762 |
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What I want to know now is how much they profited. I'm guessing not much less than donated.
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PetrifiedJello
Posts: 3782 |
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$0. What didn't get covered in design fees and manufacturing went to the relief fund. I also read the licensing rights to Miku were waived to maximize the relief amount. They did good. 
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egoist
Posts: 7762 |
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Oh, they sent the profit to relief fund? That's great then. I had this nasty feeling that something about this was a bit shady, but now that's cleared up.
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Mohawk52
 Posts: 8202 Location: England, UK |
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Oh the incarnation of the endless love.
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enurtsol
 Posts: 14889 |
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Has all of that info been documented? |
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Emerje
 Posts: 7413 Location: Maine |
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No, because PJ either made it up or was misinformed. They donated 1000yen per figure only. The figure itself is mainly a reproduction of Nendo no.33 and the production of it has paid for itself several times over so they cut the production costs drastically there (they didn't have to pay a sculptor or make new molds). The other stuff that comes with it is pretty cheap and they do their sculpting in-house (literally right in the office), so the costs of producing these were fairly minimal. They did make a profit here, just not as much as they would a normal no.33 reissue. I'm curious how they'll handle Gumako since she'll be an entirely new mold. Be she wont be the same price as Miku, probably higher. I'm passing on these until they start doing figmas. In the meantime I'm just donating the equivalent of a purchase donation to the Red Cross directly. Emerje |
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PetrifiedJello
Posts: 3782 |
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The design fees weren't a consideration because this is the sixth reprint of Nendoroid #33 and it allowed GSC to apply more to the 1000Yen than they could if the design was new or even a stand alone reprint. In addition, production costs are never "cut". The price is fixed, as these 74k figures will require another print run. In addition, the packaging will be new (it won't be N#33) and there's still an associated cost of the extras, even if it's as low as 50Yen. When I saw 1000Yen per figure was being donated, I instantly knew there was no profits being made here. Usually, it's less than this amount. The only figures I've ever seen rake in over 1000Yen in profits are the scaled figures and even then, barely push the number. After licenses, production, shipping, and royalties (which usually pay the mold sculptors), there's really not much left (and the logical reasoning behind the statement royalties were withheld for this figure). This is why I didn't hesitate for a second to order it as it helped more than just quake victims. I second the quake relief effort mold in a figma figure, but alas, I don't think I'll see one. This is merely speculation on my part, of course, and this is only because the 2008 model (the best, imo) has yet to see a reprint in 2011. 
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P€|\||§_|\/|ast@
 Posts: 3498 Location: IN your nightmares |
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Yes it's awesome that they raised a nice chunk of change for charity, but the success of this one figure is also staggering. With this Nendo, Good Smile Co. made more net sales from a single product in a single month than many single-store retail businesses do of their entire product line over their entire existence.
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Emerje
Posts: 7413 Location: Maine |
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That's not true. The biggest cost in making figures is the metal molds. The mold usually will be payed for in a figure's first run. Once that happens the profits increase drastically, if they didn't no company would be able to stay afloat (and many have gone down because of it). That's the first cost cut. The second cost cut is in making paint masters and templates, and since this is basically the same figure as no.33 they don't have to make new ones aside from paint stamps for the new face and extras. The more something is produced the cheaper it becomes to do so. This is true for DVDs and video games, and figures are no exception. The one-time costs of sculpting, mold cutting, template making and every other little thing is paid for, that just leaves factory costs, materials, and licensing. As far as factory costs go, they manufacture in China for a reason. Materials are pretty standard, the injected molding PVC they use is typically around a dollar a pound when sold by the ton, that's one of the reasons why PVC is so popular in making figures in the first place. And if the licences were waved like you said, well that's a major cost down as well. Packaging isn't as expensive as it looks. One time designer cost (on staff), cheap glossy card stock die-cut into a box, and a few thin sheets of clear plastic that are vac formed into an inner package bubble. Material-wise we're talking a few cents per figure.
Mold sculptors don't get paid royalties. Just like everyone else involved they get paid a lump sum for their work. The other thing you're forgetting is that they're selling these direct at full price. When you buy from a retailer the retailer needs to make a profit too which is where the MSRP comes in, it's the price at which the retailer should be able to sell to make a profit. GSC is selling these at what would be full MSRP and are getting both the retail profits and their own sales profit from this. The combination of the two on a new figure would be more than 1000yen, on an easily made figure like this it would be much more. Emerje |
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FaytLein
 Posts: 1260 Location: Williamsburg, VA |
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I remember wanting to preorder the Miku Nendo, but completely forgot to do so. I really hope I can scare one of them up one day for a not so insane price, I'm just really kicking myself for forgetting now.
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