OK, Brain had this reply:
Quote:
Sledge,
Let me answer some of your concerns. I have held off posting these things as I am not going to debate anyone online. However I think we are getting painted with a broad brush as if we are the bad guys. We are collectors too!
1. We listen to everyone's ideas, why wouldn't we? We never "blow" off anyone. There are things we can't do because we are not allowed, but we can't turn around and tell you that for each item. It makes us look like cry babies. There are other things that sound like a good ideas but once you get under the hood, they are not practical.
2. We can't do everything that everyone wants. We make our best efforts. If you think we don't put our hearts, minds, sweat and tears into this.. think again. Look at the products we make. We do 100 per cent of this work. No one helps us, every bit of this is us. If we didn't care, why would we try so hard?
3. Your idea about the MOTH sets...I don't remember that one. Good idea but the issue is, that the concept is being presented after the fact. We can't go back to the factories and have them reproduce something. It just can't happen. We are lucky that they produce what we get. Our runs are small and a pain for the factories because we add so much more detail than in the main line figures.
Plus what happens is that people buy the extra sets at a reduced cost, part them out on ebay and then we can't sell through the run we made. This makes us back off and not produce more items. Unfortunately it is a fine line. This is why you have not seen the MOTH vehicle, sales have not told us that this is wanted, however, it is not dead.
4. The Army builder idea I threw out at a club roundtable. We have tried to do this but it keeps getting shot down by the powers that be...if you know what I mean.
5. We answered the budget issue several times. Look at last year, add a little to it and you will always be in the ball park. If we told you the exact configuration of each extra item it would be too easy to guess them. If you remember back, I have asked this question at the club roundtable if people like not knowing and having hints to speculate on...the response was overwhelming: keep us guessing. We don't want to spoil the fun.
6. We stopped putting the newsletters online because people were taking the content and posting it on other sites. This is called theft of intellectual property and is not fair to the members that pay for this content.
I had been working on a replacement technology but never got it finished. I asked the membership if there was a flash expert out there that could help me...got 0 responses. This is your club and if you have items you want to see us put on the web site or in the magazine, we need help doing them. There are basically 3 people that touch everything you see online, in print, made in a factory. We barely have enough time to produce what we get out... our productivity is extremely high...but for the bells and whistles we need help and we need specifics.. not "gee I don't like the menu system." Don't like it? Send us a sample of what you would like. Member input is the key. There are almost 3,000 of you and 3 of us.
7. We do have plans to update the message board but because of the integration that is in place, we will have to fix this one. However, I have seen absolutely 0 suggestions as to what you would like added. We need specifics not "this is outdated". Be part of the solution.
8. Our primary way we communicate with the membership is through the Magazine each month. The boards were created to let you communicate with each other and ask us questions from time to time. If we spent all our time reading every post, we would never get the work done on the figures you want. If we miss a thread somewhere, send us and email and ask us to look at it. I get 200+ emails on a typical day and I answer about 98 per cent of them.
Not in this post but let me address this:
9. We walk a fine line trying to serve both 12" and 3 3/4" collectors. Each side gripes that we don't give them enough attention. We can only work with the articles and input from the members. We try to balance everything we can and my suggestion to all members is take the blinders off! First of all, we are all G.I. Joe Collectors! As a collector, there are things (I promise!) in both scales that would be interesting to you if you take the time to learn about it. Also, just because you don't like something, don't trash it as there are others that do like it and all you do is make them mad. Like your mom told you, if you don't have something good to say, don't say anything. It is not important that everyone's opinion is heard on every topic as they are just that, opinions. Not facts.
10. When thinking about how the club works, don't ***ume because all you are doing in posts is mis-leading others. We saw on another board where someone said "I heard they lock all the posts over at the GI Joe Club Forum..." No one came to our defense because no one knows that we only have to lock 2-3 threads a year when they get out of control. Rumors don't help anybody.
Again, this is your club. We can't be everything to everybody but the more you put into it, the more fun it is for everyone. We do want your input, we do want your help. The more you build this club, the more we can do, for all collectors.
Sorry for the rant but I felt it was time to answer back and sledge, I am not picking on you.
Brian
So I responded with this:
Quote:
Brian,
Thanks for your answers, and let me state that I do not think that you were picking on me. I will post my response here as well as send it to you directly via e-mail, and I will do my best to be productive in the post as well. These numbered responses do not correlate with your numbered points.
To start off, I agree that the product the Club provides is top notch, and I look forward to placing these items in my collection every year.
1. I know that each of you receive multiple ideas from lots of people. I think that the club members, and some possible members, only ask that the "popular" ideas that are consistently made be responded to. There are many people who I feel would join the club if they feel that they would get their voices heard. We are also ***** that Hasbro does have some impact on what you can and can't do.
One example is the market of packaged and non-packaged items. There are some people who appreciate the packaged items, and several who do not. I understand your concern about people buying the cheaper alternative and parting them out on secondary markets. However, the secondary market price (at least for the yearly convention figures) is usually close to the per figure price of the loose figure set that is available after you purchase the boxed set. There are also a group of people who would be willing to buy multiples of a figure, but in the case of the MOTH sets, do not want to pay the packaged set price since the packaging will be discarded. I never have stated the specific idea about multiples in the MOTH sets in the past, but I believe I have made a similar observation at one of the yearly roundtables.
2. You mention that you use the magazine as your main method of communicating with the club each month. Unfortunately, most of the time, the information in the magazine is outdated by the time it reaches the members mailboxes, and I think that is why there was such an uproar when the on-line newsletter was removed. Many members of the Club also think that this message board would be a great tool for communicating, and it has been when either you, Lanny, or Commander (who I don't know if I've had the priviledge of meeting), have the time. I can also understand that some people may be left out of the loop.
To me, it looks like the main issue with a majority of the concerns is the lack of communication, either real or percieved. I know that there are many people who would like to help the club out, but they are not sure how to do so. I have heard that Hasbro has reached out to a small group of collectors or webmasters (maybe 5-10) who they believe can help them. Maybe this would be a possibility? Would you consider a small group who would help the Club once every few weeks, allowing you and the the rest of the staff to work on larger issues? I think if that request was made, you could receive a lot of volunteers, starting with me.
I have some suggestions reagrding improving teh registration check-in and the sales at the Club store on the registration day, and I will send them to you after I refine them.
Finally, in my ***umptions, I had hoped by labelling them as such, that people would not think I was leading or mis-leading them, only that they would think about them and make up their own mind. I think that in the quote you mentioned, there is a perception that the Club does not take criticism well, and I would like to see that perception removed in order to make the Club better. Hopefully that goal can be achieved.
Thanks.
Karl
P.S. - I started a thread on what specific improvements I would like to see on the message board.
