ANOVOS issues (ANOVOS ONLY discussion)

[oblagon]

Again Disney doesn't want to have a license with no one paying for it.
If NO ONE wants the license other than Anovos and EFX what exactly do you expect???
Being on the side of a vendor licensors don't have the power people think they do, other than pulling the license their's nothing they can do.

 

[oblagon]

And that is why people keep giving their money to companies like Anovos and EFX. I was thrilled when I learned that Anovos had gotten the Star Trek license and they had a long list of props they were going to make from the TNG movies, I think this was in 2015 or 2016, and then nothing but silence and you can't even find a mention of them on their site anymore. Since they hold the license no one else is able to make props for Star Trek unless they do like The Wand Company and make it into a remote or bluetooth device that also happens to be beautiful replicas.

Other people can put in a bid for the license once it's up for renewal. Problem is no one wants it

 

[Lichtbringer]

No matter what .... if Disney accepts the only company willing to pay for the license, knowing that this company ***** the customers - then Disney is directly responsible for that.

 

[stonky]

How is it that the high-end licensed prop and costume market is littered with failure upon failure, for decades now? Is the model unworkable? Is the license so cost prohibitive that it makes generating product at a profit (or even break even) at a saleable price, impossible? It seems like whenever another one of these companies opens with promises of "screen accurate!" and "best ever!" it's a countdown until it's participation in fraudulent behavior and inevitable self-destruction.

 

[vader45]

Well if Disney truly cares about the fan base they would not let this continue. Plain and simple black and white. But they care more about the mighty dollar as the new movies suggest. They make billions of dollars on other franchises so I'm sure they can afford to pull the license and sit on it for a while. Hasbro is still making and releasing SW product at a much higher rate with more profit so Disney is still cashing in on the property.

Disney only cares about the few extra bucks and not us. They have some blame in this. They are at the head of the whole cycle and can dictate what overall happens. How can they not be responsible for some of the blame regardless if no one else wants the license?

We also have to take into account when all of this has happened AFTER DISNEY BOUGHT LUCASFILM. Has any of this happened Under Lucas' ownership(there may be a couple of small instances)?

 

[stonky]

Master Replicas, for one.

 

[vader45]

Master Replicas, for one.

They have or had a FAR superior track record then eFx and Anovos will ever have. You can not deny they delivered way more products in their hay day. MR never was the complete disaster these two companies are.

 

[stonky]

Be that as it may, two things are undeniable:

1. MR failed.
2. Customers were left without paid-for merchandise or refunds.

 

[Kal Argos]

How is it that the high-end licensed prop and costume market is littered with failure upon failure, for decades now? Is the model unworkable? Is the license so cost prohibitive that it makes generating product at a profit (or even break even) at a saleable price, impossible? It seems like whenever another one of these companies opens with promises of "screen accurate!" and "best ever!" it's a countdown until it's participation in fraudulent behavior and inevitable self-destruction.

So one example for the star wars license, though not a true apples to apples comparison, is LEGO. The license is quite expensive and at one point LEGO considered dropping it because it nearly doubled the price per brick for a set... normally 10 cents per piece to about 20 cents a piece. And they had a difficult time turning a profit at first due to timing of LEGO sets to movies. I remember a lot of complaints in the beginning that sets were hard to find and again they were very expensive for number of pieces. It took about 5 years for them to settle into the license, timing of release, demand, and design that met fan and LEGO playability rules. Though the sets are still expensive for the pieces you get.

That said, LEGO is not props... but I'm sure some of the same issues apply, but my main point was the high cost for the license... Im still not sure how people in the US are able to buy from RS props or Ainsworth since the US courts said it was copyright infringement. I thought the UK courts said Ainsworth could only sell outside the US... anyways...

Though in Anovos' case they clearly rely on too much outsourcing and poor contract payouts that have ruined their own timelines... per the posts Oblagon found. And poor communication of said delays.

Currently they are suffering from shipping delays for in stock items taking 30-45 days to ship to due what I was told was due to processing an influx of orders and a small shipping staff. I did find out today that some staff is only part time.

Im no expert, so if my facts are off please let me know...

 

[vader45]

I truly think it's because the prop collecting market is very small compared to other hobbies/markets. The license is expensive which drives the price up and that lowers their customer base and income from the already small pool of prop collectors. I have never ran into a prop collector outside of these forums or bigger conventions. I haven't meet a Joe Shmoe who collects these kinds of items. Every time I discuss prices people think I'm insane.

I believe that's why official businesses can not flourish in this kind of business venture. All companies that had higher prices like The Prop Shop have went under.

The masses are not willing to pay up and the companies can't sell any cheaper with out losing profit. It's a lose lose situation.

If you really delve into the Fan makers you will realize that most of them do this as a side hobby as they make very little money. It's expensive to make props and costumes with very little people who are willing to pay.

 

[Dontdissthefett]

Also Hasbro is not in comparison to Anovos as a licensee a model for how it’s done right. Toy sales are in decline, and to be honest, toy sales to support movies like Disney has been putting out are in decline over that too. The cost of raw materials has continually gone up, and Hasbro has been using older toolings for repacks, even going so far as trying to push lower articulation figures to try and keep costs down. The profit margins on action figures are slim, probably around 10-15% if they’re lucky. Even with declining sales, their customers are the retailers so they’re moving much more $10 product than Anovos could ever move of theirs. I really think that the specter of a high-cost license hanging over the heads of a producer in a high-priced, very niche market is making even the most organized company have to fight an uphill battle to try and come out successful

 

[Psab keel]

I've said it many times that I don't know how anyone could make a sustainable, livable profit off of making costumes and props whether they have the license or not. The fact of the matter is, higher costs of materials and a discerning collector's eye are what makes this such a difficult market to be in. Time and money are the major factors that have held this property back because the demand is so high and in order to keep the level of quality up it takes time to deliver. How many companies have had the license and have either lost it or folded altogether?

Icons
Master Replicas
Museum Replicas Limited

I also think a lot of it is due to poor leadership at Lucasfilm. Say what you will about George Lucas as a writer or director, but the man had a vision. He had a unique ability to hand pick innovative people to execute that vision and that meant being able to build companies and market products that the fans wanted. He also knew how to build anticipation with his audience by spreading his products out over longer marketing windows. The man literally released the OT how many times in 20 years before he finally returned to the director's chair? The guy is a genius business man.

I think the hectic release schedule of the new films and Disney's pressure to recoup their initial investment forced companies like Anovos to try and keep up with the demand for new product with each release which meant that they simply couldn't deliver within their projected windows. Though that's not entirely Disney's fault and had Anovos structured their business model better and limited the number of offerings (and delivered them on schedule) they could have slowly built up their product line over time. Rather than rush out the empty promise of new products and fail their customers they could have just followed through with a small number of items.

I think they just bit off more than they can chew. Plain and simple.

 

[stonky]

The only thing that all of these failed/troubled licensees have in common is their “partnership” with LFL - one has to wonder if that isn’t the common thread, and if the licensing fees in the relatively small/high-priced high-end replica costume and prop market make it a non-starter.

 

[oblagon]

The only thing that all of these failed/troubled licensees have in common is their “partnership” with LFL

The thing these failed licensees have in common is they're run by people who can't run a business
You guys make me laugh, painting Disney/LFL as this evil presence that wants businesses to fail. I've worked with both and they're nothing like that, but people will believe what they want despite reality.

 

[Mara Jade's Father]

I have to wonder if Anovos would be better off not selling directly to customers but simply to approved vendors. It's not a fix for production timelines and quality issues. But it seems like it would eleviate them of customer service being overwhelmed with questions about timetables, refunds, etc.

 

[wtyler3]

I just got a notice for the FO tie pilot helmet in stock.. Interesting note in the message is "There are no future production runs planned for this in-stock item:.....First time I can remember this in the email...

 

[stonky]

Never once did I say that LFL wants these enterprises to fail (I never mentioned Disney - and yes, I've worked with both as well) - just that the licensing scheme may make this narrow enterprise cost-prohibitive. I don't think that there's anything nefarious or underhanded happening on behalf of the license holder (LFL).

 

[oblagon]

Never once did I say that LFL wants these enterprises to fail (I never mentioned Disney - and yes, I've worked with both as well) - just that the licensing scheme may make this narrow enterprise cost-prohibitive. I don't think that there's anything nefarious or underhanded happening on behalf of the license holder (LFL).

Your comment reminded me of the attitude that the licensers are these evil dark figures making poor Anovos fail. When as I said the reality is that Anovos is choosing to crash and burn through their ineptitude.
I wish someone would get the SW license that runs it like a business instead of fans that have no idea what they are doing.

 

[The Searcher]

I have to agree with oblagon, Disney is NOT at fault in this situation. For example, guess who’s been waiting over a MONTH for an “In Stock” Ghostbusters proton pack kit. Also, I bought a $20 leather book. A LEATHER BOOK, not even a prop replica, and many moons later, I haven’t been issued a refund for the lack of shipment. I’ll just try to get a refund for the kit because the whole situation is simply atrocious.
And for those earlier commenters saying that the agreement is LFL based, I don’t think it is. Why else would the be selling MARVEL replicas if the agreement wasn’t with Disney as a whole?

 

[darthjones]

I just got a notice for the FO tie pilot helmet in stock.. Interesting note in the message is "There are no future production runs planned for this in-stock item:.....First time I can remember this in the email...

My message from them for Kylo costume says the same thing - no more future production. (not that there has been current production but I digress)