I think the biggest thing that's impacted all of the higher-end Star Wars licensees has been an unpreparedness for the sheer scope of demand. ANOVOS was used to how they did things for BSG and Star Trek. But the same business model does not work for Star Wars. The instant they, or Museum Replicas, or Master Replicas, or Icons, or eFX announce they're going to be making something, a huge swath of the customer base expects it instantly and -- if it is not forthcoming immediately -- pull their money back out, either by cancelling the pre-order or by boycotting any further product.
Not saying everyone is like this. Look how patient so many here and over in the ANOVOS thread have been for years while waiting. I have a friend who made custom-fitted N7 armor through Etsy. He required measurements in order to make it. He did not have finished sets on-hand, in off-the-rack sizing, to mail out the instant an order was placed. He very clearly stated in the listing that work did not commence until he got the measurements he needed from the buyer, with a projected turnaround time of a week prior ot shipping. The number of people who would e-mail him two days later saying they hadn't gotten a shipping notification back, and then demanding a refund when he said it would be several more days -- as stated in the listing -- baffled and dismayed him to the point he stopped offering it.
I'm not saying any of this as a "both sides" false-equivalency thing. There are "toxic customers" in every genre and fandom and walk of life, although the proportions vary. Star Wars fans do, though, seem to be unusually good at cranking the impatience and emotiveness to 11, whether it's arguing the relative merits of characters or films or plot points, expressing fondness for the property in general -- from dropping to their knees in thanks when the theater opens for the first screening opening night to naming their children after Anakin or Jacen or Rey or what have you (no Sheevs yet, that I know of), or wanting the thing that was announced in their hands right now. I saw the Midnight Madnesses at Toys'R'Us back during the Prequels. I remember the sheer vitriol Jake Lloyd and Ahmed Best got for their characters. I remember how heated networked games of X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter would get. The only thing I've seen over on the Star Trek side to approach that level... Well, there were two: the alt.wesley.die.die.die newsgroup on USEnet, and the time the Romulan fans got a little bit too in-character at a convention in Minnesota and the cops had to be called. But for the fandom that set the bar for obsessed fans, Trekkies can be positively low-key compared to some of the behavior I've seen from Star Wars fans.
But all that means that any company seeking a Star Wars license should know what they're letting themselves in for. If they're not part of the fandom themselves, they desperately need to research it first. Even if they think they know what they're getting into, unless they can manufacture on the scale of a major international toy company (like Hasbro or Bandai), they need to err way on the side of caution. ANOVOS should have done their interest list approach from the get-go, assessing what the most-demanded costumes and items were before they ever spent one dollar on R&D. Then take deposits to hold one's place in the queue only once everything has passed approval and the manufacturing has begun, balance and shipping due only when it is checked in at their warehouse. eFX has even less excuse, as many involved already learned this lesson the hard way as Master Replicas. There is no way this debacle should have happened.
And we need to be able to talk about it -- openly and everywhere. Every thread I've seen praising an ANOVOS or eFX product -- on here or elsewhere -- has had the OP or one or more commenter(s) point out the problems with the respective companies and warn people most strongly before they spend their money there. This is as good a place as any -- and better than many -- to praise the things they get right while legitimately criticizing their failings.
Not saying everyone is like this. Look how patient so many here and over in the ANOVOS thread have been for years while waiting. I have a friend who made custom-fitted N7 armor through Etsy. He required measurements in order to make it. He did not have finished sets on-hand, in off-the-rack sizing, to mail out the instant an order was placed. He very clearly stated in the listing that work did not commence until he got the measurements he needed from the buyer, with a projected turnaround time of a week prior ot shipping. The number of people who would e-mail him two days later saying they hadn't gotten a shipping notification back, and then demanding a refund when he said it would be several more days -- as stated in the listing -- baffled and dismayed him to the point he stopped offering it.
I'm not saying any of this as a "both sides" false-equivalency thing. There are "toxic customers" in every genre and fandom and walk of life, although the proportions vary. Star Wars fans do, though, seem to be unusually good at cranking the impatience and emotiveness to 11, whether it's arguing the relative merits of characters or films or plot points, expressing fondness for the property in general -- from dropping to their knees in thanks when the theater opens for the first screening opening night to naming their children after Anakin or Jacen or Rey or what have you (no Sheevs yet, that I know of), or wanting the thing that was announced in their hands right now. I saw the Midnight Madnesses at Toys'R'Us back during the Prequels. I remember the sheer vitriol Jake Lloyd and Ahmed Best got for their characters. I remember how heated networked games of X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter would get. The only thing I've seen over on the Star Trek side to approach that level... Well, there were two: the alt.wesley.die.die.die newsgroup on USEnet, and the time the Romulan fans got a little bit too in-character at a convention in Minnesota and the cops had to be called. But for the fandom that set the bar for obsessed fans, Trekkies can be positively low-key compared to some of the behavior I've seen from Star Wars fans.
But all that means that any company seeking a Star Wars license should know what they're letting themselves in for. If they're not part of the fandom themselves, they desperately need to research it first. Even if they think they know what they're getting into, unless they can manufacture on the scale of a major international toy company (like Hasbro or Bandai), they need to err way on the side of caution. ANOVOS should have done their interest list approach from the get-go, assessing what the most-demanded costumes and items were before they ever spent one dollar on R&D. Then take deposits to hold one's place in the queue only once everything has passed approval and the manufacturing has begun, balance and shipping due only when it is checked in at their warehouse. eFX has even less excuse, as many involved already learned this lesson the hard way as Master Replicas. There is no way this debacle should have happened.
And we need to be able to talk about it -- openly and everywhere. Every thread I've seen praising an ANOVOS or eFX product -- on here or elsewhere -- has had the OP or one or more commenter(s) point out the problems with the respective companies and warn people most strongly before they spend their money there. This is as good a place as any -- and better than many -- to praise the things they get right while legitimately criticizing their failings.
