Hello Matt ... I'm so happy to see a Greenlight rep here on DX ... but you just opened a Pandora's box for me!!
Hoping you'll read this entirely ... I just spent 70 minutes writing this!!!
... about the 1:18 Supernatural Impala.
I hope everyone takes a look at this and please tell us what you think after seeing it finished before passing any judgement.
Because of course it will be easier to say
"we tried and failed ... so we won't try to retool it the way collectors really wants it" .... instead of getting it right the first time!
And even if the sales are good ... it won't be for the right reasons! If the sales are good, the only reason will be, that it's because : WE WON'T HAVE ANY OTHER CHOICE!!!!
I'll explain myself :
Personnally, I would pass on your version if it was made by any other company with opening features but it's not!
So, like many collectors/fan of Supernatural ... I will buy this model EVEN IF I HATE that it is sealed up. I will even buy 3 of them!!! Because I will try to do what you guys at Greenlight can't do ... customize it so that, AT LEAST, the damn trunk will be able to open. So I'll buy more then one in case I screw up the project the first time. As I'm sure many will do too.
Of course, marketingly speaking, wow it's a hit, you sold those Impalas by the cases!! Of course you won't care
at all of the reasons why they'll sell out ... as long as it's money in your pockets!
But let me ask you this :
Let's say that ERTL still exists ... and they also have the license to do the Supernatural Impala in 1/18 scale. If their version has opening hood, 4-dr & trunk in their usual ERTL quality ... would you risk making YOUR version "sealed" even if it's made in a little bit better quality?
I'm pretty sure of the answer ... which is why I'm saying that, even if the sales are good ... it won't be because you made a huge success out of it, it will be because WE WON'T HAVE ANY OTHER CHOICE!!!!
For your "Hollywood" division, I don't get why you don't do the same as Hot Wheels does with their Ferrari line ... they have a basic cheap version ... a great quality "elite" version ... and for the maniacs they have the "Super Elite".
Now you don't need to go in the last category but you could offer collectors
at least, a basic sealed line AND a top quality, opening features version .... then you 'll be able to judge if your "sealed" line is a hit or not!
Although I'm 200% sure of what the result would be, which is probably why you won't do it.
The only excuse you have for the existence of that new concept, sealed line, is to offer new models by avoiding more production cost ... but selling them the same price as opening models.
So less production cost / same selling price = more $$$ in your pockets!
Are you afraid that, if you have to ask much more money to collectors for making new opening models that has less then half Autoart's quality, people won't be there to buy???
I mean if Autoart can manage to make collectors continue to unfold ridiculous amount of money to buy their BBR/CMC's quality wannabe models for the same prices as CMC & BBR ... why don't you think collectors won't pay for upgraded quality Greenlight models WITH opening parts???
If you offer desired NEW products that people really wants ..... and that no other company have ever done (not like AutoWorld offering cheap retool of old ERTL's models) ...
buyers WILL come!! You would get a whole new bunch of fans craving for new Greenlight models.
I think I'm not inventing the fact that in business, you have to invest money in order to make some! That could be your new company's motto ...
At Greenlight, we give collectors what they really want,
period!
Autoart have tried that concept already and they failed, they've abandonned their sealed line ... why do you think you'll success where others have failed?