I feel bad about the confusion with the Bigaro sale, so in the future, what do you think the fairest and best way to get these sorts of releases to you should be?

-Thanks

-Frank

I think the systen you used was fine. It's just that people where thrown off because they where used to old style list system. Plus the first list was started unofficially.

Being the first fuck up, I feel like a bigger jag. I think it was all VERY clear, and no blame on your side. The first list WAS B.S., and you even posted in THAT thread how it doesn't count. Not just in the Sales thread you made. Also, I was a jag and just didn't read, and than others freaked and didn't read. I say keep going the usual way though. I think it was just a freak occurance, it didn't happen before with your sales, and now that we've all learned a little it shouldn't again.

have an online store.

when said figures are done post them for sale there. post a link here.

I think this would work best too.

Eh, there's always going to be hurt feelings with any system because not everyone gets what they want, so I wouldn't worry too much about it. With this one, people just jumped the gun. Just put "GO START NOW" and let the kiddies at 'em...

maybe you should have given a little more time between announcing the release and the payment time. I think most people try to check every day but 6 hours might catch people sleeping or working or whatever it is people do beside collecting toys.

Blasphemy....

I am not able to set up an online store any time soon.

I agree. Frank, you are very fair to us -- don't be discouraged by this. There is no foolproof way to offer a toy that everyone wants to jump on in an instant. Just do your best and hope everyone else reads and does the same.

frank just yuse a paypal shopping kart, i have it on my site and its really easy to deal with. the only downer is that its not realtime. if you need more info on this or any help let me know.
for you when you do a new figure you could have one button for local and one for international. people press buy it now and then you get a confermation email with the adress to send it to.

I guess a store would be easier, however imo I don't see where the problem was. People tend to NEVER READ the posts made prior to the last page and just go frantic. All they had to do was read and all was fine.

No brainer.

Ebay store. You could set it up in an hour.

This I think maybe the most fair. Maybe give 12-24 hrs notice with the same instructions you gave on your thread. Great idea if a store isnt going to work out. And if ebay store, you do pay a %. So longer notice would be nice. Thanks for the Bigaro!

I liked the previous sales where you signed up on a list and had to pay by a certain date (or you would get booted off the list and someone would take your place). You could compress the payment time line to 36 hrs if the previous sales were too nerve wracking.

Suggestion:

Have a list created and allow as many members to add their name to list but the first x amount of people to pay get the item (name placement on list does not dictate special rights to figure)....you would need to be able to mark the members that paid and the posting in your own special way so that the remaining board members know that all the figures have all sold out.....no need to worry that the figures won't all sell just that they most likely will over sell (maybe offer 95% of the 100% up front so that you have a product cushion for remaining payments)

Definitely agree with this.

I know there were no international sales, but I'm sure there were people proxy buying through others for a chance at owning something for their collection they couldn't ordinarily get because of your misses not wanting to ship OS.

So time gap was owwie

I think what was suggested earlier, an eBay store, is your best bet.

On the seller side, you have a solid order and customer tracking system, and tight integration with Paypal.

On the buyer side, eBay has all sorts of watching and notification functions that would let your customers keep an eye on things as soon as you start selling.

The fees might be a little higher there, but you should build that into your selling prices.

Just my .02.

I agree with this, I think the confusion this time is unlikely to recur. The list has been done in the past (some beginning with and some without Frank-announced 'Go' messages), so it was understandable that people would assume that was the way it was going this time. You may have inadvertently contributed to it when you posted "the figs will be alloted on a 'who's paid basis'...so if your on the above list, but dont pay ..." I read the 'if you're on it' phrase to mean that the list counted, others read it (correctly) to mean that it did not.

So, a few things --

1) Doing it this way, with a pre-announced pay time, seems fine, though 12-24 hours' notice does seem fairer to all.

2) It wasn't a problem this time, but for the future I'd say any payments made before the deadline should be refunded (and if the early payments can't be 'refused' with no cost to anyone, then it should be with the early payer who made the mistake eating the whole PP cost), whether the early payments are intentional or accidental. Otherwise, you are creating a strong motivation for 'ooops'-payments, if people can even potentially guarantee they get the figure by 'making a mistake.' (If there remains even a remote possibility an early payment will be accepted, and the only downside risk, if it were not accepted, is the $6 PayPal fee, I'd understand the temptation to pay early every single time. The potential upside gain [guaranteed figure] is so high, and the potential downside cost [here $6] is so low.)*

3) Do all of your sales in the For Sale forum, rather than some there and some in the specific fora of the figure you're doing. Currently, some are in FS, some are elsewhere.

4) Lists may still happen. From our perspective, anytime we see a list, there is no downside in adding our names. If it turns out legit, great. If not, it's no harm/no foul. So, as soon as you see a list forming (and assuming you intend not to use it for any purpose), post and say it's not valid and won't be used.

5) Until everyone gets used to the new system, in your post announcing the figure and the 'payments-accepted-only-after-X' time, mention that no lists will be used.

Finally, don't worry about it. I think we are all hugely grateful for the opportunities you offer and the courtesies you extend. We all score on some and are happy, we all miss on some and are peeved.

(Speaking of which ... if anyone wants to cash out of their Mutant Murder ... lemme know! I can't bear it that I missed that one!)

CC

* Another possibility for early payments is to hold them 'in suspense.' You could say: Anyone accidentally paying early must still make a PayPal payment to Frank (of, say $1-$5) within the first 50 people after the go-time to qualify. If they do so, Frank accepts their early $ and they get the figure, with the $1-$5 surcharge being the cost of making the error. If they do not, they get their early payment refused (or refunded), less all PP fees.

E-Bay store seems best way to me as well. The site never crashes, it is updated immediately and you can set up the exact time to put your items on sale. Plus you can hit up the mailing list folks with heads up e-mails, but only if they are subsribers to your e-bay store....

Just my little thought!

Not that it makes any difference to us undesirable International buyers, but if an online store is a no-no then eBay's gotta be the easiest way! Once they're gone they're gone . . no worrying about frickin' lists (KR deja vu) and even some of the retards who managed to fuck up this buying process might be able to get through unaided . . . I dunno how hard the 1 per person deal (if applicable to these releases) would be to impliment though.

have everyone go to the grocery store and take a picture with their favorite frank kozik toy... first 50 to email you a pic gets to buy

lol, only if it is a 20" bigaro and it has to be the only version that will ever be made (until they decide to make more).