How does one convince a goliath toy company like Hasbro to pay attention to a relatively small, but growing, demographic interested in one of their toy lines? An army of pony-obsessed bronies won't do it, but what about someone with more power? Someone who has the means of distributing and marketing the product? Someone who has, in the past, actually licensed My Little Pony before? I'm talking about none other than...Hot Topic.
Sure, there is sort of a stigma for the store if you are over the age of 16, but they really are the best option here. Who else could convince Hasbro to take our money than a company that not only follows internet culture, but has stable retail outlets throughout the country? Lauren Faust herself suggests this route, and it definitely has merit.
So here is the plan! Purple Tinker has cooked up this survey for us to fill out. The only thing it will collect information-wise is your Age/Gender/Email, and some random questions. Once enough bronies finish it, she is going to fire it off to Hot Topic in an attempt to convince them that there is, in fact, a market for more adult-targeted, licensed, pony merch.
She will also be giving out Derpy Mail Stamps to 20 random people who take the survey!
With some luck, we might just get some kick-ass pony merchandise without worrying about Hasbro inevitably shutting it down due to licensing issues!
135 kommentaari:
If it's the only way..
VastaKustutaI swear though, If the guys at the academy see me in "Hot Topic", I'll kill someone.
YES! Finally way for more ponies! And done right hopefully. Time to do my part for great justice.
VastaKustutaSigned, bronies.
VastaKustutaJust voted. I really hope something comes out of this. May post reminder links in the MLP generals when I have time
VastaKustuta@Anonymous
VastaKustutaPay no attention to the fact that you'll be in there to buy MLP merchandise.
It has been done... now to wait...
VastaKustuta...
...
...
Can I haz ponyz nao?
You have my ax
VastaKustutaI have spent $50 on free muffins and $65 on pony shoes.
VastaKustutaTAKE MY MONEY I DO NOT NEED IT
Signed
VastaKustutaI have filled out the survey, and am now in the process of pointing it out to everypony I know who doesn't frequent this site. This is a very good idea, and attention must be paid.
VastaKustutaWho cares if it's Hot Topic? If you were told accurate G4 merchandise was available just inside a volcano, would you really hesitate?
And my wallet, err, sword!
VastaKustutaDone!
VastaKustuta:D
I asked how this day could be better some hours ago.. THIS IS HOW.
VastaKustutaI walked into Mcdonalds with my head held up high, but this is a new low for me.
VastaKustutaThese toys better be worth it for me to go into public, let alone Hot Topic.
heres hoping!
VastaKustuta"I love Gir! He's SO random! ... Invader Zim? What's that?"
VastaKustutaThis is basically what we're walking into here. Is your Pinkie Pie t-shirt really worth driving the knife that's already in this fandom several inches further?
hot topic tried, i assume they heard about what was up and made a G1 shirt or something. Swing and a miss Hot Topic.
VastaKustutai keep telling myself that the moment i see pony merch in a hot topic i would stop advertising i was a fan. or even quit being a brony altogether.
I want merch as much as the next guy but HT is just pure evil
the mocking faces on the peoples at mcdonalds... biking 5 miles there, 5 miles back... and i was a week late anyway so i didnt get anything... heres to another chance! and maybe ill finally be able to buy my fluttershy plushie ive been dreaming of :3
VastaKustutaeverybody should request a rainbow dash revoltech
VastaKustutaEVERYBODY.
Having written My Little Pony slashfic, I have no reservations about buying MLP merch from Hot Topic. Seriously, bronies, arson, murder and jaywalking.
VastaKustutaAlso can you put a dollar value on the ability to hug Fluttershy? I submit that you can not.
Purple Tinker somehow manages to continue being amazing.
VastaKustutaLet's see if we can't get some Pony gear.
~Scratch
I throw my lot in with the Bronies, Maker preserve us.
VastaKustutaI honestly don't see what the problem with hot topic is. OOOOOH we aren't some secret underground club anymore or something? come on bronies, we have consumed half the internet. this was never about being some small secret club of fans. we actively recruited people en masse online before.
VastaKustutai want to fill it out, but im so deep in the pony closet i couldn't ever buy the merchandise.
VastaKustutaMaybe i could get away with a keychain or something small though...
I stand by my belief that Purple Tinker is the Leonardo DaVinci of Pony Fandom. There's nothing she can't do.
VastaKustutaFilled out the survey, hoping for the best.
@adrian brony
VastaKustutathis is the one group of freaks i would rather not have any connection to. Unfortunately i say this knowing its too late. the sonic fans are already attached as well. There is no hope anymore.
do what you want, but don't come crying when you get associated with the worst of the fanbase automatically
Done and doner. I am totally behind this. I've bought Sonic, Pokémon, and Castlevania merch at Hot Topic before; I'd have absolutely *no* qualms about buying FiM swag.
VastaKustutaThanks as usual, Purple Tinker~! Keep up the excellent pony support work. =)
If this makes it through, someone give Purple Tinker a friggen brohoof (and a Fluttershy hug).
VastaKustutaThank you, Zarkanorf and Daffodil, for your kind words... I gotta do what I can to help this awesome community.
VastaKustutaCelestia Medium font v1.5 coming this weekend, BTW... and Muffingrams sendout early next week (finally!) :)
@Anonymous
VastaKustutabecause that totally happened to mario, pokemon, LoZ, World of Warcraft and all the other fandoms that HT touched but nobbody seems to rage about...
hot topic isn't nearly as annoying as the people who love it passionately OR the people who hate it passionately.
@Anonymous
VastaKustutaYou say that like we're supposed to care what other people think about us. I respect the wishes of those who want to stay in the pony closet, but I'm old enough and confident enough in myself not to give a crap if somepony wants to mock me for something I enjoy, or make snide remarks behind my back because somepony else likes the same thing and happens to have some sort of less than savory quality. Because that kind of stuff just doesn't matter.
And really. Are you attempting to imply you'd honestly rather have no decent merchandise and go the rest of your fanhood being completely ignored by the company whose product you enjoy than open the door for poser fans? I... what?
I want decent pony merch, and I don't care where I have to go to get it. Besides, I'm pretty sure Hot Topic has a website, you could always buy the stuff there if you don't want to enter the actual store.
VastaKustutaBesides, the idea of brightly-colored ponies in a store like Hot Topic amuses me greatly.
mark my words, all you will see from this are overpriced clothes.
VastaKustutathese grand ideas for the cool toys will not be allowed by hasbro and when the shirts come out the shop carl sagan put out with the profits going to charity will be taken down just like the shoes were taken down.
and the fandom will never be the same
@Anonymous
VastaKustutaWe'll see to that if it comes to that. But for now, you're just a parasparite.
OT: This is going to be AWESOME!
I wonder whats more shameful, Watching MLP or shopping at hot topic... I wouldn't know thanks to being in Aussieland! (hooray for actually being useful for something!)
VastaKustutaFilled out and hoping for the best!
VastaKustutaDone, DO IT FOR THE CAUSE!!!
VastaKustutaYou know, in all the arguing with people about whether or not Hot Topic Pony Goods would be the end of the world, I completely forgot to thank Purple Tinker for attempting to make this possible in the first place.
VastaKustutaThere's seriously no end to your awesome. If I ever grow up, I hope I turn out like you.
All filled out. If HT is the only way then "Onward to the book dep... er Hot Topic for Ponies!"
VastaKustutaAnd I'm no huge fan of Hot Topic either. I'm still miffed over what they (and Todd Goldman) did to Shmorky. On the other hand, they are really the only large chain retailer who does what they do (unless Spencer's Gifts counts? Are those guys still around?), and thus the only ones with clout.
VastaKustutaAnother brony has suggested Threadless as an alternative. If Hot Topic says no, we could always bring the same data to other chains and websites until another company says yes.
@Purple Tinker only if they promise toys other than what hasbro puts out and not just clothing. We are capable of making those, the toys? not so much.
VastaKustutai guess i should thank you for your efforts anyways
Purple Tinker, you are far more proactive than I could ever hope to be. Which is absolutely fantastic when you get stuff like this going.
VastaKustutaHere's hoping it pans out. :)
@Phoe
VastaKustutaDitto, I need to learn to praise people before getting involved in arguments. You're just awesome. You're the reason we CAN have nice things.
Not being one who even shops at all (ironic considering I'm Rarity 4 life) I could not care less if it's HT. I've been there once and I saw a whole bunch of cool stuff aimed at people like us.
VastaKustutaOr I'm just uninformed...
Rarityshrugpony.jpg
Ugh, I really wish this wasn't the only way. But it probably is the only feasible route.
VastaKustutaI guess my all-consuming love of ponies wins out over my extreme dislike of that store. Barely.
Good luck with this! I hope a ton of people take part.
VastaKustutaI really hope we can get some decent shirts somewhere down the line. I'm at the point where I'm about to buy something printed by a fan.
Or PAJAMAS! Like, those screen printed shirts with matching patterned pants. I would own a whole closet of Pony PJs!
BUT, I wanted to point out, Hot Topic is a clothing store. They wouldn't be involved in the process of PRODUCING TOYS at all, and they don't really even sell much in the way of toys.
The only thing like toys that they sell isn't their own label, it's products that are already on the market. Things you could buy at other stores. So, if they sold any pony toys, it would be the same things on the shelves at Target and Wal-Mart.
The only 'original' things Hot Topic has are clothing and accessories.
And even if Hot Topic DID produce/sell toys, this is a Hasbro title. It's not like this is a DC or Marvel character who can have a bunch of toys by different manufactures and distributors.
Hasbro is a TOY COMPANY first and foremost. They aren't going to let someone else make toys of their characters. If you want to convince someone to make better toys, Hot Topic isn't the way to go.
Instead, the focus should be convincing Hasbro that there is a market for show-accurate toys.
Does anyone realize that if hot topic does start selling FiM stuff that u can probable order it from there website and not have to go to one of there stores to buy it. The internet is here so we can keep all our dirty little secerts hidden use it.
VastaKustutaRemember, you're not obligated to buy anything and everything pony. If Hot Topic puts out shit merch, don't buy it and write a complaint.
VastaKustuta@Purple Tinker
VastaKustutaWhy don't we just skip Hot Topic for now and start with other chains first?
@Purple Tinker
VastaKustutaHee hee . . . Poopy Puppy . . .
Lordy, this is just a one-two punch of emasculation. Not only will we be buying ponies, we will have to buy them at HOT TOPIC.
VastaKustutaOh, the things we'll do to keep our friendship magical.
Anything to further the Grand Work!
VastaKustutaI'll take suggestions of other providers to approach (other than Hot Topic), but Hot Topic IS probably the best first target for this effort. Once I have enough data, if enough good suggestions are raised here for alternative chains/websites, I may have Seth post a poll to determine who we contact first.
VastaKustutaThus far, the only suggestions I have are Threadless.com (from Cuprohastes) and Spencer's Gifts (from myself)...
Threadless.com does NOT have officially-licensed stuff. The only Pony wear they could print would be parodies (or illegal!).
VastaKustutaAutor on selle kommentaari eemaldanud.
VastaKustutaYeah, Anon, the idea would be that if the demand was high enough, perhaps Threadless could approach Hasbro about licencing. See, Hasbro deals with retailers way better than they deal with us "end-users" ;)
VastaKustutaI've never even heard of Threadless or Spencer's. The best bet would likely be to have a big name (like Hot Topic, obviously) approach Hasbro, rather than something smaller.
VastaKustutaI could just be so far out of the loop that Threadless and Spencer's could be absolute behemoths and I wouldn't realize it, though.
There. I sold my soul to the devil... The things one does for Ponies.
VastaKustutaThreadless is a website. As has been pointed out, they don't (AFAIK) do licenced stuff-- yet-- so it would be a bit of a long shot.
VastaKustutaSpencer's Gifts is (was?) a mall store chain that sold snarky merchandise to the teens-to-twenties age bracket, AFAICT.
You know what I'd like to see, at least in the way of toys and figurines? Articulating figures, much like the kinds manufactured by Figma and Revoltech... I can assure you, if I saw a 'pose-able' Fluttershy or Rainbow Dash figurine with a stand/arm to raise them up off their bases (for example, to make them look like they're flying), I'd buy it—no matter the price—in ten seconds flat.
VastaKustutaI'm not saying that to be funny; I really would buy it on sight.
Spensers seems like a good thing to try. They have pretty similar stuff to Hot Topic from what I can tell. Super hero shirts, shirts with stupid Family Guy quotes...
VastaKustutaTarget and Wal-Mart already HAVE pony clothing for girls (shirts and undies), maybe we could try convincing them to just make larger sized stuff with different designs?
@Gregorius
VastaKustutaThere actually ARE posable pony toys out there. Hasbro has tried making them time and time a few times over the years, and sadly, they are REALLY awkward-looking :/
Animals in general are kind of awkward to make articulated, especially something so stylized.
So, it's usually only one or two things that can be moved.
These three have movable legs, for example http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dtoys-and-games&field-keywords=My+Little+Pony+Story+Feature&x=0&y=0
The way to go would be rubber bodies over hard plastic posable frames, which some premium action figures have.
But, rubber sort of rots over time from being handled, so they aren't appropriate for kids toys (which ponies are always going to be)
It comes down to appearance vs articulation
I specified a Luna and Pinkie Pie plushie not more then 100$ each.
VastaKustutaTake it damn you!
Awesome idea !!!
VastaKustutaThank you Tinker and thank you Ms. Lauren ^-^
One question though:
Gender: Male, Female, Other. Wat?
It has begun.
VastaKustutaThe Brony Brotherhood has finally started its crusade.
For friendship.
For magic.
FOR - PONY !!!
OH GOD THERE ARE STAMPS TOO!?
VastaKustutaAS IF YOU HAD TO BRIBE ME TO DO THIS BUT THIS MAKES IT EVEN BETTER! :D
RE: Anonymous — They could always go the route of a rubber or, ideally, a hard plastic skin over a strong articulating frame, and then they could give the figurines a sort of 'coat' made out of something like fleece or velour. The 'coat' would then shield the rubber and give a simulated feel of a pony's coat at the same time, and perhaps even make the coat washable if it could somehow be removed should it get dirty. Then again, that runs the risk of it being A) too complex, B) too costly to mass-manufacture, and/or C) extremely high in retail cost...
VastaKustuta*sigh* ...I suppose my dream for a pose-able, pet-able Fluttershy will be just that for some time. With the potential costs of making high-quality figurines like that, it would probably be cheaper to genetically engineer a real pegasus pony.
I've penned my name on the survey, here's hoping for favorable sponsorship.
VastaKustutaMay I ask how winners of the stamps will be notified? Personally, I use an alternate email for endeavors like this and rarely, if ever, check it - I'd suggest making mention in this blog when the winners are chosen so we know to check our email.
@Gregorius
~it would probably be cheaper to genetically engineer a real pegasus pony.
>>To the lab!
Hmm, 3D printed pony...
Heres the deal Hasbro
VastaKustutayou make us good stuff and we give you good money?
deal? ktnksby
To anyone who'd listen,
VastaKustutaI want a Twilight Sparkle plushie.
Thank you.
~Onery
I'm not keen on Spencer's. Hot Topic may have a "scene" crowd, but it has far more merchandise options relevant to this end. Spencer's has a bunch of pseudo-"adult" products and nonsense in general; moreover, their store layout is egregiously crammed. Since I'm not near any major city, I don't know of any other retail outlets that would hop on this idea.
VastaKustutaI can see the value in an independent website dealio, but a major retail outlet *would* provide the fullest resources. I, for one, support the corporate route if Hot Topic is open to the notion.
Here is another avenue to explore in producing limited lines of show-accurate figurines: http://www.patchtogether.com/ Miss Monster Mel has used them time and again to make her monster figurines (that have limited articulation). I don't know how Patch Together handles copyright issues.
VastaKustutaas much as i love mlp, i dont think i would have the balls to walk into that store, order a rainbow dash figure or something like that and walk out.. i think ill stick to buying it online if it ever comes to fruition
VastaKustutaI love how we are talking about going to Hot Topic to get My Little Pony merch, and the part that people are scared of is getting caught in Hot Topic.
VastaKustutaYou've gotten over this show's target demographic because it's awesome, but you can't get over the store's target demographic because they are (perhaps someday) selling something awesome?
Here's the letter I just sent. I actually still hold out hope that Hasbro will make Big Macintosh, but I thought he was a good example, along with Celestia:
VastaKustutaHello,
As you may or may not be aware, the new My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic cartoon has taken the internet by storm. While not the primary demographic intended (obviously), there is a HUGE contingent of teens and young adults who are huge fans of the show and they're an as-yet untapped market. I think your design people are aware of this to some degree because you recently released a My Little Pony t-shirt.
But that shirt features a 1980s style My Little Pony where the new characters are quite different in proportions and . . . well, everything, really. A quick Google search would clear it up better than I can in words.
I, and many others, long for, nay, crave better My Little Pony toys of specific characters. You see, their toys are, of course, geared at children, but. For example the "Princess Celestia" toy is purpley-pink in stores (to appeal to little girls, I'm sure) but many adults - both people who had My Little Pony as children and MANY people who didn't (You'd be surprised at the number of guys I've run into who love the show and even buy toys!) - want a WHITE Princess Celestia toy because that's how she appears in the television show.
Another example would be "Big Macintosh" - a male pony character from the tv show. Hasbro doesn't appear to have any intentions of releasing him right now because of the whole idea that girls won't play with a "boy" character (which is a bit silly - I had a few of the boy ponies as a child, but you know how industry prejudices are) but fans love him.
I'm not sure what the rights issues on THIS would be, but there's also a sort of fan-created character of sorts (though not created by any ONE fan - it's sort of a meme) called Derpy Hooves by fans (again, google will bring up a hundred images). This character was just a background pony (merely an "extra", if you will) but she's extremely popular because she initially appeared with oddly tilted-eyes. After the initial popularity of the character and internet feedback, the animators began sneaking her into the background as sort of a wink to the older audience. I guarantee that any "Derpy Hooves" merchandise would sell like hotcakes. I know of one person who makes custom My Little Ponies (re-painting them, rooting in new hair, etc) who has a huge waiting list, even selling "Derpy" toys for $35 each.
My point is that I and other fans - seriously, the sheer magnitude of this show's popularity among people FAR outside the intended age group is just staggering - would be interested in My Little Pony:Friendship is Magic products that were geared more toward adults - and even willing to pay a bit more because of the (obviously) more limited production, increased production costs, etc.
And Part 2:
VastaKustutaAlas, I myself would have a hard time wearing even your Torrid-sized clothes (as I am both very tall and *ahem* generously proportioned. Isn't it odd how men have Big and Tall stores, but women are supposed to be one or the other?), but I'm sure other people would like them. I myself would be more interested in patches, iron-ons, and MOST IMPORTANTLY toys or figures that were either more accurate (Princess Celestia in white instead of pink) or of more obscure characters that Hasbro is unlikely to make (the previously mentioned Big Macintosh character). I'm probably stating the obvious here, but it would be advisable to make these theoretical Hot Topic Exclusives in compatible scale with the "play" toys so that fans can get their favorite popular characters AND the special ones just from Hot Topic.
The TV show's creator, Lauren Faust (also known for her work on Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends and Powerpuff Girls) suggested contacting you, as Hot Topic has a history of working with Hasbro and making interesting and unique products. I remember in 2003 scouring every store as a young teen for the then-brand-new ponies (when Hasbro re-booted the line) only to find them at Hot Topic!
If you could forward my comments to the appropriate parties, I would be very grateful.
Thank you for your time,
[Real Name]
You know, y'all, it's not THAT hard to pretend you're just trying to please your sister or a niece or something, even at Hot Topic.
VastaKustutaYou just pretend to be disinterested and maybe have a list with you - like you can't be bothered to remember the names/coloring/etc on the stuff "your niece" wants. Hell, complain about how this is the only at Hot Topic, etc.
Get creative. Lie. Practice in the mirror. It's not that hard. And really, the people are paid to be polite to you anyway, so it's not nearly as big of a deal as you're making it out to be.
But then we'd have to figure out how to distinguish between bronies and people wearing the merch ironically...
VastaKustutaWell, I've thrown my pennies on the pile! I can't help but wonder if perhaps some sort of viability test shouldn't be run with hot topic, a product that would need X amount of preorders before it's put together.
VastaKustutaI'm sure that we could probably meet any pony quota to show them the viability of pony merch. Sort of like a Kickstarter approach, then.
Y'know...
VastaKustutaI read this and thought YES AWESOME IDEA, and then I had a shower and thought up about ten ways that it could go HORRIBLY WRONG.
I think what we really need to do is get a brony liaison, preferably someone who has some real marketing experience, to meet up with Hasbro in person, and give them some good hard data about how big this thing really is. The show's creators have welcomed this unexpected fanbase with open arms but somehow I don't think Hasbro is quite as willing to shift focus to something so wildly disconnected from their target audience, and I definitely don't think they have a grasp on exactly how much more business they could be making if they did. Just sending them letters and begging them might not give the expected results, it might just give them enough of a perspective to realize exactly how much unlicensed merch is out there, but not enough to understand (a) WHY, and (b) how to make it profitable for them. I've got a bad feeling that if we don't play it right, this could turn out very messy.
@LordOfTheWrongs
VastaKustutaThat's not a problem. After about two days, those ironic shirt-wearers will become bronies.
I wanna feel 20% cooler...
VastaKustuta(signed)
Signed.
VastaKustutaThe whole 'hot topic' idea had occurred to me as well, so I'm glad to see Purple Tinker acting on it. Give me some patches, trinkets, and maybe a hoodie or two and I'd be happy. Here's hoping it makes some headway.
VastaKustutaThere aren't any Hot Topics in England but even if there were I wouldn't be caught dead in the place. Ponies or not.
VastaKustutaThis can turn out really damn badly for the custom shirts and shoes some bronies have made to be put up on sale too. It'll really piss me off if we lose this really good custom merchandise to some tacky tripe from a hipster store.
Doesn't anyone remember that Hot Topic is racist? I don't want ponies to be associated with such a bigoted store. =\
VastaKustutaUgh.
VastaKustutaOn one hand, we've got an opportunity for better pony stuff. That's good. That's REALLY good. But on the other hand, you really have to start out with something truly terrible for the over-priced low-quality meme spewing that hot topic sells to be considered 'better' that what you've already got.
It's a step in the right direction (maybe) but I don't think I'd be able to bring myself to actually buy anything that might result from this. Hot Topic is just TOO AWFUL.
@Anonymous, if you glance over the comment thread so far, you're certainly not alone in having misgivings about Hot Topic (though I seem to have missed a racism incident you're aluding to). If you can think of another mass retailer that sells to the teen & young adult market and licenses a lot of cartoon properties (or otherwise is in the position to be potentially interested and large enough to talk with Hasbro) please suggest it or them.
VastaKustutaThere are very few corporations, especially mass retailers, that smell like roses, so I'm prone to agree that, where this fandom is, we'll be more likely to get the merch we want pursuing a company that already has power rather than depending on luck to dodge copyright infringement. I would love it if this ending in a store that isn't known to be unethical selling accurate merchandise for a reasonable price, but I know that's a lot to ask for.
>what gender are you? (Male) (Female) (Other)
VastaKustuta...This survey is serious business.
>Hot Topic tracks Internet memes
I couldn't help but chuckle.
@Golden Flip:
VastaKustutaI can't think of anything particularly racist that they've done (then again, the nearest store is half an hour away, and I don't really pay attention to them that much).
Although I do know that /b/ was making a bunch of racist comics back when they released "Rage Guy" shirts to try and convince them it was "Race Guy".
What's the deal with Hot Topic hatred? Anyone explain to euro-bronies?
VastaKustutaThe more low-key the pony stuff, the more likely I'll buy it; e.g. it doesn't look pony to someone who doesn't know the show. I mean, I like pony stuff, but when someone walks into my room, I don't want the first thing they notice to be a giant pony poster; I am a person first and a pony fan second. For example, look at the Homestuck fanbase. Dave's record shirt is something which makes sense to Homestuck fans, but isn't weird to non-fans. In comparison, a shirt with Pinkie Pie on it would get you some odd looks from people who don't even know what it's from, while a shirt with Pinkie Pie's cutie mark (three balloons) is far more low key and desirable.
VastaKustutaWell I ordered some custom stuff by Shirt Brony and co, but in the end I would love to contribute / buy some stuff by hasbro to support the show (only if the toys were more accurate). Even though most people don't like Hasbro but it is them who write the checks for Lauren and the team and keep this show running. I guess sometimes you have to dance with the devil (HT) to get the job done. But then again as a Eurobronie this doesn't get us anywhere, but at least it would help the rest.
VastaKustutaInstead of Target store clerks going o.O at you by buying Pony toys, you get all attitudey teens going WHAT THE ************************************************* bleep bleep boop boop ******** at Pony toys ._.
VastaKustutaI roll my eyes at Hot Topic, but I'd go there to buy a pony shirt, if it were one I liked.
VastaKustutaIt's worth pointing out that the G1 shirt they produced probably didn't have the least connection with the popularity of FIM on the internet. Hot Topic has been making the occasional G1 shirts and merch for years, you guys just never noticed it until you got interested in MLP through FIM. But alerting HT to FIM's popularity is a genius move, nonetheless.
@Anonymous
VastaKustutaI was actually wondering the same thing myself. I tried looking it up on google, but the only complaint that I could find is that people buy shirts and stuff there for stuff they don't have any interest in (IE. buying a Zelda shirt even though they have never played a Zelda game). But I think there has to be something more to it, right? Cause that just sounds like it is some of the customers people don't like.
I like a lot of the shirts they have 0_0
I like this idea. If only they had a Hot Topic near me... the nearest one was in a mall that's closing down, and the store is now gone, which means the next closest one is about 2 hours drive away from here. ;_;
VastaKustutaPurple Tinker = goddess among bronies. this is a great idea, even with the meh-ness of HT. plus, if hasbro sees what HT does with their potential pony merch, and sees that they are making a profit... well, what would stop hasbro from making stuff for bronies themselves?
VastaKustutaprobably the fact that they arent that smart, but hey. Signed, and now I wait.
Thanks Tinker. Just so you know, you rock.
VastaKustutakthanksbye.
Frist;100th COMMET! i just hope when the g4s are in the UK the merch will come out in tesco and asda.
VastaKustutaWow, wow, wait.
VastaKustutaWhat the hell is with Hot Topic's negative image? I mean, sure i don't have one where I live, and so I've never actually been in one, but the carry Voltaire products. Now that's pretty badass, in fact, I've heard of various things from Hot Topic I would like, along with the awesome Voltaire, there's the Video Game merc and some things that just look in general cool.
Explain it too me.
No idea what Hot Topic is, but if it means toys, then I'm in. Signed.
VastaKustuta@NeverGoBak
VastaKustutait's not the merchandise that's the problem (usually), but many (re: most) of their stores are constantly filled with really annoying teens and pre-teens... the ones that buy Gir shirts but have no idea what Invader Zim is, for example. They tend to be pretentious and on top of that, so do the clerks and store managers, who are ALSO usually teenaged or just out of teenagerhood. The clerks are have even more of a false superiority complex, and you can guarantee that they will openly judge you on the merch you buy. But one can just ignore all that stuff, pay the fag at the counter, and get going, so it's not that big of a deal really, but the people who hate it the most have the loudest voice, so it sounds like a bigger deal then it is.
I just say go in, grab things you want, pay, get out. Avoid eye contact, that makes them hostile. ;)
If it means show-accurate figurines, then HELL YES. Sign me up. I'd throw so much money at Hasbro it would be ridiculous. I'm not even kidding.
VastaKustutaI want a Rainbow Dash shirt!
VastaKustutaAlso lol at the "other" option under gender.
I think it would be less embarrassing to buy a strap-on at spencers, than a mlp toy at hot topic...
VastaKustutajust brilliant
VastaKustutaI'm sorry guys, but this WILL NOT WORK. Hot Topic doesn't sell current generation Hasbro merch, they just don't. everything you're going to see is going to be 10 years old, not current. it's a licensing thing, Hot Topic gets their stuff from another company that makes the shirts, after they have bought the merchandise licenses from the original company. Hasbro is not going to make MLP merch directed at adults, especially not men. It just isn't going to happen, there's like 3k of us, and we make up so little of their profit margins that we honestly don't matter. the older collectors have more pull, because they have built a long term relationship with Hasbro, because hasbro knows they have them for the long haul, and adult collectors breed child collectors. my friend is a long time collector, she's been collecting for almost 2 decades and has over 600 ponies. hasbro listens to them, because she's given them a lot of money. guys, this is just not going to work.
VastaKustuta@cherrybomb0388
VastaKustutaIf it doesn't work at Hot Topic, I will try sending the data to other companies, until I find one that IS interested.
There are over a thousand respondents to the survey so far, most/all of them saying 'please, make this stuff so you can take my money.' Eventually, SOME company will listen.
And if they don't-- at least we tried!
And hey, even if no company other than Hasbro wants to pester Hasbro for us, at least I can send the data to Hasbro THEMSELVES, as a last ditch attempt. And even if THAT fails-- well, we tried our darnedest.
I understand, cause I would absolutely buy licensed shirts and other merch, I just wanted to make things clear about hot topic, hasbro has to sell them the character art, meaning the designs for the show. we won't see any merch from any company other than hasbro till well after the show has ended. our only real hope is hasbro, honestly. also, I did fill out the survey anyway. just because.
VastaKustutaI have no idea where everybody gets their negativity towards Hot Topic from. Most people I've met who hate it have never even set foot in the store. If this is the way to get show-accurate merch, then hell yes I'm signing up. I shop at Hot Topic (mostly for band tees) and I've never had one bad experience at all.
VastaKustutaAnd for those who are saying that the clerks will openly mock you and make fun of you for buying MLP:FiM merch, that is entirely untrue. First, they could lose their job for that, and second, every Hot Topic employee I've met have been really cool and helpful, and they don't care about what you buy.
Really, Hot Topic isn't as bad as everyone says it is.
That was the easiest survey I have ever taken in my life.
VastaKustutamale
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
done
I don't understand all the Hot Topic hate. The two that I go to have very nice and personable employees. Maybe it's because I shop during school hours so I don't have the high school crowd filling the store and squawking in my ears.
VastaKustutaAside from Twilight assaulting my eyes when I first go in (haven't read the books, seen the movies, don't care really...) it's a decent place to shop. I get my hoodies there, and they've lasted me quite a while.
Besides, wouldn't you rather accidently brush against a BellaxEdward 4eva necklace at HT than some of the more adult products at Spencer's? (long story short: never follow after a friend's mom to see what shelf they stopped at. I can still see it...)
~*KA*~
Signed! I hope this is going to work
VastaKustutaWe need motivated bronies here, no naysaysers!
Just filled out the survey. Hope it works!
VastaKustuta@Purple Tinker:
I just wanted to thank you so, so, so much for including "Other" as an option under gender. I'm genderqueer, and I had a kind of crappy morning that set the tone for the rest of my day. Seeing that I had an opportunity to be honest about my gender identity and be included properly in a survey just made my day. <3
@Purple Tinker:
VastaKustutaI still say that this will take someone with a bit of clout, meeting up with Hasbro execs in person, probably with a good Powerpoint.
Roping a couple of the show's creators into the meeting would probably help considerably. I think they are much more attuned to our interests than the folks making the merch.
I had an idea for a product. It's a voice modifier that mods your voice to one of the character's from the show. A pitch modifier modifies the pitch in case you're a male so that you can make it sound as close to the character as possible.
VastaKustutaI thought I was a good idea.
@Gryrozx
VastaKustutaI meant to say "i thought it was a good idea."
Signed!
VastaKustutaHot Topic sells a lot of merch for stupid/annoying franchises and memes (Shane Dawson, anyone? Fred?), and they tend to blast crummy music. But the employees, while usually pierced and dyed and scary-looking, are super friendly and accommodating.
Spencer's is disgusting. It's like visiting the garage sale of a crusty, perverted old ex-frat boy. I'd probably go in there if they had really good pony merchandise, but I'd leave feeling like I needed a shower.
Lesser of two evils, people!
Why not Zazzle.com? They have tons of merch much the same vein as Hot Topic. They even have this! http://www.zazzle.com/rainbow_dash_20_cooler_tshirt-235944216679228673
VastaKustutaZazzle stuff is all fanmade, not licenced, and can thus get shut down at the drop of a hat. ESPECIALLY stuff that uses Hasbro property such as cutie marks, let alone actual character likenesses :(
VastaKustutaMLP Pendant/Keychains available here
VastaKustutahttp://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=Shop&op=listing&product_id=2966212
I answered honestly based on what I'd like to buy in the future; this included T-shirts, plush toys, and figurines (and more), but not (for example) jewelry and shoes. I figure an honest spread of answers is more likely to get counted than someone who just spams "yes to everything". No offense to anypony who did that.
VastaKustutaHonesty is what I'm after, Alfador.
VastaKustuta@MizuTakishima
VastaKustutaWhere's the link to the Derpy pic you drew? I'd love to see this!
@MizuTakishima
VastaKustutaAlso, re: MLP Arena: The folks there are G1 fans, and have (AFAIK) been proven to generally be hostile towards G4/FiM fandom. :(
So how are the surveys looking so far? Are people just filling out Yes to everything, or does it look like they're putting some thought into it?
VastaKustutaThere are a lot more 'yes' answers than 'no' answers so far, yes. Expect a full, detailed analysis of the results once I'm satisfied that I have enough data.
VastaKustuta@Purple Tinker
VastaKustutaI said yes to almost everything. Is there a problem that I want to buy everything except for jewelry and bags?
No? There's no such thing as a 'wrong answer'.
VastaKustuta@Anonymous
VastaKustutaRe: having a "brony liason" to Hasbro: I have suggested this to Ms. Faust in the past, but Hasbro won't even listen to HER re: merch decisions, so what makes you think they'd listen to a third-party? :)
Basically, Hasbro is a lumbering dinosaur, and the only way we have even the ghost of a chance at convincing them to cater to us is indirectly.
The MLP: Trading Post knows of this Survey, and we tend to be 70-80% in love with the FiM series.
VastaKustutaThat being said, I've never had a bad experience at any of the four Hot Topics I go to, you guys most have some horrible Hot Topics around there! The one near my house I kind of know some of the cashiers and we talk about Zelda and Kingdom Hearts and Pokemon..And how we wish we got more anime and even My Little Pony shirts at the store. Believe me, I'd get a job there in a nanosecond if one showed up!
Anon, do you think you could get me in touch with a Hot Topic exec via some of the cashiers? Maybe one of your cashier friends is close to a store manager, who in turn is close with a regional manager, etc.....
VastaKustutaWhen this survey is done, I am going to have a LOT of data to dump on Hot Topic, and I will be searching for an "in"....
I don't see why people are making such a big deal about Hot Topic. I mean, I can maybe understand not necessarily wanting to go in the store, but why so much hate for it? I think I'd rather be seen in Hot Topic looking for My Little Pony stuff, in the mixture of Pokemon, Zim, various anime, Nintendo, and such, rather than in Target in the midst of Bratz and Barbies.
VastaKustutaAnyways, before this was posted, I was saying to myself that I wouldn't be surprised if HotTopic started selling My Little Pony stuff. I just hope I start getting money by the time they do, so I can buy Rainbow Dash merch.
I would definitely say stay away from Spensers for making My Little Pony products. I don't think they'd do it, plus I really don't think Hasbro would let them. Since their intended audience is little girls, I doubt they'd want My Little Pony sold at a store that sells adult toys. Yeah, that wouldn't happen. Hot Topic is definitely the way to go (and people can always order from them online as well if they don't have one, or refuse to go in that store).
I've read every comment here and the power point and I found most o it very thoughtful and engaging. I'm just dissapointed that I didn't get a chance to fill out the survey! I am very interested in buying shirts because I think you could get it as a reasonable price, but overall it seems to me ironing on your own print would be cheaper considering HT prices. I have been in HT a couple times and have absolutely loved looking around an I really enjoyed it. I'm the kind of girl who loves shirts with prints and beanies over blouses anyway. My main concern besides the issue with Hasbro and HT is simply prices can get blown out of proportion! I'm a careful spender ^^; but if I could get toys, especially well made plushes at a decent price, then take my money! I really hope things work out, because it can be just plain frustrating trying to buy stuff online! I really admire you, Purple Tinker, for how much your willing to do for the fandom! Your a shining becon to me and other bronies everywhere :) Keep up the great work!
VastaKustuta