Comments on: Chuck You: Why I’ve Had It With Diamond Select Toys

By: SadSap

SadSap — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:59:29 +0000

I have been a sad sap sticking up for DST for a little too long. The case made here is too strong to argue against. I too have been let down again and again by this long series of bait and switch type pre-orders. Really they aren’t even bait and switch as far too often they are just bait and poof.

Bought a BSG Minimate Viper from TRU and it wouldn’t even assemble correctly – after years of seeing these being dangled before our eyes and when I finally get it – I can’t even put the top fin on. I contacted them about it and to be honest, I don’t think anyone cared since they got the sale.

All the bungling of the other toy lines is plain to see. I am just afraid no one there will get it and things will continue as they have been. Our only hope is someone at the parent company Diamond Comics will hear our pleas and demand some change.

By: UncleMarsellus

UncleMarsellus — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:59:17 +0000

I had the Enterprise D on preorder for a year and 2 months before I finally received it. Beyond the typical quality control problems that always plague DST merchandise now (on one of the ships, the D was almost completely scraped off the registry), they had that mistake where someone forgot to paint in the windows on the neck. To their credit, DST offered to send us decals for the neck for free if we sent in a SASE. I did that in November. Still haven’t seen it. The toy itself is very nice. If not for the issues it’d be an all-timer for them. But they always find ways to shoot themselves in the foot.

I’ve since sold the ship. I’ll stick to higher-end models from eFX or QMX from now on.

By: Hourman

Hourman — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:00:43 +0000

I’m in complete agreement with the author.

By: NoisyDvL5

NoisyDvL5 — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:03:29 +0000

General Hammond… Sigh.

I’m a big Trek fan too, but short of the movie uniforms DST never got me.

But not having General Hammond blows. I put him in my Most Requested Figures article, but I know it’s pointless. It’s really irritating.

By: FatLeeAdama

FatLeeAdama — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:11:56 +0000

AMEN! to this article! I remember being a collector of Palisades’s Muppets figures. After the line was killed doing figures from a movie and TV series (“Muppet Treausre Island” and “Muppets Tonnight”) from which no one wanted figures even when they were out in the public’s eye, let alone ten years after, Palisades was STILL giving us false hope of Veterinarian’s Hospital and Sesame Street figures which were “still in the works” and it all depended on us collectors placing pre-orders and demanding them from brick and mortar stores like TRU.

DST also seems to have pulled a page from Palisades’s handbook: Don’t put your heavy hitters out in Series One. Instead push them back and make minor characters; collectors will buy them in anticipation of getting the main stars. Of course we all know what happened to Palisades. Lesson to DST: Don’t take business plans from an out of business company!

What happened to the old days of the most wanted characters being the first made and getting a collector hooked on buying the rest? Adama and Roslin should have been Series 1, Lee and Kara Series 2, Tigh and Baltar Series 3, and so on. I’ll never understand why a minor character like Helo (supposedly a fan favorite) got two figures in the lines first two series! And did we really need that “Razor” sub-series?

Now, we’re stuck with several toy lines which will probably never be completed, considering DST’s showing at Toy Fair and their comments in Q&A. I think it may already be too late for DST to learn that lesson.

By: Will

Will — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:22:25 +0000

I love the Galactica figures that I have. Would have loved them more if they’d all come out the first year DST owned the license. Two years for a Boomer figure? I cannot forgive DST for only releasing a handful of figures each year, even when they were aware that an end-date for the series was approaching.

It is as if they’re deaf to all the angels on their shoulders who are shouting at them to strike while the time is most opportune. Instead, they wait, and wait, and wait some more (as detailed in your “When is a Pre-Order Not a Pre-Order?” section), until demand has faded and fans are angry — and then they get hurt that fans are angry.

They’ve managed to make their business techniques dramatically overshadow the quality of their action figures. Why? Why do they do this to themselves?

By: Lt. Clutch

Lt. Clutch — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 03:22:33 +0000

I waited for about a year to get my Kang figure before my preorder was cancelled. I eventually gave up on the wave with Kirk, Rand, Chapel, surgical Bones and the Salt Vampire. BBTS kept delaying it and I realized it just wasn’t worth the frustration. One less company for my wallet to worry about.

By: chad

chad — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 02:25:28 +0000

the only line i have ever bought from DSt is Marvel select for never got into stargete and the new version of battle star galactic pass mostly because of no rosilyn or amada. the leads not getting figures is wrong. as for star trek bought most of what play mates and art asylum put out so dst i do not touch though think they need to get their act together or let some other company have the properties and do them right for fans.

By: aguardiandevil

aguardiandevil — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 01:17:15 +0000

SISKO AND DUKAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! times 10! by all rights DST should be gone like palisades. but I think what keeps them afloat is the marvel select line.

By: Lightso

Lightso — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:53:39 +0000

With all the attention on Mattel’s screw-ups these days it’s nice to have someone bring up the catastrophe that is DST. When I see NECA releasing movie figures from fringe properties successfully, it’s mindboggling to imagine how the three largest sci-fi properties out there fizzles out.
My instincts tell me DST sucked their investment capital dry, and thought they could float through the year cutting corners. Why in the world would they not devote actual new tooling to their Star Trek line if they had TRU on board? Retail is the big time and they blew it by releasing collector-priced figures collectors already had. Star Trek was one of the biggest movies of 2009 but perhaps Playmates stole their thunder? As cool as the movie was, any 12 year-old would tell you they’d rather have that Clone Wars figure than Sylar in blue T-shirt. And any collector could see from the other end of the aisle that Playmates quality is nonexistant. It will be interesting to see what happens with Trek 2. Playmates must have lost big time.
It’s a shame that DST quality is priced nearly beyond reach for retail as they would have been a better alternative. And so….even though DST’s figures are some of the best out there (thanks to Art Asylum and Jean St.Jean) I’m afraid they are no more. Damn shame too, as I’d been chiding for a Gen. Hammond, Apophus, Sarek and Andorian figure for years.