BBI - Blue Box Toys Information Q&A (Mike)

Shin Densetsu · Post by **Shin Densetsu** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 1:29 pm

Mike,

Since the apache, falcon and hornet are slated for repaints this year, Will TRU carry all 3? I imagine they should, it'd be GREAT to see them in brick and mortar stores, since nearly all of 21st products can be found at walmart(well pretty hard to find), and TRU and walmart are big rivals, and I imagine BBI and 21st have some friendly competition in 1/18 scale

How about bigbadtoystore?

I gotta give you guys more praise, I like your figures a LOT better than 21st's, playing with BBI 1/18 scale has shown me that you guys KNEW people like us would not be content with leaving these on display and would play the heck out of these toys! Very durable and "ready for action" so to speak, no breakages at all on my hornet and the pilot it came with blows away the pilot I got with 21st's Ah-1 Cobra. Now I know why some fans ditch the cobra pilot and get some BBI copter pilots for their 21st Cobras.(not to insult 21st, they got some fine product and I love my cobra, but in my opinion, BBI is superior in some respects and makes the better figures). So keep em comin!

And a suggestion. The answer we have almost always seen all the time is "wait and see", I think if BBI were to make or endorse a fan site or club, and give them pcs ahead of time, it would benefit all of us and lessen the amount of replies you give us saying "wait and see". And a lot of folks have firewalls or email filters that you have said may have blocked the newsletter.
I mean the corsair came out of nowhere,most of us loved it, but we would have like to know what else is coming out. This board alone has tons of BBI fans itching to see whats coming up. Just a suggestion. For example, the only way I could even find out if a new 1/18 or new combat command item is released would either be visiting target/tru., or browsing forums.

?'s again.

Have the falcon, hornet, and apache succeeded BBI's sales expectations? Initially where there any worries that they might not sell? These are beautiful toys and I know you guys spent a lot of money tooling these things. How did the idea to make 1.18 jets come to fruition? Has it been in the loop for years?

have the sales of 1/18 product for BBI in the last year been high enough to invest r/d money into developing new 1.18 vehicles for 2006?

Will target eventually carry the ELite force 1.18 realistic line>? How is TRU's relations with BBI at this point? Is 1/18 Elite force doing very well for them? I keep seeing them tucked into a small shelf section near the gijoes.

Post by **aferguson** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 8:00 pm

Mike wrote:

"for Sgt Saunders
the team liked them...I will say no more.

for All
thanks for the comments re me having a vacation as I will not be in NYC...the fact is thought that I will be in Germany for the Toy Fair and this is the main reason I will not attend NYC.

To those that commented on us publishing a "new items coming up" section..this is not practical for commercial reasons.
We keep our developments to ourselves not to keep them from you but to keep them from competitors. It also eliminates situations where we advise schedules and then have to change them for our own reasons and this causes bad feelings on your side...we feel it is just best that we announce and item when it is near ..just like the Zero."

CW4USARMY · Post by **CW4USARMY** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 8:18 pm

Hey Mike, Are you attending the German toy fair officially? Displaying any
items? Pics? (sorry, Had to ask

) Safe travels!

Birddog · Post by **Birddog** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 10:32 pm

That's cool, the Toy Fair in Germany is just a couple of weeks away I believe.....

bluesparrow · Post by **bluesparrow** » Mon Jan 23, 2006 1:00 am

Any updates on the 12" Goth line Mike? Last you said was February.[/list]

CW4USARMY · Post by **CW4USARMY** » Tue Jan 24, 2006 9:24 pm

MIke,

BBi is listed as attending the 2006 NY Toy Fair at the official NY Toy Fair web site. Are you saying you personally wont be there but BBi will? For the rest of us, I noticed 21st Century will be there too. Lets hope to see something new out of one of these companies

Birddog · Post by **Birddog** » Wed Jan 25, 2006 4:43 pm

Isn't the Toy Fair in Germany next week?

Razor17019 · Post by **Razor17019** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 7:57 pm

Mike,
Will the pilots from the BBI aircrafts and tanks ever be available on a card to buy seperate from the plane???

newwavepop · Post by **newwavepop** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 8:21 pm

Razor17019 wrote:Mike,
Will the pilots from the BBI aircrafts and tanks ever be available on a card to buy seperate from the plane???

i swear ive asked that before and was never answered.
the newer bbi vehicle figures are some of my favorite of the entire military line genre.
i know i would love to get a few extra of these, and if they came with a different head even better, i would go nuts for another zero pilot that looks differnt, an older fellow.

fredricchio · Post by **fredricchio** » Sat Jan 28, 2006 9:23 pm

Well, they did it for the Blackhawk pilot so its not without precedent.

Post by **aferguson** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 2:19 pm

Mike wrote:

"for CW4USARMY
Yes I am attending the German show in my capacity with Blue Box but we do not show military product there.
Let me clear up the situation for NYC..our company has 3 ivisions Blue Box Toys, bbi and b2. So Blue Box always officially attends the NYC show as our office and showroom is locate in the Toy Centre but as per my previous advice we will not be displaying and new bbi items there. But we will show new Blue Box and b2 but none of these are military related. I trust that clarifies it.

for bluesparrow
shipment will be this year."

Birddog · Post by **Birddog** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 2:54 pm

Mike,

Even though you are not showing or displaying any new bbi products, will there be any representatives at the NYC Toy Fair or at the German Toy Fair (besides yourself) that will be able to answer questions or give any insight about what is going to happen or what is definite for release with the 1/18 bbi line this year?

Thanks as always.

CW4USARMY · Post by **CW4USARMY** » Mon Jan 30, 2006 4:40 pm

Thanks for the info Mike. I guess for this year's new BBi products, we'll have to "wait and see"

Post by **aferguson** » Tue Jan 31, 2006 10:23 am

Mike wrote:

"for Birddog
Regarding representatives at the shows..we will have people at the fairs showing our existing line but as per my previous advices there will be no release of any new items and no advice of what is upcoming. Our policy remains not to release item info until the items are ready."

Post by **aferguson** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 10:17 am

Mike wrote:

"for Razor 17019
It is not planned to make these figures available separately...it was done for the Blackhawk as they have more than one in the crew, but this does not apply with our fighters.
As for the tank we have no plans to expand our tank line"

flayrah · Post by **flayrah** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 10:58 am

Mike,

Thanks for the replies. Would you please say if more first series WWII "infantry" are expected at TrU and/or on-line retailers, or should we now expect the second series? Every TrU I have checked has had para figures, but long sold out of infantry. Thanks.

Post by **aferguson** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 9:18 pm

Mike wrote:

"for all
I have just spent quite some time reading the "Wait and see" thread and I am just sitting here shaking my head.

for flayrah
we have shipped more infantry to TRU"

digger · Post by **digger** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 10:29 pm

Wow, good timing:

for flayrah
we have shipped more infantry to TRU"

Awesome.

eddie372 · Post by **eddie372** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 12:12 am

To Mike:

"The more I know people, the more I love my dog"

Best regards, Ed

flayrah · Post by **flayrah** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 9:21 am

Mike, thank you for the update. I appreciate your time and efforts on the board.

DocTodd · Post by **DocTodd** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 6:47 pm

Mike it is pretty amazing reading that thread. At least we are passionate about our hobby-for whatever that's worth.
Todd

Black_Dragon_One · Post by **Black_Dragon_One** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 6:49 pm

now mike "what type of dog is s/he..." just kidding!

Post by **aferguson** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 7:28 pm

Mike wrote:

"for Black Dragon One.
I'm not the one that mentioned the dog...it was Eddie 372...but my dogs are hounds and they are good at tracking things down

for Doc Todd
Passion is a wonderful thing but needs to be tempered with logic and honesty"

Birddog · Post by **Birddog** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 8:31 pm

Mike,

In regards to the Hot News bbi gives out for new products, why isn't there any Hot News on bbi's website about the new WWII figures that are appearing in TRU now? There's Hot News for the Zero, Corsair, and Paratroopers. ( Sorry if this has already been covered and I missed it.)

Thanks.

scope uk · Post by **scope uk** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 1:49 pm

Hi Mike

This is only my second post so appologies if you have answered this before but i know you said that we wouln't see releases of your indiviual drivers and pilots but what about their equipment? You do the weapons sets very well and am trying to get your new ones at the mo. Do you know whether they will be coming to the UK.
Anyway has the idea of releasing spares packs of helmets (seal protec, F16/18 pilot helmet, Littlebird pilot, caps, Humvee driver helmet, and standard army helmet), grenades, goggles, radios, torches, nvgs, and perhaps even spare boots, hands, and heads etc for we customisers or even a ammunition spares pack containing things like m249 boxes, mk 19 boxes, mortar rounds, stinger,dragon,javelin rounds ever been thought of i know that they wouldbe very welcome by me and a couple of other people i know. Just thought i would ask to see if there was a possibility and to put the idea out there as it would give you the oportunity to reuse the molds and us the oppotunity to customise and fill up the ammo depot.
Thanks

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BBI - Blue Box Toys Information Q&A (Mike)

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