Master Team - Micah 1/6 figure

[Raleig.h]

Marvel villains aren’t rats.

youre right, majority of them are much less interesting than rats

 

[R_R_X]

RDR2 simply doesn't have the same pull as Marvel, DC, Star Wars and the like.

Video games collectibles are niche enough as it is, add cowboys to the mix and you're even less likely to sell anything, I truly believe Arthur was a special case because of the exposure the figure got and the universal love people have for his character, aside from him and Clint cowboy figures don't sell very well.

Before anyone tries to convince me otherwise the sales numbers speak for themselves, people can say they want the whole Van Der Linde gang but when the figures are announced nobody buys them, Master Team was willing to carry the torch and wanted to make a villain for a change since there's already figures of Arthur, John and Sadie out there and we helped where we could but as I said in the beginning of the post if people have to pick between a Marvel figure, be it a hero, a villain or sidekick or a RDR2 figure they will buy the Marvel figures before they ever pick up a Micah, John or even a Sadie as it's been proven.

 

[R_R_X]

Ya'll will hate on Micah for being an incredible villain but day one PO any of these Saturday morning cartoon MCU villains in a second

I think Rockstar and Peter Blomquist did a fantastic job making you hate Micah's guts and I appreciated his unapologetic villainy, entertainment has been plagued with villains with cliched tragic backstories for a while now which is just boring so having a simple but memorable villain like Micah who is out to save his own skin above all else is a breath of fresh air, we need more villains like him and Joffrey from Game of Thrones.

 

[MeatHookGekko]

RDR2 simply doesn't have the same pull as Marvel, DC, Star Wars and the like.

Video games collectibles are niche enough as it is, add cowboys to the mix and you're even less likely to sell anything, I truly believe Arthur was a special case because of the exposure the figure got and the universal love people have for his character, aside from him and Clint cowboy figures don't sell very well.

Before anyone tries to convince me otherwise the sales numbers speak for themselves, people can say they want the whole Van Der Linde gang but when the figures are announced nobody buys them, Master Team was willing to carry the torch and wanted to make a villain for a change since there's already figures of Arthur, John and Sadie out there and we helped where we could but as I said in the beginning of the post if people have to pick between a Marvel figure, be it a hero, a villain or sidekick or a RDR2 figure they will buy the Marvel figures before they ever pick up a Micah, John or even a Sadie as it's been proven.

Years ago, in the old days, back on the OSW, I convinced a rep for ACI Toys to participate in a thread. Essentially the deal was that all members could submit product ideas in public, and ACI Toys would agree to make a list, based on the suggestions, and consider each item listed, even if only for the 15 seconds to say to themselves that they couldn't make it.

Something I said to ACI Toys in private but also in public in the thread was that I always believed in the "Loose Parts Test" If someone has a figure idea in their head, break down the set into parts in your head. Then project out how the loose parts would sell on the secondary market. If you get exponential returns on the parts, against it's MSRP, then the set is likely a winner. If you can't, odds are it will be a loser.

For example, Hot Toys Two Face from The Dark Knight. He's a standard body in a suit with two different heads, a coin and a pistol. Now Batman was huge back then, and I can see why HT would make the figure on that alone, but in retrospect, just on the merit of it's parts, it's a likely loser of a set. Contrast that with Hot Toys Commando. Arnie is popular, the gear is good, lots of unique and interesting parts, particularly the weapons. On the merits of it's parts list, I'd call that a winner. I love Terminator 1, most people do. However dirty hobo looking Kyle Reese in a grimy trenchcoat and a sawed off shotgun, that's just not a greats parts list for a figure set. However HT did the smart thing and made a Future War Kyle Reese.

I believe something like RDR has to take those same considerations. Take a figure you'd see as failing the Loose Parts Test. Now add in a wheeled gatling gun, and a couple of shotguns and a couple of unique rifles. Now it's a different ballgame. But then part of the consideration is accuracy to the actual story. Which, for better or worse, is where George Lucas was pretty smart. The Phantom Menace has flaws. But you can see Lucas infused a lot into those scenes to create as much source material for future merchandising as possible. And why blame him. The cantina scene in ANH was basically a goldmine for creating new figures.

So that's the thing, you have to hope the movie or TV series or video game infuses enough in the scene or narrative, to drive forward the Loose Parts Test win to make a potential figure viable. Or, to be honest, just make it all up.

IMHO, the best way to up the value of a set in terms of it's loose parts is to fill it with guns. Lots and lots of guns.

Would Sadie Adler sell on her own? Probably not. But if you filled the set with five rifles and four pistols and a crap ton of ammo and dynamite?

Just some thoughts.

 

[Revol]

I think the loose parts is a really good point. The Micah figure is a perfect opportunity to bundle him with a range of unique handguns available in the game, that could easily be used with Arthur and Johns figures.

Even if I don't want to end up displaying Micah, I see him as a perfect body/clothing set to stick a loose Arthur head on and have another Arthur figure in a different outfit.

 

[Remembermyname]

RDR2 simply doesn't have the same pull as Marvel, DC, Star Wars and the like.

Video games collectibles are niche enough as it is, add cowboys to the mix and you're even less likely to sell anything, I truly believe Arthur was a special case because of the exposure the figure got and the universal love people have for his character, aside from him and Clint cowboy figures don't sell very well.

Before anyone tries to convince me otherwise the sales numbers speak for themselves, people can say they want the whole Van Der Linde gang but when the figures are announced nobody buys them, Master Team was willing to carry the torch and wanted to make a villain for a change since there's already figures of Arthur, John and Sadie out there and we helped where we could but as I said in the beginning of the post if people have to pick between a Marvel figure, be it a hero, a villain or sidekick or a RDR2 figure they will buy the Marvel figures before they ever pick up a Micah, John or even a Sadie as it's been proven.

True my friend, reality bites. The resurgence of the western productions TV and film is unlikely to change the reality. Looking forward to your final western figure.... Dutch.

 

[Random_Retard]

IMHO, the best way to up the value of a set in terms of it's loose parts is to fill it with guns. Lots and lots of guns.

Would Sadie Adler sell on her own? Probably not. But if you filled the set with five rifles and four pistols and a crap ton of ammo and dynamite?

But that would drive up the production cost and price as well.
Five highly detailed, game accurate rifles, four unique pistols and lots of quality ammo and surely the price goes up by another 80 or 100 bucks...
I'm not sure if people would be willing to pay that kinda money just to get a figure they don't really want. You know us collectors. We'd just wait for the loose parts to go up on eBay and just buy those instead of the entire figure...

 

[Remembermyname]

Years ago, in the old days, back on the OSW, I convinced a rep for ACI Toys to participate in a thread. Essentially the deal was that all members could submit product ideas in public, and ACI Toys would agree to make a list, based on the suggestions, and consider each item listed, even if only for the 15 seconds to say to themselves that they couldn't make it.

Something I said to ACI Toys in private but also in public in the thread was that I always believed in the "Loose Parts Test" If someone has a figure idea in their head, break down the set into parts in your head. Then project out how the loose parts would sell on the secondary market. If you get exponential returns on the parts, against it's MSRP, then the set is likely a winner. If you can't, odds are it will be a loser.

For example, Hot Toys Two Face from The Dark Knight. He's a standard body in a suit with two different heads, a coin and a pistol. Now Batman was huge back then, and I can see why HT would make the figure on that alone, but in retrospect, just on the merit of it's parts, it's a likely loser of a set. Contrast that with Hot Toys Commando. Arnie is popular, the gear is good, lots of unique and interesting parts, particularly the weapons. On the merits of it's parts list, I'd call that a winner. I love Terminator 1, most people do. However dirty hobo looking Kyle Reese in a grimy trenchcoat and a sawed off shotgun, that's just not a greats parts list for a figure set. However HT did the smart thing and made a Future War Kyle Reese.

I believe something like RDR has to take those same considerations. Take a figure you'd see as failing the Loose Parts Test. Now add in a wheeled gatling gun, and a couple of shotguns and a couple of unique rifles. Now it's a different ballgame. But then part of the consideration is accuracy to the actual story. Which, for better or worse, is where George Lucas was pretty smart. The Phantom Menace has flaws. But you can see Lucas infused a lot into those scenes to create as much source material for future merchandising as possible. And why blame him. The cantina scene in ANH was basically a goldmine for creating new figures.

So that's the thing, you have to hope the movie or TV series or video game infuses enough in the scene or narrative, to drive forward the Loose Parts Test win to make a potential figure viable. Or, to be honest, just make it all up.


View attachment 632024


View attachment 632025


View attachment 632026


IMHO, the best way to up the value of a set in terms of it's loose parts is to fill it with guns. Lots and lots of guns.

Would Sadie Adler sell on her own? Probably not. But if you filled the set with five rifles and four pistols and a crap ton of ammo and dynamite?

Just some thoughts.

My thoughts too my friend, the market for accessory parts has much potential. Some accessories become grail pieces and can fetch funny money, everything produced is about investment and return.

 

[MeatHookGekko]

But that would drive up the production cost and price as well.
Five highly detailed, game accurate rifles, four unique pistols and lots of quality ammo and surely the price goes up by another 80 or 100 bucks...
I'm not sure if people would be willing to pay that kinda money just to get a figure they don't really want. You know us collectors. We'd just wait for the loose parts to go up on eBay and just buy those instead of the entire figure...

I see your point, you are making a good point. I am saying though, there's a balance. My example here is the HT Lost Predator. When he came out, I was going to get him, because I loved Predator at the time. Loved it, loved it, loved it. But I could see the flaws in the figure. It's not linked as the main beloved antagonist in any of the Predator films. And he's light on accessories. In a thread here on SSF years and years ago, I said give this guy way more accessories if he's kind of a fringe figure.

Someone asked me, "You want them to give him a shoulder mounted rocket launcher?"

Yes

Then someone asked me, "You want to give him a BFG not in the film?:

Yes

He didn't get that expandable spear nor the glaive in the film either. It's partially a "fantasy figure" since it doesn't have to backstory of the classic P1 Predator or the younger P2 Hunter.

My take? Load it up. If needed, let's say it was Lim Toys, then just redo the weapons from Arthur Morgan and put them in a Sadie set. If the functionality is too costly, then use the same molds and make a less expensive version to put onto a gun rack, and focus on Sadie's core weapons as the high detail ones.

I do get your point, I truly do. I will also say there is high correlation to a great selling figure and the number of cool/unique accessories in it, especially the weapons. Scott Crawford of DML back in the old days called it a boxed set "anchor" That you needed an "anchor" pieces or accessory that was new to the hobby to drive the appeal of a set.

 

[MeatHookGekko]

I think the loose parts is a really good point. The Micah figure is a perfect opportunity to bundle him with a range of unique handguns available in the game, that could easily be used with Arthur and Johns figures.

Steal an idea from the Marvel Legends sets.

In some "waves", if you buy all five figures, you get a piece (1/5) for another unique and usually much larger figure in it as a bonus item.

Kind of like G1 Transformers. You had to buy 6 Constructicons, and each individual figure had some bonus pieces to help you build "Devastator" as a big combiner robot.

So for RDR, make it a gatling gun like this. Split that bad boy into four parts. Then put 1/4 of the set up into each boxed set. So if you think Sadie is the figure that would be the hardest to move, then put the best 1/4 piece in it. In this case, the main gun/barrel system here.

It's a methodology to reward "completists"

 

[MeatHookGekko]

My thoughts too my friend, the market for accessory parts has much potential. Some accessories become grail pieces and can fetch funny money, everything produced is about investment and return.

Here's another idea. Remember GI JOE RAH Flag Points?

Let's say a brand made a set of RDR figures. Make a unique "Flag Point" inside each boxed set. Buy all four figures in the line, collect all four "points" , mail them in, and get a bonus accessory from the brand.

How about something like the rifle above.

So that's my pitch. If it's a tough sell to make someone like a Sadie, give her a few more guns. Add in 1/4th of a gatling gun as an anchor piece to encourage people to buy all the sets. Then do a Flag Points kind of deal to get a rifle like that. You mail them in, and they mail you the cool accessory. Maybe they also send you a 1/5th scale "cattle brand" with some homage to RDR on it.

You can use that to get people to fill out surveys, also drive traffic to your brand site, get people to post reviews all over social media, help build a "culture" around your brand. I'm not saying a 1/6th company is going to turn into the next Supreme in terms of brand recognition, but make it all like a big game that customers want to play.

The point being, there are already previously used and established strategies in the toy industry that can be deployed here. Especially if it's an unlicensed figure, then the sky is the limit.

Maybe I'm just the oddball here in all this. I'm the guy who would have given HT Two Face a 50 caliber sniper rifle, Bruce Wayne's parents tombstone dio plus a bunch of bats.

 

[Remembermyname]

We are on the same page. That is some rifle looks like the one Josey Wales used.

 

[Random_Retard]

I do get your point, I truly do. I will also say there is high correlation to a great selling figure and the number of cool/unique accessories in it, especially the weapons. Scott Crawford of DML back in the old days called it a boxed set "anchor" That you needed an "anchor" pieces or accessory that was new to the hobby to drive the appeal of a set.

I totally get what you're saying. And it does make sense. I love accessories as well. But I'm still convinced that it would only apply to hardcore collectors and not the masses. And that's the whole idea: to make a figure that doesn't sell well on its own more desirable to a broader audience. So if it only appeals to a niche group, it wouldn't really boost sales numbers all that much...

Back in the old days it was a lot easier. When soldier figures only cost $ 60 or $ 80 bucks you'd just go for it to get all the cool extras for your collection and build your army. But nowadays with regular figure prices between $180 - $280... you start to really think hard if a couple of cool extras are really enough reason to spend that kinda money on a figure you wouldn't actually buy on its own...
And also back in the days the loose parts market wasn't what it is today. Back then it was really hard to find the good stuff loose. Nowadays sellers immediately start ripping figures apart as soon as they are released to sell all the parts loose. The market has changed.

But... that being said I'd still take all the accessories and addtional weapons I could get from Red Dead Redemption. I'm all for it!

 

[R_R_X]

Adding a bunch of weapons or a Gatling gun won't persuade more people to buy RDR figures it will just increase the cost and make the figure sell less, Master Team tried to set Micah's price as low as possible but I still read comments complaining about the high price.

The reality is that while people are interested in seeing the figures they won't actually buy them, at least not the majority of them, the only RDR figure that sold well was The Gunslinger, all the others including from other brands have fared very poorly, because video game cowboys are probably as niche as you can get so there's no reason to keep putting them out, it's a waste of time, money and R&D.

 

[Johnny Utah]

RR, I would kill for Wyatt, Doc and Johnny Ringo from Tombstone with the same love from Lim Toys as what Arthur got.

Any interest?

 

[JacktheRipper]

This hobby has branched into being "car parts." I don't know this character and won't spend the cash on this figure, but I want his hat.

 

[MeatHookGekko]

Back in the old days it was a lot easier. When soldier figures only cost $ 60 or $ 80 bucks you'd just go for it to get all the cool extras for your collection and build your army. But nowadays with regular figure prices between $180 - $280... you start to really think hard if a couple of cool extras are really enough reason to spend that kinda money on a figure you wouldn't actually buy on its own...
And also back in the days the loose parts market wasn't what it is today. Back then it was really hard to find the good stuff loose. Nowadays sellers immediately start ripping figures apart as soon as they are released to sell all the parts loose. The market has changed.

I want to be fair, I was out of the hobby entirely for a decade. Maybe too many current elements of it has passed me by and I'm now on the fringes. I also understand there are lots of mitigating factors here ( rising cost to ship, rising cost of diesel, inflation, increased cost of skilled labor in production, etc, etc)

The only other thought I had is to go in the other direction.

Set a hard cap of 80-100 dollars MSRP. So that would mean ditching all the elaborate packaging. Just a plain white mailer box with maybe a sticker on the front. Remove a figure stand/dio stand. Then ditch the body type. Just a head and maybe one set of hands. Boots go back to molded with ankle peg inserts. (I'm guessing the best compromise would be to accommodate the HT True Type wrist and ankle pegs for the male/female connection ends) Set quality back a couple of generations. Less detail/less funcionality in the weapons. Far less detail in anything that needs to be stitched. Maybe use molded items instead of cloth items for some things. More "lifting" from other brand molds/tooling whenever possible. ( If it's unlicensed stuff, it's not like there aren't already ethical question in place , I'm not judging, just making an objective point about it)

What's possible in the world of "pretty good"?

What's possible at an 80 dollar MSRP? Obviously it's not a "traditional" boxed set any longer. And I'm going to acknowledge that carded sets have never had great profit margins or sales potential in our hobby across the aggregate. At least to my memory of it. Something cheaper to ship, smaller in packaging, an area where expectations go down ( which goes hand in hand with a lowered price point) and there's a silent understanding that the end collector will have to do a little more futzing on their own to improve the set a little bit.

Pump out a set with a somewhat decent headsculpt but way more weapons. Not Dam Toys kind of weapons quality. But maybe more of the Battle Gear Toys kind of weapons quality ( not knocking them, they've been a fantastic resource for our hobby for decades now, but they are mostly inexpensive for many items compared to more high speed brands)

Yes, I also understand our hobby may no longer be able to support the size of edition runs to make a 80 dollar MSRP set profitable, that too many collectors have been shed and lost over the years.

What I am saying in this - A drop in quality to "mostly pretty good" will not be the end of the world to a lot of collectors. Not if every other HT figure is 280 and most other figures ride 200 and you are pumping out sets that are 80 bucks, albeit at a production level that is rocking quality control / quality output that is several generations back.

So I am spitballing here. Obviously Master Team is doing the best they can in their situation and this is not meant to criticize or hijack against any specific brand or any specific license, just sharing some thoughts on how to get more arcane kind of product out to the market place for the average collector.

Just some thoughts here.

 

[R_R_X]

I want to be fair, I was out of the hobby entirely for a decade. Maybe too many current elements of it has passed me by and I'm now on the fringes. I also understand there are lots of mitigating factors here ( rising cost to ship, rising cost of diesel, inflation, increased cost of skilled labor in production, etc, etc)

The only other thought I had is to go in the other direction.

Set a hard cap of 80-100 dollars MSRP. So that would mean ditching all the elaborate packaging. Just a plain white mailer box with maybe a sticker on the front. Remove a figure stand/dio stand. Then ditch the body type. Just a head and maybe one set of hands. Boots go back to molded with ankle peg inserts. (I'm guessing the best compromise would be to accommodate the HT True Type wrist and ankle pegs for the male/female connection ends) Set quality back a couple of generations. Less detail/less funcionality in the weapons. Far less detail in anything that needs to be stitched. Maybe use molded items instead of cloth items for some things. More "lifting" from other brand molds/tooling whenever possible. ( If it's unlicensed stuff, it's not like there aren't already ethical question in place , I'm not judging, just making an objective point about it)

What's possible in the world of "pretty good"?

What's possible at an 80 dollar MSRP? Obviously it's not a "traditional" boxed set any longer. And I'm going to acknowledge that carded sets have never had great profit margins or sales potential in our hobby across the aggregate. At least to my memory of it. Something cheaper to ship, smaller in packaging, an area where expectations go down ( which goes hand in hand with a lowered price point) and there's a silent understanding that the end collector will have to do a little more futzing on their own to improve the set a little bit.

Pump out a set with a somewhat decent headsculpt but way more weapons. Not Dam Toys kind of weapons quality. But maybe more of the Battle Gear Toys kind of weapons quality ( not knocking them, they've been a fantastic resource for our hobby for decades now, but they are mostly inexpensive for many items compared to more high speed brands)

Yes, I also understand our hobby may no longer be able to support the size of edition runs to make a 80 dollar MSRP set profitable, that too many collectors have been shed and lost over the years.

What I am saying in this - A drop in quality to "mostly pretty good" will not be the end of the world to a lot of collectors. Not if every other HT figure is 280 and most other figures ride 200 and you are pumping out sets that are 80 bucks, albeit at a production level that is rocking quality control / quality output that is several generations back.

So I am spitballing here. Obviously Master Team is doing the best they can in their situation and this is not meant to criticize or hijack against any specific brand or any specific license, just sharing some thoughts on how to get more arcane kind of product out to the market place for the average collector.

Just some thoughts here.

No offense but releasing a figure like what you suggest would be met with trolling, laughter, shock and more trolling.

The industry has advanced to the point where authenticity is the name of the game, collectors want the best tailoring, best sculpts, best paint, best accessories and best quality for the figured they buy and they aren't just buying a toy but a collectible of usually a Marvel, DC, Star Wars character they likely love or think is necessary to their collection.

Micah and other RDR characters simply aren't important to the vast majority of collectors out there which means they won't buy a Micah, a Sadie or even a John Marston, no matter if they are $230, $160 or $80 mediocre figures that come in a shoe box that more closely resemble Ken and Barbie dolls.

So we can spitball all day about possible solutions for RDR figures and how to get them sell or we can just look at the reality of the situation and accept almost nobody buys these figures and that making them is literally burning money but at least I got to work on John, Arthur and Dutch which will be the last RDR figure from Lim and we'll see what happens with Master Team's Micah I hope a small batch can be produced so I can add him to the collection and have a nice 4 figure display of the 2 protagonists and the 2 villains.

 

[MeatHookGekko]

No offense but releasing a figure like what you suggest would be met with trolling, laughter, shock and more trolling.The industry has advanced to the point where authenticity is the name of the game, collectors want the best tailoring, best sculpts, best paint, best accessories and best quality for the figured they buy and they aren't just buying a toy but a collectible of usually a Marvel, DC, Star Wars character they likely love or think is necessary to their collection......or we can just look at the reality of the situation and accept almost nobody buys these figures and that making them is literally burning money ......

I'm OK if people laugh at my ideas. Not a problem on my end.

Here's my perspective on the matter - Cost of living is going up, and the events of the past few years have been a tough time for lots of people. Being in this hobby is a luxury. Also lots of collectors have hit a saturation point, also many are short on space as 1/6th takes up a lot of room.

Something I discussed in the military subforum about the 1/12th GI Joe Classified line and all other brands entering that sphere, is you can get 8-10 figures ( depending on what you buy and how, etc, etc) for the cost of one of the more expensive HT licensed sets. Smaller footprint. Cheaper to ship. Less of an investment. I do think there's something to be said for collecting interest at a slower speed.

So maybe the hobby has passed me by, that's entirely possible. And, also, to be fair, I am mostly a modern military 1/6th collector at the core, though I have a decent range of licensed movie/TV/game figures, etc, etc. So it's possible my ideas are simply more suited for military 1/6th.

IMHO, more collectors will be more likely to give a previously avoided "niche" a chance if the price points/value infused into the sets look extremely competitive and favorable. Also an area of the conversation that seems to be avoided is that consumer expectations does and will scale to the MSRP. Are some people going to complain about a 50 buck set or a 250 buck set no matter what? Sure, that happens. But I'm a big believer if you make it fun, budget friendly, creative and accessible, there's still a market there for it. I hold that many collectors won't hold a 80 buck or 100 buck budget set to the same exacting standards they might from a 250-280 dollar set. I also believe 80-100 dollar MSRP can get you more than a "Ken or Barbie in a shoebox"

I don't see the potential as "mediocre". I see the appeal of a budget friendly product that will probably require some work and love by hobbyists. Maybe a little paint, a little futzing, a little modifying. But I also wager for many, that's part of the fun. The "fun factor" in our hobby isn't the sole domain of the highest speed elements within.

Here's where we will likely agree to disagree. I'm a big believer in focusing on making a marketable product, using a marketable concept, then within those limitations, you do your best to try to uplift the art and creativity within that.

I see it differently. Not better, not worse, just different. I respect your vision, artistic skill and your role in the industry. If you say certain things won't sell in the hobby, given their current circumstances, I believe you. But I also believe myself when I say let's take a look at those circumstances and conditions and see what else is possible.

Maybe the critical difference here is I'd like to make a better toy that has some collectible elements to it, and you want to make a better collectible that has more artistic leanings. I believe there is room in our hobby for both. If you disagree, then you do. I'm OK with that.

 

[glitch1044]

No offense but releasing a figure like what you suggest would be met with trolling, laughter, shock and more trolling.

The industry has advanced to the point where authenticity is the name of the game, collectors want the best tailoring, best sculpts, best paint, best accessories and best quality for the figured they buy and they aren't just buying a toy but a collectible of usually a Marvel, DC, Star Wars character they likely love or think is necessary to their collection.

Micah and other RDR characters simply aren't important to the vast majority of collectors out there which means they won't buy a Micah, a Sadie or even a John Marston, no matter if they are $230, $160 or $80 mediocre figures that come in a shoe box that more closely resemble Ken and Barbie dolls.

So we can spitball all day about possible solutions for RDR figures and how to get them sell or we can just look at the reality of the situation and accept almost nobody buys these figures and that making them is literally burning money but at least I got to work on John, Arthur and Dutch which will be the last RDR figure from Lim and we'll see what happens with Master Team's Micah I hope a small batch can be produced so I can add him to the collection and have a nice 4 figure display of the 2 protagonists and the 2 villains.

Now don't take this the wrong way or anything, but anyone that assumes Micah would sell just as much as Sadie is, simply put, delusional. Theres no way man! Sadie deserves better than to be compared to that lunatic. lol
In fact, VeryCool's Sadie is nearly sold out everywhere already. I'd actually like to pick her up myself when I get the funds, but odds are she'll be long gone by the time I can get around to it. I get why MT made him instead of Sadie though, since VC has one coming out. But why not consider a more loved character like Hosea instead?
But just because people don't immediate jump on a purchase (like John for instance), doesn't mean no one is interested. Theres a lot of amazing figures out there, and it takes some time for collectors to catch up with pre-orders. Spending $600-$900 per month on a pile of dolls just isn't a reality for most collectors.
Another important factor manufacturer's might want to consider: what generation are most collectors from? Sure, RDR has a ton of fans, but not nearly as many older (talking 90's and early 2000's here) fans such as something like Metal Gear or Resident Evil has. Which is why those franchises always do great. And from what I've seen, there are way more mature collectors than there are teenagers or even collectors in their early 20's here.
I really wish Lim would consider putting as much care into a Resident Evil 1 Rebecca, Chris, Jill or Wesker as you guys did with RDR. I'd bet you would see some pretty impressive sales with those figures!
I have a feeling the MGS1 stuff will be doing pretty good as well.