Why can’t Mattel get their crowdfunds right?

But should we crowdfund it?

That wcw stage ruled just didn’t have enough backers

Don't like crowd funds - don't participate. It makes no sense that some of you wouldn't want others to have the opportunity for more nuanced pieces we get from crowdfunds.

I made a post similar to this in the WCW Arena thread at the height of the discussion there, but I think the issue isn't only what people "want" as much as it's how wrestling collectors collect. For the first 15 years of wrestling figures existence, the only playset style piece was a ring. The Jakks Tron and ToyBiz Nitro Arena changed that, both both of those were aimed at play and functionality more than collectibility or displaybilty. Over the next two decades, even as the concept of collecting wrestling figures evolved to include a greater deal of adult collectors, playsets mainly remained aimed at the play-feature kids market. (Jakks and Mattel did go for collector level rings and the former did the HIAC and the EC). So the niche world of wrestling toy collecting has mostly developed in a way where most of those who collect display just the figures in detolfs or etc. outside of the smaller niche of a niche of photographers. So basically these huge playset crowdfunds, as cool as they are, have been for the niche of the niche collectors and essentially asking the rest of the wrestling collector niche (which is a small overall group anyway) to change up their whole way of collecting and displaying said collection. On the other hand, stuff like GI Joe, Transformers, Jurassic Park (even if they're not always funded) are aimed at collector bases that have had vehicles/playsets/large scale pieces built into the lines from the very beginning.

Like don't get me wrong, there are several things that were questionable about the figure choices with the Nitro Arena, but I honestly believe any wrestling piece would have struggled, even the Raw stage or Smackdown fist, or whatever.

Personally, I love stages and larger quality items but I don’t think the wrestling collector community overall are willing to spend $400+ on anything

The WCW stage was badass and I backed it and really wanted it to succeed but I can’t play dumb and act like $400+ is no big deal to people. Gas and groceries will eat up a budget these days on top of everything else

...demand?

I've seen a few hardcore collectors on a toy forum ask for them, but it's not really the kind of thing the average collector is craving. And even then, there's a difference between liking/wanting something and the reality of having to actually pay for it... people were raving over the Nitro stage when they first saw it (before the crowd-fund was announced) - yet in reality, less than 4K people were willing to buy/back it.

...it wasn't overpriced (except for international customers) - it was expensive. But it was always going to be expensive... these things are. And the Nitro stage failing had nothing to do with them having released the New Gen entrance way and ring... they were totally different things being offered.

To be fair (to the ones who paid for it) if the color had been correct like in the digital render, you wouldn't have had all those questions/comments about it.