Has the hobby evolved past Miggle ?

[Orleanian In Exile]

Miggle serves that most vital function of any hobby —a mass-producer of basic equipment which maintains a foothold in the general retail market and therefore a window for the public, however small and unobserved, into the hobby. How many of us went along for years thinking the game was extinct until we one day just happened to stumble upon an ad for Miggle Electric Football in a boutique toy catalogue or Googled "Electric Football"? And could any of the specialty producers today keep up with fulfilling the supply needs for boards, bases, and figures on a bulk basis without a corporate maker out there? Miggle provides what Buzzball, FootballFigure.net, Rollerboards and other specialty makers cannot: volume production of games and accessories sold at reasonable prices for the entry-level player. The newbie or dilletante who can't or won't spring for a $450 Megawatz custom board and $50 Buzzball team packages can and will put down $70 for a Rose Bowl or EF Challenge board and $10 a pop for prepainted team packages (especially for those who don't have the time, talent, or patience to paint their own figures and want something ready-to-play right out of the box). And in economic times like these, when every dollar counts and there are far fewer of them to chase non-essentials, having a source of cheap games, bases and figures can make all the difference as to whether this hobby is sustainable or not.

[sweetka]

Originally Posted by eflguy

I had a nice conversation with D. Jennings the other day and it made me think. Do we need Miggle anymore? It seems as though the hobby is evolving more toward the miniatures end of the hobby. We all play the game still but I know I spend more of my time customizing and creating figures and teams.

Miggle's website often goes un-updated ( same paint colors for 2 years now) and I'm sure orders are way down since they lost their NFL license.

I pose this question not to slam Miggle but to ponder whether or not they have become passe now. Does the hobby even need them? No new products, no NFL, no action on the website.... should the company be sold or dissolved? Couldn't the hobby move forward without them?

Things to ponder....

There was no hobby without them. I was there. No Diamonds, Football Figures, nor others. All were spin-offs to the resurrection of the hobby by this company. They still mass produce great products for the money, especially bases.

You pose this question not to slam Miggle? No kidding? Dude that's all you do. This forum is designed to promote the hobby not grave dig. Don't bring your bitterness here brother you have always had issues with those folks and their company. Run your own if you are not satisfied. While you are at it have free convention dinners and tournaments that the host gives away free products. Constantly change what you do to satisfy people like yourself only to hear over and over it is not enough. Lose your license to Excaliber the consolidator now we hear you talk about how their demise is imminent? Yet, you say nothing about the company that subsequently dumped the hobby altogether. I bet you don't even know who owns Excaliber because they don't care about us or our hobby. You are so wrong on so many fronts it isn't funny.

[joel_p1]

Yes Indeed we still need miggle.
Who else is going to provide us with all the tools and equipment we need to keep playing this game?? Miggle does this at a VERY reasonable price and no one can touch their bases. So if for nothing else they have got to stay around only if its only purpose is re-supplying us with parts. This company is a must to keep us going and reaching out to all the new blood coming into this hobby.
Joel

[canadatabletopgames]

..and i don't know why, but i'm pretty that in a middle term, they'll bring the NFL liscence. I don't have any hint or rumors....only feelings and for that kind of feelings, i miss very rarely.


L'avenir nous le dira
(future will tell)


Benster from La Belle Province

[styx]

NOT TO LONG AGO,MIGGLE WAS THE ONLY SUPPLIER TO THE MINIATURE FOOTBALL WORLD , I DONT KNOW HOW ANYONE COULD EVEN ASK SUCH A DUMB ?, MIGGLE IS STILL TOPS IN MOST DEPARTMENTS SUCH AS BASES ,FOOTBALLS,TTQBS AND OTHER THINGS ,WITHOUT THEM THE HOBBY WOULD SURELY DIE OUT ,JUST MY TWO CENTS AND IM SURE IM NOT ALONE ON THIS.

[artlax]

Top notch customer service!

Excellent delivery time!

High quality products!

Very reasonable prices!

Although I have never been (but hope to soon) to one of the Miggle Cons all I hear is good stuff about them!

Offered an opportunity for my son to enjoy the game!

Brought me back to the game after a long absence!

Gives me and my son another thing to do together!

[Reginald Rutledge]

One thing that bugs me on the game is that we all ways go for the "next great thing". I look at the longevity of something and its contributions and I look at what it does for the community.

Miggle is the reason we are all speaking on here today. Without Miggle, I know I would not have had a voice or arena to show what I do. Eflguy, I am not certain of what your discussion was, but I know Mike Landsman and I personally traveled to many places across the Midwest to help launch his business and I saw the energy that him and his wife, Delayne had for the game. It's so easy to forget the ones that brought you there, uh?

I see startup companies that have NO CLUE on the history of how we've gotten to where we are in the game. Most want the old dogs out but can not assure they will be in the game for the long haul.

Although a company like Miggle may have lost a bit of its edge, the supplies they give to people can not mistaken. For some who can not afford a 308 gameboard or stadium, they offer that other option. It gets the players back in the game! I know if I don't do something, I will get crucified on these chatboards probably worse than anyone but I've seen Miggle slammed in the past on these boards from people who have little or no appreciation for what the past has given them. I have little or no time for those types of people or players. Many I don't even return answers to because it is not worth my time.

But yes, I do think Miggle has been great for the game and I and a few others have personal knowledge of what they did to give us all a chance. The sad part is, some of us don't remember.

Reg

[mantaraydre]

MIGGLE SHOULD STAY IN THE FOLD !!!!!!!!!!!


I lived accross the street from the tudor factory in the 70's so i know what is is like to walk in that building andf see dirst hand what went on. Miggle has brought that co and moved the produuct on. They do a great job in 99.9% in all areas.


I just wish they would connect with the MFCA and see we are not there competition. IMAGINE A MIGGLE AND MFCA CONVENTION IN THE FUTURE.
Coaches just wanted to branch out a little further from miggle but never forgot them. I wish they would sit down and see what monster could be created in they joined the MFCA party. The MFCA IS NOT A COMPANY SO WE ARE NOT A THREAT. This is the only thing for years i never understood. Outside of that, miggle is the goods.


mantaraydre

[RavennaAl]

I don't look at this question as a knock on Miggle. I think perhaps the question should be re-phrased. Have we evolved beyond what Miggle has to offer? In that regard I think the answer to many would be "yes".

Look honestly at the equipment you have and use. How many of us have custom boards, custom figures, custom field covers, custom painted teams, etc.? I'm not saying that Miggle has nothing to offer, because they do. They are the main contributor for the begining or returning player. They are the main staple for bases and figures for many here. But when you see what most guys are using at tourneys and in their home collections, it's painfully clear that most of us have surpassed what Miggle has to offer. And that brings another question to bear, would it be cost effective for Miggle to evolve as well, and start offering more?

They already tried with larger boards, though the cost of the things was too high (close to $500) for many, considering that a person can make his own for under $100. Perhaps if they could have offered a 2X4 board for around $200-$250 they would have sold better. They tried to offer different figures (Prolnes) but perhaps different looking poses would have sold better???

They already make terrific bases and equpment ( goal posts, footballs etc.) so there is no need to change there.

Unfortunately, not having the NFL license to sell NFL teams and field covers is a killer. Until they can get it back, and at a cost that doesn't break them, I'm afraid that they will continue to stay where they are at, unless we can promote MF around the country and get thousands, if not millions, of young football enthusiasts excited about this game. Then, perhaps, we can help elevate Miggle back up to the lofty position they once held...

Thanks Raveena Al for the thoughts.

As I said before I AM NOT SLAMMING MIGGLE! I simply asked the question. I still buy stuff from Miggle so just relax. What is it with some of the guys on this board, relax man.

I certainly appreciate the history of the company and the people who have run it and kept it available for us. The conventions are nice and are a nice way of getting people together.

Miggle might be a mass producer but they don't produce to the masses. There are zero MAJOR retail chains that stock their products.

I think Raveena Al's question is better phrased then mine. Has the hobby evolved beyond Miggle?

To that answer I say yes. While Miggle provides us with bases and boards those are easy to find through different outlets. I believe the hobby is and always has been about the little players. Just think about when you got your first game. You opened it, played the game and watched all the guys vibrate to the sidelines, then you looked at the little catalog that came with the game and said "I want this team and this team and this team..." It wasn't enough to have the two that came with the game. We had to have ALL our favorites or even one of each team.

What drives this hobby is the demand for the players. Custom, painted, or unpainted it's always been about them. That's why Excalibur failed. They just copied the game did a poor job at it and forgot about the most important part.

There are very few "entry" level players anymore in this hobby. Sure once in awhile you can get a kid to play the game and they might even have some ethusiaum for it, but they aren't gonna drop therir money on a game.

Bases.... really? How many of us are sitting on a couple hundred bases in our collection. We have one or two teams that we play the game with and the rest sit in baggies collecting dust.

The past and the future of this hobby has always been about the players. Look at the wonderful work of the customizers and painters on this board. Their work is mind blowing. Take one of those guys to a kid and show him and they ask..."where can I get these at?"

I'm guessing that at the convention in Canton most of the oohs and ahs will be about the players and teams and not the game.

So in response to the question posed by Raveena Al. Has the hobby evolved past Miggle, I say yes. And really that's too bad becuase Miggle kept the hobby alive for the several hundred guys around the country who are enthusiastic about it. But if Miggle closed tomorrow how many of us would put away or sell our collections and stop playing the game? My guess is none.