50% Off Sale discussion

KannonPhreak · **Joined:** Sat Mar 19, 2011 6:21 am **Posts:** 8

What do you think about it? I'm kind of surprised that they're still trying to sell merchandise, even at 50% off. They haven't been updating the site for over a year. Isn't trying to sell stuff to us now like trying to milk a cash cow that you've starved to death? Perhaps they're trying to get rid of inventory, because they're shutting the store down?

Captain LeChimp · **Joined:** Wed May 18, 2011 12:44 am **Posts:** 1

This actually concerns me. Why Are they slashing prices on everything? I hope the Brothers Chap aren't having financial trouble. Even if that's not the case, I'm still concerned about the future of the website.

KannonPhreak · **Joined:** Sat Mar 19, 2011 6:21 am **Posts:** 8

Yeah, I hope not. If they are, though, couldn't they just do a shoutout to all fans, and say "Ok guys, money's tight for everyone, including us. Please consider buying something from the store, so we can keep HR going!" I know I'd be happy to help. They could even start a "Save Homestar" campaign of sorts, and you could buy a special wristband to show your support. That could work.

TwiceStyle · **Posted:** Wed May 18, 2011 11:45 am

Hmm. I don't really agree. my theory is that TBC are trying to sell as much as they can so they can completely revamp the website. By now, if they're able to put a sale on the store, they can post another toon. :-P

KannonPhreak · **Joined:** Sat Mar 19, 2011 6:21 am **Posts:** 8

Hmm... a site revamp is a possibility, but I'd sort of expect them to at least have hinted that something big was coming. Although, they are terrible at PR in general, so it wouldn't be the biggest surprise. I mean, they should have thought about how a year of no updates and no messages to fans will kill a fanbase. I wonder how many will return, if HR does return.

Spoom · **Joined:** Sun Oct 31, 2010 12:34 am **Posts:** 2

They're liquidating the merchandise. I doubt they're getting many sales now so I'm guessing they're selling off the rest of their stock. Think "going out of business" sale.

likalaruku · **Joined:** Mon Jan 09, 2006 4:05 am **Posts:** 474

KannonPhreak wrote:

What do you think about it? I'm kind of surprised that they're still trying to sell merchandise, even at 50% off. They haven't been updating the site for over a year. Isn't trying to sell stuff to us now like trying to milk a cash cow that you've starved to death? Perhaps they're trying to get rid of inventory, because they're shutting the store down?

If you're under the impression that once they stopped updating, they were no longer getting new fans & that everyone who could possibly like this show has already seen it.

KannonPhreak wrote:

Hmm... a site revamp is a possibility, but I'd sort of expect them to at least have hinted that something big was coming. Although, they are terrible at PR in general, so it wouldn't be the biggest surprise. I mean, they should have thought about how a year of no updates and no messages to fans will kill a fanbase. I wonder how many will return, if HR does return.

I was sorta thinking about that a few days ago: Animating once show for 10 years or so would be like playing the same video game every week for 10 years. I'm sorta expecting that someday they might animate regularly again, but a whole new show with different characters.

TwiceStyle · **Posted:** Fri May 20, 2011 11:57 am

All I can say is that likely, the cartoon will go on somehow. It's still quite popular.

KannonPhreak · **Joined:** Sat Mar 19, 2011 6:21 am **Posts:** 8

Actually, Likalaruku, I would disagree. They have so many sub-series with entirely different characters, it's not like they've had to use the same character dynamics for an entire decade. Also, H*R has been their job, their creation, and their life for a decade. They might want to change, and I'm fine with that, but I don't think the H*R world has run out of gas.

Twicestyle-

How popular do you mean? I've seen a fair amount of people mouning the lack of updates online, probably a hundred of so. If that's even close to the total, then I don't think they have a large enough fanbase anymore to do much. How many fans really would return? Sure, we would, but are we just the best 1%?

TwiceStyle · **Posted:** Fri May 20, 2011 11:00 pm

well, i don't mean mainstream popular. I mean just your everyday flash cartoon watcher popular.

likalaruku · **Joined:** Mon Jan 09, 2006 4:05 am **Posts:** 474

KannonPhreak wrote:

Actually, Likalaruku, I would disagree. They have so many sub-series with entirely different characters, it's not like they've had to use the same character dynamics for an entire decade. Also, H*R has been their job, their creation, and their life for a decade. They might want to change, and I'm fine with that, but I don't think the H*R world has run out of gas.

I'm all for it, but while I'm damn clingy to nostalgia, I don't like to get my hopes up. My brain is as ambidextrous as my hands; one side reminds me that everything I enjoy that wasn't completed before I started watching it gets canceled & never has a proper ending. The other side always reminds me of Aoike Yasuko's 7 year hiatus, Mineyo Maya's dedication to a series he started in the 70s, & Family Guy & Futurama both rising from cancellation death & going on like nothing happened.

One side of me hopes this show isn't cancelled until the hour before I die, the other half wonders if the Chapmans are bored & want to do something else.

Pessimistically I fear that after a few more hairball releases over a year or two, the Chapmans will declare the sire dead. Optimistically I think they're planning some huge spectacular surprise for us that will blow our minds & that the impatient unfaithful fans who don't check in will miss it.

KannonPhreak · **Joined:** Sat Mar 19, 2011 6:21 am **Posts:** 8

Oh, that would be awesome. And the good thing about an internet series is that it can't be cancelled by the network- only the creators can. Do thry want to? We can only wonder.

Still, though, why haven't they told us one way or the other? If they were continuing, you'd think they would do things to keep fans interested, and willing to wait. However, didn't they admit in an interview that they're simply terrible at PR? That might explain it.

likalaruku · **Joined:** Mon Jan 09, 2006 4:05 am **Posts:** 474

Let's pretend (to make ourselves feel better) that the Chapman's PR is a huge concrete dike, that their current projects are metric funktons of water, & that our prattling them for information is an annoying little kid with a pickaxe & a taste for destruction.

CaptainPastHisPrime · **Posted:** Wed May 25, 2011 5:30 pm

With the lack of any new additions as of late, I'm also wondering if the 50% off sale is an ominous omen of the website shutting down...

Ah, well, at least I still have the first two of the Everything Else DVDs. Maybe I'll have to get everything else on there, too, just so I can have some way of retaining all my memories of the site and then some... :-|

KannonPhreak · **Joined:** Sat Mar 19, 2011 6:21 am **Posts:** 8

Makes you wonder.

TwiceStyle · **Posted:** Wed May 25, 2011 10:12 pm

Well, it makes me feel good. For some reason, it seems that they will start actually updating.

likalaruku · **Joined:** Mon Jan 09, 2006 4:05 am **Posts:** 474

Let's take a look at the store trends:
-----------------------------------------------
- Jan 19 2009: Trogday sale.

+ Feb 24 2009: New hoodie in store.

+ March 16 2009: New shirt in store.

+ April 6 2009: New CD in store.

+ April 21 2009: New tote in store.

+ April 24 2009: DVD set preorder in store.

- July 20 2009: 13% off sale.

- Aug 6 2009: Shirt clearance sale in store.

- Aug 27 2009: Hoodie 20% off sale.

+ Oct 7 2009: New laptop skins in store.

+ Oct 30 2009: New shirt in store.

+ Nov 8 2009: Baby clothes in store.

+ Nov 19 2009: New cards in store.

+ Dec 1 2009: New calendar in store.
-----------------------------------
- Jan 19 2010: Trogday sale.

- Feb 3 2010: Calendar sale.

- July 14 2010: Patches sale.

- Sept 1 2010: Labor Dabor sale.

- Sept 7 2010: 15% off sale.

- Sept 13 2010: DVD sale.

+ Nov 24: 2010: New calendar in store.
----------------------------------------
- Jan 10 2011: Trogday sale.

- May 16 2011: 50% off sale.
------------------------------
Total site updates:
--------------------
2009: 134 updates, 33 are toons.
2010: 32 updates, 4 are cartoons.
2011: 4 updates (as of August 2).

Excuse me gentlemen...I've just depressed myself.

Seriously. · **Joined:** Sun Apr 02, 2006 11:24 am **Posts:** 78

People don't "declare their sites dead," they just go do other things and at some distant point in time make decisions about the future direction of their sites. Whether that means letting the hosting lapse, almost no one bothers to plan out that process. They just get busy somewhere else and it happens.

likalaruku · **Joined:** Mon Jan 09, 2006 4:05 am **Posts:** 474

Only about half the sites I have visited between 1998 & now have bother declaring that they were closing shop, though to be fair, some don't say anything because they might return after attending to other things, even if it takes years.

A good example is Floating Hands studios; a series known mostly for it's X-Men spoof toons (yes I'm plugging, go watch em). He hasn't updated since March of 09, though unlike the Chapmans, he pops up once in awhile on the forums to remind us that the site is not officially dead & that he'll start making cartoons once his business is finished, apparently work & finance related.

hsr4ever85 · **Posted:** Sat Jul 23, 2011 4:31 pm

Well, who knows what this might be insinuating? There's plenty of reasons for them to both close it down and to keep it running. Frankly, I'm content to just wait it out and see what happens. Although there are certain people who, if the website updates anytime soon, I will be very immature with, in the form of a hearty 'I TOLD YOU SO'. But again, I'm content with waiting. Even more so now that I have THE C.D. It just came in the mail today. SO happy right now. Although I think I only got it for three songs: Trogdor, Sensitive to Bees, and the secret song. Other than that, there's nothing on here I'd wanna listen to. But I'm gonna rip the whole C.D. onto my computer anyway so I can put all the songs on my MP3. w00t. I am very happy. I think this occasion deserves/calls for...........
THE LEGENDARY SANDBIRD!
Yeah. Epic.
EDIT: Oh, wait. There's also the Dangeresque II theme song, The Cheat is Not Dead, and Everybody to the Limit (Live). But other than that......

hrjcm · **Posted:** Mon Aug 01, 2011 8:40 pm

I'm pretty sure they had a similar sale in 2008. I know they did, in fact, because I got 5 DVDs, and CD, and a bumper sticker for 25 bucks that year.

hsr4ever85 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 01, 2011 9:20 pm

Wow. That's a good haul. Congrats to you.
You may have a point, but then again, H*R was still pretty big a few years back. Now, even if they aren't done with it yet, it's still definitely past its prime. However, again, perhaps you do have a point. Perhaps there is still more to come, and we have nothing to worry about. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

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