GO FIGURE BROTHERS TURN CHILDHOOD HOBBY INTO BIG BUSINESS.Byline: Robert Monroe Staff Writer NORTH HOLLYWOOD - Even as a kid, Jason Labowitz was very particular about how he played with his ``Star Wars'' action figures: half were drafted into battle on the floor of his Van Nuys home, half stayed in the original packaging. They'll be worth something some day, the 8-year-old would say. Now Labowitz and his brother, Aaron, cater to kindred spirits Kindred Spirits may refer to:
They need no proof action figures are worth something to lots of people. Their online toy retailing business, Entertainment Earth, cleared $1.5 million in sales last year and they expect to double that this year. ``We're not a `dealer,' we're not a scalper scalper 1. A market maker who assigns excessive markups or markdowns on security transactions. Such activity is in violation of National Association of Securities Dealers rules. 2. ,'' said Aaron Labowitz, 32, distinguishing entertainmentearth.com from the collectibles market. ``If it's available now, we'll sell it now at a regular retail price.'' That down-to-earth philosophy has made them a force to be reckoned with. They say action figure maker Hasbro rates them among the biggest sellers of its ``Star Wars''-themed toys, behind only a half-dozen giant retailers such as Toys 'R' Us and Wal-Mart. Hasbro officials could not be reached to confirm that Thursday. And their marketing and sales strategy should spell success, analysts say. They sell only online and advertise mostly through ``Star Wars'' fan Web sites, though they make a few appearances at fan conventions. They offer a guarantee that the toys, and, of course, their packaging, will be in mint condition
Mint condition is an expression used in the description of pre-owned goods. Originally, the phrase comes from the way collectors describe the condition of coins. when delivered. Aaron Labowitz said Entertainment Earth tends to draw older customers, collectors looking to fill out their ensembles of figures related to, say, the movie ``Austin Powers,'' the company's second hottest seller. ``Parents tend to go to e-Toys,'' said Aaron, now a Granada Hills resident. It's the collectors of the world that could keep Entertainment Earth afloat, said Melissa Williams, an analyst with Gerard Klauer Mattison Co. Their penchant remains unquenched even in the absence of new ``Star Wars'' movies, progenitors
The Progenitors were a race of fictional beings in the Star Trek Universe created by Gene Roddenberry. of 75 percent of Entertainment Earth's business. ``It's a fad-driven business,'' Williams said. ``(But) if you target the market properly, then sales are very stable.'' The distinction is fine between selling to collectors and selling collector's items collector's item Noun an object highly valued by collectors for its beauty or rarity Noun 1. collector's item - the outstanding item (the prize piece or main exhibit) in a collection piece de resistance, showpiece . Sticking to the retail price keeps the Labowitzes on one side of the fence though some of their items fall somewhere in between. From them, you can buy the $30 light saber that makes lights and sounds or the $1,500 exact replica light saber. You can buy a $4,000 life-size replica of Darth Vader Darth Vader fallen Jedi Knight has turned to evil. [Am. Cinema: Star Wars] See : Evil or a $1,000 replica of the Terminator's metallic head. An entire Terminator (1) A character that ends a string of alphanumeric characters. (2) A hardware component that is connected to the last peripheral device in a series or the last node in a network. skeleton is coming soon. Some of the items still in Entertainment Earth's stock weren't collectors items until they had aged a bit. For example, you can buy, for $57.99, a Millennium Falcon The Millennium Falcon is a fictional spacecraft in the Star Wars universe commanded by smuggler Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and his Wookiee first mate, Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew). produced by Kenner in 1995 that most retailers don't sell anymore. The brothers started the business in 1996 out of their garage with $9,000 worth of action figures. Now they have seven employees and a 17,000- square-foot office and warehouse decorated to the hilt hilt n. The handle of a weapon or tool. Idiom: to the hilt To the limit; completely: played the role to the hilt. with ``Star Wars'' movie posters. Through it all, none of Jason Labowitz's own 700- to 800-piece collection of mini Luke Skywalkers and Darth Vaders was depleted de·plete tr.v. de·plet·ed, de·plet·ing, de·pletes To decrease the fullness of; use up or empty out. [Latin d to raise capital. ``It never even crossed my mind,'' said the 30-year-old Sherman Oaks resident. ``Collectors aren't in it to sell. They're in it to enjoy the collection.'' CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1 -- color) Entertainmentearth.com features items such as a $1,000 replica of the Terminator's metallic head. (2 -- color) Co-owners of entertainmenteath.com, brothers Aaron, left, and Jason Labowitz are one of the biggest sellers of ``Star Wars''-themed toys. (3) Entertainmentearth.com expects to double the $1.5 million in sales they cleared last year. Eric Grigorian/Special to the Daily News |
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