Nancy: Welcome to William LaRue, author and Web master of Collecting "Simpsons!" His guide to collecting "Simpsons" merchandise will be available tomorrow, December 1st, at the bookstore here. Tonight you're getting first crack at all the information he has to offer. Before we begin with questions, do you have anything you'd like to say?
Bill: Hello. Thank you for stopping by tonight. I do have a couple of news items ... First, look for a Fox news conference Jan. 11 to talk about "The Simpsons" Globan Fanfest Also, there was an announcement today that the cast of the show will be appearing on stage together at an upcoming comedy fest -- I believe the one in Aspen -- to perform an episode. Look for lots of stuff like that over the next year, including announcements on merchandise
Nancy: Great! And I'm guessing we can always visit "Collecting "Simpsons!" for updates?
Bill: Sure. I'm hoping to attend the news conference I'll file reports from there as quickly as possible on my Web site.
Nancy: Great! Now we have some questions in that I gathered from fans.
Bill: Fire away
Nancy: How did you start collecting, and why did you decide to write a book?
Bill: I got started seriously about 5 years ago just because "Simpsons" merchandise was so appealing. I decided to write a book pretty much for the same reason I put together the Web site -- to share the fun with others.
Nancy: It is fun! I love looking at the great toys and stuff Fox puts out.
Bill: Sometimes, I like the merchandise more than a few of the episodes, to be honest about it.
Nancy: LOL
Nancy: What are your favorite things to collect?
Bill: I've got a full-size "Simpsons" pinball machine in my basement. I've got a "Simpsons" crew jacket that I bought from an employee of Gracie Films. Matt Groening often wears one just like it. I really like best "Simpsons" merchandise that I can put on display -- stuff like action figures, dolls, etc.
Nancy: Wow! Where did you get something as cool as the jacket?
Bill: I got it from an employee of the studio .
Nancy: Did you just give that person a call, or were they selling it?
Bill: I put out a notice before I even had a Web site that I was looking for "Simpsons" merchandise, and the person got in touch with me.
Nancy: That leads me into the next question, one I'm sure you get quite often, where should fans go for merchandise?
Bill: These days, the Internet is definitely the best source. I think ebay has the widest selection, particularly of older stuff
Nancy: There are lots of old toys available, what new toys and merchandise are coming out?
Bill: The big news is the new line of action figures from Playmates Toys. They talk to each other, which sounds pretty cool. I hear the first ones might be coming as early as this month.
Nancy: Kind of like Furbies?
Bill: I hear there will be another video release in the spring, too. And I would expect Fox to take advantage of the 10th anniversary to bring out lots more we don't even know about yet. Furbies -- yeah, precisely. There's also "Simpsons" Pez coming this spring.
Nancy: Now, with all this new stuff coming out that makes me wonder, how can you guess which collectibles will increase in value?
Bill: There's a lot of debate on that. Typically, the stuff everybody thinks will increase in value is the stuff that doesn't -- and vice versa As a rule, stuff you would want to put on display would tend to increase the most over time.
Nancy: That's good to know. Now, here's something I've always wondered, why do folks in Australia and the UK get so much great stuff, and the US doesn't?
Bill: Good question. To make a truly long story short, Fox basically blew it a few years ago by oversaturing the U.S. with so much "Simpsons" merchandise that it all but killed demand in this country. When that happened, merchants lost interest in the U.S. However, there has been tremendous interest in other countries where the show is extremely popular. There are other reasons having to do with licensing issues that I don't fully understand.
Nancy: That's craptacular.
Bill: I know Fox really wants to revive "Simpsons" merchandise in the U.S., but it's being much more careful this time.
Nancy: Let's talk a little about your book, which is available at "The Simpsons" Fans bookstore here. <wink>
Bill: Cool.
Nancy: How is your book different from other collectibles guides?
