Hobby Musings: Icon AI Small-Stars looking to make its mark in the hobby – Toys and figurines have been a common fixture in the sports memorabilia world for decades. Whether it’s been Hartland Baseball statues or Starting Lineups, sports figures have been a part of many collections. Both in and not in that vein, Icon AI’s Small-Stars basketball figures have introduced a new collectible for the digital age. With the classic look of a physical figure and a new touch with a corresponding app, Icon AI Small-Stars figures are a new entry into the sports collectible world.
And that’s exactly how the company wants it according to Terry Smith. The artistic designer behind the figures, he admitted the unique nature of what the company is trying to achieve. Elaborating further, he said “Small-Stars are not really a vinyl toy, they’re kind of a hybrid product that is smart and electronic. It’s inventing a category that does not exist in the sports collectible market with a smart collectible. We’re finding our way with these early releases, but we’re also evolving the figures and the app with each new release.”
The company released the inaugural line of the product earlier this year. Keeping the production run fairly low, Smith said the company has received a good reception from retailers and customers alike on the figures. He did note the challenge of getting the product off the ground, saying, “It’s hard enough to launch a product in one category, let a alone a hybrid collectible figure with a tied-in app. Instead of trying to put out one product, it’s like trying to put out four at the same time.”
Hobby Musings: Icon AI Small-Stars looking to make its mark in the hobby
Featuring some of the NBA’s biggest stars including LeBron James and Steph Curry, Smith said the first line was a good way to gauge collector interest in the unique collectible. When asked which player figurine generated the most interest, he noted the popularity of the figures was strongly tied into their region. For example, a player like Curry generated the most interest in the California area where the Warriors play.
Small-Stars’ second release has already hit the market in local areas in California, and its updated app became available on December 18th. While the checklist of players is the same as the first release, there is a new wrinkle in the product. Smith said the figures are featured in their new Nike jerseys and different colors. While a player like James Harden was featured in his red Rockets jersey with the first line, his new figure will see him in a white jersey.
Though still limited, the new release of the figures did receive an uptick in production. For collectors curious about the limited nature of their figure, the product’s app will be able to tell you the edition number of your player. As for a price, Smith said the he expected roughly a $30 increase from the initial release. While he said it would vary based on the retailer, his rough guess SRP on the product was about $160, though he has seen the figurines go for higher prices.
Something Smith said Icon AI was looking to do with the second figure release was expand and improve the Small-Stars app. Admitting that the company’s first version was limited, more engagement and entertainment was made a priority in the new version. To that end, they added Stats 201, a feature that puts a new twist on how fans get the statistical information for each player. With a series of challenging statistical questions, fans can accrue points and more questions based on correct answers. Adding to the fun, you can also challenge your friends. Smith noted that you don’t have to own one of the figures to take part in the Stats 201 challenges, you simply need to download the free app (iOS and Android) to get in on the fun.
The new version of the app is also designed to have an evergreen shelf life with all of the company’s figures. Instead of a product like a bobblehead that essentially just sits on a shelf, the company wanted to create something that could provide entertainment and engagement for the customer well after purchase. To that end, anybody who has already bought a figure can still enjoy the new versions of the app and everything it has to offer. To be able to do that though, you have to download the latest updated version of the App. Searching in your app store, you can find it under “iconai small-stars mobile authenticator”.
Speaking more about the challenges, with the figures, especially related to its apps, Smith said, “We’re a small company and trying something new, so one of the hardest things with us is advertising and getting the word out. Trying to educate people on how to use the product has been a little challenging, especially with different user experiences on various phones. Now with similar experiences across IPhone and Android, it’s a little easier to engage with the app.”
Besides the technological challenges, Small-Stars also faces the complexity of having to go through several companies to get approval on the product. Similar to trading cards, the company deals with a variety of licenses for approval to make the figurines. This ranges from getting permission from a company like Apple and Google for the app component, and the NBA and NBA Player Association for logos, uniforms and players.
In the future the company hopes to be able to offer players in their real shoes. As Smith put it when talking about getting the exact shoes, “We want to put out a high-quality product with as much authentic detail as possible, while keeping the costs at a reasonable price point for our customers. This becomes quite challenging with all of the licensing fees we are required to pay in addition to using top artistic talent.”
As for getting the word out, the company is also remedying that. Methods they will employ this year include launching a new website with more information and behind the scenes looks at the products while also increasing their social media presence. Also important to the company is supporting and saying thank you to the retailers that carried the product in its inaugural run. To that end, Smith said he is planning on having more meet and greet style events at stores where fans can come out to meet him, get an autograph and become more familiar with the products themselves.
With the second release out on the market, Smith and Small-Stars is already looking to the future. One big change with the next series will be some new players added to the chase. Kawhi Leonard and Giannis Antetokounmpo are among the players set to make their Small-Stars debut in the next release. Lonzo Ball will also be receiving a figure. Asked why he was including the Lakers rookie among the more-established stars, Smith said it was simply based on feedback and demand. Explaining further, he said, “The Lakers haven’t really had a star player in a while. It was a tough decision to make with a limited roster, but talking with our retailers and distributors, a lot of them wanted Lonzo Ball. So we decided to include him.”
Smith revealed the new player figures are set to hit the market roughly after the NBA All-Star break. While he’s tasted some success so far with his unique creations, he has no intention of slowing down. Besides the current players depicted on the figures, he wants to eventually include retired stars among his product checklist. He’s also hoping the product becomes successful enough that different sizes of the figures can eventually be produced.
Smith is also looking to include more variations on the player jerseys and player poses to give collectors different options to choose from. At the end of the day though, he just wants to provide fans with a unique collectible that doesn’t become stale. Summing it up, he said, “Our goal is to create collectibles that are informative, engaging and entertaining. Even when one season ends and another begins, you can still receive the same enjoyment from your figure.”
Hobby Musings: Icon AI Small-Stars looking to make its mark in the hobby
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