It’s always a little sad to see a company that produces countless high quality collectibles disappear from the industry. The team at Gentle Giant Ltd. have been producing some of the best looking collectibles on the market for years, so to see them go the way of the dodo is regrettable, but thankfully our friends at Diamond Select Toys they won’t have to go away at all! This year at New York Toy Fair Diamond Select Toys announced that they had purchased Gentle Giant Ltd. and that they were bringing both the brand its assets and licenses under the Diamond Select Toys umbrella.

While overall not much will be changing for Gentle Giant Ltd. collectors, essentially this was a way that Diamond Select Toys could see to it that a number of fully developed and unreleased products that may not have seen the light of day would be able to make their way into the homes of collectors. These products will still be released under the Gentle Giant Ltd. banner, but this brand will now be a subdivision of Diamond Select Toys. It’s also worth noting that Gentle Giant Studios themselves were not a part of this acquisition and will continue to operate independently under the Gentle Giant Studios name doing digital design work for a number of companies, Diamond Select Toys included.

New licenses that will be released by Diamond Select Toys include ‘Star Wars’ (which will continue to be released under the Gentle Giant Ltd. brand) and ‘Honey Trap’ (which is an original IP created by Gentle Giant Ltd.). Diamond Select Toys also plans to release the previously developed new ‘Tiny Tin Pocket Pails’ line of miniature tin lunchboxes with themes like ‘Marvel’ and ‘Star Wars’! There is no word yet as to what other licenses or collectibles lines from Gentle Giant Ltd. that Diamond Select Toys plans to continue.

Check out the full press release from Diamond Select Toys as well as our full image gallery below!

Diamond Select Toys to Purchase Gentle Giant, Ltd. Assets

Both Diamond Select Toys and Gentle Giant Ltd. have long been known for delivering high-quality busts, statues and action figures to collectors worldwide. Now, fans can get the best of both worlds, as DST finalizes the purchase of select assets of Gentle Giant, taking over manufacturing and distribution of many of the company’s key lines.

Beginning February 1, Diamond Select Toys and Collectibles, LLC, will assume operations for all of Gentle Giant’s existing licenses, and release previously developed and newly created busts, statues and scaled-up vintage action figures. Any in-progress and future products will be offered to retailers through the Previews catalog, published by DST’s sister company Diamond Comic Distributors.

Gentle Giant’s collector club, the Premier Guild, will continue to operate, with exclusive items for members and reserved access to certain products. DST has pledged to fulfill any outstanding exclusives and rewards to current members, and to expand on the club’s scope going forward.

“This is a great moment for DST,” said Diamond Comic Distributors owner Steve Geppi. “The unification of many of Gentle Giant’s licenses and built-in fan base with DST’s sales and distribution channels is a recipe for success. Two wonderful companies uniting talents to produce the best of the best.  I am confident the final product will be well received by both companies’ wonderful supporters and customers.”

“It is a great honor for Gentle Giant to continue our strong creative relationship with Diamond,” said Karl Meyer, VP of Entertainment at 3D Systems. “With great pleasure, I am personally thrilled to have DST uphold the Gentle Giant Ltd brand and work with our artists in bringing entertainment magic from the screen to the collectors’ hands.”

“I have been a longtime fan of Gentle Giant’s products, and I am excited to continue their legacy,” said DST president Chuck Terceira. “Once we’re up and running, we plan to deliver seamless service of existing product lines, so expect to see the same level of quality, with the added bonus of DST’s broad distribution.”

In addition to resin busts and statues, DST produces Gallery PVC Dioramas, Select action figures, Minimates mini-figures, Vinimates vinyl figures, D-Formz PVC figures, prop replicas and vinyl banks.

Diamond Select Toys & Collectibles, LLC, was formed in 1999 by sister company Diamond Comic Distributors as a source of collectibles for all ages, developed primarily for the collector’s market. It has enjoyed relationships with a number of content producers, including Lucasfilm, Disney, Marvel, Warner Bros., Sony, CBS, Legendary, PopCap, EA and many more.

INDUSTRY FAQ

  • What will change when DST takes over Giant Gentle?
    Very little. Most products already developed will move forward, and new products will be developed to follow them. Many of the existing designers, sculptors, painters and factories will continue to be involved. You can expect to see some new artists that DST has worked with in the past start to work on traditional Gentle Giant Ltd. products. Convention attendance will remain largely the same, and the Premier Guild will continue to operate as it did. 
  • Will Gentle Giant be changing its name?
    Gentle Giant Studios are not involved in this acquisition and will continue to operate, performing sculpting services for a variety of clients, including DST. The Gentle Giant Ltd. brand will be joining the DST family.
  • Will DST take over Gentle Giant’s licenses? Including Star Wars?
    Yes, DST will take over the majority of the Gentle Giant Ltd licenses and will continue the existing lines that Gentle Giant has started, releasing already-developed items and developing new items. Each license will be reviewed and discussed, and we will update you as soon as possible on their status.
  • What should fans of Gentle Giant look forward to?
    A continuation of everything that they know and love about the company, with the addition of some new product categories, an injection of new artistic talent, and more ways to get the products they care about.