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Non-Tech : Play-by-Play Toys and Novelties (pbyp) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?


To: trader14U who wrote (62)9/5/1999 6:57:00 PM
From: Land Shark  Respond to of 132
 
Post that rumor on the YHOO thread. It'll counter the garbage being spewed by the longs.

These jokers have some idiot rumor that Mattel is going to purchase a 15% interest in PBYP.



To: trader14U who wrote (62)9/5/1999 7:56:00 PM
From: Dako  Respond to of 132
 
I hate to get caught up in rumors, but I suppose the one regarding Warner Brothers pulling the plug on Play-by-Play has some potential basis. We know from PBYP's latest 10-Q filing that it has "significantly underperformed relative to desired milestones toward the future minimum guaranteed royalty obligation for a particular entertainment character license".

This license is obviously a big one or its disclosure would not have been made. The company said more recently, when it preannounced its 4th quarter earnings brick, that it would also take a $6-8 million writeoff for both worthless inventory and the writedown of guaranteed royalty advances on the aforementioned license.

So we have an ostensibly valuable license that is not now producing anywhere near prior expectations. Might be something to consider for those involved for the Pokemon play, if you could possibly get past the approaching financial denouement.



To: trader14U who wrote (62)9/6/1999 6:57:00 PM
From: Dako  Respond to of 132
 
More revealing information from Play-By-Play's own filings, this one from the most recent 10-K:

"Approximately 50.6% of the Company's net sales in fiscal 1998 were derived from the sale of products based on Warner Brothers' "Looney Tunes". As a result, a loss of the Time Warner license rights would have a material adverse effect on the Company. The Company expects that Time Warner may from time to time consider various opportunities, whether developed internally or proposed by third parties, involving the commercial exploitation of the "Looney Tunes" characters. Time Warner would be free to pursue such opportunities directly or with others, including products and markets licensed to the Company. There can be no assurance that Time Warner will offer any such business opportunities to the Company or that such opportunities will be offered on terms acceptable to the Company".

It's apparent that the Looney Tunes license is the one which Play-By-Play recently referred to when it cited significance underperformance with respective to milestones, forcing a write-down of pre-paid royalties. Problems with a license which generates 50% of its revenues will make ongoing talks with its creditors very sticky.

This situation should be a far greater focus for investors in this stock than any future and undefined revenue potential from a non-exclusive license for Pokemon products.