Answers to WTFWTK 2.6!

[Lay Ze-Man]

"customizers bundle"

That would be cool!!!

Several blank bodies: 1 strongman, 1 hairy, 1 alien, 1 female, etc
Couple different heads
Couple different armors
Couple different accesories

I'd be curious to know how much leaving off the paint ops would drop the price per item for Mattel.
I've read it's among the biggest cost besides the steel tooling.

[Darkspecter]

Very informative. Some of the news is exciting, while other bits are very depressing. It seems like every Q&A the list of characters Mattel can't make keeps on growing and growing.

I was majorly excited at the beginning, but not seeing any PoP or NA so far in this "all encompassing" line, has me timid and worried. I want to see a never before made character or some PoP or NA to know Mattel is going to make good on their word. King Grayskull is wonderful, but he's just He-Man with a new head. So help me...if this line ends and we just get the first 8 of MOTU I may never collect any new MOTU stuff again...

All the waiting and secrecy is getting me stressed out. Maybe if they'd throw us a bone...say packaging pics...I wouldn't be going stir crazy/having MOTUC panic paranoia.

[Eamon]

I'd happily order them from Germany.
Basically, which ever Mattel office has the facilities to store and ship the figures within europe, that should be the place that gets the gig.

I am surprised I'm the only one concerned about the release date. If it's the 15th of December, tis gonna be difficult getting them in time for Xmas.

[Eric]

I'd happily order them from Germany.
Basically, which ever Mattel office has the facilities to store and ship the figures within europe, that should be the place that gets the gig.

I am surprised I'm the only one concerned about the release date. If it's the 15th of December, tis gonna be difficult getting them in time for Xmas.

If it is the 15th of December, I'd say there's pretty much no way the majority of consumers will get them by Christmas. Just too busy of a season.

[Lay Ze-Man]

Getting them in time for Christmas would truly be awesome, but it all honesty I'm not really concerned about any deadlines.

I'm more concerned about Mattel getting my He-Man and Beast Man looking the best they possibly can so that I have NO disappointments when they arrive . . . whenever that may be.

[Eamon]

Well, I'm sure He-man and Beast Man are pretty much done by now.
So what we need to do if it's feasable, we see if we can get Mattel via Toy Guru to start taking orders within the first few days of december.
Even if they just take foreign orders which will be rather small and managable as they may not be fully set up for a full on US order which will be way bigger.
I also think it would be a good genture given the fact that we gotta pay more the US fans.

[invaziondrummer]

Well, that's it, and that's that. Sadly, the dream I've had for the last 21 years of some day owning a figure of He-Man in his awesome William Stout designed movie costume is a dream that is now dead. Mattel will NEVER make this figure, thus disappointing the movie's many fans worldwide.

JVS3, thanks for all your efforts in getting these questions answered by Mattel. it is much appreciated.

I'm pretty sure that was my question, and if not, I know I asked it that way at some point. Anyway, I wish these answers would come with more of an explanation, instead of a flat yes or no. The point behind "connecting all the dots" between WB and Mattel in the question was to explore the fact that a legitimate relationship already exists between the two companies, and NOW with the announcement of the commitment Mattel has to a new MOTU film (WITH WARNER BROS!), it seems even MORE of a no-brainer to be able to do these figures. Obviously there are reasons that AREN'T so obvious that prevent that, and I'd just like to see some light shed on that area so the rejection of the idea would possibly be a slightly easier to swallow "pill".

That would be cool!!!

Several blank bodies: 1 strongman, 1 hairy, 1 alien, 1 female, etc
Couple different heads
Couple different armors
Couple different accesories

I'd be curious to know how much leaving off the paint ops would drop the price per item for Mattel.
I've read it's among the biggest cost besides the steel tooling.

Since I keep seeing people say "paint ops" a lot, I have to ask: Isn't the term supposed to be "paint APPS" as in Applications?

[Raining Light]

If the 2nd run of a figure is going to be exactly like the first run then what is the importance of stressing a first run figure?
In other words why do we have to insure we get a first run figure with a subscription if the 2nd run will be exactly the same? If they are the same no one will ever know the differance.

Just what I feared, a scalpers paradise.
I have a first run He-Man so Im charging X amount of dollars.

When our only penalty is we didnt have the money at the moment of release.

[JafariStew]

There's a couple things I hope they do with the subscription service & I hope it is like how you can preorder from BBTS.

1, You can preorder a max amount of figures (we'll say 4), when the figure comes out, let's use Evil Seed, you can decrease as or increase the amount you want before he comes out, like you can increase to 4 or decrease to 1 depending on your interest in said character, & if you are buying for friends etc. to save on shipping.

2. Figures should be charged as they are released, not in one lump sum with the subscription, because if you want more or less of a certain character by release date, that should come into play what you are charged.

I think that would be the best way, but I would suppose with the subscription you would have to get at least 1 of each of the 1st 12 & not skip a month (not that I would ).

[JVS3]

Raining Light:

As revealed in 2.3, they plan to change the packaging on 2nd run figures so each run has collectible value to it.

Please be sure to read existing Q&As before discussing / asking questions.

If you don't care about that sort of thing, it won't matter to you which packaing you get, because like you said, the figure will be the same.

JaraiStew:

Thus far, what they are offering appears to be an annual preorder.
Not a subscription.
So not sure if those kind of options would be created.
Anything's possible, though!

[thexxwatcherxx]

In response to Raining Light as well, for me I have always just perferred a 1st run figure. I have no idea why I just do?

Also Val I know sometimes your in the loop and sometimes not, have any info on how the annual pre-order will be charged? Lump sum or as each figure is sent out?

[Raining Light]

JVS3
Sorry I totally messed it.
And thanks for deleting from the other thread.
A package change isnt so bad,
but I am a MOC collecter, so it still hurts

Thanks.


I just hope that is what they do instead of changing the figure.
The packaging wont cause as much of a stir.

Would we be able to buy 2 "annual preorders"?
So we get 2 of each figure.

[JVS3]

A package change isnt so bad,
but I am a MOC collecter, so it still hurts

Yeah, that might sting a bit.
But I really don't think it's gonna be that bad.

They won't sell out in the first day.
It took almost a week at SDCC for rabid fans, dealers and scalpers to finaly scoop them all up,
and then, what, a few days online to sell out of the little that remained?
And there will undoubtedly be more produced than KG.

So if you know the release date, you can plan in advance to have the funds to purchase, and you have a bit of wiggle room if you aren't there the moment they go online.

In response to Raining Light as well, for me I have always just perferred a 1st run figure. I have no idea why I just do?

I always get excited about "2nd prints"
What a lot of people fail to realize is that usually additional run stuff is MUCH rarer than the 1st run.

People get it in their head that the first run is the best because of that reason.
But usually over-runs or 2nd prints are done to produce a quantity to fill additional orders, which quite often are a fraction of the original run.

If folks really approached this from an investment POV, you'd always go after the 2nd (or even 3rd) run items because they are far more limited.

Also Val I know sometimes your in the loop and sometimes not, have any info on how the annual pre-order will be charged? Lump sum or as each figure is sent out?

Nope, no clue.
I don't we'll find out until closer to the first order date.

[Lay Ze-Man]

Since I keep seeing people say "paint ops" a lot, I have to ask: Isn't the term supposed to be "paint APPS" as in Applications?

"Paint ops" refers to "paint operations".

Since its use has increased over the past couple of years in my toy-related reading across the 'net, I'm guessing it's the industry/factory term.

A package change isnt so bad,
but I am a MOC collecter, so it still hurts

Yeah, especially if you're a completist AND a MOC collector.

But honestly I doubt there will be that many characters that will meet the criteria: "key characters" that sell out "quickly".

He-Man, Skelly, maaaybe the random character that they do a smaller production for that ends up having greater demand than anticipated.

From that same answer, TG says "Our goal is to make sure all MOTU collectors can get these new figures."
I just hope that extends to chase figures and paint/accessory variants too, if or when we get to them.

Just as an example:

If gray/purple Evil-Lyn sells out in a day or two, but yellow/blue Lyn is still stocked plentifully, I'd hope Mattel would make some more gray/purples to avoid scalper feeding frenzies.

If folks really approached this from an investment POV, you'd always go after the 2nd (or even 3rd) run items because they are far more limited.

That's interesting, never thought of it like that.
But like in comics, doesn't the first print usually go for more than the second or third, because that's the version everyone wanted in the first place, necessitating the new printings?

[thexxwatcherxx]

I appreciate the responses val. I have thought about why I like 1st run figures more then 2nd run and I guess it comes from my background in comics and star wars, especially star wars. With a 1st run figure if there's a mess up or a variation that the factory missed that's where it will be on the 1st run figure. 2nd runs are usually created to fix the error and then that "corrected" figure is what ships from then on in. After 13 years of collecting that's pretty much what I have learned in hunting these things down. Much more with star wars then MOTU which to my knowledge never had specific runs like comics.

[Eric]

I don't collect to make money or eventually make money, so first runs or second runs or whatever don't matter. I get the version I like and forget about the rest. I think if you're collecting to make money, and thus first prints or second prints make a difference, you probably need to find a more profitable hobby, cause as far as that goes, this one stinks!

[Darkspecter]

and then, what, a few days online to sell out of the little that remained?

Do you mean King Grayskull on MattyCollector? He sold out in 4 hours or less on the day the site went live. That's why so many people were disappointed when they got home from work, because he was sold out. The Cars diecast car sold out before Grayskull. I think Lobo sold out on day two and Giganta sold out last week, I think it was.

[JVS3]

I thought it was longer.
Oh well, my apologies.

Still, it was just a fraction from SDCC.
I don't think there's a lot to worry about this early in the game.

[JonWes]

JaraiStew:

Thus far, what they are offering appears to be an annual preorder.
Not a subscription.
So not sure if those kind of options would be created.
Anything's possible, though!

This is encouraging and exactly what I was hoping for. A pre-order suggests that you pay as you go. This makes sense because it's a bit tricky actually taking people's money beforehand. What if something goes horribly awry and they don't do more than 5 figures? Then you're refunding a lot of money. Also, shipping could vary from now until the end of 2009 dependent on fuel costs, so it'd be hard to charge a lump sum for shipping. I guess we'll see.

I just wonder if this is supposed to be in place BEFORE He-man and Beastman come out? I know originally it wouldn't have been set-up but I was kind of hoping it might happen now that it's been delayed.