MOTUC Castle Grayskull Discussion Thread w/ Feb 26, 2013 Q&A

[Marvelous0ne]

You have literally no idea how business works. They would have to charge more because they would only make a fraction of them compared to the Barbie sets they put in stores to turn any sort of profit, and they don't exist to lose money.

And my answer is no, I wouldn't buy it. Don't need a playset, since I don't play with the toys.

I know how the business works. The issue is money. But I do know that while it does cost money to make the tooling needed for the toy. But making them isn't that expensive. BUt the labor to put them together does. Mattel keeps saying that they don't have the money to make Castle Grayskull. But they keep making bonus figures with Toyguru's face on them, large scale figures and beasts. and other stuff. When the funds for all that could go toward making the Castle. Castle Grayskull itself is one of the major characters in MOTU. And claiming it would cost $300 is a joke when it shouldn't. If that was truly the case, the vehicles themselves will cost about $100! Maybe Mattel should reconsider issuing MOTUC in retail. Maybe then we could get Castle Grayskull! Make it an exclusive to Toys R Us. Especially since they said that the DC/MOTUC two packs are selling well. Selling the Castle in a retail store should cut the cost and make it more affordable to the fans.

[Clawful84]

But $300.00 is way to much and i have everything in the line so far in doubles and triples!!!But still $300 is to much.I can honestly say $200-$225 would be my limit and I would still have sleep on it for a month before pulling the trigger!!

[Super He-Man]

I know how the business works. The issue is money. But I do know that while it does cost money to make the tooling needed for the toy. But making them isn't that expensive. BUt the labor to put them together does. Mattel keeps saying that they don't have the money to make Castle Grayskull. But they keep making bonus figures with Toyguru's face on them, large scale figures and beasts. and other stuff. When the funds for all that could go toward making the Castle. Castle Grayskull itself is one of the major characters in MOTU. And claiming it would cost $300 is a joke when it shouldn't. If that was truly the case, the vehicles themselves will cost about $100! Maybe Mattel should reconsider issuing MOTUC in retail. Maybe then we could get Castle Grayskull! Make it an exclusive to Toys R Us. Especially since they said that the DC/MOTUC two packs are selling well. Selling the Castle in a retail store should cut the cost and make it more affordable to the fans.

If they make the castle, it will be addition, not instead of, all that other stuff you mentioned. They have no reason to replace those items when they're doing well with them

Putting it in retail would only possibly work during a movie year, like Toyguru has said. There likely aren't enough fans right now for it to do well in retail. Regardless, they're not going to chance it. I'm not sure how well the 2-packs are really doing. They were doing fine for awhile, but now a lot of stores are sitting on the Skeletor/Luthor packs. Toysrus.com has had it in stock for months. If 1 of MOTU's top 2 characters hasn't sold out in all this time, I don't have high hopes for the upcoming packs.

[KingRandor82]

Was at Walmart yesterday and saw that Mattel made The Tower for Disney's Tangled dolls. Kept thinking they can make that and sell it for $50 at most. But to make Castle Grayskull it would cost $300! I wonder if Mattel is just trying to rip us off?

I love the utter failure to understand basic economics almost everywhere I go.

Sure it's $50- cause it's at Wal-Mart and it's a mass release. Probably a couple million of them made.

Castle Grayskull would more likely be a limited release, and do you think you'd really settle for what they're throwing at the kiddies, even if it is a playset? I don't think so; you want all the bells and whistles...well guess what? They cost money.

I know how the business works. The issue is money. But I do know that while it does cost money to make the tooling needed for the toy. But making them isn't that expensive. BUt the labor to put them together does. Mattel keeps saying that they don't have the money to make Castle Grayskull. But they keep making bonus figures with Toyguru's face on them, large scale figures and beasts. and other stuff. When the funds for all that could go toward making the Castle. Castle Grayskull itself is one of the major characters in MOTU. And claiming it would cost $300 is a joke when it shouldn't. If that was truly the case, the vehicles themselves will cost about $100! Maybe Mattel should reconsider issuing MOTUC in retail. Maybe then we could get Castle Grayskull! Make it an exclusive to Toys R Us. Especially since they said that the DC/MOTUC two packs are selling well. Selling the Castle in a retail store should cut the cost and make it more affordable to the fans.

So you're saying "forget pretty much everything that makes this line what it is, just give me Castle Grayskull"?

We don't know how much the vehicles will cost; how do you know claiming it'll be $300 is a joke?

Did'ja notice how Hasbro has announced ZERO plans to re-issue the USS Flagg? Think ya can figure out why? You know folks want it, but won't fork over the clams; they'd consider it waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too expensive.

Mattel is willing to go to lengths for us that most other companies probably wouldn't, especially seeing how small the market for it really is. And when they do that, stuff is more expensive.

[demiscy]

Shipping to the EU would be a killer ...

[Swanmarsh]

Ending this fantastic MOTUC collection without a MOTUC Castle Grayskull and Snake Mountain would be more of a killer!

[demiscy]

We don't know how much the vehicles will cost; how do you know claiming it'll be $300 is a joke?

It was answered in the recent Q & A..

[Skeletortilla]

Ending this fantastic MOTUC collection without a MOTUC Castle Grayskull and Snake Mountain would be more of a killer!

Absolutely! Castle Grayskull is a must have for this line...it is the very center of MOTU!
What the heck have He-Man and Skeletor been fighting over for 30 years?

CASTLE GRAYSKULL.

[dark knight]

i will pay 300 for a eternia playset lol

[Super He-Man]

We don't know how much the vehicles will cost; how do you know claiming it'll be $300 is a joke?

It was answered in the recent Q & A..

That's not what he means. He's responding to the claim that "you've got to be joking" if you think it would really cost that much.

I personally never worked for a toy company, and I would never claim that I could come up with a more accurate cost off the top of my head than someone who actually does work for a toy company.

[Neil]

I've missed the middle ten pages of this thread, so pardon me if this has mentioned before.

For all those who think that $200-$300 is too much for an MOTUC Castle Grayskull, I would point you to this:

http://www.rebelscum.com/tlcBMF.asp

The 'Big' Millennium Falcon from Hasbro's Stars Wars range retailed at $159.99 in the US.
In the UK the retail price was £149.99 (about $210 at the time).

Considering a lower production run, and the fact that I would expect an MOTUC Castle Grayskull to be bigger than the BMF, I don't think an estimate of £200-300 is completely off the wall.

It might be more than many of us are willing to pay, but I don't find the amount surprising.

[Luigispice]

I've missed the middle ten pages of this thread, so pardon me if this has mentioned before.

This goes for me as well, but my concern is if it costs that much, I'd expect it to be rather large. Then, the question becomes, where do I put it? I barely have room for my 200x Grayskull, and haven't yet been able to make room for my original one.

[victoryleo19]

Just looking at another figure of 2009 Mattel Annual Report:

46.6% Of Sales Revenue goes to the Cost of Goods sold.

That does not include expenses, like wages, taxes, operating expenses, etc. So it's safe to assume at a minimum, a $300.00 Castle Greyskull costs around $150.00 just to produce.

[Skeletortilla]

The latest company statement regarding the possibility of getting Castle Grayskull in MOTUC has me fuming.

Mattel, don't hand us that. You want us to blindly commit to a year's worth of figures in advance with a subscription? Fine. I did it. In fact, I bought TWO.

Now how about some commitment from YOU for a change? Instead of all this "if" and "when" we get to this or that, or not until a movie year, blah, blah, blah. Don't tell me you can't sell a $300 plastic shell without making a profit. Have you seen the new Hasbro Star Wars AT-AT? Most stores only stocked two of them, so the production couldn't have been very high. Not to mention there hasn't been a SW movie in theatres in FIVE YEARS. You mean to tell me Hasbro can make a ten pound, ARTICULATED vehicle that has ELECTRONICS in it, pay a licensing fee to Lucasfilm, and sell it for a mere $100, MAKING A PROFIT, yet you cannot make an empty plastic shell of a castle YOU OWN the rights to for $300 and make a profit? Riiight.

I am collecting every figure in this line and supporting it 100% based on the PROMISE YOU MADE about getting to EVERY SINGLE vintage, POP, and NA character in time, yet we still hear "if and when" all the time.

We want ALL our figures. We want vehicles, and most of all we want Castle Grayskull. (and Snake Mountain too, while you're at it!)

Stop making excuses, and GET IT DONE.

[Rodster6]

I want doesn't get lol.

[diosoth]

Hasbro managed to sell a full G.I. Joe 25th anniversary line quite well without any sort of cartoon to back it up. Don't forget they like to put in actual accessories rather than 1 or 2 bits if they feel generous.

Mattel won't really change. They make more money off Matty than through retail, can't seem to really do proper case assortments to this day and seem to like cutting corners. I hate to say it but I prefer MOTUC stay on Matty. At least then they'll make female characters and give us weapons.

[NorthCoast]

I would guess the Star Wars fanbase dwarfs the MOTU fanbase, and they do have current media with "The Clone Wars".

[Skeletortilla]

I want doesn't get lol.

I'm aware of that, but there's no reason for Mattel to keep acting like they don't know if the line is a success or not. It's paying for itself "five times over" according to TG. So let's spend some of that on a Castle, shall we?

I would guess the Star Wars fanbase dwarfs the MOTU fanbase, and they do have current media with "The Clone Wars".

I'm sure it does, but with a large expensive item like the AT-AT, the production numbers are much lower than the standard toys. Retailers don't even like to give up shelf space for a large item like that, and order conservatively. They'll make much more money filling that same space with $7 figures.

[MegaGearMax]

Hasbro has stones and are way more willing to take greater risks than Mattel.

19" Galactus?
3 different versions of Transformers at once on the shelves?
The At-At and The Millenium Falcon?
Mobile Command Center for G.I. Joe?
Devastator?

Hasbro has always been the type of company to throw things at the wall and see what sticks. Mattel, since making monumental mistakes at retail in early 2000 (200X, Batman, Harry Potter, Speed Racer, Superman Returns, Secret Saturdays, DCIH) is afraid to get their feet wet and only goes for sure things.

Considering that list of failed lines, I don't blame them.

[Straight Edge]

I'm sure it does, but with a large expensive item like the AT-AT, the production numbers are much lower than the standard toys.

Still a dfference between maybe, 20,000 units and 100,000s or millions of At-Ats. Mass market still means a *lot* of production. If every Toys R Us, Wal Mart, and Target in the country only ordered 2, that's still HUGE numbers. And most stores will order 2, sell 2, and order 2 more. Online stores are also ordering more than a case at a time, and pre-orders from every on-line store could probably top MOTUC monthly production numbers... The At-At is not a limited release item. It's a full mass-market toy from the biggest, longest running, most popular toyline of the last 15 years. Star Wars is the juggernaut. He-Man is the also-ran, in this case.

You simply cannot compare a retail toy to MOTUC.

[NorthCoast]

While I'm no Mattel defender, I would hesitate to question what they are saying about Castle Grayskull because we really don't know the production numbers, cost of creating the tooling for a large item, etc.

Plus, there is an extremely limited market without having retailer support.

I would rather have Mattel err on the side of caution than take risks that could threaten the continuation of the line.

I want a Castle Grayskull as much as anyone, but it may simply be out of reach at the moment.

[EldestSon]

Hasbro managed to sell a full G.I. Joe 25th anniversary line quite well without any sort of cartoon to back it up. Don't forget they like to put in actual accessories rather than 1 or 2 bits if they feel generous.

Mattel won't really change. They make more money off Matty than through retail, can't seem to really do proper case assortments to this day and seem to like cutting corners. I hate to say it but I prefer MOTUC stay on Matty. At least then they'll make female characters and give us weapons.

to be fair the hasbro gi joe movie PITT is still available if you look around. i got it last year for $25 at a kmart. and it's original price was only $100.

anyway, joes aren't a valid comparison as they are FAR more popular than MOTU.

[SLO-MAN]

1. Hasbro can do more with Star Wars, because they have the consumer base for it. MOTU doesn't. Star Wars dwarfs MOTU in fan numbers hundreds of times over.

2. Star Wars is a 3 3/4" line, hence it's easier for big vehicles due to the figures smaller size. If they were a 7" line like MOTUC, stuff like the new Millenium Falcon and the new AT-AT would be impossible.

3. No retail, mass release 6" toyline today has playsets. What chance does a tiny, online collector's line have.

[MegaGearMax]

On the other hand, Mattel is afraid to make a 19" Giganta or a Batmobile for DCUC, which are retail lines.

[Toyguru]

I'm aware of that, but there's no reason for Mattel to keep acting like they don't know if the line is a success or not. It's paying for itself "five times over" according to TG. So let's spend some of that on a Castle, shall we?

When in the world did we say that? MOTUC does well. It is not at all a huge driver for the company the way Barbie or Hot Wheels is (or even a retail collector line like DCUC). We'd love to do more MOTU toys, but in the end, the customer base for this line is still very limited. We have enough customers to crank our some great figures with mostly shared tooling (sure a few figs a year can get more tooling) but that is about where we are.

The competitive lines you mentioned are huge mass retail lines sold mostly to kids and moms. (with some collector bleed over). Fans online tend to think they are more numerous, but what we have found is that the internet can give everyone a voice, so online fans come off much louder then numerous for almost all lines). Getting kids and moms to purchase lines is how large scale items are affordable to produce. A collector only line is just not enough to support huge items like a playset.

Honestly, while I know a lot of people are wanting more and more, I'm personally just so glad to be getting 1 to 2 new figures every month. Take a step back. Seriously. We're getting Tytus, Battle Cat, Sy-Klone, King Hsss, Optikk, She-Ra, Bow, Trap Jaw. What an amazing line Classics is!

Sure it doesn't have EVERYTHING we could ever want, but man, it is so cool to have new figures to add to the shelf each month!

As for why we won't just do a shell, honestly, we're just not interested in going half way. It would still take a lot of design work to produce something like this, and to go for all that effort for something that will come out a bit cheap-looking tends to de-value our collector program as a whole. We'd much rather take that same amount of design energy and put it into more figures since those come out so well.

If moms and kids are ever turned on to the MOTU brand again, that will be a time when playsets can be reviewed. Until then, vehicles are about the limit of our reach (and believe me, getting that approved was a leap of faith into itself!)

Good Journey!

TG