Official ThunderCats 2011 Toys Discussion Thread

[Stratos*Major]

Okay correction...

Walmart #1.) No Thundercats anywhere (though I did get a 8" Classics Tygra 4 weeks ago here)

Walmart #2.) No Thundercats period

Walmart #3.) 6" Classics, 4" Modern both regular price & 6" modern on clearnace for $11.00

All over the place. Keep in mind these 3 are in a 30 minute driving distance from one another. 15 minutes apart (I SO live in Southern MS). LOL

I never go to Target because they are a hateful organization and if the were the only ones selling them I would not get them from them!!

TRU is 45 minutes away so rarely bother going to the actual store...

[Mr. Shokoti]

I never go to Target because they are a hateful organization and if the were the only ones selling them I would not get them from them!!

I'm curious. Why are Target hateful? I usually hear about how bad Walmart is, but not Target.

[markatisu]

I'm curious. Why are Target hateful? I usually hear about how bad Walmart is, but not Target.

In the past they have tended to contribute to right wing anti-gay and anti-women organizations and movements, particularly in MN

They also have at times followed Walmarts lead on how to screw employees (scheduling them for just under part time hours to avoid paying any benefits, having hiring and firing policies that could be argued as suspect)

Some artists have asked to not be associated with them because of these things like Lady Gaga

[Stratos*Major]

I'm curious. Why are Target hateful? I usually hear about how bad Walmart is, but not Target.

Target has donated money to organization that deny constitutional rights to taxing paying US citizens

[Mr. Shokoti]

In the past they have tended to contribute to right wing anti-gay and anti-women organizations and movements, particularly in MN

I get the anti-gay movements, but what are the anti-women movements? Tell me it isn't...



I hate to say it, but I'm tempted to side with any organization that is anti-Gaga.

[Dynamo of Eternia]

Yay! He was in there, and in great shape. I don't collect Thundercats MOC, so it doesn't really matter. It's nice to have something come in perfect condition though.

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot...22554334_o.jpg

I got the 4 figures that I ordered from Amazon today (including Claudius) and they all came in great condition! A complete 180 from the condition that my order from Toys R Us was in back when I ordered most of the first wave figures and items from them.

[markatisu]

I get the anti-gay movements, but what are the anti-women movements

Something to do with refusing to carry birth control and other contraceptives I think

[Mr. Shokoti]

Something to do with refusing to carry birth control and other contraceptives I think

I'll drop the subject with this post since it's off topic & heading towards Tar Swamp territory, but I'm surprised this is Target we're talking about & not Walmart what with their southern origin and the "good ol' boy" mentality often associated with them(whether accurate or not).

[Lord Anubis]

Remember Target didnt want them at all to begin with? Then when they sold hot they jumped on and didnt get anything till FEB!! Then they got stuck with extras lol.

[markatisu]

Remember Target didnt want them at all to begin with? Then when they sold hot they jumped on and didnt get anything till FEB!! Then they got stuck with extras lol.

Yeah they kinda screwed themselves, I don't feel bad for them. They told Bandai they wanted no Thundercats around/after Christmas and Bandai complied. Then Walmart and TRU sprung them early and had success so Target whined that they wanted them and thus got the 4 figure gift pack earlier this year

[Lord Anubis]

thus got the 4 figure gift pack earlier this year

And 90 percent of my target trips those are flooding shelves! Seems like they cant sell 1 set lol, besides they lack weapons and suck.

[Hordak Alpha]

Here, Target doesn't seem to sell any of their action figures. There are still Young Justice figures and DCU Classics figures sitting on the pegs from last Summer.

[Firefly]

I ended up picking up Lion-O, Cheetara, Panthro, and Grune this past week. Pretty much all the figures I liked from the first two waves.

Does anyone know what figures are rumored to be part of Wave 3? I hope Jackalman comes out as he was the only vintage Thundercats figure I had and I'd like to get his new version. One has to think Jackalman, Monkian, Slithe, and Jaga would be coming up.

[Dr Kain]

At this point, we don't even know if there will be a Wave 3. The rumors are that the line has been cancelled.

If you are talking about the 4inch crap, Slythe is out.

[Firefly]

If you are talking about the 4inch crap, is out.

I thought just a generic Lizard trooper was out. Yeah, I've heard about the cancellation rumors.

[markatisu]

Slythe has not shipped to mass retail, some online retailers got a shipment of Slythe 4" and Tygra 6" but I would say 99% have not gotten that wave

[Dr Kain]

I thought just a generic Lizard trooper was out. Yeah, I've heard about the cancellation rumors.

He is part of those "Deluxe" figures that are missing articulation and have some stupid action feature but cost twice as much.

[MegaGearMax]

I ended up picking up Lion-O, Cheetara, Panthro, and Grune this past week. Pretty much all the figures I liked from the first two waves.

Does anyone know what figures are rumored to be part of Wave 3? I hope Jackalman comes out as he was the only vintage Thundercats figure I had and I'd like to get his new version. One has to think Jackalman, Monkian, Slithe, and Jaga would be coming up.

Yes, what would be a great Wave 3? I'd hope that it would be Jackalman, Monkian, Slithe, and Jaga too, but knowing Bandai, we'll probably get yet another Lion-O, another crack at Mumm-Ra or stretchy arm Panthro (could be a deluxe),

 

a new Tygra with his new whip

, and one new character.

[Lord Anubis]

I went to TRU Times Square this week, and their whole section is clearanced out. Nothing but 8 Inch Tygra's a few vech. and loaded with 4 inch old mumm-ra.

Asked a associate and basically was told, the figures sold awesome and fast, but for the amount of cases they got, they were plagued with too many of X figure. So its exactally as I though, case ratio's killed it!

[markatisu]

I went to TRU Times Square this week, and their whole section is clearanced out. Nothing but 8 Inch Tygra's a few vech. and loaded with 4 inch old mumm-ra.

Asked a associate and basically was told, the figures sold awesome and fast, but for the amount of cases they got, they were plagued with too many of X figure. So its exactally as I though, case ratio's killed it!

Well from what I "hear" there were shipping issues and Bandai got out too much product of the early waves and did not have enough of later waves ready to go so retail has backed off while they got that figured out.

But several people I talked to said sales were great, they just are clearing out product they can't move in anticipating for hearing from Bandai on when they estimate future product will come.

So yeah its partly case ratios but there is much more to the story about why that is not black and white, its not simply a misjudgement on Bandai's part of what to ship

In other news BBTS got a bunch of cases of the Tygra 6" wave this morning and promptly sold out in less than 30min, I was so mad I missed out as the cases were 1 Lion-O, 1 Cheetara and 2 Tygra for $63 (which made each one $15.50ish)

We can only hope that is indicator of Bandai shipping product and we will either see it at Walmart or we will see it at the discount stores, but we should see it somewhere in the retail chain if BBTS is getting new shipments

[Lord Anubis]

Hey I mean thats great news! People DO want new product, theres no doubt, walmart's wave 2 and amazon's wave 2 ALWAYS sell out right away. I really hope this isnt the end, but you never know.

Some people though read too much into extra new product like the halloween costumes and stuff thinking that stuff doesnt need planning lol. But hopefully we get some pics soon... if not, then yeah it was a great ride. I'll just be ****** if I never find a Storm Charger.

BBTS and Entertainment Earth always sell out of the cool stuff right away and will be swimming in 4 inch Mumm-ra's for years lol!

[Hordak Alpha]

Asked a associate and basically was told, the figures sold awesome and fast, but for the amount of cases they got, they were plagued with too many of X figure. So its exactally as I though, case ratio's killed it!

Are we sure Bandai isn't secretly being run by Mattel?

[Lord Anubis]

Are we sure Bandai isn't secretly being run by Mattel?

lol! Isnt it funny that Bandai and Mattel have some of the biggest iconic toylines in male figure history and have both dropped the ball badly with their sword and sorcery figures? Mattel is trying to mend that with Classics, and doing good, but their QC sucks.

Hasbro has GI JOE and Transformers and they are going amazingly strong for years non stop. When oh when will Mattel and Bandai see how its done. All Bandai really has going is Power Rangers and thats a juggernaut. Mattel has botched He-Man and Ghostbusters pretty bad, cant wait to see how bad they screw up Voltron!

[MegaGearMax]

In the past they have tended to contribute to right wing anti-gay and anti-women organizations and movements, particularly in MN

They also have at times followed Walmarts lead on how to screw employees (scheduling them for just under part time hours to avoid paying any benefits, having hiring and firing policies that could be argued as suspect)

Some artists have asked to not be associated with them because of these things like Lady Gaga

Target will let women breastfeed in public. Anywhere in the store.

I thought EVERYONE started doing that "just under 40 hours a week" thing to avoid paying out the benefits and vacation time, not just Target. K-Mart does it too.

lol! Isnt it funny that Bandai and Mattel have some of the biggest iconic toylines in male figure history and have both dropped the ball badly with their sword and sorcery figures? Mattel is trying to mend that with Classics, and doing good, but their QC sucks.

Hasbro has GI JOE and Transformers and they are going amazingly strong for years non stop. When oh when will Mattel and Bandai see how its done. All Bandai really has going is Power Rangers and thats a juggernaut. Mattel has botched He-Man and Ghostbusters pretty bad, cant wait to see how bad they screw up Voltron!

Bandai also has Ben 10 too. And Volron might be dead in the water already. I can't see them making anything else for that line past the Black Lion. Robeasts? Zarkon? Yurak? Haggar? Lotor? Vehicle Voltron?

Hasbro has balls. They aren't afraid to keep trying different approaches with properties until they work, ala G.I. Joe. Once a property at Mattel fails, it goes away for a decade. If MOTU were a Hasbro property that failed, we would see a new incarnation the next year. Mattel may be the world's largest toy company, but not when it comes to action figures.

But Sandman says that Mattel doesn't know how to handle action figures. They really only know how to manage Hot Wheels, Barbie and Fisher Price. MOTU doing so well in the 80's was a right place at the right time fluke that they were never able to replicate with any other property since. Mattel dropped the ball on smoking red hot properties such as Harry Potter, Avatar the Last Airbender, Naruto and Batman.

[markatisu]

Yeah Bandai has Ben 10 which sales wise is about 100x more powerful then Power Rangers. Power Rangers is just consistent but Ben 10 is their new Gundam.

Mattel has botched He-Man and Ghostbusters pretty bad, cant wait to see how bad they screw up Voltron!

As for Mattel's iconic lines, the Ghostbusters line suffered from tie in problems. They expected a new movie to be released and were probably promised that which is they kept pushing the same 4 figures, had they known the movie was going to be DOA I suspect they would have made RGB into the toyline instead of into retro dolls.

Voltron, there is not much more they can do. They would need to pick a Robeast that they can selll in 5 parts and pair it with the Villains. Scott already said they can't do Vehicle because the 15 pilots and all the vehicles would be an absolute budget killing expense (you would be looking at a $600-1000 subscription given all the parts/people)

So basically most of us only expected this year, maybe they find a way to release Voltron Force but I don't really see how they can be blamed for tanking that line when it was never expected to go anywhere by its fans. You can't fault Mattel entirely for retail refusing to carry Voltron (which is why we have not seen Voltron Force toys), at some point its up to the fans to talk with their wallets which is why we get MattyCollector only items.

I do have to agree with Max about Hasbro, if they had MOTU fail they would just reboot it. Hell they stop successful enough lines for reboots at this point