Toyguru MOTUC Post-SDCC: Figure Production Numbers Going Down in 2012

[Firefly]

I think stuff like this will kill the line within 5 years. They are basically squeezing the casual fans off the line and with each passing year, the number of people getting subscriptions will decrease as well. I remember when they said they wanted figures to last a few weeks and they were going to keep uping production until they were able to do that and now they act like it is horrible if something doesn't sell out in a day.

[darkmoon766]

Well, for one they can stop taking the figures down early and just let people order more the next month. For an example of this type of stupidity, please see the threads regarding the All-Star figures disappearing during the SDCC sale, then coming back AFTER most SDCC stuff was gone.

I didn't know about this. I call shenanigans. This is something the Better business bureau might need to be informed of. Do you really want to make us pay extra shipping that badly? Was this digital rivers doing, do they get all the extra shipping? Or is it Matty? This reeks of a ploy to sell less product and more shipping and push customers away. The only other reason than this would be to not flood the sale day further since obviously the Digital River servers are STILL inept... Please answer this Scott.

[KnightDamien]

I have just never, ever, ever seen a company try SO hard to get people to give them less money.

[stprime]

This is bs, and just as irritating are those of you that give us grief for not buying a sub. Not everyone, including me, can afford the sub and even if we all could we shouldnt have to buy things we don't want. I bought a sub the first year just to get Wundar and when I tried to resell what I didn't want, most of the line, I had to lose money to sell them. This isnbad business all around. This will kill the line before anything else. They are pushing buyers, including me, away.

[markatisu]

The one thing that I DO find a bit lackluster and poor on their part though is that they're just now looking into the option of adding the additional (6) to the sub.?

What sense does that make *now* if it's already too late?

Wouldn't it of made sense to figure that out ahead of time before the sub. deadline as that would intern give you more subs. sold as a result?

VERY poor planning.

No because by saying that it might be an add on for sub people only makes the sub that much more "got to own"

Its actually genius going into the final days of the subscription sale

If they don't add it they still have you locked in for almost $500, if they do they have you locked in for more

Its a no lose situation for them, again genius from a BUSINESS aspect.

[Darkspecter]

Good news they're trying for a 30th Anniversary sub. You have no idea how happy I will be if this happens!

Anyway, I want to say something to Mattel here that I hope doesn't get lost in all these posts.

Casual fans/cherry pickers are very important to this line. People lose jobs, might not have jobs, etc. So even those who have gotten subscriptions might have to stop doing so. Scaring away casual fans when subscriptions levels could drop at any time (hard world economy), is bad.

I agree with others that putting off casual fans with "sub scare tactics" could "kill teh lien."

I'm happy TG said some good things, but seriously...don't **** off the cherry pickers! If people stop picking cherries, they will rot on the tree. Think about it!

[RockinHard]

Good news they're trying for a 30th Anniversary sub. You have no idea how happy I will be if this happens!

Anyway, I want to say something to Mattel here that I hope doesn't get lost in all these posts.

Casual fans/cherry pickers are very important to this line. People lose jobs, might not have jobs, etc. So even those who have gotten subscriptions might have to stop doing so. Scaring away casual fans when subscriptions levels could drop at any time (hard world economy), is bad.

I agree with others that putting off casual fans with "sub scare tactics" could "kill teh lien."

I'm happy TG said some good things, but seriously...don't **** off the cherry pickers! If people stop picking cherries, they will rot on the tree. Think about it!

This is one of those rare times you are 100% right, and I'm not a cherry-picker, with the exception of my anti-toy PoP variants/versions.

[GigaMach]

As a noob who was counting on the re-releases to catch up on what I missed, this is ass. I've spent a LOT on the secondary market, bought a sub this year, and am hoping to finish 2011 with the figs I want (Looking forward to all the rest of the monthly figures). BUT, if Matty makes it impossible to catch up apart from the secondary market, how is that good? As well, the 6 30th Anniversary figs not being in the sub, and they now may be LIMITED runs? Ridiculous. Every fan should have the opportunity to buy the product, but if we see 10-minute sell-outs, how is this conducive to the fun (yeah, I used the "F" word!) of toy collecting?!

[cobz1976]

I'm totally willing to be a participant, but I don't have the strength to be the one to spearhead the campaign, beg for support, etc. So, if you want to take the reigns and the 'keys' to Marlena Glenn's Twitter page, I'm willing to hand it over.

I'm still not over the shock of only 60 or so members retweeting my message out of the 7,000+ members I invited. That's horrible!

People are selfish. If the line fails we're all to blame. That's all I'm saying.

[Lefty]

Ever date a really hot girl who treated you like crap? Well MOTUC, you're still the hottest, but there's some pretty nice looking girls across the room giving me the eye.

I hear they will treat me better and are somehow able to get cartoons on tv and action figures on store shelves(no shipping!) I'm not saying, I'm just saying.

[Maestro]

Translation: "We're not going to just outright say it's not going to happen until we've already gotten you to sign up for the sub."


It's still idiotic. Mattel needs to announce whether or not they can do a 30th sub -before- the sale for the regular sub closes. Aaahhhh...durrrrrrrrrr..

I totally agree. The main reason that I don't plan on buying a 2012 subscription is because I would still have to compete for merchandise on the website most months anyway, so I might as well skip the sub and save on shipping. If I knew for a fact that the 30th anniversary sub add-on was really going to happen, then I would probably go all in for sheer convenience. I don't trust that it actually will though.

[Skeletortilla]

Good grief...RELAX people. TG said they were reducing the numbers a BIT LESS.
It's obvious that they've had a lot of leftover customer service stock, hence the "mystery grab bag" sale of last month.
They're probably just trying to cut down on these unsold leftovers...I'm sure there will plenty for non-sub people to buy.

Also, with an increase in the quantity of new figures we're getting, it just makes sense to cut back the number of reissues.

There is nothing to be alarmed about.

[KnightDamien]

Ever date a really hot girl who treated you like crap? Well MOTUC, you're still the hottest, but there's some pretty nice looking girls across the room giving me the eye.

I hear they will treat me better and are somehow able to get cartoons on tv and action figures on store shelves(no shipping!) I'm not saying, I'm just saying.

^^^^^^^^Yep^^^^^^^^^^^^

Its a no lose situation for them, again genius from a BUSINESS aspect.

If you consider garnering large amounts of ill-will from your customers as 'genius' - then sure. But it's actually not. If every time I went to my favourite Italian restaurant the head waiter kicked me in the jewels, guess what -I'd stop going. Doesn't matter how good the food is.

Rule Number 0 of Business: Customer. Happy. Always.

[Larry Waters]

Whether you can deal with this or not the Star Sisters are a valid addition to MOTU's line. Just because you do not like then does not mean they don't have a right to be in the lineup.

If they're going to make us go outside the sub for the Wind Raider or Granymyr because of cost, then a $60 figure set should have the same option.

[CanadaClassics]

I think there may be at least one or two "D" list charcters this year. Which I think is kinda fair, on one side is the A +++ Shadow Weaver...on the other another "Carnivus" figure or two - mid or late year. Thunder Punch He-Man being one of them.

And you know...if there aren't enough figures....maybe selling off the one or two "D" figures in the year....may not be so hard.

I really want to have this tough decision next year, and the year after, and the year after...and so on...

[KnightDamien]

Good grief...RELAX people. TG said they were reducing the numbers a LITTLE.
It's obvious that they've had a lot of leftover customer service stock, hence the "mystery grab bag" sale of last month.
They're probably just trying to cut down on these unsold leftovers...I'm sure there will plenty for non-sub people to buy.

That would be perfectly fine -- IF the figures weren't "selling out" in a couple of hours as it is. There will still be enough for non-sub holders? There's not enough now. How is -lowering production- going to improve the situation?

Somewhere along the line, we --being idiots as toy collectors are sometimes-- began to accept the idea that a figure being available for a grand total of 2-1/2 hours is a GOOD thing. It isn't.

If Mattel has too much stock left-over, then perhaps they should consider not being such giant imbeciles and actually LEAVING THE STOCK ON SALE until it's actually gone.

Problem solved.

But I refuse to accept this 'stock balancing' garbage on a line where figures are regularly available for less than 12 hours. Especially with the added caveat of "and we're not going to release them again."

[JKM]

So what figure will be the first to have lower production numbers?
The Sorceress? I hope not! I want her! Please Matty, don't do it!

[Skeletortilla]

That would be perfectly fine -- IF the figures weren't "selling out" in a couple of hours as it is. There will still be enough for non-sub holders? There's not enough now. How is -lowering production- going to improve the situation?

Somewhere along the line, we --being idiots as toy collectors are sometimes-- began to accept the idea that a figure being available for a grand total of 2-1/2 hours is a GOOD thing. It isn't.

If Mattel has too much stock left-over, then perhaps they should consider not being such giant imbeciles and actually LEAVING THE STOCK ON SALE until it's actually gone.

Problem solved.

But I refuse to accept this 'stock balancing' garbage on a line where figures are regularly available for less than 12 hours. Especially with the added caveat of "and we're not going to release them again."

Buy a sub then...PROBLEM SOLVED. And, for those complaining about the jacked up reseller prices...BE A RESELLER. You can EASILY sell your UNWANTED sub figures for a PROFIT, and offset not only your shipping cost, but maybe end up getting some of your sub figures FREE.

I haven't paid for a single MOTUC figure I own. I buy TWO subs, use a credit card, sell the one with the less than perfect paintjob for TWICE what I paid for it after they're sold out, and end up getting BOTH figures FREE. In fact, I always have my extra sold before I even get the credit card bill, so I'm out NOTHING.
It's called buying smart.

[Larry Waters]

She Ra crap should be in its own sub, because I subscribed to MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE Classics not She Ra, Princess of Power Classics. All of you girl loving action figure people better be around in Jan when I want to sell or trade this crappy three pack that y'all cried for.

Bro, I agree with you. That's why I'm not getting a sub. I'm already stuck with Catra and She-Ra. I didn't want them and I KNOW who they are! No way am I buying 3 nobodies with awful color schemes!

I am guessing they went with an extraordinary shipment of her to give fans a chance.

An extraordinary shipment that hasn't shipped yet!

[bcrduke]

I'm still waiting for them to answer the question I asked at the Matty Panel.


WILL SUBSCRIBERS BE REWARDED FOR THEIR LOYALTY WITH THE OPTION TO ELECT NON-SUB ITEMS and INCLUDE THEM IN THE SAME SHIPMENT??

They NEED to provide this service for subscribers.

Since they aren't, as of today, I've only purchased ONE subscription, instead of two.

Why bother? I wouldn't even have bought the one if they didn't have the bonus figure/map set-up.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE THE SUBSCRIPTION. I just don't appreciate that Mattel thinks it's acceptable for me to have to pay hundreds in extra shipping costs to support THEIR SALES.

WAITING FOR AN ANSWER ON THIS, SCOTT.

Please come through.

[Thatman]

Well, I'd certainly be mollified about shipping charges and dealing with the nightmare Matty site if they do manage to set up an 'include 30th anniversary figures in the sub' option.

That doesn't make me feel any better about what appear to be strong-arm tactics in the first place - both with MOTUC and DCUC.

I miss the days when collecting a line of action figures just meant going into a store and buying them at a reasonable price on the pegs at TRU or KB. (Or Child World, going back that far!) Those days are quite a ways gone now.

With crazy shipping charges, though, I wonder if it still balances out against saving gas?

[Larry Waters]

Vintage Purism™ is alive and well. It's probably why there are no pre-orders. Characters that weren't in the original 80's toyline wouldn't be pre-ordered much, based off of old childhood prejudices, not off what the 4H could do for the characters now.

It has nothing to do (for me) with what the 4H do or don't do with the characters now.

I dislike NA intensely and detest Optikk and Icarius.
I never bought dolls as a kid, so PoP was never a toon I watched. I don't know the characters and don't care to buy something with which I have no connection.

No matter how they look, (and I wanted to be wrong) I now know (after the NA we have and seeing the Star Sisters) that those properties will simply never be something that garners my expendable income.

[batman1180]

This is just PR crap trying to get people to buy the sub. The same bs they are doing with that little "meter" for the DC sub. I am used to seeing these "buy the sub or you won't get your figures" lines every year around this time. We will see if they extend the sales cut-off date an extra week come Thursday or Friday. I am pretty sure they have done that the past couple of years also.

[Skystalker]

What's going to happen if they approve a 30th anniversary sub and we have already ordered the 2012 sub. Do you think they will allow us to combine shipping? They better!

[bcrduke]

She Ra crap should be in its own sub, because I subscribed to MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE Classics not She Ra, Princess of Power Classics. All of you girl loving action figure people better be around in Jan when I want to sell or trade this crappy three pack that y'all cried for.

exactly and She Ra is not Masters of the Universe.

She-Ra IS MOTU.

You don't get to decide that... sorry.

And apparently you can't read... go back to mattycollector.com and check out MATTEL's description of the line.

It includes characters/items from the worlds of He-Man AND She-Ra

As an extremely long-time fan of MOTU, and of this board, I find your comments and attitude incredibly sour.