Action figures at retail

[diosoth]

Toy prices just kept shooting up exponentially while video game price shave remained relatively stable for 30 years. A $10 increase to the average is about it, and that's with the switch to disc media dropping prices by a wide margin because they cut out a lot of hardware necessity(people probably barely remember $100 SNES RPGs).

[Phil.Pastel]

I really think retailers are or will start avoiding collector's lines very soon. They really need to focus on getting kids back into it again. The buyers for collector's lines are largely adults. The people ordering the toys do not understand this demographic and even seem to look down on them. My TRU has Stratos and Mer-man packs for $35. They are nailed to the shelf. They marked them down to $25 this week. Everyone who wanted one bought one a long time ago. They still didn't move. They might start flying if they mark them down to $15 LOL.

I fear a really bad stigma will develop if all the kids exit and only adults are left. That would be a shame because it is a fun hobby

[Thatman]

I really think retailers are or will start avoiding collector's lines very soon. They really need to focus on getting kids back into it again. The buyers for collector's lines are largely adults. The people ordering the toys do not understand this demographic and even seem to look down on them. My TRU has Stratos and Mer-man packs for $35. They are nailed to the shelf. They marked them down to $25 this week. Everyone who wanted one bought one a long time ago. They still didn't move. They might start flying if they mark them down to $15 LOL.

I fear a really bad stigma will develop if all the kids exit and only adults are left. *That would be a shame because it is a fun hobby

If they go down that far, then I might actually be tempted for the reverse-color Stratos, since that's the one I had as a kid. But even as a die-hard MOTUC and DC fan, I haven't touched these.

Cost really has been the biggest factor in my cutting things off of my shopping list.

[Phil.Pastel]

Actually, they were $20 at one point, for a few weeks. But, no, I haven't seen them hit $15... yet

Don't even get me started in on these because there's no reason why Stratos couldn't come with both color wings and backpacks for the usual $35 asking price.

There's other lines that you see that just don't look like they're meant for kids. New Sonic figures are hitting K-marts in my area. These must be targeted at collectors, old-school gamers, etc. Sonic looks completely crappy, and I would have laughed at that figure when I was a kid with all the killer toys I had

[Thatman]

The thing I have to wonder about is how much of this is increased cost in raw materials and/or labor, and how much of it is simply manufacturers demanding the same level of profit? I know they'd (toy manufacturers) would like to say it's the former, which is why a two-pack of repaints costs $35, or that a single Young Justice 6" figure with a base costs $28, but honestly it feels like overkill.

It's even more so when you buy a $17 figure that doesn't even include accessories.

I wish I could say for certain, but it feels to me like these companies are pricing themselves into obsolescence out of greed rather than necessity. I can say that they've already priced me out of completionism.

[diosoth]

When Monster High costs $13 for a basic doll or $20 for the more bulked packed signature doll, stuff like Retro Action being $20 just seems like a ripoff. And they're made by the same company!

[Phil.Pastel]

I don't know. I don't work in that industry, so I'm not sure what the costs are or what the profit margins are. But I don't think your average person wants two Stratos figures that cost so much and take up extra space (or the hassle of having to sell one of them if he buys two). He just wants one Stratos and the ability to switch the wing color every so often.

They may have foreseen that figures will eventually get to the point where collectors will have too much stuff and nowhere to put new stuff, leading to the downfall of it all. So they may have simply decided to jack the prices "lose now, rather than later".

[wyldman11]

Don't know what they are thinking, could be they are trying to cull scalpers, could be economic issues hitting them just like it is many other industries.

I think if they want to capture kids into the market they need to make new properties that appeal to them or reuse old ones for that but make toys that aren't junk. I see an almost extreme in the toy department really nice looking collector stuff that tends to not be designed for play, then stuff that looks like junk and might be decent for play (emphasis on might). They need to make stuff that looks somewhat decent and is durable. Of course I know even as a kid I went through quite a few figures for some characters who just didn't stand up to my awesome powers of destruction. I am still baffled how my Quickfoot lost his feet from the pegs to the toes from me throwing him in the air with a handkerchief parachute and landing. He was fully intact before I tossed him, then when I went to pick up he lost his toes.

[Phil.Pastel]

LOL I routinely had Star Wars heads go rolling across the room. Guys like Vader, original Luke, Tusken Raider...
I don't think I was particularly rough on them, their heads just weren't attached all that well.

[Benedict Judas Hel]

I am still baffled how my Quickfoot lost his feet from the pegs to the toes from me throwing him in the air with a handkerchief parachute and landing.

Quick Kick...

[EldestSon]

I would be curious how often movie tie in lines do well, even when we were younger. I know there is the Bumblebee in the Transformers line but was that more fluke than anything. I ask because I am curious why the retail people would do this. I remember even as a kid movie tie in stuff was pretty bad and we tended to avoid it unless we just really liked the movie.

i think it depends on the movie success. and i also think they overorder.

couple of examples:

GL movie figs just peg warmed, but the movie wasn't well received and the character wasn't well known.
Toy Story stuff by comparison seems to sell well, but then then order more and more and more until they are shelf/peg warming.

to a lesser extent, same with iron man, cap, and thor. the initial orders of those figs sold well, but then sat.

it looks like they were smart with avengers. i didn't see much restock and most of it's gone now.

[80's Enthusiast]

Remember this;

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...yStone/z28.jpg

http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...yStone/z27.jpg

I heart this................ those were the days.

[wyldman11]

Quick Kick...

http://www.yojoe.com/action/variatio...ick-brazil.jpg

Yes you are right, my mind got ahead of me on the story.

- - - Updated - - -

i think it depends on the movie success. and i also think they overorder.

couple of examples:

GL movie figs just peg warmed, but the movie wasn't well received and the character wasn't well known.
Toy Story stuff by comparison seems to sell well, but then then order more and more and more until they are shelf/peg warming.

to a lesser extent, same with iron man, cap, and thor. the initial orders of those figs sold well, but then sat.

it looks like they were smart with avengers. i didn't see much restock and most of it's gone now.

I recall Harry Potter Figures have never done well was why I asked. I think Pirates of Caribbean figures tend to peg warm. Of course this could be a case of age, with Toy Story being well liked by most if not all age groups, where as those two tend to be a bit older.

[diosoth]

Abrams Trek did well in theaters but the toys sold very poorly. Though "generic action film" fans tend not to be the people who buy toys of franchises they like. Die Hard is a popular film series too, but I doubt too many of its fans feel a need to own a John McClane toy. It also doesn't help that some companies buy up any license they can get... no one wanted or bought McFarlane's "Lost" stuff... even the bikini girl figure didn't sell well.