Is This For Real? MOTUC appearing at Wal-Mart... [No b/s/t Outside Marketplace]

[TOKYONEVER]

Hi JonWes, I can understand that, but let me know just why Mattel is not selling the overstock at us, fans & collectors, directly through the Matty's website?
You know like me that at $17.99 for Roboto a lot of us will buy him and I doubt that the stock is representating more than 1000 pcs, the sales could be very easy (I am saying $17 but like I explained, Mattel is not selling at this price to Wal-Mart...I mean: they can do better than $17.99 for fans/collectors if the goal is to liquidate all the over stock).

[Megalodon]

We are paying $25...Wal-Mart is selling at $17.99 a regular figure like Roboto....but they are not paying this price because they have to gain money on the sales...so, I am thinking that Mattel is selling to Wal-Mart at $8/10 around? lol

Mattel is also actually saying "no reissues" and we got Snout Spout recently at the Black Friday sales and we will have it again this month at the january sales (at $25 this time? lol)....so, 3 months ago Snout Spout was confirmed to be totaly "out of stock" by DR themself (last september/ take a look at the last pages in the Snout Spout "problems" thread)...*** sincerelly????

I am tired by many things concerning Mattel to be honest and it is why I stopped my subs some months ago, Castle Grayskull killed me...Hey guys...$300 around (with/out shipping!) for a large "plastic" Castle Grayskull if you are not pre-ordering it right now at $250??? please wake up!

Mattel, at my eyes, has no reason to sell the figures at $25 each this year, they are just playing with our money...and badly it is perfectly working with most of us because "we do not have the choice" as fans we are...
If the line will die (I hope no), it will not be the fault of fans, but the Mattel's fault.

Funny thing is with the Fisto fiasco and the secondary Market prices for him and the price increase for the General figures I see people selling the current figures (Or trying to) for $50 or more...$25 retail $50 secondary market because not enough stock to sell on day of sale.....100% mark-up if this keeps up I hope MOTUC is over in 2014 because it's getting too costly for most people.....

[cryanmchsi]

Oh, if it was Fisto ther definitely will be blood.

[cbomb23]

Funny thing is with the Fisto fiasco and the secondary Market prices for him and the price increase for the General figures I see people selling the current figures (Or trying to) for $50 or more...$25 retail $50 secondary market because not enough stock to sell on day of sale.....100% mark-up if this keeps up I hope MOTUC is over in 2014 because it's getting too costly for most people.....

What? How is it too costly if people are paying those prices? If the figures sell at $25-$27 and the the secondary price is $50 or whatever and still sell how is this too costly if the figures sell?

[TOKYONEVER]

...100% mark-up if this keeps up I hope MOTUC is over in 2014 because it's getting too costly for most people.....

It is my feeling also.
At the beginning prices were cool, $18/20 a figure was fine...and the "max" at my eyes due to the lot of reused parts between each figures etc.
By example: A figure like Strobo will be also sold at $25 this year, right? so, this figure is simply reusing Sy-Klone & Zodac parts, what exactly is Justifying a price at $25 for a figure like this one? the little accessories and the cape coming with? lol
What is costing a lot in a toy production is the mold, and that's all....plastic is very cheap in China.
I am speaking for Strobo but I can say the same thing for Jitsu taking an other example, reusing most of parts already existing like He-Man's body & Randor's chest armor...finally what is costing $25 on this figure? 1 hand + 1 head + 3 weapons?
Mattel can have the prices coming back at $20 easely.... but well....

Take a look at the regular Sorceress prices on the secondary market by the way, same thing than Fisto now (last one sold at $80 with/out shipping).

[Megalodon]

It is my feeling also.
At the beginning prices were cool, $18/20 a figure was fine...and the "max" at my eyes due to the lot of reused parts between each figures etc.
By example: A figure like Strobo will be also sold at $25 this year, right? so, this figure is simply reusing Sy-Klone & Zodac parts, what exactly is Justifying a price at $25 for a figure like this one? the little accessories and the cape coming with? lol
What is costing a lot in a toy production is the mold, and that's all....plastic is very cheap in China.
I am speaking for Strobo but I can say the same thing for Jitsu taking an other example, reusing most of parts already existing like He-Man's body & Randor's chest armor...finally what is costing $25 on this figure? 1 hand + 1 head + 3 weapons?
Mattel can have the prices coming back at $20 easely.... but well....

Take a look at the regular Sorceress prices on the secondary market by the way, same thing than Fisto now (last one sold at $80 with/out shipping).

Well Mattel marking it up didn't help but either Sub Buyers or pre-sellers from other sites are jacking up certain figure and maybe all figures by the end..Funny thing is if I couldn't get these on Matty's site the crazy prices being what they are I could get two figures for the price one one on the secondary market (In the past)....Wow! Greed at it's finest I never thought I would see a "released" figure go for close ammounts of the Sub figures like Shadow Weaver,WB He-Man etc.....

What? How is it too costly if people are paying those prices? If the figures sell at $25-$27 and the the secondary price is $50 or whatever and still sell how is this too costly if the figures sell?

Just because certain people are willing to force the market up that high makes it right??? If Mattel had made MORE figures the prices would be like they were in recent history...Doesn't make ANY sense....

[JonWes]

Hi JonWes, I can understand that, but let me know just why Mattel is not selling the overstock at us, fans & collectors, directly through the Matty's website?
You know like me that at $17.99 for Roboto a lot of us will buy him and I doubt that the stock is representating more than 1000 pcs, the sales could be very easy (I am saying $17 but like I explained, Mattel is not selling at this price to Wal-Mart...I mean: they can do better than $17.99 for fans/collectors if the goal is to liquidate all the over stock).

Oh, I don't disagree. I wish they'd sold it to us (or better yet, given away Robotos for the Frosta thing!) as I would have gotten an extra because I love the figure. I would say maybe it had to do with the cracking, but they sold Snout Spouts. So who knows.

[Jinxieman]

Oh, I don't disagree. I wish they'd sold it to us (or better yet, given away Robotos for the Frosta thing!) as I would have gotten an extra because I love the figure. I would say maybe it had to do with the cracking, but they sold Snout Spouts. So who knows.

I would have preferred a Roboto to Mer-Man. I could use his parts better for other characters, however, can you imagine the back lash there would have been if Roboto would have been the free figure that people got because of Frosta's reversed arms? I mean, come on! The board would have been lit up by the lynch mob when our free gift for the assembly error on Frosta was a figure that itself had an assembly error. Actually, that would have been hilarious if they had sent out original production He-Man, Roboto, and King Hiss as the apology figure!

[Stratos*Major]

can you imagine the back lash there would have been if Roboto would have been the free figure that people got because of Frosta's reversed arms? I mean, come on! The board would have been lit up by the lynch mob when our free gift for the assembly error on Frosta was a figure that itself had an assembly error.!

Oooooooh yes!

[SCB]

I only want Roboto because I can't have him.

[manic mailman]

are roboto and gygor both $17.99?? im late to this party. man a lot of mixed thoughts/emotions on this one. no walmarts close to me. but ya it's cool and curious to see those there. im still soo ****** at mattel for all the painted black plastic figures. and saying a figure is out of stock when it is not: roboto and snout spout. i dont like the smoke and mirror crap

[JonWes]

I would have preferred a Roboto to Mer-Man. I could use his parts better for other characters, however, can you imagine the back lash there would have been if Roboto would have been the free figure that people got because of Frosta's reversed arms? I mean, come on! The board would have been lit up by the lynch mob when our free gift for the assembly error on Frosta was a figure that itself had an assembly error. Actually, that would have been hilarious if they had sent out original production He-Man, Roboto, and King Hiss as the apology figure!

This is an excellent point.

[TOKYONEVER]

are roboto and gygor both $17.99?? im late to this party. man a lot of mixed thoughts/emotions on this one. no walmarts close to me. but ya it's cool and curious to see those there. im still soo ****** at mattel for all the painted black plastic figures. and saying a figure is out of stock when it is not: roboto and snout spout. i dont like the smoke and mirror crap

Roboto is at $17.99 & Gy-Gor at $24.99

[Jace Madan]

I picked up Gygor from the moreno valley Wal-Mart the other day. I don't collect MOTUC figures, but at only $25 for an awesomely sculpted Gorrilla figure, I just had to pick it up. If they had any He-Mans or Skeletors I may have just been tempted to start an MOTUC collection.

[SCB]

Did you spot Roboto's there still?

[Sky Breaker]

We are paying $25...Wal-Mart is selling at $17.99 a regular figure like Roboto....but they are not paying this price because they have to gain money on the sales...so, I am thinking that Mattel is selling to Wal-Mart at $8/10 around? lol

Mattel is also actually saying "no reissues" and we got Snout Spout recently at the Black Friday sales and we will have it again this month at the january sales (at $25 this time? lol)....so, 3 months ago Snout Spout was confirmed to be totaly "out of stock" by DR themself (last september/ take a look at the last pages in the Snout Spout "problems" thread)...*** sincerelly????

I am tired by many things concerning Mattel to be honest and it is why I stopped my subs some months ago, Castle Grayskull killed me...Hey guys...$300 around (with/out shipping!) for a large "plastic" Castle Grayskull if you are not pre-ordering it right now at $250??? please wake up!

Mattel, at my eyes, has no reason to sell the figures at $25 each this year, they are just playing with our money...and badly it is perfectly working with most of us because "we do not have the choice" as fans we are...
If the line will die (I hope no), it will not be the fault of fans, but the Mattel's fault.

You've more or less hit the nail on the head. It seems that once again we have a divide here between people who accept Mattel's business practices, and those who see through the veil.

The fact is, we are seeing stock of an 'exclusive' online item being blown out at Wal-Mart. We are being flat out lied to. This is a high price point collectible, that we have been paying a premium for, plus shipping, in subscriber system that some companies would not dare attempt. We have seen 2 price increases, and have been forced into subs to get more product. While I have been very fortunate to have no issues with my figs/shipping/credit card billing, this just isn't cool. There are other fans who have invested much more into this line than I have.

I would have taken a $15 Roboto and a $24 Gygor, and Mattel would have made more money than what they made blowing these out to Wal-Mart. They also would have retained my loyalty. This just further proves they are a company and their bottom dollar is their golden rule, and there is no consideration to life long customers beyond instant profits. You could be a multi-subscription holder sinking a small fortune into their product on a yearly basis, or the guy that picks up a $16 Roboto at Wal-Mart, and to Mattel you are the same. You are $$$ and they don't care how they get it, as long as they get it. The only difference is one of you shows up here to be fed lines.

They have a fan base here that screams for product, practically advertises for them, stays loyal through issues unseen and unheard of in other high price point lines, and willingly forks over money, buying multiples of figures that sell out (and lets face it, action figures don't exactly sell out in retail these days), and still they pull these shady little tactics to make a buck.

I'd be curious to know what Scott will have to say when he starts getting the angry PMs, Mattycollector and Facebooks messages about this. He is getting one from me.

[Romadon]

no comment

[Barnster]

Not a big deal to me....its one walmart. its not like mattel did another production run of roboto and are now selling them at every single walmart in the country. So they dumped about 40 of them at walmart, big deal. half of them have cracks. we get bargains on figures all the time on BF.

Good to know there is still some maturity around here.

[Umbloo]

Isn't it possible that the prices are going up because the subscriptions are going down. in order to keep the same profit you need to charge more for the same item if less people are buying. And as the subscriptions continue to dwindle expect more price hikes till people get outraged and stop paying. That's when the line ends. Mattel wants to make a certain amount of profit on the line, not just each figure. Once that number is no longer meet, the figures stop coming out.

And it doesn't work the other way around. Once prices go up, they don't come back down. Unless your getting rid of your old stock (like when you could buy up those spin blade he-mans for $5 on clearance, and castle grayskull 2.0 for $5 at value city). But that usually is a sign of the end of the line.

Crazy. 17.99 and why am I paying 25 a figure now? I feel its very taxing and heart breaking to be a subscription keeper. Your paying the highest price on figure and shipping and we are always getting the early production mess ups. Tough buns.

[SONICR]

I work at WalMart. These figures are most likely setup as Dept 70 "Vendor" stock. Meaning walmart has no control over stock, they just give them a certin amount of shelf space and let the vendor deal with shipments of the product, if they continue that is. Also store to store shipping is mainly for local walmarts to share overstock, mainly for seasonal or in case of disasters, so most likely they won't be permited to move those figures to other stores outside that area.

[SCB]

They're getting so shady that Castle Grayskullman is being sold at TRU

[Ben Solstice-Moon]

They're getting so shady that Castle Grayskullman is being sold at TRU

http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...50384501_n.jpg

Now what the heck is THIS picture about? Gotta be a joke, right?

[SCB]

Daniel Benedict left one at TRU.

[zodak74]

Ha, that's pretty awesome

[Kowl]

I work at WalMart. These figures are most likely setup as Dept 70 "Vendor" stock. Meaning walmart has no control over stock, they just give them a certin amount of shelf space and let the vendor deal with shipments of the product, if they continue that is. Also store to store shipping is mainly for local walmarts to share overstock, mainly for seasonal or in case of disasters, so most likely they won't be permited to move those figures to other stores outside that area.

Well I'm glad someone clarified some of the real Wal Mart policies on that store-to-store shipping thing.

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They're getting so shady that Castle Grayskullman is being sold at TRU

SCB... Love it! Hopefully people read the reason behind this before they pull out the pitch forks!

- - - Updated - - -

I picked up Gygor from the moreno valley Wal-Mart the other day. I don't collect MOTUC figures, but at only $25 for an awesomely sculpted Gorrilla figure, I just had to pick it up. If they had any He-Mans or Skeletors I may have just been tempted to start an MOTUC collection.

Hey! Only SCB is allowed to be sarcastic around here.