Clarification on "older product" sales throughout 2013

[Toyguru]

Hey guys,

Wanted to post up a quick note to clarify and explain sales of older MOTUC product in 2013.

Most older pre 2012 figurss were offered last fall on Cyber Monday. If a figure was not offered during this sale, it pretty much means that figure is long gone (original Teela is a good example of this).

After Cyber Monday's sale we were left with very little stock of some older pre 2012 figures. We have been working with select online retailers (not major brick and morter retailers like WMT, TRU or TGT!) to offer up this product to both make room in our center for upcoming 2013 product and to help spread the word about the MOTUC line. So if you see some select older pre 2012 product up on other collector based websites, this is what it is. I posted this on the Mattycollector forums a few months back, but I want to repost this here to make sure their are no surprises.

As for older product actually on Mattycollector.com, you will see two things:

1: "Evergreen" product like He-Man and Skeletor (who is coming back as soon as our last shipment arrives from Mattel to DR). These will remain on sale until they are gone.

2: Customer service stock of some 2012 figures. Some 2012 figures still have a very small quota of CS left (i.e. Horde Prime and Griffin this month). Once they are gone that is likely it. These are not second runs. This is similar to when we sold off the remaining CS stock of the Voltron Lions on Cyber Monday. We don't have EVERY 2012 figure still in stock. In fact, most are gone for good (like Fisto and Sorceress). But their are a few figures we have a very small quota of and these will pop up throughout 2013 until they are gone.

I hope this helps clarify what you will see in terms of older figures. And of course you will still see new figures each month in or around the 15th. No figures in 2013 (or 2012) will go into a second run, so this is it boys and girls.

And to further clarify why we don't do second runs anymore. Yes we do see demand online for some older figures. But after 2 years of running second runs and not a single figure outside of He-Man (and to some extent Skeletor) performing at the level we needed, the online "demand" just has not panned out to actual sales. While there are some very vocal fans asking for second runs of older figures, we gave this a shot and it just isn't feasible in the real world outside of message boards (where a few people can be loud but not as numerious in real life as customers)

I hope that clarifies. So far we are off to a great start in 2013. Netossa comes up tomorrow with Ram Mana nd Jitsu following close behind in Feb.

And don't forget our collector night at NYTF on Feb 10th from 3-6. We'll have some awesome surprises and a live Q & A (which means no Feb 15th session online BTW of Ask Matty).

See you all on the boards!

Scott

[mjharwood]

Before the battle cries start... I think this all makes sense, and thank you for sharing.

Quick question: can we expect King He-Man next month with Jitsu and Ram-Man, or will he follow in March?

Looking forward to NYTF and the rest of a great year!!!

[ninja man]

Thanks for the clarification!

[Tallstar]

We'll have some awesome surprises and a live Q & A

[Invicta]

Oh well, it was to be expected, yet still a pity about original Teela. Perhaps there will be a great variant down the line.

[JSteele]

Yes...thank you for the clarification. That should head off the rumor mill a bit

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Oh well, it was to be expected, yet still a pity about original Teela. Perhaps there will be a great variant down the line.

Yeah, that does suck that they can't make an exception on Teela. I do think a second run would sell well on her. I still need my first Teela

[MegaGearMax]

Teela is gone fer good. Teela 2.0 or bust.

[Clawful Ofit]

Thanks Scott, any way you could let us know who the retailers are, so we know when/where to shop?

[PPC]

You still didn't explain why old stock is up to $27 when it should be on clearance.

[chuc98]

Thank you for clarifying Scott!

[Frightmare]

Hmmm...February. Surprises. Cold. Ice. ICER?!? NO ICER WE RIOT SIR!!!!

[blackiecats]

I hope Kobra Khan has some stock left (crosses fingers!)

I have a question! Any news on which sub items won't have any DOS quota? Guessing something high end like the Fighting Foe Men?

[uaxuctum]

And to further clarify why we don't do second runs anymore. Yes we do see demand online for some older figures. But after 2 years of running second runs and not a single figure outside of He-Man (and to some extent Skeletor) performing at the level we needed, the online "demand" just has not panned out to actual sales. While there are some very vocal fans asking for second runs of older figures, we gave this a shot and it just isn't feasible in the real world outside of message boards (where a few people can be loud but not as numerious in real life as customers)

Oh, I see. Now, will you kindly explain to us why during those 2 long years of doing second runs, never once did you do a second run of one of the MOST ESSENTIAL A-listers?

While you're at it, I'd also like to know why your international shipping rates have DOUBLED overnight, now reaching stratospheric levels ($30.15 to ship 1 Griffin to Europe through snail-slow unregistered mail with zero guarantees, whereas last June when Griffin was originally offered international shipping was $15.55 for it). I got a Griffin in June for $33 + $15.55 (that's $48.55 total), but now you're asking $35 + $30.15 for it (that's $65.15 total, a +34% increase).

So far we are off to a great start in 2013.

So far, I'd say the start has been the farthest possible from great. All mellifluous empty words and no real improvements whatsoever—quite the contrary: outrageous price gouging, a no-combined-shipping policy that renders the whole early-access thing pointless, and a messed-up Subscription/Early Access portal that an amateur programmer could have done better in one tenth of the time it took DR to set it up. Then you'll beg us to subscribe for 2014 come SDCC.

[Jor-El]

So what's happened to the Spectors, Photogs, Cy-Chops and Laser Lots that didn't sell out and were only going to be made available in 2012?

In the bin?

[wundarwarrior]

Oh, I see. Now, will you kindly explain to us why during those 2 long years of doing second runs, never once did you do a second run of one of the MOST ESSENTIAL A-listers?

While you're at it, I'd also like to know why your international shipping rates have DOUBLED overnight, now reaching stratospheric levels ($30.15 to ship 1 Griffin to Europe through snail-slow unregistered mail with zero guarantees, whereas last June when Griffin was originally offered international shipping was $15.55 for it). I got a Griffin in June for $33 + $15.55 (that's $48.55 total), but now you're asking $35 + $30.15 for it (that's $65.15 total, a +34% increase).


So far, I'd say the start has been the farthest possible from great. All mellifluous empty words and no real improvements whatsoever—quite the contrary: outrageous price gouging, a no-combined-shipping policy that renders the whole early-access thing pointless, and a messed-up Subscription/Early Access portal that an amateur programmer could have done better in one tenth of the time it took DR to set it up. Then you'll beg us to subscribe for 2014 come SDCC.

This is my first year subscribing and I honestly regret it already. THE first figure was delayed after we were told they would not have delays and the shipping prices are insane. I do not see this year as a success at all yet. Mattel has definitely made the likelihood of me ordering any older figures as extras become nonexistent. I Love MOTU a great deal but the hidden handling price increase has made me want to go back to buying MOTUC from the secondary market. The line is being driven into the ground by the people pulling the strings, not the fans. They will take my money until the toys stop but any extra stuff will come from Ebay. Way to loser sales Matty.

[Lookie]

He can't answer shipping price questions. Asking him is pointless. I am a programmer and Mattel must not be paying much or is over paying for this joke of a site. They won't change vendors probably due to physical location (warehouses close to each other) and losing the current crappy system. Matty would be down for some time while a new site was built. Hard to switch vendors when you are in this deep no matter how much they suck. As long as Mattel is pulling in a profit they do not care. Only way things change is when they lose money or do not make it fast enough (see reissues). This line is toast at this rate. At least Grayskull is a lock as it may be the last hurrah.

[uaxuctum]

He can't answer shipping price questions. Asking him is pointless.

He's the marketing manager. The shipping rates are a MAJOR factor in deciding a purchase for online customers (people aren't stupid, you know; no matter if your website advertises a figure for $35, if the grand total almost doubles to $65 because of an outrageous shipping charge, the customer won't click "Buy"). If TG can't address such a fundamental question that thoroughly affects the marketability of the product he's trying to sell us, then who on Earth can?

[powerofGS]

Don't expect him to post back in this thread ever! If you have questions, mattycollector forums might be a better bet

[cbomb23]

If TG can't address such a fundamental question that thoroughly affects the marketability of the product he's trying to sell us, then who on Earth can?

Possibly a Digital River manager?

[mjharwood]

This is my first year subscribing and I honestly regret it already. THE first figure was delayed after we were told they would not have delays and the shipping prices are insane.

In all fairness, the first monthly figure wasn't delayed; the first quarterly item was delayed for the first month of the quarter to the second month of the quarter... Technically still on time for when it is slotted even if not when we expected.

Anyone see the DC Bombshells they (DC Collectibles) showed at NYCC in October? You know, the ones that are supposed to start in March? Only guess what... March's solicitations came and went without the firt figure... So did April... And now the DC Collectibles May solicitations have been revealed and guess what? No sign of the first figure in May either. This means the earliest opportunity for the first figure is June... Three months late at least.

I'll take a 1-month delay for a quarterly figure over a 1-quarter (minimum) delay anytime!

[PPC]

So what's happened to the Spectors, Photogs, Cy-Chops and Laser Lots that didn't sell out and were only going to be made available in 2012?

In the bin?

They will be melted down, dyed black and then molded into your favorite A-list charcter with a cratch off paint action feature.

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Don't expect him to post back in this thread ever! If you have questions, mattycollector forums might be a better bet

Don't expect him to answer on there either. When the tough questions come, Scott runs for the hills.

[Ornclown]

Teela is gone fer good. Teela 2.0 or bust.

This!

[Calderon]

Oh, I see. Now, will you kindly explain to us why during those 2 long years of doing second runs, never once did you do a second run of one of the MOST ESSENTIAL A-listers?

While you're at it, I'd also like to know why your international shipping rates have DOUBLED overnight, now reaching stratospheric levels ($30.15 to ship 1 Griffin to Europe through snail-slow unregistered mail with zero guarantees, whereas last June when Griffin was originally offered international shipping was $15.55 for it). I got a Griffin in June for $33 + $15.55 (that's $48.55 total), but now you're asking $35 + $30.15 for it (that's $65.15 total, a +34% increase).


So far, I'd say the start has been the farthest possible from great. All mellifluous empty words and no real improvements whatsoever—quite the contrary: outrageous price gouging, a no-combined-shipping policy that renders the whole early-access thing pointless, and a messed-up Subscription/Early Access portal that an amateur programmer could have done better in one tenth of the time it took DR to set it up. Then you'll beg us to subscribe for 2014 come SDCC.

Totally agree!!!

We international subscribers were just a little group last year until subscriptions sales became lower than expected and they hurried to promise they will work out the European distribution center to reduce shipping costs. After that they got all the subscriptions they needed (and more) and now they keep screwing us with abusive shipping and barely legal return/refund policies and no single mention about the distribution center. Sure we have a new shipping method but it is no better than UPS as it is still prohibitive, who wants to pay 33 for shipping just one figure?
And using the slower cheaper method this year we have to pay 13,75 for one figure and 21,7 for two and 30,15 for three while last year we paid 9,95 for one or two figures and 15,5 for 3, really???. Rising 5$ for a figure it's OK if they improve quality and keep accesories coming but those shipping costs sounds like DR wants to make some extra bucks.

No matter which figures they offer next year I won't subscribe and go "cherry picking" and if there is not enough subs to keep the line going DR and Matty will be the ones to blame for it.

And starting a year with a last minute change on the schedule is far from my concept of greatness -no matter if one figure is the Q1 and the other are "previously released" figures- if you announce a schedule and start breaking it from the first day you can't call it "a great start" you can barely call it a start period .

[cbomb23]

Totally agree!!!

We international subscribers were just a little group last year until subscriptions sales became lower than expected and they hurried to promise they will work out the European distribution center to reduce shipping costs. After that they got all the subscriptions they needed (and more) and now they keep screwing us with abusive shipping and barely legal return/refund policies and no single mention about the distribution center. Sure we have a new shipping method but it is no better than UPS as it is still prohibitive, who wants to pay 33 for shipping just one figure?
And using the slower cheaper method this year we have to pay 13,75 for one figure and 21,7 for two and 30,15 for three while last year we paid 9,95 for one or two figures and 15,5 for 3, really???. Rising 5$ for a figure it's OK if they improve quality and keep accesories coming but those shipping costs sounds like DR wants to make some extra bucks.

No matter which figures they offer next year I won't subscribe and go "cherry picking" and if there is not enough subs to keep the line going DR and Matty will be the ones to blame for it.

And starting a year with a last minute change on the schedule is far from my concept of greatness -no matter if one figure is the Q1 and the other are "previously released" figures- if you announce a schedule and start breaking it from the first day you can't call it "a great start" you can barely call it a start period .

Huh? I don't remember a "promise" to bring a European distribution center, but that they would look at international shipping options. Yes the European distribution center was a topic but it was never even remotely promised just some outloud brainstorming in all reality? Do people really think that a European distribution center is even feasible for this line?

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[Calderon]

Huh? I don't remember a "promise" to bring a European distribution center, but that they would look at international shipping options. Yes the European distribution center was a topic but it was never even remotely promised just some outloud brainstorming in all reality? Do people really think that a European distribution center is even feasible for this line?

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Believe it or not, the possibility of a distribution center was used by TG during the "subscription campaing" when he realized that international subscriptions were important enough to keep alive the line.

If not a promise it was a little tease to keep us hoping for it and buy a subscription. It worked once, it won't work again.

I don't know if a distribution center is feasible,
I do know that we international customers deserve more attention and something more than a slow shipping method 2 or 3 times more expensive than last year and DHL as new alternate method (that is little cheaper than UPS)

Just think what would happen if international subscribers don't subscribe for next year. Do you think it would have just a little impact on the line? And just imagine for a second if a number of international subscribers decide to cancel this year's subscription because the shipping costs are out of bounds.