Curious what fans think - do you want a cost reduced 20.00 figure?

[Morningstar]

The problem is the shipping cost. Example: why Battle cat have expensive shipping cost than Panthor?

[Firefly]

I'm almost solely a MOC collector. I think there would be a big hit in sales if figures didn't come MOC.

[mjw41]

Why are you listening to the "loud minority" now, Scott? You never used to before.

Don't listen to the "loud minority" saying Fang Man is not worth $25/27. He most certainly is worth it! He's a great figure with excellent paint applications and 3 accessories. That's fantastic.

In answer to your question, Keep MOTUC AS IS. The packaging is great and I consider part of the collectible factor of the figure. Maintain the higher level of paint applications and accessories. It's these high level qualities that make the line worth collecting and stand out above other toy lines. It's why so many other brands have tried copying it.

We love MOTUC for how it is. It's the greatest toy line on the market. Making it anything less would defeat the point of making them and, more to the point, collecting them. DO NOT let the last years of MOTUC be reduced to something less than great.

If you cost reduce MOTUC, you'll end the line prematurely. More people will stop buying the figures, because no one will be satisfied buying something "sub par" to what they used to get, knowing it could have been better.

LEAVE MOTUC AS IS!!!

Amen! Perfectly worded my friend

[kylun flac]

I am fine to pay for what it is now, an I will continue to support the Classics brand till its end [REGARDLESS OF COSTS].
But if we can drop $1 or $2 by using only [pollybags ONLY as packaging] but not loose any accessories to cut back a $1 or $2... to get some fans back on board the brand... I say go for it, as I display them loose anyway.

BUT PLEASE DO NOT CUT ANY ACCESSORIES OR DROP QUALITY!!!

Same here.

[shadowfall1976]

I'm almost solely a MOC collector. I think there would be a big hit in sales if figures didn't come MOC.

I open mine now, I am ticked I tossed the older bubbles prior to October (except the Blastic painted figures, I still kept them carded, but since opened them, but still have the ability to recard them)....but everything new since I open (except Shadow Weaver), but either leave it carded, or display it loose, leaving me the option for both forms of display....And doing so, I agree I for one would be ticked to loose the packaging, even though I open them, I still keep it. And I have plenty of room to do so.

I am fine to pay for what it is now, an I will continue to support the Classics brand till its end [REGARDLESS OF COSTS].
But if we can drop $1 or $2 by using only [pollybags ONLY as packaging] but not loose any accessories to cut back a $1 or $2... to get some fans back on board the brand... I say go for it, as I display them loose anyway.

BUT PLEASE DO NOT CUT ANY ACCESSORIES OR DROP QUALITY!!!

I will not buy anything new, especially since we already have 4+ years of packaged figures, without packaging. I may open my stuff now, but I want my packaging. I'll just stop collecting MOTUC and spend my money for Transformers and other things that have packaging. Especially for $20+ (plus $10+ shipping) figures....hell no.

No Bagged figures.

[MegaGearMax]

Fang Man not worth $20, but Jitsu is? He comes with three weapons just as Jitsu does.

Don't listen to the haters, TG. Leave the line as is. Bios and all.

[shadowfall1976]

Fang Man not worth $20, but Jitsu is? He comes with three weapons just as Jitsu does.

Don't listen to the haters, TG. Leave the line as is. Bios and all.

Bah, to them.

I don't want to keep Jitsu, but I knew we were getting him, I'll sell or trade him easily. Problem is the ones who want only the figures they want in the sub or the line....and **** on anyone else....screw that, everyone knows MOTUC is a line for all eras of MOTU, even Filmation....don't want the Filmation figures....hey, sell them....I'll be selling Jitsu, but I don't think he's not worth the price, I just don't want him.

Fang Man is awesome despite the fact I would have liked a less goofy face, but he fits in with Mer-Man (second head), Clawful, Whiplash, Webstor & Buzz Off....

[urbanmyth]

Leave the actual figures alone and keep them at a high quality but fix the shipping! Right now the handling portion of shipping seems high and when you don't let us combine shipping with other items and charge us the premium shipping and handling fee twice, it gets outrageous. A month like this that only has one figure released gets really expensive as a per figure cost.

Consider switching the figures to two every other month to help shippping costs. Whatever the 'extra' is going to be announced at Toy Fair needs to be combined with the subscription figures released that month or you're going to price us out of buying the extra stuff purely based on the double shipping and handling charge.

[King Tamusk]

I just looked on FB under the Fang Man thread....4 people. FOUR PEOPLE complained about the price of Fang Man.

How does the comments of 4 people bring about the discussion of cost reducing the entire line??? Talk about a vocal minority!

[Frightmare]

Polybag?? Really? If this ever happened I would quit the line. Keep it as is!

[Master_Of_Metropolis]

Figures costs, with shipping and taxes are simply getting too high. I truly love MOTU and want to collect the line, but for me personally, and I am sure for many of us, justifying this kind of money every month is becoming unreasonable. It's all good and well to say it was announced in July, but until we see the increased shipping charges and taxes, it is hard to realize the impact.

I don't think there will be a lot of people wanting reduced accessories or paint apps. I have no problem with reduced packaging--in fact, I am all for it. That's not going to fly with MOC collectors however.

I really think this will be my last year in the sub--and honestly, I may not make it through the full year. This is the only line I collect and it really is getting more expensive than I anticipated. I plan for my sub every month, but sometimes life gets in the way. You know? I'm not sure what the solution is. I have to side with those that think the figures are not worth the $25/ $27. I think they are awesome and I do understand the costs of production, but at nearly $40 for a single figure in January, I couldn't believe it. I really wanted to order Horde Prime and Griffin as I missed them originally, but Netossa made that impossible.

This is my opinion.

[bamf1980]

Fang Man is the epitome of what we should be getting for $25. Great sculpt, three amazing accessories, and a nifty bio. I personally don't understand what all the fuss is about in regards to this particular figure. I could see the argument being raised, and being addressed by Mattel, for characters such as Stratos (zero accessories) or Netossa (one accessory + cape, which has never been counted as an accessory before). But Fang Man? C'mon. That's just anti-FILMation talk.

As far as cost reducing...I do not want to see a decrease in paint apps or accessories. I am okay with alterations being made to the packaging, though I would like to continue receiving bio cards.

I wonder if you could ship bimonthly, dual or tri-carded figures that are related to each other and save on packaging (and pass that savings along to the consumer) that way?

Glimmer and Angella

Stonedar, Rokkon, and Granita

Shokoti and Lord Masque

Madame Razz and Loo-Kee

Blade, Gwildor, and Saurod

Despera vs Flutterina

Dragstor vs Extendar

...for example...


The only way I could see cutting accessories as being a good idea is if all off the planned accessories (Meaning 2-3 items PER CHARACTER) were all to be released quarterly in a weapons pack, along with other repaints).

[King Tamusk]

Figures costs, with shipping and taxes are simply getting too high. I truly love MOTU and want to collect the line, but for me personally, and I am sure for many of us, justifying this kind of money every month is becoming unreasonable. It's all good and well to say it was announced in July, but until we see the increased shipping charges and taxes, it is hard to realize the impact.

I don't think there will be a lot of people wanting reduced accessories or paint apps. I have no problem with reduced packaging--in fact, I am all for it. That's not going to fly with MOC collectors however.

I really think this will be my last year in the sub--and honestly, I may not make it through the full year. This is the only line I collect and it really is getting more expensive than I anticipated. I plan for my sub every month, but sometimes life gets in the way. You know? I'm not sure what the solution is. I have to side with those that think the figures are not worth the $25/ $27. I think they are awesome and I do understand the costs of production, but at nearly $40 for a single figure in January, I couldn't believe it. I really wanted to order Horde Prime and Griffin as I missed them originally, but Netossa made that impossible.

This is my opinion.

Then you're problem isn't the figure or the cost there of, it is the added shipping costs. If they are going to resolve anything to make it less expensive, then they should focus on this. I remember Scott asking at either SDCC or Powercon if people would be interested in having things ship through Amazon. What ever happened to this idea???

[ninja man]

Here is my thoughts.

1. Keep same standard of quality and keep original weapons. (lose the 200x weapons and multiple color weapons....maybe include those in weapons packs)

2. Make multiple weapons packs. Maybe come out with 1 a month. Polybagged.

3. If possible, offer figures in Polybagged and boxed versions. with boxed obviously costing a bit more and possibly an incentive like the extra weapons, or exclusive weapons with boxed figures and offer a regular version with vintage weapon only in polybag.

4. Lose the white mailer....whats the point of them anyways? As long as they are shipped with some sort of protection, IE bubble wrap, peanuts, etc...I dont care about the cardboad sheath.

5. Switch to two new figures every month to help with shipping.

6. Allow people who bought a sub a window of time to add more items to the sub, before they ship. Especially with the new "my sub" section, could have something there. You get more sales and the customer is happy to safve on shipping.

7. instead of multiple weapons per figure, maybe offer a 200x pack in addition to a figure.

hopefully that helps.

[Stratos*Major]

No. I would not want a cost reduced figure.

Fang Man has lots of accessories and a killer sculpt with a moving tounge AND packaging.

I think shipping is an issue, for as long as it takes.

I'm all for simpler packaging. I LOVE how Watchmen are done. Very simple, which I think lends itsself to looking even more high end...while saving costs. Unless it actually costs more...

I'd rather have a great figure than a piece of cardboard with some pictures and a bio on it.

[sirsniffy]

Leave the quality the way it is. $25 - $27 is reasonable for this level of detail and artwork. The problem is the shipping and handling costs..just too expensive!

Maybe there could be more 'promotions' like free shipping codes, and $25% off codes, etc? Just to take a bit of the edge off. Not all the time, but they should be more frequent. Also, for new or lesser known/lesser demanded characters, there could be special promotions to help move them out?

Or, how about just make everything a flat $35 shipped for non subscribers?

Or maybe there could be some greater benefit to being a subscriber like $5 shipping? This would make it more of an incentive to subscribe.

But please don't reduce the quality of the actual figures.

[Red Trinity]

I don't need the packaging. And I really think it's silly to put a box inside a box inside a box. What a waste. I'd be fine with a poly bag. But I know many do like their MOCness.

[Whiplash7]

I'm all for scrapping the packaging. Pointless waste of materials when a bag would have sufficed all along. However there are a lot of people who collect MOC, and this could alienate them. It would be nice to have a choice, however!
Fang Man seems like he's full of detail, deco, and accessories. So I don't know what people are talking about. Granted I don't think ANY of the figures are worth $27, but he's one of the ones who would be closer to his value.

The shipping costs are the real problem at the moment, and we're still waiting to hear explanations for the insane new prices and the lack of an option to change shipping methods, Scott.

[RUNgZ]

I would have no problem with the boxing being trimmed down to save cost because it all goes into a recycle bin for me. The bios are posted online so that's cool, but I would never want these figures if you started reducing the over all quality. The reason most of us buy them is due to the quality, so once that goes so will your subscriber base.

Perhaps do something about shipping costs? I mean it seems we spend a hundred or so on that alone. But just to reinforce my point, the quality of the figure must stay the same or improve. Better is Better, and that is that.

[Stratos*Major]

YES...please combined shipping for any additional figures shipping, for most US residents is 36.7% of the cost of the figure. THIS will reduce the sales. Most certainly you and those who can make the final say can understand this is an additional $ consideration for your customers.

I mean $27.00 is not that bad.

However, $38 for a figure, + an average of 8 days for shipping from CA - MS, that is. $42.00 for a figure to arrive in 4 days is certainly too much for me for 1 figure.

While the actual product cost of the 2012 sub is approx. $550.00 your customers are actually spending, out of pocket, $753.50 (for USPS shipping). Additionally that does not include tax. Which to my estimates, based on 1.5 years of purchasing directly through matty is 8.7%. Tax is an additional $65.55.

So in the end 1 sub costs: $819.05

This is not mention as an angry post or rant. Just a hope that as The Brand Manager you can take this and understand the frustration and hopefully a way to reduce costs while still maintaining the integrity of the organization and not sacraficing quality.

[ash]

As has already been stated... if the line goes polybag, we lose all moc collectors. For me this cuts my subs in half. If you would change to a different distributor, i may be willing to pay slightly more... further, if you announced you would switch somewhere else like Amazon, i think you would increase subscribers which would help prevent rising costs.

[PPC]

I wouldn't have much of a problem with the $25 price if we weren't being gouged on shipping and tax. Shipping is just a dime short of $10 and it takes FOREVER to get delivered. There is no reason why I should pay that much when I can ship the same item for cheaper and with quicker delivery by taking it to my local USPS.

[T-man]

I would rather keep it at the $25 for subscribers. I love the packaging, deco, weapons, I dont want anything cut. Its only $5 extra a figure and prices are gong up for everything not just toys. Its the shipping that makes it expensive. I would rather get 2 figures a month. People would save money in the long run with the combined shipping. I do think 27 day of is high. 25 day of would be a better price point. Subscribers already get the sub figure, maps, early access. Put day of price to 25 for everyone is my suggestion. I know its only $2 ....but it just seems like so much more than 25 when you see it.

Thank you toyguru!!!!!

[DO4M]

The only thing that should be reduced is the amount of wasted plastic in the packaging. Please PLEASE PLEASE put the accessories on a poly bag (just like we remember) and if that can knock out some of the figure's costs so be it. Also, it helps the accessories by not getting warped when shoved on the tray or loosening the figures' grip!

The real issue is the shipping costs. They're too high for a super slow service. (Talking about Both Newgistics and International Shipping... I've done both!)
and no, returning to the awful Lint-filled envelopes like they did with Catra is not a solution.

[isic]

If the current packaging goes, so do I!