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

[RyDell]

I think this is the first truly Ban-Worthy post I've ever read on the Org.

The cheese has officially slid off your cracker...

Listen I love MOTU but the 4H are the reason I am buying. They are the reason I bought a Granamyr and CG! They are by far my favorite artists, hands down. No 4H, no MOTUC period! I would bet that most folks feel that way. And if the Fwoosh reviews are correct as far as quality, Ram-Man, Jitsu and FM are perfect. If Matty can keep that quality up for the year, I have no issues with paying the 25. If the quality falls to late 2012 standards than no, I can't handle the cost. But 4H are the line period!!!

[MOONCHILD]

I don't have a problem with Fang-Man, I've subscribed, I like him and I'm keeping him.
As for the prices, I must say that I really don't feel this figures are worth the price we pay, not because of the figures themselves, but most of the times it's because of the constant issues, with DR bad services, and bad quallity control on some of the figures.
Please don't take the following as a personal attack, but excuses like the one used on Stinkor's reversed forearms was just ridiculous, and we as buyers deserve some more respect, and need to be heard on issues like this. You gave us the option to vote on Swiftwind's and Granamyr's deco, so why didn't you asked us how we felt?
Sometimes I feel like, you (Mattel) thinks like this, "OK, they already commited by subscribing, so this is what they're getting". I still have a Frosta on my table waiting for me to repaint what should have been White, and reverse her forearms. Do you think like i feel she was worth the money i payed? No way sir...

Don't get me wrong, I love this line but sometimes i feel like we're not being treated the way we should.

So answering to your question, keep things as they are for everyone's sake, but improve your services and quallity control.

[Hellvertz]

I'll keep paying the $25 (not $27) for the standard figures with the same packaging and all the accesories.
Do NOT ruin the quality, so please have more respect to us collectors. we know we are the reason for MOTUC existence.
And as many fellow orgers have said about the bad customer service, why is so difficult to fix this problem?
And for God sakes give us the figures we are waiting for: Two-Bad, Ninjor, Mantenna, Tung Lashor, etc... before the line really ends.
Thanks

[TheHSBR]

I vote for poly bagged with same accessories deco. It would be awesome to have an option of MOC/polybagged but this line seems to lack options like these.

[man-at-work]

I vote for polly bagged with same accessories deco.

same here, I don't need all that packaging, nor the sticker, but I would love to have same details on the sculpting and deco. Even I would go for less accessories if needed (but keeping at least one good accessory).

[enoch]

Polybags please

[SCB]

Polly bags would never happen. It would make Mattel look like a 3rd party accessory company.

[shadowfall1976]

Polly bags would never happen. It would make Mattel look like a 3rd party accessory company.

KO's R US, is exactly what MOTUC would look like at that point, despite what's inside, that's how it would feel to me. If they do the polybags, they might as well cut deco and Accessories as well, if you're gonna sell figures that are packaged like KO's....might as well go all the way.

[Collec-Tor]

It's all about the figures. Don't change nuthin'.

Okay, now that I've put the main comment in, here's my two cents on this initial post; I've read quite a few of the replies, so here goes, for those who read all the way down (I'm hoping Scott is one):

I loved MOTU because of the story, the art and the concept. Back in the day, the figures simply did not measure up to the cardbacks or the comics (let alone the cartoon...) I learned to love the line regardless, but I honestly felt they could be better.

200X timeframe, I picked a few up (the entirety of that effort is in my 200X sell/trade post, incidentally... I bought the Castle but was so disappointed that I took it back and got a refund) and though sculpting was better, I found myself not really getting excited about them. I'll admit, the 'staction' thing went a long way to souring me on the line. Oh. well, I thought.

Fast forward to my first hearing about the 4H Classics line: I thought, oh, great. Not again. This was because I misunderstood this to be another vintage rerelease. Then, I saw a MOC Skeletor in a hobby shop in Washington State, where I was stationed.

Knocked. My. Socks. Off. Period.

This was exactly what I wanted in a figure: character realization and superior articulation. Everything comes down to those two criteria in a figure.

Now, I only just started collecting Classics, as some of you nice people who've traded with me can attest, but the fact is: I've wanted these figures - all of them - since 1982.

MOC? Not for me, but I'll admit, I just got a MOC Teela for a RIDICULOUSLY LOW price, and I'm not sure she's comin' out...

NA? Not my cuppa joe, but the figures are all amazing! I've even bought a few!

PoP? Finally, MOTU GIRLS! Now I can actually add any character I can create to my collection! This line NEEDS PoP.

Spector? I LOVE SPECTOR. Hang on a sec - a time-traveling MOTU character with a LIGHTSABER GAUNTLET?!?!?! Guess which buck I'm using as the base for The Heroic Collec-Tor? I'll give you three guesses...

These figures, ladies and gentlemen, are going to help me get the rest of the gang into the same scale, into the same world! Blackstar and Power Lords, anyone? Watch this space, people...

It's all about the figures. Don't change nuthin'.

Thanks for your time.

[JABRONI]

I've got to say that all figures up to now have been awesome and I look forward to 2013 and many come after that hopefully. I think we should keep the price as is or bit higher, depending on scale of figure and materials needed. I'm willing to pay between $25 and $27 for figure, if this means keeping the same deco layout for packaging and shipping services.

The shipping quality is at is best, from previous years and they have improved very much.

[Stygian360]

I sincerely and wholeheartedly hope and pray that if Scott pulls a, "but you guys said you wanted it" on us if the figures eventually go polybagged, that Mattel did a much more scientific (or at least fair and honest) assessment of who is truly saying yes to this concept. I would hate to think Mattel went this route simply because it seemed an easier cost cutting solution, even if it was in fact a minority rules suggestion. Not saying it is at this point, but I've not been keeping track .

I still very much agree with those who are in the camp of, going polybagged is one step removed from flea market/KO/3rd party treatment of their figures. I don't want to see a quality dip and this includes the all-important packaging. Just please don't do it Mattel, but if for whatever reason you do... make the decision to go down this path on fair, balanced, and real data.

[Ornclown]

Keep the line AS-IS !!!!!

"Some people" feel Fang Man is "not worth $25/27" ?!?!?!

Give me a freakin' break! Fang Man is a highly-requested, extremely well-sculpted figure with awesome paint applications and THREE accessories!!!

Scott, you can't please everybody all of the time... peoples opinions on different figures are gonna always vary; what some people feel about Fang Man, others may have felt about Netossa, and so on... Please continue with the line just the way it is. The figures we are buying are more than worth the price, but the shipping........ well, that's a topic for another thread.

[shadowfall1976]

Is Scott even reading this thread? He hasn't chimed in once among the chaos he created since the first post.

I sincerely and wholeheartedly hope and pray that if Scott pulls a, "but you guys said you wanted it" on us if the figures eventually go polybagged, that Mattel did a much more scientific (or at least fair and honest) assessment of who is truly saying yes to this concept. I would hate to think Mattel went this route simply because it seemed an easier cost cutting solution, even if it was in fact a minority rules suggestion. Not saying it is at this point, but I've not been keeping track .

I still very much agree with those who are in the camp of, going polybagged is one step removed from flea market/KO/3rd party treatment of their figures. I don't want to see a quality dip and this includes the all-important packaging. Just please don't do it Mattel, but if for whatever reason you do... make the decision to go down this path on fair, balanced, and real data.

Have you seen the poll? Only roughly 25% of 93 voters are for ditching packaging, because they seem to think some cardboard and plastic sheets that are vacuum formed will make that much of a difference in price....

Roughly 54% think the line is fine, and it's shipping that needs to change, and roughly 17% think no change at all is needed....I think if you counted posts and did the math, the numbers here would be reflective of this, but honestly, I roughly noted more for keeping the packaging, than would prefer Knock Off style bags for their figures. And not counting same posters, but the poll is managing to prove it's a minority that wishes to eliminate MOSC collectors....apparently.

So, it's basically....75% for doing nothing, except maybe shipping, and 25% for killing a whole section of collectors off, of 93 voters.

[Necrono]

First, I figure that I'm buying a collector item, so $30 isn't obsene - it does keep me from buying subscriptions though.

Second, IF price reduction is pursued, I can live with polybags and no accessories (provided there are still weapons packs now and again)...

BUT don't you dare touch the deco.

Seriously, though - putting in a sub-decorated figure would bring down the appeal of all of the previous, gorgeous figures.

[Master of Disguise]

Ship without a box to cut even more costs, just the shipping label and receipt slapped on the poly bag please.....NEVER!!!

Same quality/accessories and package we have now at $25/$27 I'm okay with that. Poly Bags are a big NO NO!

The only problem I have now is with International Posts shipping prices to Australia, DHL is fine, and no problems with customs charges here. I usually get one or two extras shipped by International Post sometimes on sale day of figures I like, on top of the subs I already have, which are shipped by DHL, but not now. I'd be able to get 1 to 2 figures shipped for $10 but now it's like $14 for one or $22 for two, no way hosay! High way robbery!They can keep it! not for something that takes 4 to 8 weeks to get here with a stop in Iceland or McMurdo Station Antarctica, and that's if you get it!

[SimbasGuard]

I am and always have been a cherry-picker (I feel giving this line my limited support is better than not supporting it at all) when it comes to this line. I was not thrilled about the price increase, but I understand why it was needed. While I would love to see prices go down, I'm not willing to sacrifice anything, so I will just be glad that the prices only went up $5.00 and continue to buy the figures I want (which will include Fang Man if he doesn't sell out before I get the chance to buy him. I choose to be a cherry picker and know the risks involved in collecting in this manner). The only thing I can think of as a cost saving measure that wouldn't necessitate any cuts would be for Matty to go back to releasing only one MOTUC figure a month. Be it a standard figure, variant figure, oversize figure, beast, or muti-pack.

[SCB]

I wish Scott would chime in with

"ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!?"

Then go back to not posting.

[Beast-Man]

I wish Scott would chime in with

"ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!?"

Then go back to not posting.

Same here...

[whbinder]

I agree with a lot of folks here. Do I like lower prices? Sure, of course. But I understand that materials costs are what they are. I can find the extra $60 per year if it means keeping up the line we've been used to.

[facet]

Absolutley not , I want my MOTUC to come tricked out with weapons, accessories, companions, and all the paint apps. the costs go up, with anything , It totally sucks, but its not going to stop me from collecting the line. This is the greatest toyline to date(at least for me it is) so all i want to do is keep collecting, as long as the figure choices dont go in the realm of Chef Allen or yellow tug a war guy.

[bcrduke]

And I'd like to add, that people need to stop expecting toys to cost just what the materials cost.
Not saying it's a huge problem, but it's common enough it doesn't hurt to re-iterate that.

Most people here aren't complaining about the cost of the figure though.

And it has been found that only 4 people complained about the cost on the Matty Facebook page post that Scott is referring to.

Most people are complaining, as they have for years now, about Digital River.

-The shipping and handling is highly inflated. And there are many many comps that prove this.
-The customer service is usually not very good... and to get decent customer service, you have to threaten going to the Better Business Bureau

At SDCC, I talked to quite a few random people who I met; either at the Matty Panel, the Mattel DC panel, the Funko booth, the KookyKrafts booth, etc. about MOTUC. One, a license holder at the time, said he LOVED the MOTUC line, that it was great that it combined everything, that the sculpts were incredible.. but that he'd abandoned the line in 2011 for two reasons: He didn't want concept characters before getting characters from the cartoon and the toy lines; and DIGITAL RIVER's incompetence, coupled with the super fast sell-outs (he wasn't a subscriber, but he did buy almost everything day-of).

He was a casual collector who was getting caught up in the awesomeness of this line... and Mattel lost him as a customer... how many other casual customers did Mattel lose because of this?

How many customers have been lost due to Digital River messing up orders, or not being able to change addresses or credit cards, or being rude, or charging too much for shipping?

It's so unfortunate.

To keep the customers it has, Mattel needs to change the distributor, as a good faith effort.

It also needs to implement a Subscriber Fee - that way they can reduce the costs of the items back to the 2012 rates - that will reduce customs charged for non-U.S. customers, many of whom left the line due to the bump in customs charges due to the rise in cost of the line --- it will also reduce taxes on U.S. customers.

Just suggestions.

[darthdrew13]

Here's a thought...

Keep producing NEW figs at the current pricing schedule and if slots are harder to fill, reduce the number of "NEW" figures in a calendar year. (NEW figs like the stuff coming soon in 2013 for example)

Produce Re-Released figs with reduced accessories in poly bags at the lower price point for those collectors that want cheaper figs they can fill holes in their collections with and also get custom fodder at a lower cost. Re-using molds should easily cost less as there are no development costs. Examples: Teela which only comes with a sword and shield (using the EXACT same deco, or very slightly altered) so I can finally have her. Sorceress would still have to come with her staff and Zoar (plus stand) but may not need to have the attachment for Zoar. Fisto could be re-released in vintage deco only (minus the 200x gear/head) and maybe later on in the 200x set-up.

That way, we get the BEST OF BOTH WORLDS. Hardcore, purist-like and MOC collectors still get great figs in great packaging and more casual collectors get figs they need for their collections. I think this solves so many problems/issues in an easy way.

BUMP. I really think this would be a way to keep the line going and make everyone happy. Compromise.

[Animator]

Polybags please!

[swind15]

As I said earlier, if the figure is worth the $25/27 price tag then keep them as is with the beautiful packaging. Jitsu, Fangman, and Snakeface all look to be very much worth the higher prices and I will gladly pay for them. Beautiful sculpts, paint, and chock-full of accessories. Can't ask for anything more really. It's the Netossa screw ups that justify some of the complaining though. With that said, the greatness of this line definitely outweighs the "mistakes". IMO this conversation will be a moot point when the 2014 sub drive begins, because so much cool stuff will be coming/previewed at that point.

[Danavas]

Keep the figures as they are. I don't want lower quality.