Is Wave 7 Killing MOTU Origins?

[Cosmic]

While the more dedicated collector’s places like BBTS and smaller toy stores are super helpful for the serious collector, the big chains do quantity, quantity, quantity. AND they display the figures, to show them to a LOT of people who don’t even know what’s what. Moms and Dads can buy something spontaneously for their kid, relatively. Some business dude who used to have toys as kid sees them.
Not every buyer is a completist. Just the people in this forum cannot make a retail line success.

Sure, the stores have no clue about which character is an army builder, which is super-popular…. but I think Mattel thinks the sheer quantity and power of those stores is worth it.

Personally, I also appreciate them being in “normal” stores because if stuff is too isolated, (and away from kids), it can grow in weird ways. Just look at comic books.

[Darkkosis]

I may be evil but I think Minicomics Stratos would have sold better if they'd reversed the armor and wings color on regular Stratos and you could get different armor/wings on the minicomics version to swap.

I don't know about that, and I do't think collectors think that way in general! However, I think if he was only limited to the online and specialty stores, he could've been probably in a higher demand. I mean people went crazy over variants like Wun-Dar, and the mini comic "Christmasy" Tri Klops on MC just because they weren't easily obtained.

Variants are a tricky thing to do, and also not an answer to every sustainable problem out there. And who knows, in 5-10 years from now, that "naked" Stratos might end up a valuable commodity among collectors when he becomes scarce to find?!

The 200X line suffered from the crazy distributions, the lack of the core characters in retail, the crazy amount of variants that not many wanted, and the bad viewership of the MYP cartoon= Dead line!

I hope the Origins isn't following that dreadful route again!

- - - Updated - - -

While the more dedicated collector’s places like BBTS and smaller toy stores are super helpful for the serious collector, the big chains do quantity, quantity, quantity. AND they display the figures, to show them to a LOT of people who don’t even know what’s what. Moms and Dads can buy something spontaneously for their kid, relatively. Some business dude who used to have toys as kid sees them.
Not every buyer is a completist. Just the people in this forum cannot make a retail line success.

Sure, the stores have no clue about which character is an army builder, which is super-popular…. but I think Mattel thinks the sheer quantity and power of those stores is worth it.

Personally, I also appreciate them being in “normal” stores because if stuff is too isolated, (and away from kids), it can grow in weird ways. Just look at comic books.

I somehow agree, but big chain stores alone aren't the only answer to the toy market... We need toys to have more representation, and also easier to obtain via the smaller specialty shops

[Cosmic]

Oh yes I agree we need both.
As in many cases, you need to put care into your “base” while also having the mass retail on your mind. One without the other won’t cut it, in the long run, for a worldwide company like Mattel.

[depp76]

I may be evil but I think Minicomics Stratos would have sold better if they'd reversed the armor and wings color on regular Stratos and you could get different armor/wings on the minicomics version to swap.

Mini-comic Stratos would have sold better if he had looked like mini-comic Stratos.

[Darkkosis]

Oh yes I agree we need both.
As in many cases, you need to put care into your “base” while also having the mass retail on your mind. One without the other won’t cut it, in the long run, for a worldwide company like Mattel.

The same goes for LEGO even though they have their own specialty stores and online stores in most major regions. Big chain stores simply sell a lot more volumes and that's a fact!

[CptSpandex]

They’re killin the line!

Haha! Yes! Nice throwback.

[8Bit]

I visit the US every Nov.

Last year I found Wave 7s in most Targets, they were pretty new and had just hit. It was cool to see the latest wave on pegs.
I visited last month and Wave 7 was still on the pegs everywhere. A full year later, not a good sign!

[Lokus]

Wave 9 Pig face , Mantenna , 20xx HeMAN and 20xx Skeletor Thats whats currently in my neck of the woods .


My Toys R US is suffering from too many wave 5 HeMan and Skeletors because they over compensated due to a lack of HeMan and Skeletor originally .

Imagine stocking the shelves full of Panthor and Battlecat but no HeMan or Skeletor for a little over 6 months .

[Dice]

I hate to say it but as far as Walmart is concerned (at least my local ones), wave 1 killed the line with those wacky new He-man and Skeletor heads. Those are what sat on the shelves for over a year before wave 7 finally showed up.

[Mr.Oz]

whichever employee at Mattel's He-man team that pushed or recommended mini comic Stratos for wave 7 has to be made of fun daily or got fired- like honestly who the funk thought that figure was a good idea?!?!?!? it's everywhere, i hunt in both Baltimore an d Philly- and that Stratos is EVERYWHERE like make it go away!

[timrollpickering2]

We have candy shops, boutique clothing and accessory shops, coffee shops, and so on, is it a sin now to have local specialty toy shops?!

The Entertainer is not exactly known for sin (*) but no it's not. But it is still a general chain with a wide range of children's toys and little specialisation, staffed by non-experts and so doesn't quite meet the image you suggest.

(* It's run by a strong Christian and this does show in its policies. He refuses to let his branches open at all on Sunday, one of the last hold outs of the opposition to the relaxation of Sunday trading laws back in the mid 1990s. This is especially notable at Christmas - next year Christmas Eve is on Sunday. He also refuses to sell "occult" toys such as anything to do with Harry Potter.)

- - - Updated - - -

I may be evil but I think Minicomics Stratos would have sold better if they'd reversed the armor and wings color on regular Stratos and you could get different armor/wings on the minicomics version to swap.

Mini-comic Stratos would have sold better if he had looked like mini-comic Stratos.

I'm highly sceptical that the problem with that Stratos is because he has a jet pack instead of a necklace or that he didn't invert the red & blue colour scheme. A lot of the buyers likely to be aware of either issue would likely be buying him regardless. The real problem is that he's a very weird colour variant of a non A-List character. Most people who want a Stratos likely already have one or want a Stratos that actually looks like Stratos. This one has the whole "he looks naked" problem that's hit the franchise for a good while now.

Would he have done better if he'd been put out as a generic Avionian warrior with an encouragement to buy multiples?

whichever employee at Mattel's He-man team that pushed or recommended mini comic Stratos for wave 7 has to be made of fun daily or got fired- like honestly who the funk thought that figure was a good idea?!?!?!? it's everywhere, i hunt in both Baltimore an d Philly- and that Stratos is EVERYWHERE like make it go away!

Would they even still be in post? ISTR someone saying that most toyline brand managers turnover every 18 months to two years and new ones spend a lot of time wading through their predecessor's ideas.

But waves 5 through 8 each have one figure who's a straight repaint of an existing figure from retail. Just what alternative can you put out who's a pre-existing established colour scheme without even going to kit-bash? Would the Claw Attack Stratos colour scheme (without a claw) have been a better bet? IIRC Disco Skeletor was a heavy pegwarmer in 200X and it seems memories of particular characters/schemes not selling have influenced Mattel's later decisions - look for instance at how Prince Adam was released in Classics and then in Origins. Popular as they are with customisers, I'm not persuaded there's huge retail sales potential for a long string of repaints using either Faker or Anti-Eternia colours beyond He-Man. So just who do you go for?

[Secret]

The Entertainer is not exactly known for sin (*) but no it's not. But it is still a general chain with a wide range of children's toys and little specialisation, staffed by non-experts and so doesn't quite meet the image you suggest.

(* It's run by a strong Christian and this does show in its policies. He refuses to let his branches open at all on Sunday, one of the last hold outs of the opposition to the relaxation of Sunday trading laws back in the mid 1990s. This is especially notable at Christmas - next year Christmas Eve is on Sunday. He also refuses to sell "occult" toys such as anything to do with Harry Potter.)

- - - Updated - - -





I'm highly sceptical that the problem with that Stratos is because he has a jet pack instead of a necklace or that he didn't invert the red & blue colour scheme. A lot of the buyers likely to be aware of either issue would likely be buying him regardless. The real problem is that he's a very weird colour variant of a non A-List character. Most people who want a Stratos likely already have one or want a Stratos that actually looks like Stratos. This one has the whole "he looks naked" problem that's hit the franchise for a good while now.

Would he have done better if he'd been put out as a generic Avionian warrior with an encouragement to buy multiples?



Would they even still be in post? ISTR someone saying that most toyline brand managers turnover every 18 months to two years and new ones spend a lot of time wading through their predecessor's ideas.

But waves 5 through 8 each have one figure who's a straight repaint of an existing figure from retail. Just what alternative can you put out who's a pre-existing established colour scheme without even going to kit-bash? Would the Claw Attack Stratos colour scheme (without a claw) have been a better bet? IIRC Disco Skeletor was a heavy pegwarmer in 200X and it seems memories of particular characters/schemes not selling have influenced Mattel's later decisions - look for instance at how Prince Adam was released in Classics and then in Origins. Popular as they are with customisers, I'm not persuaded there's huge retail sales potential for a long string of repaints using either Faker or Anti-Eternia colours beyond He-Man. So just who do you go for?

I think if they'd just painted Stratos black and inverted the colors and called him an Avion Warrior, he'd sell better.

[JaseT]

Since Wave 7 showed up a year ago, the local Target has not stocked anything but that wave. The Walmarts here are also choking on Wave 7, having stocked only a single case of a newer wave (Mantenna) which sold immediately. Since that, the Walmarts have received even more Wave 7.

[DynamicG]

This is almost my exact experience but here the clog is more Jitsu with an occasional sorceress but when I was checking for the reup of wave 2 ( which we still have not seen) I was instead greeted with an endcap of naked stratos and pig head. Rotons are also plentiful here at Walmart. The Walmart near the college doesn't carry origins at all anymore. Bittersweet because it allowed me to get a clearanced flocked Panthor for $9.

The ordering decisions I can understand. It's not selling at this location so they stop ordering it. However the places who are still ordering it and who are waves behind is curious. I'd love to see their logistical backend.

[Vorimir]

In Europe It was overstocked in big stores and have been aeoubd till last late summer when wave 8 arrived. It almost killed the line here to the point Wave 10 is having limited distribution in hobby stores and 0 in the main ones and Leech and Snout Spout have been skipped for now (and being Leech one of my all times favourites It hurts!!). Now we have preorders to full waves 11 and 12 so finger crossed.

[Lich Leech]

Mini-comic Stratos would have sold better if he had looked like mini-comic Stratos.

Yup, I spent a good $35 or more turning him into an actual minicomic Stratos with the correct accessories, feet, and colors. I was planning to buy multiples but when he turned out to be a cheap repaint I only bought one and spent extra money customizing him.

[chuc98]

I think availability over all at retail is what's killing MotU Origins. Mattel will NEVER learn. I've never seen Castle Grayskull and figure availability has been limited. Over the life of this line I've never seen Man-E-Faces, Orko, Merman, Scareglow, She-Ra, Ram-Man or Tri-klops in any store just off the top of my head. In short…Mattel is killing MotU Origins.

[Darkkosis]

I think availability over all at retail is what's killing MotU Origins. Mattel will NEVER learn. I've never seen Castle Grayskull and figure availability has been limited. Over the life of this line I've never seen Man-E-Faces, Orko, Merman, Scareglow, She-Ra, Ram-Man or Tri-klops in any store just off the top of my head. In short…Mattel is killing MotU Origins.

The problem is, MOTU Origins hit the market while the alleged pandemic at its peak, and usually the store managers/buyers are the ones who usually dictate the lines availability at their locations. Of course the bad distribution might also minimize the amount of demand on this line in certain areas!

If Mattel cannot see it through via the regular retail market, they need to adjust their distribution to the online market and the specialty toy stores. Also customers who're really after this line, need to adjust their expectations as well and start investing via the online outlets.

[He-Metayer]

I think availability over all at retail is what's killing MotU Origins. Mattel will NEVER learn. I've never seen Castle Grayskull and figure availability has been limited. Over the life of this line I've never seen Man-E-Faces, Orko, Merman, Scareglow, She-Ra, Ram-Man or Tri-klops in any store just off the top of my head. In short…Mattel is killing MotU Origins.

That's interesting . Here in Austin TX, I have seen Castle Grayskull regularly in Target. I also saw Ram-man for a while too. Now the other figures I didn't see until the recent endcaps that Target has a couple of weeks ago. But those went fast.

[ToyCulture]

If it weren't for BBTS I would have absolutely nothing lol.

Havent you told me you never did mail order since you moved? Well, nevermind.

- - - Updated - - -

I think availability over all at retail is what's killing MotU Origins. Mattel will NEVER learn. I've never seen Castle Grayskull and figure availability has been limited. Over the life of this line I've never seen Man-E-Faces, Orko, Merman, Scareglow, She-Ra, Ram-Man or Tri-klops in any store just off the top of my head. In short…Mattel is killing MotU Origins.

Distribution has been and still is terrible. I dont even see a pattern. These figures randomly pop up at different outlets, some small sellers use their position to sell with huge markups. This is ridiculous for a new item.

[chuc98]

That's interesting . Here in Austin TX, I have seen Castle Grayskull regularly in Target. I also saw Ram-man for a while too. Now the other figures I didn't see until the recent endcaps that Target has a couple of weeks ago. But those went fast.

Yeah I live in the Tampa Bay Area with many Targets and Walmarts to choose from…they've all been the same. I also frequent Targets near Walt Disney World, also the same there as I reported above. Horrible availability.

[Lokus]

I think availability over all at retail is what's killing MotU Origins. Mattel will NEVER learn. I've never seen Castle Grayskull and figure availability has been limited. Over the life of this line I've never seen Man-E-Faces, Orko, Merman, Scareglow, She-Ra, Ram-Man or Tri-klops in any store just off the top of my head. In short…Mattel is killing MotU Origins.

I believe its just unevenly distributed . I seen a fair amount of Tri Klops and far too many Ram Man unsold even to this day . I use Amazon and Ebay to pad out my collection . He Man and Skeletor took about a year to show up .

[darkmoon766]

I believe its just unevenly distributed . I seen a fair amount of Tri Klops and far too many Ram Man unsold even to this day . I use Amazon and Ebay to pad out my collection . He Man and Skeletor took about a year to show up .

I'm assuming you are in Canada as you mentioned TRU?

[Alexxandar]

Short answer: yes.

Long answer: YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!!!