Masters of the Universe Classics

[Khev]

Ram Man has just crossed the $90+ shipped threshold on ebay for a couple of sales. Thanks to teemu for suggesting that I pick him up to offset the secondary market price of the Sorceress.

 

[Zodach]

Ram Man's price will likely go down for a very short period in the next 1-2 weeks as everyone gets their packages from Mattel and starts selling the extras on ebay. After that he will probably surpass Teela, Fisto, and the Sorceress.

 

[DPrime]

You think, long-term, he's a more important figure to own than Teela?

Personally, if I REALLY wanted to cut down my MOTUC collection, it'd end up being He-Man+Battlecat, Orko, MAA and Teela, then Skeletor, Evil Lyn, Beast Man, Mer-Man, Trapjaw and Triclops on the bad side.

The rest of the "key" Masters are secondary to me. Close, but not quite Teela territory.

 

[Khev]

Such a bizarre picture I had to post it:

 

[karamazov80]

Mattel eventually re-releases all these figures to meet demand, right? I wouldn't treat anything from Mattel as a long-term investment opportunity. I think Teela is one of the 3 most important He-Man good guy characters (with He-Man himself and Man-At-Arms). I would put Ram Man in the second tier, but admittedly I'm a casual He-Man fan.

 

[dedguy]

They like to cultivate an air of scarcity but it's fake scarcity like collector's plates.

 

[karamazov80]

They like to cultivate an air of scarcity but it's fake scarcity like collector's plates.

Hey now, we're talking about Mattel He-Man, not Hot Toys figures

 

[dedguy]

Hot Toys doesn't make press releases about how they want to maintain secondary market value.

 

[Eamon]

Hot Toys doesn't make press releases about how they want to maintain secondary market value.

This is an interesting point. What makes you say this?

I am trying to figure out a tactful way to approach these very subjects but I need facts to back it up.

 

[Kuzeh]

Horrible. Just horrible.

Icon Heroes paperweight.

I actually like it quite a bit!

Mattel eventually re-releases all these figures to meet demand, right? I wouldn't treat anything from Mattel as a long-term investment opportunity. I think Teela is one of the 3 most important He-Man good guy characters (with He-Man himself and Man-At-Arms). I would put Ram Man in the second tier, but admittedly I'm a casual He-Man fan.

Not any more... they stopped doing this after Man-E-Faces...

This is an interesting point. What makes you say this?

I am trying to figure out a tactful way to approach these very subjects but I need facts to back it up.

I think a lot of people speculate about HT or Mattel's motives behind their sales practices... but you'll never have hard facts to back it up. Just pure theories from fans...

 

[dedguy]

This is an interesting point. What makes you say this?

I am trying to figure out a tactful way to approach these very subjects but I need facts to back it up.

You can just ignore me. I don't feel like looking it up. It was something Toyguru said during the 2012 sub sale in regards to raising the prices for non-sub owners and reducing the number of figures available for non-sub sales.

edit: Actually it wasn't that hard to find. I have bolded the line I was thinking of. It also pisses me off to no end that they publicly deride their customers who don't want to buy every thing they make by calling them cherry pickers.

Hey He-Fans and She-Ravers,

With so much talk over the DC Sub (and if we have enough subscribers) I wanted to check in with all of you on the MOTUC sub.

First off, as expected we have well passed our min sub order to keep the line going. (MOTU fans are committed!) BUT, I do want to let you know that we are actually at our lowest sub sale yet. Which unless we get a huge bump in sales this week, this means Shadow Weaver will likely be the lowest produced figure in the whole line! Wow.

Also, as stated a few times, we will no longer be doing second runs of figures starting with Man-E-Faces. We still have quite a few older figures already slotted for re-release each month in 2012, but they are all figure originally offered before Man-E-Faces. This also means NONE of the 2012 figures will go into a second run.

Finally, our overall production is going to be a bit lower in 2012. We still intend for product to be available for "Cherry Pickers" the day-of the sale, but 1: we will have overall a bit less, how long this will last is anyone's guess, and 2: Because production is based on part on the sub sales, with lower overall sub sales then expected, this means the day-of product will be even slightly less then we orignally intended with the original planned"slight reduction" (to control inventory).

Part of the reason for the initial reducution in "day of" quota is to maintain the secondary market so that those who buy the sub but don't want all of the monthly figures will have an avenue to sell them off at a reasonable secondary market price. We're not trying to create "Scal-por" but we do want to help out fans who may be turned off by the high price of say, the Star Sisters, and want to know we won't flood the market with this pack giving them the option of selling it off one day if it is not their cup of tea.

SO....What does all this mean?

While in NO WAY is this message intended to be a "you must buy the sub!" post, in all fairness, consider this fair warning that the sub is your best way of guaranteeing all figures without a sell out and the ONLY way to ever get Shadow Weaver. (and hey don't forget about the awesome Preternia map!)

Whether the sub is for you is a personal choice, I just want to make sure fair warning and all the info is out there for you to make an eductated choice for your own collection!

 

[Kuzeh]

He's actually saying that if you don't want certain figures from the sub, you can sell them...

 

[dedguy]

…by artificially maintaining scarcity, which is what I was saying. I wasn't saying why. Just that they did say they were going to do that.

The why also pisses me off because it's treating direct sale customers like a retailer but whatever.

 

[teemu]

You think, long-term, he's a more important figure to own than Teela?

Oh he will be...totally new BIG tool and one of the best figures in the line is enough to say so

Ram Man has just crossed the $90+ shipped threshold on ebay for a couple of sales. Thanks to teemu for suggesting that I pick him up to offset the secondary market price of the Sorceress.

better you buy now or pay higher later

Mattel eventually re-releases all these figures to meet demand, right? I wouldn't treat anything from Mattel as a long-term investment opportunity. I think Teela is one of the 3 most important He-Man good guy characters (with He-Man himself and Man-At-Arms). I would put Ram Man in the second tier, but admittedly I'm a casual He-Man fan.

they are done doing second runs...its over.There will be no more re-issues or extra runs from sell-outs.Sorceress is done! Fisto is done! Teela is done! and many more are going to follow

If Ram Man goes back up for sale,it will be the Very LIMITED customer service stock which will sell out under a minute,just like Kobra Kahn did.

 

[DPrime]

Never say never - not when money talks.

 

[teemu]

Never say never - not when money talks.

They don't have enough buyers to warrant a second run..(to do a second run,they have to meet factory quota run)

so money doesn't talk...

Toyguru said that besides He-Man and Skeletor,there isn't enough buyers to justify doing second runs

just because 100 vocal people missed out on Fisto,Sorceress or Ram Man,is not warranted enough to do more runs.Someone on Matty asked about Fisto and Sorceress seconds runs....his answer was Sorry,you have to get them on the secondary market

They are done!

 

[Kuzeh]

Icon Heroes just teased this:

It'll go along nicely with the Castle one!! !

 

[teemu]

Icon Heroes just teased this:

It'll go along nicely with the Castle one!! !

Was really hoping Minimates would do MOTU figures for these sets (like the Icon heroes thundercats sets and figures)

I would be much more interested in these..

 

[DPrime]

They don't have enough buyers to warrant a second run..(to do a second run,they have to meet factory quota run)

so money doesn't talk...

Toyguru said that besides He-Man and Skeletor,there isn't enough buyers to justify doing second runs

just because 100 vocal people missed out on Fisto,Sorceress or Ram Man,is not warranted enough to do more runs.Someone on Matty asked about Fisto and Sorceress seconds runs....his answer was Sorry,you have to get them on the secondary market

They are done!

Forgive me, but I don't believe a word that Toyguru says. There is some truth in his statements, no doubt, but I would never take him at his word, at least in terms of the overall message.

His job is public relations, propaganda and marketing. His sole motivation for whatever statements he makes is clearly biased - to drive sales. His methods of doing so have included stretching the truth - and maybe outright lying - in the past.

Anyway, I'm not ENTIRELY disagreeing with you - I'm certainly not banking on it, that's for sure. But I wouldn't be surprised if he gets reissued down the line. Probably more likely in a different colour scheme than not, but still.

I wouldn't go so far as to say it's LIKELY - just an even chance.

 

[teemu]

Forgive me, but I don't believe a word that Toyguru says. There is some truth in his statements, no doubt, but I would never take him at his word, at least in terms of the overall message.

His job is public relations, propaganda and marketing. His sole motivation for whatever statements he makes is clearly biased - to drive sales. His methods of doing so have included stretching the truth - and maybe outright lying - in the past.

Anyway, I'm not ENTIRELY disagreeing with you - I'm certainly not banking on it, that's for sure. But I wouldn't be surprised if he gets reissued down the line. Probably more likely in a different colour scheme than not, but still.

I wouldn't go so far as to say it's LIKELY - just an even chance.

I don't really believe what Toyguru says either,but knowing how things work when it comes to a "quota" to produce things,It makes sense of why they will not do second runs.To do another run of Ram Man's,the factory may say they will only do 5,000 minimum order.Mattel doesn't want to risk the overstock when only maybe 100-200 vocal people are crying because they didn't get Ram Man,Fisto,Sorceress and even Teela

Just wait till MORE figures are Sub only this year and soon that ALL figures will be Sub Exclusive...

If those can get Ram Man for $60-100,get him now or pay more later