Masters of the Universe Classics

[Zodach]

NECA sells to TRU which is a significant part of their business and they sell preorders through online websites to lock in their sales. While some of their products are fantastic, they have no problem pulling the plug immediately if product lines aren't selling "well enough" (ie - TMNT and Prometheus). Not to mention how heavily they rely on repaints and variants for almost all of their lines. Their QC and paint apps on the final products can vary greatly.

Those other companies are in the collectible market which is a whole different ballgame compared to action figures. Most of their sales are through preorders and as smaller companies they have much more flexibility than Mattel who has to report to shareholders.

 

[Badvermin]

The Palisades Muppets line: no entertainment support, sculpts that outshine MOTUC, cheap prices, HUGE playsets packed with many accessories, oversized figures and more. It only lasted 5 years, but those were five of the finest.

 

[Eamon]

The Palisades Muppets line: no entertainment support, sculpts that outshine MOTUC, cheap prices, HUGE playsets packed with many accessories, oversized figures and more. It only lasted 5 years, but those were five of the finest.

And they went Bankrupt in 2006!

The Muppets also had entertainment up until 2005 when it was cancelled.

 

[teemu]

NECA sells to TRU which is a significant part of their business and they sell preorders through online websites to lock in their sales. While some of their products are fantastic, they have no problem pulling the plug immediately if product lines aren't selling "well enough" (ie - TMNT and Prometheus). Not to mention how heavily they rely on repaints and variants for almost all of their lines. Their QC and paint apps on the final products can vary greatly.

Those other companies are in the collectible market which is a whole different ballgame compared to action figures. Most of their sales are through preorders and as smaller companies they have much more flexibility than Mattel who has to report to shareholders.

I agree,

though some may disagree with me when I say MOTU Classics (especially the sculpts and articulation) are better figures than NECA

The Palisades Muppets line: no entertainment support, sculpts that outshine MOTUC, cheap prices, HUGE playsets packed with many accessories, oversized figures and more. It only lasted 5 years, but those were five of the finest.

One of the Greatest action figure lines in the past Decade

And they went Bankrupt in 2006!

The Muppets also had entertainment up until 2005 when it was cancelled.

Palisades went bankrupt because they were a SMALL company, but it doesn't change that they put out something very special with their Muppets line

Even so,MOTU Classics is also one of the greatest action figure lines of the Decade....both lines have their places

 

[Burning Saber]

I don't necessarily have a problem with Mattel going with a subscription method. Its an easy way for them to guarantee their product is going to move and allows for more obscure characters we would never have gotten otherwise. They don't "need" subscription sales, they prefer subscription sales, and that is the big difference. Most of the tiny toy line talk is spin. If the line wasn't making the money Mattel wanted, no matter how big or small the line is, it would be cancelled subscription or not. However, the subscription model has two problems: 1) It's hard to grow the line with a 2 to 4 week lock in period per year while DOS items are difficult to get depending on the figure sold 2) You run the risk of alienating fringe fans with a poor sub year.
I fall under #2. I'm a fan of MOTU, but not a diehard that ever wanted "everything". I got the sub most years because it was a lot easier and I usually wanted most of the year's figures. I almost didn't get the 2012 sub but ended up really happy I did as I ended up wanting most of it. I wasn't going to get the 2013 sub and I was talked into it with all the "Save the Line" begging. I've regretted it 5 out of the 6 months so far. The money I've spent on figures I don't want this year has been ridiculous. Higher shipping that became drastically overpriced and duty fees I should never have had has just risen the cost of this line to an unacceptable line for me. I think Toyguru really over estimated the strength of the line when he put the 2013 line up together and unfortunately I think it's going to cost MOTUC.
At this point there is absolutely nothing Mattel can say or do to get me to buy a subscription this year. What they can still get from me are some Day of Sales if the 2014 line up is what was promised a year ago. If they don't want even that from me, which I'm fully expecting, then they are loosing money they could have made because me getting a sub is a non starter. And that is the real problem with their Subscription only mentality. I understand them wanting the guaranteed sales, but limiting the DOS stock is only helping to shut the line down sooner. It always has. Every line needs the cherry pickers along with the Diehards. It keeps a line from getting too obscure, too niche. This year MOTUC got too obscure, I really hope 2014 is going to be more balanced.

 

[teemu]

They don't "need" subscription sales, they prefer subscription sales.

but they tell us... without buying Subs,we get no line each year (you saw the drama last year)

so they NEED subscription sales to help pay for the newly tooled figures and to make sure that every single monthly figure sells..

Scott said the Filmation Sub didn't do very well at all and it did worse that the 30th Sub....Day of sales determine is we get another Filmation sub

Mattel's stategy is to sell everything or they will pull the line....I don't think Scott is lying when he says the line is tiny (because in the grand scheme vs mass retail..its VERY tiny in comparison

 

[chewdeezy]

You guys are lucky. The WWE Legends last chance was on Matty.com and they warmed for months until the figures sold out. I wish there was a subscription service but alas, the line died and never more.

 

[teemu]

You guys are lucky. The WWE Legends last chance was on Matty.com and they warmed for months until the figures sold out. I wish there was a subscription service but alas, the line died and never more.

it's not totally dead...were getting flashback legends in the main line...it just moves at snails pace for Legends releases

 

[Burning Saber]

but they tell us... without buying Subs,we get no line each year (you saw the drama last year)

so they NEED subscription sales to help pay for the newly tooled figures and to make sure that every single monthly figure sells..

Scott said the Filmation Sub didn't do very well at all and it did worse that the 30th Sub....Day of sales determine is we get another Filmation sub

Mattel's stategy is to sell everything or they will pull the line....I don't think Scott is lying when he says the line is tiny (because in the grand scheme vs mass retail..its VERY tiny in comparison

I have no doubt that the line is small, but its tooling is based on its sales not its size. If the line does well, the more tooling it gets. And MOTUC gets a lot of tooling, even this year. Mattel doesn't NEED the subs, they WANT the subs. This line was doing well and growing when they had a sub plus DOS strategy, it only started to stagnate when they went to their Sub only mentality. And Mattel's strategy is not to sell everything or pull the line, its strategy is to make x amount of money or pull the line. The best way they tell us they can do this is through the Subs.
The only problem with that is the DCU club. I don't believe for a minute that it has ever made the goal, ever. I thought for sure it was going to get cancelled last year, but sure enough it jumped to its goal (on the last day I believe). I think the amount they need to sell is not the amount they tell us they need to sell (so to speak). I fully expect a 2014 sub no matter what happens in the next couple of weeks. The sub will go through on the last day at minimum. The extra tooling for 2015 may be scaled down appropriately, but that is a different scenario entirely.
MOTUC is the flagship of Mattycollector and really, the only reason it`s still going. They want MOTU to succeed, but getting the subs is easy money for them. I think they push the subs to get as much of the easy money as they can and it also allows Toyguru to go deeper into the brand then he otherwise wouldn`t be able to do with out the subs. I believe that is the difference right now. More subs, allows them to guarantee more sales which gets them more tooling to go deeper in the line then they otherwise might not be able to, or certain figures that had unique tooling back in the day can get that much closer with said tooling. I personally believe a lot of the scare tactics of DOS and not enough subs we don`t turn on the machines to attract more subs is done not only to make as much money as possible, which is to be expected of any business, but has other purposes as well. That small not a retail line is true to a point, but also serves to feed the beast. Either way, I do hope the line continues for the people that want to finish all the vintage figures in MOTUC style, because this line has been more of a hassle then it ever needed to be and I never, ever thought we would reach a point where it was actually realistic to be able to say its possible.

 

[Kuzeh]

The irony here is that the subs were requested by fans...

 

[dedguy]

That's often said but… was it really? What exactly happened? I find it hard to believe this specific system was devised by fan outcry.

 

[Frank]

I think the sub idea would have caused less fan rage if they managed to work out a tiered system but as we all know it was completely utterly impossible... until they decided to give Filmation a mini sub lol. It was a step forward, but at this point a little too late.

 

[Zodach]

That's often said but… was it really? What exactly happened? I find it hard to believe this specific system was devised by fan outcry.

Fans were asking for a preorder or subscription to guarantee their figures back in 2009 when figures were selling out within minutes each month and it was very difficult to check out with the Matty red screen of death popping up at each step of the check out process. People were getting frustrated at missing out on figures and the website was getting hammered on the 15th every month. This was back when they were almost exclusively sticking to vintage MOTU figures though. Just look at the 2008/09 lineup without the quarterly bonus figures:

He-man
Beast Man
Skeletor
Stratos
Faker
Mer-man
Zodac
Hordak
Man-at-arms
He-Ro
Tri-Klops
Webstor
Teela
Scareglow
Randor

 

[Eamon]

I could tell you where (we think) the sub idea originated but I doubt you'd believe it.

 

[Shropt]

I could tell you where (we think) the sub idea originated but I doubt you'd believe it.

Do tell....

*insert non-allowed popcorn gif here*

 

[dedguy]

I'm interested in the details… asking for preordering I can believe but people asking without any guiding hand for a subscription for a toy line is harder to believe. It's not like it's common practice.

 

[lerath666]

but they tell us... without buying Subs,we get no line each year (you saw the drama last year)

so they NEED subscription sales to help pay for the newly tooled figures and to make sure that every single monthly figure sells..

Scott said the Filmation Sub didn't do very well at all and it did worse that the 30th Sub....Day of sales determine is we get another Filmation sub

Mattel's stategy is to sell everything or they will pull the line....I don't think Scott is lying when he says the line is tiny (because in the grand scheme vs mass retail..its VERY tiny in comparison

How strange. I thought that people prefered filmation looks, designs, and characters to all others?

bring on a 200x sub, see if it sells any better

 

[teemu]

I could tell you where (we think) the sub idea originated but I doubt you'd believe it.

Wasn't it some young kid that walked up to Scott and the Horseman and suggested it? (then the "bulbs" lit up) that is what Scott said

How strange. I thought that people prefered filmation looks, designs, and characters to all others?

bring on a 200x sub, see if it sells any better

I'd rather the 200x characters be sprinkled in the regular sub....there is not too many I would want from there.Prahvus,Evil Seed and Dactus are the only ones I'm really interested in (plus Skeleton Warriors)

 

[Shropt]

How strange. I thought that people prefered filmation looks, designs, and characters to all others?

bring on a 200x sub, see if it sells any better

 

[Eamon]

Wasn't it some young kid that walked up to Scott and the Horseman and suggested it? (then the "bulbs" lit up) that is what Scott said

I'll try to say this without sounding like a tool.

There was that kid yes and that would be the second time they heard that suggestion.

The first time was at about 2am in the Best Western (or Days Inn) lobby, the IT Crowd people were having a party and where Mattel staff sat with Emiliano and I and we kept suggesting a subscription amongst other things.

Saying the idea from some anonymous kid is easier for certain kinds of people i guess.