Will Hot Toys ever lose their popularity?

[xipotec]

Its not a good idea to collect these things as investments. But , for me its about the enjoyment of the art. Thats priceless to me. Again HT will be around so long as they keep making fresh new products. This Marvel /Star wars rut has to end. With so many classic figures yet to be made they could be around for ages. If they fail on creative exploration and try to just hit market demographics they are doomed. The general market is fickle and cheap any will not support these prices . The art collector market prices are about right were it should be.

 

[questionman]

I have seen Hot Toys release one Iron Man figure after another. Quite frankly I am so sick of seeing Iron man all time. I only own one Iron Man in my collection Its all pretty much aliens and Batman for me. I guess everyone has a preference. I think Hot Toys see's that marvel and Star Wars is what is hot on the market now.

 

[svander]

Hot Toys like any other business caters to the market and the market has decided with dollars and euros what they want. Stop whining about them only releasing marvel of star wars figures. We collectively have decided that's where the money is for them.

 

[xipotec]

Hot Toys like any other business caters to the market and the market has decided with dollars and euros what they want. Stop whining about them only releasing marvel of star wars figures. We collectively have decided that's where the money is for them.

Its not whining its long term market planning, rather than short sighted cash grab. Seems like its the common excuse for people to say "they are a business and they are in it for the cash". No kidding????

BUT , you can create a business with a long term fixed goal and mission statement that goes beyond short sighted stock inflating mass market cash grabs. Personally , Id rather see a figure company stay smaller buy unique and varied licenses. HT no doubt spent so much on theMarvel andStar Wars licenses that they have no choice but to push out as many figures as they can't o recoup that initial investment.

These are not inexpensive small plastic 3 inch figures here, and the current purchasing market just cannot support constant additions to the same license. How many people buy every clone trooper variant put out ? Or in HT's case as mentioned earlier 5 versions of Iron Man?

 

[svander]

It's not that I don't agree and I would love to see more variety, older licenses and such but their bread and butter will always be characters that sell to the masses. It's the sad truth.

I think they're still passionate about what you speak of, releasing licenses like Robocop and BTTF recently. I hope it's a trend that continues.

At the end of the day though, they're going to keep on pumping out figures on marvel blockbusters because they're less of a gamble financially.

 

[bunnyfreakz]

Maybe HT will keep strong , same reason why Lego still go strong

- Monopoly on market
- Literally invented their own market , high end collectibles 1/6
- Bulk of upcoming movies / games to license
- Fanbase getting bigger, more and more people recognize Hot Toys ( they always appears on big pop culture event such SDCC / anicom and another exhibition )

 

[questionman]

I have seen post on Katoku on Hot Toys figures and action figures. I saw that and I though to myself how sixth scale is gaining some popularity.

 

[zuko3984]

It's also a hobby where I'm actively looking to get out. I'm 44 now. I don't want to be buying this stuff anymore when I'm 54. Most likely it's very different for a younger demographic, though.

I'm curious what your age has to do with wanting to get out of the hobby. I'm 42 and just got into the hobby and can see myself buying new figures when i'm 80 if i can. I just had some friends over all around the same age who saw my collection for the first time and they were very impressed with the figures and 1 or 2 of them are now looking to get into the hobby. If your losing interest in the hobby that's one thing but i don't see what age has to do with anything.

 

[svander]

If anything let me tell ya', I probably couldn't afford these when I was in my 20s, if you know what I'm saying.

 

[Y4NK33 PL4N3T]

Its not whining its long term market planning, rather than short sighted cash grab. Seems like its the common excuse for people to say "they are a business and they are in it for the cash". No kidding????

BUT , you can create a business with a long term fixed goal and mission statement that goes beyond short sighted stock inflating mass market cash grabs. Personally , Id rather see a figure company stay smaller buy unique and varied licenses. HT no doubt spent so much on theMarvel andStar Wars licenses that they have no choice but to push out as many figures as they can't o recoup that initial investment.

These are not inexpensive small plastic 3 inch figures here, and the current purchasing market just cannot support constant additions to the same license. How many people buy every clone trooper variant put out ? Or in HT's case as mentioned earlier 5 versions of Iron Man?

The answer to that question is more people buy every clone trooper and/or IM figure versions than they buy all of the figures listed below (and then some) from the unique and varying licenses you're referencing, combined.

POTC Angelica
GIJ Roadblock
Tron Legacy Kevin Flynn
Tonto
Goblin
Kerberos Panzer Jager
RE Alice
Electro
Sleepy Hollow
Sweeney Todd
Captain Harlock
Sucker Punch Amber
Indiana Jones
The Crow
60's Batman/Robin
Maleficient
MOS Zod, Jor El, Supes
etc


While HT's bread & butter franchises certainly have their share of figs that didn't sell well, the majority of them are movers.

 

[WWEJedi]

Not sure about HT specifically but I'd say as a whole not much of this stuff is going to keep its value.

First off there is just too much out there for any of it to be really valuable. Even the intended "rare" ones with small editions sizes are just a slight variants of a much more common one. I mean in the last 5 years how many Harley Quinn statues / figures have been made? How many Iron Man Mark's can one person own? Its just too much and the market is getting flooded.

Second which has been brought up all ready are the just insane prices for brand new figures. When 1/6 are pushing $275 its just getting stupid. Anyone who thinks they are going to get long term returns out of these things are nuts. People have to be picky now and when more and more figs collect dust in the warehouse we are going to get less variety which means less interest which means less sold.

I'm thinking its time I take a good long look at my collection and decide what I can get rid of (while I can maybe still break even on them) and just keep the things I really truly want. Its getting tough to be a collector these days.

I will take those mythos statues of your hands if you are looking to break even.

 

[Aaron]

Some very good questions and a thread I will keep an eye on.

From a dealers point of view I have a few opinions.

I feel they are not a fad. Due to the price commitment and the number of licences popularity will be around for quite some time yet.

I feel the price increases may be played on by distributors. As far as I'm aware there's only one official importer into the UK maybe so in the states also. As there's only one we have no choice to use it so they can within reason charge what they like. Although Hot Toys do increase their prices I feel distributors add on well above a reasonable price. The profit after pay pal, postage and your time leaves barely any profit. Dealers will stop selling them if it keeps raising let alone people buying them. This I strongly believe will happen one day. I know a few dealers who already have stopped selling Hot Toys. If there's no dealers selling them then Hot Toys will have a problem.

Just my two cents.

 

[Stryker2011]

If this can achieve global domination:

What's to say Hot Toys can't?

My point is that there's a rather insurmountable difference between Hot Toys and Disney. It's like comparing Ferrarri to the worlds largest shopping mall. Sure Ferrarri makes one of the best high-end cars, but that's all they make, and a very very small percentage of the worlds population will ever own one; whereas there's at least one thing, if not more, in a mega-mall that just about the entire world can and will own. HT makes one thing, and they might rake in a couple million bucks at most; Disney is a multi-national corporation that rakes in billions, and has hundreds of thousands of licenses from everything to clothing to home decor, not to mention the movie studios, TV networks and theme-parks, and now owns Lucasfilm and Marvel. Disney could buy Hot Toys a thousand times over, which probably wouldn't be a bad idea, since 90% of what HT makes now is Disney owned, and Disney has the resources to lower costs of manufacturing and may even be willing to take a chance on other licenses beside what Howard Chan has a hard-on for or what will sell in Asia.

 

[Darth Madden]

I will take those mythos statues of your hands if you are looking to break even.

Yeah, I think I'll pass on that offer for now.

 

[Invictus Sol]

I'm curious what your age has to do with wanting to get out of the hobby. I'm 42 and just got into the hobby and can see myself buying new figures when i'm 80 if i can. I just had some friends over all around the same age who saw my collection for the first time and they were very impressed with the figures and 1 or 2 of them are now looking to get into the hobby. If your losing interest in the hobby that's one thing but i don't see what age has to do with anything.

Why does it even matter to you? I could've said 34 or 54, it's irrelevent. Point is, ten years from now, regardless of what my age is, I no longer want to be actively collecting. Good for you if you do.

 

[zuko3984]

Why does it even matter to you? I could've said 34 or 54, it's irrelevent. Point is, ten years from now, regardless of what my age is, I no longer want to be actively collecting. Good for you if you do.

It doesn't really matter to me i was just curious. Sorry if i offended you. You just came off sounding like at a certain age is too old to be collecting figures. I know people stop collecting when they no longer enjoy it or can no longer afford it but they don't usually plan that. I've just never really heard of anyone saying they would stop collecting in a certain time frame so i was curious on the reasoning behind it.

 

[svander]

I don't understand either. Sounded like those youngins that think they'll stop playing video games when they hit 35. I just laugh. If you enjoy the hobby there's no reason to ever stop.

 

[thecapn]

I think Hot Toys can always be around, IF they keep up with the times and don't get stuck in a rut. I'm not necessarily saying they are in one now, per se; while I hate all the Iron Man variants as much as some people do, you always need to be looking into new opportunities and keeping an eye on the market and what's trending. I also agree that some older properties with long-term fanbases need some love. Star Wars is a GREAT step forward (although I think their rapid release schedule is going to hurt them - I decided to bail on the line pretty quickly when I saw that there were 7 must-have figures all coming up at almost the same time). If anyone is interested in a MIB exclusive Han/Chewie set at retail, shipped as soon as I get it from Sideshow, let me know.

It's been alluded to already in this thread, but for me and my Hot Toys collection, I'm not overly concerned with making a big profit, but I also don't want my figures to be worthless, either. The question, I think, is how many of their currently-popular properties will stand the test of time. Will Iron Man always be popular? Maybe, though not as much as it is now. Will the Robert Downey, Jr. Iron Man movies always be popular? Ah...that's a better question that I'm not sure is true. Am I going to enjoy these figures as much when the property has died down? I dunno.

That's why, as someone said, don't collect just to finish a set or for a profit down the road. Collect because you really enjoy the property, and then you won't concern yourself with what happens later.

Will I always be collecting? No, I'm sure I won't. I'm sure kids, family, life, finances will get in the way at one point or another, either temporarily or not. And I'm not sure if I'll be keeping all those Hot Toys when it does. I will keep my Bonds. I'll keep my Star Trek. But the Marvel/DC/etc? That's yet to be seen.

 

[Invictus Sol]

It doesn't really matter to me i was just curious. Sorry if i offended you. You just came off sounding like at a certain age is too old to be collecting figures. I know people stop collecting when they no longer enjoy it or can no longer afford it but they don't usually plan that. I've just never really heard of anyone saying they would stop collecting in a certain time frame so i was curious on the reasoning behind it.

I don't understand either. Sounded like those youngins that think they'll stop playing video games when they hit 35. I just laugh. If you enjoy the hobby there's no reason to ever stop.

Not sure why you guys zero'd in on the age. What difference would it make what the actual age was in relation to seeing an end to actively buying? And how could you guys think 44 specifically is some age where I think it's OK to collect action figures but that 54 is "too old" to buy them? Ugh, sorry I mentioned it at all now.

Beyond that, I thought i had explained it pretty well. Limited iconic licenses + level of detail where I'm satisfied with the representation of the character. I simply don't want to be buying endless iterations of the Terminator until I die. Unlike most people here, I guess, I look forward to having a pretty complete collection of what's important to me and then being happy with what I have and re-directing the money and time to other pursuits.

 

[cmiller99]

Its not a good idea to collect these things as investments.

Yeah, if you want investments then buy customs.