EMCE better than collecting Vintage

[nordox]

Well yknow I put my apes side by side and they're really perfect. Well, yknow I really like them better than the old ones with that string holding them together making them unable to really stand.

For the museums the Megos are greatest historically, but as these are toys, toys we all have enjoyed for years, The EMCE soldier ape has rank over the other guy in the ape army at this house at least. :-)

[vulcan2074]

I'm Vintage all the way :beaming1:
Sammy

[kryptosmaster]

Are you high?
LOL
J/K but I agree with vulcan.
If you grew up with Megos there is no substitute for the real thing.
The only emces that may ever end up in my collection would be the ones that are not copies of original Megos. Unless there was some smoking deal that I couldn't pass up for some reason.
I'm crossing my fingers and hoping the real Mego Corp is coming back.
Besides, only Type 1's had string. Type 2's should be the same construction as the emces as far as I know.
Rich

[The Bat]

I'm crossing my fingers and hoping the real Mego Corp is coming back.
Rich


I think your not ever going to get anything closer to Mego Corp coming back...than EMCETOYS. I mean...other than the name Mego(which I believe Marty Abrams tried to aquire and couldn't)what more could anyone do?They're using the same Molds(or at least Molds cast from the Originals).What in your opinion, could make them more Mego?:googly:

[txteach]

what is the deal with the yknows? I have never seen that before. I think collecting is great the the chase for vintage gives me a rush.

[kryptosmaster]

I think your not ever going to get anything closer to Mego Corp coming back...than EMCETOYS. I mean...other than the name Mego(which I believe Marty Abrams tried to aquire and couldn't)what more could anyone do?They're using the same Molds(or at least Molds cast from the Originals).What in your opinion, could make them more Mego?:googly:

Well, you pretty much summed it up in your statement.
Marty Abrams and Mego together and producing NEW Megos (not just reproductions of old stuff) would make them more Mego. In fact, it would make them OFFICIALLY Mego.
What more could you do than get the original owner and the original company name together again?
I'm not saying the emce stuff is crap (although I've not bought any yet), I'm just saying that without the involvement of the original owner or at the very least having the rights/ownership of the name Mego and access to the original molds (or recipes/blueprints/whatever) they will always be copies of Megos instead of the real thing.
Let's say Marty succeeds and is able to use the Mego Corp name again and either goes on his own or pairs up with, say Dr Mego or something and offically licenses the Mego name for new stuff? That new stuff would BE Mego and even if he did new runs with original molds they would be Megos (albeit second-issues). I guess what I'm saying is there's more value to the name in my eyes than just old mego figures being repro'd under a diff name.
I totally understand your point but the fact is without the Mego name they will always be wanna-be's to me.
Rich

[Iron_fox85]

perhaps but as a newbie at mego these to me are megos

[HardyGirl]

Well, Paul/Diamond/EMCE did this w/ Marty Abrams blessing. Sadly there will never be another Mego Corp., so this is as close to Mego's rebirth as we're ever likely to see. I have the Andorian and the Romulan, and they're great! I hope to get Sulu and Chekov too. And to me as well, these are Megos, same stuff, different name, different day. Why argue symantics? They'll still display the same, play the same, and be just as much fun as the originals. I don't care about the hunt, I care about the toy! And plus...there's that nostalgia...seeing that Mego goodness out in the wild. Maybe some of your kids asking for it for Christmas! Watching them tear open Captain Kirk or a Cornelius just like you did. Maybe they could be more Mego if the commercials were on TV, or if EMCE/Diamond made playsets (oh wait! The Enterprise will be out soon!) So you see the only difference is time.

LONG LIVE EMCEs! And bless you Paul for re-achieving Mego goodness!
:2thumbsup: :hokay:

[toys2cool]

the EMCE's are nice no doubt about it,but nothing compares the original vintage stuff :grin:

[BlackKnight]

what is the deal with the yknows?


Why Know ? Why Know,.. you Jest ? Why Know,.. Hello Dare ! :smiley1:

... I think he meant You Know. :wink_y:

[kingdom warrior]

I love Mego and I love EMCE doesn't make a difference to me or my kids who can't tell the difference.

[GeneralApeGuy]

I recommend both Megos and EMCEs in my collection. I collect 17 EMCE Star Trek & Aliens and 2 EMCE Corny & Soldier Ape (Zira and Zaius are coming out soon) on the side by 14 vintage Mego POTA and 4 customs with original bodies and heads in my collection. I don't have a problem with vintage Megos, I'm be patience and finding near mint complete & all original Megos off ebay and in the Mego Marketplace with a fair or good deal.

[Bionic Joe]

EMCE the next best thing to a vintage MEGO, I still prefer vintage MEGOs but EMCEs are pretty cool and make a nice cheap alt to a more costly vintage figure :yeah:

[nordox]

Type 1 apes with that crappy white string inside making it loose. I am refreshed to have a brand new ape and my instincts say it is made better.

[drmego]

It's not a question of is EMCE better than a vintage Mego. EMCE is making new megos
for old and new fans to enjoy. Vintage Megos are getting scarcer to find, especially in good condition.

Look, even I must say that a vintage Mego is a thing of beauty and I wish it will be a joy forever but the truth is that the plastic that Mego used has a life span shorter than ours.

I am totally commited to seeing the day that MEGO CORP. is back in business, but that
may not be the best thing for the Abrams family. Running a toy business is very stressful and takes a lot of energy, resources, and capital.

EMCE Toys was created to bring back the Mego lines that we all love and to give the
world another 40 years of toys, bodies and parts to collect and customize. If Marty Abrams wants to bring back MEGO - I am there to do all I can, but it's his decision.

[JDeRouen]

With all due respect, Mego made Megos and that's it. I love the Trek and Apes stuff from Diamond/EMCE, as well as Captain Action and Phantom from Castaway, but they are not Megos, just like the CTVT figures weren't Megos.

[Nostalgiabuff]

they may not be Mego, but I still love them. And I cannot wait to see my sons face Christmas morning when he tears into them. Talk about deja vu. It will be like my own Christmas memories as a child tearing off that paper and seeing a brand spanking new Cpt. Kirk or Spock or whoever. That is what it's all about. If I can ever find those Walmart Issued GI Joes to wrap up as well, it would be complete.

[kryptosmaster]

It's not a question of is EMCE better than a vintage Mego. EMCE is making new megos
for old and new fans to enjoy. Vintage Megos are getting scarcer to find, especially in good condition.

Look, even I must say that a vintage Mego is a thing of beauty and I wish it will be a joy forever but the truth is that the plastic that Mego used has a life span shorter than ours.

I am totally commited to seeing the day that MEGO CORP. is back in business, but that
may not be the best thing for the Abrams family. Running a toy business is very stressful and takes a lot of energy, resources, and capital.

EMCE Toys was created to bring back the Mego lines that we all love and to give the
world another 40 years of toys, bodies and parts to collect and customize. If Marty Abrams wants to bring back MEGO - I am there to do all I can, but it's his decision.

You are correct and stated a few things I had trouble putting down into words.
I wasn't exactly saying that Mego should rise from the ashes and have Marty sitting behind the big desk. I was thinking more along the lines of him being the heart and soul of the revival and making the final decisions on certain things but leaving the day-to-day operations, etc to a fully-authorized entity (such as those producing the emce stuff) BUT the biggest thing would be the Mego name once again emblazoned on the packages.
You may have his "blessing" but that still doesn't make them REAL Megos unless there is a REAL Mego Corp in existance. Call them 'next best thing', 'as close as possible', 'semantics', whatever...in MY opinion, even as nice and close as they are, they are still just 'tributes' until they have "Mego Corp" stamped on their backs.
I do like the newer items such as Chekov, Sulu, Khan and I may get those someday but I wish they were a continuation of the actual Mego-produced dolls.
Yeah, I'm being picky and anal but I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels that way.
To me they are no more Mego than the CTVT stuff (although a much higher quality from what I've heard) or any 8 inch Mego-like figure I could walk into KMart and buy off the shelf.
Maybe Hardygirl is right. Maybe if there were commercials on tv or if they were available in every store there would be more validation to them in my eyes but at this point it's more like a fanboy drawing and printing up a few issues of Superman comics without the DC logo. He may be able to copy Neal Adams to a "T" and have comics that are nearly indistinguishable from the DC ones but in the end they are just nice stories to read but are not offical or REAL DC comics about Superman. Some wouldn't care, some would cry foul. There are opinions on both sides of the aisle. Perhaps one day that guy would get hired by DC and make REAL Superman comics and then his past stuff would be retro-accepted by all (or most). That may be what would happen if the Mego Corp came back and was involved/married to the emce group.
I do not begrudge anyone who takes the time, love, money & effort to produce the emce (and other makers) copies.
To paraphrase a classic MTV saying:
"I want my Mego"
LOL
Rich

[fallensaviour]

they may not be Mego, but I still love them. And I cannot wait to see my sons face Christmas morning when he tears into them.

Dido,I agree wholeheartedly.I loved MEGO and now I love EMCE and castaway.I will not pay vintage prices to get MEGOs for my son to rip out of the boxes and play with???That's nuts!!!
But I have no problem shelling out cash for EMCE or castaways for him to enjoy.For Christmas he is getting Scotty,Keeper and Mugato(Uhura is for me).possibly a Nemo in his stalking.I can't wait,he loves his other figures so this will be exciting for me as well as him.

[nordox]

Star Trek lives none of the other repro companies had such an active license. I think Diamond got Star Trek when Enterprise was cancelled but now there is a giant movie on the way. This will play a factor and has been in everything EMCE is making as well as the future of everything we are enjoying so much now.

[Fuzzysnail]

I like the idea of thinking EMCE Toys is currently produceing a second run. Improved materials, and new sculpts. Love the tenacity of Paul in pursuing this dream. If not for Paul I think this hobby would be a lot smaller. Vintage is vintage, but ya gotta love all the new figures floating around. Thanks Paul, and Dave Keep up the good work.

[drmego]

The other guys did not go to Marty Abrams and get his permission and
approval. EMCE Toys did. They also did not hire former Mego artists
to make the new figures fit seamlessly in with vintage art - we did.

The difference between a knock-off and a reissue is when you involve
the original participants in the process.



With all due respect, Mego made Megos and that's it. I love the Trek and Apes stuff from Diamond/EMCE, as well as Captain Action and Phantom from Castaway, but they are not Megos, just like the CTVT figures weren't Megos.

[MIB41]

I think EMCE is the dream for all of us who had hoped Mego would have picked up that Star Wars license in 1977 so they would still be in business and making the figures like EMCE is today. To me, it's modern day Mego by every measure both in molds, artistry, and overall execution. Hey, the experience of being able to buy it new with identical artwork is a priceless experience. Bottom line: If you want to know what it was like to buy a new Mego in the 70's, then buy the EMCE's and you get your experience. NO other company has ever been able to say that. Paul and all other parties involved, including the legendary Marty Abrams, have my eternal thanks. I hope these current Megos continue for years to come. They have my complete support. :yes:

[txteach]

EMCE is definitely not making knock-offs. When I think of a knock-off figure I think of something not as good as the original. EMCE is making very accurate, QUALITY reproductions.

[starsky]

so when are the worlds greatest superheroes coming!??!!!

[JDeRouen]

I never said they were knockoffs, just not Megos -- because they can't be Megos. That doesn't mean I don't like them - I do, especially the new figures - but I just don't think of them as Megos. I'm not even sure if Marty Abrams got back the Mego name and started releasing WGSH if I'd think of them as Megos. Megos stopped in 1983.

[HardyGirl]

The other guys did not go to Marty Abrams and get his permission and
approval. EMCE Toys did. They also did not hire former Mego artists
to make the new figures fit seamlessly in with vintage art - we did.

The difference between a knock-off and a reissue is when you involve
the original participants in the process.

That's what I'm talking about! :yeah:

[Seeker]

Vintage verse Repro. I prefer the repro.

I loved the toys as a kid. I buy them now for the nostalgia more then anything.

I love the price. I love that they are brand spanking new and not worn from 30 years of play.

I love the fact that I can take them out of the box and display them (read play) That is something I would never could never do with a $800 vintage toy.

And while I do have a few vintage toys from my childhood and that I have picked up here and there they are not the focal point of my collecting. In fact I have no problem re outfitting them with repro parts. Something that would make some of the purist here cringe.

To me they are pretty much the same and I would rather spend $16 then $800 any day.

And while I know Paul cant do them all because of copyrights what does come out will more then make me happy. Ive already had a few surprises with the new Trek (Sulu, Gorn)

[The Sentry]

The other guys did not go to Marty Abrams and get his permission and
approval. EMCE Toys did. They also did not hire former Mego artists
to make the new figures fit seamlessly in with vintage art - we did.

The difference between a knock-off and a reissue is when you involve
the original participants in the process.

Effin' A Doc!

Nope your not Mego, your a heckuva lot better of you ask me, you couldn't get a better company to further on the legendary type 2 better than EMCE imho. Plus who did something the others didn't do? Further on an actual running Mego line (Khan, Gorn anyone?) now THAT'S something of beauty, plus being able to see them on the shelves once again is another thing of beauty! So as far as I'm concerned EMCE picked up the ball after Mego sat it down. I salute you Doc for giving me a Khan, another childhood dream come true, wherever/whoever you got it from, you still have to thank the Doc!



Vintage verse Repro. I prefer the repro.

I loved the toys as a kid. I buy them now for the nostalgia more them anything.

I love the price. I love that they are brand spanking new and not worn from 30 years of play.

I love the fact that I can take them out of the box and display them (read play) That is something I would never could never do with a $800 vintage toy.

And while I do have a few vintage toys from my childhood and that I have picked up here and there they are not the focal point of my collecting. In fact I have no problem re outfitting them with repro parts. Something that would make some of the purist here cringe.

To me they are pretty much the same and I would rather spend $16 then $800 any day.

And while I know Paul cant do them all because of copyrights what does come out will more then make me happy. Ive already had a few surprises with the new Trek (Sulu, Gorn)

WERD! Exactly what I was saying, just he said it better. :yeah:

[BlackKnight]

I think everything made in this formate is Mego.
Thats What my Family, Friends & I call everything.
I love my Mego's. :grin:

[JDeRouen]

Well, it's just a matter of semantics, I guess. Whatever you want to call them, I'm glad new Mego-like figures are being made.

[Nostalgiabuff]

let's face it. Had Mego taken the Star Wars licens, it would have been 3.75 inch scale. The 8" inch scale we all love would still have been done. Yes, they may have still put out some product in that scale but George Lucas's whole point was smaller figures so more playsets and ships could be produced. EMCE is making Mego's in all but name. As Paul said, they got permission form Marty, they got the original artist to do the package art for the new figures. Whatever your preference, these are quality figures and they are also accesible enough for new generations to play with. My 7 year old asks me every day if he can play with my Mego's, or if I have an extra ape or Spock head. I will be giving him the first 6 Star Trek for Christmas and I am keying in family and friends to Doc Megos site to get him the rest. There was another thread recently where someone asked the question about what will kids of this generation have to be nostalgic about. A very good question, but my son as least will have Mego to be nostalgic about. How many other companies do you think little kids know by name?

[AAAAA]

And the best part , Paul is making orginal figures along with the repros.

[kryptosmaster]

Has anyone ever done an inflation-adjusted price comparison of the original Megos compared to the emces?
I'm just curious because they seem a bit pricey.
Depending on the figure & luck I can pick up vintage, really nice, complete megos anywhere from $5-$15 each almost any day and they will always increase in value. $25 seems a lot for a new toy to me. I would have no problem paying $15 for them.
Rich

[MIB41]

Uhm... I'm paying $20.00 per figure and that's including shipping, so I have no problems there. You also have to realize these are not mass produced in retail outlets, so the production volume is considerably smaller. I think the prices are very good.

[fallensaviour]

Has anyone ever done an inflation-adjusted price comparison of the original Megos compared to the emces?
I'm just curious because they seem a bit pricey.
Depending on the figure & luck I can pick up vintage, really nice, complete megos anywhere from $5-$15 each almost any day and they will always increase in value. $25 seems a lot for a new toy to me. I would have no problem paying $15 for them.
Rich

Never thought about doing an inflation price comparison.I may be afraid to word might get out and figures could cost more...LOL
I see your point though.I also find $25 starting to be a little pricey.Case in point Khan we all know his price not to me seems inflated but what ever.I understand=Lower the number of figures produced the higher the cost.
I get most of my figures EMCE treks for $16.99.Which I find a fantastic price for the quality.Same with most other figs they are around $20 so that's cool with me.

[Corellian Corvette]

CPI Inflation Calculator (http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl)

$3 in 1979 is about $9 today. So there you go.

Of course, besides just the price inflation you also have to consider the increased cost of materials and labor, as well as all the safety, regulations, and licensing fees which are a whole world different then they were in the 70's and 80's.

So $14.99 is in the ballpark.

This is a fun tool.

[kryptosmaster]

CPI Inflation Calculator (http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl)

$3 in 1979 is about $9 today. So there you go.

Of course, besides just the price inflation you also have to consider the increased cost of materials and labor, as well as all the safety, regulations, and licensing fees which are a whole world different then they were in the 70's and 80's.

So $14.99 is in the ballpark.

This is a fun tool.


Vindication!
I was right feeling about $15 would be what they should be. (To be honest my first impulse was to say $10 but I thought I'd get chewed out if I said that. LOL)
I understand supply/demand and production run affects the cost but if they were in the department stores they should be around $15 or less.
thanks,
Rich

[Corellian Corvette]

I should probably add, that if Doc was doing the volume that Mego was doing in the day, he could probably get the prices down to ~ $10, I bet.

[megocrazy]

Average median income comparison shows we are roughly making 4 times as much now than we were in roughly the middle of the Mego hey day. (1975) $11,800 (2007) $41,34. Figure most figures at this time were between $3 and $4, so $12 to $16 should be average which is not far off from where we are now with the new EMCE figures. Especially taking the new regulations and materials costs into account. I've paid between $18-$20 max for any of the new figures. The thing that gets me is knowing that EMCE is making much lower numbers than any of the major manufacturers, and obviously the big guys are using their own factories to produce their figures so their costs are much cheaper. Why are figures from them so high in price? The Signature Series figures were not unlike Mego figures but they originally retailed for $14.99 each. The Cyclops was oiginally $19.99 at Target though that price only lasted about 10 days before hitting $14.99 and $9.99 about 2 weeks after that. That cycle lasted about 10 weeks from $19.99 start to the $3.74 bottom clearance price hit. They sold out before hitting the Target 90% clearance price in this area. And with the Mr. Fantastic figure obviously falling apart as you take it out of the box as some have posted the quality control is not as tight either. Aside from the silver arm rankings and a lower button on Khan, the figures have been the same quality as any of the stuff were used to seeing from Doc and pretty much dead on to the prototypes we were shown. The Marvel Legends are pretty much just molded plastic pieces and those were $14.99 at WalMart when they first came out. No where near the cost of a clothed figure. Taking that into account, EMCE's prices are pretty much where Mego's probably were 30-35 years ago.

[spotter]

CPI Inflation Calculator (http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl)

$3 in 1979 is about $9 today. So there you go.

Of course, besides just the price inflation you also have to consider the increased cost of materials and labor, as well as all the safety, regulations, and licensing fees which are a whole world different then they were in the 70's and 80's.

So $14.99 is in the ballpark.

This is a fun tool.

only problem with CPI is it excludes food and Fuel costs ( i know I work in Fincance) a better look is to compare the costs cars

[beartex2000]

perhaps a new wing should be opened ay this site..the EMCE Museum!!...i':m just saying.........

[roman]

I think they're cool. They're Mego compatible and That's a great thing.
It seems that all of the new stuff and Robot Chicken has generated a new interest in the toys. I am sure if the economy wasn't in the toilet we'd see a better sales result, but who am I, Allen Greenspan?

Question though....

If looking at auctions on ebay, do you think folks are dumping the old figures in favor of the new one or do you think those who had Star Trek and Apes hidden for future sale are dumping them now in fear the old ones will be worth less? (not worthless)

[roman]

lastly...

Sorry. While CTVT may not have done an great job nor picked excellent choices for licensing... I got to give them credit for the Munsters. Dammit, I love my Herman figure !

(who by the way needs a pair of trousers .. so if you got em?)

The quality could have been better of course but I thought the Munsters was genius. Of all the new issues I thought, OK this could have been done by Mego.

[Brue]

EMCE -better than spending $400 on mugato -not better than the hunt for vintage items at the best deal and the satisfaction in the kill.

CTVT better to have a character you don't care much about (eg Potsie) at 5 bucks than not at all.

it certainly can't be an instead of vintage. if so, why bother to get repros. isn't the purpose to fill in holes in a collection? get parts to make customs that go with the collection? etc.

[nvmbrsdoom5]

EMCE, vintage Mego, custom made figures....I love 'em all :)

[D-McMEGO]

Now is a great time to be a collector of the 8 inch scale !

[DocDrako]

I want to collect them all! Vintage, modern, Mego, EMCE, Cast-A-Way, Rainfall, LJN, and even those brittle CTVTs (they have decent clothes and heads), and any others that come along. I just want me some 8" action figure goodness of any kind. Mego is the innovator, so they reign supreme.

It's a great day for lovers of 8" action figures. Doc Mego, as everyone knows by now, is doing some never before made designs, i.e. Gorn, Khan, Sulu, Chekov, etc, and I think that RoCkS, but I can't wait to see what new licenses he acquires that Mego never had, or never made a reality. It's the possibilities that wind me up. Not to mention all the cool stuff coming from Cast-A-Way like Phantom, Achmed, Captain Action, and Dr Eville. Let's all back those modern homages to Mego so they never disappear!

LoOLOoLoOLOoLoOLOoLoOLOo! (8" goodness battle cry)

:grin: