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Top Three Mego Issues to resolve in 2022

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  • zeedox
    Career Member
    • Aug 10, 2007
    • 695

    Top Three Mego Issues to resolve in 2022

    [Action] Figure it might help;

    1. Head size and Symmetry (not always a problem but we all know)
    2. Continuity in Sculpt style
    3. More accessories that come with figures, and some Playsets/Vehicles
  • thunderbolt
    Hi Ernie!!!
    • Feb 15, 2004
    • 34211

    #2
    Especially at retail stop with the one or two from a series in a wave. Why buy a Igor if you don't know Froderick or the Monster are coming from Young Frankenstein?? Would have helped LOTR probably
    You must try to generate happiness within yourself. If you aren't happy in one place, chances are you won't be happy anyplace. -Ernie Banks

    Comment

    • Liu Bei
      Banned
      • Mar 31, 2018
      • 755

      #3
      Originally posted by zeedox
      [Action] Figure it might help;

      1. Head size and Symmetry (not always a problem but we all know)
      2. Continuity in Sculpt style
      3. More accessories that come with figures, and some Playsets/Vehicles
      I agree with all 3. Mego’s done an amazing job overall, and put out a lot of spectacular figures since they’ve returned to the toy scene, but all of the things you’ve mentioned above are good, honest feedback that I hope will be received in the manner in which it was intended.

      Comment

      • rayray
        Member
        • May 21, 2013
        • 97

        #4
        Originally posted by Liu Bei
        I agree with all 3. Mego’s done an amazing job overall, and put out a lot of spectacular figures since they’ve returned to the toy scene, but all of the things you’ve mentioned above are good, honest feedback that I hope will be received in the manner in which it was intended.
        Agreed, each of these is an important issue to address (in a tremendously successful effort overall.) I would swap the accessories/playsets wish for the need to develop female sculpts/heads (in both 8" and 14") that match the action figure look and let go of the doll-face style. They were on the way with the 14"ers originally and I guess the female figures didn't sell, as we stopped seeing any female except Wonder Woman, a mixed bag result.

        Comment

        • Megotastrophe
          Permanent Member
          • Jun 29, 2018
          • 2695

          #5
          Yea I don't see Mego doing much in the way of playsets or vehicles. Some diorama backdrops MAYBE.

          Comment

          • Blue Meanie
            Banned
            • Jun 23, 2001
            • 8706

            #6
            Originally posted by thunderbolt
            Especially at retail stop with the one or two from a series in a wave. Why buy a Igor if you don't know Froderick or the Monster are coming from Young Frankenstein?? Would have helped LOTR probably
            Mego hasn't planned out any of the lines that they have put out. Just look at some of them and you can see figures that will never get made. Like you said "Why buy a Igor if you don't know Froderick or the Monster are coming from Young Frankenstein??" Just look at the Rocky line. Rocky and Apollo...and that's it. They have no intentions of putting out a Mr. T figure or Drago or even a Pauley or Mickey figure. Just putting figures out just to put them out in my opinion. I think the only line they finished was the Kiss figure line...and they didn't even go as far as a "other members" line of Kiss figures. If you can't get a likeness of a "main" character(s) in a movie/comic book series etc, which seems to be a handicap for Mego, why bother putting out a third of the line? Just gonna tick off collectors more and more. Just my opinion...but wouldn't doubt it is shared by more than a few collectors.

            Comment

            • thunderbolt
              Hi Ernie!!!
              • Feb 15, 2004
              • 34211

              #7
              Originally posted by Blue Meanie
              Mego hasn't planned out any of the lines that they have put out. Just look at some of them and you can see figures that will never get made. Like you said "Why buy a Igor if you don't know Froderick or the Monster are coming from Young Frankenstein??" Just look at the Rocky line. Rocky and Apollo...and that's it. They have no intentions of putting out a Mr. T figure or Drago or even a Pauley or Mickey figure. Just putting figures out just to put them out in my opinion. I think the only line they finished was the Kiss figure line...and they didn't even go as far as a "other members" line of Kiss figures. If you can't get a likeness of a "main" character(s) in a movie/comic book series etc, which seems to be a handicap for Mego, why bother putting out a third of the line? Just gonna tick off collectors more and more. Just my opinion...but wouldn't doubt it is shared by more than a few collectors.
              Its fine for us dorks in the minority that know there was a Chris Lee Dracula to go with Van Helsing, but for a casual shopper that may be a Hammer fan to just find Van Helsing and have no idea there was a Dracula too has to be slowing retail some. Neca had enough sense to put out all the Golden Girls at once. Its like they are just marketing this to the Museum and the Facebook groups with no desire to reach a bigger audience.
              You must try to generate happiness within yourself. If you aren't happy in one place, chances are you won't be happy anyplace. -Ernie Banks

              Comment

              • Krypt0nite
                Radioactive!
                • Feb 13, 2010
                • 950

                #8
                How would you suggest they accomplish this? Put out an entire wave of say, Lord of the Rings, all at once? I think that is incredibly problematic. What if, for whatever reason, that wave tanks. That would be a lot of resources to put into one property only to have it fail, and possibly catastrophic for the company. Just because some of us on the board are completists, doesn't mean that translates to general retail.

                Comment

                • MRP
                  Persistent Member
                  • Jul 19, 2016
                  • 2037

                  #9
                  Originally posted by thunderbolt
                  Its fine for us dorks in the minority that know there was a Chris Lee Dracula to go with Van Helsing, but for a casual shopper that may be a Hammer fan to just find Van Helsing and have no idea there was a Dracula too has to be slowing retail some. Neca had enough sense to put out all the Golden Girls at once. Its like they are just marketing this to the Museum and the Facebook groups with no desire to reach a bigger audience.
                  Originally posted by Krypt0nite
                  How would you suggest they accomplish this? Put out an entire wave of say, Lord of the Rings, all at once? I think that is incredibly problematic. What if, for whatever reason, that wave tanks. That would be a lot of resources to put into one property only to have it fail, and possibly catastrophic for the company. Just because some of us on the board are completists, doesn't mean that translates to general retail.
                  I mean classic Mego had lots of lines that were incomplete-World's Greatest Super-Heroes being the biggest example, that did just fine at retail. But it's a different world than the 70s, and that requires different strategies to work in the current marketplace.

                  One thing that could address this and is an improvement I would like to see is an adjustment in the packaging, especially the backs. If Hammer Van Hesling is being released, have something on the back that says "If you like Hammer Horror, check out these other Mego releases..." with pics of other Hammer Megos already released, and then have a tag line like "Look for more Mego Hammer releases coming soon." It doesn't require changing release patterns, but it does improve communication to customers at retail of what is or will be available for a particular license, hopefully negating the resistance of not wanting just a single figure in a line issue that seems to crop up among some of the customer base, especially completionist minded collectors.

                  For collectors with more modern sensibilities (often called totem collectors in some circles) who don't care about whole lines and only want a representative token of their personal favorites, it won't matter, but if it can expand sales better into that hard core completionist circle of potential customers, all the better.

                  But I think the biggest issue Mego needs to resolve is figuring out what they want to be in the contemporary marketplace. When they relaunched with Target a few years back, the PR chatter was all about bringing Mego back as toys available in retail outlets, which is an admirable goal. But it feels like one that has been abandoned, and they are now looking to be a supplier of niche products to the niche collector base. Now whether that is because there is no market for toys of that type in the 2020s retail marketplace or whether they have had a change of heart, I don't know. But I really feel they need to decide whether they are trying to be a producer of collectibles or a producer of toys. They seem to have a split focus or are indecisive trying to have one foot in each market but actually serving neither well. The new 14 inch figures, the Hasbro GI Joe del and the failed Topps venture feel like they were aiming to be collectibles, and the placement of Megos in the collectibles section of Walmart and Target also works against the being a toy company (though Meijer still has them in the toy aisle). But Mego product trying to be toys really doesn't have the bells and whistles that appeal to the type of consumers looking for collectibles, but the products designed to be collectibles don't have a price point or play appeal to be actual toys that appeal to toy customers. Trying to serve both masters means they serve neither one well, and it just feels like they are having an identity crisis, not knowing which market will better serve Mego's future growth and health. And until they address and resolve that, I don't think many of the other issues mentioned will really matter. Their answer to it may very well depend on the labor issues, access to manufacturing and shipping issues facing every business in the reality of a pandemic economy, but overall their business plan just feels scattershot at this point, with their initial goal of bringing affordable toys to market at brick and mortar retailers having been unachievable in the way they wanted it to be causing them to scramble to try other strategies for finding markets without ever settling and focusing on one and working to make it the best possible version of Mego they can be. Now, I don't know all the ins and outs of the current economy and marketplace (I had a background as an economic historian before I left academia but that doesn't give me insight into a lot of the current pandemic-related issues), but a lot of what Mego has done the past few years just feels like them throwing things at the wall to see what works, which may find a few successes, but also results in wasting a lot of resources and having a lot of failures in the process, something smaller companies will limited resources often can ill-afford.

                  -M
                  "Opinion is the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding." -Plato

                  Comment

                  • Krypt0nite
                    Radioactive!
                    • Feb 13, 2010
                    • 950

                    #10
                    I like your idea of placing verbiage on the card indicating that more, for example, Hammer releases are available or are coming soon.

                    Comment

                    • thunderbolt
                      Hi Ernie!!!
                      • Feb 15, 2004
                      • 34211

                      #11
                      Originally posted by Krypt0nite
                      I like your idea of placing verbiage on the card indicating that more, for example, Hammer releases are available or are coming soon.
                      that would help the casual buyer for sure. As to MRP's Mego had a lot of incomplete lines in the 70s remark. Yes, but they were self contained, John Boy didn't come in a wave with Riddler, Bo Duke and Spanky. He came in a wave with the rest of the Waltons that Mego produced at the time. How Mego would ever complete lines like Marvel or DC is a whole different discussion.
                      You must try to generate happiness within yourself. If you aren't happy in one place, chances are you won't be happy anyplace. -Ernie Banks

                      Comment

                      • PNGwynne
                        Master of Fowl Play
                        • Jun 5, 2008
                        • 19445

                        #12
                        Originally posted by thunderbolt
                        that would help the casual buyer for sure. As to MRP's Mego had a lot of incomplete lines in the 70s remark. Yes, but they were self contained, John Boy didn't come in a wave with Riddler, Bo Duke and Spanky. He came in a wave with the rest of the Waltons that Mego produced at the time. How Mego would ever complete lines like Marvel or DC is a whole different discussion.
                        Yes. I don't think LOTR benefited from piecemeal release.
                        WANTED: Dick Grayson SI trousers; gray AJ Mustang horse; vintage RC Batman (Bruce Wayne) head; minty Wolfman tights; mint Black Knight sword; minty Launcelot boots; Lion Rock (pale) Dracula & Mummy heads; Lion Rock Franky squared boots; Wayne Foundation blue furniture; Flash Gordon/Ming (10") unbroken holsters; CHiPs gloved arms; POTA T2 tan body; CTVT/vintage Friar Tuck robes, BBP TZ Burgess Meredith glasses.

                        Comment

                        • MRP
                          Persistent Member
                          • Jul 19, 2016
                          • 2037

                          #13
                          Originally posted by thunderbolt
                          that would help the casual buyer for sure. As to MRP's Mego had a lot of incomplete lines in the 70s remark. Yes, but they were self contained, John Boy didn't come in a wave with Riddler, Bo Duke and Spanky. He came in a wave with the rest of the Waltons that Mego produced at the time. How Mego would ever complete lines like Marvel or DC is a whole different discussion.
                          The point is, people would buy, play and enjoy Captain America without there being any Cap villains or a complete line of Captain America figures. Or Tarzan. Or Conan. Not being a complete line wasn't a deterrent to purchase then. It is now because they are no longer toys, they are collectibles (which works against the original mission statement I cited) and the collect them all mentality is the primary mentality of anyone purchasing Megos these days. A different market requires a different approach. Yet when Mego puts into place policies that are specifically for that collector mentality, people seem to be bent out of shape and hold it against Mego because that's not how things were back in the day when they were toys available for everyone. My point was, it's a different market, and Mego's biggest issue is figuring out or deciding what is the best way to do business in the current market and do that well, not try to be all things to all people doing none of it as well as it could.

                          -M
                          "Opinion is the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding." -Plato

                          Comment

                          • thunderbolt
                            Hi Ernie!!!
                            • Feb 15, 2004
                            • 34211

                            #14
                            Again, Mego original didn't put out scattershot groups consisting of a Klingon, Penguin, Mary Ellen, Boss Hogg etc. they put out a Dukes Assortment or Marvel or Trek. The current Mego is doing a mish mash and it doesn't seem to get beyond the small Mego collecting core here and on FB. A whole group of Trek toys showing at once at Target would do way better than a lone Scotty with no indication that there are others. Currently I don't think there are a lot of collect em all fans. there are Trek people, Ape people, Monster peeps and DC folks with some that do buy all and some that buy only certain lines.
                            You must try to generate happiness within yourself. If you aren't happy in one place, chances are you won't be happy anyplace. -Ernie Banks

                            Comment

                            • MRP
                              Persistent Member
                              • Jul 19, 2016
                              • 2037

                              #15
                              Originally posted by thunderbolt
                              Again, Mego original didn't put out scattershot groups consisting of a Klingon, Penguin, Mary Ellen, Boss Hogg etc. they put out a Dukes Assortment or Marvel or Trek. The current Mego is doing a mish mash and it doesn't seem to get beyond the small Mego collecting core here and on FB. A whole group of Trek toys showing at once at Target would do way better than a lone Scotty with no indication that there are others. Currently I don't think there are a lot of collect em all fans. there are Trek people, Ape people, Monster peeps and DC folks with some that do buy all and some that buy only certain lines.
                              It was also a different time when stores would shelve toys beyond the initial release window so Mego could have multiple waves featuring different properties in stores available to be purchased at the same time, and a time where Mego was a different company and had the resources to have multiple waves in production and available at the same time. With the current reality, with only having one wave in production at a time, and stores not restocking and displaying merch beyond the initial release window, if they did just a Trek wave for instance, they would be limiting their appeal to a smaller customer base for the entire time that wave is in production and available in stores. And consumers of other properties would be unserviced and might lose interest in the fallow period, meaning Mego could shed those customers.

                              So the are damned in some ways if they do a scattershot wave and damned in other ways if they do concentrated waves. But the bottom line is, the retail toy market of the 1970s no longer exists and practices which worked in that market are no longer viable for the current reality. They have to figure out what is the best way to do business in 2022 and forward, not try to operate like it is 1974. The market has changed a lot in 48 years, and Mego (and other companies) need to adapt to the current reality, and a lot of the current issues revolve around the dichotomy of a 2020s company trying to service a customer base who want it to be 1974.


                              -M
                              Last edited by MRP; Jan 2, '22, 11:14 AM.
                              "Opinion is the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding." -Plato

                              Comment

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