World's Greatest Heroes! New "Series 2" Full-Page Ad

[hedrap]

There was zero cost put into AE Wayne. They already had every piece, before getting the license.

So every Wayne bought covers the cost of another figure.

Now consider how many parts they been manufacturing for years - shoes, oven mitts, bodies, colored hands, - and subtract that from the startup cost.

We're looking at all initial costs in heads and fabrics, so these waves are the lowest risk vs return to gauge the real market size.

Then again, I'm with Thunderbolt. Only way I would buy a replica is for my kids to bang up, but since this is CTVT, lord only knows the durability.

[Figuremod73]

Maybe Tarzan and Conan will be released around the time Wave 2 finally hits, that will be a little variety at least.

Wave 2 doesnt look bad to me since I dont have either villain. The SI figures should sell pretty well but I would have liked to have seen Batgirl get released sooner as well.

Heres hoping all the lines do well so this will continue!

[VintageMike]

Not thrilled about the wave, especially since I already have DM made Bruce/Dick repros but again I'll support it if it helps keep the line going.

[imp]

Troubling misconceptions abound!

This thread is fascinating, but I'm reading a lot of misconceptions.

First, the market size:
Folks 'round here desperately want to believe the Mego collector community is larger than it is. In reality, it's incredibly small. Like, high hundreds to low thousands SMALL. These are horrible numbers for any manufacturer attempting to court this demographic. My awareness of this is first-hand.

Accordingly, FTC and other ventures courting this market need to appeal to a much larger base. FTC realizes this by virtue of partnering with Diamond/Previews. They hope to tap the comic book-reading fan base who see these figures pegged in their local comic shop and experience the a-ha! moment of nostalgia… enough to plunk down $25 - $100. Well guess what? That AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN by offering two proven peg-warmers (Catwoman and Penguin) and two random, generic guys in ugly suits that virtually NO ONE owned as a kid.

Secondly, this load-carrying expectation:
Comments like these:

Even though all I want is Batman & Robin, I will support there waves and buy them all.

I'm gonna support everything they release to help make the rest of the DCU happen.

Batman characters comprised a big chunk of my childhood WGSH! So, I don't mind Batman leading off new WGSH!

We know the other DC Megos by heart, and we know what should be released, but we must step back and take personal feelings out of the equation.

I really want to support this line… I'm in for at least a single set of wave#2, but I'm really disappointed that Batgirl didn't make the cut.

Not thrilled about the wave…but again I'll support it if it helps keep the line going.

NEWS FLASH: You cannot make consumers buy a bunch of crap they don't want, on the hope and promise they might some day get the chance to buy what they really do want. This is COMMERCE, not POLITICS.

Whether WB/DC or FTC is responsible for this woeful Series 2 assortment is irrelevant. Sure, there are a few of you who will carry the burden, as evidenced by the quotations above. But I guarantee you, there are fewer than one hundred such hard-core collectors. Not large enough to overcome bad choices by the manufacturer/licensor.

Finally, this accepted notion that it will take three waves of Batman-related figures to "test the market" is preposterous. Trust me: If FTC doesn't sell enough Series 1 Joker and Riddler figures, sales aren't going to increase with Bruce and Dick man-dolls.

[Brown Bear]

I'm happy to see these figs and hope they do extremely well despite the negative critics. No matter WHAT remego line is released, these toy companies are constantly bombarded with collectors pointing out what they did wrong. At the end of the day they ARE releasing these guys and we're not. If we don't want to buy it, don't buy it....but throwing them under the bus before they even get wave 1 on shelves is a bit much.

Best of luck to FTC for bringing lines I thought I'd never see.

[haggis]

Would the 22 of the 9 out of 22 be DC Comics characters? Just guessing. It does seem like they only have the rights to produce Batman TV-series characters at this point.

[thunderbolt]

Would the 22 of the 9 out of 22 be DC Comics characters? Just guessing. It does seem like they only have the rights to produce Batman TV-series characters at this point.

At first all they had was Bats, later they nailed down the rest of the DC characters. So, that is why the first offerings are bat related, since they started off with just the Batman license.

[David Lee]

This thread is fascinating, but I'm reading a lot of misconceptions.

First, the market size:
Folks 'round here desperately want to believe the Mego collector community is larger than it is. In reality, it's incredibly small. Like, high hundreds to low thousands SMALL. These are horrible numbers for any manufacturer attempting to court this demographic. My awareness of this is first-hand.

Accordingly, FTC and other ventures courting this market need to appeal to a much larger base. FTC realizes this by virtue of partnering with Diamond/Previews. They hope to tap the comic book-reading fan base who see these figures pegged in their local comic shop and experience the a-ha! moment of nostalgia… enough to plunk down $25 - $100. Well guess what? That AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN by offering two proven peg-warmers (Catwoman and Penguin) and two random, generic guys in ugly suits that virtually NO ONE owned as a kid.

Secondly, this load-carrying expectation:
Comments like these:













NEWS FLASH: You cannot make consumers buy a bunch of crap they don't want, on the hope and promise they might some day get the chance to buy what they really do want. This is COMMERCE, not POLITICS.

Whether WB/DC or FTC is responsible for this woeful Series 2 assortment is irrelevant. Sure, there are a few of you who will carry the burden, as evidenced by the quotations above. But I guarantee you, there are fewer than one hundred such hard-core collectors. Not large enough to overcome bad choices by the manufacturer/licensor.

Finally, this accepted notion that it will take three waves of Batman-related figures to "test the market" is preposterous. Trust me: If FTC doesn't sell enough Series 1 Joker and Riddler figures, sales aren't going to increase with Bruce and Dick man-dolls.

Right on target! I think you nailed it perfectly... I would only differ with you on the size of the community. Hardcore Collectors yes, but customizers and others in the comunity bolster the numbers up a bit (not crazy mind you). I think the introduction of new stuff is the only way to truly court the whole community. The 66' stuff is gonna do just that, making new DC characters sprinkled in with clssics would also do this. I want this to succeed, but as a guy who produced 8 inch figures I know just how big/small the pool is... Excitement is easy at first, longevity is the tough part. Wise choices will make the difference in future waves. Having said that? all of this won't mean a "hill of beans" (even though this is our hill and these are our beans), if the quality is not there...

Dave

[enyawd72]

This thread is fascinating, but I'm reading a lot of misconceptions.

First, the market size:
Folks 'round here desperately want to believe the Mego collector community is larger than it is. In reality, it's incredibly small. Like, high hundreds to low thousands SMALL. These are horrible numbers for any manufacturer attempting to court this demographic. My awareness of this is first-hand.

Accordingly, FTC and other ventures courting this market need to appeal to a much larger base. FTC realizes this by virtue of partnering with Diamond/Previews. They hope to tap the comic book-reading fan base who see these figures pegged in their local comic shop and experience the a-ha! moment of nostalgia… enough to plunk down $25 - $100. Well guess what? That AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN by offering two proven peg-warmers (Catwoman and Penguin) and two random, generic guys in ugly suits that virtually NO ONE owned as a kid.

Secondly, this load-carrying expectation:
Comments like these:













NEWS FLASH: You cannot make consumers buy a bunch of crap they don't want, on the hope and promise they might some day get the chance to buy what they really do want. This is COMMERCE, not POLITICS.

Whether WB/DC or FTC is responsible for this woeful Series 2 assortment is irrelevant. Sure, there are a few of you who will carry the burden, as evidenced by the quotations above. But I guarantee you, there are fewer than one hundred such hard-core collectors. Not large enough to overcome bad choices by the manufacturer/licensor.

Finally, this accepted notion that it will take three waves of Batman-related figures to "test the market" is preposterous. Trust me: If FTC doesn't sell enough Series 1 Joker and Riddler figures, sales aren't going to increase with Bruce and Dick man-dolls.

Well I for one am THRILLED with the offerings of waves one through three, and am greatly looking forward to adding the "Bruce and Dick man-dolls" to my collection, as well as the Penguin, Catwoman, and especially the removeable cowl and mask figures since I may never be able to find mint originals. We are being blessed with brand new WGSH in 2013, with the possibility of many more repro and original DC characters, vehicles, playsets and even Marvel figures. I absolutely REFUSE to engage in pessimistic speculation when this is possibly the greatest thing to happen with Megos in thirty years. Sorry Benjamin, but you're not gonna rain on my parade.

[imp]

Last I checked, this is a Message Board, an online community where passionate people can gather to express their thoughts and opinions. I'm not "throwing them under the bus" or "raining on parades", I'm merely presenting some tough questions in the spirit of such discussion. My apologies for ruffling feathers.

Me challenging FTC's decision-making is not "negative" or "pessimistic speculation". On the contrary, I am rooting HARD for this line to succeed. But I am sure I'm not alone in my reservations. I suspect very few people are excited about this Series 2 assortment. One or two of you seem to be, but not many are chiming in to cheer for a Dick Grayson so early in the endeavor.

We all know FTC has access to the entire DC character library. I just wish they were flexible enough to make a 'rolling change' and skip the Secret Identities for a while; release a few more Super-Heroes characters first… a few figures everyone could get excited about, not just a handful of die-hard supporters willing to gamble on potential future releases.

[The Toyroom]

Wave 1 I'll buy for nostalgia's sake and for the quick thrill of new MIP Megos. Wave 2 is a definitite "skip" for me. There's no nostalgia for me on the Secret ID figures, never owned them originally and only have a Bruce repro now. Penguin is not even in the same league for me as a fresh Joker and Riddler are. And that particular version of Catwoman has always baffled me since the age of 5. I'd rather throw my support and money behind the '66 Batman series. If new DC Megos are made great, but I'm not interested in going through rehash for rehash sake in the hopes that they get to Hawkman or Harley Quinn "eventually".

[imp]

Wave 1 I'll buy for nostalgia's sake and for the quick thrill of new MIP Megos. Wave 2 is a definitite "skip" for me. There's no nostalgia for me on the Secret ID figures, never owned them originally and only have a Bruce repro now. Penguin is not even in the same league for me as a fresh Joker and Riddler are. And that particular version of Catwoman has always baffled me since the age of 5. I'd rather throw my support and money behind the '66 Batman series. If new DC Megos are made great, but I'm not interested in going through rehash for rehash sake in the hopes that they get to Hawkman or Harley Quinn "eventually".

Beautifully stated. And brevity is the soul of wit, so bravo!

[PNGwynne]

I'm a huge Penguin fan (perhaps the only one lol) and I'd like a SI Dick Grayson, but this wave is just "blah" to me. FTC could have stepped up with more interesting (and marketable) Bat-waves:

2: SI Wayne, RC Bats, Commissoner Gordon, Penguin
3: SI Grayson, RM Robin, Alfred, Catwoman
4: Batgirl, Barbara Gordon, Mr. Freeze, Scarecrow

Of course this is disputable, but you can see I'm trying to double-up the re-issues and add in some classic new characters.

I'm still wondering why FTC decided not to honor Superman's 75th anniversary with a wave.

[Captain Awesome]

Been reading the comments here and decided to chime in. As collector's, what it boils down to is personal preference. Buy what you want, don't buy what you don't want. Simple as that. The character choices are out of our collective control. All we can do is provide feedback and hope they listen. Now, having said that, as a collector who wants to see them succeed and produce more figures, I'm going to do my part and support the line by buying every one of them. To me, the support in buying the product is the absolute bottom line. The more we buy, the more characters they'll make. If we don't buy em...they will stop making them. Its happened before, it WILL happen again.

[PNGwynne]

FTC has a tough row to hoe with both demanding collectors and skeptical retailers. We collectors have every right to question assortments & fabrication. My local shop is considering not even ordering these--the owner still has shoddy CTVT stock of monsters, knights, & pirates, etc. he cant move.

Maybe that's why CTVT is "FTC" now...

That said, I supported Emce Trek & POTA and I'll give the same courtesy to FTC if the quality is present. I'll be one of those collectors who wants a set. But many wont, and I worry that the line will run out of steam before we see significant interest in, & production of, other characters.