MEGO Gandalf

[TRDouble]

That has always confused me. Is my POTA collection incomplete because there’s no Taylor or Nova or is it complete because I have all the figures that were released?

This is an honest question. If you’re a completest, isn’t pretty much every line incomplete on some level?

Interesting thought. Some lines are complete, but the group they represent are incomplete, and depending on the importance of the missing characters, it can drive me crazy.

Super-heroes are a little different. Yes, there are groups, some greater as a group than others (JLA Vs. Fantastic Four), but they are so interchangeable, even my beloved Teen Titans, which took until DC Direct's Pocket Super Heroes to complete the main five.

The FTC Harry Potter figures hold little interest to me anymore because what is Harry and Ron without Hermoine?

Yet, I was fine with FTC's Gilligan's Island because I have the main two characters in Gilligan and The Skipper.

The issue with what Mego is doing is that it causes hesitancy when purchasing figures that are associated with a group, when they are not all released at the same time. When you get caught buying two of The Fellowship, two thirds of the Harry Potter Trio, or part of the TOS crew (and honestly, I am thinking of the Funko Super 7 3-3/4" figures more than Mego), then when two Gatchaman figures are released, I am hesitant to buy them because history shows the rest of the crew may not be on the way.

I understand the business strategy. I think Legolas and Aragorn were a solid two to start LOTR, and if those don't sell, it's probably smart to cut bait on the line. But it does not give me confidence to buy the next partial release of figures from a larger group.

[Krypt0nite]

As a kid, and as an adult, the biggest thrill of Mego to me is having a wide variety of licenses together. As a kid, nothing was better than having, say, Green Arrow and the Lizard team up to rescue Spock from the Planet of the Apes, so I never thought of my collection as 'incomplete' just because, say, Sulu or Doc Ock weren't there. Even now, my current display of new Mego consists of Superman, Batman, Admiral Kirk, Saru, the flocked Wolfman and the Mummy. If Mego makes a character I like, I buy it. I'd love to see Mego make Robin, or TWOK McCoy, or Dr. Phibes, or any number of other characters but if they don't I'll still enjoy what they have made.

[monitor_ep]

Well I can tell you the Walmarts I shop at (7) they have plenty of Picard figures sitting on the shelves. So I do not think I will ever see another STNG figure released.

[CrimsonGhost]

That has always confused me. Is my POTA collection incomplete because there’s no Taylor or Nova or is it complete because I have all the figures that were released?

This is an honest question. If you’re a completest, isn’t pretty much every line incomplete on some level?

[LonnieFisher]

Who wants random figures that will never have other figures to compliment them? Monster figures don't really need something to go with them, but Sci-Fi seem to need to. Who wants three figures from a movie that should have ten figures made from it? The Star Trek original series had a Gorn, but no Kirk to match the look from the episode he was on. There is not much play value to figures that don't go together, I'd say. Hannibal and no Clarice? What's the point? Rocky and no opponent? Why? Regan and no Priest? It's easy to stop buying if you are a completest and there is nothing to complete.

[CrimsonGhost]

Is it? You wouldn't make Spock without regular Kirk and McCoy either but there you go.

Haha! Eh, maybe. The thing about Trek guys is they’re not going anywhere.

[enyawd72]

Of course you wouldn’t make two of the Three Stooges. That’s a ridiculous comparison.

Is it? You wouldn't make Spock without regular Kirk and McCoy either but there you go.

[CrimsonGhost]

I disagree. When you only offer a partial series without a commitment to finishing it, that's WHY they're still sitting on shelves. Those two figures alone are absolutely worthless from a play or display standpoint.
If they're going to pay for these licenses, then DO something with them. You wouldn't make TWO of the Three Stooges and expect people to buy them knowing they won't ever get the third. If they can afford to keep paying for more licenses like Candyman, Jeepers Creepers, Silence of the Lambs, etc. they can afford to make more characters with the licenses they already paid for. The entire direction of the company seems extremely haphazard and unfocused. I cannot believe they wouldn't have sold more Gollum or Gandalfs than Hannibal Lecter.

Of course you wouldn’t make two of the Three Stooges. That’s a ridiculous comparison.

[enyawd72]

If they put out Gandalf and Frodo and Gollum and they didn't sell, I'd agree. Those are the Fonzies of the line. If they don't sell, then nothing will sell.

But Aragorn and Legolas are the Happy Days Gang figures of that franchise. I suspect a lot of collectors took the attitude of "maybe... let's see how Gandalf looks" before diving in. Especially with the uncertainty that any more figures would follow.

Bingo. That's exactly why I didn't buy them. What good are those two by themselves?

[enyawd72]

But if Aragorn and Legolas stiff on the shelves, it’s not worth it to make 6 more figures that will likely also stiff.

I think at this point, “lines” of figures are passé. This is such a niche market that committing to more than a couple figures at a time is too much of a risk monetarily.

I disagree. When you only offer a partial series without a commitment to finishing it, that's WHY they're still sitting on shelves. Those two figures alone are absolutely worthless from a play or display standpoint.
If they're going to pay for these licenses, then DO something with them. You wouldn't make TWO of the Three Stooges and expect people to buy them knowing they won't ever get the third. If they can afford to keep paying for more licenses like Candyman, Jeepers Creepers, Silence of the Lambs, etc. they can afford to make more characters with the licenses they already paid for. The entire direction of the company seems extremely haphazard and unfocused. I cannot believe they wouldn't have sold more Gollum or Gandalfs than Hannibal Lecter.

[sprytel]

If they put out Gandalf and Frodo and Gollum and they didn't sell, I'd agree. Those are the Fonzies of the line. If they don't sell, then nothing will sell.

But Aragorn and Legolas are the Happy Days Gang figures of that franchise. I suspect a lot of collectors took the attitude of "maybe... let's see how Gandalf looks" before diving in. Especially with the uncertainty that any more figures would follow.

[palitoy]

I know the approach is perplexing to collectors because we're used to waves but it's kind of wise from a start-up perspective. They're trying to grow a figure format and they don't have the history or shelf space of a Hasbro or a Mattel (or the back end dollars to make certain things happen) so they take the "Funko Pop" approach and each wave has some differing genres in there. What sells, they renew what doesn't, gets left by the wayside.

If Mego had thrown all of their money on a huge wave of LOTR, it could have seriously hurt their ability to get more figures to stores.

[CrimsonGhost]

But if Aragorn and Legolas stiff on the shelves, it’s not worth it to make 6 more figures that will likely also stiff.

I think at this point, “lines” of figures are passé. This is such a niche market that committing to more than a couple figures at a time is too much of a risk monetarily.

[enyawd72]

That's one area I really wish Mego would address. They really haven't committed to completing any one series of figures.
They're just kind of all over the place. I mean, it has to hurt sales of the other figures in each series.

Still no regular Kirk, McCoy, or Scotty for TOS Trek. Two LOTR characters...what is anyone supposed to do with those? Pretty hard to make a LOTR display with only two figures.
Gandalf, Frodo, Saruman, and Gollum would make for a nice six figure collection that at least feels somewhat complete.
I wish they would focus on just two or three licenses at a time and see them through to completion, or at least a minimum of the main characters.

[palitoy]

Yeah, I'm thinking Gandalph may be in limbo.