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Topps Mego Monday Thread
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There was a resurgence around 2008 or so with EMCE, Bif Bang Pow and others making Mego-like figures, but it seemed that most series would get off to a good start and then come to an abrupt halt. Even FTC, which has had a pretty good run, hasn't had new product in a good while - not to mention that they are incredibly expensive.Comment
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As the moderator of comments on FB, there is a minority of people who only post to be as negative as possible. Week in, week out. All the Toy Companies are "the enemy" and honestly, they're completely miserable. They blame Mego, FTC for their unhappiness. The problem is, nothing pleases them, ever. Also, anyone who honestly likes the toys is labelled "Brain Washed Zombies" to be mocked.
I remember when collecting Hasbro Power of the Force figures was making me miserable, I moved on to other things that made me happy. Problem solved, I don't miss it. I don't get some of these people and their venom.
A perfect example...I spent this past Monday at noon on Mattel Creations website, a nervous wreck, worried about missing out on one of my most wanted figures, the mini-comics Tri-Klops. It was a very stressful experience that I did not enjoy. But, my alternatives were miss out, or pay eBay scalper prices. If companies would just stop making their product intentionally difficult to obtain, just make enough product to meet demand and put it in stores where everyone could easily purchase it, I think the entire collecting community in general would be a lot happier. I know I would. And I've never EVER understood the logic of creating artificial scarcity. If you can sell 3,000 of something, why would you limit it to 750? You're literally leaving money on the table and making your customer unhappy in the process.Comment
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I have to agree. I was a kid in Mego's heyday in the 70s. I never had any idea when new figures would be coming, they just did, and there were long periods in between. As I recall, superheroes had asssortments every year or so. In between, there'd be Star Trek, Apes, or another series, but nothing like the regular releases we see now, both in the regular Mego waves and the Topps Mondays.
There was a resurgence around 2008 or so with EMCE, Bif Bang Pow and others making Mego-like figures, but it seemed that most series would get off to a good start and then come to an abrupt halt. Even FTC, which has had a pretty good run, hasn't had new product in a good while - not to mention that they are incredibly expensive.Comment
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I agree that much of the venom is unnecessary, but I do understand at least some of the frustration. The biggest problem with the majority of the toy industry today is that they stopped making toys for kids and started making everything a collectible. Limited editions, chase figures and variants, online, convention, or retailer exclusives...collecting almost any toy line today is just freaking exhausting. I miss the days of just being able to walk in any K-Mart, Walmart, TRU or Kay-Bee and just buy stuff without a hassle.
A perfect example...I spent this past Monday at noon on Mattel Creations website, a nervous wreck, worried about missing out on one of my most wanted figures, the mini-comics Tri-Klops. It was a very stressful experience that I did not enjoy. But, my alternatives were miss out, or pay eBay scalper prices. If companies would just stop making their product intentionally difficult to obtain, just make enough product to meet demand and put it in stores where everyone could easily purchase it, I think the entire collecting community in general would be a lot happier. I know I would. And I've never EVER understood the logic of creating artificial scarcity. If you can sell 3,000 of something, why would you limit it to 750? You're literally leaving money on the table and making your customer unhappy in the process.
Kickstarter-style campaigns fix those issues. The company knows exactly how many units to produce, and the purchaser doesn't have to worry about them selling out or needing to resort to scalpers. But the toy community is very divided on that model as well.Comment
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Kickstarter isn't a panacea. Case in point: Sectaurs Wave 2 by Zica. Those were beautiful prototypes, superior to wave one and they completed the line. I'm still haunted that it went unfunded, makes me enjoy wave one less. Which I know is on me and perhaps odd.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
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Topps model, while overly ambitious IMO, is better than Mattel's MOTU--which smacks all over again of MOTU Classics exclusivity. I'm frustrated.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
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I agree that much of the venom is unnecessary, but I do understand at least some of the frustration. The biggest problem with the majority of the toy industry today is that they stopped making toys for kids and started making everything a collectible. Limited editions, chase figures and variants, online, convention, or retailer exclusives...collecting almost any toy line today is just freaking exhausting. I miss the days of just being able to walk in any K-Mart, Walmart, TRU or Kay-Bee and just buy stuff without a hassle.
A perfect example...I spent this past Monday at noon on Mattel Creations website, a nervous wreck, worried about missing out on one of my most wanted figures, the mini-comics Tri-Klops. It was a very stressful experience that I did not enjoy. But, my alternatives were miss out, or pay eBay scalper prices. If companies would just stop making their product intentionally difficult to obtain, just make enough product to meet demand and put it in stores where everyone could easily purchase it, I think the entire collecting community in general would be a lot happier. I know I would. And I've never EVER understood the logic of creating artificial scarcity. If you can sell 3,000 of something, why would you limit it to 750? You're literally leaving money on the table and making your customer unhappy in the process.
I get the frustration. I think criticism should be encouraged, honest feedback is needed. I get a lot of it not making sense especially when powerhouses like Mattel or Hasbro could just bankroll stuff. I can't justify some of this and won't, don't have a dog in those hunts. I'm just not into the weird over politicization of stuff going on.
I read this morning that I'm a corporate shill causing "a divide", whatever, I'm a guy playing with dolls in his basement. Buy them, don't buy them, I don't see a cent of any of this.Places to find PlaidStallions online: https://linktr.ee/Plaidstallions
Buy Toy-Ventures Magazine here:
http://www.plaidstallions.com/reboot/shopComment
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Hey, I'm a guy sitting in Canada, I'm certainly not saying the Topps thing is ideal for me, I wish it was better.
I get the frustration. I think criticism should be encouraged, honest feedback is needed. I get a lot of it not making sense especially when powerhouses like Mattel or Hasbro could just bankroll stuff. I can't justify some of this and won't, don't have a dog in those hunts. I'm just not into the weird over politicization of stuff going on.
I read this morning that I'm a corporate shill causing "a divide", whatever, I'm a guy playing with dolls in his basement. Buy them, don't buy them, I don't see a cent of any of this.Comment
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I feel the same regret when I look at my Zica Buck Rogers figures.Comment
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The Mego-Topps agreement is very reminiscent to me of MattyCollector.com the Mattel website that launched in 2008 and offered Masters of The Universe figures with upgraded scale and modern articulation aka “Masters of the Universe Classics”. At some point the figures were selling out in just a few minutes after being available. These sellouts appeared to drive up higher demand for the figures and if you missed out eBay sellers were waiting to $$$“help you”$$$ complete your collection. During the websites existence they also launched what could be one of the first major toy companies “crowd funding project” for Castle Grayskull. I don’t think Mattel was the first to offer recurring exclusives or crowd finding preorders but they certainly thrived on it. Nowadays advance limited availability collectibles preorders are commonplace. That being said I believe the Mego-Topps exclusives deal is the most aggressive I’ve seen with the 2 figures per week/ 7 day window limited availability. At this point in time it is safe to assume that the powers that be have seen all the criticisms and complaints and aside from increasing the max order quantity no other changes have been made. I wish they would modify the agreement to increase the availability window, allow combined shipping for multiple orders and/or lower shipping fees including to Canada but it is what it is. Time will tell how profitable and successful this agreement will be.Comment
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I am haunted by the ghost of Zica's SMDM second wave. But I am happy with what we got too. A little constructive criticism is good, but the anger is unnecessary. People just need a little perspective, which is easy to lose when you are collecting stuff.
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I collect both Mego and FTC, and there is a lot of FTC bashing on this site just like FB. Collectors here love one, and hate the other, but for some of us FTC is making figures that Mego might not get to in the DCU.Haters are here too, just look at some of the posts.Comment
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I collect both FTC and Mego. Both companies are making stuff I enjoy collecting. I agree that FTC is making some of the more obscure characters from DC that Mego probably won't. I don't see why people can't just enjoy both. I know FTC is more expensive because of their business model but if you find it too expensive then just don't buy it.Comment
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