Mego packaging production process

[megotoys]

Thank you to the administrators of this site for maintaining such an excellent website, and thank you to the members for making it a friendly and informative place.



One of the things that I would appreciate clarification on is the Mego production process for manufacturing / printing the backers that the bubbles were attached to throughout the 1970's.

I ask because it is puzzling that there are so few of only certain packages.

Some of those of which seem to be quite rare are Wonder Woman, Green Goblin, Green Arrow, Aquaman, and Iron Man. There might be more, but these seem to be very hard to find.

At the same time, based on what is available on the market, there are lots and lots of other heroes such as Superman, Spiderman, Batman, and others.

I am a complete novice on this subject, but when Mego printed the backers to attach the bubbles to, wouldn't they all be printed in significant numbers?

I guess I am thinking Mego used something like a printing plate to make the backer. Of course it could have been something else.

It would seem to be quite costly to make a printing plate, or whatever they used to make the backer to print only a handful or even a hundred of a backer such as Wonder Woman. It doesn't seem to be cost efficient at all.

That is why I feel I am missing a piece of the Mego backer production process puzzle.

What was the process for producing the backers for the bubbled figures?

Also, why are some so rare? It would seem that in the interest of cost efficiency, Mego wouldn't go to the expense of only printing low numbers of a backer.

If there is anything else you can add to this, I would appreciate it.

Thank you for your knowledge and your insight.

[LonnieFisher]

Welcome to the museum!
Some of the figures were kind of short-run and not sold for a decade.

[palitoy]

Welcome aboard!

It would seem to be quite costly to make a printing plate, or whatever they used to make the backer to print only a handful or even a hundred of a backer such as Wonder Woman. It doesn't seem to be cost efficient at all.

You're right but I wouldn't presume Mego made a few hundred anything. Just because so few survived present day doesn't mean they weren't driven out in great number.

Characters like Lizard and Green Goblin were produced into the thousands but only made on cards for a single year.

The same is likely true of carded wonderwoman, she was produced for orders overseas, so it was likely a signifigant amount but few survived. The company most definitely had minimum orders and the printing was all done in China, so it was likely very cost efficient.

[emeraldknight47]

Welcome aboard, Megotoys! I, too, have wondered about many of the items you pointed out, but have been working in the printing industry long enough to know that it is very likely a company the size of MEGO likely printed items in the thousands (if not tens of thousands) and that there were likely some they predicted would be more popular than other, so they may've printed a few thousand less.

I just have a feeling down deep in my old bones that somewhere, someday, someone (and let's all hope he/she's a MegoHead) is gonna come across a warehouse or a basement or a garage just loaded with minty Mego figures still on cards still in the shipping cartons!!! Of course, the prices on them will likely be astronomical, but it would still be cool to see...

[megotoys]

Thank you for your posts and taking the time to provide information regarding this topic.

The historical mysteries (to me) surrounding Mego are intriguing to me, so thank you for indulging me in this historical journey.

It still seems to be a bit of an unsolved mystery.

Even if produced for only a year. I would think as Mego was distributing not only nationally in the United States, but other countries as well, that more than single digit numbers existed of key Mego figures in the package.

Is 1970's Mego history, production numbers, distribution information (geographically and quantifiable), printing process etc. considered a bit of a mystery company when compared to say Mattel or Kenner in the 1970's? Have production numbers ever been released on any of the Mego figures for a year or perhaps over time?

Are there many members of the museum who recall seeing Iron Man, Green Goblin, etc. in multiple numbers hanging on the pegs in the 1970's?

To sidetrack a bit, I was looking at completed listings of old 1970's Kenner Star Wars auctions on ebay, and the amount of vintage figures that seem to be considered "rare" is amazing when compared to those of say Mego from the same years in the 1970's. There were lots of high dollar auctions for vintage Kenner figures still in the package when compared with Mego.

Well, I must be incorrect in my assumptions of Mego. As if the super rare figures still sealed in the package existed, I would assume that they might show up in the marketplace more frequently.

As one nice member suggested, hopefully there is still a great find of packaged Mego figures still to be unearthed. Sealed cases of packaged Mego Green Arrows, Green Goblins, and Iron Man all waiting to see the light of day. Well, as unrealistic as it is, one can hope.

Further input and insight into my inquiries above would be appreciated.

Of course the mysteries surrounding the toy world of the 1970's could, as they seem to be, lost to time.