classic toylines... US vs Euro

[misterdroid]

I have been mulling this over in my head for a week or so... Thought I'd get some opinions. Several US toylines floundered and sputtered out here in the states, while their European counterparts went on for years and did really incredible stuff. The end of the GI Joe 12" line as compared to Action Man (geyper man, action team etc) and Big Jim are two lines that spring immediately to mind. Seriously, the Euro Big Jim stuff is GREAT.
While there are some other examples, my main question is this: What is the underlying cause? Short sighted toy companies afraid to take risks? A fickle US consumer base? Greater enthusiasm for interesting toys is Europe? Simply younger more creative types willing to try anything to wring a coin out of a toy craving kid? Simply different financial structures within the toy companies themselves? I don't know.
Any thoughts?

[toys2cool]

Action man did have some great looking accessories and stuff in the UK,but I still like the US stuff better,starting with the packaging and stuff

[4NDR01D]

Really good question, I don't know. Could it have anything to do with the way cartoons became like commercials in North America, where a toy line couldn't survive with out a cartoon or comic book? maybe cartoons and comics weren't as popular in europe, so they could market the older figures longer. Have you seen the G.I. Joe line of 12 inch figures from Brazil? they blow my mind, I've got to get them but they are impossible to find.

[starsky]

dont forget the mattel secret wars european release- i think it was iceman, constrictor, and electro. how did those do over in europe?

[Seeker]

Look at Transformers. After Marvel ended the Comic run England continued running it for a while. There were alot of UK only figures.

Actually British comics seem better. The GI joe and Transformers were agood example of that.

Space 1999 had a better toy run over there too.


And I definatly wish we had more Dr Who toys on this side of the pond.

[SlipperyLilSuckers]

I agree with you MisterDroid. I think the European Big Jim stuff rocks.

[monkey tennis]

I always thought that one of Mego's best line of toys was
the Europe only Doctor Who.

[Sweep Secondhand]

I think a lot of it has to do with timing and economics. The Big Jim and G.I. Joe lines started in the US and were already established by the time they were released in Europe. Joe by a year and Big Jim by several years. This gave the European companies an edge for two reasons - one, they already had all the molds and designs without having to spend the money to develope them and two, they had a ready made test market in the US where they could see what was and was not selling. With G.I. Joe, Palitoy stuck closely to the Hasbro line for several years before they gradually started going off in their own directions. It wasn't until the Joe line tanked in the US in 1975 that Palitoy began to produced their most ambitous lines like the SAS, Space Rangers, and foriegn soldiers and they continued until 1982. There was a larger gap with the Big Jim lines between the US and Europe and it was already evident that the sports sets had not done that well in the US. The PACK had been too little to late but in Europe they took that concept and ran with it creating the spy and space lines. Of course, adding kung fu grip to the hands made the figures a lot more apealing too!

[monkey tennis]

I think that most people in Europe would be Jealous of the US market.

[Sweep Secondhand]

I think that most people in Europe would be Jealous of the US market.

Pehapse as a whole for the sheer variety but in most cases they had us beat for quality. Let's face it, the European Big Jim designs and the final version muscle body Action Man both surpass the US versions. The Big Jim's were just an improvement because of the much needed gripping hands but the last issue Action Man figures are one of the best vintgae action figure body designs ever made.

[English Paul]

I read somewhere that the military toys (esp` Action Man) did better in Europe because the US was still getting over the Vietnam war and as such, war toys weren't looked upon very favourably.