Trek figures...the ultimate insult?

[Captain]

Well, the gauntlet was thrown down today...Wal-Mart has the 3 3/4" and 6" figures at clearance in Calgary...and I'm assuming across Canada. $5.00 a piece for either size.

I think its safe to say, the line bombed. Whether due to Playmates poor, and somewhat archaic approach to the toys, or that the movie didnt reach kids? Whatever the deal, they didnt do well up here. the Terminator toys look likely to repeat this pattern in a week or two.

I still hope for a second wave, including the booster packs....but it doesnt look very likely. I also hope this doesnt dissuade Diamond from their planned 3 3/4" TWOK figures?

[BlackKnight]

So I Know you Guys up in Canada Got Screwed....,
But with the Extra figures down here,.. you got to build a Bridge & a Transporter Room...
So,.. are all the figures out there to be able to do this with already ???
.. If so,.. I may have to keep my eye's open for the clearance event down here.... if they are 5 Bucks up in Canada,.. isn't that like 3.50 or something here ? I thought the Currency was abit different...

I think Trek screwed the Pooch going threw Playmates....
Hasbro woulda made an Enterprise,.. where all the figures coulda fit in the Ship.

[Captain]

Are they selling down there BK? You may not go to clearance on your side if they are. Up here, they sold out the first week of release in a lot of stores (pent up collectors I guess?). After they restocked, nothing sold. It just sat there collecting dust.....maybe not to the same standards as Speed Racer products last year, but poor movers just the same.
As you mentioned, the prices up here were insane too. To be fair, some stores tried bumping up other toys as well (at one point I saw $15 a pop for Marvels 3 3/4 stuff!!).That didnt work either, and now that the dollar has picked itself back up in the last month ( now bouncing between 90 and 95 cents on the US dollar) the gouging should fade out.

Playmates really dropped the ball on these toys though. I think if they looked better, and didnt follow the standard type of Trek toy release (figures only of the main crew and villian for one), things might have gone better. I still dont see the logic of 3 3/4 and 6 inch figures either. Pick one and run with it.

Hasbro probably would have gone with just a 3 3/4" line (ala Indiana jones/Star Wars/GI Joe) and a few 12" figures...I wouldnt complain about that...especially if they had a wider or at least more varied assortment of characters available. Zizzle Toys might have been a good choice too. Their 3 3/4" Pirates toys really set a new standard for 3 3/4 lines. Sadly, they havent pursued any other licenses to my knowledge?

[Iron_fox85]

friend said that wave 2 will come in the fall-- with the movie coming to dvd toys will be in demand and the line will keep going for the holidays until after christmas. i dont think we need to worry.

[Earth 2 Chris]

For some reason, not every Wal-Mart is carrying this line. I went to one that does this weekend, and the 3 3/4 figures were now $4.97 and the 6" were $6.97. That is more like it, in my opinion. They were not over in the clearance section yet.

Terminator stuff hasn't sold at all as far as I can see. I think it is the much bigger toy bomb.

Chris

[BlackKnight]

I dunno Just how Well these Toys are even Selling Here...
I know I shop at Walmart Quite Often,.. & ofcourse always look at the Toys..
When the Trek Stuff Hit the Shelves,.. they Had Like Cases, Upon Cases of these they Unloaded... They Had a Middle Isie at one Time,.. & Have Since Moved Everything to the Endcap down one of the Isles... I don't see anything New,.. However have not really paid that Close attention to them to even Notice to Be Honest ... I did However see the Transporter Room at Target on Sat,.. & thought that was very, very cool.

The Likeness's on these Do not Hold a candle to the Actors imo,.. Except Maybe the Nemoy Figure... I scene the 3 Barbies the other day,.. & Those to look somewhat Like the Actors imo.

I really liked the 9 inch cloth Figures from Playmates,.. & the Simpsons Line,.. but other than those,.. I can't think of anythign Playmates I even Buy.... I think for the Most part,.. I believe I dislike Playmate Offerings....


I have noticed that Networks like the Cartoon Network, & Fox are really trying to market these Figures,.. They seem to have boughten up some serious Air Time Down Here ... Perhaps the figures are doing Well...

The One thing that Hasbro Has Always Done right with their 3 &3/4 incher Lines,.. is creating Vehicles & Environmental Playsets in the Arse Load.... I think thats Key with their Success,.. as well as the Appeal with Children Who Actually Play with this stuff.

The Recent offering's from Neca are Very,.. Very Well Done imo. I have a Couple of them... IMO ,... instead of the 2 Different scales from Playmates... 3&3/4 inchersw & the 6or7 inchers,.. Neca Shoulda got the Rights too,.. & Perhaps Will soon,.. Their figures are very nice.

[Seeker]

Yeah the Walmart prices on these has started to drop. And they are still collecting dust.

[Captain]

YEP, same here. The low price isnt drawing any bites at Wal Mart. TRU stuck with the $9 price so far, but it will drop too in time.

I'm betting Wal Mart will have these down to 2 bucks a piece soon....which probably means the second series, if it comes out, will be harder to find than Bigfoot, and the third series will never see the light of day.

[The Bat]

Yup, I agree...the Sculpts were HORRIBLE....we got screwed!! Man....Am i stewed tonight!

[michael crawford]

The wasted potential is just so depressing. Had Playmates handled the line better, it could have really been a winner. The only smart move was the build a playset concept - but that can't carry the line with the sculpts are so poor.

[Wes Crayon]

Eh, I think you guys are being too hard on the line -- they're friggin' toys, not collector figures! :P Though I admit that there could have been some confusion, what with them starting out fairly high in price compared to the Ben10 and Power Rangers offerings. But as toys, and compared to those figures, they aren't all that bad (though the Rangers kick their butts in the articulation/poseability departments).

If they're down to $7 at Walmart the next time I'm there, I'll have to snag a Uhura. I'd rather see the Terminator figures drop, though -- $10 is kinda hard to swallow when the NECA T2 figures are out there, but at $7 or less I'd have to pick up a TS endo.

[thunderbolt]

Yeah, if you look at them as toys they are ok. I think expectations are too high now with Marvel Legends and other stuff that tends to cater to the collector.

[Seeker]

walmart and Target are starting to take these down to around $5.

[Captain]

I was in Wal Mart yesterday and a different one today. Yesterday, the local one dropped the 3 3/4" Trek figures to # dollars a piece. At that price I picked up a couple extras. Today, the store had the same $3 a piece price, but had the 6" figures at 2 for 5$!!! I had been ignoring the 6" figures, but at that price....Sadly for me, they were sold clean out!

I hope if wave 2 hits, they take the pricing issue into account and price these figures at a more logical level. Ten bucks a piece was way too high, especially without the bridge/transporter builder accessories.

[Mikey]

It seems the movie was really popular upon release, but fizzled in the public's eye very quickly.

You don't see or hear anything about it anymore (even in many fan circles)

To me this trend (the figures dropping in price) is no surprise.

Most movie figures are only popular for a short time --- not including Star Wars, which has always been an exception to the rule.

As Trelane would say, i'm guessing the new Trek line is dead-dead-dead