How did Mattel and Hot Toys have Superman/Reeves figures for sale at the same time?

[MIB41]

I thought about this after noticing Matty was selling the 12 inch Superman Movie Master figure during the holidays. How is it that both Mattel and Hot Toys can have the same license to sell a 1/6th scale figure of Reeves as Superman at the same time? I know that the Superman figure for Mattel originally came out in 2010, but Matty Collector is still an officially licensed site for Mattel to sell product. Isn't someone in violation of the others rights here?

[Sandman9580]

I always assumed it was because the license holders were in different countries, serving different markets -- though how that works with Sideshow being the "official" North American importer of HT I don't know. Or maybe it just has to do with the figures being in different price tiers.

Nowadays it seems like everyone is allowed to hold the same licenses, so long as they release figures that are differentiated from each other by (sometimes) really subtle criteria.

[thunderbolt]

maybe the liscense is split between collector's grade and toy grade or something. Like Sideshow was doing 12 inch GI Joes when Hasbro was doing the cheapie 12 inchers at Wal-Mart.

[zeedox]

My best guess...

is that the Hot Toys/Sideshow folks are a different market. Even tho they are articulated as well, they are not really made in mind with the kids flying them around the house and leaving them in the backyard like the Mattel toys.

[Afaninfull]

There was speculation and rumor about a Hot Toys Superman but it was not announced until after the Mattell version went on sale on Mattycollector.

I kept thinking "I hope they're right" as I really wanted a Reeve Superman. I wondered if that was part of the Hot Toys deal that Mattell got first crack.

[MIB41]

It's an interesting issue. Because I think the Hot toys announcement made most people pass on the Mattel version. I remember alot of folks making that very statement when this Mattel Supes showed up at Toy Fair. And even though the Mattel version in no way competes with the Hot Toys figure, it did lose alot of potential business to the Hot Toys option. I kind of thought that was the point in buying rights to a license. I could see the separation in styles if the Mattel Superman was priced like a GI JOE figure. But this one was priced in the collector community at $60.00. Now clearly that is considerably less than Hot Toys. But DC Direct does cross into collector territory at that price point which, in my mind, conflicts with a Hot Toys release. So the question becomes this - If there was no mention of Hot Toys putting out a Reeves Superman at the time of this release, would you have bought the Mattel version on it's own merits?

[samurainoir]

Seems to happen quite often... I would guess dc isn't signing away exclusivity within the collector market or perhaps even territory/country is where the lines are drawn?

Matty has the mass market shelves, but DC direct has still been pumping out the same set of characters as well... just look at the Lantern based Blackest Night characters being released within months of each other by both DC Direct and Matty.

Plus all the 1/6th scale Bale Batman and Ledger Jokers that were pumped out around the same time...

DC Direct, primarily sold in comic shops via Diamond in north america.


Hot toys out of Hong Kong.




Medicom RAH out of Japan.






comparison shots...

[samurainoir]

Also Superman Returns might have set the precedence back in 2006...

Medicom RAH (Japan)





Hot Toys (Hong Kong)




DC Direct (North Amiercan Collector's Market via Diamond Distribution)



Mattel under the Barbie label (North American and International Mass Market?)



Comparison shots.

[thunderbolt]

Is Ken Superman really Johnny Longtorso?

[MIB41]

Great examples! Great discussion. This is really quite the eye opener in licensing.