World's Greatest Heroes! New "Series 2" Full-Page Ad

[Scousebadger]

Oh so true. And these boards have plenty of "supporters" who talk a big game but never actually come through. "I'm going to buy every single item the very first day, no matter what they put out! I don't care! I'll buy everything!" These are the same people who chime into a Marketplace thread juuuuust AFTER the seller confirms the item is sold, "Oh, good score! I totally would have bought that if I had seen it first."

Yeah. Okay. Whatever.

Hey, people will be people.

No-one ever said we made any sense

[rjm118]

I think everyone should chill and see what happens, obviously these arent super expensive to make by FTC since they have many of the parts already available, the true test will be in sales. If theres even a slight demand, we may see waves of different characters and characters never released by Mego.

Im not thrilled with wave 2 but Catwoman(oddly enough) was one of the Mego's I remember most vividly so Im looking forward to her and the Penguin, I never was interested in the Secret Identities and already own repro ones but we need to support the line in order to see more made.

[MIB41]

Oh so true. And these boards have plenty of "supporters" who talk a big game but never actually come through. "I'm going to buy every single item the very first day, no matter what they put out! I don't care! I'll buy everything!" These are the same people who chime into a Marketplace thread juuuuust AFTER the seller confirms the item is sold, "Oh, good score! I totally would have bought that if I had seen it first."

Yeah. Okay. Whatever.

You speak the truth brotha! If there's one universal reason why companies can not stay afloat in the Mego marketplace, it's because this survey-style enthusiasm does not necessarily translate into money on the counter when the product gets made. I've lost count of how many times people went goo-goo over a prototype only to rake it over the coals when the actual product came out. Or to just say, "meh" and move on. It's with that perspective, I certainly have come to understand the value of pre-orders and why some companies decide to make (or pull) product based on those numbers. That's why I'm still not sold on just how "vast" this Batman '66 crowd really is. That too could be another red herring. It's hard to fathom so much merchandise getting made for what amounts to an untested license in this demographic. This will be further tested by what FTC does with this WGSH experiment. Personally I think they would have been better served to have gone after the hard-to-get figures instead of falling into that nostalgic trap of making the most common ones like Mego did when they started the line. You can't duplicate that first experience. When Mego put out Batman and Robin, that was a first. These days it's predictable. And since this is aimed towards a specific demographic not involving third graders, I don't think the rules of having to lead with the flagship heroes applies. The majority of those consumers already have these characters... in spades!

[hedrap]

Just my two cents... Wave 2 looks like it really only consists of Catwoman and Penguin if your looking at "new" product. Anyone who wants a "Bruce" or Dick" in those outfits can order the heads and outfits right now on the CTVT site. So Wave 2 is mostly existing stock getting recycled. And the RC Batman and RM Robin for Wave 3 will be recycled from those figures and the Batman outfits. So there is alot of shuffling of existing product in making these figures. Right now I think FTC' only risk to investment is the heads and outfits (which are pretty cheap to make). The bodies are most likely getting produced in bulk to host whatever lines they want. Be it WGSH, KISS, Dukes, "66 Batman, etc. So whatever doesn't sell, they'll just part out the heads and outfits like they're doing with those supposed "successful" KISS lines and use those bodies on a different line. Who knows how many KISS figures will now be Batman figures?

I think this be a fallback strategy on this next attempt at WGSH as well. They're probably just making so many heads and outfits and rotating stock on the bodies. For what they charge, they should be making money easily....That's likely why there seems to be so many figures being pushed for this initial line. FTC is hoping to get that overstock of unsold bodies out of their warehouse so they can start using their next shipment of bodies for these other licenses.

Exactly. That's a nicely detailed version of the FTC business model I tried to imply. They have new money locked up in the license fees and tooling, but the overhead is nowhere near as large as people are assuming.

When you look at the extraneous lines they're producing, it's an appeal to the larger celebrity doll market. Dallas, Dukes, Gilligan...they know that market size and won't have to renew the license after an initial run. So whatever doesn't sell becomes repurposed or sold in pieces. All you have to do is look at CTVT over the years to see their stock eventually does deplenish.

Having Wave 2 close to Wave 1 is meant to keep building attention in Diamond. How may times have we seen a nice, limited release with no immediate followup? So what's the cost in a Wave 3 of Superman, Clark, Supergirl and an 8" Zod, using the 12" Stamp? Fabric and one headsculpt conversion.

So if a book that covered every major superhero from the Mego universe wouldn't sell, why would repro-figures of the most common characters do any better?

The common problem between the book and the figure is the price and target audience.

What Doc understood with RA, is you have to widen the scope to get these into the hands of kids, but pricepoint is a killer.

ReMego's have the aesthetic appeal of a young-kid toy, but the price of a collector-figure. That's a big disconnect to parents, and as PNG pointed, even to people at comic stores.

To keep it Megoey, the price has to come down for parents. If not, then the design has to upgrade to ZICA. Rock and a hard place.

[imp]

…this survey-style enthusiasm does not necessarily translate into money on the counter when the product gets made.

AMEN.

I don't think the rules of having to lead with the flagship heroes applies. The majority of those consumers already have these characters... in spades!

Clearly you and I are of like mind on a lot of these issues. It's fun to armchair quarterback this whole thing, and time will certainly tell. Here's hoping FTC's deep pockets and theoretically low production costs allow them to leap-frog any unpopular character choices.

The common problem between the book and the figure is the price and target audience.

YEP. Plenty of folks here freaked out over the price of the book. For a long time, $25 was a hard sell. (Heck, even $20 in person at toy conventions!) At the risk of redundancy, the inconvenient truth here is twofold: The Mego collecting community is both small and… frugal (to put it nicely).

I also love people who come into this thread and berate us for hashing it out and expressing our opinions. BREAKING: That's what this forum is here for!

[Mego-Amigo]

That makes very little sense. You paid $375.00 for a 40 year old toy in mint condition in a mint box. If you just wanted the figure, you could have paid a price similar to these new figures and had a vintage one. The fact that you paid $375.00 tells me you wanted an original Mego in mint shape, in the original box. And since you're stating a cheaper reproduction figure would have fit your tastes, why didn't you chase after all of the mint vintage Jokers in reproduction packaging selling for incredibly cheap prices? So I don't see the logic in dumping that kind of money since you're saying having a reproduction makes no difference to you. That not apples to apples on any scale.

It makes a lot of sense. I have a few loose Megos to enjoy for what they are but my primary collection is very high grade MIB/MOC figures. I am not interested in buying vintage figures that have been pieced together from old parts or with repro parts or packaging. I am a very picky collector that is only interested in figures untouched by human hands since they left the factory and in prime condition. That being said and since originals are extremely rare in the condition I Want them and very expensive if you find them, I am very willing to accept brand new perfect case fresh $25.00 figures over very expensive originals.

[EMCE Hammer]

I also love people who come into this thread and berate us for hashing it out and expressing our opinions. BREAKING: That's what this forum is here for!

Disagree/debate = "Berate?" Man, you guys are sensitive. Thicken up, kids!

[imp]

Disagree/debate = "Berate?" Man, you guys are sensitive. Thicken up, kids!

LOL Touché!

[enyawd72]

Oh so true. And these boards have plenty of "supporters" who talk a big game but never actually come through. "I'm going to buy every single item the very first day, no matter what they put out! I don't care! I'll buy everything!" These are the same people who chime into a Marketplace thread juuuuust AFTER the seller confirms the item is sold, "Oh, good score! I totally would have bought that if I had seen it first."

Yeah. Okay. Whatever.

What are you basing that on exactly? How would you even know what somebody buys or not? You have a crystal ball or something?

I'm one of those supporters who DID buy your book the day it came out at Barnes and Nobles. I even bid on some of your stuff in the Hakes auction and won one figure. You're welcome.

[MIB41]

It makes a lot of sense. I have a few loose Megos to enjoy for what they are but my primary collection is very high grade MIB/MOC figures. I am not interested in buying vintage figures that have been pieced together from old parts or with repro parts or packaging. I am a very picky collector that is only interested in figures untouched by human hands since they left the factory and in prime condition. That being said and since originals are extremely rare in the condition I Want them and very expensive if you find them, I am very willing to accept brand new perfect case fresh $25.00 figures over very expensive originals.

40 year old figure...Brand new figure
Mego...FTC
BMW...Volkswagon

There's also alot of freshly packed merchandise in the dollar store thats never been touched too. Hopefully your definition of "quality" is measured by more than the adhesive on a backer card.

[EMCE Hammer]

Come on guys, if someone needs a Hammer Hug just ask! A couple of parts box peg warmers aren't going to kill the new super hero line from FTC. If the re-Bats don't interest you, just hang loose until something comes along that does.

[monitor_ep]

Well I have put my money were my mouth is. I have spent a lot of money rebuying the playsets, vehicles, and screen print version of megos. I am cannot wait for all three waves of FTC Batman. I am even starting to buy the Monsters series just to add more the fold. Since Frankenstein in the DC Universe he looks good at the Hall of Justice. My Wayne Foundation of looking full with the Mego/Mattel figures.

I just got in the first Screen Print version of Catwoman. This is the closet version to her brief comic book appearance in the pirate outfit.

[imp]

What are you basing that on exactly? How would you even know what somebody buys or not? You have a crystal ball or something?

Who needs a crystal ball? I'm one of the people who tried to sell a decent, Mego WGSH-related product to this community. Consider this: If every WGSH fan, who was a member of the Mego Museum Message Boards back in 2007, bought one copy of the book upon its release, the entire print-run would have sold out on DAY ONE.

Did that happen? Nope. In fact, it took about four years to sell a very limited quantity. Four years!

Now, six years later, there are nearly twice as many board members. Yet I imagine the sell-through numbers haven't climbed very much. I read these boards, too. In this community, there are not a lot of vintage Mego WGSH collectors to begin with, only a percentage of whom will actually buy something Mego or WGSH-related. This is based on experience, not Palm Reading.

I'm one of those supporters who DID buy your book the day it came out at Barnes and Nobles. I even bid on some of your stuff in the Hakes auction and won one figure. You're welcome.

I wasn't naming anyone specific, but it seems as if I touched a nerve with you. Sincerely, I appreciate you buying the book, and I'm pleased you bid on some auctions. But if you're one of the few who actually puts your money where your mouth is, why be defensive?

[jds1911a1]

Second only to Action Jackson, that Bruce Wayne head sculpt is just about the ugliest thing Mego ever produced.

Actually it's a pretty good interpretation of the 50-60's Bruce wayne's look in the comics

[enyawd72]

I wasn't naming anyone specific, but it seems as if I touched a nerve with you. Sincerely, I appreciate you buying the book, and I'm pleased you bid on some auctions. But if you're one of the few who actually puts your money where your mouth is, why be defensive?

I guess I'm reading too much into your comments...I suspect, and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong, that the amount of hard work and dedication that went into your book being met with less than success left you feeling a bit let down by the Mego collecting community? Perhaps even a little bitter and resentful. I understand that. We all want to be recognized and appreciated for our passions. I'm sorry that your book underperformed to your expectations...I think it's one of the best toy related books ever written. I truly mean that. Regardless of how many copies it sold, it was and is an amazing acheivement, and you should be very proud.