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

[Byrnes]

I'll be getting the Wayne and Grayson from this series for sure. I still need Catwoman, but I'm gonna go for an original Mego on that one.

[Random Axe]

Series one is appropriate, riding the momentum of the last decade of Batamn success. That's a no brainer. If I'm a toy company I put out the closest to a sure thing initially and then...BAM! I release the WOW factor with the second wave, maybe pairing Superman with Bizarro to capitalize on his anniverasy year and then a Green Lantern(doesn't matter which one) and Solomon Grundy(they have the bodies already). Then and only then should they consider secret identities, and it should be a very limited, online only exclusive without retailer or vendor risk warming pegs. Wave three would be solely new figs, no repros. I'm thinking Booster Gold, Black Lightning, Atom and Deathstroke.

Since I have no experience whatsoever with putting out toy lines, my vision above would probably fail. That's kinda how I see a successful first twelve months on this venture.

[Corellian Corvette]

Well I think it depends on a couple things, and some information I don't have access to.

First, based on the information we have, it appears these character decisions were made prior to them getting the rest of the DC license. Based on that, and the likelihood they were trying to get things to market quickly, and minimize the upfront tooling costs by using parts they'd already made - I think ON THE WHOLE, they totally made the right call. They have a great mix of characters, popular name characters, heroes and villains, men and women. They mixed in some fan-favorites. So again, with the above constraints (speed and parts recycling) I think their character choices were perfect.

Now, how they distributed the characters you could debate. But it looks like they have a "Batman and Robin" in each wave. I'm not sure how I would have mixed them differently. You don't want two girls in a wave. You don't want all heroes in a wave. You don't want all baddies in a wave. So the spacing seems logical.

Lastly - and I think most importantly - is how LONG between each wave? We're used to the MattyCollector or EMCE "Waves" where character sets come MONTHS apart. People get bored, they forget, the excitement wears off.

If FTC is putting out a WAVE per month, or every six weeks - you're going to get all three waves in about 3 months. That's pretty awesome. That would be all characters out in the time you'd only get one other wave from another company.

If they get these out fast, then I don't think the roll-out plan is all that big of a problem. If we have to wait 3-4 months between waves, then I agree I would move Wave 3 up (get RM Robin, Batman, and Batgirl out next), save this lame wave for later, and have other DC characters lined up so and announced right away.

If they have a wave every month or two, that gives a LOT more flexibility in how they mix and match the assortments.

[imp]

If they get these out fast, then I don't think the roll-out plan is all that big of a problem. If we have to wait 3-4 months between waves, then I agree I would move Wave 3 up (get RM Robin, Batman, and Batgirl out next), save this lame wave for later, and have other DC characters lined up so and announced right away. If they have a wave every month or two, that gives a LOT more flexibility in how they mix and match the assortments.

YEAH. That's BRILLIANT. My thinking has been aligned with what Random Axe stated above, but what you just brought up -- the timing -- is really critical. Well said!

I'm excited to see how this all plays out.

[Corellian Corvette]

The biggest problem is speed. You need to keep things going, keep the momentum up. You get the waves out quickly, then ship assortments as figures sell out to keep popular characters in stock. Big companies screw this up all the time. (see: Matty and Hasbro)

What like about FTC ALREADY - that's SMARTER then what Matty did - you can already buy a CASE of just Batman or a CASE of just Robin.

This is super smart. You ship your wave assortments, then keep a stock of the key guys being refreshed so you don't have "pegwarmers" - I'm not going to buy Penguin if I can NEVER find Batman.

With Star Wars - you can't get a CASE of Luke Skywaker. You need to wait for assortment 12.5 which adds two per case of Luke. That's dumb. Ship more Lukes!

So again, if they are smart, Wave 2 of figures also ships with a restock of JUST the main characters. They keep doing that - they'll be fine.

[imp]

So again, if they are smart, Wave 2 of figures also ships with a restock of JUST the main characters. They keep doing that - they'll be fine.

Wait. Are FTC World's Greatest Heroes! toys going to be in mass market toy stores? I was under the impression they were destined for Direct Market comic books stores only (mostly special orders, in that case). Given the higher price point, not to mention their poor handling of Mattel's Retro Action, I would be stunned if a retailer like Toys 'R Us picked these up. But if it's true, that's fantastic news.

[Corellian Corvette]

I'm not sure. I don't think they have disclosed if they have retail partners. I'm sure some of the online specialty shops will carry them.

But if each figure is available individually at any time, the "waves" really only become release timing, and the concept of the peg-warmer is gone. Just order what you want online.

FTC does have a good history of keeping lines in-stock, and they do allow individual figure purchases. That's already a plus vs. the other lines we've seen in the past.

So that really just means speed is the only issue. Get the waves out fast, they'll be in good shape.

[Chris]

I'm not sure. I don't think they have disclosed if they have retail partners. I'm sure some of the online specialty shops will carry them.

But if each figure is available individually at any time, the "waves" really only become release timing, and the concept of the peg-warmer is gone. Just order what you want online.

I've seen their Monster figures available at the local comic shop so the DC figures might be there too.

[SpaceAgent]

Let me just say I'm glad they're doing the secret identities - as someone who grew up nowhere near the retailer who had those exclusives, those are the only original Megos I didn't have. To me, it says FTC is tapped into what collectors want, and after all, that's the market they're pursuing.

[MIB41]

imp -

Seems like FTC has a pretty good handle on demand based their time in market with these lines - in fact I think they may have actually been the FIRST (correct me if I'm wrong) to commercially re-release anything truly "Mego Like" when they did the original Mad Monsters series. How long ago was that? 8 years ago now? (this does not discount the long-standing support Dr. Mego has given, but he never had anything store released)

I think they don't get the credit deserve for kicking this craze back off. Monsters, then Western + Knights + Robin Hood before they went off the reservation with Lucy and Married with Children.

I do agree this community is much smaller then people think. If enthusiasm translated to sales, we'd be on Wave 5 of Buck Rogers by now and Castaway would be pumping out Phantoms as fast as they could make them. Alas, neither is true.

However, there must be something more to this. Even Mattel couldn't make this happen, so either the economics of this are so much better for FTC then we think (likely given the fact they have tooled a lot of this already), they believe the market is bigger then we think (possible based on their experience), or they have figured out how to endure on smaller volumes.

I'm curious how YOU would manage this line, if you were in charge. Wave 1 is a Knockout. You disagree with Wave 2. Would you have brought new characters in earlier? Different assortment of retro heroes? We know that Wave 3 will be RM Batman, RM Robin, Batgirl because their picture is on the collector case. That leaves one other open. Seems like that's a pretty solid pre-planned 3-release wave?

I think it's safe to say if you really look at the marketplace, it was Hasbro that started the whole "retro" marketing strategy when they released what were suppose to be "replica" figures of their vintage 60's and 70's lines back in the early 90's. Of course these figures were anything but replicas at that point. But it woke up a whole new marketplace and suddenly companies realized there was a different demographic that hadn't been properly tapped into. The Toybiz company, owned by Marvel, were the first to dabble in the retro Mego universe with the Famous Covers line released in 1998. Between those Hasbro and Toybiz' ventures, the industry began to see an offshoot of new companies created solely to cater to this demographic. For example, Playing Mantis recreated the Captain Action line, as well as Evel Knievel. But keep in mind through all of this commercial development, Dr. Mego already existed and was building an underground movement by recreating actual replacement parts for the vintage Mego lines starting back in the early 90's . So while the Figures Toy Company, who were better known for Wrestling Figures, started their own campaign into the Mego universe with Classic TV Toys back in 2004, they were simply one of many companies looking to cash in on the retro marketplace. They did not author it's resurgence by any means.

But make no mistake. As with other companies, there wasn't anyone who didn't champion their cause. What gave Classic TV toys their own infamous distinction were the brittle bodies that broke almost immediately upon coming out of the package. The packaging itself was uniquely flimsy. And through this process, which lasted YEARS, the whole effect came off (intended or not) as a company who were trying to make a fast buck by taking short cuts in production. To give them proper credit, they tried to replace the bad product with replacements when customers called in. However, the inferior product was replaced with the same inferior product. So customer dissatisfaction and their inability to manage their own quality issues became so massive, it basically shut them down from making anymore figure lines for years. They were forced to part out those lines, which created a nice aftermarket for customizers.

But for years people no longer viewed this company as a viable source for bodies or new figure lines. So much so that when the company obtained a new license to market KISS, they began using their parent company name instead of the well tarnished Classic TV Toys brand. But those who did business with them, knew it was the same company. And while new and "improved" bodies were introduced, those too have quality issues, which the company has yet to respond to. What's worse the company has, in effect, become it's own scalper. As previous inventory volumes have dwindled (like the defective Robinhood figures), the company has placed huge markups on those products. When their new figure lines fail, like the KISS Sonic Boom figures, they part them out on the Classic TV Toy site, but make no mention of it on their parent site. And then let's not forget the professional courtesy this company has bypassed in selling product that Castaway created. The list goes on from there, but the point is well illustrated. So while this latest announcement in licensing seems to have given the company “new life” in the eyes of some, it’s past product and current practices have more than a few consumers cautious about diving in. As the saying goes,” the past is prologue.”

And comparing FTC to Mattel is not really a comparison worth noting. Mattel is a publicly traded giant in the industry that sells a diverse amount of product. FTC has one demographic to service and is trying to pull as many popular licenses as they can into that market. Through re-purposing existing bodies, they can recycle unsold product and part out the smaller parts to collectors. With this recycling strategy, which Mego also used, they can focus more of their funds on licensing and the development of heads and outfits for those baseline bodies. Mattel’s goal is to grow existing profit margins for the stockholders. FTC is simply trying to create a margin for profit so they can continue to do business.

How would I manage this line if it were mine? I would use my recycling strategy to strangle the competition with competitive pricing and utilize best practices in the industry to grow my reputation and appeal to broader markets. I would make sure my inner quality control measures are in place to assure whatever I’m selling addresses consumer complaints. And finally I would offer diversity in product pricing so I can move my inventory to a broader scope of people interested in this property besides just the diehards who do not carry enough purchasing power to keep my lines viable.

[DocDrako]

I think Series 1 is top notch. Batman, Robin, Joker, Riddler...ReMego Gold!

Series 2 surprised me by also being completely awesome total. I need a ReMego Pengy so I can retire my T1 to a safe place, so all my other ReMegos will stop beating him up. Batman+ & Robin+ really knock him around. The last time I had Catwoman (ooh! racy!) I had stolen her from my half-brother's birthday pile. I was a colossal *** back then. Wait. I still am sometimes. Anyways, I need that Catwoman. I'd like a newer version, maybe Batman TAS version, grey and black. Yes. Good, good. But Catwoman is a good choice for me. I could use those secret identities too, since I will NEVER afford the real thing. Just like oatmeal. It's good to dream, but I gotta be realistic.

Series 2 is a hit for me, just as Series 1 was. CTVT has always done right by me and I'm glad they are working hard to be the next Mego. (and doing really well at it)

Bring the justice, CTVT! And then bring some more!



(and now, the silence can descend on this thread...sleep tight, Mego Museum)

[DaBillmann]

Did Figures have the rights to ALL DC characters from the start or just Batman? I love Batman and the Batman characters comprised a big chunk of my childhood WGSH! So, I don't mind Batman leading off new WGSH! Superman deserves representation in 2013 for hs 75th!

After the 3 Batman waves it will only take another 3 DC reissue waves:

Superman, Clark Kent, Supergirl, Mr Mxyzptlk

Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Shazam, Green Arrow

Teen Titans- Aqualad, Kid Flash, Wonder Girl, Speedy

Then on with the NEW! A DC Multiverse to select from!

THIS is exactly what I am anticipating. if they do Marvel, it gets a bit trickier due to the number of figures released. I am pretty sure we will see:

Spiderman, Peter Parker, The Lizard, The green Goblin.

Mr. Fantastic, The Invisible Girl, The Human Torch, The Thing.

Next group gets tricky as not counting Conan, who apparently gets his own series, there are five left. i am assuming it wil lbe the characters who have had their own comics and be: Caprain America, Thor, Iron Man, and The Hulk.

Poor Falcon.

[DaBillmann]

I love that they are starting with the Batman line, and I love that they are including Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, even with that god awful outfit Dick wears. I do have to question if we actually need RC Batman and RC Robin but hey, stupider figures have been released.

Now, if my money issues will just sort themselves out so I can actually get the darn things!

[DaBillmann]

THIS is exactly what I am anticipating. if they do Marvel, it gets a bit trickier due to the number of figures released. I am pretty sure we will see:

Spiderman, Peter Parker, The Lizard, The green Goblin.

Mr. Fantastic, The Invisible Girl, The Human Torch, The Thing.

Next group gets tricky as not counting Conan, who apparently gets his own series, there are five left. i am assuming it wil lbe the characters who have had their own comics and be: Caprain America, Thor, Iron Man, and The Hulk.

Poor Falcon.

Oh and as for the mystery figure for wave three? I am betting on the first new figure, either Barbara Gordon, Comissioner Gordon, or Alfred. Another villain would be nice, but somehow, just feeling one of thsoe three.

My other thought woudl be Green Arrow, who fits in with Batman and co pretty well, but, would more belong in a different wave.

[sprytel]

I love that they are starting with the Batman line, and I love that they are including Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, even with that god awful outfit Dick wears. I do have to question if we actually need RC Batman and RC Robin but hey, stupider figures have been released.

Now, if my money issues will just sort themselves out so I can actually get the darn things!

I always the thought the best way to repro the RC figures would be as a "super special edition", where they came with both their superhero costumes and the secret identity outfits.