My take on the Retro Batman line so far

[thunderbolt]

^^^ I was really hoping FTC fixed the issues of the past, guess they found all new issues. Castaway and Dr. Mego are right to get rid of the strung body, no one can do it right anymore. My vintage Spidey and nearly 50 year old GI Joes are better strung than these new ones and still work fine. I'm now more than a little concerned about wanting to order the 66 Bat-Figures if they ever see the light of day.

[boss]

Saw these figures at my local comic shop. I thought they looked great. The Robin's arm was loose in the package. It looked like it had been strung so tight the connector had pulled through the plastic.

They had them at 29.99.

[Wasimhosen]

Saw these figures at my local comic shop. I thought they looked great. The Robin's arm was loose in the package. It looked like it had been strung so tight the connector had pulled through the plastic.

They had them at 29.99.

That's exactly what was going on with my Batman. I contacted FTC and theyre sending a new body today.

[Wasimhosen]

I just sent them an email and they offered the body. Let's hope they're learning from this and the Titans and future waves will be better. If nothing else its not a bad price for a head and outfit and we can always get a body from the Dr. or elsewhere. It really is amazing that Mego figured this out almost 50 years ago. The only time I remember them breaking was when they were misused. I remember breaking the band in a Spider-Man when he was doing some rigorous swinging. Fell apart right in my hand and to my mother it lost its use and had to be thrown away. Wish I had the Museum to show me how to fix them back then.

Same offer to me that I basically had to pull out of them....
I really don't think I should work to fix the figure...they could have just dropped another one in the mail.
That's part of doing business in my opinion.

Someone I respect did help direct some of my disappoint in FTC's recent bait and switch tactics and their continued poor quality....he said, let's take the good with the bad. I get that, I really do...we are getting near exact replicas of what we grew up with for a little more than an Andrew Jackson per figure. For some that's a couple hours of work, for some a. Few minutes...I value my Andrew Jackson's quite a bit because it's hard earning them and with the events of late, I will have to be selective how I spend em.

They could have blown me away with their customer service, and they didn't...so that needs fixed still.

After re-stringing my four batman figures, I can now enjoy them.

[ubermanx]

That's exactly what was going on with my Batman. I contacted FTC and theyre sending a new body today.

Let us know if the new body is equally too tight. Not going to bother contacting them right away if the fix is just as bad as the original.

- Marty

[megocrazy]

Saw these figures at my local comic shop. I thought they looked great. They had them at 29.99.

Was in a Newbury comics store in New Hampshire last week and they were $32.99.

[Wasimhosen]

I don't know if you have a New England comics close but they had the set for $115.95. Almost the same as from Figures with the shipping. Newbury is way overpriced on most things. NE is usually very reasonable.

Was in a Newbury comics store in New Hampshire last week and they were $32.99.

[Wasimhosen]

Let us know if the new body is equally too tight. Not going to bother contacting them right away if the fix is just as bad as the original.

- Marty

Will do.

[Astronut]

First let me say that I love the fact that these have come back and that FTC is supposedly doing many more DC characters. Now my question. I know inflation is a b*tch but you have to wonder how we went from $3 retail in 1983 to an identical figure for $30.00 retail today. Is that not beyond rate of inflation? I mean, a comic book was 60 cents in 1983 so at that rate a comic book would now cost $6.00. Am I missing something...?

[Iron Mego]

Licensing fees are much more now than they were 30 or 40 years ago. It is how DC makes it money.

[sprytel]

First let me say that I love the fact that these have come back and that FTC is supposedly doing many more DC characters. Now my question. I know inflation is a b*tch but you have to wonder how we went from $3 retail in 1983 to an identical figure for $30.00 retail today. Is that not beyond rate of inflation? I mean, a comic book was 60 cents in 1983 so at that rate a comic book would now cost $6.00. Am I missing something...?

In previous discussion, the top explanations given are:

1. The cost of the license from DC has increased well beyond the rate of inflation.
2. Old Mego figures were produced in much larger quantities, which kept prices down.
3. The FTC guys are greedy capitalists preying on nostalgic toy collectors.

Pick from that list whichever explanation(s) you'd like.

[Wasimhosen]

First let me say that I love the fact that these have come back and that FTC is supposedly doing many more DC characters. Now my question. I know inflation is a b*tch but you have to wonder how we went from $3 retail in 1983 to an identical figure for $30.00 retail today. Is that not beyond rate of inflation? I mean, a comic book was 60 cents in 1983 so at that rate a comic book would now cost $6.00. Am I missing something...?

Mego was mass producing these things so much that they were still on shelves years after they went out of business. The new run is more of a vanity line. Mattel tried and due to various reasons, distribution being the main one in my opinion, failed and they probably produced many more than Figures will. Cost of tooling and dealing with a probably Chinese factory willing to produce small numbers makes the cost for us much higher. I'm willing to give them another chance and I've preordered wave 2 and the Titans. I think they're small enough that every order counts and to continue to get these figures we need to support them. We weren't a big enough community to affect Mattel but we can Figures. The line will live or die by our patronage.
/gets off soapbox

[Astronut]

You guys make a lot of sense, thanks for the replies. I LOL'd at #3 Sprytel. And yeah, FTC will live or die depending on nostalgic collectors like us. So I recently ordered a Mad Monster Series set, Batman Series 1 set, and KISS Series 1 & 2 sets just to get started. I have some original Megos and some of the Mattel Retro-Action figures but I really want to acquire as many carded Mego-like figures as I can. The nostalgia factor is astronomical with these things. Love 'em.

[Astronut]

Cost of tooling and dealing with a probably Chinese factory willing to produce small numbers makes the cost for us much higher.

What do you think FTC's production runs are, generally speaking...? Have they ever stated? Like, the Batman Series 1 assortment... I would think they would have at least produced 5,000 of each figure, no?

[Wasimhosen]

What do you think FTC's production runs are, generally speaking...? Have they ever stated? Like, the Batman Series 1 assortment... I would think they would have at least produced 5,000 of each figure, no?

Looks like a full truck to me. No idea how many. Certainly not as many as the Retro-Action.

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