The FTC figures are making the vintage Megos less appealing to me

[ThePlayerOnTheOtherSide]

One thing I won't miss about vintage Megos is ebay prices. Also, ratty capes, missing oven mitts, holes in Spider-man's socks, repro decals, and paint scuffs on Green Goblin's hat. The vintage Mego hunt was never fun for me because I insist on mint-looking figures. I own precisely one all-original Mego now: The Wolfman. And even with that I found out that the boots it came with were from the wrong figure so I had to buy Mego replacements (luckily cheap because I got them out of an Action Jackson outfit set.) Everything else I own is knockoffs and repros, but I had a sentimental attachment to the Wolfman (and the original looks better than the CTVT version.)

I pray EMCE finds a way to at least give us Green Goblin and Hulk to go with Spider-Man, Iron Man and Cap; if they manage that I'll be happy. If I have to hunt down a vintage Green Goblin it'll be a royal pain in my backside.

That's exactly what I mean about hating buying loose figures off eBay. You really only have 3 options:

1 - Buy it loose and complete and mint, and overpay for it.

2 - Buy the figure incomplete, which means you have to buy multiple lots and pieces to assemble a mint, loose figure. You then have to turn around and resell the parts you don't need so once you figure in your time you probably end up spending about the same as overpaying for a loose, mint figure.

3 - Wait months or years till you can find a loose, mint figure that goes for less than market. This can be the most fun, but once you factor in the time you spend looking, you probably end up overpaying.


A minty, loose, all-original Batman would be what, $100 on eBay? For that I can get Batman Wave 3 MOC from FTC. It's just tough to justify all the hassle and run-around you need to put up with to complete loose, all-original figures.

[jimsmegos]

I am completely satisfied with the new ones. Love 'em in fact. There is just something magical (and maybe a little selfish) in the fact that when I get one of these it is MINE! No one else has played with it. I like that. Given the opportunity and if I had the extra cash I would like to have my favorites (Superman, Batman, Robin, Hulk and Spiderman) MOC from the '79 assortment.

[enyawd72]

I absolutely love the FTC figures and have zero interest in hunting down originals for all the reasons mentioned here. I also love the experience of opening a new toy, something you can't really get with vintage unless you find mint figures in ratty packaging, and even then some people think you're crazy for opening a vintage figure.

[The Bat]

Oh man, times have changed here at the Mego Museum. There was a time this subject when have caused a HEATED debate(Dan where are you?). The amount of Repro's flooding the market, devaluing the originals...not to mention all the repro parts being passed off on eBay as 'originals." yup, things definitely changed here. Maybe the old-timers have given up realizing with the amount of repro's being produced, that they just can't stop the flow of the tide.

That said...I LOVE the Repro's!! I'm filling in missing pieces of my collection that I never could have afforded before...I'm so happy! Bring Em' on!!

[Timothy2251]

To run with MIB41's post of the two Kid Flashes, the quality of repros nowadays is pretty freakin' close to the originals that to an untrained eye there's no difference. Add to that the fact that original Megos are clocking in at 40+ years, breaking down chemically (elastic bands breaking, heads zombifying, etc.), faded outfits, missing parts, etc. Buying minty new repros is almost a no-brainer for folks like me.

Also Mego prices on the secondary market (eBay, etc.) are way up there in some cases, with cable antiquing/hobby shows fueling such increases as folks try to cash in on stuff in their attics. Far better for skinflints like me to drop $20-$25 and get a repro that'll look better than some of the stuff I'd see on one of those shows.

Plus, we get the added benefit of new characters/figures coming from the same folks who made the repros! EMCE gave us Khan, Sulu, Chekov and a more accurate Gorn in their Star Trek line, and we're FINALLY getting a Wolverine, too. Mattel, for all their faults, gave us Black Manta, Two Face, LUTHOR(!) and the best darn Wonder Woman and Cheetah I've ever seen at Mego scale. FTC's become top dog with the Batman '66 line and the upcoming DC Universe (including faithful repros of our beloved DC Megos), including characters from Robert E. Howard (Conan, Kull) and Edgar Rice Burroughs (Tarzan, Jane, and it wouldn't surprise me to see John Carter, Warlord of Mars in the next few years). Even BBP gave us Dr. Who, Battlestar Galactica, Six Million Dollar Man and more modern fare with Lost and Big Bang Theory.

Everyone should be happy with how things are in the hobby (especially The Bat - Neal Adams-esque Batman from FTC? I am SO happy for you, lad!). There's something for everyone nowadays! Prefer the originals & love the thrill of the Mego hunt? Bless you - plenty of places to look, internet's got your back. But if you want to goof around with a R/C Batman with your kid, but you abhor opening that minty solid box you sacrificed a paycheck for, get a repro and watch your kid get the same thrill you got when you were his/her age!

No more of this originals vs. repro stuff, my brothers and sisters and transgendered kin! It's all good, we're all good! Let's get our stuff together and play! Dibs on Spider-Man!

[Gorn Captain]

I have most of the original Megos that I wanted, so the new ones don't really excite me that much.
I like the idea of hunting down a "finite" collection, knowing that there is an end to the hunt. At this time, I'm only looking for 4-5 original Megos, and that's it. The rest will be a bonus...

Btw, you can still find great deals here at the forum. I paid $90 for a mint and complete RC Batman (just a repro chest emblem) not too long ago. Thanks to the members here, I got affordable (mint and complete) figures like Iron Man, Batgirl, Thor and ST Mugato. This place has been good to me...

I do like what FTC is doing, they're giving us what we want, but the prices have stopped me from buying, for example, Batman 66. Locally, if you can find them at all, they're asking $50. Each.
With international shipping and customs, the price will likely be pretty steep as well.
If I could pick these up at like $20-25 at a store, I might get one or two...

[Vinny0026]

lot of great comments on this thread.

IMO - The great thing about collecting is you do it how you want to do it.

There are many people out there that is has to be all original and minty. I fully understand where they are coming from.
There are also people out there that are ok with nice clean figures with reproduction parts.

There are now people who will collect all ctv.

In my collection I already had most of the originals loose mint and complete with no repros
I have been grabbing some MOC as they come along - I have like 15 now.

I have most of the new ctv stuff, and also all the custom stuff I made and the ones I bought.

The thing I like about the remakes is: - it gives people a chance to own the figures they had at a price they can pay.
Had this company been around like 10-20 years ago I could have saved a ton of coin. and might have just went all remakes

But I'm glad it gives people a chance to own something they want to own.

So in short this is why I never compare one collection against another - its all what makes each person happy
There is no right or wrong way to go: Loose or in package, Carded or boxed, vintage or remakes - its all good

The remakes just bring people back to the hobby and brings back the mego love - so at 25 a pop it gives everyone a chance to own again and not have to raid their kids piggy banks.

people who will want all original will always want it.
as far as value goes I think the only value the remakes hurt is loose incomplete figures, or loose good figures.

why pay top dollar for an ok loose incomplete mego which you still need to part together, when you can get a minty remake for 25.

the flip side is - I think it raises the price on loose minty figures - cause if you want all original and minty now you got pay

end of the day its only worth what your willing to pay for it - so vintage or remake is all what your willing to spend.

But just glad to have mego back on the map - and look forward to figures that were never made.

[boss]

I don't think it's a coincidence that some major original mego collections are being offered up for sale. Which is fine with me, because I still prefer original megos.

[Vinny0026]

I don't think it's a coincidence that some major original mego collections are being offered up for sale. Which is fine with me, because I still prefer original megos.

I agree - if your selling now is the time. They are at an all time high - not sure if you will ever see/get these prices again.

[PNGwynne]

I love my vintage figures & wouldn't trade them for anything--there are subtle differences in design and fabrication from repros that make them unique and valuable to me. Nostalgia factors in, too. Die-hard vintage collectors will continue to appreciate those differences.

That said, I'm thrilled to collect affordable, displayable-playable versions of toys I love. And I'm looking forward to new characters.

I suspect the lack of "debate" here about repros is because the genie is out of the bottle--it's moot, and some vintage collectors might not want to get pulled into the FTC/Emce falderal.

I do know that there were similar concerns in the GI Joe 12" collecting community when repros were released: Vintage prices did go down somewhat but some aspects sprang back and many GIJ collectors seem to appreciate both.

Also, I do not collect for investment. A possible perspective for vintage fans is that repros make classic stock more available to them. Of course, the demand for playsets/vehicles might go up if not reproduced...

[Hedji]

The only thing that tips the advantage away from FTC is the bodysuits in my opinion. The FTC suits are baggier, and seem to be more poly, less cottony. If they could nail that, I'd be more for abandoning vintage in favor of repros.

[ThePlayerOnTheOtherSide]

The only thing that tips the advantage away from FTC is the bodysuits in my opinion. The FTC suits are baggier, and seem to be more poly, less cottony. If they could nail that, I'd be more for abandoning vintage in favor of repros.

The suits are definitely too baggy for many of the figures, although the fit on Wave 3 figures seemed to be much better.

But the quality of the fabric and suits is superior to the originals, IMO. Joker's suit in Wave 1 is absolutely stunning, it's my favorite suit so far.

[kingdom warrior]

I don't think it's a coincidence that some major original mego collections are being offered up for sale. Which is fine with me, because I still prefer original megos.

Ditto, I'm still all about the originals, the new stuff is fine, but I want the real toys from my childhood. I still would prefer just getting the heroes that Mego did not make.

[melkorjunior]

That's exactly what I mean about hating buying loose figures off eBay. You really only have 3 options:

1 - Buy it loose and complete and mint, and overpay for it.

2 - Buy the figure incomplete, which means you have to buy multiple lots and pieces to assemble a mint, loose figure. You then have to turn around and resell the parts you don't need so once you figure in your time you probably end up spending about the same as overpaying for a loose, mint figure.

3 - Wait months or years till you can find a loose, mint figure that goes for less than market. This can be the most fun, but once you factor in the time you spend looking, you probably end up overpaying.


A minty, loose, all-original Batman would be what, $100 on eBay? For that I can get Batman Wave 3 MOC from FTC. It's just tough to justify all the hassle and run-around you need to put up with to complete loose, all-original figures.

A minty loose ALL ORIGINAL Batman would cost a lot more than a hundred. Minty looking Batman figures go for a hundred easily with repro decals, capes and oven mitts. Not to mention the fact that there aren't a lot of minty Batman capes left out there unless you buy a carded figure, and then you're talking $250 or more at least. That's why I was overjoyed when FTC started with the Batman figures.

[tllgn]

I see these new retro figures as mego continued ,the orignals are near and dear to the heart -the best (which started it all),i collect all these new
retro megos cause i like them,and its fun ,when i was a kid i had to settle for one at a time,here and there ,Birthdays CHRISTMAS,now i can
collect them all ,sets with every release .Go for it Figures!!!.