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

[MIB41]

I think what really excites me about this is a whole new generation can experience first hand what many of us got to witness when we were kids. I mean, my grandson (MY GRANDSON) will now have memories of these brand new just like I did when I was a little kid. That's really amazing if you give it a few moments consideration. For us old-timers, we're getting to relive our past by having that shelf experience again. And as collectors, this can fulfill all those needs whether it's filling in holes in collections or (like me) just enjoying getting them all new again. It's a glorious time to be young at heart. I couldn't be happier with what we are seeing.

[invisiblelad]

^ EXACTLY MIB....U HIT THE PROVERBIAL NAIL on the MEGOHEAD!

That's why I DEMAND even better bodies from FTC & other than BATGIRL, waves 2+3+TT-w1 have been SO MUCH BETTER! I buy doubles, 1 each MIB & 1 each for PLAY/DisPLAY w/ my x2 nephews & they love them! My daughter is too old now (I recreated my mego time w/ Famous Covers w/ Her as I had her in HS so she never saw re-mego figs as a little girl), but my nephews love playing on the floor w/ them with me. I am a little bit more watchful & paranoid w/ them playing w/ these FTC WGSH then when they play w/ my almost indestructible JLU or sturdy MOTUC He-Man figures tho! I'm always reminding my 1 very smart little nephew (he's on the Spectrum) not to keep taking off BM & Batgirl's "Ovenmitts" because they might rip, Robin has tough ovenmitts tho & he can take them off him (& no sleeves make putting them back on easy)! I teach my nephew the whole time we are playing & thru imaginative play w/ action figures, he has the vocabulary of someone @ least twice his 9 year old age. This was a kid they though might be almost non-Verbal BTW! & like his Uncle LaLa (all 4 of my nieces & nephews call me that since they were babies)....HE NEVER SHUTS UP! Now "playing Megos is 1 of his favorites! He likes when Riddler (working w/ Joker, Catwoman and The Pudgy Perveyor of Perfidy The Penguin) uses his Riddler utility belt compartment w/ Riddler sneezing powder & Robin sneezes so hard his ovenmitts fly off across the couch! He laughs & laughs & we have to d)o it over & over &...... = GOOD + MAGICAL Times! Thanks FTC!

[figureaddicted]

I use the term "retro" for most all other Mego-esque lines out there. But i dont think it applies to FTCs line. Its less a retro line to me than it is a full on rebirth. For all of the reasons the above two posts mention. And as long as we continue to support it, there will be so much more to come. Its figure heaven nowadays.

[ThePlayerOnTheOtherSide]

Eventually many people will view the FTC line as superior to the original Megos once we start getting several of the characters that Mego SHOULD have made but never did. At that point it will be much easier to appreciate each line on its own.

[RobTMego]

Great thread, Love my vintage mego and love all my remego. just happy that we have this group and companies are making new I never had!!!

[scott metzger]

For me, the FTC figures are a chance to re-collect the "original" versions of the figures. I have none in their original state because customizing was an integral part of my Megos from early on. It's not just the figures Mego didn't make; once I realized I could make a Batman with a long cape and ears, even the existing figures got changed. I regret these days not holding onto a lot of the unused parts, and thus these re-dos of the originals give me a shot at getting nice, mint versions of the figures as I originally unpackaged them.

All that frames my response to the subject at hand: nothing can ever make the originals less appealing to me because they are still the best custom fodder of anything that has been produced. The new figures don't have quite the same potential (assembly differences, mostly). but give me the chance to go back and have what might have been back in the day if I hadn't had the compulsion to mess around with all the costumes even as a kid. So I have a nice best of both worlds situation where I love 'em both...

[madmarva]

To me the FTC repros are acceptable substitutes for the originals, but all things being equal, give me vintage.

Don't get me wrong, I'm excited about the repros. Have have a great nephew and niece and a couple of children of friends who are going to have a ball this Christmas with several of the repros.

But I'm more excited about the new figures. I just hope FTC gets a handle on the head-sized issue that marred it's otherwise excellent Alfred figure before Wave 4 of Batman and other new figures are made. While the 66 Batman figures are not as off as the Alfred figure, those heads are a bit large, too.

[Blue Meanie]

Anyone else feel the same? I just don't feel the excitement anymore about scouring eBay auctions for months and winning 5 lots to piece together a nice loose figure when I can get a near perfect replica MOC for $25.

Sounds to me like you may not be in the hobby that long. I hope I am wrong with that statement. What I've seen with vintage collectors that have been around and still enjoy the hobby is that the majority of them BUILT there collections piece by piece. It's what keeps the collecting hobby still exciting for me and for others I've met through the years. Took me 5 years to finish the WGSH portion of Mego figures. I enjoyed the quest then and still do to this day.

I understand why some collectors feel the opposite but I think it will be interesting to see how prices for complete loose Megos track on eBay over the next 6-12 months.

If you are thinking this then why don't you wait and see where the pricing goes and swoop in and buy all the figures that have dropped in price instead of buying sub-standard reproductions of the figures? CTVT has brought back DC repros of Megos...but they are in no way near the quality of original Mego figures. A direct copy of anything will never be quite as good as the original. I've seen what the Wondergirl looks like and that should be proof enough that the original will never be equaled by a copy.

I'm not going to say that the money doesn't mean anything when it comes to collecting...but it shouldn't be what drives your collecting. Collect something because you like it...not because it's worth X and Y.

[jayraytee]

CTVT has brought back DC repros of Megos...but they are in no way near the quality of original Mego figures.

I would agree that the old CTVT stuff was of poorer quality than original megos, but the new FTC stuff is equal to or superior in quality compared to original megos. And yes I have owned both, starting with action jackson in 1974.

[PNGwynne]

... but the new FTC stuff is equal to or superior in quality compared to original megos. And yes I have owned both, starting with action jackson in 1974.

I think FTC has done a fine job, but I wouldn't concede their superiority or equality to vintage at all. And no, that doesn't mean I think vintage Mego is "perfect" or inviolate.

[ThePlayerOnTheOtherSide]

Sounds to me like you may not be in the hobby that long. I hope I am wrong with that statement. What I've seen with vintage collectors that have been around and still enjoy the hobby is that the majority of them BUILT there collections piece by piece. It's what keeps the collecting hobby still exciting for me and for others I've met through the years. Took me 5 years to finish the WGSH portion of Mego figures. I enjoyed the quest then and still do to this day.



If you are thinking this then why don't you wait and see where the pricing goes and swoop in and buy all the figures that have dropped in price instead of buying sub-standard reproductions of the figures? CTVT has brought back DC repros of Megos...but they are in no way near the quality of original Mego figures. A direct copy of anything will never be quite as good as the original. I've seen what the Wondergirl looks like and that should be proof enough that the original will never be equaled by a copy.

I'm not going to say that the money doesn't mean anything when it comes to collecting...but it shouldn't be what drives your collecting. Collect something because you like it...not because it's worth X and Y.

Disagree on the FTC figures being 'sub-standard' compared to original Megos. While the bodies in the first 2 Batman waves were definitely too tight, Wave 3 was much better. And besides some bagginess on some figures, the quality of the suits and clothing for the FTC is at least on par with the original Megos, if not better. For reference, I defy you to find an original Mego Joker whose suit and coat is more gorgeous than the one that came from FTC for $25.

Personal preference obviously plays into it, but for me the 'thrill of the hunt' was a big part of why I enjoyed collecting Megos. It took me about 15 years of going to toy shows and scouring eBay auctions and buying a lot of 5 Mego figures just cause I needed that one Robin glove and that Green Arrow hat.

The hunt was fun but I've been on that hunt before. Time for something new, and for me the FTC figures are as close as you can get to the originals, and in some cases, even better.

[invisiblelad]

I have to say I am LOVING the ability to afford these FTC mego-like WGSH!!!! I could not afford getting Minty-Mint mego WGSH figs w/out selling my whole HUGELY disgusting OCD driven Toy collection! I have LITERALLY DREAMED for decades about the Time machine or Spell that would allow me to go back to 1970s Toy stores w/ tons of 70s change to buy every Mego WGSH, TREK, & APEs (+vehichles & playsets) I can find! Now I don't NEED to do that fortunately!

*BUT, that being said; NOT 1 SINGLE FTC Mego-like WGH fig has come close to being equal to or better than a vintage Mego figure; if it were opened Mint! I look at the picture posted by MIB41 in the Teen Titans thread w/ the comparison pic of Mego & FTC TT Kid Flash & FTC's gloves look better (but they're New), but otherwise the Mego Kid Flash Wins hands down in every other way! Same goes for Wondergirl & Aqualad for sure! I love the color match & silkscreened emblems better on FTC BATMAN & ROBIN, but costume fit, head sculpts, paint apps, body durability & pose-ability, hair quality & style-ability, & the consistency and reliability of quality from figure to figure ALL go to MEGO corp FTW!!! < IMHO!

But again: FTC is working w/ modern materials, safety standards & regulations; probably limiting how close they can get to original Megos! FTC has been GREAT at addressing my wave 1 body catastrophe, & IMHO they are learning as they progress & listening to fans/customers as well! This is my DREAM COME TRUE of getting GREAT MEGO-LIKE WGSH that are almost as good.

But I will only ever compare the characters Mego made to the FTC versions. So far Mego is preferable in every way but Batman & Robins emblems! But as I can't find or afford mint new Megos, *FTC is making me ECSTATIC with their WGH line! !!!! FTC's New character s heads (Alfred for sure & protos of Rash Al Ghul & Com. Gordon) SIZES & compatibility to existing Mego figures has me unsure about collecting them all for years! I hope they shrink them HEADS! ---

Very GRATEFUL for these FTC Mego WGSH reproductions & will buy doubles of all the re-dos & hopefully all New characters! IMHO Mego vintage is better in almost all ways......SO FAR! I'm open-minded & eagerly awaiting each new FTC wave/figure & will FAIRLY judge them all on their merits! Maybe future figures will equal or exceed their Mego-like counterparts....Time will tell!

*FTC---KEEP em coming PLEASE! - invisiblelad

[rykerw1701]

I have all of the original superhero Megos except two of the Teen Titans in near mint shape, mostly built piece by piece, trade by trade, along with all the original Trek, Apes, Monsters and all four original Knights MIB. Took a long time and a lot of money. So I admit when all this started happening, I was a bit taken aback. But really, vintage is vintage, and there's so many choices for some great stuff now to further a hobby that basically I had stopped doing because I had everything I wanted. There's no putting the genie back in the bottle, so embrace it and get some wishes in. I didn't assemble my vintage collection for investment purposes anyway, so more power to Remego.

[jayraytee]

Disagree on the FTC figures being 'sub-standard' compared to original Megos. While the bodies in the first 2 Batman waves were definitely too tight, Wave 3 was much better. And besides some bagginess on some figures, the quality of the suits and clothing for the FTC is at least on par with the original Megos, if not better. For reference, I defy you to find an original Mego Joker whose suit and coat is more gorgeous than the one that came from FTC for $25.

Agree. Mego was the orginator and owning a mint original is still something special just because it is an original and in mint shape. But the FTC figures are materially equal to or better in many cases to original Megos, that doesn't mean that to someone who has grown to love an original and every nuance of it's appearance is going to see a change in appearance as better. But the quality of materials and the scuplts on the FTC figures are equal to or better than original Megos in my opinion. Its like those people that love the original unaltered edit of Star Wars flaws and all over a cleaned up version.

[MIB41]

Agree. Mego was the orginator and owning a mint original is still something special just because it is an original and in mint shape. But the FTC figures are materially equal to or better in many cases to original Megos, that doesn't mean that to someone who has grown to love an original and every nuance of it's appearance is going to see a change in appearance as better. But the quality of materials and the scuplts on the FTC figures are equal to or better than original Megos in my opinion. Its like those people that love the original unaltered edit of Star Wars flaws and all over a cleaned up version.

Count me as one who agrees as well. And I was one of those old farts who was there from the beginning. Hell, I knew what life was like before Mego's came on the market, so I can really speak from a very personal perspective as to why Megos were so revolutionary to my generation. It's not an accident. Megos gave our generation a means to really play out our imaginations. GI Joes, Captain Action...eh. All good and fine but very tall and clunky for a child. Megos really reinvented playtime and skewed it more to the theme I wanted. So with all of that under the bridge, I will always appreciate the value of those original Megos and the countless figures I still retain from my childhood and those bought second hand.

But I've spent over 20 years chasing after and completing collections to fill that demand in nostalgia. Hunting for a toy today is ALLOT different from what it was back in the 90's or even 10, 12 years ago when the normal outlets of flea markets and yard sales unearthed countless treasures that no one but you held a value to. Much of that is gone with few exceptions. Dealers in flea markets run the tables before the doors open and take the best deals. And the average person has likely watched enough reality shows on collecting to be more aware (if not necessarily savvy) on pricing old toys from their attic. So finding things these days comes from allot of online techniques. But for me, when I consider how much I've amassed and how different the world of obtaining it is today, I've either reached my goals or have grown tired of looking for other items in a playing field that has gotten allot more crowded. FTC has cured those issues for me.

All that being said, getting brand new figures that are molded from those old products is like a breath of fresh air after suffering through nearly 15 years of miscues by other companies. These ARE those old Mego figures. Now of course the manufacturing materials may vary. Of course there will be subtle differences. But this is manufacturing 2014, not a factory out of 1973. I think they've made some great improvements too. The oven mitt gloves are so much better than what Mego did. The vinyl capes are far superior to Mego. The emblems register so much better and the colors are more vibrant. Hell, my favorite Mego of all time is the RC Batman. I have five of the originals. But I have no desire to look at those right now because this new one is just beautiful. They changed the materials in the cowl so it seats better on his head, but its that same cowl. Plus I can leave the cowl on because the face won't be stained anymore. The cape is gorgeous and FINALLY has a correct color register with the cowl. Plus there's no fraying or fatigue on the cape. Much more pleasing to the eye, IMO.

I could go on and on about the other figures too, but at the end of the day, I guess it's all subjective. But for me, it's a great fix. These are molds from those originals and from my perspective, they're just putting better materials into the process of making them again. In my eyes, it absolutely IS those figures. I love the artwork on the backer cards too. Big improvement there as well. So from my perspective, you'll never get them any finer than this. And for $25.00 a pop, I'm all in.