FTC teases Harry Potter

[huedell]

I didn't "imply" anything, I was pointing out that Batman 66 like Potter has appeal outside Mego fans. Just like Universal Monsters and Trek. You were the one implying what I said. I said what I said, no need for you to try and read between lines or put words in my mouth.

You're right T-bolt---because I went back and checked your original post---and you put the words in your mouth yourself---
you didn't leave it at "appeal"---you said it was "doing well" outside the old nerds---

The Batman 66 stuff has that fanbase to tap into and that line is doing well outside regular collectors like us.

geez, you'd think you'd pick your battles more

[madmarva]

With me it will depend on the head sculpts.

Do you want the sculpts to be based off the actors or descriptions from the book?

I'd be good with either, but it would be more difficult to nail the actors, although the Batman 66 line has been very good.

[Wise4671]

With me it will depend on the head sculpts.

[TRDouble]

The movie franchise started to go down when David Yates took over as director starting at The Order of the Phoenix, and got terrible by the end as they veered off from the books way too much.

But I still have interest in this line; just not sure how much yet.

I loved the UK\European HP 3-3/4" line and got as many of those as possible. If FTC can pull this line off and give us a good amount of characters (I want to see how they approach Hagrid!), this could be a really fun line.

[PNGwynne]

This is nothing to sneeze at IMO--just as important a license for FTC as Star Trek or POTA was for Mego.

[EMCE Hammer]

And I have made half a dozen custom vehicles over the years from the Weasley car. I just dug one out a few days ago so I'd have it ready. I guess now it's safe to say that I've seen some of the sculpts. At least one blew me away.

I watched all the movies with my daughter, who will be 21 soon. I've now started working my way through them again with my elementary age sons. Kids are still dressing as Harry Potter for Halloween around here, and merchandising is still going strong worldwide. The amount of money flowing at the theme parks is pretty amazing IMO. It's not Star Wars, but it's nothing to sneeze at.

[thunderbolt]

^^^ Funny, I am right now using a Hermoine from Mattel as a base for a custom figure.

[samurainoir]

You guys keep talking about children. The first Harry Potter book was published in 1997. There are *plenty* of Harry Potter fans in their 20s and 30s.

Plus, there are a lot of female Harry Potter fans... who are probably more comfortable with the doll-like qualities of Mego figures.

Potter is a hugely popular franchise that is currently under-served in toy merchandizing. I frankly find the idea ridiculous that the only people who would ever buy a 1:9 action figure are old men who grew up playing with Megos.

Well said. I'm still astonished at how popular Quidditch is on University and College campuses. The cross-gender appeal is also something huge that folks should take into account. Harry Potter is Star Wars and Grease rolled into one for this generation of Millennials.

If FTC can somehow get their figures into the Harry Potter Universal Theme parks around the world, I think that alone would justify the license.

and here's something that most folks are forgetting... The first generation Harry Potter dolls were very Mego-like.

[thunderbolt]

Oh? So you weren't implying that that means the line was selling well because of that? Or were you indeed implying that, and nitpicking my paraphrasing?

I didn't "imply" anything, I was pointing out that Batman 66 like Potter has appeal outside Mego fans. Just like Universal Monsters and Trek. You were the one implying what I said. I said what I said, no need for you to try and read between lines or put words in my mouth.

[sprytel]

You guys keep talking about children. The first Harry Potter book was published in 1997. There are *plenty* of Harry Potter fans in their 20s and 30s.

Plus, there are a lot of female Harry Potter fans... who are probably more comfortable with the doll-like qualities of Mego figures.

Potter is a hugely popular franchise that is currently under-served in toy merchandizing. I frankly find the idea ridiculous that the only people who would ever buy a 1:9 action figure are old men who grew up playing with Megos.

[huedell]

They are both major licenses, slightly outside of thier "best by" date, but with standing fan bases.
Both are permanent parts of pop-culture.
They are both "evergreen" licenses, that appeal to multiple age ranges.

Do I think it's a slam dunk? No. Not at all.

But I also think this license in particular seems to be pointing out the "average" mego fans age based bias.

For good reason... pop culture... and the ones that buy the merch of it are different today... lots more possibilities, and some are just lukewarm ideas.

My belief is that FTC Potter is floating into that zone of "maybe we shouldn't go there". EMCEHammer up there^^^ mentioned the aspect of Potter doing fine as far as "selling" these days---yes, I suppose, but that wasn't what I was getting at, it was more the idea of clothed 8 inch type figures not being so appealing to enough of the Potter fanbase... mostly because they are defined by a YOUNGER generation who aren't as interested in the 8-inch clothed format as the older generations. Not every 6, 10 or 15 year old has a "Mego maniac" father who is gonna shove this stuff down their throats the way Mego Museum fathers would

[huedell]

They'll do fine with these. There is plenty going on in the world of Harry Potter and interest is still quite high. FTC is perfectly happy to sell online. They don't need a brick and mortar presence to be successful. I don't think the Batman 66 line is a reliable indicator of what HP will or won't do; may as well compare it to BBP Doctor Who or SMDM as well.

I disagree with that "lumping" as Dr. Who, SMDM and Batman '66 are all "adult/old nerd based" while Potter is the "one that doesn't belong" of the four. That's not to say my theories are dead on, but that's my rationalization nevertheless.

[huedell]

you need to go back and look at my post, that is not what I said. I said Batman 66 has a fanbase outside of Megomuseum.

Oh? So you weren't implying that that means the line was selling well because of that? Or were you indeed implying that, and nitpicking my paraphrasing?

[thunderbolt]

But the sad truth is that's probably the only people who will possibly buy it. T-Bolt said the Batman '66 figures are doing well outside of us old Mego nerds? HOW well? Are the figures even viable for Toys R Us or such? I think there's a bit of wishful thinking going on here, if the scenario is what I believe it to be...i.e. Potter 8-inch clothed figures in today's marketplace where FTC can't even break into mainstream/non-nerd toy distribution.

you need to go back and look at my post, that is not what I said. I said Batman 66 has a fanbase outside of Megomuseum.

[EMCE Hammer]

But the sad truth is that's probably the only people who will possibly buy it. T-Bolt said the Batman '66 figures are doing well outside of us old Mego nerds? HOW well? Are the figures even viable for Toys R Us or such? I think there's a bit of wishful thinking going on here, if the scenario is what I believe it to be...i.e. Potter 8-inch clothed figures in today's marketplace where FTC can't even break into mainstream/non-nerd toy distribution.

They'll do fine with these. There is plenty going on in the world of Harry Potter and interest is still quite high. FTC is perfectly happy to sell online. They don't need a brick and mortar presence to be successful. I don't think the Batman 66 line is a reliable indicator of what HP will or won't do; may as well compare it to BBP Doctor Who or SMDM as well.