WGSH Versus DC Retro-Action: Rate of Inflation

[CrimsonGhost]

Like I said, go look for yourself. Take a carded Mattel Retro-Action figure to the doll isles. Not even Barbie, just the other girl dolls. Just look at what is being charged and think about it for a while.

No. Give specific examples or let it go. If they are not licensed characters or they are reusing parts, they don't count.

[LonnieFisher]

Like I said, go look for yourself. Take a carded Mattel Retro-Action figure to the doll isles. Not even Barbie, just the other girl dolls. Just look at what is being charged and think about it for a while.

[CrimsonGhost]

If anybody wants to see what the doll market is charging for the figures produced today, go to the girls isle at the toy store and look at the price of the figures being sold. The Retro-Action figures are more expensive than most of the 12" girls figures. They are also more expensive than some taller figures, that all come with giant packages and many accessories, removable clothing, and rooted hair or removable wigs. It's amazing what little you get for your money with the Mattel 8" figures when the girls dolls are less expensive.

But how many girl figures are being produced versus how many retro figures? Are these girl figures of licensed characters? Do they have to tool all new molds for these girl figures or can they use the same molds that have been in use for years? There are a lot of factors being ignored here.

[samurainoir]

Just to make some of the apples seem a bit more like oranges...

How much were the DC Superheroine Barbies retailing for?

I highly doubt it was $12 unless at discount/clearance.

Barbie's aren't really my thing, but I wouldn't think that any of the licensed character Barbies go for the amount, whether it's Wizard of Oz, Star Trek, Grease, Cindy Lauper, etc.

[Astronut]

Lonnie, I agree. That was a good example. The perceived value of these is crazy IMO. $12 would be very fair. $15 TOPS!

[JDeRouen]

The solution? If you think they're over priced, don't buy them. End of story.

[LonnieFisher]

If anybody wants to see what the doll market is charging for the figures produced today, go to the girls isle at the toy store and look at the price of the figures being sold. The Retro-Action figures are more expensive than most of the 12" girls figures. They are also more expensive than some taller figures, that all come with giant packages and many accessories, removable clothing, and rooted hair or removable wigs. It's amazing what little you get for your money with the Mattel 8" figures when the girls dolls are less expensive.

[MIB41]

...and at $25 people are actually applauding the Buck Rogers guys. Why? Because the quality is there and you feel like you’re getting a quality product.

Their $30.00 and that's before shipping. Funny thing. The 12 inch Captain Action figures will be a penny less when they go on sale next fall. The value people place on a descent head sculpt.

[Corellian Corvette]

I get the point that purely mathematically, Mego's should cost ~ $10. They were only a little more expensive then SW figures at the time, which I think has increased in price more linearly and are landing today about $7 on average.

And of course, those that have pointed out that Mego’s were the SW figures of their day, are correct in the assumption there was an economy of scale at work that isn’t at work today.

NOW – the point I most agree with is the fact that the real issue here is the value of the item (feel like you’re getting what you’re paying for).

Nobody was really complaining about the Trek prices, nobody is really complaining about the BBF/EMCE toys, and at $25 people are actually applauding the Buck Rogers guys. Why? Because the quality is there and you feel like you’re getting a quality product.

With the Mattel Retro guys – like others I am done until the bodies are fixed. I’ve purchased 2 of every figure, and supported Castaway with bodies and boots to replace my loose examples. Every time I do a body swap, I get ****ed because the figures look SO much better on Castaway bodies that fill out the suits and can actually stand, with correct fitting boots.

I would happily pay $25 for a Mattel figure that came on a body of the quality of Castaway, Zica, or EMCE’s new swivel-bicep, and included accessories that weren’t clown-sized and suits that didn’t pill and run, with emblems that didn’t crack. But since all of those things are not getting fixed, then these aren’t even worth me buying. Maybe I’ll pick them up on clearance.

[EMCEtoys]

I think it's safe to assume that when Mego first manufactured and brought WGSH to market in the early 70's, its production run was not 10 times the amount of Mattel's.

When a company first manufactures an item, a new item, it obviously cannot make the big margins on the item until later runs. After a year or two and seven ba-jillion of the items have rolled off the line, the cogs go down. THAT'S when the company makes up for the initial slim or zero margin. That's how I understand it.

I'm afraid you're wrong here, on a colossal scale. It's mentioned in several places, particularly the Tomart series on the line that, at their peak, Mego was cranking out about half a million Batmans alone every year for several years.

[Doc]

I just think its a stupid waste everyone buying $20 figures that they need to fix right out of the package.....

[renegade]

Ouch....I feel like Clark on Smallville when Jor-el tears him a new one LOL...Ok let's try this Logic...I aint broke and can afford 20.00 a figure.

[Doc]

Everything costs more when you piece it out. Try building a car from all the individual parts. It would probably cost you $100,000. Poor comparison and I shake my head every time someone uses that logic for their defense.
Not only that but you have perpetuated the fleecing by purchasing a knowingly defective unit. At least you could have waited and bought one that wasn't damaged and let the low quality stuff rot on the pegs.
Rich

Well put....

[renegade]

I posted this another thread and thought it might apply here as well....

I gave up on buying them in Nashville about a month ago. I went every Tuesday and Friday for about a month. Talked to employees that didn't even know what I was talking about. Ordered them online from Amazon, Then yesterday I go in just to see if they ever got them and they had at least a few cases on the pegs. I still needed the Superman because I originally wasn't going to buy any figure that Mego orginally made. I found 2 supermans, one had an S that was cracked and the other his nose was missing the tip (how Mego) LOL. I broke down and bought the cracked S superman. I know everyone is complaing about the price and I'd like to not pay that much either but let's break it down shall we...............7.00 Doc Mego Body, 15.00 Theresa/Brian suit, 8.00 Custom Head, 5.00 custom boots, 10.00 Toyroom/Mego 73 package. Thats 45.00 to KITBASH the figures if you could get the parts and had the skills to make them look right. Am I wrong on these projected numbers?

Oh and lets not forget the paints and tools and the individual shipping from each of these MM vendors. It's a hobby kids you gotta pay to play.

[mightyquinn]

Very well stated.