WGSH Versus DC Retro-Action: Rate of Inflation

[Sandman9580]

Is $20 too high? Yeah, I think $17.99 would be better but every Mattel DC comics line is about $2-$3 too expensive IMO. I think it says a lot about the high cost of licensing these days.

That, and the progressively higher cost of executive compensation.

[Werewolf]

I was ahead of the curve in voicing my concerns on this line and was semi-ostracized for my OPINION.

No one is ostracized for an opinion.

People have been called out for being rude or wording their opinions very poorly. Like saying things like the people that made the dolls should kill themselves or comparing a doll that they don't like to being raped. That kind of stuff is obviously totally out of out of line and show a lack of perspective to put it mildly.

You can look at the economics of production runs and licensing fees but what ultimately matters is what a toy is worth to you. Worth $20, Buy it. Not worth $20, don't. Because that is what they cost and are going to cost.

I personally think the $20 is a fair price for them considering the low production runs and what has to be a fairly high licensing fee. But I still don't buy them because I'm not that into superheroes. If I have $20 to spend and my choice is Retro Action Two Face or Monster High Cleo, I'm going to get Cleo.

[jwyblejr]

Something else we need to consider,Mattel pretty much had to do these from scratch. I would think that has to factor into the price somewhere. Mego more or less kit bashed the WGSH stuff,that might be why they were cheaper.

[boynightwing]

In Canada it costs 10 bucks to get Marvel and or Star Wars 3 3/4 figures so I don't think 20 is out of line.

[ODBJBG]

After the retail disaster that was the 2002 MOTU reboot, retailers wouldn't touch MOTU. Toy makers can't sell what stores refuse to order.

This isn't true at all. MOTUC is in TRU right now loaded down with crummy DCUC repacks that nobody wants. Mattel deliberately chose to keep MOTUC out of retail, because it was too big of a risk for them. Not because Retailers wouldn't bite. Mattel just didn't want to put up the dough that they would have to front for a retail line. It would have meant that Mattel would have had to have several waves ready to be tooled.

Mattel knows that internally, they aren't capable of proper distribution to make a line like MOTUC work. They knew that after they failed so hard with 200X. Retailers didn't object to MOTUC and actually, Mattel has even said that. They chose MOTUC for MattyCollector as opposed to going retail, not the reverse.

As we're seeing with several lines that "must be online exclusive" Mattel has no problem repainting these figures into less popular decos and selling them at TRU. Both MOTUC and Ghostbusters will be in TRU this year... With hinderances in terms of deco, but are still able to go retail. Mattel knows exactly what it's doing.

[livnxxxl]

That, and the progressively higher cost of executive compensation.

FINALLY some one else here besides me can see the point I have been making all this time.

[Werewolf]

This isn't true at all. MOTUC is in TRU right now loaded down with crummy DCUC repacks that nobody wants.

Mattel didn't choose to keep MOTU out of retail. Stores wouldn't take it. The Toys R Us 2 packs are a test to see if they can sell at retail again.

[ctc]

>Mego sold more than one million Action Jacksons in 1972, one could conjecture that Superman would fair even better.

It’s interesting that they sold so many AJs, considering he was kind of a blip on the toy radar. I don’t remember him being around all that long, and I remember him being cleared out pretty early on. ‘Course THAT’S interesting considering AJ himself was the progenitor for so much toy-ness. I guess he was a success (since a toy that lasted more than a year at the time was considered pretty good) but I’m betting he got overshadowed by later tie-in lines; like the apes, or super heroes.

The new retro toys are in a weird spot: they’re not quite real toys for kids, not quite collectors items. (Toys would be cheaper and more stripped down, like molded outfits and fewer joints; collectibles would probably go the hyper-detail route, since they wouldn’t be intended for a lot of manhandling.) The PRIMARY audience seems to be older collector types.... but older, collector types interested in toys for the kids. It’s like Mattel wants to see what wins out.

$20 is a weird price point: it’s a NOTICEABLE amount, precluding impulse buys; but it’s low enough that someone wouldn’t mind shelling it out every month or so. I could see it going either way, depending on who Mattel decides the audience is: coming down as runs increase if they’re considered toys; going up as detail and tooling is increased if they’re considered collectibles.

Don C.

[EMCEtoys]

Unfortunately you picked two bad examples of items that are far overpriced or a volatile commodity.
It wasn't that long ago that gas dropped down to almost a buck a gallon so where would that fit in your example?
Comics are vastly overpriced for their value.

If you use the CPI Inflation calculator:
1974 comic book 25 cents
2010 dollars: $1.11
and that's about what they are worth.
1974 gallon of gas 53 cents
2010 dollars: $2.35 and gas is $2.60 around me not $3.50
1974 Mego figure. you say $3, I've seen sales as low as 99 cents but we'll give you $3 although I expect most sold in the $2 range.
2010 $3 figure: $13.28


Rich

While I don't want to get pulled into the quicksand of a mathematical argument, I have to say that these calculations don't take into account the change in costs of the individual processes, equipment or materials that go into them.

but the statement about an overpriced commodity is a spot-on observation of an overall trend.

[Astronut]

Wow! Someone who's not afraid to use logic! Yeah, isn't that what the inflation calculator was created to do?

I have been saying for *years* comic books should be priced at around a buck. That industry priced itself right into the toilet. And they wonder why kids don't buy them. I think the current average for a new issue is $3.99 if I'm not mistaken. *** it's laughable. F/C magazines have held at around $5 for *years* --- theyre larger format and they have a ton of pages in them, hundreds. I worked in print publishing running F/C newsstand magazines and i know pulp is expensive. But $4 for a comic book?! Seriously, an item at retail has what is called perceived value, and if the pricepoint does not line up favorably with the perceived value then the item languishes on the shelf. It's that simple. Sadly it's what I fear is in store for the Retro-Action line.

Unfortunately you picked two bad examples of items that are far overpriced or a volatile commodity.
It wasn't that long ago that gas dropped down to almost a buck a gallon so where would that fit in your example?
Comics are vastly overpriced for their value.

If you use the CPI Inflation calculator:
1974 comic book 25 cents
2010 dollars: $1.11
and that's about what they are worth.
1974 gallon of gas 53 cents
2010 dollars: $2.35 and gas is $2.60 around me not $3.50
1974 Mego figure. you say $3, I've seen sales as low as 99 cents but we'll give you $3 although I expect most sold in the $2 range.
2010 $3 figure: $13.28


Rich

[jimsmegos]

I'm made some of these same points from time to time but looking back I realize that in so doing my statements were actually offensive to those who took the risks involved in doing these things. As a guy who knows all too well about creating your own "commodity" and working my *** off to turn a profit (even breaking even is a nice return sometimes) to those who blast the price you have two options...
1. Don't buy the good or service. -OR-
2. Shell out the cash yourself and in turn take your better priced item to market and dominate it with your lower prices.

Either way, best of luck.

The reformed price complainer,
Jim

[Zemo]

The price is not what's bad. It's the quality that will hurt the line. Obviously if they are not in any hurry to fix the basic problems, their target is not kids, of even parents that buy them out of nostalgia for their kids.

Really, your talking about a figure that can't hold a pose.

For me that's ok, cause I can fix it and love the costume and heads. But to the average Joe, he will be like ***!

[Zemo]

And there's no guarantee that all or any of the comments will actually make it into the next version of the body.

I mean this statement says it all. " we will string them along as long as we can"

So really if you don't like what the product is now, don't count on it changing, ever.

[Doc]

1974 Mego figure. you say $3, I've seen sales as low as 99 cents but we'll give you $3 although I expect most sold in the $2 range.
2010 $3 figure: $13.28


Rich

Thats about (actually he paid slighty less) what my buddy was paying to get the retro Trek and POTA. into his comic store. So yeah he was still making a profit at $15... So $20s yeah right

[Zemo]

This line will not make it past 4-5 waves at TRU. imo