Action figure economics

[David Lee]

Don't believe a word of it folks. Here's photograph to show how the esteemed Mr Lee rolled into Mego Meet this summer....

http://www.gtfo.ro/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/056.jpg

His dental work alone is worth more than most of our mortgages.

Playa's ROLLIN' in dat MAD Phantom cash 'yo!

killin me Ed
...and just when I had everyone convinced I wasn't Asian

-Dave

[mego73]

What confuses me:

These - $6.99

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_c_MaBzzRV2A/Squ3wmTx4XI/AAAAAAAACvc/JatU0imv1NE/s1600/actionleaguepackage1.jpg

These - free w/a $2.00 meal of lard & chemicals

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_2kjisMm3M9...brave-bold.jpg

First one, all molded with no cloth clothing and overall smaller

second one happy meal toys are often joint promotions between whatever property and the fast food joint. They are made to promote the property and food. So often, the price of the items is beside the point because they are promoting a movie/tv show and going to the fast food joint.

[EMCE Hammer]

What confuses me:

These - $6.99



These - free w/a $2.00 meal of lard & chemicals

[Wee67]

Thanks to all of you who actually deal with the math involved in these types of things. Its provided great insight. I'm amazed at how when some people see these figures/acts, they still insist the price should be halved. Personally, I wish the price was closer to $15. It would be easier to convince myself to get all the new figures rather than the ones I really love.

Now, whether or not you are willing to pay that price...

[samurainoir]

I would never play the "whoa as me", but I know it's a labor of love more often than Champagne and Caviar

Don't believe a word of it folks. Here's photograph to show how the esteemed Mr Lee rolled into Mego Meet this summer....



His dental work alone is worth more than most of our mortgages.

Playa's ROLLIN' in dat MAD Phantom cash 'yo!

[David Lee]

I would never play the "whoa as me", but I know it's a labor of love more often than Champagne and Caviar

Though I can't help reflect... Remember just a five or six years ago when we paid $10 for a DM body and we were darn proud to have it? When China made repros cost $5 each... You were not even coming close to a full figure for $20! I think a little perspective is in order here... I'll be the first to say I wish everything was cheaper... but as a person who know what it really costs? It's a good deal...

-Dave

[Werewolf]

I might add that while I do not expect a consumer advocate-like response from toy company representatives or those who stand to profit from them

I'm not a toy company representative and I certainly in no way profit from them. I don't even collect them. It's just very unrealistic to think these should/could sell at $12.99 or less.

[Astronut]

And please stop with the "outrageous costs" BS because if that's the case then these figures should sell for $9.99 after a couple of years. Why? Well hey, the big cost of tooling for body parts (the main piece of plastic we're all talking about) will have long been absorbed by then, right? But they won't sell for that amount ever, because greed is the driving force. These things could cost $3 to get to the truck and Mattel would STILL sell them for $20.

I might add that while I do not expect a consumer advocate-like response from toy company representatives or those who stand to profit from them... I *DO* hope that conversely, toy reps do not expect consumers to believe in the "whoa is me, we barely make any profit" P.R. hype either. ESPECIALLY if you are a company the size of Mattel.

[Astronut]

The CEO's get paid according to what they contract for and their reputation in making sure the company can turn a profit for shareholders.

Companies pay CEO's for what they hope for is expertise to bring in more profit, they don't pay them because they have a whole bunch of surplus cash lying around.

It's sort of like you paying for an expensive financial planner because he/she has been known to get real results in growing your income.

Very true. I think most of us can understand the concept overall. What is not easy to understand is the general logic of pricing an item so high at TOYS R US (keep that in mind, it's not Jerry's Comic Shack, it is a major retailer) that while collectors soak it up, the regular TRU consumer avoids it like the plague. Great recipe for drying up a well and limiting your market. This could have been a full-blown resurgence of Mego-like superhero lines and even Mego-like spin-offs down the road. Mego style figures everywhere! At regular retail! Too bad that's not likely, I would have LOVED to have seen it happen. Very shortsighted. Enjoy it while it lasts, everyone!

[Doc]

Retro action figures

material - .5 cents
factory worker pay for 1 figure - .1/2 cent
shipping to USA (each figure) - .2 cents
packaging design - .2 cents

The rest is profit

Sad but probably true...Particularly the material and what they pay the workers in China

[Astronut]

Wait a minute. 39,000+ posts?! HOLEE -

[Mikey]

Retro action figures

material - .5 cents
factory worker pay for 1 figure - .1/2 cent
shipping to USA (each figure) - .2 cents
packaging design - .2 cents

The rest is profit

[mego73]

I have heard the same argument over and over again about the price of oil has went up and the plastic is higher blah blah. So is the CEO's pay scale. You do not think that there is a large sum of money being made here from Mattel? When a company can afford to pay someone $12 million a year? I am not jealous of this fact at all I am saying that I think a lot of people here tend to kind of over look that "little" known fact.

The CEO's get paid according to what they contract for and their reputation in making sure the company can turn a profit for shareholders.

Companies pay CEO's for what they hope for is expertise to bring in more profit, they don't pay them because they have a whole bunch of surplus cash lying around.

It's sort of like you paying for an expensive financial planner because he/she has been known to get real results in growing your income.

[palitoy]

I'm personally not bothered by the $20 MOTUC price tag. They are only slightly more than Mattel's DC universe and pretty much on par with other collector lines like the DC direct stuff. The nerd rage on the MOTUC stuff is generally aimed at the character styles and white sceen of death problems with the Matty Collector website.

The website is pretty bad, I mean, everything I order usually lingers for a week or more but I can see people going mental with stuff that sells out in a morning.

[Werewolf]

I think the bigger rip off is MOTU, which Mattel shares no fees with and sells directly. They're $20 and are a guaranteed sale, I wonder if people are raging against that machine as much? They probably are.

I'm personally not bothered by the $20 MOTUC price tag. They are only slightly more than Mattel's DC universe and pretty much on par with other collector lines like the DC direct stuff. The nerd rage on the MOTUC stuff is generally aimed at the character styles and white sceen of death problems with the Matty Collector website.