Venture Brothers on CLEARANCE at TRU???

[LOU]

You are correct that most of the retro figures are geared toward the collector only. Certainly kids aren't interested in LOST. However, there aren't enough adult collectors to make it work based on collectors alone. So having said that, it's necessary to get the outsiders interested, and that is why having a mix of new and vintage licenses is important. Sure, kids aren't interested in LOST, but collectors probably wouldn't be interested in the Wiggles either. So this is why I feel the Superheroes bridge that gap and appeal to both. Perhaps Universal Monsters will too. I think Venture Brothers was a viable license because it could have brought in the Adult Swim crowd that watch Robot Chicken and VB.

Well this supports my statement that Mattel should focus only on the Super Hero license then. By using your logic, Super Heroes seems to be the only license that caters equally to adult collectors and kids. The trouble is what happens in the aisle at TRU with Mom and child; Mom certainly isn't going to point out a $20 action figure to her kid, it would be something the kid would have to pick up and beg Mommy for. That's not going to happen with any of these lines they've manufactured except Super Heroes, it's just not going to happen...not with Lost, not with Venture Brothers, and likely not with any future "contemporary" line they produce. This is obvious based on the clearanced out and cancelled lines. Why else would sales be so sluggish if this weren't true? No one wants them...quite obviously. I'd be a DIE-HARD buying these up but the choices they've made, even within the Super Hero line now, for characters leaves me cold. So I have to pass. I'd easily spend a couple hundred more dollars on 8-inch figures...if I liked them. Sadly I don't like the characters they chose to make and although that is merely my opinion; it's clearly obvious there's many out there that share my view...otherwise the figures would've sold better. They are beautiful action figures in general, but you have to like the character you're buying too.

No matter which way this debate is dissected, it is always reduced to the lowest common denominator; and that's the fact that they are currently marked down and/or discontinued to begin with. They obviously didn't sell well and at the end of the day that's essentially a failed line. We could debate all day the reasons why but I am convinced it's because they were very poor choices for a Retro line. Again, that's just one man's mere opinion however. Maybe someone has some inside info that the lines are marked down to make room for a new series of VB or Lost figures, I doubt it, but it's possible. My gut tells me, however, that the lines are probably cancelled and it's not really a big shock to me.

[CrimsonGhost]

Well this supports my statement that Mattel should focus only on the Super Hero license then. By using your logic, Super Heroes seems to be the only license that caters equally to adult collectors and kids. The trouble is what happens in the aisle at TRU with Mom and child; Mom certainly isn't going to point out a $20 action figure to her kid, it would be something the kid would have to pick up and beg Mommy for. That's not going to happen with any of these lines they've manufactured except Super Heroes, it's just not going to happen...not with Lost, not with Venture Brothers, and likely not with any future "contemporary" line they produce. This is obvious based on the clearanced out and cancelled lines. Why else would sales be so sluggish if this weren't true? No one wants them...quite obviously. I'd be a DIE-HARD buying these up but the choices they've made, even within the Super Hero line now, for characters leaves me cold. So I have to pass. I'd easily spend a couple hundred more dollars on 8-inch figures...if I liked them. Sadly I don't like the characters they chose to make and although that is merely my opinion; it's
clearly obvious there's many out there that share my view...otherwise the figures would've sold better. They are beautiful action figures in general, but you have to like the character you're buying too.

No matter which way this debate is dissected, it is always reduced to the lowest common denominator; and that's the fact that they are currently marked down and/or discontinued to begin with. They obviously didn't sell well
and at the end of the day that's essentially a failed line. We could debate all day the reasons why but I am convinced it's because they were very poor choices for a Retro line. Again, that's just one man's mere opinion however. Maybe someone has some inside info that the lines are marked down to make
room for a new series of VB or Lost figures, I doubt it, but it's possible. My gut tells me, however, that the lines are probably cancelled and it's not really a big shock to me.

Mattel is only focusing on superheroes and Ghostbusters. Both lines have the ability to attract both kids and adults. (Maybe not the animated Ghostbusters however. Perhaps the movie ones would have worked better.) That is what Mattel is doing. They are marketing to everyone. Neither Superheores or GB has been marked down.

The other lines are either EMCE or BBP!. BBP! did Twilight Zone, Venture Brothers, Flash Gordon, LOST. All of these lines were geared towards collectors. TW and VB seem to be the only ones that went to TRU, perhaps as an experiment, but in an attempt to reach the masses. Their outlet for their figures are usually comic stores and specialty stores and online toy stores. I don't know that you can use what happens at TRU as a ruler for what BBP! is doing.

[MIB41]

I think the eight inch figure is no longer a novelty as it was a few years ago. If anything I believe we're reaching a saturation point where people have to pick and choose, because there are so many. And I do wholeheartedly believe the majority of these figures are produced and priced solely for the collector. Look no further than the Retro Action heroes. How long have these been out? 18 months? A little less? Well somewhere in that time span we have gotten 13 different characters (16 if you want to count the ones available right now from Wave 4). At $20.00 a pop (low-end price) that's $320.00 worth of figures in less than two years...not including tax. That's a lot of product for one line in that amount of time. So that right there, tells you the market focus. And that's just this one line ALONE. You start adding in Flash Gordon, Lost, Universal Monsters, Buck Rogers, and so and so on. Well you get the picture. Your hitting nearly a grand by the time you buy them all. This is not kid friendly on any level. Their not pushing accessories, play sets, and adventure outfits. Companies are jumping in with limited quantities saying, "Get them while they last!" and hopping back out. That's the reason why you have such varied licenses. Can you imagine what that market will look like after Toy Fair?

[CrimsonGhost]

I think the eight inch figure is no longer a novelty as it was a few years ago. If anything I believe we're reaching a saturation point where people have to pick and choose, because there are so many. And I do wholeheartedly believe the majority of these figures are produced and priced solely for the collector. Look no further than the Retro Action heroes. How long have these been out? 18 months? A little less? Well somewhere in that time span we have gotten 13 different characters (16 if you want to count the ones available right now from Wave 4). At $20.00 a pop (low-end price) that's $320.00 worth of figures in less than two years...not including tax. That's a lot of product for one line in that amount of time. So that right there, tells you the market focus. And that's just this one line ALONE. You start adding in Flash Gordon, Lost, Universal Monsters, Buck Rogers, and so and so on. Well you get the picture. Your hitting nearly a grand by the time you buy them all. This is not kid friendly on any level. Their not pushing accessories, play sets, and adventure outfits. Companies are jumping
in with limited quantities saying, "Get them while they last!" and hopping back out. That's the reason why you have such varied licenses. Can you imagine
what that market will look like after Toy Fair?

If that's truly the case, and these are only being bought by collectors, then yes, get 'em while they last!

[MIB41]

If that's truly the case, and these are only being bought by collectors, then yes, get 'em while they last!

Don't misunderstand me. Of course some kids will pick up this line just by the very nature of it's license. Their superheroes. But so are DC Direct figures that cost anywhere from $45.00 to $80.00. Kids might have a couple of those for special occasions too. But as a rule, the kids are the exception. Companies that push product for the kids, create multiple products to entice interest in that line while pricing it to stay within the parents budget. You see that with all of the movie merchandise. You get the cars, the special outfits, and special weapons kits. It's all designed to feed that line. One wave of four action figures costing anywhere from $80.00 to $100.00 does not holds a child's interest for any meaningful amount of time. But it does feed the appetite of a collector who has money to buy them at that price. In general I think toy companies are capitalizing on this idea that there is a key market share composed of 30 and 40 somethings that have money, who are starved for the eight inch action figure. So their pumping out as much licensed goods as they can to feed that interest and milk that previously untapped portion of the market place.

[Captain]

Rats! Now we'll never get these in Canada!!!!

[LOU]

And I do wholeheartedly believe the majority of these figures are produced and priced solely for the collector.

I agree 150% Tom! This should be obvious to people when one 8-inch action figure is priced at $20. I thought everyone knew this (that they weren't geared towards kids as much as adult collectors.)

I don't know that you can use what happens at TRU as a ruler for what BBP! is doing.

Well of course you can, it's a retail store and Mattel's, EMCE's, BPP's, or whomever's wares have been made available to the public right there in the aisle, the marketplace if you will. Trouble is no one wanted them or bought them and they got marked down. How is that not a "ruler" to measure the popularity of a line? I bet at even $14.99 they'll still be hanging there in a month. It's just not popular enough subject matter and there's quite obviously many more like me who don't even know what Venture Brothers is nevermind being enticed into dropping $20 on an action figure of them. They were just poor selections for a "retro" license and there's no way that seeing the figures clearanced out or discontinued, or both, isn't a sign of how well they are or aren't doing. Are you suggesting that folks strolling the aisles at TRU see the figures, love them, but then go buy them elsewhere? That's really the only scenario where you could say that TRU's sales figures for the characters would not be an accurate measurement of the line's popularity. Things get marked down and clearanced out when they are trying to get rid of them because they are not selling. That's all there is to it, they are clearly not selling and as I said previously, that's the lowest common denominator in this debate. They're just not selling and I believe it to be because the subject matter is not "retro" enough. Either that or it's an amazing coincidence that I said this same thing weeks ago and now we're suddenly finding out that the newer, non-retro licensed stuff is getting pushed out the doors already. So one more time for good measure...a retro toy should consist of retro licenses and that's it. I have seen no proof whatsoever that anything besides the Super Heroes are selling well, including the Ghostbutsers (as I said, the same 8 figures have been hanging on the pegs at our TRU for weeks now.) On the contrary I see announcements that the Lost line is discontinued; or Venture Brothers are on clearance, etc. What am I supposed to think? That they were good licenses to pick to make figures from? That's all I'm saying...that I am not surprised one bit to hear this type of news and to be quite frank, no one else should be surprised either.

[GreenLantern9999]

First off, I work at a Toys R Us, every time we get a case of ANY 8 inch format figure they sell within a week. We have had Venture Brothers, Twilight Zone, Ghostbusters and Universal Monsters, oddly not the Retro Action Heroes though. But the ones that do come in fly off the shelves! Now the problem with these lines is that Mattel wants the best of all worlds. They are making toy lines that they want kids to buy, but they are marking them with collector prices. Now I buy Retro Action figures fro my 4 year old nephew and he adores them. But if I bring him to the store with twenty bucks to spend he is going to choose a few 3 3/4 inch figures over one 8 inch every time. Ever since I lost my store I have to pick and choose when it comes to figure buying and I'm in the same boat. I wish I could collect every single 8 inch format figure out there but alas I can't. I do welcome any and all figures (Old and New) in the format but I am only 26 years old so maybe it's because I didn't get to grow up on Mego's and I am just happy I have a chance at some "ReMegos". So down to my point I believe these are one "clearance" (I don't call 5 bucks off clearance) is all due to the fact that the price is high for the kids market.

[LOU]

First off, I work at a Toys R Us, every time we get a case of ANY 8 inch format figure they sell within a week.

Well then you work at one hell of a busy TRU. I know for certain I could walk into any of the 3 near me here in MA and see plenty of 8-inchers hanging there...the same ones that have been there for weeks. If this is true, your store is clearly the exception and not the rule based on my personal observations at our local TRU's and the posts of others here from different areas.

[MIB41]

Well then you work at one hell of a busy TRU. I know for certain I could walk into any of the 3 near me here in MA and see plenty of 8-inchers hanging there...the same ones that have been there for weeks. If this is true, your store is clearly the exception and not the rule based on my personal observations at our local TRU's and the posts of others here from different areas.

Yeah, I agree. I have three in Louisville. One across the bridge in Indiana. And another big one in Florence, Ky that we visit every few months to shop. The distribution and similarity of product warming pegs is consistent. And keep in mind this is even after Christmas, when you think the Wave one line would have gotten swept up out of sheer default by shoppers looking for anything kid friendly. I would think anything made strictly for the kid market will be massed produced so they can FIND THEM. In Louisville, I have yet to find any figure outside of Wave One. Louisville and Florence are typically big markets for toys too, so the distribution of this line is anemic, to say the least. GL9999 also might be sitting in a hot collector market that buys these up. But his example is not the norm compared to what I've read from others all over the country who post here.

[hedrap]

Scooby-Doo is a great choice.

I don't think it's so much nostalgia-based as design suitability. VB never looked right as a Mego, because the Mego format has standard body types with interchangeable parts. VB has a distinct look and instead of adapting it to the Mego standard, they adapted the Mego to the VB design. Original Mego superheroes can stand next to knights, apes and cops and create a look of uniformity. VB's design, as well as the B/W decision on the TZ figures, puts them outside standard. It's simply being too clever by half.

[Astronut]

All this talk re: pricing and availability of the DC RA line made me want to post. I'm not someone who typically throws their hands up and quits. But I have to say, personally, I gave up on this line about two weeks ago. I purchased waves 1 and 2. I bought a few for my 6 year-old as well. He loves them. But I've had enough. Enough of the overpricing (my opinion), enough of the poor distribution/availability. I sold them all because quite honestly I grew tired of the Easter egg hunts at brick and mortar. And I got tired of being let down. I like to think that if a (major) retailer claims to carry a line of goods that it will provide - after many many months - a decent supply of said product. I was even willing to bite the bullet on price but I was still empty handed walking out of (yet another) TRU. Over and over. As they say, doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result equals insanity. I'm not bitter I am just stating that I feel let down. This line was something I had been looking forward to for some 30 years and for me, it came up short. I must have gone to 5 different TRU stores, a couple of them a dozen times during the course of six months - and came across Wave 2 one time. And even then, only 3 of the 4 characters. Before someone says "buy online," my response is "thats not what I want to do." Nor is it what I *should* have to do since TRU claims to carry them. Not a good way - again, my opinion - for a company the size of Mattel, not to mention Toys R Us, to run business. So, not to be dramatic but I just wanted to put it out there. Unless this 1/2 *** situation improves I'm done getting excited about it. A lot of wasted energy as I see it.

[Lynn TXP 0369]

So could this be the sign of the end of the 8" re Mego era already if things are getting discounted this quickly?

Lynn

[puckace]

No discount at my TRU on any Retro Megos.

RAH: Multiple Lex and Sinestro on pegs.

Venture Bros: Brock x1 Monarch x2

Real Ghostbusters: Peter x2 Egon x1

Monsters: Wolfman x1

That's it. Plenty of room for more stock. Even RAH wave 3.

puckace

[rche]

Local TrU report from Austin TX as of the first week in Feb.

Mattell - couple of Lex and Sinestro figures - no other waves. Have 2 pegs reserved for them.

Diamond - no monsters in sight.

BBP - no VB left on the shelf. two pegs for them. one peg for TZ with a couple of dogeared figures - can't recall exactly which ones. no Lost figures and no pegspace for them.
also had a peg for the GB figures and only one figure there.

I did also note that the VB figures seemed to be selling over the holidays when I stopped by this same store on a few different shopping trips. Always seemed to be less or different figures on the pegs at that time.

I would side on the 8"ers selling fairly well in this area.