Mattel's response to me

[MIB41]

Please don't ask me why they do that... I haven't the foggiest clue. However it is what they do.

Thanks for the clarification. My initial thinking on that reasoning was to inflate demand if people believed it were popular. Sometimes WOM helps hype sales. That seem to be the case with the 12 inch Superman and General Zod exclusives since I have seen them sale out more than once. Then again maybe those were true sale outs that simply got restocked.

[ODBJBG]

Just to be clear I understand you correctly. When the Matty website states a figure is 'sold out' that may not be necessarily true? I read that in your remarks because the 'popular belief' about the success of Matty exclusives likely comes from that tag we so often see next to these figures after a short period of time on the website.

Yes, just because something is marked "sold out" does not mean it sold out. I know that's crazy. However, it is the truth. Mattel will only leave an item up for a few weeks. Afterwards, it is considered a failure and pulled from the site.

Lots of time this extra stock will be put up at a later date (sometimes at a reduced rate around Christmas) and others will be sent Mattel outlet stores.

Mattel views a successful MattyCollector product as one that sells out (legit) within 2-3 days tops.

A huge portion of the stuff currently marked "sold out" on MattyCollector's site is not necessarily sold out. It has simply been pulled from the site.

Please don't ask me why they do that... I haven't the foggiest clue. However it is what they do.

[ODBJBG]

Matty should do a small subscription run to test the waters, that way we are committed to buy them. Why not? they have club ecto 1 and club eternia? make us club justice league...

Mattel is only going to do a subscription service to a line that will meet enough base subscribers. You guys seem to be missing the point that Mattel specifically said they would not be offering anymore online exclusives either. That's because the sales for the online RA figures have not been deemed a successful venture either. This was not just a retail failure.

If anything, there is a slim hope that Mattel might continue to produce these figures as online exclusives, but they'd have to see evidence that these figures will sell on MattyCollector. The only way for them to come to that conclusion would be for the last two RA Green Lantern figures to sell out and sell out QUICK.

[MIB41]

Instead I'd focus my efforts on letting Mattel know that there is fan demand for this line to continue. The best way to do that? Buying John Stewart off of MattyCollector.com and making sure Kyle sells out in a single day.

Contrary to popular belief, sales do not appear to have been extraordinary for the RA offerings there. The best way to "have your voice heard" is by buying the product there. All the wishing, writing and wondering in the world won't make any difference. Sales of exclusives, will.

Just to be clear I understand you correctly. When the Matty website states a figure is 'sold out' that may not be necessarily true? I read that in your remarks because the 'popular belief' about the success of Matty exclusives likely comes from that tag we so often see next to these figures after a short period of time on the website.

[trekman101]

Lets keep this a positive thread and argue later

[trekman101]

Matty should do a small subscription run to test the waters, that way we are committed to buy them. Why not? they have club ecto 1 and club eternia? make us team justice league...

I had this thought as well

[bizzaro megomauler]

Matty should do a small subscription run to test the waters, that way we are committed to buy them. Why not? they have club ecto 1 and club eternia? make us club justice league...

[trekman101]

I won't begrudge you hope that another wave or so makes it out. However, let's be clear that nothing has been announced beyond Kyle and there is no evidence to suggest there is more RA on the way. Even if Mattel has had the tooling made for another wave, it may still be cheaper to cut their losses than produce figures they believe will not sell. This would not be the first time Mattel abandoned unused tools.

If anything, you're assuming there's a good chance that Mattel might crank out another wave. Right now that's a much bigger assumption than what facts we know.

If I was you guys, I wouldn't be so concerned with a top secret wave that you have no evidence exists. Instead I'd focus my efforts on letting Mattel know that there is fan demand for this line to continue. The best way to do that? Buying John Stewart off of MattyCollector.com and making sure Kyle sells out in a single day.

Every day that John sits up on the website, is less and less of a chance that Mattel will rethink this decision regarding RA. MattyCollector is the last vestige of hope for most toy lines. Contrary to popular belief, sales do not appear to have been extraordinary for the RA offerings there. The best way to "have your voice heard" is by buying the product there. All the wishing, writing and wondering in the world won't make any difference. Sales of exclusives, will.

I ordered my 4....I agree with this thought

[trekman101]

I was checking out the tru price thread reignited and saw this prophetic exchange from a year ago. Thought it kind of interesting. Nothing else, other than my perspective towards dealings with Mattel... and how things may go south.

Regards,

Geoff



Thread Link

There are already 21 figures made so they are close to their commitment...there may? be a few more....they may have only intended to make around 24 figures in the first place....this may have always been their plan only to make more if there was money in it for them.....2 waves plus some Matty exclusives a year would have run for 3 years...maybe they fast tracked it to get it over....it's all speculation for now

[samurainoir]

Well here's the positive spin if we go and look back from where we were last year. If Doc did said that there were 24 figures on the drawing boards at that time, and 21 figures have actually made it into our hands within this year, that was still most of them and it seems to me that Matty did follow up on that commitment, even if it was on a more aggressive schedule than three years.

Do I want to see the line continue and the unreleased figures in our hands? Certainly. However, if the glass can be half full, then 21 figures is quite an accomplishment for ANY toyline in this day and age. We're still ahead of where we were 2 years ago with NO new DC Mego action figures other than our imaginations.

If only to have Flash, Green Arrow, Lex Luthor FINALLY joining the line-up in all their squishy head glory.


With that said, I don't think a little activism hurts. Particularly if there are figures that are a ways along in the production process already. The beauty of Mego has been that it's a generic body, so you only have to make the heads and clothes at a lower production cost overall.

[Teemu]

End it with Robin,Joker,Hawkman,Bizzaro would be Great!

[Wise4671]

I agree. I think when Mattel released this news, it caught Paul and Joe off guard. And no, I think the messenger should not be blamed here. This was Mattel's doing and no one else. That being said, I don't think the internal communication had been finalized with this last wave, so I believe Paul did not know if this would be produced with that announcement. When I asked him if he could verify, he did not respond. So I tend to think that wave will get made and Paul may be saving it as one last surprise in the line. At least, that is my hopes. Would love to see a Teen Robin and Hawkman. Would be a nice way to go out!

I agree if they are going to be done with this line that last wave would be a good way to go out Getting Robin would at least make the set have seem kind of complete. (Making a Batman and having no Robin hurts)

[ODBJBG]

To me this is the key statment in there answer "past the 2011 offerings". It was to my understanding that there was another wave slated for 2011 and with the prototypes already in hand I think there is a very good chance that we will get that last wave before the year is out. We should never just assume cause you now what they say if you assume you may make an A##/out of/U/and/ME

I won't begrudge you hope that another wave or so makes it out. However, let's be clear that nothing has been announced beyond Kyle and there is no evidence to suggest there is more RA on the way. Even if Mattel has had the tooling made for another wave, it may still be cheaper to cut their losses than produce figures they believe will not sell. This would not be the first time Mattel abandoned unused tools.

If anything, you're assuming there's a good chance that Mattel might crank out another wave. Right now that's a much bigger assumption than what facts we know.

If I was you guys, I wouldn't be so concerned with a top secret wave that you have no evidence exists. Instead I'd focus my efforts on letting Mattel know that there is fan demand for this line to continue. The best way to do that? Buying John Stewart off of MattyCollector.com and making sure Kyle sells out in a single day.

Every day that John sits up on the website, is less and less of a chance that Mattel will rethink this decision regarding RA. MattyCollector is the last vestige of hope for most toy lines. Contrary to popular belief, sales do not appear to have been extraordinary for the RA offerings there. The best way to "have your voice heard" is by buying the product there. All the wishing, writing and wondering in the world won't make any difference. Sales of exclusives, will.

[MIB41]

To me this is the key statement in there answer "past the 2011 offerings". It was to my understanding that there was another wave slated for 2011 and with the prototypes already in hand I think there is a very good chance that we will get that last wave before the year is out. We should never just assume cause you now what they say if you assume you may make an A##/out of/U/and/ME

I agree. I think when Mattel released this news, it caught Paul and Joe off guard. And no, I think the messenger should not be blamed here. This was Mattel's doing and no one else. That being said, I don't think the internal communication had been finalized with this last wave, so I believe Paul did not know if this would be produced with that announcement. When I asked him if he could verify, he did not respond. So I tend to think that wave will get made and Paul may be saving it as one last surprise in the line. At least, that is my hopes. Would love to see a Teen Robin and Hawkman. Would be a nice way to go out!

[trekman101]

The people at the 1-888 number are just customer service. Meant to deal with warrenty and replacement parts issues. That's it. If you guys must call them please be polite.

they connected me to senior Mattel supervisors who had links to internal information...she named already stated facts to me