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  • trekman101
    Persistent Member
    • Feb 6, 2009
    • 1432

    Originally posted by MIB41
    I understood exactly what you said. It was a hypothetical, which you qualified, but didn't expect to happen. But in saying that, you never debunked the idea. You even qualified it again with your last statement above. I understand the gist of what your trying to get at though - Can such a small group of collectors buy up enough to keep the line going? Of course not. And there are plenty, including myself, who have bought multiples. What I AM saying, is that Mattel never advertised to anyone outside of this group of people. Hence their expectations were never grounded. So either hypothetical with the multiple purchases or buying up Kyle are not remotely realistic. Heck, Kyle himself is not even a highly desired character in the Lantern universe, let alone a popular figure to buy. So even suggesting his sales could possibly hold the key to continuing this line when the likes of Batman, Superman, and the Flash did nothing is essentially a dreamfest.

    Awareness was the key to making this work. We here at the Mego museum eat, sleep, and drink eight inch goodness every day, every week, of every year in our lives. The mere mention of this line in a thread started a wildfire of interest. No advertising dollars needed here. It's everyone outside this circle that needed to know. There are SCORES of people who grew up in the 70's that will never know this line ever existed. And so many with kids that would have flipped had they seen these. Paul and Joe knew that. You and me knew that. But for some strange reason Mattel didn't. Mattel apparently didn't think reintroducing a 35 year old line required an announcement for those outside our circle. Sure they unveiled them at Toyfair. But those events are for US. They ran an ad in toy COLLECTOR magazines. Once again, a magazine for US. Wasted dollars. We already knew. We were at the front of the line. H*ll, we WERE the line!

    No commercials during kid programs. No ads from the exclusive retailer, TRU. Just a brief appearance of wave one in some stores and then... oblivion. Even most collectors like us had to WORK to get these figures. So this is all on Mattel my friend. There is NOTHING for us to do. We did it all already. We drove endless miles looking for this product. We called our local store managers asking to order it. And in most cases, many overpaid the standard market price because they only found it at local comic stores or through online vendors, which meant additional shipping costs as well. AND we brought these concerns to Mattel early in the line's release. Mattel did NOTHING. And now they come to us with this obscure character in the Lantern universe and suggest he is our 'best' hope. REALLY? Sorry... We already did the work, spent our money, and showed our undying support to this line. Including buying multiple sets. We did our part. Mattel didn't do theirs. That is the story and that is how history will look upon the demise of this line.
    Pretty much and well said.......there is something in the "behind the scenes" activities with Mattel and TRU we don't know about I'm sure....their efforts were held back for some reason....we might find out later.....we might not
    "Thats the ticket laddie"

    Comment

    • wonderfan32
      Member
      • Jul 27, 2009
      • 62

      I've said it before here and I'll say it again...you don't put out figures that no one wants and then say the line isn't doing well. DC Direct did the exact same thing with the 13" line releasing obscure non- traditional superhero characters in a row without breaking it up with more popular characters. They bombarded us with the likes of Dr. Manhattan, Comedian, Spirit, Sandman (not GA version), and Jonah Hex.

      I'm not saying no one wanted John Stewart, Guy Gardner, and Kyle Rayner; what I am saying is that the priority should've been other characters first, not a whole theme devoted to just Green Lantern merchandise. Spread them out a bit and give us the variety that you started out with. Then, to add insult to injury, they say buy multiple characters you don't like or aren't your first choice? I did that with John Stewart but I'm not doing that with Kyle. Sorry....

      Comment

      • Werewolf
        Inhuman
        • Jul 14, 2003
        • 14978

        Originally posted by MIB41
        No commercials during kid programs. No ads from the exclusive retailer, TRU. Just a brief appearance of wave one in some stores and then... oblivion. Even most collectors like us had to WORK to get these figures.
        Well said.

        Outside of the hardcore Mego collectors, that really had to work at to track the figures down, no one was really even aware these got released. Not even so much as a mention in a TRU flyer. That's a lot of lost sales from casual buyers, collectors and kids.

        People can't buy something they are not aware of or even find in stores. The only figures I personally saw at TRU was the first series and Flash and Cold from the third. And I knew to look for them. People unaware of the line coming across the few remaining Sinestro and Cold figures, by sheer luck or accident at TRU, are going to pass them by if they can't get Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, etc.

        Online exclusive low demand characters, like yellow Sinestro and Guy, are not a fair or accurate judge either. Put high demand characters like Joker, Robin or Batgirl on Matty and then judge if collectors want Retro-Action figures. Don't blame the collectors for not buying figures very few people actually want. Mix one short packed lesser demand and obscure character into waves with top sellers every so often. Don't make a entire series of low demand characters and expect them to be sellouts.

        It's not our fault the line failed.
        You are a bold and courageous person, afraid of nothing. High on a hill top near your home, there stands a dilapidated old mansion. Some say the place is haunted, but you don't believe in such myths. One dark and stormy night, a light appears in the topmost window in the tower of the old house. You decide to investigate... and you never return...

        Comment

        • Mego-Amigo
          Persistent Member
          • Jun 22, 2011
          • 1043

          If Mattel wants to be fair they should give us another 4 characters as online exclusives. Give us 4 characters that everyone really wants - Joker, Robin, Batgirl, Catwoman, Riddler or Supergirl. No doubt all would sell out fast. Then let Mattel reconsider thier decision about continuing the line. It won't happen but everyone here as well as myself knows it would change this situation. Should have been the case to begin with but promoting the Green Lantern movie is all DC, Warners and Mattel care about right now.

          Comment

          • Werewolf
            Inhuman
            • Jul 14, 2003
            • 14978

            When I was a kid and Super Powers came out I knew months in advance to look for them because it was heavily promoted in comics, TV commercials, store flyers and even a tie-in promotion with Burger King. Also, when the toys finally hit the stores I could easily find all my favorite characters with little effort.

            Heck, even Total Justice got it's own comic mini-series.

            Seriously, though, I know times have changed and a big budget ad campaign was obviously way out of the question for Retro-Action, but a tiny bit of advertising outside of the hard core collectors certainly wouldn't have hurt.
            You are a bold and courageous person, afraid of nothing. High on a hill top near your home, there stands a dilapidated old mansion. Some say the place is haunted, but you don't believe in such myths. One dark and stormy night, a light appears in the topmost window in the tower of the old house. You decide to investigate... and you never return...

            Comment

            • Lynn TXP 0369
              Career Member
              • Jun 10, 2007
              • 804

              I'd love to here from Doc what would have actually been next in line had the line not tanked. He mentioned one or twice of us waiting to see what was next after the GL wave.

              What would have been next had the line not tanked?

              Lynn

              Comment

              • johnmiic
                Adrift
                • Sep 6, 2002
                • 8427

                Originally posted by jimsmegos
                I noticed the museum has just over 1,200 facebook friends. where are your friends when ya need 'em?
                From the forums front page: Members:4,408 Active Members:732. You would think we would've hit 700 or so signatures by now. We should'a hit at least 2,000.

                Less than 1/2 of the "active members" are not even interested in signing a petition. This kind'a makes me sad Jim. We seemed to come together as a community quite well under most circumstances. There seems to be a deep division of opinions on this line. So much that some members here rejoice in it's cancellation.

                Props to trekman101 & MIB41. Your comments seem to be right on the money.

                Comment

                • bp1701a
                  Museum Super Collector
                  • Aug 27, 2007
                  • 226

                  I am # 456 and posted it on facebook.
                  I am MEGO CRAZZZYYY !!!

                  Comment

                  • The Bat
                    Batman Fanatic
                    • Jul 14, 2002
                    • 13412

                    Originally posted by johnmiic
                    There seems to be a deep division of opinions on this line. So much that some members here rejoice in it's cancellation.
                    I really don't think people rejoice in it's cancellation...I think it's more indifference. Some of us just lost interest in the line, I know I did. I wasn't even that upset about the poor bodies(I didn't mind replacing them)...it was the bad head sculpts that stopped me from caring. When Batman came out that pretty much popped my balloon. Although I did buy Aquaman & Twoface from wave 2....but then no other figures until the yellow Sinestro exclusive.

                    I am sad that the line was cancelled. Even though I didn't like any of the figures from Waves 3 & 4...maybe some figure would have come up that I would have felt worth spending money on, had the line continued.
                    Last edited by The Bat; Jul 9, '11, 5:51 PM.
                    sigpic

                    Comment

                    • chalwa
                      Mego Philomath
                      • Jun 8, 2007
                      • 592

                      I am 467. Sorry so late. Been away.
                      Chalwa AKA The Pre-Crisis Chris

                      Chris' Blogs:
                      The Misadventures of Captain Blog
                      Comic Book Fanzines: Chain Letters for Disturbed Children


                      When I am grown to man's estate,
                      I shall be very proud and great.
                      And tell the other girls and boys,
                      not to meddle with my toys.
                      -Robert Louis Stevenson

                      Comment

                      • ODBJBG
                        Permanent Member
                        • May 15, 2009
                        • 3211

                        Mattel doesn't advertise 95% of their boys toy lines. The only time they advertise toys for a boys brand, is if it's tied to a cartoon or the WWE and even then it's 50/50.

                        I know it's better to think that Mattel had a big conspiracy to try and make this line fail and I dunno, maybe they did... But not running TV commericals wasn't part of that plan. They don't advertise for any of their boys DC brands to my knowledge, outside of a few print ads in the now defunct Toy Fair magazine.

                        I get the general concept, but I also understand why Mattel thinks this particular type of toy didn't sell well. Because they've made other DC lines, with no advertising and they've sold well. They've made other DC figures that has had just as much distribution problems and they've also sold well.

                        Unfortunately no advertisement support, high prices, cheap QC, wonky distribution and a "buy on our exclusive website in bulk for a one month window" is part of the deal with being a fan of Mattel products. Nothing happened here any different than happens with any of Mattel's other stuff. Some lines can make it, some can't.

                        Comment

                        • samurainoir
                          Eloquent Member
                          • Dec 26, 2006
                          • 18758

                          I hate to bring it up, but it could very well be a format fail when it came to the Retros on mattycollector.

                          Look around at all the Green Lantern figures out there that have been selling incredibly well in the 6" format. The DCU Classics and movie related green lanterns that quickly sold out last month on Matty. Whatever failings of the Green Lantern movie, there was a ridiculously expensive campaign out there that made Green Lantern awareness incredibly high across mass culture that seeped into the collectors when it came to other GL lines aimed at the collectors market.

                          In comic shops, Green Lantern/Blackest Night action figures might very well have been DC directs most successful action figure line in it's history given the amount of waves of lantern related action figures we've gotten in the past year or so. I can't think of any other DCD line that has ever gone this deep in terms of character selection, and number of waves released on this aggressive a schedule. Particularly when you take into account DCU Classics mining the same pool of characters at the same time.

                          In the past year, lantern related figures have been Golden. Kyle, Guy and John Stewart have been at the centre of Blackest night, it's lead up and it's aftermath.

                          So why didn't the Retro Gl's move like their more obscure 6" counterparts... The fricken' Cauliflower/fish headed Lantern sold out for goodness sake! Sodam Yat! How many of us here even know who that is without google?

                          Perhaps the problem was marketing these as "Retros" to begin with might be limiting your potential consumer right off the bat to a certain demographic? A demographic that tragically is a trough between the two peaks of the post war baby boomers (12" military GI Joe) and the Echo Boom kids (currently represented by former 80's kids buying up the Masters of the Universe and transformers).
                          Last edited by samurainoir; Jul 13, '11, 2:35 AM.
                          My store in the MEGO MALL!

                          BUY THE CAPTAIN CANUCK ACTION FIGURE HERE!

                          Comment

                          • samurainoir
                            Eloquent Member
                            • Dec 26, 2006
                            • 18758



                            In other words, the overall population that would have even the slightest possibility of a nostalgic connection to the "Retro" nature of Mego figures is in that big dip in the graph here. The bump in front of us is kids growing up with GI Joe RAH, Transformers, Masters of the Universe, Thundercats, etc.
                            My store in the MEGO MALL!

                            BUY THE CAPTAIN CANUCK ACTION FIGURE HERE!

                            Comment

                            • rche
                              channeling Bob Wills
                              • Mar 26, 2008
                              • 7391

                              motu and the early RAH kids are still in the dip with us (albeit on the upward swing)

                              Looks like the peak was for Spawn kids and Potf2. Perhaps those lines will pick up in a few years after all.

                              Comment

                              • rche
                                channeling Bob Wills
                                • Mar 26, 2008
                                • 7391

                                very good point that Mattel has used the same lack of advertising along with their matty exclusive formats for other lines that have sold well. It would appear that the mass numbers just are not there for this product.

                                Any word on when Kyle is coming out as that is pretty much the last chance to vote with real dollars on this line.

                                Comment

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