Any guesses on the SDCC Retro Figure Reveal?

[rche]

Is the 340 number from the count thread thingy from a while back. Not sure that that is totally applicable.

I would hope that sales for Kyle (or any of the exclusives) would be much more than that. I know toy companies don't like to discuss numbers, but they surely must have a 'print run' over a thousand for their figures.

[rche]

speaking of numbers, tho

Seeing as there are reportedly very few of the stragglers on the pegs at TRU. AND noting how many are on trading sites like ebay. AND noting what sort of availability (and discounts) there are for options like Amazon. It does not seem like there is that much stock of the entire run floating around.

I am guessing this is part of Mattels rejection of the line. The order numbers are just not all that big on this product for their business model. So that might indicate there either were not very many of these made in the first place, or that there is an enormous stockpile of them in a warehouse somewhere.

[Timothy2251]

I'm planning on getting a Kyle figure to complete the collection, and also to support the work Doc and EMCE put into the line.

[thunderbolt]

so, Mattel is using the old blackmail tactic to get more figures. Guess they should have put more thought into the GL line instead of the character selections they made. If the future depends on Rayner sales, then the line is in trouble.

[The Shadow]

Actually Scott "Toy Guru" Neitlich said in the 3pm Mattel-DCU panel that
the future of RA depends on how well Kyle Gayner sells - and Kyle will
go on sale on August 15th.

You know I love you guys, but if only 340 Green Arrows were bought
by the members here - it will take more than us to make Kyle a sucess.

If the wider DCU fan base is not on board as well - I don't hold out much
hope for the continuation of this line. I hope I am proven wrong.

You know Doc, I don't care much for that attitude. They're esentially saying "You better buy this little known Green Lantern figure that no one wants, or we're not making any more" The courts usually call that "blackmail"

I'm sorry, but I find that answer and attitude to be a load of ****, and you can quote me direct to mattel on that.

What they need to do is put Robin out there, since he seems to be the one everyone is clamoring for, and then say that. Put it to a real test.

And again, I would love to have bought at least one more Green Arrow. I got two the first day but after that all it got on MAtty was "SOLD OUT" sign.

How the hell are you supposed to buy something IF YOU CAN'T GET IT?

[ctc]

>"You better buy this little known Green Lantern figure that no one wants, or we're not making any more"

I don't think that's EXACTLY what's going on. The execs have a different world view from the fans, and for whatever reason they think the next bestest seller would be Rayner. Dunno why, but that decision would be based on research. (Maybe they thought the movie would turn anything GL related into gold?) It's not like an evil toy exec is sitting on a gold throne twiddling his moustache going "nyahahHAAAA!!!!! They'll BUY Kyle.... or they'll NEVER see Robin! BWAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!!" They're in it to make money. They want EVERY figure to be a hit. Doesn't mean their research is always correct, but I doubt there's maliciousness or nefarious thinking behind the decision.

Don C.

[The Shadow]

Oh, and hey Doc, my bitterness at Mattel definately does not carry over to you. I really, really appreciate the time, effort and care you put into this line and the saint-like patience you must have had to work with the clods at Mattel. You, for a yaer and a half, brought back my childhood, and for that I can't say enough "Thank you's"


I do have one question though. Does fan whining, things like "I don't like his face sculpt", "This costume sucks" etc have any effect on the making or breaking of a line?

I've often wondered in this day and age of the internet if people that make stuff like retros and even TV show producers are affected by all the negatvlty that gets put on line at times.

I remember when I was stationed in England and went to a movie with a friend. Afterward I was kinda dogging one scene and she said, "All you Yanks. You're all movie critics. Why can't you just go to a movie and enjoy it?"


That stuck with me for a long time and I heard her voice many times reading some of the critisms here

Just curious

[The Shadow]

>"You better buy this little known Green Lantern figure that no one wants, or we're not making any more"

I don't think that's EXACTLY what's going on. The execs have a different world view from the fans, and for whatever reason they think the next bestest seller would be Rayner. Dunno why, but that decision would be based on research. (Maybe they thought the movie would turn anything GL related into gold?) It's not like an evil toy exec is sitting on a gold throne twiddling his moustache going "nyahahHAAAA!!!!! They'll BUY Kyle.... or they'll NEVER see Robin! BWAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!!" They're in it to make money. They want EVERY figure to be a hit. Doesn't mean their research is always correct, but I doubt there's maliciousness or nefarious thinking behind the decision.

Don C.

Oh, I do realize that 's what it's all about. Too bad Green Lantern bombed or things might be different with this line.

What they need to do now is suspend this line and wait for Batman next summer. You KNOW that's going to be a hit. Put out a Batman varient in an all black suit, then we could get Bane and Catwoman and maybe Commissioner Gordon out of the line as well

[zeedox]

The future depends on Kyle?

I mean think about that. I mean I never even bought a lot of the obscure guys as a kid. Just think about that. The choices for the characters were made by people that follow all that CRISIS and beyond stuff. I am retro in my comic collecting, figure collecting. Wanted the whole thing to see here we go:

Wave 1

Superman
Batman
Robin
Aquaman

Wave 2

Joker
Lex
Bizzaro
Riddler

Wave 3

Green Lantern
Flash
Wonder Woman
Supergirl

Wave 4

Catwoman
Brainiac
Sinestro
Penguin

....now you might have had Sinestro, Penguin, and maybe Lex as pegwarmers at this point but the majority of the line would have been flying off the shelves.

I know the REAL REASON for this yknow....

[jimsmegos]

zeedox, I agree. The current DC efforts at the comic level I believe will hurt the rest of the DC licenses. Good point.

Now as a far as the "Kyle sales will make or break the line," well quite frankly that's bull****. Plus what are the actual production numbers? How many of these mooks are being made and MADE AVAILABLE? Seriously, I now that if there were a counter that showed say 10,000 Kyle's in stock, there would be a much better shot at the line actually selling better and staying viable. I for one would have no problem kicking in an extra $20 to help keep the line alive and I'm sure there are others who would as well.

But in the end I still think Mattel has a lot of balls to blame the line itself and the fanbase (or lack thereof) for being the demise of the line. Had they done a better job with marketing and distribution I think it would have been a whole different ballgame.

Since they are saying that the Green Arrow numbers were low, how many then were actually produced?

[jayraytee]

Well, one problem is that the retro figure line was targeted at two different audiences. The collectors who may be smaller in number but want specific characteristics to the figures themselves and have ideas on which characters should be produced.... and you have kids who may not be as interested that the figures be true to the 70s style, may be more interested in characters that they are familiar with, like modern ones.. and they far out number the collectors.

If Mattel wanted big bucks.. they choose the bigger audience to appeal to and hope to hold onto some of the collectors as well. With that in mind, you put the figures in stores that kids frequent, you advertise them to kids and unfortunately you pick characters and styles that will appeal to them. None of which Mattel really did, in my opinion.

To me it seems like they targetted the collector market maybe too much, which is smaller by definition, and then blamed the lines demise on smaller sales which they kind of produced. From a business standpoint, it seems Mattel shot themselves in the foot repeatedly.

To be successful they should of made what ever is the most popular, create a line that is strong and then branch out into more obscure characters after there is a solid foundation. (maybe target kids with in store figures and give the collectors the online exclusives?) When Mego originally created the Worlds Greatest they didn't have a lot of competition on the store shelves, they were the coolest thing out there. Now, reMegos have to compete with all the other action figures produced and if kids find other stuff cooler, they will buy the other stuff.

[The Shadow]

Since they are saying that the Green Arrow numbers were low, how many then were actually produced?

Yeah Doc, just to make this simple, say they produced 1000 Green Arrows. Saying only 340 sold, that would imply there are more sitting around. And yet on the Matty site it says SOLD FRIGGIN OUT

If they didn't sell them all, put them back on the site where people can actually BUY THEM

Just another example of Mattels disfunction

[CrimsonGhost]

Yeah Doc, just to make this simple, say they produced 1000 Green Arrows. Saying only 340 sold, that would imply there are more sitting around. And yet on the Matty site it says SOLD FRIGGIN OUT

If they didn't sell them all, put them back on the site where people can actually BUY THEM

Just another example of Mattels disfunction

Just to clarify, he is saying that 340 were bought by us at the museum, the people who posted on the "Who bought GA" thread. It's assumed we weren't the only ones who bought.

It's unfortunate, but just luck of the draw that it hinges on Kyle, who being a more modern character, may prove to be less popular. I intend to buy 2, but I don't care much for Kyle either.

[Duncan]

Well, I'm sorry, but I guess I'm not Mattel's target customer for this line. I happily bought GL & Sinestro figures from the regular line, but I have zero interest in owning a Kyle figure...or any of the other GLs. I'm just not that into GL. I'd sure as &#@$ buy Robin, Batgirl, Hawkman, Joker, etc., but for some reason Mattel doesn't want to go that route. Curious.

[The Shadow]

Just to clarify, he is saying that 340 were bought by us at the museum, the people who posted on the "Who bought GA" thread. It's assumed we weren't the only ones who bought.

It's unfortunate, but just luck of the draw that it hinges on Kyle, who being a more modern character, may prove to be less popular. I intend to buy 2, but I don't care much for Kyle either.

Then don't buy it. Seems to me that the way Mattel has hosed people over in other lines, this is nothing more than a "Take these off our hands so we don't eat it" than a true test of the popularity of the line.

Strange they seem to have all the sudden found an interest in getting reto's sold. Too bad they couldn't be bothered for the rest of the line

Oh, and thanks for the clarification on GA. I was one of the latter who was lurking the board at the time and bought a couple, not from any advertisement or knowledge thrown out by Mattel, but by the interest in the figure generated from the board