Toys
are in a strange but interesting place right now. I find myself in an
odd position that I’m going to try to articulate today.
As
noted last
week,
I am done with the Masters of the Universe Classics toy line. I let
my credit card info lapse and passed on the final four figures, as
well as this year’s Collector’s Choice line. I have received four
e-mails from Mattycollector so far regarding this and have laughed
gleefully at each of them, relishing my newfound freedom.
I might pick up the Filmation Trap-Jaw since he’s my favorite character. As excited as I was for Snake Mountain, I don’t have the space or the money for that thing. Sure – I’d love to own it. But it simply isn’t practical.
I’m
trying my best to quit Marvel Legends. Most of the figures aren’t
twenty dollar figures. This struck me particularly hard the other day
when I was comparing lines and realized that the excellent Star Wars
Black Series and equally beautiful but slightly less sturdy Funko
Legacy figures cost the same. Heck, even the new 6” DC Multiverse
Batman v Superman releases look nicer than most Marvel Legends. And
they certainly have more original tooling.
Granted,
I understand that movie lines get more cash to develop than comic
book lines. And the Marvel Legends figures based on movies do tend to
have unique sculpts (mostly). But as a whole I’m not super happy
with Hasbro’s 6” Marvel line and if I had the willpower to pass
up neat-o characters like Jack O’ Lantern I’d quit completely. I
do cherry pick, but a clean break would be great.
The
world of retail toys has changed quite a bit. The change that has
affected me the most is Hasbro’s switch from super-articulated
3.75” figures to simpler versions with five points of articulation.
I have been collecting 3.75” Star Wars basically my entire life. I
have evolved along with the line, and as aesthetics have changed I
have left behind the old style and embraced the new. All of the
Kenner toys that I had when I was a kid are long gone, as GI Joe
became my toy of choice and Star Wars was relegated to storage or –
unbeknownst to me – yard sales. When the 1995 relaunch happened I
started up again and have basically been collecting ever since. When
they switched from the early musclebound figures to a more realistic
style, I got rid of the older versions. When they started adding
articulation, improving sculpts, and fine-tuning paint apps I would
buy the latest and best figures and vehicles and dispose of the
obsolete versions.
All
of this was done because over the years the toys were getting better
and more sophisticated. Figures sported more joints and accessories
and (mostly) better likenesses. Vehicles were getting bigger and more
complex and featured incredible electronic effects. The 2007
Millennium Falcon and later AT-AT are the most amazing toys I have
ever owned in my life.
But
two years ago Hasbro tried something new. Or old, I suppose. They
launched a new line of 3.75” figures with only five points of
articulation. The first time I saw them, I knew that it was the death
knell of the line I collect. They looked great. They had
complimentary accessories. In some cases, they actually looked better
than some of the better-articulated figures. But the key point was
that they were a lot cheaper. At the time the figures I collected
were creeping up over ten dollars apiece. These new, simpler figures
were six apiece, with two-packs going for ten bucks.
The
new figures don’t really blend in with mine. Droids and some aliens
look okay, but you can’t put these hero characters next to mine.
Hasbro made the poor decision to continue the more articulated figure
line as a Walmart Exclusive line, pricing them at $12.96 each.
The
point of all that is that while I am not done with Star Wars, my
collecting has been significantly reduced.
I
mean, aside from buying stuff for my son.
Pricing
is bonkers at retail right now. Hasbro upped their Star Wars figures,
bumping the single-carded Force
Awakens
figures from the $5.99 of the prior line to $7.99 or even an absurd
$14.99 for their ridiculous “Armor Up” figures, which include a
basic figure and a M.A.S.K.-like helmet accessory. These are one of
the worst values in toys I’ve ever seen. The vehicles are similarly
insane, with the new X-Wings going for fifty
bucks.
These are simple, basic toys with no electronics and cockpits that
are too small for the included figures.
On
the other side you have Mattel with an entire line of
reasonably-priced Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice toys. The
six-inch collector figures are the standard twenty bucks, but the
similarly-scaled basic figures (that actually look better and/or more
fun in some cases) are only ten bucks. The large scale electronic
figures are also a relative deal and the new BvS Batmobile toy is
only $24.99! It’s not the most complex vehicle ever, but it’s
scaled for six inch figures and looks great.
To
me, it seems that Mattel is aggressively trying to return to the
superhero action figure market. I’ll be very curious to see what
they bring to this year’s Toy Fair in February. Honestly, there’s
no excuse for their poor performance over the past several years.
They have the license to the biggest superheroes in history. Marvel
may be on fire, but they have exactly one truly big gun –
Spider-Man. And he doesn’t come close to the global selling power
of Batman and Superman.
NECA
is still plugging along. I haven’t bought a ton from them lately
and even sold off my Pacific Rim collection, but I know that as long
as they’re making figures I’ll buy something from time to time.
And they factor into my Marvel Legends resentment, as well. Most of
their figures retail for twenty bucks or less and standing a Marvel
Legends offering side by side with one of NECA’s releases is
laughable. They don’t even look like the same species.
Speaking of NECA, I love their 8" retro figures. I keep trying to avoid Mego-style figures, but when they look as awesome as these and the Batman '66 figures from Figures Toy Company:
It's hard to pass them up.
Speaking of NECA, I love their 8" retro figures. I keep trying to avoid Mego-style figures, but when they look as awesome as these and the Batman '66 figures from Figures Toy Company:
It's hard to pass them up.
Funko
kind of lost me. I have all of their Game of Thrones Legacy figures
and aside from some QC issues they’re awesome, but their release
schedule is so slow that it’s hard to stay excited about them. Game
of Thrones has a stupid big cast and I have some favorite characters
that they’re just never going to get to at this rate (if the line
is even still active – I suppose we’ll find out in a few weeks).
I also picked up all five of the initial Firefly figures, but waiting
on that line would prove even more frustrating, so I moved those on
eBay. The only reason I haven’t sold the Game of Thrones figures is
that it would be next to impossible to ship them without them ending
up damaged.
Obviously
there’s a lot more I could cover at retail, but I’m trying to
focus on toy lines I am directly interested in. Which brings me to
the direct market, collector-oriented lines being produced by DC
Collectibles, Diamond Select Toys, and to a lesser extent, Mezco.
Over
the last year DC Collectibles has produced the largest number of toys
that I’ve absolutely adored. Their Arkham video game and Batman
Animated lines are fantastic, and their new Icons line could be a
game changer.
DCC’s
Arkham line has evolved in a surprisingly similar manner to Hasbro’s
Star Wars line. Not satisfied with beautiful sculpts and paint, the
company has skillfully added articulation and features over the years
that have turned what was once a simple licensed line into a source
of innovation and “must-have” toys. There have been some quality
issues along the way, but for the most part I have been very
impressed with this line and continue to eagerly anticipate future
releases.
The
Batman Animated line is producing figures of my favorite
interpretation of one of my favorite franchises of all time. As I’ve
mentioned over and over again, I hate
the ugly hip articulation. But otherwise these figures are
breathtaking. There have been a few minor QC issues – broken or
fragile parts, unpainted areas – but the line has been mostly
wonderful and shows every sign of expanding to encompass the entire
DC Animated Universe. I can’t wait.
The
Icons line is brand new, but the two figures I own – Batman
and Deadman
– are excellent. This looks to be an all-encompassing line along
the lines of Mattel’s DC Universe Classics, but much higher
quality. I can’t do more than cherry pick characters I like here
and there, but I’m excited to follow the line as it expands.
DCC’s
major challenge with these lines is going to be price. Now that I am
done with Masters of the Universe Classics, I am not paying thirty
bucks for six inch figures. While the Animated and Arkham figures are
hovering around $20-$25, a few recent Icons have been solicited at
significantly higher prices. Static is being offered for $45. He is
packed with accessories, but he’s still just a single-carded six
inch action figure.
The
problem, of course, is that if Hasbro’s Marvel Legends are $20, it
only stands to reason that these other, far superior figures should
command a much higher price.
Speaking of far superior figures, I'll be talking to Gary Schaeffer, one of the men behind the modern Outer Space Men line, next Friday on the Needless Things Podcast. I adore these toys and am excited to see what they have in store now that the license is back in the hands of Mel Birnkrant (the original creator) and Gary.
Diamond Select Toys are offering some of the best figures on the market today. They have some awesome licenses - Universal Monsters, Marvel, Ghostbusters, Nightmare Before Christmas, Star Trek, some DC Comics TV (which is odd), and tons more. I love their figures, but they are all a larger scale than I want them to be. That doesn't stop me from buying the ones I want, though.
Speaking of far superior figures, I'll be talking to Gary Schaeffer, one of the men behind the modern Outer Space Men line, next Friday on the Needless Things Podcast. I adore these toys and am excited to see what they have in store now that the license is back in the hands of Mel Birnkrant (the original creator) and Gary.
Diamond Select Toys are offering some of the best figures on the market today. They have some awesome licenses - Universal Monsters, Marvel, Ghostbusters, Nightmare Before Christmas, Star Trek, some DC Comics TV (which is odd), and tons more. I love their figures, but they are all a larger scale than I want them to be. That doesn't stop me from buying the ones I want, though.
I’ll
close this thing with the highest priced twelfth scale figures of all
– Mezco’s One:12 Collective figures.
These
things go for around sixty bucks depending on the version and they
are absolutely worth it.
I
know how crazy that sounds, but trust me – once you have one,
you’ll understand. I bought their Batman because I have to have any
cool new Batman figure and it is the best action figure I have ever
owned in my entire life. I’m not saying you should just collect all
of the One:12 releases because you’d have to be pretty wealthy (or
focused as a collector, I suppose) to do that, but any toy collector
should own at least one. Wait for a character you like and go ahead
and make that preorder with your favorite retailer – you’ll thank
me.
I’m
still chugging along and collecting, but there’s an odd calm right
now. There’s nothing I am looking for at the moment – aside from
vintage stuff – and nothing I am particularly looking forward to
other than the Batman Animated figures.
Of
course, that calm is likely the oft-mentioned “before the storm”,
as Toy Fair is just a few weeks away and there are all kinds of nerd
properties looming in 2016. Stay tuned to Needless Things and the
Needless Things Podcast and we’ll tell you all about it!
You sold your Pac Rim collection? Woah. I don't think I could do that with mine.
ReplyDeleteI love the movie, but I didn't love the toys. They looked fantastic, but the Kaiju and Jaegers were all kind of awkward in construction. The Jaegers fell over a lot and the Kaiju had joints, but weren't really very poseable. I didn't feel excited when I bought new ones, more obligated.
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