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Too many new figures?
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Author:  past nastification [ Sun Apr 20, 2008 10:24 am ]
Post subject:  Too many new figures?
As an adult, I'll gladly throw my money towards Hasbro or Master Collector for new figures. In the last few weeks, like many of you, I enjoyed looking for and finding the Ninja 5 pack, the Night Watch 5 pack, the three TRU 3 packs, and the Target vehicles.

I honestly did enjoy it. Made me feel like a kid again. Which makes me wonder about the kids that collect the figures- or actually buy to play with them. Is it a bit unfair for Hasbro to put out soooo many figures for a toy line? The stuff I just mentioned- that's 23 figures! That's more figures that Hasbro put out during the first two years of the line (per year). That's just what Hasbro's put out within the last month or so. How many figures has the Big H put out so far in 2007? I'm going to guess maybe 40 or so?

Before you answer, think about when you were a kid. There is no way that I ever could have bought 40 figures in a year. As it's only April, If Hasbro kept this pace, there could be something like 120 new figures this year. That's a bit much.

Hasbro's a business. There in business to do business. This means selling lots of product. I understand that, I get it. But that's not what I'm talking about. And I'm not talking about we the collectors. We have disposable income to burn.

Anyone agree?

Think I'm way off base? Maybe this toyline isn't aimed at kids at all so it's a moot point.

Maybe I'd prefer to think that the toyline is a toyline first and foremost, and not just a collectibles line. That it's something that an average kid with an average allowance could actually collect to completion if he/she wanted to.
Author:  J_Man [ Sun Apr 20, 2008 10:54 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Too many new figures?
I agree. It is getting to be a little much I think. I'd be happy with 12 figures every quarter of the year. That's 48 figures in a year which is more than we got as kids, but less than we're getting now. It would slow them down enough to focus on more quality releases than some of the ones they've put out. I think they're mostly flooding the figures out due to there being so few vehicles, but still it's getting beyond expensive. G.I.Joe is just 1 thing I collect, so you include the other things coming out this year or has already come out.... Yeah I'm well over my toy budget for the year already and we're only 4 months into the year.
Author:  Keenan [ Sun Apr 20, 2008 11:29 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Too many new figures?
As a kid I got a few figures that I liked. My parents wouldn't buy complete sets for me. So for me the kid argument isn't an issue. As an adult it comes down to what figures I like and or want. I'm glad Hasbro is making a ton of great 25th figures. I'm still waiting on a 25th Repeater: Come on Hasbro!
Author:  OreoBuilder [ Sun Apr 20, 2008 12:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Too many new figures?
I see your point. In the 80s, product would be available for a year or two with only a few new releases every year. It gave kids time to get what we wanted through allowance money, birthdays, Christmas presents, etc. Unfortunately, retailers these days want new products on the shelves regularly. They want consumers to see something new in their stores everytime they walk in. This puts alot of pressure on toy companies to continually develop new toys. It also explains why we get so many repaints, they are quick and easy ways to get new product out.

I would not want to be a kid these days. Not finding the figures that I want in stores or saving up my allowance for weeks only to find that a guy in his 30s just cleaned the store out before I got there ;-)

Even as a guy in his 30s, with a stable income, I'm finding it hard to keep up. I'm not a completist, but Hasbro has put out alot of nice stuff in the last 10 months or so, with alot more coming. It doesn't help matters that these figs are a customizers dream come true (except the impossible-to-disassemble torsos grr!). I find myself buying multiples of certain figs for parts.

On the other hand, part of me thinks that we only have a small time window before movie product hits and I want Hasbro to cram in as many classic Joes as they can.

OB
Author:  zedhatch [ Sun Apr 20, 2008 12:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Too many new figures?
I said with Spy troops and VvV the exact same thing. I know next is the "But Wal-mart demands waves throughout the year." statement ect ect ect. Not trying to be a smart arse but seriously that is what happens in these threads

But the fact is that this hurts some of the business. Product isn't out long enough for word to spread and some people who missed the opening waves don't want to start in late and try to get the old waves at inflated prices (Heard of one guy at a con selling the commons for 15 a peice and stuff like flint for $30). Sure all this does tend to thin out later but by then most peoples attention is elsewhere so the ultimate hurt is on the possible sales.
Author:  HypnoHustler [ Sun Apr 20, 2008 12:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Too many new figures?
Well, despite the frequency of new waves, at least Hasbro is keeping characters available by salting them into later waves.
Author:  Stalker [ Sun Apr 20, 2008 12:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Too many new figures?
It is a bit overkill, but I'm only getting figures I want, and I know somebody must be getting the other ones (Bazooka)..


The only years I put together complete sets was 86-88. (Age 8-10). And that didn't include vehicles. I think getting all the figures is rare, right? I mean, really how do you buy all those toys???
Author:  Luftshutze [ Sun Apr 20, 2008 1:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Too many new figures?
Well on the other hand, overkill helps in this area, maybe we have too many scalpers or we're poorly distributed, it seems like the barest amount of anything shows up here.
I have thought about the shorties though, if I pick up another air trooper will some poor kid not have one (I've only found 3).
Author:  ogre_h [ Sun Apr 20, 2008 1:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Too many new figures?
Yeah, I have to agree. On the one hand I can appreciate stores like Walmart & Target wanting new product constantly and exclusives, but you have to have some constants and stand-bys and lets face it product on the shelves.
Many people haven't even found stuff from the first four waves. I finally found a Wave 4 Duke (although he's got the 2 peg stand so is that really wave 4?) this past week.
In 82 there were what, 16 figures for the year and they came out in the summer? And they were available on the pegs for at least a year if not 2. Now there's hardly anything on the pegs, waves come about every month (or so it seems) and scalpers are trying to get vintage toy prices on stuff that's still available at retail.
If this is how Hasbro is going to go, I'm not going to be a completist (not that I was, but I was tempted) I'm not going to get every repaint under the sun. I'm going to get the figs that appeal to me and my collecting tastes. Of course Hasbro's answer is to bundle figs we want with repaints.
I don't think I'd be as frustrated if the product was easily accessable. (not to mention cheaper)
Who knows what will happen when the movie hits.
Author:  80sfan [ Sun Apr 20, 2008 2:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Too many new figures?
i'll take 8 new figures a week please and doubles an triples of most of them cause i can't get enough

thanks
Author:  Outback 100% Argento [ Sun Apr 20, 2008 2:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Too many new figures?
I think there is more variety and less quantity...because in my opinion there is an obvious small market in comparision from the 80´s.
The Action figures market (as almost every business) become more and more specialized and segmented with the time, now you have a variety of Figures to choose that you didnt have back in our youth.
Hasbro IMO is concentrating in collectors and had diversificate his business.
Author:  JBYRDD [ Sun Apr 20, 2008 2:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Too many new figures?
To Many New Figures ?

I think that the title of this thread should be "To many Re-Issue/Re-Paints figures"

I mean c'mon Hasbro, how many versions of... SE, SS, Duke, Flint, Scarlett and Cobra Commander do we need ??? I like the fact that stores like Target and Wal-Mart are getting exclusives with new figures in them, that's what i want, "new figs" not re-paints, and to answer the question, yes i think that there is to many, but in my area, there isn't any new singles to be found anywhere, TRU, KB Toys, Wal-Mart, they are all dry except TRU and KB Toys for some of the comic 2pks.
Author:  J_Man [ Sun Apr 20, 2008 3:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Too many new figures?
As it's been stated, I think the current practice of putting stuff out is hurting the toy industry really. I see it at KB. Kids really are not as into action figures as they (we) use to be. What I see is kids going for the more consistant stock items. Wrestling, outdoor stuff, remote control cars, hot wheels, and toy guns. All of these items are pretty much the same year round. Even wrestling figures, it's the same character with different accessories, but it's the same figure. I think kids have grown way too tired of hunting for what they want and natural progression has taken over with them moving on. I know as a kid, if I didn't find something within the first few trips to the store, I'd give up. It wasn't until I was older that I'd keep going back until I found it. But then it wasn't as hard to find stuff back then.

Yeah, it can keep being said Wal-Mart this and that, but eventually the toy companies are going to have to take the initiative and make Wal-Mart's buyers understand something for a change. There's toylines they'll keep sitting there until it sells, then you have other lines they'll mark down. CORPS! doesn't change through the whole year, so there's a little more to it than just Wal-Mart saying they want refreshed product regularly.
Author:  Cap [ Sun Apr 20, 2008 3:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Too many new figures?
I agree with the issue of it being part toy, part collectible wholeheartedly. But the issue of amounts, really is no different than how toys were originally issued long ago.

When it was 1/32 scale army men, it was a huge bag for a dollar. Then they decided to try knights. Then spacemen, then scuba men. When Marx Toy company got the trend, it was huge playsets and huge figure allotments. Then other companies: Ertl, Multiple Toys, Herald, Britains, Esci, and a host of others, started packaging and making the toys a little less for the kids, and more for the diorama/re-enacter. By the late 1970's and early 1980's, the DBA and gaming market was in full creation, and I daresay there are still people out there trying to complete their metal miniature as well as plastic figure collection.

I remember when Thundercats branched off from the original set, then the mail-away Mummra, then they started the additional characters thereafter. Best a kid could hope for was hitting his toy collection needs Christmas and then on the birthday.

But today, where people are looking at toys as a polyethelene and PVC 401K, well, as you've stated, it's a scramble for sure. I wonder indeed which kids out there are looking at the line with want of making head/backyard fun full, or pressure to "gotta' catch 'em all".
Author:  White Line Nightmare [ Sun Apr 20, 2008 4:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Too many new figures?
past nastification wrote:
Think I'm way off base? Maybe this toyline isn't aimed at kids at all so it's a moot point.


I think Hasbro is being smart and maximizing who they're marketing this line to. Of course they want kids to pick up the figures and vehicles, but they also realize that while collectors make up a small percentage of buyers, we spend A LOT of money.

25 years ago, Hasbro had to rely on kids to support the line, but now they realize that if they put out something that collectors like, too, they'll make even more money, which explains the troop-builder boxed sets, three packs, and comic packs. They're targeting the kids AND dads, and from everything I've read and seen, it's working. Just the other day, I saw three dudes in their 30s checking out the Target vehicles and freaking out over them. These guys didn't look like collectors, but they were genuinely interested in the new Joe line.

Anyway, if the line was specifically just for kids, I'm sure we'd be seeing way less product. Personally speaking, the number of new releases doesn't bother me. I'm not an army-builder and I try to avoid the repaints/rereleases as much as possible, so that only leaves a handful of brand-new figures I buy per wave, which ends up being pretty manageable.

Besides, with as poorly distributed as this line is, we're lucky if we see a fraction of what Hasbro puts out. Rather than being a flood, it's more like a drought. It's hard to be overwhelmed by a trickle, and when I, by some chance, find something new at a brick & mortar store, I'm psyched instead of worried how I'm going to afford it all.
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