In case you missed it this weekend, Scott "ToyGuru" Neitlich made this response to a question about the furture availability of Masters of the Universe Classics figure stands on MattyCollector.com…
We’ll look into "possibly" bringing them back, but for now we have no plans to do so. They were a bit of a one shot deal.
The quotes around possibly are his, by the way. I don’t know what they’re doing there, either.
As for the content of that statement, I don’t know where to start…
Why would you limit stands to a "one-shot deal" when you have the figures they support planned out for the next few years?
Why weren’t customers told about the limited run on the stands so they could order as many as they felt they needed as opposed to testing them out, which is almost certainly what most people did?
For forward-thinking customers, why limit how many boxes of stands one could buy if it was only going to be one production run? (As it is now, no one can have more than 50 stands they got from MattyCollector.com. There are already 23 figures in the MOTUC line, more for those people who display two Teelas, Duncans, or Trap Jaws because of the interchangeable parts. At least five more figures were shown at Toy Fair with, I’m sure, more coming at SDCC. So, as of now, Mattel has specifically designed the line so no one can have a stand for each of their figures without going to ebay or a secondary etailer).
You get the idea, and I’m sure you can add some of your own points to the list.
A while back, I wrote a blog in which I was rather sympathetic to all of Mattel’s blunders to that point. Since then, MattyCollector refused to take my money for re-issue Skeletor, Battle Cat, and Trap Jaw, so I’m done with MOTUC. They’re nice figures, but it’s just not worth the hassle and, in most cases, insults to logic and customer intelligence.
As for the rest of you still plugging away, when you pile stuff like No Stands For You! on top of The Great Scalpor Art Affair of Aught Nine and set it adrift on the torrential flow of disaster that is Digital River, I have to wonder if maybe this…
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…is not the most ironic, and prophetic, image in action figure collecting history.
-JJJ
I thought Scott had said somewhere else they they thought they would do another batch of MOTUC stands, just the next version might not be Castle Grayskull themed. I can’t remember now if I read that or if he said it to someone at the collector press event at Toy Fair.
Well, that’s good for me, I have been sculpting a line of stands for the past year, hopefully soon to be on Ebay. Mine are cheaper in price, and look much better.
I still think, as I said in my blog a while back, that forcing JLU collectors to buy the same character over and over again is not collector friendly. My most recent complaint is Mattel offering 2 Green Lantern centered JLU 3 packs at the same time. Why would anyone who has an interest in this line need the opportunity to buy 2 John Stewart figures in 2 separate packouts in the same wave? I am referring to the following packs shown at Toy Fair 2010.
.
GL John Stewart, Katma Tui, Despero
GL John Stewart, Manhunter Robot, Manhunter Robot.
.
And for those of us who only want one – that’s 1 – of each character, the 2nd pack is a double quandry.
are they both the same Johns? remember the Fire/Ice 3pks had JL John (w/ hair) and also JLU John (bald/goatee).
but yeah, toss in Kyle or someone instead, or even try that transp.green version of John they’re doing for DCIH in JLU form.
Mattel = true capitalists at work.
Mattel was just really focused on getting the motu figures out again after so long that they did not figure collectors would want stands for every figure they buy thus the limit of them they made. though think sadly once again the picture is telling of the ulimate fate of mou if Mattel does not start changing a few things with motu soon. for if they do not want to sell stands then maybe fix it so the figures can stand on their own with out need of one including the females.
Seems every week there’s something bizarre coming out of Matty HQ. Why they wouldn’t make tons of those stands and even commit to making more after selling them out so quickly is beyond weird.
As for John Stewart, this would be at least the second time Mattel has had different 3-packs on shelf at the same time with the same JS GL figure packed in. On one side they overuse tooling to the point of being ludicris, and on the other (like the MOTU stands)they decide a sell out is no reason to have further plans to produce something. Brilliant.
Toyguru’s “promotion” to the GL movie might be more of a transfer to get his wacky ideas sidelined.
The bottom line is that it’s almost like Mattel doesn’t want to take our money. there is demand for their products (DCUC, MOTU) but they refuse to fix their distribution problems. And now they can’t meet demand for some lousy STANDS?! Are these guys serious? I don’t even collect MOTU, but i TRY to get the DC stuff, and i feel for you guys. How is it i go to a Target and I’m falling all over their WWE and Avatard merchandise, yet the DCUC peg is empty for weeks on end? It’s just crazy to me to think that we’re telling these guys that we want to buy their products, but their like “nah, we’re done making this. we don’t need your money.”
And as for “ToyGuru,” I used to kind of feel for him. That guy gets ripped like nobody’s business on the Matty Facebook page. I’d get embarrassed at the way fellow collectors would scream bloody murder on this guy over some plastic kiddie toys. but y’know, having read his comments the past few weeks, with his smug little remarks, i’m thinkin’ this guy’s just a huge crank that doesn’t do his job very well.
The bottom line is that it’s almost like Mattel doesn’t want to take our money. there is demand for their products (DCUC, MOTU) but they refuse to fix their distribution problems. And now they can’t meet demand for some lousy STANDS?! Are these guys serious? I don’t even collect MOTU, but i TRY to get the DC stuff, and i feel for you guys. How is it i go to a Target and I’m falling all over their WWE and Avatard merchandise, yet the DCUC peg is empty for weeks on end? It’s just crazy to me to think that we’re telling these guys that we want to buy their products, but they’re like “nah, we’re done making this. we don’t need your money.”
And as for “ToyGuru,” I used to kind of feel for him. That guy gets ripped like nobody’s business on the Matty Facebook page. I’d get embarrassed at the way fellow collectors would scream bloody murder on this guy over some plastic kiddie toys. but y’know, having read his comments the past few weeks, with his smug little remarks, i’m thinkin’ this guy’s just a huge crank that doesn’t do his job very well.
bunch of turds running the show over there.
turds.
1. “ToyGuru” – not even close. That username should be outlawed.
2. “Collector friendly” apparently does not come close to equaling “profitable”, so they’re going to use every cheap lame marketing trick there is. The Hot Wheels brand dept does the same exact thing. So I’m thinking its a Mattle-wide problem.
3. “Avatard” – lmao – good one!
4. Pretty sad when “Matty” becomes a verb (see article title)
…and its “ludicrous”.
Ludicris is a rapper. If Mattel tried to be Ludicris, that would be a major upgrade.
Yeah, thanks for that. You should follow me around to all the other sites too — you never know when I might slip. Comedy could ensue!
How much would you be paying me?
Something tells me I wouldn’t have to. Let’s test that theory. Here’s some for ya:
Killin’ teh lien!,
Marvel Legends Rouge,
DCUC Kilowag,
Golden Pharoh
Zattana
….as for topic, uh yeah Matty sucks….