Okay I get what you said about the resellers. I still think it hurts more than helps, but that's neither here nor there.

As for the sub, I get what you're saying. And I do listen to the RGD, but there is no reason subs can't be opened sooner. I only used Christmas since it would help sales to be able to say "buy a sub for a loved one" or some such. I totally can get why they might have to wait until after new years for (god I hate laywers) legal reasons. However are you saying that they won't know how many figures and large scale items will be included in the 2014 until just before SDCC 13? If they do, then they already know how much to charge people. It will be determined based on how many sku's they can get. Scott has said over and over that prices won't be going up (I believe) until 2015.

Besides, opening subs early should cost nothing and only help sales. After all, Scott has said it shouldn't matter what they show because they expect sub holders to want everything anyway. The point is it could easily pick up new subers while costing them nothing. It might avoid the "line is dying buy a sub or ten" drama next year.

But as always, I could be wrong.

Doesn't Mattel always claim that it takes 2 years to produce a figure start-to-finish? If they are really telling the truth, they ought to know before SDCC what the line-up for the next year is going to be, as at minimum they've already spent 7 months on the December figure. By that point it would be awful late to scrap the figure and come up with something else.
In the Ask Matty for today Mattel said they don't announce the full line up because they don't want to upset fans when they end up having to cut something. What they don't seem to realize is that by not announcing the line up before they put subs up for sale they lose sales. I'll never commit to pay out a couple hundred bucks when I know less than half of what I am actually buying. It's not worth the risk of the unannouced figures being stuff I don't want especially if I don't want a good portion of what has been announced. As it stands for the 2013 sub the only figures I am mildly interested in are Wally West and Mallah. I get that they can't please everyone, but those two aren't worth commiting $360+.

Yes, I agree. This is a good point.

Mattel is trying to reach a niche audience that's willing to spend a little extra for better-quality toys. That's why the company included the forums as part of the Matty site. It's not a huge marketing effort, but I think Mattel did a decent job, considering there's probably very little money in the budget for it.

Jim makes good points about the subscriptions, too. There are legal reasons and timing issues behind a lot of the decisions Mattel makes. Because of the nature of manufacturing goods in China, Mattel needs a little flexibility to maneuver. Like newspaper and magazine subscriptions, the Mattel subscriptions are intended for buyers who are "all in." The consumer has to trust that quality goods will be delivered each time.

+1 Although they have improved drastically since the early days, it's still an unpleasant experience dealing with them for the most part. Paying ridiculous amounts for these figures, shipping & tax, then only to have my figures come in a box with a crumpled up piece of paper & be damaged? I used to look forward to what new items would be on matty. After years of dealing with them, bow I just want it to end!



Bwahahahahaha! Sorry I just have to laugh when you say " better quality toys on Matty. " I have to strongly disagree with that statement. I don't know about anything else. But as a JLU collector, besides Lobo there is really nothing better quality about anything. If they were better quality, My Bane would actually be bigger, Harley Quinn would not have those stupid heels & have her pixie boots, I kind of think scarecrow is too short. Micron is a repaint with a new head, Aquagirl has those stupid heels with bare feet, even though now they made bare feet that they could have just used from Gypsy, need I go on? There is nothing better about any of the figures on Matty. It's the same repainted crap, made from the same bucks with maybe a different head that we were buying at retail for a third of the price. At least Toyman, Mongul & Future Superman are newly tooled bodies. But lets not forget that these last JLU figures were actually retail items that were supposed to come out 2 years ago. Everything on Matty has been just junk with a new head sculpt. For the prices we pay for this crap on that site, everything should be newly tooled figures! " Oh but there's not enough budget/interest for newly tooled figures " I even read that about the subs all the time because people want Doomsday. Well then quit charging us so much for junk!