Mattel DC Figures

[Chooch555]

I could dig themed waves like DCD did back in the day, but I get the argument that retail doesn't want it. Maybe pairings? If you have Green Lantern and Green Arrow in a wave make it Hard Traveling Heroes or JLA Kyle and Connor, not a mix.

 

[Reno]

Themed waves seem kinda disastrous for retail unless the theme is something at the level of Batman. If you pick a theme that people aren't really into, you have 4-6 figures sitting around forever instead of maybe just 1 less popular choice in a wave. And the benefit of them is...nothing. Literally nothing. I doubt you'd get one more sale than you would just releasing a regular wave with a mix of things.

I partially agree and partially disagree.

As a longtime Marvel Legends collector, we've been subject to teams that get started but dragged out over years and sometimes never finished. In some cases, if they were released together they would have been more likely to be purchased by some.

Look at McFarlane recently for example. From the Legion of Super Heroes, they released Lightning Lad what, nearly 2 years ago? Now they just released Cosmic Boy.. and Saturn Girl is supposedly on the way. Would someone would have been more likely to buy all 3 together? with more of their teammates?

Perhaps this is more of an argument for an online exclusive box set than a discussion of waves.

I do agree that a wave of LOSH would likely not sell well at retail.

However, how many of us actually still buy our figures at brick and mortar retail? Usually all I buy at retail is clearance stuff. Anything I really want I've usually pre-ordered online. It's pretty rare that I actually ever buy anything at retail at full price. It happens, but it's rare. It's usually something that I have pre-ordered that I find in the wild first.

 

[Spongyblue]

I did like the formula DCUC had for lots of waves; Headliner, associated character 1, associated character 2, fan favorite, deep cut. Not saying they gotta copy it 100%, but I wouldn't be upset if they did. Also, has there been any mention at all about BaF or somesuch?

 

[Niko (protozoalord)]

It depends on the wave's theme, though. Secret Wars is different as it had a dedicated tie-in toyline back in the day, but similar storylines that are mostly just a broad array of core characters in evergreen looks and a weirdo or two should be fine. Crisis on Infinite Earths is a no-brainer for example, but Blackest Night would be comically stupid.

Knightfall and Hush could both work, but Hush would just be the default looks in any Batman line regardless so there just isn't any point, and I'd see Knightfall better working as a part of an all-rounder "retro" Batman subtheme with Legends of Batman-esque packaging or something.

 

[Atomic Knight]

Yeah, a theme doesn’t necessarily have to be a story. A team wave or a family wave would work. Although I also doubt you wanna stack a wave with Batman, Nightwing, Robin, and Batgirl. Wave anchors need to be spread out. GLC is an easy one. Also gives me a break as I don’t normally buy alien Lanterns.

Best shot here would be event waves. Crisis on Infinite Earths could be:

Superman
Robot Brainiac
Yolanda/Wildcat
Jonah Hex
Beast Boy

 

[Xavion2025]

Musically the 70s get a pass from me for the post-punk scene alone. Siouxsie, Joy Division, Wire, PiL, Bauhaus, The Raincoats, The Passions, The Beat, The Blockheads, and more besides. But it's not just that, there were amazing and important acts in various other genres too, it strikes me as utterly absurd to write off the entire decade.

It’s surreal to see some of those bands name checked outside of forums specifically dedicated to that genre. “She’s in Parties” by Bauhaus is one of my favorite songs and music videos of all time.

Honestly even the team up books in that era were awesome, just throwing all kinds of stuff at the wall... Doc Savage was in an issue of Two-in-One... Captain Britain debuting in Team-Up.

I had full runs of Two-in-One and Team-Up when I was a kid. God, I loved those books. I will be forever grateful to the 3.75” line for giving me a figure of that Captain Britain.

I partially agree and partially disagree.

As a longtime Marvel Legends collector, we've been subject to teams that get started but dragged out over years and sometimes never finished. In some cases, if they were released together they would have been more likely to be purchased by some.

Look at McFarlane recently for example. From the Legion of Super Heroes, they released Lightning Lad what, nearly 2 years ago? Now they just released Cosmic Boy.. and Saturn Girl is supposedly on the way. Would someone would have been more likely to buy all 3 together? with more of their teammates?

Yes.

I’m not a fan of themed waves in general, but I do believe you have to release team members fairly close together or at the very least, in consistent intervals to keep collectors interested. Box sets are a good solution as well. I mentioned in another thread that my favorite action figure purchase of all time was the Alpha Flight box set.

 

[secondwhiteline]

It depends on the wave's theme, though. Secret Wars is different as it had a dedicated tie-in toyline back in the day, but similar storylines that are mostly just a broad array of core characters in evergreen looks and a weirdo or two should be fine. Crisis on Infinite Earths is a no-brainer for example, but Blackest Night would be comically stupid.

Knightfall and Hush could both work, but Hush would just be the default looks in any Batman line regardless so there just isn't any point, and I'd see Knightfall better working as a part of an all-rounder "retro" Batman subtheme with Legends of Batman-esque packaging or something.

Yeah, in this case something like Secret Wars or COIE might work because the variety of figures that could potentially fit under that banner is so massive. It's like WWE having a WrestleMania wave once a year - probably 85% of the wrestlers they've ever released has at least one WrestleMania appearance in their career, and that covers every major name in the line.

Like, I think you've also hit it there with a Retro Batman sub-line being manageable, although they'd probably determine that there's no need to make it retro when you can just make a Batman sub-line and have it appeal to that many more people.

 

[secondwhiteline]

Yeah, a theme doesn’t necessarily have to be a story. A team wave or a family wave would work. Although I also doubt you wanna stack a wave with Batman, Nightwing, Robin, and Batgirl. Wave anchors need to be spread out. GLC is an easy one. Also gives me a break as I don’t normally buy alien Lanterns.

But that's the reason why really specific theme waves don't work. They can't afford too many people taking breaks.

 

[Fletch]

Perhaps this is more of an argument for an online exclusive box set than a discussion of waves.

Out of curiosity, what are Mattel's current exclusives practices like? Do they have, like, Target exclusives that are impossible to get? Do they have a direct store like Hasbro Pulse?

 

[PantherCult]

Mattel has their own site and they definitely have line exclusives from all lines they make that are available there. So, it is entirely possible, and frankly likely, there will be site exclusives.

I also believe they have had store exclusive waves in their wrestling line and they do store exclusive figures in MOTU - so yeah, ypu should expect some of that as well.

 

[secondwhiteline]

Out of curiosity, what are Mattel's current exclusives practices like? Do they have, like, Target exclusives that are impossible to get? Do they have a direct store like Hasbro Pulse?

Mattel Creations. They do occasional WWE exclusives (and sometimes make store exclusive product available, like with Target's WWE Legends Elite line). Definitely doesn't have the footprint Pulse does, I think they mostly tend to do a lot of specialty product compared to Pulse.

 

[Fletch]

Fun. And no complaints about not being able to get an exclusive because of bots?

 

[secondwhiteline]

I think they tend to do a lot of purchase windows with made-to-order offerings. But I've never bought any of the SDCC exclusives or anything like that through them, so I'd have to ask someone who has if that's an issue.

 

[Damien]

Mattel Creations. They do occasional WWE exclusives (and sometimes make store exclusive product available, like with Target's WWE Legends Elite line). Definitely doesn't have the footprint Pulse does, I think they mostly tend to do a lot of specialty product compared to Pulse.

Fuckin' Ringside Exclusives, though. I swear sometimes they specifically cater to making sure Ringside is happier than the actual collectors.

 

[secondwhiteline]

Fuckin' Ringside Exclusives, though. I swear sometimes they specifically cater to making sure Ringside is happier than the actual collectors.

Yeah, that's the thing about having a central store collectors frequent. It's like a mini-version of making Walmart and Target happy.

Although I really wish Ringside would exploit that to float the idea of Ringside-exclusive case packouts for the Main Event waves so I could actually get the NXT women before they sell out. I'm sure they're not ordering too many cases of Main Event when most of the case is Codys and Romans that kids will buy but collectors won't.