McFarlane Spawn

Stoopid_Sandwich said:
Just saw that there are still more of these figs available at GameStop if anyone is having second thoughts on picking one up



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Thank you.
Man, I want to pull the trigger but I just can't at $60. Mcfarlane figures at least as ornate as this were $20 literally just 5 years ago. I paid $20 full price for the first Hellbat armor. And McFarlane, like a badass, slapped a 12" Malebolgia on a standard blister and priced it at no more than other figures in the line ($7.99!!) when Spawn series 2 was out. How is that same guy going to increase the price of this Spawn 2-3 fold over his current standard retail range of $20-30?! Cuz metal chains and some of the worst soft goods out there I guess? Inconceivable!
 
We've definitely reached a point in our hobby that I like to call Arrogance Pricing. It's just ego and greed. I -can- charge this because of X or Y reason, so I will. That's all this is. This is the Spawn so many people were asking for during the KS. Todd knows people want it. He can just slap a 'Deluxe' label on it and charge more - like Hasbro does all the time. This, more than anything else, is what's going to kill the hobby.
 
Domestic toy companies see all the people willing to pay higher pricing for import figures and figure they can get away with it too. Just like with every other product, manufacturers would much rather have a higher profit per unit than have to make it up in volume. It only makes sense for them and they'll continue to do it as long as the market is willing to paying for it, which they seem to be - much to my chagrin. This Spawn figure selling out so quickly on most sites at the $60 price point only supports that notion.

Spawn was really the test case for this. Spawn has had a number of cheaper but decent figures released in recent years by McFarlane. If people are willing to pay $60 for this Spawn then it's almost a given that they'll likely be willing to pay more for some of those other "Founder" characters that haven't had recent figures like Shadowhawk, Witchblade, Spartan, Savage Dragon, etc.... many of those we haven't had "good" figures of in well over a decade. Just watch, that pricing will only continue to creep up.
 
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Reno said:
Domestic toy companies see all the people willing to pay higher pricing for import figures and figure they can get away with it too. Just like with every other product, manufacturers would much rather have a higher profit per unit than have to make it up in volume. It only makes sense for them and they'll continue to do it as long as the market is willing to paying for it, which they seem to be - much to my chagrin. This Spawn figure selling out so quickly on most sites at the $60 price point only supports that notion.

Spawn was really the test case for this. Spawn has had a number of cheaper but decent figures released in recent years by McFarlane. If people are willing to pay $60 for this Spawn then it's almost a given that they'll likely be willing to pay more for some of those other "Founder" characters that haven't had recent figures like Shadowhawk, Witchblade, Spartan, Savage Dragon, etc.... many of those we haven't had "good" figures of in well over a decade. Just watch, that pricing will only continue to creep up.
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But what’s McFarlane’s excuse? No import company is making Soawn toys. He holds a complete monopoly on his IP. He won’t even work with Medicom anymore after the RAH figure came out 20 years ago


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Yeah, the excuse is 'other companies are charging it, so can I.' That's it. That's all of it. And no one is willing to call them out on it.
 
As long as they sell, that's all they care about - and they sold out like on Day 1 of being offered. If people refused to buy then the prices might come down, but when they sell the price is only going to go up.
 
Most McFarlane stuff sells out Day 1 though. I think it's purposefully under stocked to create demand when it hits retail and/or is "in stock."
 
Stoopid_Sandwich said:
But what’s McFarlane’s excuse? No import company is making Soawn toys. He holds a complete monopoly on his IP. He won’t even work with Medicom anymore after the RAH figure came out 20 years ago


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I think the owner class has given up on excuses. They are convinced they've sufficiently consolidated power and neutered worker solidarity that it is no longer necessary to justify or pretend. The toy industry is indicative of our greater economic and political situation and this same reality accounts for why they've stopped pretending that we have democracy and that prices are tied to cost of goods. Additionally, since the top 10% wealthiest households account for 50% of consumer spending, most of us will be priced out of hobbies as companies make this up by charging the few who can buy luxury goods more per unit. Capitalism sucks for everybody, even the rich.
 
Damien said:
This is the Spawn so many people were asking for during the KS.
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This is a tattoo you've beat a few times in this thread, and dammit, it's accurate to me. I passed on the KS for all the reasons mentioned. At this point I don't know if I actually want a Spawn figure, but I know I don't want one for $60.
 
bat said:
Thank you.
Man, I want to pull the trigger but I just can't at $60. Mcfarlane figures at least as ornate as this were $20 literally just 5 years ago. I paid $20 full price for the first Hellbat armor. And McFarlane, like a badass, slapped a 12" Malebolgia on a standard blister and priced it at no more than other figures in the line ($7.99!!) when Spawn series 2 was out. How is that same guy going to increase the price of this Spawn 2-3 fold over his current standard retail range of $20-30?! Cuz metal chains and some of the worst soft goods out there I guess? Inconceivable!
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That first black and red Hellbat was one of the coolest designs I saw at the time and I just had to have it. Despite it being much bulkier with a less sleek look to it than the comics material, I still love the design and would have bought it even if it had nothing to do with Batman.
 
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RichardSimmonsRobot said:
That first black and red Hellbat was one of the coolest designs I saw at the time and I just had to have it. Despite it being much bulkier with a less sleek look to it than the comics material, I still love the design and would have bought it even if it had nothing to do with Batman.
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That it had to do with Batman should have deterred me. Batman is my favorite but I don't like the modern tendency to conflate him with Tony Stark and grant him the ability to build anything, including a bunch of ridiculous mech suits. And yet... totally agreed with you. The design was cool enough that I bought it anyway. Had it been $60 rather than $20, however, there wouldn't be a chance in hellbat I'd buy it.
 
bat said:
That it had to do with Batman should have deterred me. Batman is my favorite but I don't like the modern tendency to conflate him with Tony Stark and grant him the ability to build anything, including a bunch of ridiculous mech suits. And yet... totally agreed with you. The design was cool enough that I bought it anyway. Had it been $60 rather than $20, however, there wouldn't be a chance in hellbat I'd buy it.
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Tony Stark copes with his problems with engineering and alcohol. Bruce Wayne copes by channeling his problems into a force for good by taking out his problems on criminals. He is on the same sliding scale of crazy as his villains except he's bound by a code (most of the time) and his morality. Similarly crazy, and enjoys engineering, but he's Batman first and Bruce Wayne is the mask he wears. Iron Man is Tony Stark in suit, hes not in the same league of crazy / motivated as Batman in my opinion. Plus I think Tony could stop being Iron Man any time he wants and retire. I don't think Batman remotely could.
 
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Red Ogre said:
This is a tattoo you've beat a few times in this thread, and dammit, it's accurate to me.
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To be fair, it's just a fact. I mean, anyone can like the KS Spawn. Not saying they can't. But if you look back on the KS comments, the general YT personality chatter where there was any, different forum chatter on Fwoosh and elsewhere; this is basically the exact figure people were describing when they talked about what they wanted the KS figure to be. It's not surprising to me that it sold out immediately, even if I think 60 dollars US or whatever is fucking outrageous.
 
Probably a bunch of people who are gonna try to flip it for a profit of $6-$8 after fees. I'm happy with my Kickstarter Spawn as I like the details, don't really pose it and then shove it back in the box when it's not serving as a Halloween decoration. I would say this newer $60 Spawn is the obvious spiritual successor to the 90s toy line, it even looks more similar to the original figure. I don't need it though as I mostly just wanted a single Spawn figure that came with Todd McFarlane's autograph, which was enough to make me go for the KS-er.
 
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