128 thoughts on “Let’s Do the MOTU
Classics Sub AGAAAAIN!”

1. Sorry, but I don’t think anyone needs to bother. The sub is fine, regardless if whether they sell 3 or 3000 this weekend, it will miraculously go through. And if they really do cancel, well…good riddance to bad rubbish.

   1. Oh, look who called it. :/

      1. I don’t mean this is a in a negative way, but you called for the desired outcome. It supports both the detractors and happy people, so it’s win-win. Would anyone be happy if you were wrong?

         1. Plenty of people would be happy if the sub failed, not least of all me. This BS really must end, and now is as good a time as any. Recommend you read other fansites and forums besides the .org to get a more honest read of fan’s feelings.

            1. This site, it’s social media accounts and other interactions with fans on & offline gives me tremendous access to fan’s feelings. Moreso than the average commentor, but that’s beside the point. I need to get at the heart of what you’re saying.

               Your response here confuses the hell out of me. If you want a toy line to end, you can walk away from it. You can end the BS right this second. Anyone unhappy with any toy line can just stop and leave those enjoying it alone. (Really, we don’t want or need that negativity around). Even if you leave with the idea that we’re pitiful and you were smart to get out – that’s fine. See ya. There are thousands of happy collectors who don’t want the line to end – and we should be denied because folks like you just can’t walk away? Screw that. That’s so foreign, I can’t even… You want to deny the collectors enjoying the line because you’re not enjoying it? You’re going to have to explain that better. I’m not seeing why you’re sticking around if you’re not happy. I’m not seeing why your dissatisfaction should impact the satisfied.

               I could maybe see if you didn’t like Classics and wanted the next iteration of MOTU to start and needed Classics out of the way first. I could understand if you are somehow mentally unable to stop collecting He-Man I guess. You still shouldn’t be looking to screw the rest of us. I keep going back up to your post and can’t wrap my brain around it.

               I know you haven’t posted a positive comment here since April. Maybe you’re just that type of collector. That’s fine. But actively wanting something someone else wants to get cancelled? Being happy about it? I don’t get that. Maybe you think something different would happen to MOTU than happened to DC or Ghostbusters? Should I just not get a Classics Dragstor so that you can stop dealing with the BS? I don’t understand what you’re saying.

               1. This ^.

                  There’s a lot of bitching in the toy fandom and honestly, some of it I get and some I don’t. The one that has just absolutely always blown my mind is the train of thought some people have that, just because he or she doesn’t like a line or figure or company means the people who do should be denied it.

                  How is that anything other than spiteful for the sake of being spiteful?

                  1. You’re assuming it’s only about the particular line and it’s collectors. If you believe Matty and MOTUC have had negative effects on action figure collecting in general, perhaps in something like showing just how aggressive a company can be with certain marketing techniques, then it’s perfectly reasonable to root for them to fail. Of course I don’t think it’s particularly difficult to understand hoping for Matty to fail even if you limit it just to the frustration they’ve caused.

                     1. The negative effect on action figure collecting in general?

                        Okay, I think that’s a little far gone, but let’s accept your contention that Mattel has in some way damaged the fabric of toy collecting and go from there. If that’s the case, will the overall fabric of toy collecting be healed or salvaged by Dragstor not getting made? Is it to be our sacrifice for what you think is the greater good?

                        1. Why take it so personally? Yes, if you think Mattel failing will be a good thing overall it means some collectors won’t get figures they want. I have no problem with that.

                           1. I think anyone who’s been a fan of the property over the past decade or so would be more than justified in wanting to see Mattel fail.

                              That said, I am of course glad to see next year go through (not that there was really ever any doubt of that) so as to be able to potentially get the last 4-6 figures I’d want. After that, though…yeah, I’m out. Unless the next iteration is really amazing (doubtful. and either way nothing will top 200X for me) and/or Toy Guru is no longer involved

                           2. MO2K was awesome. I still wish we’d gotten a Scareglow in that style.

                           3. All I can tell you is that if you wanted a particular item for your collection, I wouldn’t go around to forums and comment sections talking about how I wish circumstances would arise that would keep you from getting it. I wouldn’t express happiness at your disappointment.

               2. *SLOW CLAP*

                  Well done, sir.

2. Not much I can do since I already put in my order, but obviously I’m ready to enjoy another year of MOTUC. And of course anything after next year as well, which I’m sure will happen.

3. I contend, the exact problem this time is that we know exactly who’s in tbe sub this time. The people who were clamoring for a vintage only lineup were vocal but not numerous. The exact lack of surprise is I think what’s causing this reluctant sub sign up.

   1. I’d totally take some concept characters over the Terror Claws Skelly/Flying Fists He/Laser Light variants that we know are going to come this year. Four figure slots that I really could care less about but “we have to finish the vintage line!”

      So we know we are at least getting 4 He-variants this year –

      Laser Light
      Flying Fists
      Oo-Lar
      Snake Armor

      😀

      1. 🙂 right there with you. thank the maker for cheap customizing gear.

   2. A lot of these figures like Dragstor, Squeeze and Ninjor should have been done before all the nonsense characters Mighty Spector, Castle Grayskullman and Fearless Photog etc.

      1. One man’s nonsense is another mans treasure and the sub needs to cater to as many kinds of MOTU fans as it can.

      2. yeah, completely disagree here mark, as i said, i think the non-vintage figures are precisely what kept customers coming back, and the lack of them is why this year is a tough sell. not trying to convert you to my way of thinking, just clarifying in case i had not been clear.

         1. Don’t get me wrong there was a lot of great non-vintage figures I really liked from NA, 200X and He-Ro and one of the best figures of the entire line, Vikor.

      3. Mark, you’re forgetting the fact that those characters you named were part of the 30th Anniv. sub and those SKU’s weren’t taking the place of any vintage figures.

         1. I was not aware of that.

4. 2015 sub is going to be awesome. I’m already in with 2, considering a 3rd to help push it over. I’m so looking forward to completing the line. I love completion 😉 And the Four Horsemen are right — we’re SO CLOSE! I love their work and I love He-Man.

   1. YES!!!

      I think it’s great for this once we KNOW who we’re getting… I WANT Dragstor, I WANT Saurod, I WANT Blast Attak, I WANT Queen Angella… and guess what, we’re getting them in the 2015 SUB!

5. I’m really excited about the 2015 sub. This was the first year I ever subbed, and have really enjoyed it so I re-upped with no hesitation.
   Is there a skeptical part of me that thinks this weekend’s push is unnecessary for the line to continue? Yeah, there is; but nevertheless I want the sub to go through because I think all the figures (even the variants) will be a lot of fun to have.

6. Toyguru and Mattel only have themselves to blame for the sub not going through. You can only cry wolf so many times.
   I completely agree with Dark Angel that it will miraculously go through again as usual.
   But IF it doesn’t go through hopefully Mattel will make drastic improvements and get people with better business sense to handle their next collector line.

   1. It’s always so funny that folks are obsessed with assigning blame. Us blaming them is really the same as them blaming us. It’s pointless and counterproductive.

      The truth is shit happens and time moves on.

      1. I wouldn’t say assigning blame, but it would be nice if they could admit they made some mistakes. Not that I really care I gave up on the line long ago, I just want to see this goes for friends who still collect the line.

   2. Can you please tell us with your great knowledge exactly HOW Toy Guru and MAttel are to blame for the 2015 Sub not going through?

      1. Poor marketing decisions.

7. I used to be a regular on the Org boards (username VaderLives), but I left shortly after this line started and the “True Fan” mentality began to take over. Your attitude here is much appreciated.

   I’ve never subscribed, and I certainly don’t plan on starting now. Even if I did have the money for it, I’m not going to buy a slew of figures I don’t want in hopes of maybe getting two or three a year I do care about (for example, all I’ve bought this year were Blade, Flogg, and Intergalactic Skeletor. I would like Gwildor and NA She-Ra but likely wont have the money). And certainly not from Mattel. Heck, I’m still mad over how the 200X line was mishandled and the way it ended. Honestly, I will not at all be surprised if this line isn’t completed too.

   Now, if the rumor of a 200X mini sub turned out to be true, that would be something I would subscribe to. But I’ve never been holding my breath on that.

   I definitely agree that a big reason is that we do pretty much know who’s coming. And honestly, what’s left isn’t really all that great. Personally, the only things left from the vintage line that I’m at all interested in (that we haven’t seen, I do want that Ninjor) are Saurod and the Laser Light figures, and I could live without He-Man. Definitely not worth a $500+ commitment.

   What I will be ****ed about if the line does end here is that we never got the one figure I have wanted more than anything else since the line began, 200X Evilseed. But I do know my wallet will be happier whenever the line does come to an end.

8. Heres my though on all this. i think Dark Angel is right, BUT I think If it doesn’t go through that its Mattel being like “well we tried, and you guys didn’t give enough” really though if it doesn’t go through I think its because they want tp push minis an dumbs that cost drastically less to tool than a MOTUC figure does. I’ve said it other places, but a brand in trouble doesn’t get add on subs, or more minis, or a huge $110 vehicle.

   1. The only counter to that is the folks at Mattel seem dumbfounded each year the subs sell less. There’s almost a “how did this happen” tinge when the truth is the sub should sell less every year.

      I do think it will go through. That’s the easy thing to say and look right.

      1. But that’s why the 200X line was cancelled, remember? The fans “weren’t supporting it enough.” Never mind te fact that after the first wave the only figures that could be found in stores were Smash Blade He-Man and Spin Blade Skeletor. And not enough people were watching the cartoon, even though for the second season they changed the timeslot every other week so you had to hunt through CN’s website in hopes of finding when it was going to air. But it was totally all the fans’ fault. Hence the rise of the “True Fan” nonsense.

         I do agree though, if the brand were really struggling as much as they like to say, there certainly wouldn’t have been add on subs, vehicles, two packs, weapon packs, and certainly not a $300 playset.

9. I have mine already. And I convinced a friend to sub too. Sadly I can’t justify a second one (if there was an army builder two-pack ala the palace guards, Horde troopers, or snake soldiers, maybe…but as stands there just isn’t anything I *need* two of. If the Skeletor robots were in the sub I’d probably do another. I suspect those suckers will fly off the shelf.

   I dunno. I don’t want to predict success or failure or lay blame or whatever (although I think the people dancing on the prospective grave of the line are awfully insensitive towards their fellow fans–you don’t like it, that’s fine but their are some of us who do!)

   I just really hope it goes through, either by natural success or Mattel deciding to go through with it even if it’s short. Do I care about every character in it? No. Will I enjoy the figures anyway? Probably. And there are at least two characters (Dragstor and Squeeeze) that I will be really sad not to get.

   So fingers crossed and hopefully we get some positive news after this weekend!

10. Well, I hate to use The H Word, but I do hope this manages to go through. MOTUC is the only thing I was really looking forward to in 2015.

    I got my two subs. There are so many customising and alternative display options available:

    [b]Lizard Man[/b] – one to keep as-is, one to make Brown Bespectacled Lizard Man
    [b]Ninjor[/b] – one masked and Vintage-y, one unmasked with new belt, second extra belt goes to Jitsu
    [b]Oo-Larr[/b] – one as-is, one Alcala head goes on extra He-Man body, one Vintage head goes on extra He-Man body, one Vintage head gets repainted into Wun-Dar
    [b]Huntara[/b] – one to keep as-is (likely with custom soft-goods hood), the other for possible custom-fodder
    [b]SA He-Man[/b] – one to keep as He-Man (head-swap, though), one to turn into SA Grayskull
    [b]BA King Hssss[/b] – one in Human form, one in Serpent form
    [b]Flying Fists He-Man[/b] – one to keep, one to sell off
    [b]Laser Power He-Man[/b] – one to keep, one to sell off
    [b]Rotar[/b] – one to keep, one to sell off
    [b]Terror Claws Skeletor[/b] – one to keep, one to sell off
    [b]Laser Light Skeletor[/b] – one to keep as-is, one to try out a soft-goods upgrade
    [b]Saurod[/b] – one to keep, one for custom fodder
    [b]Twistoid[/b] – one to keep, one to sell off
    [b]Sssqueeze[/b] – one to keep, one for custom fodder
    [b]Blast-Attak[/b] – one intact, one blown apart
    [b]Buzz-Saw Hordak[/b] – one to keep, one to sell off
    [b]Multi-Bot[/b] – one to keep as-is, one to merge into MegaBeast with some extra Modulok parts *
    [b]Dragstor[/b] – one to keep, one to sell off
    [b]Mar[/b]a – one to keep, one for custom fodder
    [b]Unknown slots[/b] – Who knows?

    * and if I can bag a third, Filmation repaint!

    If I could afford to get a couple more subs to resell, I would, but I can’t, and don’t even know how I’d go about selling them.

    1. Dang it. Wrong code tags.

    2. The thing to consider when buying an extra sub to sell is that very few MOTUC figures throughout the year actually rise in value. If you double up on subs because you may want doubles of some and want to save on shipping, I totally get that and do it myself. But buying to resell most likely will not work out too well, and you will probably lose money when all is said and done.

       I think most the audience for figures is already subscribing, and a handfull of them are doing the same exact thing.

       1. So, what I hear is you saying their years of catering to the scalper crowd have built this failure.

          In this I agree. 🙂

          I also suspect the sub will, grudgingly, screaming anguish all the way, go through. The line has a high built-in profit margin (I think it’s likely at least 60%, I know DARN well it’s over the more usual 30%) and with anywhere from 90-98% sell-thru, they’ll take only a minor hit on that margin. I suspect going forward and accepting a slightly reduced profit would be better, publicity-wise.

          So, then, the End of Toy Guru? Has he fumbled his way out of a job? I doubt DC is hiring…

          1. Sometimes I think you collect more assumptions than toys , Steve.

             1. Always have, usually around 97% right in the end. 🙂

                1. That sounds like another one right there. 😉

       2. I wouldn’t resell for profit, just to make money back. But, since I can’t afford any more subs, the point is moot.

11. Not much to say that hasn’t already been stated. I am debating a second sub, but I am not quite on the fence about it yet either. I would love to see this line make it and get that 200x mini sub (which sadly probably won’t be a go based on this 90%)
    Damn…

12. I never understood why Fisto got a “no more 200X heads” pass…

    What the heck does that have to do with a 2015 sub? I have no idea. Heh.

    Hope it goes through for the people that collect them.

    Hope the people that collect them don’t over-buy; at the end of the day no one at Mattel is going to pay that 25 percent interest on your credit card. You might be a “true fan” but also you might be a “broke” fan.

13. I asked on the Ask Matty boards what it would mean if we got with 98/99%.

    He responded:

    “If we can hit within 1% that is A LOT different from 10% but we are really shooting for 100% or more here. This is not only about 2015, but to even consider a 2016 line we need to see positive numbers to previous years. A continuous downward cycle will not help the case to continue after 2015.

    But the primary goal is 100% give or take margin of error to make 2015 happen. A 10% gap is too much to go forward.”

    That’s…somewhat comforting about 2015 anyway.

    1. I’m definitely more interested in the daisy chain. If those MO2K figures are on the hook or something cool in 2016, that almost makes a second sub worth it.

    2. And that right there is how you can tell this is all just Toy Guru’s typical wolf-crying BS.

       How can they be looking into 2016 and beyond if they’ve unequivocally stated that 2015 is the last year for this line?

       I know, I know, he means how the BRAND is going to continue. But it will. It may take a break for a while, but it will most certainly continue. As has been said, if the MOTU brand were really in as dire straits as they want you to think there would not have been add-on subscriptions, accessory packs, vehicles, a giant $300 playset, and a new ongoing comic series at DC. It may not pull in Batman numbers, it probably won’t ever be the powerhouse that it was in the 80s again, but it most certainly has a market. A niche market, but a market nonetheless. And considering that EVERYTHING they release sells out in days (or hours), it’s a market that BUYS, which is the most important thing.

       What I think is really happening here is that they’re just now realizing that if this line is seen through to completion and they put out every character, what are they going to do to get folks to buy into the next line? How do they get people who just bought every character to buy them all again? Doubtless the next line is going to be something completely different from these, it has to be otherwise why would people buy everyone again? I think they’re only now realizing just how tough of a sell that’s going to be, and are weighing whether or not to hold off on the last few characters so they can say “well, we didn’t get to them in 200X, and we didn’t get to them in Classics, but give us your money again and we’ll TOTALLY get to them this time, guys.”

       I’m sure come Monday the line will “miraculously” go through. Pretty sure it was always going to. The only thing I’m concerned about is the rumored 200X mini sub, which is something I would subscribe to. And while I’ll be miffed if that doesn’t happen, my wallet will be happier, and I can always tell myself it was all just a rumor anyway.

       1. I mostly agree, but everything doesn’t sellout anymore. Plenty of items hit the time limit and get pulled down.

          The other thing is that every other toy line refreshes characters. Granted Mattel is behind the curve on action figures, but rebranding isn’t all that hard.

       2. There’s also the fact that many people came to this line late and want to play catch-up. Also, many items sold out within minutes, leaving some people without. I know I’d buy buttloads more Horde Troopers if they were re-released, as would many others.
          And then there are characters like Webstor, Scare Glow, Fisto and The Sorceress, who were under-produced or lost in transit or became sudden smash hits or are excellent custom-fodder (seriously, half the run of Webstors must’ve gone into merging with Empress of the Rachnoss to make either Ambrosia Webstor or another spider charcter), and are commanding ludicrous prices online.

          1. And the trainwrecks that need revisiting, such as “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” Green Goddess, the Amazing Dissolving Snout Spout, whatever others there were…

             1. Whatever others… lol Sometimes I forget that you’re just a sideline commentator when it comes to this line.

                1. I can’t remember EVERYTHING, or rather, I do, it just gets lost in the clutter. 🙂

                   OK, there were figures with reversed biceps, right? The Sorceress has those clumsy wings that don’t let her sit (which is one of the main ways she’s seen!), you have a Queen that also cannot sit (unless you remove the ‘Polly Pockets’ press-on dress and have her in her ’50s-ish space gear, but THEN she’s not the Queen, is she?), the entire issue with the poorly designed armor that forces figures into that “which way to the beach?” stance…

                   Better? 🙂

                   1. No, because all you can do is list a handful of figures with complaints and have zero ability to enjoy all the amazing parts of the line.

                      If you wanted to visit Rome, would you listen to a guy that read about it & can list complaints or someone that’s been there and appreciated the beauty?

                      1. ok, well, i have a collection of almost every reversed shouldergate fig, the exploded pelvis goddess, a few with the weak ankle syndrome (though i got far more lucky than a lot of people in that respect), and a small army of fat-armored flubs… do i get to complain and request a do-over?

                         1. As an actual collector of the line, you definitely get more credence.

                            But if you were really a collector that could only see all the flaws, I’s be more sad for you than I am about how any of the bad ones turned out.

    3. How the hell can they hit more than 100% of plan when they said subs would have a finite number this year? It’s statements like that that lead to conspiracy theories.

       1. Because 100% was the minimum to go into production, not the cap.

          1. right, but then, if there’s a cap, why can’t they just say “we’re 15% away from selling through the subs, let’s get those sold out!” i know why, and it’s a marketing thing, you can’t motivate people to “buy more” just to “have more,” you must motivate the buy “more by” instilling fear of “or else.” even if he doesn’t want to release to us the hard numbers, he has publicly acknowledged that they exist, so speak as if we’re intelligent enough to get that we have two tiers, a min needed for production, and a sold out.

             the issue here is, they’ve muddled their threats. they started with “there’s only X available, so get ’em while you can!” and when that proved a colossal disaster, now they’ve abandoned that threat for the new threat “we’ve only sold X, and that’s not enough for you to have one, so rather than take what we have sold and just reconcile a balance sheet with less money, BUY MORE TOYS!!! guilt your friends, insult strangers online, tow our rhetoric, even though a marketing executive is a paid job and in turn for marketing for us we’re paying you JACK and SQUAT, DO IT OR NO TOYS FANBOY!” you and i can see through this, lots of us can, it’s one threat after another to make sure they coerce a sale because they certainly haven’t done much to earn an honest investment. if they’d focused on actual community relations, or making really excellent subs of genuinely well executed figures, we wouldn’t be in fuzzy math land.

             lastly, it’s worth note that using percentages on us as a threat means, instead of hard numbers, is just beyond stupid. with no way to gauge 1% from 500%, the numbers are make believe at this point, ephemera, they’re jesus on a unicorn in the candy cane forest shooting t rex bullets out of a string cheese AK. he’s threatening us with the bunny in his hat. it’s beyond dumb to even put that out there as if the “numbers” had “meaning.” i suspect the initial cap gambit has entirely been discarded because it was likewise a marketing tool, and not anything related to any kind of actual data like one might find on a quarterly earnings statement. it’s a hunch, but one would have to ask, if they’re this worried about hitting a hard bottom line, why would they be just as worried about creating an artificial hard top line?

             1. I never once feel threatened by anything he says. It’s just harmless sales rhetoric like “get it before it’s gone!” or “while supplies last”, but that’s a different discussion. Suffice to say, it’s always more of an issue of bad marketing (to an admittedly difficult client) than any nefarious coercion.

                I’ve got a suspicion there was always a cap on the subs, a high percentage that was created by some Mattel logistics and it just never came up. This year was different for some reason. Maybe the cap was closer to the actual numbers sold, maybe TG thought it was a worthwhile thing to mention, whatever. I probably would’ve not brought it up because the natural focus is on the minimum. You get the tying run before the winning run everytime.

                1. EVERYTHING DAYRAVEN JUST SAID!

                   For serious.

                   And then combine that with my newly-discovered bit of info that when things don’t sell out after a few days they just take them down and make them no longer available…all I can think is, wait WHAT?! So they willfully choose to make their products not available for sale, and then are shocked when things don’t sell?

                   I mean, I know this is Mattel we’re talking about here, but my god. My brain can’t even handle it.

                   On another note, I quite look forward to your Intergalactic Skeletor review. Mine arrived yesterday (fastest any of these ever have) and it is just outstanding. I understand the big complaint about the armor bulge, and had I a second one I would definitely take an exacto knife to it, but nonetheless it really is just stunning.

                   1. It costs Mattel money to place merchandise on the DR site for sale. If an item drops below selling a certain number of units in a day, then it becomes logical to pull the item down and offer it again later.

                      1. All due respect, THERE is a failure mode right there. If they are paying Digital River for mere placement, that’s crazy.

                         Because by NOT offering items for sale, they’re incurring storage costs, pre-paying taxes on inventory, all sorts of ‘death of a thousand cuts’ losses. Pulling from sale because it didn’t meet some convoluted formula for desired sell-thru LOSES money.

                         but I don’t know a thing about what I’m talking about.

                         1. Um, yeah, that’s one of the craziest things I’ve ever heard. They seriously have to pay a fee PER ITEM just to list something on the online store? How can that business model even exist? That is just asking to lose money.

                            I can understand if they don’t want to be responsible for people’s credit card information. Believe me, I get that. So then what you do there is you host the store pages on your site (and it’s not like we’re talking about some mom and pop startup here, it’s friggin’ Mattel, they can afford to put a few more pages up) and then outsource the payment processing.

                            Yes, this is something that I have had experience with.

                            I mean I keep telling myself this is Mattel we’re talking about here, but for real, good lord.

                            I’m sure all this is moot anyway and in a few hours we’ll see that 2015 “magiccally” is a go. But still.

                            1. It’s a common business practice. It’s what Digital River and thousands of other ecommerce companies do because companies like Mattel just want to sell stuff without creating a giant infrastructure that processes, packs, & ship orders, (basically a whole new company) to do it. It rakes in tons of money for the ecommerce companies and for the companies making good, so it’s not that crazy.

                               If you’ve ever sold on eBay, you have done the same thing. We don’t know the exact arrangement with DR or how many SKUs Mattel pays to have available at a time, but it doesn’t matter. Clearly this “recipe for failure” has worked just fine for over six years, but whatever. Mattel’s problem is in gathering the interest of customers, they’re perfectly capable of saving money so we can all rest assured this method is cheaper.

                         2. Wait wait wait.

                            ‘normal practice for e-commerce’? I can’t see for the life of me how that’s normal. The point of e-commerce is reducing payroll and infrastructure overhead. Mattel is already paying for the site. They’re paying for the rack storage. They’re paying for the service of picking and packing the order. As another poster said, the entire infrastructure is already in place and embedded. it’s NOT me selling an item on eBay, it’s an existing store on the web. It’s all numbers in a computer, it CAN’T cost extra to have one or a dozen SKUs added to the thing. There is no effective physical added burden that, for example, adding an additional Customer Service Rep and attendant phone and computer line. Or in retail terms, hiring an extra parttimer.

                            Let me say this one more time. The stock is ALREADY in the hands of Digital River. It’s sitting on those racks waiting to be sold to Big Lots. It’s taking up space, it’s eating into the profit margin every single minute it’s not listed for sale because selling just one a day may well be all that’s needed to at least slow the bleeding.

                            So, let us say that when Mattel takes an item off sale they also remove it from Digital River to some cheaper warehouse. That move still costs money. Then they move it back, and THAT costs money.

                            Noisy, I know I’ve lost a lot of cred with you lately, but of all the things I know, I do understand retail logistics. It’s what I’ve been in all my life. This formula, Digital River, taking things off-sale because it didn’t meet whatever convoluted ‘sell thru time limit’ just makes no sense.

                            1. in large part because the math is bad steve.

                               you pointed out a dozen ways that having physical goods that aren’t selling are eating up profits and you’re on the money there…

                               what noisy might be implying is that digital river charges some bandwidth fee, maybe a “per page” fee every time mattel runs a toy up the flag for sale…

                               but the model noisy is presenting is that that per-page tack-on EXCEEDS the cost of the warehousing and transport of the physical goods, to make taking the goods off the sales page less expensive than having the goods rot in a warehouse. that’s where i have to call shenanigans. i know noisy is tech smart, but the math on that scenario seems untenable at best… and of course, he doesn’t know, he’s speculating just like we are… except that our speculation fits the facts with fewer leaps in logic.

                               he points out that this has been a money making endeavor for 6 years, but forgets that TG, if he can be believed at all, has continually, for 6 years, harped that this is a labor of love, and has very little in terms of profit, this is “for the fans” and they have no extraneous budget to spend… so they’re not really making money, they’re breaking even; that’s the case that the guy in charge has been selling us for 6 years. and now we might know why…

                               if mattel is indeed paying that much for digiriv to work their site, they have negotiated for themselves the worst contract this side of dr faust. a presence on amazon, or even ebay, would cost substantially less than the accumulation of freight fees.

                            2. I’m even better at math than tech. 😉

14. I’m almost certain that even if they didn’t get any more sales this weekend, which of course they will, that the 2015 line will still go through. That said, I’ll only be slightly disappointed as Angella is really the only true “Must Have” to complete the primary characters that I feel I need. But if it doesn’t go through, that’s money back in the bank that I could probably use. I’m pretty certain however that after 2015 it really is the end (outside of convention exclusives)until the movie gets off the ground, which may never happen anyway.

15. If they want subs. How about advertise what figs they will reissue. I came into it late.
    There’s a few new collectors like me. Who only want a few key characters. If I knew they would reissue teela, tri-klops, stinkor, trapjaw(the pricey ones on secondary maket) hands down I’d sign up, without thought.
    Heck even a battle armour faker!
    I wish I had the money to get every figure in the sun.

    1. I do find it odd that they never go after that low-hanging fruit. I’m hopeful to see a few things like that in the post-sub offerings (should there be any).

16. How to create your own mini sub to help the classics line keep going

    Step 1 – Sub up using a credit card that expires in early 2015
    Step 2 – get lizard man, oo-lar etc before card expires.
    Step 3 – ignore email from matty asking to update card info
    Step 4 – when card expires, Mattel will cancel the rest of your sub
    Step 5 – sell the figures you don’t want on ebay for a profit
    Step 6- repeat in 2016 😉

    1. LOL! AmEx Serve, it’s free.

17. The next line is already revealed! It’s the Jumbos that have a drastically reduced tooling and are not the original sculpts. That and minis which again way less tooling.

18. Really? Well to be honest I haven’t paid quite as close attention this year since there were only 3 that I wanted, but honestly NA Skelly is the first thing I’ve seen that hasn’t sold out in a day (which boggles my mind since I think he easily looks to be the best fifigure this year, if not in the entire line, but different strokes for different folks I guess…).

    And yes, I admit, I am still pissed to this day about Mer Man selling out in less than an hour.

    And yeah, there are a bunch of characters I’d love to go back and pick up, money permitting. If, you know, they would just reissue the damn things. I KNOW we’re not alone in that. Why they’ve never fealt there was a viable market for that is beyond me.

    But yeah, the more I think about that reply the more ticked I am. Seriously, how could they possibly be looking at these numbers to determine what they may do in 2016 if 2015 wasn’t already a lock? And how could they possibly not expect to sell less this year, there aren’t many good characters left (since they’re pandering to the vintage only croud).

    1. Oh yeah. I don’t know the last time I updated it, but the checklist includes sell out times. Most things last for days and lesser important items get pulled after a week. Except for the occasional high demand fig, it’s not what it used to be.

       1. Well I’ve got to tell you, I pretty much just follow the upcoming releases page, so I guess I’ll have to give the whole checklist a gander sometime.

19. This is the last drama toyguru have created

    Poor all those that believe his lies

    1. I feel more sorry for the folks who can’t enjoy the good parts than the folks that believe the “lies”.

       1. yep.

    2. Honestly, Scott is not someone I know personally. He’s not some friend who promised to help me move then never showed up. I don’t believe all his “lies” because I don’t get caught up in everything he says.
       I also don’t believe he owes me anything.
       What I will do is buy the figures I choose to buy, and enjoy them as they come. You can choose to pity people who buy into the sub, but plenty of us are just in it for fun and there’s nothing to pity.
       Please try not to let your hobby ruin your day.

20. But…they would already have all of that infrastructure in place. How else would all of their merchandise be sent to stores? Whether a customer is ordering one figure or a hundred cases, it all has to go through the same process. Saying that it’s like someone selling an individual item on ebay is not a valid comparison. They are already in the business of selling and shipping product to customers. That IS their entire business.

    Ugh, when are they just going to say that next year is a go already?

    1. They don’t have infrastructure to sell to individual consumers. That kind of picking, packing, and shipping isn’t the same as handling mass retail ordering (speaking of, some mass retailers bring the Mattel items from the factory to their own warehouses directly, which I’m sure Mattel prefers). Granted some of DR’s packing jobs look like a forklift operator did it.

       The eBay comparison is especially valid because the low volume stock sold on Mattycollector is not worth creating a wholly owned operation like the one suggested here. It’s cheaper to pay someone to use their existing infrastructure, DR for ordering and DCL for shipping, then it would be to invest in building that infrastructure yourself. eBay serves the same purpose for you, it’s easier to use their infrastructure to handle the order then build your own webstore to divest items.

       Digital River provides this service for tens of thousands of companies.

21. Well, the “Kowlometer” is full to the goal, so…yeah.

    Granted I haven’t looked before now, but yeah.

    Who would have thought, right??

    1. Where did you see it full? All I’ve seen is TG being a downer on the forums.

       1. Looked on Mattycollector, it’s showing on the page where you purchase a sub (once you click on whichever shipping option).

          Unless I’m reading it wrong. But the picture of Kowl is completely filled and the top of his ears are touching the “goal” mark…

          1. It’s not full as I write this. One of the many geniuses that work at Mattel decided to use a shade of colour similar to the shade of Kowl’s ear.

             1. Ohh, ok, I see what you mean. Had to zoom in on my phone to see that.

                Well that was just a BRILLIANT design choice…

22. It seems somewhat pointless when they don’t update it anyway. I think it has been at the same point since before the Friday before it closed.

    1. Mark, what turns your Eeyore into a Tigger?

       1. LOL. Competence. 😉

          1. That’s a pipe dream. What else? 🙂

             1. If Mattel announce a Thundercats or Bravestarr Classics I line I would be first in line saying take my money.

                1. I would love to get Bravestarr back from the depths!

                   1. I love the Bravestarr cartoon and toys. It’s because of Bravestarr I have a grudge against Mattel LOL. When the toyline was released over here in Northern Ireland the marketing geniuses at Mattel decided that it would be a bad idea including the hero character. During the Bravestarr hunt back then eventually my Mum and Dad rang Mattel and they informed them that they never shipped any of the Bravestarr figures in the cases to Northern Ireland. Years later I did eventually get one form the USA.

                      1. That sucks!

23. well, it went through, exactly as the guy who discovered the graphic on their image hosting site predicted, on sun. 🙂 who could have guessed?

    seriously, i love motu, as a property, but regardless of the rebrand or whatever comes down the pipe in 2016, i’m doner than done with this crap. my soul can’t take it.

    1. It’s a festivus miracle!

       1. I like to think of it as sleeping on a long trip. Just happy to be at the destination and who cares what happened to get there. lol

    2. Well, you know Mattel had no money in the budget for a “We failed” graphic. 😉

24. Well, 2015 is happening. That’s all I care about right now.

    1. Absolutely! Let’s roll!

    2. hope you’re happy! 😉

       1. Happy? No, mate. Effin’ THRILLED.

          1. then i’m happy too. 🙂 my wife, less so…

25. Well it’s over and I am sure a lot of fans who stuck with it are happy.
    It is very strange though that they managed to get the full 10% after only yesterday claiming that they were no where making the 100%.
    But then again judging by the subs people were doing on He-Man.org it isn’t surprising. When so many fans have to buy x amounts of subs to make it go through can the line really be classed as successful? One fan in particular had 45 subs…..

    1. I feel the worst for those folks. If they have the money, that’s great, but if it’s a struggle I wish they wouldn’t.

       1. I suppose they can always sell the other figures on EBay.

          1. Unfortunately, as the line has grown into the more obscure characters, the secondary market prices have understandably declined. You could sell them, but it might be more about space than getting your money back.

             1. All they need to do is tag those items with “ULTRA-RARE! LAST SERIES EVAR! VHTF! L@@K!!!!!” and some sap will pay whatever they ask. };D

                1. If Flying Fist He-Man looks as good as the original I might even be tempted to get him to at least own one MOTU figure again.

                   1. I never had that one! I’m excited to see how he turns out in Classics though.

                2. It would be interesting if there was very little day of and that, combined with the ending, does raise up any prices.

26. The good news for Noisy (and at least some of us) is I’m sure we’ll see at least three to four figures at SDCC next year (provided the rebranding still involved Horsemen / MOTUC style figured). And even if THAT weren’t to go through (and let’s be honest at this point lol) that might mean at least a handful of concept / obscure / unique characters that got released quarterly.

    I mean…a guy can dream right?

    #silverlinings

    1. Actually, I’m curious…let’s say you got ONE more figure beyond 2015. Who would you want?

       I think I’d have to go with that sabretoothed Snake-Man, Fang-Or.

       1. I think a classics Sagitar would be really cool.

          1. Oh yeah! I wasn’t even thinking about NA characters… ugh. Darius!

       2. As you can imagine, that’s not an easy answer for me. 🙂 Fang-Or is a great choice.

          If everything was possible, I still really want that Horde Mummy that they absolutely can’t do. So, foregoing him, I think it still has to be Red Beast. I don’t know that I’d love the figure – they’d go big, likely using the Gygor body, but I’d love to have a big bear in the line. I think Gladiator would look spiffy as a figure too.

    2. I’m thinking Laser Power He-Man and Laser-Light Skeletor are the SDCC exclusives in 2015.

27. Dragoon!

28. Oh god I know! Scareglow and Spikor 2K style would have been amazing. And it’s still bulls**t that we never got Clawful, Stinkor, Sorceress, and Webstor as figures. It’s not like they were the Horde who were introduced at the very end, or some of the other characters they did as stactions that weren’t ever introduced into the series…I mean come on, friggin’ Clawful. He was there from day one.

    I so hope the 2K mini sub happens. There are still lots of characters from that series I want to get my hands on. Evilseed, Sorceress (hey, they made both toy and cartoon versions of Randor, so it’s not entirely without precident), Veena, Hawk, Stingrad, the “Horde Magicians,” one of those snow creatures that had the metal Trap Jaw couldn’t eat…

    1. I don’t own a single MOTU toy anymore but I would buy a 200X King Randor. I always thought he had a great design and was a great character in the show.

    2. That’s actually my bigger concern this whole time was that if Mattel failed at getting to 100% here, how that would impact that long rumored 2K sub. I’m really looking forward to that possibility.

       1. If the 2K sub happens, I will actually subscribe to that.

          1. Due to my finances and overall lack of interest in collecting I wouldn’t subscribe, not to mention the postage costs, but I would definitely keep a watch for one on EBay….and maybe a couple other. Beginning to wish I hadn’t sold Vikor and my remaining vintage MOTU figures now LOL.

29. So when do I get to see Perfuma damm it!

    1. Huntara counts I guess, but I was surprised Perfuma and Peekablue weren’t shown for the sub opener. Then again though, we are right at the beginning of a POP binge. lol

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