Posted on: August 4th, 2009 Mattel Pushes Collector’s Buttons

When it comes to collecting superhero licensed toys, there’s no doubt that Mattel is ruling the roost with their DC Universe Classics line. Every wave of these 6″ figures are wonderfully crafted by legendary toy sculptures The Four Horseman, feature awesome sculpts and likenesses, great articulation and just overall a super-high cool factor. This line is so successful that it is also damn near impossible to find at standard retail level or for a reasonable price.

Normally you would say that’s a good problem to have, an established toy manufacturer with an established comic license is selling out all over North America. Sadly though, the problems with Mattel’s DCUC line stems far beyond selling out and being scooped up immediately by the most rabid of toy collectors.

Now, before I start the engine on the blame train headed for Mattel here, let me reiterate that the DCUC line really is amazing. Right now it is the only line that I’m really into, that I’ll actually drive around hunting for if I suspect I could find some. I currently have 6 of the 8 waves available, and they are the star of my nerdery. I think this is why we toy collectors are so upset with Mattel right now; if this line were mediocre I don’t think we’d care as much.

The first problems with the DC Universe Classics line really stared to creep up with a noticeable lack of quality control. All over collecting message boards, consumers were reporting bad paint applications, missing or broken limbs on characters and wrong parts on their figures. This issue lasted a few waves before Mattel addressed the issue on their official Matty Collector Facebook page, and stepped up their quality control. I’ve been fortunate enough that I haven’t had any major issues with quality control aside from the odd little speck of renegade paint. For a time there, this was a huge issue for many invested in the line.

Next up came an issue that Mattel still hasn’t resolved, and in fact is becoming worse: availability.

It is getting really ridiculous to find and afford these figures. While you may find the occasional Mr. Miracle warming the peg at your local Toys ‘R’ Us, Wal-Mart or Target, the chances of you actually finding a new DCUC figure is incredibly slim. It really started with wave 2 which included Aquaman and Harley Quinn; there’s a fair amount of collectors who to this day have never seen a figure from this wave in person. Waves 3 and 4 were a little better for retail, but you almost had to be at the store on the day they were put out to find them. Specialty shops like comic book stores or collector stores would occasionally carry the line but would mark up the figures to an unfair price; from the standard $14.99 to $24.99+ per figure.

Then came the death stomp for many DCUC collectors. Wave 5 became a Wal-Mart exclusive wave. This meant that the only place you could find all the figures, including Riddler, Eradicator, Black Lightning, Amazo, The Atom and a Collect-And-Connect Metallo,was at Wal-Mart. No online retailers, no Toys ‘R’ Us. No Target. Not Only were these ridiculously difficult to find, but there was a serious lack of distribution meaning that they were now almost impossible to find. At one point an entire wave 5 was selling on ebay for over $600.

The fans were outraged, and Mattel has yet to re-release the wave to all retailers and increase distribution and shipping amounts. They did however just increase the price by two dollars to $16.99 per figure.

Mattel have truly managed to whip us collectors into a controlled frenzy. We know if we find the figures we’re going to buy them and as much as we bitch and complain we aren’t going to give up the hunt. Fans flocked to the San Diego Comic Con to see the future waves of DCUC. Their DCUC panel filled up as collectors cheered and clapped when images of new and future figures were shown. It wasn’t until immediately after the con that fans realized they had been duped that very weekend.

Months ago we started getting announcements from major toy companies of what their con exclusive would be. You see, every year at SDCC there are a ton of figures and statues and collectibles and variants that you can only get at that company’s booth during the convention. You can find them online afterwards, marked up on ebay, but for all intents and purposes they are exclusive in every sense of the word. Last year Mattel sold a DCUC Lobo figure exclusive to SDCC and that was a huge hit and very successful. This year they really wanted to blow it out of the park, but ended up blowing it out of their ass. They announced that the DCUC con exclusive would be a Wonder Twins box-set featuring Zan, Jayna and Gleek the monkey from the DC Super Friends animated series. That’s all fine and cool and fans were excited. Then Mattel dropped a bomb that would divide the fans and piss them off to the high heavens. They announced that immediately after the con the Wonder Twins set would be available for purchase online at the official Mattel store, mattycollector.com. The only difference is that this set available to the general public would be a two-pack with the Zan and Jayna characters and no Gleek. Gleek the monkey would now be only available in separate packaging for those in line at SDCC. Basically you would have to wait in line to get a Zan and Jayna set (these lines are notorious for taking hours) then get into another line, show your receipt and package and then claim your Gleek figure.

Collectors went bananas online because they would be given the chance to buy the two-pack but not the Gleek figure. Personally, I understand the term “exclusive” and have no problem with it. There has been exclusives and variants and things of that nature available only to certain audiences since toys started being collected. But still, fans demanded blood and wanted their damned monkey, and still Mattel stood strong keeping the Gleek figure at the con. But they royally fucked that up.

Many fans and collectors that braved the long lines to get their Wonder Twins were set up for disappointment, as many of them were turned down once they got to the booth to pick up their Gleek figure. Mattel, in typical fashion, didn’t have an equal amount of Gleek/Wonder Twins sets. So now what is meant to be a convention exclusive is now a convention exclusive exclusive.

Great job Mattel. way to please your fans. Oh, but it gets worse!

Mattel announced on their Facebook page that a “lost” box of Gleek figures was found at the convention space, after the convention had ended. So all those folks that didn’t get the Gleek toy they thought they were intitled to, didn’t get one because someone lost a fucking box. Now, you would think that Mattel would try to rectify the situation and get these Gleeks in the hands of their dedicated collectors. You would think that they would produce more Gleeks and put them up on their offical store for everyone to enjoy and to show good faith with the people who spend thousands of dollars on your products yearly.

But no, Mattel didn’t do anything like that. In another dumb, bonehead move, Mattel gave these found Gleeks to a small online forum for toy-collectors, Fwoosh.com, to give away to their registered members. Now like I said, I’m not against selling exclusives, but if you’re going to do that make sure that you follow through with those who make the effort to buy them, and if you fuck it up like Mattel, you better rectify it for everyone, and fast.

So Mattel has us wrapped around their fingers. I’ll probably keep buying the DCUC line because I really love the product once it’s in my hand, and I’m sure most collectors will stick with it too.

But c’mon Mattel, use your head for once before Marvel and Hasbro put you to shame.

One Response to “Mattel Pushes Collector’s Buttons”

1. Gavin Says:
   August 4th, 2009 at 12:11 pm

   It’s the Wonderidiots. Who really cares?

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