Matty Collector

[FFN]

Taking risks - here's the flip side: what if Mattel thought X product line, specific figures and such were too risky for a full retail production run and projections indicated not enough interest from the mass market and/or did not encounter enough retailer interest?

With Transformers specifically I can see it getting anything more than a remold or redeco if such an online store existed. Due to the cost of engineering a TF it would never happen.

One can dream though. And yes, I'd expect Star Wars to take the lead.

I don't think there's much Hasbro can do with Star Wars that they haven't already done. I could only see director-to-collector sales on stuff that has little mass market appeal.

Fans would have never dreamed of a new Millennium Falcon, AT-TE, Turbo Tank, AT-AT, Slave-1 ect a few years ago. In fact, the only things that I can see Hasbro not doing is something that is impossible to get at a certain price point or is purely impractical. I believe anything figure scale is fair game to be made perhaps one day, so long as there isn't a legal problem (see: the Tonnika sisters).

Hasbro may be a larger toy company than Mattel but the latter is still within the same league and it's not as if they are struggling.

According to at least 2009 figures, Mattel is still the largest toy company based upon revenue, and they still enjoy larger total assets. Hasbro's share price is worth almost twice as much, however, and they're slowly catching up in revenue.

I've actually discussed this with many people over the past couple of years (some of them even work for Hasbro). It's been a point of debate for some time among fans of collectible action figures.

Personally, I think it comes down to the fact that Hasbro just aren't a company that's known for taking risks... and having an online-only collector's line for adults available for only (often) one day per month, is too much of a damn risk. Of course, Mattel are known for blazing the trail somewhat, and while they certainly haven't got it 100% right yet and there are MANY issues that need to be addressed, I commend them for taking the chance.

...

I think Hasbro will eventually have some sort of online store for low-production, fan specific figures (probably more likely to be Star Wars first though), but not for a while... Not until they see how viable it's been for Matty. They're so slow to react because they fear taking risks... kinda like Hollywood.

Mattycollector.com was probably as risky to Mattel as it would have been for Hasbro it's just that the former is not afraid to take that risk. Despite people whining about the handling of the matty website (that includes me) we still come back for more and the toys sell out within the hour because there is indeed a market for collector toys which Hasbro largely neglects.

Mattel is now barely tapping into that Market and it has turned out be be very profitable given the announced longevity of the MOTUC line. The 3rd party Transformer companies are seriously exploiting it because they have discovered it to be a largely profitable market largely neglected by the large toy giants.

I think a question that should be asked is: Does Hasbro need to market directly to their collectors? From what I've seen and heard from Hasbro's designers (and specifically Hasbro's Transformers designers), they got into this business to make toys for children, to live out some sort of dream to make the things they would have enjoyed when they were that age.

What else can Hasbro make that they don't already do? We are not left wanting for products that collectors can enjoy. We are not like the MOTU fans who only have a handful of toys for a franchise that isn't going anywhere.

It also helps that many of Matty's lines (at least 4 that I can think of right off the top of my head) have Brand Managers who have "fan-boy" passion and commitment towards them. Hasbro doesn't seem to be the same.

Take it from me: In my dealings with people who work or have worked for Hasbro, I have never once questioned their personal passion for the brands they work upon or the professional commitment to them. At the same time, I don't expect them to view the brand from the same perspective as we fans do 24 hours a day, because that's their work, this is just our hobby.

The fact that their brands are doing so well is a testament to them. It is not dumb luck or the consumer not caring, tt's the hard work that Hasbro have put in.