The thought that retailers want gimmick lines so they can promote them is just bollocks. In their hearts they believe this but in practice they just slap some pics in a catalogue at best.

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What they reeally want is 1 or 2 (hopefully exclusive) "Wow! items" to draw attention to the catalogue and encourage visits to the shop. Be it Stomp 'n Chomp Grimlock, Metroplex, or playsets - just add some enticing details about the toy so the kids want to see it in person. Focus the gimmicks on those larger items where the size helps them shine. Everything else can logically interact with them and viola! you have just created Castle Greyskull, the Lego Deathstar, or the Turtles Sewer base - magnets that people have to see for themselves. Not a whole line of compromised 1-action wonders "cause i have one and now i want to by a whole line of transformers to be gimped with a power-punch action"no matter the sense of it!

-_-

[/rant]