The State of the Toy Business.

[kup]

I think toy interest is down not so much because kids have changed and wouldn't be interested but because there isn't really much that is actually worth being excited about any more. Naturally a kid would say that toys are lame because he is growing up in an era where most of them are indeed lame.

Just look at the rubbish that is on the shelves now.

On the other hand, Lego seems to be doing alright and so a girl toys apparently - Just Mattel mishandling the market as they usually do. It's just the action figure/Boy's toys which are suffering because their quality and innovation have deteriorated to a point not even kids want them.

Also the 'medium' promoting the toys isn't that great. We haven't had a good Transformers cartoon that becomes a sensation in a very long time (I think Beast Wars was the last one? Other cartoons did ok but didn't stand out above most as a whole) and Bay movies despite 'mixed perceptions' seem to be a 'watch and forget' affair and you need enduring appeal to sell toys.

[Alpha Supreme]

As an adult fan I'm crying out for Masterpieces... hoping that HASTAK will do more and release them in Australia. Also as an adult who loves Transformers I have influenced my nieces and nephews when it comes to their choice of toys... engage the adult as well as the child and you have a winner.

[millhouse]

As an adult fan I'm crying out for Masterpieces... hoping that HASTAK will do more and release them in Australia. Also as an adult who loves Transformers I have influenced my nieces and nephews when it comes to their choice of toys... engage the adult as well as the child and you have a winner.

When they're significantly more expensive (Prowl) or difficult to find (Soundwave), you might as well collect the Takara ones, which are easier to get hold of, generally with more accessories available (even if they're Amazon exclusives in Japan), often with higher quality paint/quality control (compare the recent Grimlock re-releases from Hasbro and Takara).

[kurdt_the_goat]

When they're significantly more expensive (Prowl) or difficult to find (Soundwave), you might as well collect the Takara ones, which are easier to get hold of, generally with more accessories available (even if they're Amazon exclusives in Japan), often with higher quality paint/quality control (compare the recent Grimlock re-releases from Hasbro and Takara).

Seriously! Someone at Nexus was selling a TT Prowl for $75 and got haggled down to even less. Buyer went off to get the money and i remarked to the seller "You should have kept it $75 and told him to visit TRU and pay $100 if he doens't like it!"

[millhouse]

Seriously! Someone at Nexus was selling a TT Prowl for $75 and got haggled down to even less. Buyer went off to get the money and i remarked to the seller "You should have kept it $75 and told him to visit TRU and pay $100 if he doens't like it!"

The quality, pricing, and availability is exactly why most of my MP collection has become Takara.

Even when they're pricey, they don't have the issues I've seen on some Hasbro stuff. That being said, my Hasbro MP-10 and Thundercrackers are perfect.

[nexusnixx]

Seriously! Someone at Nexus was selling a TT Prowl for $75 and got haggled down to even less. Buyer went off to get the money and i remarked to the seller "You should have kept it $75 and told him to visit TRU and pay $100 if he doens't like it!"

$75 for tt prowl was there was haggling - perceived value for these babies have come down.

I had 2 people trying to open the linkin park Soundwave. If I had not stopped in time it will been torn open.

[kurdt_the_goat]

$75 for tt prowl was there was haggling - perceived value for these babies have come down.

I had 2 people trying to open the linkin park Soundwave. If I had not stopped in time it will been torn open.

It went for $65 maybe? It was either Llamatron or snaketales who sold it i think.

[SharkyMcShark]

Quality has gone through the floor since 2011 to the extent that I've basically stopped collecting. I used to be a fairly broad consumer of the franchise - absolutely loved the movie line figures, didn't particularly like the Animated show but got most of the figures, and got a fair whack of the Generations/Classics stuff too, but no more.

The last six new Transformers toys that I bought and actually enjoyed were

Gen Springer (April 2013)
DoTM Human Alliance Roadbuster (Jan 2013)
MP-13 Sideswipe (mid/late 2012)
MP-12 Starscream (June 2012)
FE Prime Cliffjumper (Feb 2012)
DoTM Human Alliance Soundwave (Feb 2012)

Basically everything else I've seen from DoTM and Prime's mainline going forward has been absolute garbage to the extent that for the first time in literally about 16 years I don't even bother to keep up with what's on the horizon, what's actually coming out, and what's hot.

I don't know how much that would affect non-adult collectors but it's basically killed off most of my interest in Hasbro and Takara's stuff, and now my purchasing pattern is older figures that I missed and feel like I'd enjoy and third party stuff.

[5FDP]

The last Transformer I ever bought was Encore Fort Max. The only thing that would bring me back to collecting at this point is if they announce a MP Shockwave or reissue G1 Dinobots.

[Omega Metro]

I think toy interest is down not so much because kids have changed and wouldn't be interested but because there isn't really much that is actually worth being excited about any more. Naturally a kid would say that toys are lame because he is growing up in an era where most of them are indeed lame.

Just look at the rubbish that is on the shelves now.

On the other hand, Lego seems to be doing alright and so a girl toys apparently - Just Mattel mishandling the market as they usually do. It's just the action figure/Boy's toys which are suffering because their quality and innovation have deteriorated to a point not even kids want them.

Also the 'medium' promoting the toys isn't that great. We haven't had a good Transformers cartoon that becomes a sensation in a very long time (I think Beast Wars was the last one? Other cartoons did ok but didn't stand out above most as a whole) and Bay movies despite 'mixed perceptions' seem to be a 'watch and forget' affair and you need enduring appeal to sell toys.

Agree that today's toy lines are crap. Why isn't MOTU as 'mainstream' as Star Wars or Transformers these days?