Have you slowed or stopped collecting MOTU Classics? Mattel wants to know why!
Thursday, January 24th, 2013 by Pixel Dan
For those of you who still purchase MOTUC with the same passion with which you started, you don’t need to read any further.
But if you’re a fan who has cut back on your MOTUC purchases, or if you have ceased purchasing MOTUC altogether, Mattel’s own Scott “ToyGuru” Neitlich wants to know why.
He-Man.org has set-up an official poll with various options to find out your top reason for slowing or ceasing your MOTUC purchases. Please click here to vote today! This poll will run until 11:59pm EST on Friday, February 1st. Make your voices heard! Thank you for participating!
I havent really slowed or stopped, it's just I can feel my interests waining a bit. I have a 2013 sub. and will possibly get a 2014 one as well, but some issues are mounting for me, personally. First and the most basic reason is that here is a line of figures that shares parts and there so man y characters being released, so I feel that it's becoming a little monotonous seeing the same legs and bodies repainted in all these different fashions. I know we are getting beloved characters, but for instance the vintage Spikor was a new buck with a working action feature, whereas the Classics version is just a repainted buck with a rubber slip of armor placed over it, and the action feature is static. Granted with characters like Ram Man, there is some diversity, but the repetitive nature of of getting repainted bucks and static action features is definitely challenging my interests in the line and forcing me to ask myself how much of a fan am I. If the respective figures were each given working action features and/ or slightly modified bucks and other basic parts, I'd definitely feel different.
The only other issue I have is not even Digital River. It's the paint apps. I have had to return several figures including Mosquitor due to bad and sloppy paint apps. This has got to be a tough problem to fix logistically, but it's one that is tough for me to deal with as a collector. I am not that much of a perfectionist but when I get a figure with a very noticeable blemish, it's hard to reconcile the fact I paid so much for him knowing there is a perfect one to be had out there somewhere!
Thanks for taking the time for this Scott! -Joey
I agree, I'm priced out of being a sub holder. I love MOTU, and would buy most anything, but when the large scale, and multiples started in the sub, I just can't justify to myself or family that I'm dropping that much cash on a collectable each month. That said, even as a "cherry picker," shipping makes each figure nearly unjustifiable.
I still purchase MOTUC figures but it's been cut down a bit! I voted for for price of purchase. Overall it's over $40 for one figure! That's ridiculous! The for the cost of shipping they should arrive within the week not 2 weeks!!
I voted yesterday. My answer was shipping. I feel the figures themselves are worth it, but shipping is ridiculous, especially considering the snail's pace in which I get stuff.
Love the line, but the overall costs have priced me out for the most part.
I actually went up this year. This will probably be my last year with the subs. The price is just too high for a 6 inch figure. If I could find these figures in store for 25$ I would consider buying, but with shipping its just not justifiable. I love this line, but the combination of waning list of characters, price, shipping, QC issues, and bad customer service, I have little desire to return. I dont think just fixing one thing would sway me to re-up. I would make an exception for a Filmation sub line. Love me some Filmation.
For me it's a combination of things – price, character selection and either resigning myself to a sub, or risking the website on sale day or the after price on ebay.
I was ready to give up after Shadow Weaver as I felt the line was treading water, which is OK for a casual buyer, but being locked in for everything makes it very expensive for figures that would not normally have the shelf space. But I also felt 2012 ended on a high with the last few figures being exceptional. except Mosquitor – he was rubbish 😉
I think as a sub it should go out on a high and possibly then work on a pre-order basis, like Castle Greyskull – if enough people want it at that price point, they can make it – and the castle is a good example – the price point is high, but people have stumped up the cash a year in advance, with only concept art!
It's such a lot of money and I personally like it when I can see an end in sight and can move on and enjoy what I have instead of worrying about what will turn up in April.
I am still currently an active subscriber……so I guess my thoughts aren’t as valid, but I do want to know….WHY THE HELL DOES THIS STUFF NOT EVER MAKE TO THE MATTY SITE???? I found out on another website (not this one) about Ram Man being delayed, any of the polls that happen, updates, questions from the Four Horsemen regarding the Filmation artifacts…..all those videos the Toy Guru has been putting up, pretty much anything regarding Matty Collector’s products. What up with that? How do sites like Toy News International and Action Figure Insider know that Ram Man is delayed before me, the subscriber? I have to say the lack of communication on Toy Guru and Mattel’s part is overwehlming. We have been saying for years the DR sucks….and nothing. And you guys are asking us these silly questions, as if our voices in any of these matters actually are being heard. People want to be heard. Are wallets are the only thing that matter to you guys. HEY DAN!!!! How about you ask your boy TG why subscribers are always the last to know?
I see all of the updates on their Facebook page. I think that's where Matty always posts their news. So if you're on Facebook, I guess the best thing to do is follow them, or rely on sites like He-Man.org or TNI to post the news after they see it on Facebook. I agree with you that their own site should absolutely be the place where they post updates. I really couldn't tell you why it's not. For whatever reason they have always opted to use their Facebook page to post the majority of their news updates.
You are a good guy Pixel Dan 🙂
As someone who has a good paying job and disposable income, I don’t have any complaints about the cost, my ONLY complaint is that you CAN’T switch shipping methods AFTER you bought a sub, I mistakenly selected regular/Cornerstone/snail mai las my shipping method, I NEED TO CHANGE THAT TO UPS, but CAN’T!
Mattel needs to get rid of the "fillers" in the line and stick with what characters people want to buy. That's why I don't by subs. I don't want toys that look like they belong on a 4 year old girls shelf. Star Sisters and all that garbage. Plus, the BS that Scott spouts off on a consistent basis doesn't help either.
I quit collecting and sold everything except Vikor and Gygor. The QC issues, even on my He-Man and Skeletor, were just too terrible to justify spending so much on these things. Besides, I bought Vikor and Gygor for cheaper on BBTS.
Jeuss christ, is this because all does roboducks and gygor gorillas were spotted at retail? I swear, matty needs to organise their shit and stop this jeriking around. herpderp, I'm voicing my opinion.
Just a reminder guys, if you want Mattel to see you need to click the link and vote in the poll. Mattel may not come here to read your comments.
But if you're just venting, cool! Don't let me stop you! Vent away! 🙂
I said this on the last Gooble and also on the .org forums, but my biggest issue right now is definitely the shipping costs. I agree that the QC issues and Digital River are absolutely problems that really need attention, but the shipping has gotten VERY bad.
I have two subscriptions. They are shipping separately (which I still need to try to fix), so I'm getting slammed with $10-$12 shipping costs on each figure. That is outrageously high for one figure, especially at the slow speed they ship. It takes 2+ weeks for the figures to arrive. If i were to walk into a post office and use Priority Mail, I could ship the same size box within the US for around $5-$7, and it would only take 3 business days to arrive. So I just don't get why the shipping on these figures is so high. It's already tough paying the high prices of the figures. I'm willing to pay those prices, because I love these toys. But it gets really tough when those high shipping costs get added on. We're paying almost $40 a figure, as folks have already stated. That gets real hard to keep up with.
Dan you are absoullty right about going to the post office and shipping the same size box (priority mail) for about $7!! Mattel pockets the rest of that money. They have to! They ship it USPS parcel post which takes about 2 weeks or so for delivery. It's so frustrating!
Uk shipping is a joke
I quit mainly because of Digital River, but also because there’s just way too much stuff out there I can purchase and enjoy without all the Matty BS. Turtles, Myth Cloth, Monkaa, Hot Toys, and the upcoming Armarauders are all lines I prioritize over MOTUC.
I don't like the survey poll, Mattel should have done, a official one at Matty Website!
I'm still here for the long haul all the way til the very end when ever that is in which I hope it's no time soon. The increase on the figures is not a problem but i just noticed this year the shipping prices are extemely high dealing with UPS. I will continue to support this line no matter what. I hope we get more figures this year like we been getting the past 2-3 years. Now that we have Filmation rights I want everything.
Mattel and TG are compulsive liars. That is why I don't have a sub. If not for my love for the MOTU property, I would quit.