It’s rambling time!!!

Every now and then, Shane Welin, a member of DioWarriors.com, holds a DW HANGOUT on google.com. It’s a chance for toy collectors from, in theory, all over to chat. However, most come from DioWarriors.com. At the last hangout, a topic was brought up about the state of toys in today’s world. In particular, the state of the plastic action figure. How will it survive? Will it survive?

This is how I see it. (there are a lot of thoughts going on here…)

To make a toyline successful:
-Support (the wave needs to be able to build on itself. Also primarily includes tv show and/or movie)
-Advertising
-Quality Product (includes good design>Sculpting>Colors>Paint Applications>Excution/Production)

-Overall Interest

-Character selection (Snake Eyes has 50+ versions, most starting from 2002)

-QUANTITY produced
-Price point

I’m gonna skip over most of those and just get to the point.

There’s one other aspect that isn’t part of the original points. That would be ‘additional series’. This is when a toy company will “kiddy-fy” their original product to try and target a younger audience to buy. Sometimes they come in the form of some sort of game. Other times as little trinkets to look great on an office desk or shelf.

For a business to expand, they have to take so many things into account. When these toy companies start making expansions, all it really does is confuse the consumer. It spreads money thinner in terms of what is bought. At the same time, the energy needed to support all series of a toyline is spread thin.

It’s a gamble. Will it sell or be a total mistake? How many resources do we need to make these? What will the cost of the resources? Resources aren’t just the ingredients used to make the thing. We’re talking about marketing, design, sculpt, the time frame of when they can be mass produced (cuz we all know those Chinese factories gotta change the molds up and they are also making all sorts of toys, right???), packaging and everything else that goes into this addition to a toyline.

Does that mean companies can’t do this? No, but listening to their staff analysts with their expensive degrees are proving to the buyers that they are failing more than they are succeeding. It’s a mixed bag for the consumer. Some companies will ‘leak’ comments like, “we have a lot riding on this. If this fails, the whole line will fail.” When the regular buyer hears this, then they feel compelled to buy ‘the crap’ just to sustain the numbers. When reports pop up about ending whatever expansion occurs, it creates distrust in the company.

We’ve all heard, “well, if they put in more effort in the main line, they would’ve been better off.” Or “well duuuuuuh, it was a stupid idea”. Or “if they supported it, it would have done better”.

What I’m saying here is that anything that detracts from the primary line is a distraction. If something has the potential to be kiddy-fied, it probably shouldn’t. Focus should really be on what needs to succeed.

What am I thinking of when it comes to kiddy-fied/expansions for the GI Joe brand?

GI Joe Micro Force
GI Joe BTR (Built to Rule; Lego wannabe)
GI Joe Combat Heroes (according to yojoe.com, aimed for pre-schoolers!)

GI Joe cosplay gear
GI Joe TCG (anyone remember that cool product by WOTC that lost support way too early???)
GI Joe Retaliation 12” figures (like 5 POA and a total waste of space)
GI Joe KREO (This one is a stretch cuz it hasn’t been figured out if it’s selling well. Collectors are going after the blind bag figures but otherwise, it seems to be gathering dust. IMO)

If you’re in TRU in the next week or so, take a gander at the TMNT and Power Rangers sections. You’ll see the regular figures. And then you’ll see EVERYTHING else that is going with it.

And that’s my 2 cents.