I watched the episode and really enjoyed it. These toys look waaaay better than the ones for the TMNT 2012 series, will definitely be picking some of these up. At the very least, Donnie and April but probably some bad guys too.

If you ask any large company like Playmates, Hasbro, etc, they will tell you the #1 demographic is kids. That is why the most popular characters in a line get the multiple figure process(OP, Bumblebee, Snake Eyes, Duke...) The collector is important, but they don't keep the factories running and the people working. Look at the display space. In a 20ft section of a toy aisle set for STAR WARS, there are 12 pegs for MAINLINE figures, but 4 for Black Series. Same with Transformers. You had 12 pegs for Robots In Disguise when it was big and 1 for Masterpiece and only at Exclusive retailers. Trust me, the Masterpiece line is not targeted for kids, and there is no way a company like Target or Walmart is going to buy enough product at $60-$70 cost per piece to fill multiple facings. As a collector I wish it were that way, it would make my life easier, but that is not going to happen unless you are at a specialty shop or exclusive retailer.

It depends on the toy line. For things like Lego and Marvel Legends, the percentage is a tiny bit higher, but as a general rule, adult collectors amount to 20% to 30% of sales. I’ve heard this from several representatives from different toy companies. Hardly a backbone. The only companies that would be different would be companies like Neca or Hot Toys, since their figures aren’t meant for kids at all. The main competition for toys now is not another toy, but electronics. That’s why tmnt, Transformers, and marvel toys are starting to skew younger and younger with their main lines, to nab the attention of kids before the cellphone gets them. So get used to the “preschoolization” of your favorite brands and cartoons.

I still see tons of kids in the toy aisles of stores. I guess it depends on where you are. If you are in San Francisco or Manhattan, you won’t see as many young kids as you will in Salt Lake City or Topeka.

Also, the companies that make the mass market toy lines don’t make the collectibles, with the exception of Barbie. Hasbro doesn’t make the premier Marvel figures, Hot Toys and Diamond does. Hasbro doesn’t make the Masterpiece Transformers line, Takara does. Playmates doesn’t make the premiere tmnt figures, Mondo, Neca, and ThreeA do... etc. Much smaller companies with much smaller production numbers.

Collectors are definitely the backbone for companies like Mezco, Neca, Diamond Select and McFarlane Toys among others, but not when it comes to Toy Giants like Playmates, no matter the collector presence, we will never make the commercial impact the way kids do.

For a property like TMNT, kids will always eat that stuff up even if collectors claim they won’t. I think it’s fair to say most adults don’t even collect toys or watch cartoons but the vast majority of kids still do both and their parents will gladly drag them to the nearest store to buys these especially when their well made and gave a decent price point.

We may be the loudest on the forums, but kids are the loudest in the isles. It’s simply a numbers game and they outnumber collectors.

I agree with most of this, except for the watching cartoons part. I think a lot of collectors watch because it's close to our hearts and to what we collect. Also most of it is fueled by nostalgia. I started watching the new TRANSFORMERS ROBOTS IN DISGUISE because I wanted to see what my old pals were up to...they looked a lot different, and some had new personalities, but it was still Grimlock, BB, etc. And while I hated the show at first, I grew to like it for what it was. It was not G1, but it was good, and to stay on topic, I watched the first episode of these new TMNT, and while I didn't dig the art style or the design of the turtles, I did like some of the writing and the quick banter. I will give a few more episodes a try for that alone. I felt the same way about 2012 TMNT, and then loved how they wrote the characters, and while Donnie has always been my favorite, I loved Mikey in the 2012 series.

I agree totally. Most adults I know (the non-manchild ones) look at me with incredulity when I am giddy about a new transformer I bought, or see my transformers tattoos. 99% give a shoulder shrug or want to talk about the big game. When I get together with family, I ignore the adults and chat with the kids about toys they like. Better conversation than the latest trump antics.

Only watched a starscream intro in RiD. Was ok, but too flaccid like TF Prime for me. Hope to catch the new tmnt soon. Watched season 1 of the 2012 reboot and thought it was overall very clever.

Ugly. ugly. ugly. Just so ugly.