[Macas]

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwyss234

It's not McFarlane's responsibility to make sure his Multiverse line scales with Mattel's Multiverse line. And with Spin Masters making 4" and 6" figures, McFarlane would be contractually obligated to make his figures in a different scale like 7".

BAF's are just a gimmick to encourage sales; they aren't the sole reason for them. There have been several Marvel Legends figures over the past few years that have lacked a BAF piece but sold incredibly well. Also, there are a lot of Marvel Legends collectors that have been unhappy with the BAFs for the past couple of years due to the older BAFs have been getting single carded re-releases (with superior paint decos) and the more desirable BAFs are currently being put in waves with many undesirable characters.

=====> Firstly, I make my living in this industry, I sell thousands of figures every year, so I have a unique view. I know what sells, and what really sells. Cynically, BAF's may be seen as a ploy, sure. But it's deeper than that and the reasons are numerous.Here are a few; Build a Figure offer scalable elements that can be integrated into a standardized series. It gives access to characters with a nod to their respective actual size, or at least to do right by the comics. It makes no sense to have a 6" Darkseid and a 6" Superman. Toybiz used to truly honor this with Galactus, Apocalypse, Sentinel before Hasbro bought them. It was a reward for being a collector and it offered scalable diversity into collection. They aren't just a "gimmick".

DCUC also had single releases of figures as exclusives and 2 Packs. and guess what. Their value plummeted with the exception of Comic-Con exclusives. I can tell you of the value of every figure every year for the last 18 years and let me tell you,

Value: Here is my main gripe with Hasbro. Hasbro has cannibalizing their product lines. We spend a lot of money on these pieces, not just to look but to hold their value. Hasbro took figures that were exclusives or build a figures, then later rereleased them as regular figures. For example, SDCC Vishanti Dormammu set. Almost all of the figures from that main release where then rereleased as figures with extremely minor paint alterations. They did the same thing with Puck and Ultron and Jubilee (although a different model altogether but it sank the value of the BAF Jubilee), Hulkbuster, Giant Man, Juggernaut, etc. These were all extremely valuable BAFs whose value was between $75 to over $100. You can now buy Ultron and Giant Man for $25. They did the same thing in the Star Wars Black Series by taking their most valuable figures (Anakin, Yoda, Biker Scout, IG-88 etc) and release extremely minor paint alterations in the archive series, and sank the value of a lot collections. I have a running argument with them That is not caring for their collectors and the tremendous amount of money they sink into their products. Those valuable figures are the bedrock of every collection. They are premium pieces. And if you are an adult, they are how you justify spending thousands on a collection to your spouse.

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you watch Jay C's interview with Todd, he talks about the BAF concept and only using 3 figures at a time to complete something as opposed to 6 figures which often requires collectors to purchase figures they may not want. The first couple of BAFs (or CnC if you'd rather) will be Batmobiles but they are also considering diorama pieces like the Batcomputer.



Jay C's interview, Todd stated that retailer support for GoT dried up when the show ended. His company is trying to make more figures but finding a retailer is a problem at the moment.[/QUOTE]

=========> You mean those tiny BAF Batmobiles? C'mon. Their value won't exceed $20 when all is said and done. Make them scale accurate. Make it a reward for collecting and buying an entire series. Variety is how DC also introduces people to other characters. When I began collecting DCUC, I didn't know who Etrigan was, now he is one of my favorite characters. They owe us better than a money grab. In order for figures across a huge wave to hold its value and gain a lot of collectors they have to see monetary value in collecting. I'm not talking about an average collector who wants a cool Batman on his shelf Completists expect more and they should.

Also, collectors have been faithful and loyal to 6" lines. To not make it at that scale is just moronic and business stupid. That is a fact, not an opinion. Stuff like the Hellbat will sit on shelves forever at Target or Walmart without a solid BAF piece to anchor it. That Nightwing figure is entirely lame and average. Where is the extra head and hands? Where are his other weapons? What about an accessories pack? There isn't anything unique sculpt except that it resembles the character. McFarlane is good, but not that good. You want a different size, do some 12" like Marvel Legends did, but those didn't sell very well. They just didn't because of their price-point. More importantly, people aren't going to invest in these if they think it's only going to be around for a wave or 2. Sorry.

Bottom Line: Multiverse tried something different in a CNC with the Grapnel Blaster. It was the lowest selling BAF line in history. I kind of liked it but the consumers didn't. It didn't help that the fledgling DCEU was anchoring the line but there was absolutely nothing anchoring the DCUC. No movies, no fv shows. They were just the perfect blend of well made figures that were colorful and well made and still hold their value to this day.