[Stranger]

I mean Mcfarlane has definitely improved from their decade+ of mediocrity though does anyone really think they can shake a stick at Neca? These look like happy meal toys compared to these:





McFarlane is desperate to snag all the popular licenses from Neca because they know they can't match up. They always get them too because they were around longer and have more money. The action figure business is so frustrating. Seven inch scale creates the most conflict between companies and prevents the superior ones from getting a chance to truly show off their skill. Really sad.

[En Sabah Nerd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stranger

McFarlane is desperate to snag all the popular licenses from Neca

Is there evidence behind this or is it just conjecture?

[Tim]

I’m actually not a fan of that head for Superman from Neca. I prefer Mcfarlane’s.

[Black Arbor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by En Sabah Nerd

Is there evidence behind this or is it just conjecture?

Seriously, what company WOULDN'T be desperate to have the rights to make toys of arguably the most popular fictional characters ever?

[ludovicotek]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim

I’m actually not a fan of that head for Superman from Neca. I prefer Mcfarlane’s.

Agree. The McFarlane head sculpt is actually better than Neca’s. McFarlane head on Neca body is damn near perfection.

[Stranger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by En Sabah Nerd

Is there evidence behind this or is it just conjecture?

Since Mcfarlane re-entered the 7" scale they've gotten first dibs on most licenses Neca doesn't own. Neca has to fight tooth and nail for popular/non-nieche licenses. The only reason Neca has been able to make any 7" scale DC figures is by releasing them with DVD's or as limited release SDCC exclusives. It's like Hasbro's claim on Marvel and Star Wars. Not that their figures are unsatisfactory.

I just hate the whole scale wars as it allows inferior companies to gag the superior ones. Let everybody make whatever they damn well please and let the consumers decide which company deserves the license.

[Black Arbor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by En Sabah Nerd

Is there evidence behind this or is it just conjecture?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stranger

Since Mcfarlane re-entered the 7" scale they've gotten first dibs on most licenses Neca doesn't own. Neca has to fight tooth and nail for popular/non-nieche licenses. The only reason Neca has been able to make any 7" scale DC figures is by releasing them with DVD's or as limited release SDCC exclusives. It's like Hasbro's claim on Marvel and Star Wars. Not that their figures are unsatisfactory.

I just hate the whole scale wars as it allows inferior companies to gag the superior ones. Let everybody make whatever they damn well please and let the consumers decide which company deserves the license.

The fact that NECA had to fight to release their SDCC figures is not McFarlane's fault, it is the fault of DC/WB and possibly whoever owned the rights to make toys in that scale at the time. Also, it's not McFarlane's fault if they're willing/ able to pay more for the DC license than NECA, McFarlane just has more money and pull with retailers than NECA does.

[Tony_Bacala]

I really like NECA's DC stuff from last year, but I don't dig their neck/heads. They are also a tad too muscular. I think it was being faithful to the art, and that's cool, but not my thing for primary rep.

If McFarlane's Bat/Supes were a bit more refined in execution, they'd be in the running as center stage rep on the shelves. I dig the general sculpts and stance, colors, capes etc otherwise.

[Stranger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Black Arbor

The fact that NECA had to fight to release their SDCC figures is not McFarlane's fault, it is the fault of DC/WB and possibly whoever owned the rights to make toys in that scale at the time. Also, it's not McFarlane's fault if they're willing/ able to pay more for the DC license than NECA, McFarlane just has more money and pull with retailers than NECA does.

That's the problem. An inferior company with more money wins every time. Sure, Neca's head sculpts aren't amazing but they're pretty darn great overall for their first comic figures. Honestly I'm not even into the comic stuff myself. I'm just bitter because we still don't have a 7" scale Dark Knight Batman. The most successful comic book movie doesn't have a 7" version of its main character... Why is that? They Have Joker which is fantastic.

The funny part is; Most Mcfarlane's 7 inch lines aren't even 7 inch. GoT and CoD are more like 6 inch...

[Comedian]

Well the Superman 1000 is easily one of my favorite figures to date. In hand he is just great. Love the sculpt, the head, and the flight stand is the strongest stand I own.

I do love my neca Superman as well. I love the soft goods cape. The sculpt is out of the 90’s.

Honestly though if I had to pick one Superman figure I own to display...and could only be one.... Mcfarlane wins.

Just my thoughts, from someone who does have them in hand.

[En Sabah Nerd]

Someone earlier in the thread asked for a comp of Supes and the 80th Legends Thor, I just found Supes at Walmart so here you go.

I have Thor in a slightly wider stance than Superman but it's not enough to drastically change his height.

[Thunder Magnus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by En Sabah Nerd

Someone earlier in the thread asked for a comp of Supes and the 80th Legends Thor, I just found Supes at Walmart so here you go.

I have Thor in a slightly wider stance than Superman but it's not enough to drastically change his height.

That looks pretty good to me. Thanks.

[Dr Kain]

No DC figures at all at any store I was at today (some Walgreens, a Walmart, and 2 Targets). Granted, I was looking for Marvel figures, but I still took a peak as I woud like to see the MacFarlane stuff in person even if I don't buy them.

[negamegatron]

Man, I was hoping I could fudge them but those are just too big to fit into anything else I'm collecting (Marvel Legends, Mezco). Guess I'm just getting the Hellbat and Superman Unchained... maybe a supes for the headswap. Damn, really wanted that girder from Animated Supes.

Is it in DC's license agreement that figures CANNOT fit into a Marvel Legends display?
Icons was too small and everything else (DC Collectibles/Mattel, NECA, McFarlane) is too big...

[negamegatron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony_Bacala

And, here's that one:



Working on some others.

Hmm. That Batman has a tiny head in comparison. On second thought, may get him if only to use that whole cowl/cape on a Marvel Legends custom body...

[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.

[/QUOTE]
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.

[Jeddostotle7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Macas

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.

The hell are you talking about? I don't collect figures because they're expensive or so they'll appreciate in value. I collect figures cuz I want cool damn figures. If you're using toys as an investment strategy you need to reevaluate your life. Sure, it might be disappointing to the people who actually particularly care about the value of their toys when Hasbro rereleases a figure that was exclusive or hard to get, but to the rest of us (probably the majority of the those who collect those lines most of the time) it's only a good thing to be able to get toys that we otherwise couldn't, whether it was cuz we missed out on a limited window of time or because we don't wanna pay 5 times the price for it on eBay.

[Dr Kain]

I agree. I want figures to have cool things on display, take cool pictures, etc, NOT to become a millionaire. Hasbro is doing right by their customers by rereleasing old figures or bringing out superior new versions.

If someone bought a figure for $200 and got upset because Hasbro rereleased it, that's their own damn fault for being fucking retarded in the first place. They made the choice to spend $200 on that figure, not Hasbro.

Shit like this is why Twilight Time stopped reissuing movies on BD because people who scooped up several copies of the first printings to make a profit whined that other people were getting to enjoy the movie too for retail price.

[metalalchemist]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony_Bacala

I do not. Always wanted that one, never got it. Expensive on aftermarket.

I think that's 6 inches tho, right?

Yes and no. He definitely does not scale well with a regular marvel legends fig.

[Black Arbor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Macas

=====> 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.

Ahhhh, so you're a scalper/ speculator? Gotcha gotcha.

No one here that truly loves the hobby and wants others to enjoy it gatekeeps, and the way Hasbro does rereleases with different paint jobs/ minor retooling still allows you to sell your toys to someone who gets off on having the original (albeit it is a smaller audience but there are people out there)

[Black Arbor]

(Double post, please delete)

[warmachine6]

hmm thanks tony about a head taller for mafex... After watching JayC's interview with Todd I reckon he'll give us what we want depending on what the majority say. If todd does a 7 pack justice league figures, then i will likely get that... I fear mafex wont do a comic justice league even though they technically have the rights i think, i dunno need to see what they tease this year.

[firmpulse]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Macas

=====> Firstly, I make my living in this industry, I sell thousands of figures every year,

Unless you are a major retailer, scalping figures "that fell off a dock" by the hundred cases, then no, you do not sell "thousands a year". Shit. HUNDREDS is pushing the believability spectrum.

[Black Arbor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by firmpulse

Unless you are a major retailer, scalping figures "that fell off a dock" by the hundred cases, then no, you do not sell "thousands a year". Shit. HUNDREDS is pushing the believability spectrum.

Well, I supposeeee they could be like a comic shop that buys people's collections and then pieces them out, but it still smells fishy haha

[CupcakeAvenger]

Most of the figures in the line seem nice, but the scale instantly kills my interest in them. If I wanted DC figures that had Marvel Legends like articulation but were out of scale with that entire line, I’d have started collecting DC Essentials. Alas my search for ML scale DC figures goes on.