What is the deal with toy production these days?

[Captain Vegetable]

Stormy, I know it looks that way, but it is simply untrue.

What advantage does a toy company like Mattel gain by short-packing figures in expectation of their secondary market inflation?

Mattel gains nothing. Not only are they NOT making any money for the eBay (etc.) sales of certain chase figures, but if demand has increased for any given figure due to short-packing, then they've effectively shot themselves in the foot, because making them in limited quantities means they'll not be meeting demand, which means a lot of forgone profits.

Variants usually arise from cheaper production matterials (cloth, paints, dyes, etc.) and not from some made-up vindictiveness that you seem so Hell bent on imagining into existence. Short-packing is a way of expectantly cutting costs of production so that those funds can be allocated elsewhere, to better selling figures, etc. Companies could give a rats ass about the collectivity of any one of their products, unless they'll be making the coin on it. Since the secondary market offers them NOTHING, it is foolish to think that companies do it for that reason.

It's like you didn't read a damned thing I said, and then fumed about a little snippit of my post, not even a full sentence, without considering the other points I made.

[Werewolf]

Tell me about it, it took me forever to find a store that had Stan Winston's Blood Wolves and when I did find Wulv the figure I wanted I had to drive almost an hour because that was the only place that had one... they we're supposed to be available at Gamestop and KB but nether of them ever got a single one in

[stormy]

Stormy, I know it looks that way, but it is simply untrue.

What advantage does a toy company like Mattel gain by short-packing figures in expectation of their secondary market inflation?

I read it and from my many years of first hand experience i disagree. Making chasers benefits toy companies because it gets collectors to follow and buy thier line of toys. It also doesn't cost them much, if anything, because most normal consumers will just buy the figures that are left on the shelf. The fact that you singled out Hasbro for not doing this is laughable because they whored out thier Star Wars line with short packs and variants like no other. If it's not happening as much anymore i would guess that's because the toy "collector" market has mostly collapsed from a few years ago.

It occurs in other toys too not just action figures. The die cast makers are just more obvious about it. Why would Johnny Lightning make white lightnings if, as you say, the toy makers have no interest in collectors and give no thought to the secondary market? The fact is that they do.

I'm curious why you feel the need to defend the toy companies. What's your interest and where is your information coming from?

[Captain Vegetable]

I read it and from my many years of first hand experience i disagree. Making chasers benefits toy companies because it gets collectors to follow and buy thier line of toys. It also doesn't cost them much, if anything, because most normal consumers will just buy the figures that are left on the shelf.

That's OK that you disagree. I never tried to convince you otherwise. I still maintain that my reasoning is much more logical and accurate than your own, though.

The fact that you singled out Hasbro for not doing this is laughable because they whored out thier Star Wars line with short packs and variants like no other. If it's not happening as much anymore i would guess that's because the toy "collector" market has mostly collapsed from a few years ago.

I wasn't singling out Hasbro, but specifically the Transformers line. I apologise if I misrepresented.

It occurs in other toys too not just action figures. The die cast makers are just more obvious about it. Why would Johnny Lightning make white lightnings if, as you say, the toy makers have no interest in collectors and give no thought to the secondary market? The fact is that they do.

They do, indeed, but not for the reasons that you illuminate. I never said that the companies do not pander to the secondary/collector market, to say that would be foolish, but what I did say was that they do not do it for the reasons put forth by shidoshi or yourself. You suggest that they have some kind of real, vested interest in the secondary market. I disagree.

They pander to the secondary market for endorsements. WizKids offers a rediculous amount of exclusive Mage Kinght/Hero Clix figures through Wizard Magazine. Not only do they offer them only through the mag, but also in extremely limited quantities. Palasades does it, too, as well as DC Direct and several others. Wizard Magazine endorses their products through these exclusive offerings, motivating readers to purchase not only the limited mail-order figure, but also the regular shelfed line as well. These types of exclusives motivate shelf sell-through, and so the toy companies would do well to involve themselves. So you see, their interest and involvement in the secondary market is to motivate sales in the stores in the primary market.

Short-packing and variants do not do this, nor are they intended to do this. Short-packing and variants occur for the reasons I have previously stated, not due to some kind of diabolical plan of price manipulation.

Some companies do, infact, engage in this type of behavior, but I'd look them straight in the eye and tell them how stupid they were being, as it makes laughable business sence.

I'm curious why you feel the need to defend the toy companies. What's your interest and where is your information coming from?

My interest is in trying to motivate people to see things the way they truely are in matters of business. I don't mean to offend, but this is what you sound like: "WAH! I didn't get my most favorite figure 'X' because it was short packed! WAH! Hasbro/Mattel/NECA/Palasades/etc. must have done it on purpose to drive the secondary prices sky high and restrict access to these figures for the everyday, common toy collector of the world! It's their fault!"

Not only do you sound whiney, but you also sound extremely uninformed. You say you have "first hand" experience? Dude, working at TRU and opening up cases of toys is hardly sitting on a development team and deciding what gets short-packed and why. I'll admit that I've never done the later either, but my reasoning seems to follow much more closely than your own does.

I'll not contest that certain companies might try to leverage the secondary market through variants and short-packing, but I would contest their half-cocked motivation and reasoning for doing so.

My information comes from being a member of the toy scene for nearly the entire 24 years I've been alive on this Earth. I research companies, I read the magazines, I buy the toys, and I am a member of certain communities. Not much escapes my sight (barring the He-Man thread), and I feel very comfortable speaking authoritatively on the subject.

[stormy]

They do, indeed, but not for the reasons that you illuminate. I never said that the companies do not pander to the secondary/collector market, to say that would be foolish, but what I did say was that they do not do it for the reasons put forth by shidoshi or yourself. You suggest that they have some kind of real, vested interest in the secondary market. I disagree.

if they pander to it they obviously have a vested interest in it. They don't see the profits on the resale, but they do get tons of people buying complete sets and checking racks of thier figures all the time. I still don't see how a short pack or variant is different than a white lighning, or hot wheels treasure hunt which serve the same purpose. They're made to spur sales in the collector segment.

They pander to the secondary market for endorsements. WizKids offers a rediculous amount of exclusive Mage Kinght/Hero Clix figures through Wizard Magazine. Not only do they offer them only through the mag, but also in extremely limited quantities. Palasades does it, too, as well as DC Direct and several others. Wizard Magazine endorses their products through these exclusive offerings, motivating readers to purchase not only the limited mail-order figure, but also the regular shelfed line as well. These types of exclusives motivate shelf sell-through, and so the toy companies would do well to involve themselves. So you see, their interest and involvement in the secondary market is to motivate sales in the stores in the primary market.

so if they'll do it through a mag why wouldn't they also use the same tactics in thier boxes? if anything it serves less purpose through the mag, because they might go to the store or they might not. People who hunt these figures are constantly making rounds flipping through the store shelves.

Short-packing and variants do not do this, nor are they intended to do this. Short-packing and variants occur for the reasons I have previously stated, not due to some kind of diabolical plan of price manipulation.

They occur for the reason you mention and the reasons i mention. They're manipulating collectability, 2nd market price is irrelevent to them.

Some companies do, infact, engage in this type of behavior, but I'd look them straight in the eye and tell them how stupid they were being, as it makes laughable business sence.

well i see it almost every day, and it works. Makes business sense to me.

I don't mean to offend, but this is what you sound like: "WAH! I didn't get my most favorite figure 'X' because it was short packed!"

Like i said, I work at a toy store, so i always get favorite figure 'X'

[Roufuss]

Some companies do, infact, engage in this type of behavior, but I'd look them straight in the eye and tell them how stupid they were being, as it makes laughable business sence.

This is why Mattel has shut down the He-Man line.

[Korian]

This is the main reason why I quit collecting toys. There are simple reasons why a certin figure can't be found, Something I learned back when searching for Star Wars Toys. Dealers and collectors camp out and search the stores and buy all the HTF toys for resale and inflate values. Also employees put aside figures for themselves or friends. Star Wars toys were also the worst offenders, but maybe things have changed since then, but it's a chase to find the good things, and is just too frustrating. Finding C-10 specimans were also hard to find also.

[Cheebs]

All I know is I want a god damn Energon Megatron, and I can't find him anywhere! It takes months for any Transformers to show up in Delaware after their release, and some never show up at all. On top of all that, it is very hard/impossible to buy a few of them online.

[burgundy]

Not much escapes my sight (barring the DMC figs and all awesomeness associated therewith)

[mollipen]

There's a very good reason for that.

Having toys that are men, makes you cool and want to grow up to be a strong, heoric, kickass dude.

Having toys that are women, makes you .05 steps away from playing with dolls.

So, basically, as a child, you were taught that you don't need females - it's only fun with it's boys-only play. Screw the female "doll" - I want more big, muscular male "action figures" to go with my other muscular male "action figures."

Hmmmmmmmmmm.