AFB Asks Matty for 15 May!

It's time for another round of questions and "answers" from Mattel as AFB Asks Matty! In an AFB First, we got the exact same answer to two questions, including the same typo!

Q: Is the Death figure on offer at SDCC an indication of where Mattel's future DC offerings will go?

A: It is a form factor we are exploring. Right own (sic) there are no further concrete plans but we are curious to see how well this item does.

Q:Why Death and not Sandman? When will we see Sandman?

A: Over the years fans have often criticized our female 6" figures so we wanted to try something new and start with a female since this statue form factor lends itself well to female anatomy.

Q: Will Club Lion continue in 2013?

A: It is too early for us to comment on 2013 at this point for any brand.

Q: Have we seen everything there is to see in terms of Mattel SDCC Exclusives?

A: We have yet to reveal some details for the Hot Wheels, Monster High and Dark Knight items.

Q: The SDCC Tiny Titans set is awesome! Is there a possibility we might see future Tiny Titans toys if these do well?

A: It is a form factor we are exploring. Right own (sic) there are no further concrete plans but we are curious to see how well this item does.

That's all for this round. You can discuss this or add questions for future rounds at the AFB Forum, or comment here to enter the May  Comment of the Month Contest! Until next time!

AFB Asks Matty for 1 May 2012!

It's time for another round of questions and "answers" from Mattel as AFB Asks Matty! (Actually, it appears we got "MattyJL" this time...)

Q: What influence did fan reaction have on the decision to rethink Mattel's DC 6" offerings? A: From MattyJL: I’m not sure what you mean. We always consider the fans when creating a 6” DCU line, but we also consider retailers and the appropriate channel to deliver fans their figures. We’ve been planning for quite a while to deliver something new in 2013 as the writing was on the wall. DC Universe All Stars was a band aid but getting us more in the right direction. Q: The Back to the Future Hoverboard is an exciting offering. Are there any plans for action figures?  A: No, no plans for figures right now.  Q: The cancellation of the Young Justice line leaves 6" collectors without a complete team. What plans are in place to address this?  A: At this point, there are no plans to release the rest. Sorry! Additionally, we will not be continuing YJ on Matty.com in any scale (at this time). We tried a similar brand, JLU,  in many form factors (singles, 3 packs, 4 packs and a 7pack of all new figures) and none sold well enough. This makes it a bit harder to continue YJ online. A toyline like YJ really takes Mom and Kid interest to keep it going. We cannot keep the line like YJ going on collector support alone. JLU proved this.  Q: Will any figures in the 2013 Club Infinite Earths Subscription be determined by a fan poll?  A: No. We won't be running a poll for the 2013 line, but we did look a lot at fan requests online!  Q: The WWE Display Stands are excellent! Are there any other accessory or display type items planned for WWE?  A: Not at this time. That's all for this round. You can discuss this or add questions for future rounds at the AFB Forum, or comment here to enter the May  Comment of the Month Contest! Until next time!

AFB Asks Matty for 15 April 2012!

It's time for another round of questions and "answers" from Mattel as AFB Asks Matty!

Q: Does Mattel own Digital River?
A: No, they are a vendor.

Q: What's the thinking behind using a fictional character ("Matty") to communicate issues like delays and acknowledgements of QC issues? Doesn't anyone at Mattel actually want to put their name to these announcements?
A: It allows us to have one voice for news regardless of whom is working at Mattel at any given time.

Q: How do you think that the delays and ongoing customer service issues with Digital River will impact on subscription sales for 2013?
A: We hope all of these issues will be resolved very quickly now that we have a new US based customer service team.

Q: Will we see any further waves of the Batman Legacy line?
A: At this point, there are no plans. We are relaunching 6” at mass retail in 2013 and we’ll let you know more closer to the date.

Q: Will we see any further fan polls to determine future WWE figures?

A: We would like to do more polls in the future but don’t have any to announce just yet.

That's all for this round. You can discuss this or add questions for future rounds at the AFB Forum, or comment here to enter the April Comment of the Month Contest!

Until next time!

AFB Asks Matty for 15.2.12!

It’s time for another set of “Ask Matty” questions! It’s often challenging to get real answers from Mr Mattel, but we are working on wording our questions to get a better result, and hopefully slowly getting there, but this round is another mixed bag:

Q: Many collectors are continuing to experience less than satisfactory dealings with Digital River. Dealing with their support is often and confusing and frustrating, and it can take several attempts to resolve an issue. Does Mattel feel that using Digital River is helpful to Mattycollector's reputation? One of the reasons that has been given is the low cost of international shipping with DR - is there any scope for asking international collectors if they'd be prepared to pay a bit more for better service? I know this international collector would be willing!


A: We are constantly working with DR to improve all aspects of the ordering process. They are well aware of all the issues customers have brought up.



Q: Recently some collectors had their MOTUC Subscriptions cancelled after issues with the split payments for the Star Sisters three pack. This was obviously a wide enough issue that a special renewal page was created nd emailed out What percentage of subscribers took up the offer to return after this debacle, and how has this impacted on Club Eternia's health for 2012? What measures are being taken to avoid such issues in the future?



A: The main reason subs were "canceled" was due to sub holders not having enough funds in their account/on their cards to cover the figure. There were a small handful of customers who had other issues, but we do know fans were not trying to "cancel" their sub, this was an automatic message sent out to customers without adequate funds or do to a charge error (which we know sometimes was DR's error with some customers and we are very sorry for this). Going forward we changed the wording of the message to clarify for customers that their sub will be "on hold" due to a payment failure, not canceled. This was our fault for a poorly worded automatic message. (Editor’s note: All very good, but despite several attempts to sort this out, I have been unable to “uncancel” my subscription!)



Q: Why has there been such a long gap in reveals for Club Infinite Earths? Is Mattel aware that this lack of information, combined with the announced figures for the All Stars line, is creating concern about Club Infinite Earths amongst some subscribers? More than just a generic answer about how great Club Infinite Earths is going to be and we just have to wait, please - this is about the thoughts behind the lack of communication.



A: We're just catching up. More reveals are coming soon! (Editor’s note: I’d call that a generic answer, wouldn’t you?)
 Q: The Green Arrow and Red Arrow figures in DCUC Wave 20 were both excellent, but the bows with molded arrows are very limiting for display and posing. Why are other companies like DC Direct and Marvel Select able to produce regular bows and detached arrows and yet Mattel is not? Is there are scope for offering these in an accessory pack on Mattycollector or through some other avenue?
 A: Mattel has much higher safety standards compared to some other companies and we are required to keep arrows in the string on accessories like this or they are classified as "sling shots" which we do not sell or make. One way we have found to avoid lodging an arrow in the string is to issue just the bow without a string like we did with the MOTUC Bow figure. It is certainly something we can explore for DC figures in the future.



Q: How are sales of WWE items a Mattycolector going, and what does this mean for future releases?
A: Very well and more figures are coming!


For better or worse, that does it for another round! Have your say about these answers at the AFB Forum, or comment below to enter the February AFB Comment of the Month Contest!



Also, please don’t forget to check out the brand new AFB Podcast - Episode One is up at iTunes now!




Until next time!

AFB Asks Matty for 1 February 2012!

Some technical snafus have kept AFB out of the last couple of rounds of Ask Matty, but we’re back today with a new instalment!

Q. A comment recently that Granny Goodness was not on the cards for Club Infinite Earths as figures that needed 100% new tooling weren't possible. What exactly is the percentage of new tooling that is workable?

A. Tooling is based on sales. We had a very low sell in rate for the online 2012 DCU sub and therefore we had less tooling to use. We will have to see how day-of sales go and how the 2013 sub sell in rate goes before revisiting other highly tool'd figures. At the end of the day fans vote with their purchase. If DCUC sold as well as MOTUC we could certainly look at fully tool'd figures, but as of now, it does not so we have to be creative with the tooling we do have to use.

Q. Is there any possibility that multiple packs of WWE figures might be sold at Mattycollector? This would be away to bring collectors a few fan-demanded characters at once!

A. Yes, this is something we are looking into.

Q. Are there any firm plans to bring more Legion of Superheroes characters to either Club Infinite Earths or DC All Stars?

A. Yes in time.

Q. Has Club Lion sold well enough to ensure a second year of the subscription?

A. The subscription did not so we are waiting to see how day-of sales go before giving the green lite on a 2013 extension of the line.

Q. Is the Star Sisters Three-Pack a one-off, or are Three-Packs a possibility for future MOTUC releases?

A. We are not going to force any figures into a 3 pack, but if there is a logical pairing of 3 figures we are open to this option.

Have something to add or say? You can discuss these at the AFB Forum, and comment here at the blog to enter the February AFB Comment of the Month Contest!

Until next time!

 

AFB Asks Matty for 1 Dec 2011!

It’s time for another round of “Ask Matty” answers at AFB! This month we have questions about DC All Stars, SDCC Exclusive Mix-ups and Voltron (although it doesn’t seem like Matty understood our Voltron question!)

Over to Matty!

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Q: Four figures have been revealed for the first "wave" of DC All Stars. Is this how many figures will be released at one time? How many DC All Stars to you expect to release in a year?  

A: Each mix will be around 4 figures, but some mixes may have more or less.  Be on the lookout for more reveals soon!     

Q: Is there any possibility we might see vehicles or playsets at retail to go with the DC All Stars figures?       

A: This is an awesome idea, but is not a part of the 2012 offering at retail.     

Q: Is the Batman Beyond DC All Star figure a straight re-release of the DCUC Version? Will many of the DC All Stars be re-releases?        

A: Yes, Batman Beyond is making an encore appearance in the DC Universe retail line.  The retail line will not include very many re-releases, so don't interpret the first mix offering as a pattern that will carry throughout the year.  Be on the lookout for more reveals soon!       

Q: Some SDCC attendees never received the exclusive items they preordered before the event. They arrived only to find the items weren't available and then waited months only to be told they were now "sold out". What is Mattel doing to ensure this doesn't happen again?       

A: We will be working very closely with our inventory staff to ensure that problems do not occur again.   

Q: Is the "canon" for the Voltron toy line the new animated series, or could we see items from other Voltron incarnations in Club Lion?

A: As for Club Lion Force, right now we're focusing on the 2012 Club Lion Force items which you have all seen. For any future product, you'll have to wait and see…       


Want to give your own answers? You discuss this at the AFB Forum, and you can comment on this post to enter the December AFB Comment of the Month Contest!

You can also check out other Matty Q&As from our friends around the web:

               Action Figure Insider      Critical Mess        It's All True         Pendragon's Post

               Poe Ghostal The Fwoosh Pop Culture Network

Until next time!

AFB Asks Matty for 15 November 2011

It's time for another round of “Ask Matty” answers at AFB! This month we cover the future of MOTUC releases at retail, plans for any new Legion of Superheroes products, the future of DC 12" Figures, Voltron issues and more!
Over to Matty!
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Q: Did the quick sell out of the Legion of Superheroes 12-Pack come as a surprise? What impact will this success have on future Legion releases - can we expect more?


A: We were excited that fans were as enthusiastic about the Legion of Superheroes 12-pack as much as we thought they would be! We would love to introduce additional Legion figures in the future. Stay tuned!


Q: Are there plans for any more 12" figures at Mattycollector to follow on from Superman and Zod?


A: There is nothing that we are in a position to announce at this time. But you never know what reveals and announcements we'll make in the future, so keep checking back on Mattycollector.com and the Mattycollector.com Facebook page for all the latest news!


Q: Now that the MOTUC / DCUC Two-Packs have finished, are there any further plans to sell MOTUC products in some form at retail?


A: No, not at this time.


Q: Will Mattel be doing tie-in lines for the upcoming Superman and Batman movies?


A: Yes, Mattel is working on toy lines for both of these upcoming Warner Bros Super Hero films but it is too early to talk any details!


Q: Will there be any additional Voltron items (eg oversized toys) sold next year or will all Voltron items be in the subscription?


A: You will have to wait and see…


Want to give your own answers? You discuss this at the AFB Forum, and you can comment on this post to enter the November AFB Comment of the Month Contest!

You can also add your thoughts to our future Matty Q&As either here or at the forum - please join in! The next Ask Matty will be on 1 December!



You can also check out other Matty Q&As from our friends around the web:


               Action Figure Insider      Critical Mess        It's All True         Pendragon's Post


               Poe Ghostal

Until next time!

AFB Asks Matty for 1 November 2011!

Another month has come and gone, and that means another round of “Ask Matty” answers at AFB! This month we step in to the Elongated Man controversy, find out about the future of the Young Justice and Green Lantern Movie lines, and find out just how far in advance MOTUC is planned out!

Over to Matty!

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Q: It was recently reported that Toy Guru made a comment recently that DC was pushing against Elongated Man for "not being current enough". How can collectors be confident that we will see classic characters in Club Infinite Earths if comments like these are being made?



A: Elongated Man is a great character and we've already done him several times (we even did him in JLU in an non show outfit, that is how cool he is!). We look forward to getting him into our 6" line in time. He is open to us.



Q: While we know that the subscription programs are only renewed one year at a time, how far ahead is the "big picture" for MOTUC planned? Is there an "end point" in mind?



A: We have the MOTUC line planned out (hypothetically) for about 10 years. But we only have up to one year ahead approved by management at any given time. Anything after that is just words on paper. As we get to each new year we lift that next year from our master document and get it approved by management one year at a time. Right now we are just about to the checkpoint of getting 2013 approved by management (lifted from our master roll out document!)

Q: The Young Justice series is great! Will we be seeing the full team released in the 6" scale? Any plans for Mattycollector exclusives for Young Justice?

A: At this time we don't have plans for more YJ on Mattycollector.com. How extensive the line grows is up to the fans and retailers!

Q: Are the final waves of Green Lantern Movie Masters guaranteed to be released at retail so that we can complete our Parallax?

A: The final wave may not make it to all brick and mortar retailers, but we will be publishing a list in the near future of online retailers that will carry the final figures.

Q: Are there any plans to re-release past DCUC figures and Two-Packs on Mattycollector in the way that MOTUC product has been re-released in the past?

A: No, not at this time.


Want to give your own answers? You discuss this at the AFB Forum, and you can comment on this post to enter the November AFB Comment of the Month Contest!

You can also add your thoughts to our future Matty Q&As either here or at the forum - please join in!

Until next time!

AFB Asks Matty for October 1 2011!

Another month has come and gone, and that means another round of “Ask Matty” answers at AFB! This month we cover the make-up of future DCUC releases at retail, plans for any Mattycollector DCUC items beyond Club Infinite Earths, the future of Filmation designs in MOTUC, Voltron issues and more!

Over to Matty!

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Q: (from Dr Terrific) One of my all time favorite DCUC figures is Jonah Hex. I see different details in the paint and sculpt each time I look at it. Who was behind this character's design and was his appearance leveraged by the timing of the movie?

A: This was all the Four Horsemen! They tend to make these type of design choices.

Q: (from Aquaman71) I am actually excited about the DCnU figures to a point. Will there be variants (classic versions) of characters released with the new line? I know this will result in some re-releases, but it would give classic collectors something to look forward to at retail.

A: To clear up a consistent rumor, our retail offering won't be strictly characters from the "New 52". You can expect to see a wide variety of characters (and character versions) offered within the line.

Q: (from Andy) Now that Filmation characters seem to be on the table for MOTUC, can we expect to see Filmation-styled repaints of existing characters as well as characters unique to the Filmation series?

A: From the initial feedback we have heard from fans, they are not interested in straight repaints being included in the subscription. To offer figures in Filmation decos we would look for another avenue to deliver these (like we had with the now ended DCU vs MOTU 2 packs). But at this time we do not have an avenue like this locked in.

Q: (from fishmilkshake) Are there any Mattycollector exclusive items for DCUC currently in the works that will be offered outside the Club Infinite Earths Sub?

A: Yes, but you will need to wait and see. We are also working on ways for subscribers to combine these items with their sub shipments to save on shipping overall.

Q: (from an AFB Facebook Fan) I’m worried about the spring-loaded "one touch auto transformation" feature which "transforms" the parts of Voltron into the individual Lions. What is being done to ensure the springs don’t wear out? Will this feature restrict the articulation on the legs of the Lions?

A: We as well are very aware of concern for the spring life of the Auto Transformation feature in the Classic Voltron Lions. We are making sure that the product integritey (sic) is above and beyond mattels (sic) standards (AFB's note: Hopefully these standards are higher than Matty's proofreading standards!). The legs are still very poseable and have the nice ratcheting joints so that the poses they hold are very secure.

Want to give your own answers? You discuss this at the AFB Forum, and you can comment on this post to enter the October AFB Comment of the Month Contest!

You can also add your thoughts to our future Matty Q&As either here or at the forum - please join in! The next Ask Matty will be on 1 Nov due to New York Comic Con.

Until next time!

AFB Asks Matty for September 1 2011!

Another month has come and gone, and that means another round of “Ask Matty” answers at AFB! This month we cover the order of release of the WWE Fan Choice figures, the DCUC Legion Boxed Set release date, MOTUC price limits and what “no more waves” of DCUC at retail really means.

Over to Matty!

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Q:  Will the WWE Legends figures who win the fan choice be released according to most votes first? And are we guaranteed to see the five winners or could low sales see some of them unreleased?

A: Great question.  The 2012 MattyCollector.com Legends are not being released in order of most votes first.  In creating the schedule, we had to look at which figures were feasible to pull off in a short amount of time (like DDP) vs. which figures will take a while to design (like Miss Elizabeth).  We also wanted to make sure Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard were released one after the other since they are best known as a tag team.  And like any figure line, we can only continue Legends if the fans support it.
 
Q:      Can you please explain what "no more waves" for DCUC (or whatever it becomes) means exactly? How will future figures appear at retail?

A: Instead of appearing in waves, figures will simply be in mixes.  This means that you’ll see a few figures on shelf at a time, but not an entire wave of figures, united by a theme or a collect-and-connect figure.
 
Q: The MOTUC Star Sisters set will cost $60 and is part of the subscription for 2012. For those who would like to try and budget for the expense of the subs is there a price ceiling for items that are included in the subscriptions?

A: Granamyr will be $80.00 which is why we did not include him in the sub.
 
Q: We are looking forward to the Legion of Superheroes DCUC Boxed Set! Are there are other larger selections of characters like this in the pipeline?

A: We loved creating the Legion of Superheroes pack!  If large packs with a collection of characters make sense in the future, it’s definitely something that we’d explore again.  In the interim, be sure to visit Mattycollector.com on October 17 to pick up your Legion of Superheroes pack!

Q: Could you explain the reason that you prefer subscriptions over a pre-order system for individual products?

A: It helps us control inventory and reduce logistical errors.

Want to give your own answers? You discuss this at the AFB Forum, and you can comment on this post to enter theSeptember AFB Comment of the Month Contest!

You can also add your thoughts to our future Matty Q&As either here or at the forum - please join in!

Until next time!

NEWS: Voltron / Club Lion Update from Mattel

AFB has been contacted by the Brand Manager of the Voltron line for Mattel with some added information in response to our question about Club Lion in yesterday's Ask Matty Q & A


She says:


"Thanks for your interest in the Voltron line!


I wanted to send in an update to the Voltron question that was posted for Aug 15th:


Q) The new Club Lion subscription is exciting, but $15 for the 3 3/4" pilot figures seems a bit steep. What's the rationale behind this pricing?


A) Also, don't forget you're getting more than just the 3 3/4" pilot figure.  Each pilot figure comes with:

• the extra helmet head (so you can switch the pilots  between their “helmet” looks and their “hair” looks)
• the key that opens the cockpits of the lions and also acts as a display base for the pilot figure
• a piece of the Collect-and-Connect Ultra Blazing Sword so that when you collect all five pilot figures (Keith, Allura, Lance, Pidge, Hunk), you also get all the pieces to create the Ultra Blazing Sword

Thanks for the support!"


We're very appreciative of this update, which does make the cost of the individual pilot figures much easier to understand. It's going to be an exciting year for Club Lion!


You can discuss this in the AFB Matty Q&A Thread at the AFB Forum, and comment on this post to enter the August AFB Comment of the Month Contest!


Until next time!

AFB Asks Matty for August 15 2011!

AFB is very excited to have joined Mattel’s “Ask Matty” program. We now have our first set of answers! These questions cover DCUC, JLU, WWE, Voltron and some Digital River issues. Read on and enjoy!
____________________________________________________________________________

Q:    As the single figures from the Club Infinite Earths subscription won't include a Connect and Collect piece, will there be scope to include an increased range of accessories in order to justify the cost of the individual toys?


A: When a figure calls for it, accessories will be added. One of the reasons for the higher cost of figures online is due to the much lower production run. But it is still our best way of getting more obscure collector friendly figures out to hard core fans!


Q: Some international Mattycollector shoppers have been disappointed by the use of the new padded mailer bags for shipping MOTUC toys. These bags don't hold up to international shipping and items have arrived dented and creased. Is there any plan to review the use of the padded mailer bags?


A: This was a test run and we actually stopped using these bags due to customer disinterest.
 

Q: The new Club Lion subscription is exciting, but $15 for the 3 3/4" pilot figures seems a bit steep. What's the rationale behind this pricing?


A: Low production runs result in higher prices. When we do a small production run (matching the subscription number plus a small extra amount for day of sales) we are charged a high premium by our vendor. This cost is then passed along to the customer. Most items offered on Mattycollector.com are well below Mattel’s company min order quota (MOQ) which is why they cost more to produce and therefore more to buy. But it is still the best option for getting collector requested figure to market.  


Q: The JLU 7 pack that was announced in SDCC looks awesome, yet, we were told that this seven pack will complete all members of the Justice League. Johnny Thunder, Thunderbolt and Dr. Mid-Nite are all great figures, but these characters are more related to the JSA than the JLA. Figures like Blue Beetle (Ted Kord) and Guy Gardner were not shown Since these two core characters were missing and we were promised a complete Justice League by the end of the line, are we going to ever be able to finish the JLA members (and more specifically JLI)?


A: The JLU pack is intended to finish off the “in show” members of the JLU, not the comic book version of the teams. (and it does just that!)


Q: WWE - Are there plans to release accessories, like a steel cage, for the Elite Scale Ring as a Matty Collector exclusive?  I'm sure there are enough owners of the ESR to justify a small production run.  And yes, the people who constantly ask for stuff like this know we'd be paying a premium for it.


A: This is indeed something we are always looking into but nothing to announce quite yet. We know there is a lot of fan demand!


Discuss these answers here at the AFB Forum!


You can also add questions for future “Ask Matty” round here.


Enjoy, and of course you can comment on this post to enter the August AFB Comment of the Month Contest!


Until next time!