Transformers/Spider-Man Competition?

[speedermike]

Y'know, it occured to me while I have been searching high and low for 30th AC wave 2, that Hasbro has both Speder-Man, and Transformers coming out right now.  Do you think that they have slowed the flow of SW to accomodate their other movie franchises?  Sure, both these lines will sell well, but only for a few months, then they will drop off, as opposed to SW, which always seems to do well.

Yes, I understand that Transformers has been around for ages, and will always be around, but does it realy have the selling power of SW?

I was just wondering if maybe Hasbro doesn't want to compete with itself...

[Scott]

I speculated that same idea in the Saga crap still shipping thread.  I think there is a ton of merit to that, all the way through the chain.  Hasbro only has so many factories to make action figures.  The budget has to be going more toward TF and Spidey and retail space also has to be there.  They blamed the delays on card artwork.  I call no way and say it has to do more with pushing your two huge lines. 


Oh...and don't forget GI Joe in this as well.  The 25th RAH stuff has a lot of people excited and will also demand shelf space in the next couple of weeks at your local Bullseye or ****hole of the Universe

[Nicklab]

I've been thinking the same thing.  Between manufacturing resources, marketing budgets and shelf space at retail Star Wars is not going to have an easy time at retail.  Hasbro has to devote a lot of those things to Transformers and Spiderman.  Just walking down a toy aisle is going to show you that.  How much shelf space does Spiderman have right now?  And how much more product is there for Spiderman on the pegs and shelves right now?  And in a month the focus will shift to Transformers as the marketing blitz for that movie begins.  The T-formers preview figures are already out.

[CHEWIE]

Funny how slow that stuff's selling compared to how Star Wars moved with the ROTS line.

 

[Rob]

If the movie does well (which it will) they'll make sequels.  Which means more Transformers toys 3 years from now.  Transformers could be huge for Hasbro over the next decade.

[iFett]

That Spidey stuff doesn't seem to be moving very well - either that or all of my local stores are very good about restocking only that line. 

Transformers could be huge for Hasbro over the next decade.

Transformers have been huge for Hasbro for the past 20 years with probably the execption of the tale end of G1.  The movie will just give it a bigger push for the new/casual buyers.

[Nicklab]

That Spidey stuff doesn't seem to be moving very well - either that or all of my local stores are very good about restocking only that line. 

It is priced somewhat high.  At $10 per figure I think the Spiderman line has priced out some potential customers and that's why some people are steering clear of that line.

[Morgbug]

That Spidey stuff doesn't seem to be moving very well - either that or all of my local stores are very good about restocking only that line. 

It is priced somewhat high.  At $10 per figure I think the Spiderman line has priced out some potential customers and that's why some people are steering clear of that line.

It's interesting how they seem to be cross-pollinating their ideas between collectors and kids in the market:

1. Kids (who drive the market) won't care about a scale change (I agree with this thought)
2. Collectors won't worry about a slightly higher price (probably true or at least they'll tolerate it)

The problem being they've done the two things they could possibly do to alienate segments of both markets.  If the price had remained lower, nearer the $6-7 pricepoint, the kids/parents would be eating it up.  If they'd left the scale the same (6") as before, collectors, myself included, would be all over the toys.  I've said it in the ML thread, but I'd have bought 6-8 figures had the scale remained 6".  As it is, I'm not touching the line. 

And I completely agree with Scott's thoughts on how these other lines are impacting the Star Wars toys.  But as always (or at least as of the last year or two) I refuse to get excited about a lack of product from Hasbro being on the shelves.  It'll get there, in time.  It almost always does. 

[Brian]

I think that the whole Spidey/Transformers (and even F4 and Joe) might have something to do with the sparse TAC basic figure showings so far.  Like it was mentioned, they only have so many factory/shipping resources to go around.  Its just a big year for Hasbro overall - 30th Anniversary of Star Wars, 25th Anniversary of GI Joe, Spider-Man 3, Fantastic Four: ROSS, Transformers Movie - not to mention their other "regular" lines.

I don't look through the Spider-Man 3 figures individually a lot anymore, but certain ones seem to be selling pretty well around here (primarily the "regular" versions of Spidey, Venom, and Sandman), with the more action-featurey Spideys hanging on the pegs (similar to past movie lines it seems).  The price does seem a little crazy though, usually sitting at least at $7.99 a figure.  Since the scale is smaller, and the company (Hasbro) bigger, you would think they could be closer to the $6-7 range at least.  It seems like movie lines are always tough to judge.  Most, if not all, of the "superhero" lines seem to pegwarm like crazy - but we keep seeing them.  Plus, we've heard examples like the Hulk feet from a few years back that supposedly sold like crazy - even though you could find them everywhere, all the time.

[Darth Slothus]

SW is also competing retail space against Zizzle POTC as well

[ruiner]

Price is definitely an issue with parents.  The middle class is sick of keeping the economy afloat and inflation, is just around the corner.

Not to say that other classes don't incur these expenses, but the MC carries a heavy load and quite frankly, I think they're sick of buying **** they don't need.  It's tough paying for a house, daycare, and the necessary expenses associated with all of the above.  It's a vicious cycle.

Look at recent retail numbers - retail sales down- gas prices have a lot to do with it, but the disposable income is dwindling - costs are up while income is stagnant.

I think people are leery on what's going to happen with the economy so they're trying to save what they can -- what's this have to do with Spiderman figures?

Parents aren't in the mood to lay down $9 for a toy that junior doesn't need.

[JACKOFTRADZE]

Spidey 3 toys are rotting right next to Pirates toys. Marvel is horrible to work with as I have encountered in my career with them. You have MGA, Thinkway and Hasbro all competeting for the same $ in one license. Its insane. If I was Hasbro I would be quited pissed at Marvel for how bad they split the pie after forking up 325 million to have the Marvel property.
Hasbro bit off more than they can chew I am afraid, too many summer come and go movies. This has defiantly had an impact on Star Wars which has stayed steady for them.
8 buck for a small spidey in a package filled with air, just not good. This will hurt them for sure. They have neglected Star wars and pushed it in the backburner of the factory. They were overloaded and could not keep up thus the return of Saga2 to hold the space.

I am looking forward to the Pirates clearance, I use alot of those figures for customs.......

[Jesse James]

SW is always in competition...  There's been an argument by some against that but the boy's market is always in competition.  Hasbro's looking for dollars against every line hanging alongside them as well as hot wheels, military toys, whatever.

I agree though that Hasbro's manufacturing almost has to have taken an impact from their push for other movie toys.  They don't come outright with it but I think when they say what they're pushing any given year during their projections is basically gonna screw the pooch for the other brands/teams.  At least to some extent.

The movie hype will die down though at some point...  It's just a matter of whether they abandon it early or keep trying to push it into 2008 I guess.

[JangoTat]

spidey figures up here are going for $5cdn which is pretty good. transformer stuff is everywhere though so i wouldnt doubt its taking up SW shelf space. heck at my local TRU star wars and transformers switched spots. of course that means tons of Trans. and little of SW.

[Reid]

Spidey 3 figures are pegwarming bigtime here in NoVA, so not much competition from them. Great movie, not so great selling figures. Might get a Venom or Kraven on clearance though, even though they're not ML scale.