Marvel Legends

[Brian]

Yeah, that's probably right Scott.  It'll be a shame if that happens, but I guess I'd just like to know where things are headed at this point.  Where these lines are headed, scale-wise, etc.  Oh well, Toy Fair isn't too far off now.

[Morgbug]

I'd say they are doing based on raw material costs

Wouldn't it just be easier to bump the cost of the toys by $1 or so?  I appreciate no one likes price increases but really, collectors will adapt.  Yes, you'd lose some to a price point increase but I'm guessing you'd lose less that way than by altering the scale. 

Just for the sake of reference (and for a change I'm not complaining), Marvel Legends have always retailed for $12.9x CAD up here.  After our taxes they're near $15 a pop.  Some retailers sell them at $14.95 more recently so the market will bear the increased cost, at least once collectors get used to it.  My recollection is you guys pay in the range of $6.95 to 9.95 for these things (plus respective taxes), would bumping it to $10.95 really affect you that much?  My impression is you still get a fair bit more out of this line (plastic-wise) than say Star Wars which is pushing the $7-8 range now down there so couldn't the increase be reasonably justified? 

I'd also question the need considering there's been a step down in size with the BAFs (I know, I'm comparing ML vs SC).  Of course with Iran and Venezuela conspiring we may see price increases anyway. 

[knashdx]

I'd say they are doing based on raw material costs

Wouldn't it just be easier to bump the cost of the toys by $1 or so?  I appreciate no one likes price increases but really, collectors will adapt.  Yes, you'd lose some to a price point increase but I'm guessing you'd lose less that way than by altering the scale. 

Just for the sake of reference (and for a change I'm not complaining), Marvel Legends have always retailed for $12.9x CAD up here.  After our taxes they're near $15 a pop.  Some retailers sell them at $14.95 more recently so the market will bear the increased cost, at least once collectors get used to it.  My recollection is you guys pay in the range of $6.95 to 9.95 for these things (plus respective taxes), would bumping it to $10.95 really affect you that much?  My impression is you still get a fair bit more out of this line (plastic-wise) than say Star Wars which is pushing the $7-8 range now down there so couldn't the increase be reasonably justified? 

I'd also question the need considering there's been a step down in size with the BAFs (I know, I'm comparing ML vs SC).  Of course with Iran and Venezuela conspiring we may see price increases anyway. 

They already bumped the cost!

Depending on the location some Targets were between $6-8 for the ToyBiz Marvel Legends, Wal-mat was at $7-8, and TRU was a solid $8+. Now they are $10 everywhere I have seen them (except for TRU who still has ToyBiz stuff). The figures haven't changed scale, there is less plastic on the package, a little more cardboard, and we lost the comic. They have already hit us with the cost of raw materials.

[Neal]

They have already hit us with the cost of raw materials.

Or the cost of Hasbro paying for the license.
 

[Scott]

They have already hit us with the cost of raw materials.

Or the cost of Hasbro paying for the license.
 

I was going to say the same thing, I'd say its more the license than the raw materials.  I know they have scrapped some stuff over the past year over said materials (X-Babies, Henchmen pack ins etc)

[Morgbug]

Ah, I see.  I'd presumed that KB and the like were the more expensive ones and they were still relatively cheap at Target/Walmart.  Interesting because up north we've been relatively resistant to price increases as well.  Yes, they moved from $12.95 to $14.95 recently, but only at a single retailer and that I presume was more a company decision than anything else (when stuff sells well, they tend to increase the price on it - strange but true). 

Between all the deletions (comics, smaller BAFs) I can't really understand any rationale for going from 6" down to 5" scale.  Oh well, saves me money and I can live with that. 

[evenflow]

Why the hell are they going with such a cartoon look. If they go to 5 inches i will just stop buying.

[Brian]

A few packaged pics of the Spider-Man 3 figures have shown up on the TNI Forums.  They don't look too bad, but its kind of hard to tell.  I'm most curious what scale they are in.  The packaging looks fairly nice though, Hasbro seems to be going all out with that this year it seems.  I'm kind of looking forward to picking up some figures from this movie line, depending on how they turn out.  Pics at the linky, if interested.

[ruiner]

I'm most curious what scale they are in. 

They look to be the same scale as the Superman Returns figures - close to 5".

But that's just an educated guess.

[knashdx]

I'm most curious what scale they are in. 

They look to be the same scale as the Superman Returns figures - close to 5".

But that's just an educated guess.

I have only seen the Banshee & White Queen loose, but it appears that Hasbro is working on varrying the heights of the figures so that they are to scale. Emma Frost is smaller than Banshee & the rest, but Hulk is bigger/talker/bulkier than the rest.

[Brian]

They look to be the same scale as the Superman Returns figures - close to 5".

But that's just an educated guess.

I kind of thought they looked that way as well, but its hard to tell for sure.  I remember a few loose shots leaking awhile back that looked a little less articulated than these and I was hoping those were the 5" versions.  I know I've read on the forums that there's talk of both scales, so we'll see.  I wonder if the main "kid" line will be 5", and maybe Marvel Legends will have a wave of Spider-Man 3 figures for the collectors?  Or maybe there will be two lines, a "kid" line and a "collector" line.  That would be kind of different from what there has been in the past.  Oh well, I'm sure we'll know soon enough.

I see there are pics up on Hasbro's site of Icons Series 2, that Doom looks pretty sweet.  I wish they would do a Legends version of that figure.  I'm still stuck with just the movie version Doom in my display :

[Morgbug]

Found all of the new Origins Spiderman figures today at a Walmart.  Naturally it's less than a week since I ordered them from hasbrotoyshop.com   Gah.  They look nice though and seeing them in person made me happier that I did purchase a couple of figures that I will actually enjoy (iron spidey and 2099). 

They also had Rhino, Doc Ock and Demogoblin out, but I had no need for any of those.  I'd originally planned on getting the Demogoblin, but it just wasn't different enough to warrant the purchase since I have the originally colored sculpt.  Seeing all those leads me to believe though that those other villains we were discussing recently are in a different scale.  Would it make any sense to release 2 versions of both Doc Ock and Rhino at the same time??

Also saw some "battle packs" that had spidey facing off against a villain in a boxed up set.  Movie Ock, Movie Goblin and Venom were the respective villains.  Quite a push on the new spidey stuff.

[Brian]

Yeah, I'm kind of thinking those "Spider-Man Classic" pics that surfaced this week are probably the new 5" scale line (the Marvel Heroes line is supposed to be changing to that as well after the 1st or 2nd wave).  There has been rumors that the Origins line might continue and be the 6" line, but I don't know.  It really depends how they do this, but it seems like overkill with two Spidey lines running at the same time.  There really is a push of Marvel stuff lately - Legends, Origins, Icons, upcoming Spidey Classics, Superhero Squad, Titanium, Signature Series, Ghost Rider movie, and I'm guessing Spidey 3 and F4 movie lines on the horizon yet too.  A tremendous amount of product - kind of reminds me of, well, Star Wars .  Those 2 packs were at Target first around here, and hit clearance right after Christmas for about $6.  I think they are still at Wal-Mart and TRU though, last I saw.

On a side note, I only have a sampling of the Hasbro stuff (Iron Spidey, 2099 Spidey, Hercules), but some of it does seem sturdier than some of the ToyBiz stuff.  Maybe it is just me after opening up my Icons Spidey variant - that figure just has really rubbery legs, loose joints, and has troubles standing.  I've left the regular version in the box for now partially because of that (and because the display is kind of neat being upside down and stuff).  Like I said, I haven't bought a lot of the Hasbro stuff yet, but of the ones I have I can at least say they seem sturdier.  I'm not saying better necessarily, but sturdier.  Who knows if it is all like that or not.  I did see the 1st wave of Icons, and they did look nice (well, Thor's the only new one).  I still get tempted from time to time to pick up a few more of these, and if I didn't already have the Legends so built up I would maybe (just the "main" characters).  The Thor looked kind of cool.  Just of note, I think the only Icon (regular or variant) that I never saw around here was the masked Captain America.  Another reason I wouldn't collect these, that would be the next one I would want I think.

[Victor_Von_Doom]

Finally found the Onslaught wave this last week at Meijer for $1.90 per fig.

[MetalJedi]

Anyone need the arm and leg BAF from Emma Frost?