As I’ve probably said before, I’ve got a project going while I’m unemployed. It’s a non-fiction book that I’m hoping a publisher will pick up which basically involves me writing about geek things. Because of this project, I’ve watched a lot of Star Trek in the last few months, so I’m still riding high on Trek fever. While doing research, I ran across some cool Star Trek ads for the old Trek Playmates line that I thought I’d share here. First up is a money shot of the Enterprise D:

Playmates sure knew how to make a sweet Enterprise. Hot damn, I curse myself now for not getting one of these back in the day.

I was never a big fan of the size and proportions of the Star Trek characters that Playmates put out in the 1990s, they always seemed a little too off for me (i.e. not realistic enough). Still, I wouldn’t take them now over their current super shitty line based on the 2009 film. I also am pissed that I never got the Enterprise D bridge set and Engineering section. I think I was too busy collecting horrible Star Wars figures at the time.

I’d like to point out that these ads came from a blog called Nostaligia Factory and I’d recommend checking them out at least for the section where they show off their own figures. I know, you shouldn’t be visiting blogs that aren’t Toy Bender, but I give you permission this time.

Now this set isn’t going to come out, they’re just trying to gauge interest. Still, Hasbro has gotten a little morbid the last few years. First there was torture rack hand, the Lar’s Homestead just before they were shot and possibly burned alive, and now this. Granted, it is kind of neat, but I don’t think I’ll ever have a need for it.

The second bit of news came out of the blue for me (possibly because I haven’t been paying attention), but I was just made aware of the fact that Hasbro will be re-releasing the McQuarrie concept Star Wars figures in boxed sets:

Now, this is good news for those who still want these things because the value has dropped like a rock on the older figures. This is bad news is you want some of the figures (like I do), but you don’t want some of the garbage ones. Not to knock the work of an artistic genius, but that Chewbacca is terrible and that Rebel Trooper isn’t so hot either.

In what possibly may be the last great release of 25th Anniversary G.I. Joe product and after months of waiting, the Cobra Island seven packs are finally all mine. So what did I think? I’ll tell you what I think!

Assault on Cobra Island (Joes)

Okay, this set’s good and everything, but the only reason I ordered it was so I could get the Cobra pack at a decent price. At five bucks a figure it’s not a bad deal, but I’m not really attached to many of these characters. I really enjoy how they are themed to the mission, yet I’m thinking they could have stuck a more unique figure or two in here to really make this a “must have” set. While I can’t think of any off the top of my head, there are still a lot of Joes that haven’t made it into plastic that should be. Anyway, the only real disappointment in this set is the Chuckles hands. What the hell? He can’t hold anything in his left hand. What kind of infiltration agent can’t hold a briefcase or laptop in his non-gun hand?

Defense of Cobra Island (Cobra):

Now we’re cooking. This set is so tender it’s falling off the bone. I love practically every character in it and especially the Alley Viper. If you’ve stuck around with Toy Bender for awhile you know that I love Alley Viper in a very special way. If he was a real person, he’d be my non-sexual life partner.

I really enjoy the other figures as well and the real surprise/bonus is the battle damaged BAT. He comes with enough stuff to make him into normal BAT if you wanted! That’s super cool. And while I’m not as hot on the Night Creeper, I do like him. I think there’s just something about the hood that throws me off.

All in all both of these sets combined make for an awesome win. Here’s to hoping Hasbro does something like this in the future, to keep the more pure 25th style action coming.

Note: If you want more of a “review” of these figures, I highly recommend LBAM’s review found here. Seriously, LBAM makes me look like a slacker.

Now the fact that Marx won one of these things has caused some controversy. You see, AFI and Marx in particular has a close relationship to Mattel, well at least one that’s a lot closer than other blogs. There’s a segment of the toy collecting audience is upset or thinks there’s something fishy here. Look, if you feel that way you’re retarded. The guy won fair and square, as they say.

The only mistake is that he publicly displayed his winning to a group of people who can behave very irrationally and yes, I’m speaking about toy collectors. Collectors will believe any conspiracy, including ones where companies purposely make toy lines fail in order to “prove” something won’t sell. Collectors get extremely angry over meaningless pieces of plastic. Of course there’s going to be a segment of the community that will think negatively or that there’s something fishy about the win. The best course of action probably would have been to just lay low and enjoy the prize. Toy collectors can be total d-bags (not your if you’re reading this, I’m sure) and usually I just try to avoid the their ire.

Congrats on the win, Julius. I’d have no idea what I’d do with a huge Anti-Monitor myself.

He-Man

Out of the Masters of the Universe figures announced, there have been more aside from Battlecat that has got my boxers in a bunch. To name but a few, there’s a glow in the dark Scare Glow (I have an original SUCKERS!) as well as a Moss Man that’s actually mossy. Sweet!

Now here’s my dilemma. I really want to get into this line, but I don’t want to have to log into some website at a specific time in order to get the figures, so now I’m really considering getting a subscription in order to get one of each. The only problem is that I might end up with a bunch of figures that I don’t want.

Ghostbusters

Another Mattel line that’s got me thinking six inch (that sounds odd) is Ghostbusters. I don’t want to have to buy all of the guys, but it would seem wrong not having the whole team. The 12″ Busters are pretty kick ass as well, with lots of great details.

While the world of the Ghostbusters doesn’t really have that many characters besides the ‘busters themselves that will attract non-hardcore fans, but I think plenty of people will want at least the main Ghostbuster.

Note: Pictures are from Toy News International

Marvel

Marvel had a few figures in their Marvel Universe line that got my attention. In particular, I really dug this Thor:

I also liked Vindicator. I know jack and crap about the character, I just dig the costume:

I’ve also got to get my hands on this here Vision. Combine him with a can of white spray paint and you have the perfect 90s version of the figure. Yeah, I like that “costume” you have a problem with that?

The biggest drawback with the Marvel Universe line so far is that it’s hard to buy them when they cost so damned much at most places, combined with the fact that they are often tough to find for me. Where the heck is Moon Knight and why do I have to pay over eight bucks for him?

Note: Pictures came from MarvelousNews.com

DC

I kind of knew about most of the DC offerings going in, especially for the DC Universe Classics line, but it’s still nice seeing pictures of POWER GIRL. I really want her bad, but is she seriously going to be Wal-Mart exclusive? I’ll never see her!

The Joker is a nice surprise for me, because he’s the classic version of the character that appeared in the most excellent Super Powers line.

The 12 inch General Zod figure from Superman II was a nice surprise, but I’d rather take him in 6 inch format.

Note: Pictures from Toy News International.

He-Man

In the world of He-Man, I have three words for you: Battle Fucking Cat

Now I haven’t gotten any of the new Mattel Masters of the Universe figures (He-Mans) so far, mostly because of price. I will however now need a He-Man when he’s re-released, because I can’t imagine a world where I don’t have this new kick ass Battlecat and no He-Man to fight with him. I don’t say this often, but that shit is tight. I’m also digging that Teela in there, mostly because that means now that there’s a female body I’m hoping that She-Ra (Princess of Sexy) will be soon to follow.

G.I. Joe

In the world of G.I. Joe, I had an idea that some of the stuff was coming out that was revealed, but it’s still great to see things like this:

I love the old mini-playsets and I’m glad they’re back. I was hoping for a Cobra Battle Bunker, but haven’t seen one yet. Anyone else know if that was at the con? I think out of the sets I’ve seen so far, I really need to get the Surveillance Post. To often do my Cobra troops have to rely on spotty intel. Yeah, can you tell I still don’t have a job?

Overall though, from what I’ve seen of the Joe offerings so far it’s pretty damned dissapointing. I remember being at the con when the 25th line was still new and almost every figure made me giddy with Joe. With so many of the ones on display either being repaints or based on Rise of Cobra, it’s hard to still be excited about G.I. Joe.

Cobra Throne Environment:

I think the 12″ environments that Sideshow makes are really good ideas, yet they have a pretty high price point. Cobra Commander sure looks bad ass in this thing though. I think the first thing I”m going to do when I take control is have a snake throne built. I’d also have a throne made of the skulls of my enemies, but that would only be for special occasions like Easter and Boxing Day.

Duke:

Okay, I like Duke and he’s my personal Joe team leader (screw you General Hawk, I only take orders from Duke or Flint), but I’ve never felt the need to own a figure of him in any form. Still, Sideshow’s version looks pretty cool and if you’re into Aryans then I guess this is the perfect purchase for you! Seriously, I don’t know how this guy could get any more ubermensch if he tried.

*One of the Sponsors of the Joes for Tots contest

Instead of pointlessly discussing why online retailers charge more for toys than say Wal-Mart or Target without any input from an online retailer, I turned to Brian of the online toy shop Brian’s Toys* to get to the bottom of things.

ToyBender: Please give us a little background about yourself if you could. How did you come to start Brian’s Toys?

Brian: While I was in high school I started collecting Star Wars toys (it was 1992) after watching Return of the Jedi on tv at a friend’s house. After watching the Star Wars movie I hadn’t seen in many years, I was very excited about Star Wars again. At the same time, my friend had a gigantic collection of Masters of the Universe toys that we took a look at that evening. He had twice as many items as I had even known existed at the time. It led me to think about all of the Star Wars toys that I had sold off at garage sales around the age of 10 (only about 5 years earlier). Shortly after, I began collecting vintage Star Wars toys. I was shocked to realize that there were many other collectors and an entire market for Star Wars toys. I picked up a Toy Shop magazine that year and began putting together a vintage Star Wars collection by mail order.

After a couple of years of collecting vintage Star Wars toys, in 1994, I started Brian’s Toys to retail collectible toys. We started very small, with just a few thousand dollars, and the help of my parents and brother in the basement of my parents’ house. It didn’t take long and the house was overtaken by toys! After about 5 years, we built a nearby office/warehouse.

ToyBender: The question that everyone is dying to know is: “Why do new toys cost more at online retail stores than they do at stores like Target and Wal-Mart?”

Brian: Target and Wal-Mart are set up with very different business models than online retailers that cater to collectors. Target and Wal-Mart sell large volumes of merchandise and can even afford to lose money on certain items to bring you in the store. You will often notice that the selection of figures sitting on the shelves at Target and Wal-Mart are often older or less desirable figures. To Wal-Mart and Target, action figures are just a few pegs on the racks in the toy section. To the online retailer, action figures and toys are their business. They will do what they can to stock the products customers want, and they do their best to meet the demands of their customers. The online retailers will often provide a much higher level of customer service and convenience than you can expect from a Target or Wal-Mart.

ToyBender: Do you think that an online toy store could be successful if they only sold new items at “retail price”?

Brian: You won’t find too many retailers in any industry that are successful at competing with Wal-Mart based solely on price. The bottom line is that an online store could not exist for long selling toys at Wal-Mart prices. Online toy stores (like anyone else competing with Wal-Mart) need to differentiate themselves and add value in other ways. A specialty retailer, whether online or off, will need to focus on customer service, providing the selection of products its customers really want, and adding value in creative ways.

On a related note, I suspect online toy stores are often not credited for selling less desirable figures or more common figures for cheaper prices than Wal-Mart. Using Brian’s Toys as an example, until our inventory level recently ran low, we were selling Clone Wars Clone Troopers for $4.99 each. While there are sure to be rare examples of Clone Troopers turning up at Wal-Mart for $4.99 or less, I do not believe that generally you would have been able to find Clone Troopers at $4.99. However, to compensate for losing money on the Clone Troopers at $4.99, which were re-issued in many Clone Wars cases last year, we needed to charge more for the “newest” and “hottest” figures at that time.

ToyBender: If someone were to consider an online toy store a “scalper” because they thought that the store’s prices were too high, what would be your response to that? Is it fair for them to think something like that?

Brian: Each person is entitled to his own opinion. And each customer needs to decide how much value each retailer is adding. For example, Brian’s Toys offers a Star Wars One of Each Figure Club at $8.99 each. This is a very convenient service to be assured of each new Star Wars figure without the hassle of having to spend time, gas, effort, and often times frustration (when only some or none of the figures you are looking for can be found at Wal-Mart or Target). The price is still higher than the Wal-Mart/Target price, but typically only by about $1-$1.50 per figure. Usually, though not always, we will have the figures and ship them before most stores have received them or put them on the shelves. So for a bit more money, our customer receives the figures relatively early with no stress or work. Ultimately, each customer has to decide how much he/she likes going to different retail stores to search for the figures, how that person values his/her time, along with other costs like gas/vehicle costs, etc. If an individual enjoys the “hunt” of finding figures at retail from Wal-Mart or Target, then our service may not be the best fit. For a busy individual who is pressed for time, our service makes for a good fit.

Of course, many new figures are priced higher than $8.99. I would again go back to the example of the Clone Wars Clone Trooper at $4.99 in my previous answer. The retailer needs to maximize its revenue on the few “hot” figures to make up for all of the figures that may sit in the warehouse for a year or two (or more) only to be sold at a loss.

ToyBender: What are your feelings on “scalpers”? For this question, the definition of a “scalper” is someone who buys toys at retail and sells them on eBay for a quick buck.

Brian: We live in an entrepreneurial society that allows (and even encourages) individuals to take advantage of inefficiencies in the marketplace. If an individual finds items at a store that he/she perceives to be underpriced, and invests in the item with hopes of a profit, he/she has the right to do that. Of course, the customer also has the right to decide not to do business with this individual.

ToyBender: In your opinion, is it possible to “price gouge” on non-essential consumer items such as toys? For instance, if “Toy Store X” is charging 50 dollars for a toy that’s “worth” 20, is that price gouging in your opinion?

Brian: In a free market, an item is worth what a buyer is willing to pay and what a seller is willing to sell for. If the buyer and seller agree to a price, then ultimately that is what the item is worth. If a seller is not willing to sell for less than $50, and the buyer is willing to pay $50, then the value of the item is $50 not $20.

ToyBender: How does the secondary market affect the prices at Brian’s toys?

Brian: Once an item is no longer available from Hasbro, we have to source the product from other businesses and individuals. If we have to pay more to purchase certain items that tend to be more popular or in demand, then that will necessarily be reflected in the prices that we charge.

ToyBender: How has the current situation with the economy affected the business of selling toys?

Brian: Demand has been down over the last 12 months, as consumers have been frightened, and in many cases lost their jobs, they have spent less on almost anything they don’t absolutely need. Toys are no exception to this. We have seen a sharp pullback in spending the last 12 months. Like in most other retail industries, this has forced us to reduce overhead, including staffing and advertising.

ToyBender: In your opinion, what makes Brian’s Toys better than other retailers and do you have any insight why someone buys at Brian’s Toys rather than retail or a site like eBay?

Brian: We carry the world’s largest selection of Star Wars and G.I. Joe toys from 1977 to the present day. Many of the items you find at Brian’s Toys will not be available at retail or on ebay. We strive to deliver excellent customer service and set a goal to ship orders placed by 10 am the same business day. We have been in business sine 1994, and customers know that they can trust us. They can trust that they will receive their order, and if there are any problems that they will be resolved. We are in business to serve the toy collector; and we strive to make the experience convenient and fun!

Thanks again to Brian for providing his input. Now it’s your turn. I want to hear what you think in the comments below!

*One of the sponsors of last year’s Joes for Tots contest!

Item: KISS Mr. Potato Heads have to be one of the most useless toys ever. I may be lighting a fire here, but I’ve never really liked KISS’s songs. “Rock and Roll All Nite” is about the only good one and it gets tiring after about 45 seconds.

Item: Is this too soon? I mean, the Micheal Jackson only died a little while ago and we’re already getting a zombie Micheal Jackson?

Item: If you haven’t yet seen this video of Patrick Stewart in Extras watch it. It’s hilarious and it’s my new favorite thing.

Item: In case you were wondering (probably not), my attempt to sell things at Dinosaur Toy Vault is going okay. If you want to get rid of your stuff and don’t want to use eBay I can confirm that eCrater is worth a shot. Still, I currently get a few orders here and there, so you never know when something is going to sell (or not). I also can’t figure out how to combine shipping on orders without doing it manually.