You are CEO of Playmate's TMNT line

[IMJ]

I order movement into a 3 3/4" or 4" scale that is all appropriately sized for height and character build. We call the line "TMNT Universe" and begin releasing waves of figures from the first three iterations of TMNT and move on from there.

This scale also allows for significant amounts of vehicles and playsets and I point to the new Jurassic Park line and ongoing G.I. Joe line as an example of how this can be successful. I make sure that the 3 3/4" line is pledged to continue for collectors for at least 3 years of releases. The figures themselves are new Playmates models that take cues from the 2011 3 3/4" Bandai Thundercats line and GI Joe 25th Anniversary lines as our inspiration and functionality directions to beat.

Each figure is priced appropriately but mass produced so pricing is better due to economies of scale. Most releases are single figures with both weapon accessories and "personality accessories", and some deluxe figures are released in the instances that the 4" or 3 3/4" scale could benefit from it. After a giant 3 3/4"-scale Technodrome is released, the next waves of figures don't include "Build A Figure" parts, but instead include "Build-A-Playset" parts that enhance the 3 3/4" scaled Technodrome and Sewer Playsets.

The line is a huge smash hit, is easily accessible in most appropriate stores due to mass production, and appeals to long timer collectors as well as a younger generation who sees the nicely carded, affordable toys while shopping with mom and they begin to embrace it with a figure now and again. The Playmates board then sends me a corporate email and asks why they didn't do this years ago and asks me what's next.

[garsh]

Those are great concepts too. Even though I don't currently collect 3 3/4", I would definitely be all in with this kind of strategy. The only catch is I need the figures to have at minimum ball-joined shoulders and hips, and I need the anatomical proportions to be like OG: round bodies, short legs.

I especially love the build-a-playset and "personality accessories" bits. Even if the figures didn't quite live up to what I wanted, those touches could still persuade me.

[Ninjinister]

I'd let the license lapse.

[mikey0]

I would keep the figures in a 5-inch scale. TMNT was the MOTU of the 1990s. By having the figures be 5-inches, it leaves room for better detail, paint applications (remember the original hardcopies), and all kinds of weapons that can fit in their hands and not get lost under the bed easily.

[D Piddy 1982]

I kinda like this thread. But I'm going to assume there IS cash as you did state "I invest heavily on the marketing"...

My first thought would be similar to what other's have mentioned.

I would stick to the original scale of 4 1/2 inches (if that is what it was?). And I would launch 4 initial waves. Each would consist of a Turtle from each of the primary TV shows (this is aimed at kids after all). Fred Wolf, 2003, 2012 and dare I mention it, Rise.

Each figure would be highly toon-accurate. Articulation would be head swivel, should, elbow and wrist "spin" (like the original toys wrist action). Knee and hip joint.

With FW and 2003 they would be able to use the same body sculpts for all 4 Turtles.

I think this could appeal to young and old alike. Good articulation, but not so fiddly that it might break, so has child play value (resistant to wear through play). We would see toon-accurate figures from 2003 and 2012 that we haven't really had before (going to ignore the 2012 Revoltech line ). Actually the same could be said for Rise as well.

So having toon accurate 2003/2012 would really appeal to the collectors. FW always sells, then you have Rise as it was the most recent.

Also sticking to the original scale means collectors would be able to use their old vehicles and playsets (or kids could use their parents old sets). Still bummed the NECA toon turtles don't fit the original Party Wagon!

Leave bigger scale and high articulation to NECA and Super7.

Unfortunately this will never happen, and even if it did I wouldn't trust Playmates to be able to get anywhere near "toon accurate".

Oh also before starting the above project I would headhunt a couple of guys from NECA or Super7.

Good thread!

[Zachatello00]

Originally Posted by D Piddy 1982

Also sticking to the original scale means collectors would be able to use their old vehicles and playsets (or kids could use their parents old sets).

I was going to suggest that in addition to re-releasing certain popular figures, this would also be a great opportunity to re-release some of the old playsets and vehicles. Growing up, I never had the Turtle van, the Sewer Playset, or the technodrome. I could never convince my parents to do much of anything beyond the figures themselves.

Why not re-release those classic vehicles/playsets and give the collectors who never had a chance to own them as a kid to get their hands on them now? Even if you just released the Technodrome, you'd make bank off of that sucker. Individuals pieces of that thing sell for major cash on ebay.

[mikey0]

Originally Posted by Zachatello00

I was going to suggest that in addition to re-releasing certain popular figures, this would also be a great opportunity to re-release some of the old playsets and vehicles. Growing up, I never had the Turtle van, the Sewer Playset, or the technodrome. I could never convince my parents to do much of anything beyond the figures themselves.

Why not re-release those classic vehicles/playsets and give the collectors who never had a chance to own them as a kid to get their hands on them now? Even if you just released the Technodrome, you'd make bank off of that sucker. Individuals pieces of that thing sell for major cash on ebay.

Even better, make a larger Technodrome that still connects to the Sewer Playset like the 1990 original Technodrome.

[mikey see]

Originally Posted by mikey0

Even better, make a larger Technodrome that still connects to the Sewer Playset like the 1990 original Technodrome.

Give Super7 time, I'd bet money on both of those things happening as long as the line has legs enough to get us there.

[Leo656]

Honest question: Why the push for smaller scales when the action figure market has been trending more into 6- and even 7-inch scales for a very long time, now? Is it just because the original toys were smaller? Just curious.

For me, I like larger figures with lots of detail and articulation, as well as figures that can display or be played with alongside other popular lines and still look good. 6-inch seems to be a good standard for most lines nowadays.

I'unno, just curious. So far this is the only place where toys are discussed where I've seen anyone push for smaller scale; most everyone else prefers a "Bigger = Better" approach to action figures. When companies put out lines in 5.5 or smaller scale, they certainly have an audience but it's very niche, and most people deride them as a "step backwards" and "waste of time". *I* don't particularly feel that way, as I buy a little bit of everything and have a sentimental fondness for "vintage-style" figures, but it does seem to be the dominant and overwhelming opinion. Even Star Wars seems to put much more energy into their 6-inch figures instead of the 3.75-inch scale that they built their name on, anymore.

Just wondering. Smaller figures almost seem "quaint", anymore.

[sdp]

I love 3.75" scale, it's small and easy to have cool displays and takes less space while still being able to have decent sculpts and paint. The 2008 recession gave us plenty of awesome toylines in that scale because of the economy. Let's hope Covid19 gives us more of the same.

[IMJ]

Originally Posted by Leo656

Honest question: Why the push for smaller scales when the action figure market has been trending more into 6- and even 7-inch scales for a very long time, now? Is it just because the original toys were smaller? Just curious.

For me, I like larger figures with lots of detail and articulation, as well as figures that can display or be played with alongside other popular lines and still look good. 6-inch seems to be a good standard for most lines nowadays.

I'unno, just curious. So far this is the only place where toys are discussed where I've seen anyone push for smaller scale; most everyone else prefers a "Bigger = Better" approach to action figures. When companies put out lines in 5.5 or smaller scale, they certainly have an audience but it's very niche, and most people deride them as a "step backwards" and "waste of time". *I* don't particularly feel that way, as I buy a little bit of everything and have a sentimental fondness for "vintage-style" figures, but it does seem to be the dominant and overwhelming opinion. Even Star Wars seems to put much more energy into their 6-inch figures instead of the 3.75-inch scale that they built their name on, anymore.

Just wondering. Smaller figures almost seem "quaint", anymore.

There are quite a few reasons. I'll touch a few here for anyone who is curious and not in "large scale toy denial"....

First, from a collector perspective, the "bigger is better" is a myth. It's a novelty left over from when 6" was not commonly used and when it came out it exploded for years and created a boutique market. I have a lot of 6" figures, but there are many detriments to the scale included limited accessorization and line enhancements with things like vehicles. The only way to defeat the limitation is to consistently embrace the boutique-style and charge exaggerated pricing for larger figures. Then you have the 6" scale problems - the failure in scale that is never correct. We've had a thousand 6" Iron Men and almost none of them look like the same guy could fit in the armor at any give time as an example. Then you have more manufacturing QC issues with assembly or design issues with joints that are weak in places or crazy ball swivels. I could go on and on but it's eye opening when you really examine the junk that is the majority of 6" releases across a lot of toy lines. There is a lot more 6" junk that there are gems, but go and look at the GI Joe 25th line - every. Single. Figure. Is. A. Gem.

From a business perspective, 3 3/4" or 4" lines offer greater horizontal growth than the 6" figures do, and nowadays matching sculpts to 6" quality is not a problem at all with modern manufacturing and sculpting. 6" used to offer sculpting opportunities that smaller scales didn't, but that's simply not true anymore. Additionally, a solid 3 3/4" figure can be fleshed out in a package littered with accessories at a price point similar or less than a 6" figure can be. And in greater economies of scale, you can launch two packs of smaller figures at a better price point as well.

From a line-wide accuracy perspective, smaller scale toys allow for that horizontal growth I mentioned because of size scale. You can release a gigantic Technodrome in a more appropriate scale for a smaller line than the sort of extremely warped-scale vintage Technodrome was - c'mon guys look at things with adult eyes - your vintage Technodrome had four rooms and a few obscure platforms to stand figures on. LMAO! Compare that to the sophistication of the vintage G.I. Joe Headquarters or Terrordrome. And most importantly the 4" scale allows for amazing size scaling between action figures. That giant NECA Tokka and Rhaza could be sculpted almost identically in style and proportion in a smaller scale, yet still retain the correct sizing against the rest of the Turtles but not cost $68 or whatever it was for two figures - they would simply be another peg release two-pack for $19.99 or $22.95. Your Android Body Krang could be bought off the pegs on a cardback yet still be twice as tall as your Leo, and a "Skyscraper" sized Krang could be bought as a Playset figure and basically be the size of the new Marvel Legends Sentinel yet be more accurate in scale than that thing.

And finally, from a consumer perspective, if you can account for and compute the points above, then from a consumer perspective you have greater value. You have greater breadth of product. You have greater opportunities to buy as a 3 3/4" line can promulgate itself more quickly. You have a more fleshed out collection and you have the opportunity to more readily impulse buy what you want because of better pricing and pack-in value, while you can still plan for bigger pieces like the Krang body I mentioned.

There is literally no reason to have larger scale toys at this point other than personal preference for whatever personal reason. 6" sculpts used to yield better looks and better articulation, but not only did that often not actually happen (look at the outcomes and 6" failures for once, guys instead of a group shot that mesmerizes with a new wave release), but it's simply no longer true that you need the 6" scale to have those features.

[Leo656]

Interesting perspective. Not personally won over but those are intriguing reasons.

The playsets/vehicles example in particular is compelling, although I'm not convinced that those things are huge factors in the market anymore. I could definitely be wrong but I've *heard* that playsets and vehicles don't sell anymore outside of collectors and such. I know a lot of parents are plain and simply a hard "Nope" on those things. Like to your specific example, every kid I knew wanted those G.I. Joe playsets but nobody's parents actually splurged on them, or if they did it was like a "That's ALL you're getting for your Birthday/Christmas" kinda deals. But that's kind of anecdotal, I'm just saying. But I see your point in that you definitely get a lot more freedom to make those kinds of things if the figures are smaller.

More accessories packed in at a reasonable price point is also compelling, but if we're being realistic and also being serious about marketing/selling these to kids, that's really just more stuff to get lost under the couch and never seen again. I feel you, though, I personally hate it when they skimp on accessories. And I don't feel like it's fair for companies to charge an extra $5 for what amounts to about fifty cents worth of plastic. But "That's how they get ya," as the saying goes.

I very strongly disagree with the "most 6-inch scale figures are junk" opinion, but we're getting into personal preference territory here. That's pretty much unavoidable, just saying I don't agree with it as someone who collects tons of figures in all different scales. Although I confess that a huge majority of the 6-inch stuff I collect has historically been by Mattel, so maybe they just have more on the ball when it comes to producing figures in that scale?

I'unno. Those are interesting reasons but if I'm the hypothetical CEO I remain unconvinced. But I appreciate your input.

Just for fun, I asked my wife for her opinion, as she's a big G.I. Joe fanatic and has a ton of those 3.75 figures. For her part, she's kinda like "It makes sense for G.I. Joe because it's been that way forever" but otherwise she's like me in that she prefers something larger and more dynamic. Like she doesn't quite get why the MOTU Origins figures went back to using 5.5 after Mattel did the Classics in 7-inch for over ten years; to her it's like a big step backwards. I just thought I'd solicit her opinion on the subject since she has way more 3.75's than I do

Anyways, interesting perspectives. Although the "There's no reason for 6-inch scale" stuff totally seems like sour grapes to be perfectly honest and I absolutely don't agree with that at all. BUT, everybody gets an opinion. That's why I asked.

[Powder]

If I had any push at Playmates, my first move would be to both re-release & continue the old toy line.

New wacky mutant/robot/alien characters, new turtle variants, different iterations in the old style, you name it.

It's something you see a few indie toy makers doing on IG, & even I myself have a figure in the pipelines.

From there, who knows... But that's the ticket. Let NECA do accuracy, & Super 7 do homages, while Playmates does what it used to do best. There's enough interest & money in the vintage stuff that it could feasibly go on for decades, extending into add-on toys in the vein of Killer Bee or the Oozey, or GIANT Shredder/Splinter/Slash/Casey.

[Leo656]

Originally Posted by Powder

If I had any push at Playmates, my first move would be to both re-release & continue the old toy line.

New wacky mutant/robot/alien characters, new turtle variants, different iterations in the old style, you name it.

It's something you see a few indie toy makers doing on IG, & even I myself have a figure in the pipelines.

That's not a bad idea either, to be honest. I wouldn't make that the MAIN focus but I'd absolutely look into doing that.

Mattel did that with their 4-inch WWE throwback line a couple of years ago, making figures that fit nearly seamlessly with the old WWF Hasbro figures with identical scale and similar action features, and they were a big hit. More with adult collectors filling in holes in their vintage collections than with kids, BUT as I've said, the adult collector is the dominant percentage of the toy-buying market and it only makes sense to appeal to them as much as possible.

So yeah, that's a hell of an idea. "Missing" characters from the original line along with redone figures that maybe weren't so hot the first time around. I wouldn't make that the primary line but I think that's definitely a great idea for a "sub-line" like the way Mattel did it for WWE, or Super7 did with their Filmation He-Man toys. He-Ro, Eldor, Shadow Weaver and Evil Seed were really well-received in that particular line, as they were characters that never had any sort of release back in the day.

Precedent shows that there's definitely a market of adult collectors who'd love to fill in some of those holes in their vintage collections with toys that fit right in there. Jury's still out on whether kids notice or care, BUT, money's money, as they say, so yeah, that's a great idea. That would definitely be a hit with a good number of TMNT fans.

[IMJ]

Originally Posted by Leo656

Interesting perspective. Not personally won over but those are intriguing reasons.

The playsets/vehicles example in particular is compelling, although I'm not convinced that those things are huge factors in the market anymore.

Well you have to look at causality. Is it that they aren't huge market factors by consumer choice, or because the 6" scale market is so replete with figures that they've lost the opportunity and the price point to make playsets in a new market where there is now a generation of consumers that don't know the difference? Basically what's the real reason that they aren't "market factors"? A lot of that could truly be ignorant consumerism. But because some consumers won't want to hear that, the data will fall on biased, deaf ears.

Originally Posted by Leo656

I could definitely be wrong but I've *heard* that playsets and vehicles don't sell anymore outside of collectors and such. I know a lot of parents are plain and simply a hard "Nope" on those things

Again, see above, but I'd add possibly because of boutique hobbying now. What parent is going to impulse buy, or plan buy a playset for a kid when it's equivalent to the price of a solid new stock position in the market?

Originally Posted by Leo656

every kid I knew wanted those G.I. Joe playsets but nobody's parents actually splurged on them

I definitely respect that personal experience, but your experience could be regional. There are just as many kids out there where everyone they knew had that stuff. But if you want to remove the buying power from the example and keep it neutral then the evidence is in the fact that those lines were replete with vehicles and playsets. And they were replete with them for more than a decade of consumerism. So basically they were being purchased outside of a given microcosm.

Originally Posted by Leo656

But I see your point in that you definitely get a lot more freedom to make those kinds of things if the figures are smaller.

Look at the adult oriented, boutique toy market today. People ordering $68 two-packs from NECA. Buying $500 Haslab space ships. Now imagine if this was oriented towards a backed 3 3/4" line in a property like TMNT? That line would flourish from the boutique collectors now buying mass market products, but it would invite a new generation as well. Greed for the boutique market is blinding almost every toy company on Earth. They are vampires and they are going to suck the market dry just like every other boutique or mania market since the 90's.

Originally Posted by Leo656

but if we're being realistic and also being serious about marketing/selling these to kids, that's really just more stuff to get lost under the couch and never seen again.

This is not a valid point in any way shape or form. It's like debating a tackle in Baseball. It doesn't make sense, we don't tackle in baseball. Lost accessories don't impact the theory at all. As a matter of fact it might enhance it - a 3 3/4" accessory pack could be produced cheaply and make more money for the company and more stuff for the consumer.

But it was funny, so there's that.

Originally Posted by Leo656

I very strongly disagree with the "most 6-inch scale figures are junk" opinion, but we're getting into personal preference territory here.

No, no it's borderline fact. LOL Borderline - I'm telling you to try this - I'll use this example because it's clearly one that I know inside and out. Go and put your Iron Man 6" stuff side by side. Go back to the first Marvel Legends through today. It's punctuated with junk that doesn't match the form factor and changes scale within the scale, changes height within the 6" scale, etc. There's a lot of 6" junk within and across lines that lack uniformity, scalability, etc. Most 6" scale figures are junk while a lesser amount are truly iconic. Look at the given number of those toys out there and put them in comparison to one and another. There are more odd-men out than there are "definitive" and solid figures. I mean, really truly go and look at them.... Put your Wolverine's together side by side and it's eye opening outside of the moment when you bought them. There's a 6" Punisher figure out there that is taller than an Iron Man from the same wave. LMAO!

Originally Posted by Leo656

I'unno. Those are interesting reasons but if I'm the hypothetical CEO I remain unconvinced. But I appreciate your input.

Well for what it's worth, clearly most of the CEO's agree with you, because they aren't doing what I'm saying, sooooooo......

Originally Posted by Leo656

Anyways, interesting perspectives. Although the "There's no reason for 6-inch scale" stuff totally seems like sour grapes to be perfectly honest and I absolutely don't agree with that at all. BUT, everybody gets an opinion. That's why I asked.

That's cool, but ehhh. I mean it's a strong and informed opinion I have for sure, but it's not sour grapes. LOL! I mean... what could be sour grapes about it? It's not like the 6" scale has been a barrier of entry for me. It's not like the 6" scale has limited my Iron Man or Ninja Turtles options.

I said this about something else in another thread - there's a lot of people out there who operate that way, but I'm a pretty upfront guy when it comes to this stuff. I don't resent the 6" scale at all, but that doesn't mean that I don't see the truth as to the situation. I serve the honest data as much as I can. That's the exact opposite of responding with sour grapes feelings, man.

Originally Posted by Powder

If I had any push at Playmates, my first move would be to both re-release & continue the old toy line.

New wacky mutant/robot/alien characters, new turtle variants, different iterations in the old style, you name it.

At first my knee-jerk reaction was "Oh God, Powder, WHY!?" but then I thought about it. I have some appreciation for this because I always sort of wished it for the Indiana Jones toy line from the 80's. That someone would just go and not re-release the line, but extend it to the other films with the exact same sculpt style and art direction.

Ironically I think they are doing this with the Mandalorian right now, which is really interesting and sort of cool.

[Leo656]

Well, I can't speak to Marvel Legends stuff because I've never been a Marvel guy, and the only Marvel figures I own of any kind are a handful of the old Toy Biz ones from like 1991 . What I specifically collect in 6- and 7-inch scale are DC, MOTU, and wrestling figures. ALL of which are predominantly great in that scale. Mattel's DC offerings are objectively one of the greatest super-hero toy lines of all time, period. MOTU Classics single-handedly brought He-Man and MOTU back from the "dead", and without it there wouldn't be a retail line right now (with another, more "upscale" retail line on the way in "Masterverse"). Most people who'd care about wrestling toys agree that Mattel's WWE figures are very probably the objective "best" wrestling figures ever made (I prefer Jakks personally, specifically for their face sculpts, but even I will readily admit that Mattel's figures have much better articulation than Jakks ever did).

Sure, there are always issues with likeness, scale, paint apps, etc. etc., but with a few rare exceptions I find a lot of it to be rather nitpicky.

Point being, MOST of the people who collect these lines ALSO collected the old Kenner/Toy Biz DC figures, the old Hasbro WWF toys, and the vintage MOTU line, and the overwhelming opinion is that the 6- and 7-inch figures are what best serves those characters. So again, "There's NO reason for 6- and 7-inch figures" just sounds like a very subjective point because it ignores the fact that tons and tons of people have a very strong preference for them. It's not like the opinion comes from people who ONLY jumped in on the modern scale, it's from people who've been collecting since the 80s and simply agree that things have evolved - for the better - over time. It seems a bit odd to suggest that they're ALL just suffering from some form of mass hysteria.

I mean, I've seen plenty of people put forth the notion that DC Universe Classics/Multiverse is the greatest action figure line ever made. I don't agree with that for my own personal reasons, but I get what they mean and their arguments are compelling. Sure, there were a few scale problems and paint color issues (like their original Superman figure using that burgundy "red" that simply didn't work, or the Superboy Prime figure that was just way too large), but for one, nothing's perfect, and secondly, that line had SO many incredible figures of SO many characters both iconic and obscure, there really isn't much to complain about. Just as an example. But again, look at Mattel's WWE stuff as well. Some people don't care about wrestling, and that's fine, but on every single level from details to accessories to range of characters Mattel's been doing an absolutely exceptional job with that 6-inch line.

Conversely, Mattel's 3.75-scale "DC Infinite Heroes" line was pretty uninspired, with very simplistic sculpts and paint apps, with not a ton of detail. They had a ton of characters, which was nice, but they kind of felt like babies' toys. They looked even more simplistic than their 80s and 90s brethren of similar scale. When it comes to collecting DC, the modern scale is indisputably where it's at.

So I guess some of it depends on what a person collects, and some of it depends on what a specific company does best (in Mattel's case, it seems to be larger-scale figures is their strong suit). But as far as what *I* collect in 6- and 7-inch scale, there's way more Hit than Miss, and the Hits are mostly Home Runs. And it's not just me saying so.
------------------

Back to the playsets/vehicles topic, you may very well be right, and I did say my own input was anecdotal. To be fair, *I* was pretty well spoiled with vehicles and playsets - MOTU in particular - but back in the 80s, my Dad was making roughly a thousand bucks a week when he worked for Squibb and I'm not even sure what that equals to now with inflation (Google suggests around $2500). So until he lost his job and fell ill, I was pretty thoroughly spoiled. Once in a while he'd take me to Toys R Us and tell me to get whatever I wanted with a $100 spending limit, so I had a TON of stuff that my friends weren't allowed to have. Sure wish I still had all of it.

But yeah, most people I knew, their parents never spent over $20 on any ONE toy or anything unless it was a video game. Vehicles and playsets were a hard "no" because they were "too expensive" and also "We don't have room for that crap". My Mom used to try and pull that but my Dad would outvote her. I've spoken to many people from all over the country who've had the experience of their parents not shelling out for those kinds of things, BUT, I'm aware that's not everybody's experience, sure.

You may well be right that the trend towards larger scale is what diminished the market for playsets and vehicles in the first place, but on the other hand, one could also assume that if those things made a lot of money then companies would make more toys in their accommodating scale(s). Kind of a "chicken/egg" thing. Like I said, the ones to look at would be Star Wars and G.I. Joe, who've always dominated the 3.75 scale market. Both of those lines are putting more energy into 6-inch scale right now, which tells me that they're simply following the money. "Traditionally", they've always done 3.75-scale stuff, including lots and lots of playsets and vehicles, but now they've gone more into "just figures" and doing so at a larger scale. I personally feel like if they saw money in that avenue then they'd still be investing heavily in that area.
----------------

I feel like MOTU Origins is going to be the line to watch, right now. They've gone to the "classic" 5.5 scale while retaining the more modern articulation, and are completely All-In on playsets and vehicles. It's worth watching how much success Mattel has with that approach over the next couple of years, to see which way the proverbial winds of consumer preference are blowing. Again, data is skewed because it's 99.9% 30- and 40-somethings buying these up, but again, money is money. But I feel like it'll be a good barometer as to whether buyers want The Whole Works, or Just Figures that scale well with other lines and look dynamic in a display.

I bought my Battle Cat and Sky Sled, and I've got my Castle Grayskull pre-ordered, so I'm doing MY part. But like I said, it'll be interesting to see what unfolds, even if adult collectors are skewing the data a little bit.

[garsh]

Playmates' TMNT scale is just about ideal for me. I could go smaller, but MotU Origins is pushing my upper limit. Even though they pass for 5.5, they're a still a hair taller than vintage, and even more if they stand up straight. Despite that, they at least have the massive, squat proportions that seldom ever make it into 6+.

For me the issue of vehicles and playsets is a major part. Obviously there's the consideration of how much space they take up, but there's also just the relative scale to myself to consider. If I were build a scale structure for 6 or 7 inch figures, I might end up with something I need a stepladder to interact with. 5.5 isn't a huge difference, but sometimes it might make "all the difference". Classics Grayskull is a little ridiculously large imo, and Snake Mountain looks even more outrageous. Not that I wouldn't get them if I could, but even if I could afford them, I'd have to own a warehouse to keep them.

When you get right down to it, a 4 or 5 inch figure just feels better to handle, and looks "correct" standing on my table or what have you. They're smaller -- relative to me -- compared to when I was an "appropriate" age for them, but I'm not looking to re-create the experience of being 5 years old and heaving around a massive doll.

[Zulithe]

As the master license holder, I'd make sure NECA and Super7 can continue their lines based on the fred wolf toon, 90s movies and playmates-inspired remake figures. But they can't expand beyond that. Afterall, if those lines are healthy and pulling in money, it just funnels free money to Playmates Toys.

Acquire the right talent to start an adult collector line, because I don't think they do right now based on their current output.

Start a 6 inch collector line based on the comics, IDW being the focus, but maybe with some Mirage. Biggest influence would be Hasbro's Marvel Legends line, but probably at a $25 price point to allow for slightly better quality. I think this is a strong basis for a new line ans Hasbro already proved it's viable after what they did with the IDW Transformers figures. In year two and three, maybe start adding other versions like nick 2k12 or 2k3 figures in the same scale. Not sure if build-a-figures would be included, but if not there would be larger deluxe figures where needed.

As soon as there is a new toon or movie, then we will do kid-based toys in the OG playmates scale and style, but pull back the offerings a bit. Those lines operate on a boom-and-bust cycle whereas the adult collector line doesn't fade as much if you pace it well and keep the offerings fresh.

Maybe in 3 or so years after NECA and Super7 are winding down their lines, then incorporate inhouse versions from those properties into the core 6" line

That would be the core strategy, but for long term viability there would need to be a lot of product diversity and innovation to hook people in. The goal would be to build a devoted fanbase around the company the same way NECA and McFarlane have, while trying to learn from some of their mistakes (particularly when it comes to distribution which is still a nightmare for fans right now in NECA's case)

[Galactus]

Honestly the only thing that will turn Playmates around is having a successful TMNT cartoon and/or movie and decent figures to go along with it.

They are never going to be a company that makes things for the collectors market. a few bones here and there but their primary output will always be kids toys.

[IMJ]

Originally Posted by garsh

When you get right down to it, a 4 or 5 inch figure just feels better to handle, and looks "correct" standing on my table or what have you. They're smaller -- relative to me -- compared to when I was an "appropriate" age for them, but I'm not looking to re-create the experience of being 5 years old and heaving around a massive doll.

Yeah I sort of use that 3 3/4" interchangeably for figures resembling that scale. It's like ordering a "coke" when you don't care if you get a Pepsi, you just want that carmally soda beverage.

The new Marvel Legends figures coming out are true 3 3/4" scale whereas I suppose the G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary line from a decade ago was what? Maybe that was 4"? So if that's the case I'd say my real premise was still in that family of scale, but probably 4". Those DC Universe 3 3/4" scale figures from a few years back were cool too, but yeah... too small.