Does anyone still collect the Playmates line since Mega Bloks is out.
 

Honestly, ever since Mega Bloks TMNT came out, I've never bought a single TMNT figure from Playmates. Last one I bought was Stockman Fly back in early 2014. I doubt I'll ever buy anymore figures unless they make Tokka, Scumbug and Antrax but that is doubtful at this rate since they seem to keep making awful and mediocre and weird variants of the turtles that have never appeared in the show itself. Meanwhile, Mega Bloks (Know Mega Construx), is killing it with these figures. We have so many characters and probably will eventually get figures that never got a release from Playmates such as Antrax or Tokka. Playmates seriously needs to up their game or in a few years, everyone will forget about their figures.

Megabloks isn't what I collect to fill the void, but I have almost entirely dropped Playmates, yeah.

I say, Playmates needs to step up their game or soon when the 4th TMNT series comes out, fans would want a new company to make an official toyline.

I dropped Playmates too but replaced them with minimates instead, the mega blocks paint is too lacking for me to want to collect them and the arms look kind of weird on some figures. The classic mega bloks stuff looks bad ass and I'd buy some if I had the funds.

I long quit a Playmates mostly because I just got tired of having to customize basically ALL the characters because they apparently have zero sense of scale. I'm fine repainting figures, I'm tolerant of minimal articulation, but I can't get over the fact that the characters who are meant to be larger (Dogpound, Leatherhead, Rocksteady, etc...) are inevitably smaller than the Turtles. Regardless I also didn't get into the Megabloks, and basically I see all the sets for basically give away clearance prices at Walmart so I don't know how successful the line has been.

I quit playmates Hard Turkey after I got Stockman fly. I put my money to NECA a company that cares about the adult collector.I just hope someday Neca and do 7 inch turtles in the future.

I haven't went with Mega Constructs/Minimates for turtles yet.

I haven't purchased any of the mega blocks range.
I've continued to collect the Playmates ranges of figures. I enjoy their stuff and always look forward to new releases.

I don't buy any of those little Mega Blocks Figures but I am loving the HeroClix line.
I buy mostly figures geared towards collectors like stuff from NECA and now Mondo.
But I still buy some of the Playmates figures from time to time but they have been really hard to get in Pittsburgh since before even Christmas.
My boyfriend surprised me and got me Super Shredder, I still haven't seen on in person. Just the 4 turtles from that line.

I still collect Playmates stuff. I really love the designs and enjoy the tmnt collection, obviously not every single figure but in that case I pass and thats all.

I stopped purchasing stuff from Playmates that are based on the PD movies and 2K12, but if I have to chose from MegaBloks or Playamtes, I´d choose MB.

MB is not the reason I stopped buying Playmates stuff, but I whish we had MB where I live.

I don't really like the Mega Blocks style. I prefer figures that look like the characters, so I still buy Playmates when they do a good job.

The Space Turtles line was pretty great, and some of the Super Shredder Turtles are sick as hell.

Wish Playmates had the lineup that Minimates has, though. I want me a Bishop and a Sal Commander!

-JJ

I haven't purchased a single thing from Playmates since Bebop and Rocksteady a few years back. I always wanted human Karai, but I think the one they actually released was pretty disappointing so I even passed on her.

Right now Playmates just hasn't made anything I can't live without. I do really love the Mega Bloks (Construx) Classics line. If it keeps going it will probably get most of the money that might have gone to Playmates. That said I bought Karai when she finally came out. If they make another character I really like I would still buy that.

You and me both buddy. I started collecting NECA Aliens and Predator figures after I got some on the cheap. Wonderfully articulate and painted figures at decent prices, as opposed to Playmates' standard crap. I think the last one I bought was movie Krang (only because I feel the need to buy every Krang toy that comes out) but that was a very poor figure. I don't even mess with him out of fear his little eyes rub off. :roll: I say good riddance to Playmates.

Uh, you do know they have made TMNT toys in the past right? They even had some exclusive figures released a bit ago at some cons. They aren't able to rerelease those figs at general retail because of licensing and Playmates.

I stopped after I grabbed Bebop and Rocksteady. I haven't felt the need to buy anymore. However, I recently spotted Karai (human) that looked pretty show accurate. But I passed it up.
I think I'm good with the new Playmate's figures. I'd rather go back to collecting the old stuff instead.
The new Super Shredder, Playmates released was...:ohwell:

I'm still getting Playmates. But only because the end is near and I want to have one 100% line.

I love that this thread has so many responses about people wanting playmates to lose the license because figures aren't collector quality. I've never looked at playmates as anything more than a company that makes toys for kids. Obviously they are still selling great because they have had this license for 20+ years. Christmas comes around and turtles figures are sold out. I love the mega line, but not everyone does. Since Mattel acquired them they became a bigger threat to lego. But people are stuck on lego being the only block company, and that's probably why Mattel has rebranded the Mega line to construx. I'm fairly confident that playmates will still have the license for the next show, because kids aren't going to buy a $20 neca figure for a cartoon. Playmates probably will have the license forever, and hopefully mega keeps making these awesome sets.

I'm still down with playmates....I enjoy seeing you guys with the top notch stuff tho. I wish I could get a NT-01 cerebral too...

Spot on Angry_Raph. The idea of Playmates losing the license or giving it up is basically as absurd as the idea of Mattel ditching Masters of the Universe. The marriage was born in the era of toon+toys media franchises and it doesn't matter which (toys, toon) came first because they both drove and influenced each other and that continues to this day. Do you think its a coincidence that every so often its time for an episode or mini-arc where all 4 turtles get new individualized costumes which would work well as toy variants??

I collect the crap outta both lines (mega & basic figures) because I see both for what they are and have room in my heart (and fortunately wallet) for both. Do I like high end figures? Sure. Neca? Sure. Dumb low cost inaccurate trivialities for kids? You bet...they're toys and that means I like em. They could have no paint and 5 POA across the board and I'd collect them...doesn't stop Star Wars collectors!

Now...if I had the prescience to know that this Nick toon would produce such a huge figure line...and that Mega would be poised to release almost as many characters as pretty impressive (and fun) mini figures...and I would start running out of space...I may have talked myself into sticking to the small ones. But ya never know the future and you gotta scratch that itch however you can and then you gotta scratch it to completion! ;p

Interesting example now that Mattel have shut down MattyCollector and licensed the Masters of the Universe Classics to Super7

I am fine with Playmates not losing the license I just want them to allow NECA to make retail 7 inch TMNT figures again. That way both sides will be happy. The ones who want cheap crap and the ones who want quality collector figures at an affordable price.

I know hell will freeze over before that happens.

Absurd isn't it? Lol. But not the same as getting rid of their license and not the same market situation either for many reasons. And if Playmates bowed out of the TMNT game what would they have left?

I'll lament the state of the mass retail action figure world both for adults and kids as much as the next person... Quality of many toys in store aisles is way down from nostalgic yesteryear. (Mega Bloks has been refreshing to watch as they increase their quality with each year.) Within that context and adjusting for that reality, Playmates is doing no less than I would expect from a sub-$10 kids line and nothing too different from what they've done for all time with that bread & butter...meanwhile there's an abundance of adult TMNT product lines going (perhaps too many which may be the real reason no single one is likely to ever be that line of everyone's dreams). Why ever1 so eager to hold grudges?

If this thread is supposed to be a rallying cry to ditch PM for Mega then what do we suppose would really happen if PM were pushed out of the equation? My guess is eventual long-term franchise dormancy...not magical renaissance.

Well, Yeah. It isn't the same, since Mattel owns MOTU and license it out to Super7, while with TMNT, Viacom owns it and license it out to Playmates. And it's comparing a Collector toy-line with no cartoon attached and is subscription based versus a mass-retail kid's toy-line riding on the popularity of a fairly successful cartoon show.

Personally I don't think losing Playmates would that big of a loss, I'm sure Viacom can find a replacement company in no time as long as the cartoon runs. Would it improve the current state of the toys? probably not, we'd most likely just see another impressive first wave and then 5POA unpainted under-sized figures again.

And I think there would be less anathema against Playmates if they cared a little bit about the collector base, or at the very least don't be crybabies when others try to take those reins as we saw back in 2008. Their attempt at a collector line was so halfhearted it's downright embarrassing, and I'm fine that they canceled it, even though it's really bitter for those who endured subpar to awful figures to see it devolve to Wrestling variants instead of getting what would be the very first collector based Shredder & Krang action figures.

I'm sure for people that pay $10 for the Basic figures are more content, but us who lives in different countries have to pay a whole lot more (here in Norway a basic TMNT figure costs $20), and it's not as satisfying when the quality have gone considerably down.

I can certainly see people jump off Playmates Basic line and go over to Mega Blok/Construx, or Minimates or The Loyal Subjects for that matter, or just stick to whatever NECA will release. There's a huge style jump for sure, you either have to deal with chibi styled figures or construction styled minifigures, but you will get more bang for your buck. Especially with the character roster that's been released, MB having both Mirage Comics based sets, Fred Wolf cartoon and the Nick cartoon sets(and PD movie). Not just great looking figures for the MB style, but the vehicles are great and there's playsets/dioramas that look fantastic, which is a huge plus for using minifigures since playsets for 5" figures tend to be pricey and takes a lot more shelf space in stores.

I collect some of both but more Playmates line than MB. I like them both for what they are and will continue to collect as long as it brings me joy. :tsmile:

Well, my main point is there's an incredibly strong brand association between Playmates and TMNT that is pretty inseparable. Neither party in that partnership is likely to risk modifying that relationship unless there's a darn good reason... And the glut of merchandise and ravaged post-Christmas store aisles tells me sales are just fine so where's the good reason?

I can understand importers not wanting to pay $20 per figure. If it were me, I think I wouldn't have started collecting them at all at that price because in the US market the $20 point brings totally different expectation around action figures. Those expectations are another story entirely because even at the $20 point you have lower end stuff and higher end stuff and there are fans supporting that whole spectrum.

The problem with the "abundance" of adult collector line is the fact that none of them are in a 6/7 inch scale, which is the preferred scale for most collectors. The ones that are, are 50+ dollar import figures or hard to reasonably acquire convention exclusives. Ultimately most people would probably be perfectly fine with Playmates keeping the license as the kids line, most people's problem with Playmates is their stranglehold on the license, preventing well done 6/7 inch figures at a reasonable price, and when Playmates half attempts a collector line, they're often complete rubbish. If Playmates wants to throw cease and desist orders on current toon properties, that's fine, but the TMNT have been successes in many forms of media, that will likely never be made because the companies interested in the Movie, comic, video game, or past cartoons are not allowed to to, and that's why There is a rally against a Playmates.

MB is the stuff man. I have all the Mirage style sets and figures. I also put together Krang rampage and the Technodrome

I agree I would even be ok with Playmates collector lines if they put more thought into the quality of the product instead of just caring about the bottom dollar. It's like they don't care about fans

Now it's either we get their crappy products or nothing. I seriously hope Nick reconsiders their license when the time comes

I mainly collect Mega bloks at this point. The figures are fun well sculpted varied based on the actual cartoon and easy to customize. That said I am a total asshole about scale so I will buy all the mega bloks stuff but if a figure is meant to be bigger like Slash or Leatherhead I buy the playmates version of him to take the Mega bloks place. So that way the size all works out in my sewer and city playsets. I think that's the best way to go about enjoying the non collector stuff. I also collect the mini mates but to be honest it's because I already collected mini mates.

I bought a human Karai back in November but prior to that it had been a year since I bought any of the Playmates figures. I got tired of always finding the figures I wanted with either really crappy paint apps or very minimal paint apps which would always delay the purchase of said figures.

I bought my first Mega Bloks figure in November and I got hooked. I've since caught up with all of the blindbag figures from series 1 through 3 and I've picked up several sets from the Classic and Nick line. They are so much fun and offer a much wider variety of characters than the Playmates line. I need to get my hands on the Eastman & Laird sets as well. I'm going to be sticking with Mega Bloks at this point.

I collect both Playmates and mega bloks. I like constructing the sewer lair out of the mega bloks and I even got the Zombie diner to act as a restaurant above the turtles lair.

Aside from the under use of paint apps I don't mind them with the license. They could allow other companies to sip out of there Kool-aid once in a while. They also could have had more bad guy related stuff in the toyline.

Aside from the four turtles from the new Super Shredder line I've pretty much boycotted Playmates figures... Not for not a lack of trying my best to hang in there but each line cranked out is more disappointing in quality tan the last... It's a real bummer. The scale on the Super Shredder killed me. I had Leatherhead flashbacks all over again.

On the other hand the Mega Bloks have been just surpassing my expectations with each new set I get. I've quickly become addicted to them. All my extras from blind bags either go to my niece or end up cluttering up my desk at work.... I even have them in my car now. :tlol:

I actually really liked the second Karai figure they did.

I was hoping I would catch that before anyone else did.

I don't even look at the Playmates garbage anymore. There are way too many high end collectibles around, no need to give those poorly made trash-fodder recognition.