No doubt at $80 price points Mezco knows the adult collector is more likely to only spend that much if it’s a replication of the 80’s design to a tee. At $20 that becomes less of a necessity, as you see by Classified’s popularity without it.
But Mezco’s figures are targeting a completely separate market so Mezco’s line doesn’t satiate a RAH demand for fans who don’t buy in at Mezco’s price point. This is more of an situation where Hasbro sees Mezco’s line as a device to build out the Joe product offering and it only makes sense that Mezco, which is targeting a very specific consumer, actually make the product that consumer would buy.
Yeah, I guess you guys are right. Its just that I find it perplexing that Hasbro isn’t releasing ARAH designs...I mean its not like the reissue vintage figures and vehicles aren’t selling. Anyway, I agree with you guys - especially that Mezco is catering to another market : a higher end one.
A feasible release schedule for Mezco is that you preorder it and then forget the fact that you did until close to a year later... and that's assuming they aren't behind like they seem to get very very often. Dealing with them is a lot like dealing with imports not just in price but in delays in product release as well. Also, yes, they use soft goods 90% of the time. The only times they don't seem to use soft goods are on characters like Iron Man. They also have done a really cool ass and expensive Darkseid that uses polystone for the actual body build, but overall they're mostly soft goods over plastic bodies with the exception of the boots, gloves, and head. As far as these competing against Classified they really aren't. Mezco's stuff is a completely different niche adult market compared to a mass retail line like Classified... not every collector that wants ARAH designs is going to be willing to pony up $80 to $100 a pop (average price on Mezco One:12 figures outside of special and deluxe releases).
Hmm, could be. I just assumed the SDCC sets came first, but I may have the timeline mixed up. I just know several vehicles appeared as SDCC and as TRU. I think Snowcat? Night Landing with a VAMP? Really want some of those to reappear.
In a way, seeing what Hasbro did with some of the classified designs, in some way maybe it’s for the best that they didn’t go more ARAH. It’s ironic but when wires get crosse- I mean...tripped... it makes less fire fly so to speak. Plus with their retro stuff some of the decisions are questionable. Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow that don’t match the box art despite the relevant tooling being available(unless something happened that we don’t know about but I think that’s unlikely given the relative newness of the molds), Roadblock using the retaliation wave 1 roadblock legs(less articulated), Duke using dated tooling, et al. There was more of a cohesive/consistent effort behind the past anniversary lines compared to the current retro one. Night landing with VAMP I think was a dual SDCC/TRU set.
Cool, thanks for the response. Funny enough, 80-100$ is more or less the same pocket as the Classified CI figures secondary market prices. I assuming Mezco is great quality, so their price pocket doesn't sound like too far of a reach given the current climate of classified. Anyway, it's Joe and I'm in.
I'm good with Mezco giving me Cobra Commander with and without hood. Battle armor CC,Destro and Baroness. Ok,and a Serpentor
When was the last time the trouble bubble was released?? I’ve decided to get one retro Joe vehicle (got the AWE Striker) and one retro Cobra vehicle...and I’d prefer it to be the trouble bubble...assuming tooling for one exists.
Honestly, knowing Wal-Mart the way I do... I wouldn't be surprised if they're keeping Hasbro to a very small budget per wave on these guys. That may be why some of them turn out really good and others turn out screwed. Yeah, the quality is there if cloth goods are your thing. Just be careful if any of the Joes end up with the pleather they've used on various figures as it can crack if left in extreme poses (I've particularly heard about this issue with their Spidey figure). Also, they mix pretty well with Hasbro's stuff (I've got a few mixed with my Marvel Legends) as long as you don't mind slight aesthetic differences in your displays.
25th line or ROC as 1 of the ROC exclusives IIRC. For the 25th it was in a mainline part of the set that came with the FANG I think(which surprisingly is a different FANG from the new retro one, the new retro one looks like a CORPS! version). The bubble was definitely retooled since it was sturdier than the 1997 one I have and IIRC, the connections were tighter and thicker. That makes a lot of sense
I started pulling out my Joes and prepping for inventorying. I somehow did not realise just how much product was released between 2007 and 2013. I think I may have actually been insane during those years with the sheer volume of purchases I made. I do recognise that it was certainly easier buying $5 figures en masse than $13 ones so there is that. Even so, it's going to be like chipping away at a mountain for the next few months. Yeesh.
I know the feeling. I think for a customizer it was a great time as there was a huge library of parts to pull from. However even then I wish I bought less of it. I’m surprised by how much ROC stuff I bought.
Oh for sure. But I also remember there being an entire aisle of GI Joe in 2009 for ROC and more figures than you could shake a stick at released in short order. On top, they did "movie" renditions of classic characters to flesh out things beyond just the cast of the film. Plus, so.many.exclusives. It was really hard not to buy into the hype until you saw the film, and then you were like, "Oh. So that was a thing."
Th problem with mezzco it will take fifty years before the main cast is made if that. Its safe to say Cobra Commander, Stormshadow, Snake-Eyes, Zartan, Firefly, and Duke will probably be next in line, but that will take three to five years if they are released.
I liked both offscreen versions of Kamakura that were made, especially the Retaliation one where Hasbro redeemed the Resolute Storm Shadow tooling. The TRU Firefly was decent for its time, same for ROC Flash. I also used the PIT Commandos as modern Steel Brigadiers before the actual modern Steel Brigade troopers were released in POC/30th.
I also posted this on the Mezco thread as well to a certain degree @Wheeljoker. I'm still going for the Classified line, however I'll be picking up the ones that I want and leaving the rest.
I mean if you look at the Power Rangers license, they licensed those same designs to like three or four different companies at the same time, so maybe they don't care as long as they can make money and the pricepoints don't directly compete with their product? The only issue is that a Mezco Viper might actually be cheaper than getting a Classified Viper from a scalper by the time they get around to it...
