The rights to DC and WWE (they would have these until the contract expired) merchandise, Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Barbie, Mega Bloks, just to name a few big brands that pull in truckloads of cash.

 

You're taking the word of a random analyst solicited to provide a positive spin at face value? Do you remember when Tonka, Kenner, Galoob, Milton Bradley, Parker Brothers, Playskool, Megabloks, Matchbox, Tyco, Fisher Price, and others were separate companies?

 

Even if Hasbro and Mattel merged, there is still Playmates, Bandai, Mezco, DC Collectibles, NECA, Jazwares, Jakks Pacific, Funko, McFarlane, DST (Marvel Select + other figures), for die-cast cars off the top of my head there is Greenlight and Maisto.

Hasbro and Mattel merging together isn't even close to a monopoly. There is still plenty of choice in the toy aisle (and in speciality stores). So yea, the toy industry in the US is definitely fragmented, I'm sure there are other companies I'm forgetting.

 

I don't see this merger doing anything good for the transformers brand.

 

The funny thing is Barbie lost the rights for the Disney princess merchandise I wonder if they will pull it from Hasbro since they didn't want to deal with Mattel anymore.

That's an odd issue what companies might take their rights to another company if they weren't happy with dealing with one or the other companies.

It's not a monopoly at all since you just named several other companies.

 

It's not like one company would suddenly run the other. The whole organization would be restructured.

 

With the way everyone reacts, that sounds like the kind of suit they're scrambling for.

 

It's very much like one company would run the other "restructuring" means out with the old in with the new they will get rid of the majority of the staff of whoever brings the most money.

 

So you know which executives would be staying on board? You really think either of these companies would go through with a merger if it meant they were going to get strip-mined?

This isn't some giant conglomerate absorbing a small company.

 

If they merge, it will be called HasMat.

 

Mattel has the Ferrari license, so we can finally get that guy from Dark of the Moon.

 

Agreed Armada_MK, and I'd feel sorry for whichever franchise's toys get ruined by Hasbro's current cost-cutting regimen. As it is, Hot Wheels are not all die-cast as they were long ago. What other cheap crap at inflated prices will dominate shelves and pegs at the big-box stores as a result of a merger?

It may make money in the short term, but the toy industry will not enter a golden age of high quality and great availability, of that I'm convinced. This will not be done with children or consumers in mind, but only profitability and control of the market, and will not bode well for toy-buyers or the toys themselves.

A this point it's only a rumor, but there's fewer pros than cons as far as I can see. Ah well, c'est la vie !  

 

Mattel is already far worse than Hasbro in that department.

 

Ouch! That's just sad. What toys are you referring to and how bad are they? And sheesh, will all the cheapening ever end? Uh, NO...   but really it makes me sick.  

I weep for today's children for all the mountains of expensive cheap-plastic crap out there... 

 

I can totally see Battlecat as a Pretender shell!

 

There is no reason to get snarky but if you think the one buying the other isn't going to clean house and put their own people in there so they don't have 2 groups doing the same job you are being ridiculous it's a business not a party.

 

And more importantly, any merger won't be for a while, and even if a merger is approved, it would still take YEARS for the companies to coalesce into a single entity.

Hasbro bought Kenner in 1991, but it wasn't until 1995 that the action figure segments were fully brought together, and Kenner itself didn't shut down until 2000 when Hasbro reorganized after several lackluster years and TONS of internal squabbling.

 

One company isn't buying the other. There is absolutely nothing to suggest that. They are in talks about a merger. There is no indication at all about what that looks like.

And I didn't say they would keep 2 sets of employees. But you don't necessarily take all from company A and get rid of company B. You pick the right people for the right jobs.

 

So many directions this could go. I'm in the "I hope it doesn't happen" camp because of how awful MattyCollector is. But who's to say it would even continue to exist or that whatever new company emerges wouldn't just continue to keep the brands separate? I can't say I've been Hasbro's biggest fan since DOTM came out with each new line being downsized and priced up. Hollow CW figs and asinine amount of repaints and twin body designs being the most recent transgression.

 

 

HazMat, for the win. Thats just gold, man. We are rolling with that.