Just another nerd.
At times it seemed Mattel was never going to get around to releasing it, but last Fall the toy company finally released their replica of the Ghostbusters’ PKE Meter. All the reviews I’ve seen on this peg it as being very well done, with the sounds, flashing lights, and opening wings (and probably about as reliable at detecting ghosts as those idiots on Ghost Hunters). Unfortunately, that level of detail will also set you back $150-$180.
Mattel’s Facebook page includes an album featuring photos of all of the DC Universe Classics figures released so far.
Phillip Reed recently vented his frustrations at attempting to collect Mattel’s DC Universe Classics line of action figures,
I want to love the DC Universe Classics* series of toys, but too many times the frustration of finding a specific figure is just more than I’m willing to deal with so I basically just ignore the entire line. . . .And time and again Mattel shows a complete lack of concern for the fans — kinda like the Masters of the Universe Classics line — and way too much love for retailers like Wal-Mart.
I think I’ve got every figured from the DCUC line through about Wave 8 when I gave up on it. I’ll still occasionally by figures I happen across, but trying to get a complete set of even a single wave is becoming ridiculously hard and expensive.
But as one of the commenters to Reed’s story notes, a big part of the problem is the sheer popularity of the DCUC line. Bottom line is that if the Toys-R-Us near me puts a new case of figures out overnight, by 5 p.m. the next day most of the figures in that case are bought and already listed on EBay.
My local comic book store always gets a small number of action figures that also show up in mass retail chains, and usually there’s a 40-50% markup at the comic store as compared to the mass retailers. On DCUC, however, I’ve seen figures marked up 200 to 300 percent immediately — that’s not the store being greedy, but rather a recognition that this is what the market price for this figures really is. If they put them at MSRP they’ll be gone in a day and up on EBay.
For the most part, if I really want a DCUC figure these days I’ll just preorder online. Otherwise, I just don’t worry about it anymore.
Beginning this month, Mattel begins releasing its series of Retro-Action DC Super Heroes based on the Mego line from the 1970s. These aren’t straight up copies of the Mego toys. For example, the initial Green Arrow toy available directly from Mattel on Dec. 15th is billed as a “a more accurate Green Arrow.”
Mattel currently has an initial three waves of four figures planned for sale at Toys R Us, with the initial set going on sale in early 2010 featuring Superman, Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), Sinestro and Lex Luthor.
No word on whether they plan to also produce any of the vehicles such as the Green Arrow Car or the awesome Justice League playset.
Mattel’s been announcing its SDCC exclusives, and at the top of the list has to be this DC Universe Classics rendering of Wonder Twins 2 pack with Gleek. The Wonder Twins 2 pack will be offered for sale later at MattyCollector.com, but the only way to get Gleek is at SDCC. Hmm . . . a Wendy and Marvin 2 pack might not be far behind.
It was awesome that DC managed to finally pull off a Legion of Super-Heroes cartoon, but then it pretty much ended almost as soon as it began and there were almost no toys based on the series (McDonald’s was pretty much the only source for collectors there). Mattel plans to remedy that oversight by releasing a set of LSH figures as part of its Justice League Unlimited line. These will only be available for sale directly on its MattyCollector.com site beginning May 15, 2009.
