Deleted
Joined on: Apr 28, 2024 11:40:33 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2019 14:25:17 GMT -5
This is yet another Walmart exclusive that has been recently cancelled- it appears as though something is going on at Walmart that's leading to all these store exclusives being cancelled?! During the recent uproar about store exclusives, Bill stated that stores want they so they will continue to make them- do all these cancellations mean that stores no longer want exclusives?!
I don't understand why these SS battle packs can't just be incorporated into the battle pack line?! Just do a Survivor Series themed wave like they are doing in the main elite line with the upcoming SummerSlam themed wave. I think this cancellation might be a blessing in disguise for those of us that Want the Gorilla Monsoon figure as hopefully now they decide to release it on its own as opposed to the 2 pack with the Heenan re-release. He is popular enough to be released standalone IMO, the best option would be an Amazon exclusive as it would give everyone (international collectors especially) the opportunity to purchase the figure.
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Post by One Punch Reigns on Jun 14, 2019 14:26:14 GMT -5
It's not often I get gutted when the going gets tough but considering Monsoon was one of the most anticipated figures for me personally, I'd be lying if I said I'm a happy camper. Why bother showing off something that's ultimately going to be shelved? I get it, lineups change and nothing is set in stone, look at what happened with Dude Love being switched from Hall of Fame to Flashbacks to eventually the main line, but knowing the limbo that other anticipated figures like Naomi and Wendi Richter currently reside in with promises of "Getting them out ASAP" leaves me weary.
I'd be the first to defend Mattel, they make a fantastic product. You can't deny when they put their feet to the flames they have the objectively best wrestling figures of all time (Look at E69 Ricochet). The most frustrating aspect is distribution and how wishy-washy the lineups are. It's as though nothing is certain until preorders go up on RSC. I get that TRU's closure made things difficult with Target and Walmart being the biggest toy buyers on the market, but they consistently have issues with making sure product hits the shelves. I place really no blame on Mattel here but more on the stores themselves for giving the runaround and killing the passion for many collectors. 95% of my purchases on WWE Mattel product as of the last year was online between RSC, eBay, and Facebook listings. Last figure I bought in a brick and mortar store was E63 Nakamura. I've all but given up wasting time and gas money fighting traffic only to be met with the same shelf-warmers over and over again with flippers and scalpers laughing their way to the aftermarket. It's not a Mattel exclusive problem, Funko deals with much the same when it comes to major retailers.
This goes back to Gorilla, where could he go? Seeing as he's basically an Elite, placing him in the main line seems like a no brainer, if not RSC exclusive if there's doubts about how well he'd sell beyond old school fans. I know AFA says Gorilla is coming and I'm inclined to believe him over anyone else since he was right about Red Rooster, but I'm not holding out much hope.
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Post by Iron Bison on Jun 14, 2019 14:26:55 GMT -5
This makes no sense IMO, it looks more like a desperation move from a sinking company trying to hold on to whatever properties it currently has the rights to. The last renewal was in 2017, where they renewed the license for another 2 years- extending it from the original end date of 2019 to 2021. Now all of a sudden they are going to renew it for another 5 years- have sales of WWE figures suddenly skyrocketed in the past two years?! I don't understand how these figures continue to sell when the line has been plagued with terrible distribution problems that continue to get worse?! Also, is the decline in the quality of the current product not having any effect on sales of these figures, especially since the main market is kids?! In theory, an extension would be a good thing for legends collectors as it gives more time for them to possibly release figures of the wrestlers many of us want made but with the constant cutbacks and changes, I am not very hopeful.
Take it with a grain of salt, but I read that Mattel pulled out all the stops to keep the WWE license, which is connected with them not retaining the DC license. They really don't have any in-house action figure properties, so I can see them going all in to keep the line. With the Fox deal and upcoming mainstream tv exposure, they are probably projecting increased sales. This was all before ratings started sliding. With Mattel's recent financials and cost cutting, I agree that it's definitely a desperation move. But also probably the best they can afford. No way they have the money or resources to outbid Hasbro for the Star Wars/Marvel license, and the DC license has probably been a dud with box office flops and the Multiverse line bombing. It didnt help that most of their action figure offerings sucked too. Including the multiverse offerings.
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Hasbromaniac
Main Eventer
Joined on: Nov 17, 2004 16:13:30 GMT -5
Posts: 3,597
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Post by Hasbromaniac on Jun 14, 2019 14:33:32 GMT -5
Not really a shocker. Walmart 3 packs were not big movers. Even Target's 2 Pack exclusives did not fly off the shelves in my area. Both 3 and 2 packs mostly wound up in clearance sections. These two figures should have been single releases to start. Guess we'll see if Mattel does release them somewhere else.
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Post by LA Times on Jun 14, 2019 16:14:31 GMT -5
Take it with a grain of salt, but I read that Mattel pulled out all the stops to keep the WWE license, which is connected with them not retaining the DC license. They really don't have any in-house action figure properties, so I can see them going all in to keep the line. With the Fox deal and upcoming mainstream tv exposure, they are probably projecting increased sales. This was all before ratings started sliding. With Mattel's recent financials and cost cutting, I agree that it's definitely a desperation move. But also probably the best they can afford. No way they have the money or resources to outbid Hasbro for the Star Wars/Marvel license, and the DC license has probably been a dud with box office flops and the Multiverse line bombing. It didnt help that most of their action figure offerings sucked too. Including the multiverse offerings. The Obama Superman, Batman vs Superman Lex Luthor and Mutant Leader figures were some real stinkers.
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Post by HandsomeHollywood on Jun 14, 2019 19:04:02 GMT -5
It didnt help that most of their action figure offerings sucked too. Including the multiverse offerings. The Obama Superman, Batman vs Superman Lex Luthor and Mutant Leader figures were some real stinkers. That BvS Luthor is still all over Canadian Walmarts.
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@WWERetroStars
Superstar
Joined on: Dec 8, 2013 21:34:21 GMT -5
Posts: 704
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Post by @WWERetroStars on Jun 14, 2019 19:42:59 GMT -5
Maybe it is an odd take, but seeing prototypes that never hit the streets doesn’t bother me. Truthfully it has probably only been what... 1% of the figs Mattel has shown? 2%?
In my mind those figs only add to the mystique of collecting.
Lots of moving parts from design to prototype to sale. There is bound to be a few that don’t make it from the beginning to theend of the process.
I’d rather have a few of these every year than see Mattel pull back on what they share.
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Post by SteveHulk on Jun 15, 2019 1:06:45 GMT -5
One of the first things Mattel said after we found out about this earlier in the week (Major WF patreon) was that it will probably come out some other way. No need to panic. ...which is just what they said about the Wendi Richter figure...
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nocturnal
Mid-Carder
Joined on: Apr 22, 2019 3:08:21 GMT -5
Posts: 173
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Post by nocturnal on Jun 15, 2019 2:10:44 GMT -5
Gahhh! A buddy who doesn't collect recently snagged the chase KO from Elite 66 for me. I finally met up with him Friday morning over breakfast (my dinner) to get it from him. He followed wrestling as a kid and specifically asked if there was a Gorilla Monsoon figure available. I told him I planned on getting the 2-pack with Heenan to fill the empty chairs at my ring's announce table. What a bummer to know I was essentially lying because it had been freshly canceled. I'll look forward to it eventually coming out (hopefully revised with a gut) but having it be indefinite now is very unfortunate.
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Post by Controversial Maverick PUNK on Jun 15, 2019 2:46:01 GMT -5
Maybe they can use the delay, to correct that silly-looking, light-brown hair they gave him.
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Post by TheLastDude on Jun 15, 2019 3:56:06 GMT -5
Please don't bump old threads...oh wait, I saw another "ThEy'RE kiLLinG Teh LiNE" thread and thought this was topped.
Do you want to know why Vince gets away with recycling old storylines? Because the fans have proven time and time again that you have the memory of a bag of hammers.
It's the halfway point of the year. Clearance time, baby! But every...single...time a store does a reset and a clearance, the line is ending. Seriously? Come on. There's a clearance after Christmas when they do the reset for the new year. Then there's a spring reset. Then there's a summer clearance at the halfway point of the year. Then there's a fall/Christmas reset. Then there's a clearance after Christmas when they do the reset for the new year. Then there's a spring reset. Then there's a summer clearance at the halfway point of the year. Then there's...do I need to go on?
How does Mattel win, exactly? If they show protos or renders and the finished figures aren't up for sale three days later, they're a sack of crap and don't know what they're doing. If they don't show 148 news protos or renders, they're a sack of crap and don't know what they're doing and they also put on the worst/most disappointing con showing ever. You CAN'T have it both ways. You want to see new stuff? Then you run the risk of it being cancelled. But don't cry that they're not showing new stuff when they stop revealing new protos or renders.
While we're on the subject of cancelled figures, exactly how many figures have been shown and NEVER released AT ALL? Less than ten out of all the figures released over the last nine and a half years? Almost everything eventually gets released.
Now let's all meet back here in a few months when stores get ready to reset for Christmas and the line is ending again.
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Gargano
Mid-Carder
Joined on: Feb 1, 2019 14:49:55 GMT -5
Posts: 470
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Post by Gargano on Jun 15, 2019 4:28:59 GMT -5
WWE Mattel is honestly such a joke. Too many lines.
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Post by hitmancmedge on Jun 15, 2019 6:22:07 GMT -5
One of the first things Mattel said after we found out about this earlier in the week (Major WF patreon) was that it will probably come out some other way. No need to panic. ...which is just what they said about the Wendi Richter figure... To be fair Bill gave a really detailed answer about Wendi Richter. He said he would figure out a way to get the figure out, but he loved the figure a lot and was gonna be real careful where he put it. He said Sherri was gonna come first and be kinda a test at retail, and I mean Sherri did just hit so it’s possible Wendi is being slated in the next 6-12 months, Bill have us a lot more insight on that figure than we do a lot of other things. I’d give him the benefit of the doubt on that one as it is still within the plan.
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Post by disorder on Jun 15, 2019 8:03:44 GMT -5
Too many players in the exclusive game. Deal probably not lucrative enough for Mattel or Walmart:
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Post by poindizzle on Jun 15, 2019 8:07:58 GMT -5
Distribution, not the occasional cancelled figure is the real problem. I haven't bought a single Elite since the first few days of may. Can't find anything at all at Target or Walmart. This is probably the longest wait I've experienced for WWE figures. I think back about 2010 to 2014 and how every week I was bringing home armloads of basics and elites. Drew Gulak, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Soaps n Suds Rusev keep telling me to mind my own business and move along every single store I go to.
Edit: I'm about to just order everything on ringside and cross my fingers that I dont get any herp-deep misprinted faces.
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Post by hitmancmedge on Jun 15, 2019 8:11:17 GMT -5
Distribution, not the occasional cancelled figure is the real problem. I haven't bought a single Elite since the first few days of may. Can't find anything at all at Target or Walmart. This is probably the longest wait I've experienced for WWE figures. I think back about 2010 to 2014 and how every week I was bringing home armloads of basics and elites. Drew Gulak, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Soaps n Suds Rusev keep telling me to mind my own business and move along every single store I go to. But in honesty what have you been looking for since the beginning of May? I probably haven’t gotten anything either besides the mania and survivor series elites at big lots but I mean I got everything I need. There is just a lull between 66 & 67.
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Post by poindizzle on Jun 15, 2019 8:12:24 GMT -5
Distribution, not the occasional cancelled figure is the real problem. I haven't bought a single Elite since the first few days of may. Can't find anything at all at Target or Walmart. This is probably the longest wait I've experienced for WWE figures. I think back about 2010 to 2014 and how every week I was bringing home armloads of basics and elites. Drew Gulak, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Soaps n Suds Rusev keep telling me to mind my own business and move along every single store I go to. But in honesty what have you been looking for since the beginning of May? I probably haven’t gotten anything either besides the mania and survivor series elites at big lots but I mean I got everything I need. There is just a lull between 66 & 67. I missed out on Bludgeons and KO's chase, and I didnt get everyone from 65 either that I wanted. They've barely been seen in these parts.
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Post by hitmancmedge on Jun 15, 2019 8:26:11 GMT -5
But in honesty what have you been looking for since the beginning of May? I probably haven’t gotten anything either besides the mania and survivor series elites at big lots but I mean I got everything I need. There is just a lull between 66 & 67. I missed out on Bludgeons and KO's chase, and I didnt get everyone from 65 either that I wanted. They've barely been seen in these parts. That’s a bummer, the Bludgeons are at most of the targets in the area now. They are the ones left from that set here. I never saw the KO chase in stores but my buddy found me one. That is part of why Walmart just clearances them out a few times a year to get rid of that old stock and keep the fresh stock in stores.
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Post by BadGirlRyleigh on Jun 15, 2019 8:48:53 GMT -5
Either make figures or don’t. Don’t keep teasing us with prototypes and then canceling. It was one thing when all the Hogan’s has to be pulled because of circumstances outside their control but stuff like NXT5 is ridiculous and annoying
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Post by ~*Young $ Money*~ on Jun 15, 2019 9:37:05 GMT -5
I’m sure they’ll release it somewhere down the road. I’m sure it’s in a way out of their control that it got cancelled. Maybe Walmart didn’t place the order for them or something
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