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Toy Guru Sets the Record Straight about Mattycollector Subscription Targets (Again)

MOTUMeter_600x600_v7 DCUMeter_600x600_v7 Ecto1_600x600_v7

Matty Tracker 2014 - T-11Toy Guru returns to YouTube to continue the push to hit the targets for Club Eternia, Club Infinite Earths, and Ecto-1 pre-orders. He also tries once more to squash the conspiracy theories about the meters. Repeat after Toy Guru: they are real – they are not a marketing ploy! Hey – repetition is a proven way to get a message across.

One of the more interesting remarks he makes is regarding the Club Eternia sign-up last year – he tells us that there was no meter on Club Eternia, because they thought they didn’t need one. I guess their surprise at the implied drop-off (I have no idea what the subscription numbers are) is why we have a He-Man shaped silhouette on the Club Eternia sign-up pages for 2014.

I’m still collecting both Masters of the Universe Classics and DC Universe Classics – Ghostbusters died for me when I couldn’t bring myself to buy that Dana Barrett. But I particularly feel for those of you just collecting DC. Maybe it’s just leftover from last year, when the MOTUC bias was much worse, but it still feels to me like DC is the red-headed stepchild – this video is shot in front of current and vintage Masters figures. On the DC front, only Doomsday is name-checked. I know Toy Guru is a big DC fan, but with his favored JLU line completed, there doesn’t seem to be any cohesive vision for what Club Infinite Earths should be – maybe that’s why it’s been hard to articulate why we should be buying the DC subscription.

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If Toy Guru Can’t Convince You Mattycollector is in Trouble, Maybe the Four Horsemen Can

DC Universe vs the Masters of the Universe 1

It’s not without a little irony that as Mattel gets a huge push this month for its two flagship collector brands with the DC Universe vs the Masters of the Universe comic book hitting shelves, Mattycollector is finding its subscription pre-orders for the DC Universe Club Infinite Earths and the Masters of the Universe Classics Club Eternia both in jeopardy. Deja vous? Last year we were in a similar spot. During the Matty sub period, we had the MOTU limited series comic book hitting shelves, and collectors were still reeling from DC Universe Classics going on hiatus at big box retail. But somehow, it seems more dire this time around.

And yet, we’re seeing the Crisis on Multiple Earths / Eternias (see what I did there?) being handled using almost the same exact playbook as last year. To start, when the subs are announced, we get promised improvements from Digital River. Last year: manage your subscriptions online. This year: a new quarterly shipping option. Are these changes from Digital River helping?

When it’s clear that the subs are not gaining traction, the next step is for Toy Guru to sound the alarm – if the subs don’t hit minimums, they’re gone! And now we’re at the next point, where the Four Horsemen tell us that hey, this is for real.

Guys, it’s not that we don’t believe you. I just think it’s silly to keep running the same game plan, when it should be painfully obvious that it’s not working like it used to. If the subs don’t succeed in KILLING THE LIEN this year, make sure they don’t do it next year – try something new.

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Speaking of Hot Toys and Iron Man, Can I Borrow a Couple Grand?

Current Hot Toys Iron Man 3 Line-Up (minus Midas and the Tony Stark figures)

If you wanted to own all the Hot Toys Iron Man 3 armors in this shot from the Hot Toys Facebook page, it would set you back a cool $1,659.94 (if I did the math right). And that’s not counting the Mark 38 Igor and the Mark 39 sub-orbital Gemini armors, because while those two Iron Man armors were shown at San Diego Comic-Con, they haven’t been officially made available for pre-order.

On top of that, there’s an exclusive Mark 21 Midas that was just announced. And then of course, we’ve yet to see Hot Toys versions of the Mark 40 Shotgun or the Mark 16 Sneaky. (Yes, I’ve been Googling Iron Man armors.)

So I think I’m going to need a little more than that.

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Hot Toys Reveals Iron Man Mark XXI Midas

Hot Toys Iron Man 3 Midas (Mark XXI) 1

The Iron Man franchise is the Arc Reactor powering Hot Toys. For some reason I thought that the Silver Centurion was the last of the armors from Iron Man 3 to make it to figure form – but there’s more. The Mark XXI Midas may just look like a repainted Mark VII, but folks claim that it’s a legit armor from the “Why didn’t Tony Stark do this against the Chitauri in the Avengers?” scene from Iron Man 3. I honestly couldn’t tell you – between the 3D and my old eyes, that fight was just a big metal blur.

According to Hot Toys, Midas will first be available in Asia, with other geographies TBD. Since it bears the “Summer Exclusive” tag, I think if it does get offered in the States, Sideshow is the likely outlet for this limited Hot Toys Midas release.

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Marvel Avengers Assemble (Successor to Marvel Universe) In Stock at Amazon

Marvel Avengers Assemble Cosmic Strike Red Skull Figure Marvel Avengers Assemble Inferno Cannon Black Widow Figure Marvel Avengers Assemble Sky Attack Falcon Figure

The first wave of the new Marvel Avengers Assemble line is in stock now at Amazon. Avengers Assemble is the result of Hasbro’s brand refresh for the Marvel Universe line. It’s intended to match Marvel Universe in terms of sculpt, articulation, and paint, while making it more accessible for both retailers and kids – the line leverages the success of the Avengers movie, and includes accessories with action features.

I’d say the first wave is a fair example of what to expect. With the collector-oriented figures we see the sculpt and articulation we have grown to love in MU – for example, Falcon comes with rocker ankles, hip swivels, and double knees. The more heavily packed big hitters of Captain America, Iron Man, and Hulk are not as compelling. I think Hasbro knows it needs only appeal to the lowest common denominator with them, and aren’t trying as hard.

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