Post
by paulpratt » Fri Feb 06, 2009 8:43 pm
The honest truth is that none of us know what exactly is going on within 21st century. So everyone right now is overeacting. On top of that, these are just toys, so no one needs to panic to begin with. I'm sure we'll all find another swirling vortex of death to dump our wheelbarrows of money into.
I would wager that collectible toys, like those made by 21st century, simply don't sell at all in comparison with other toys within large retailers like wal-mart. Despite what we feel, kids are toys' primary target audience, and within retailers like wal-mart kids comprise the largest buying group (shocking, i know).
The death of 1:18 scale "collectibles" happens like this (this causes prices to hit rock bottom and destroy the hobby in mass market):
Parent picks up a 21st century toy on a whim because little Davy wanted something cool for his birthday. Mom and Pop open the awesome 1:18 scale P-51 up, and are blown away by the quality, but the minute little Davy picks it up, the landing gear fall out, bust off, and the cockpit is broken the instant the figure is put in.
Mom and Pop immediately swear off buying from that "toy" company again. Word spreads, products don't sell, they go on clearance, nerds rejoice, toys go away due to not having a profit margin, nerds get upset
(nerd is a term of endearment here).
Things like this aren't going to work in stores like wal-mart and they are now, as a result, avoiding these "collectible toys" like the plague. Honestly, rightfully so. They don't fit within their target demographic: 5-12 year old kids, namely boys. No matter what people think, star wars and the like are not going anywhere. They sell the best in this demographic.
Target does better with 1:18 scale because, as i mentioned in my previous post, Forces of Valor toys are more durable, period. They can be played with by kids. They also have a line of figures to support them. Parents dig durability in a toy. It makes them feel less terrible about wasting hard earned money on what essentially can be melted down into a pile of molten nothing.
Until the toys can deliver durability for a moderate price at a mass retailer nothing is ever going to "take off" for this hobby.
But that is my opinion*.
*Disclaimer: opinions are not based on fact and don't necessarily represent the views of everyone, including myself.
Best,
-Paul