Mattel Minimates?

[jjwspider]

If Mattel were to allow DST to have a license, I think He-Man and the Masters of the Universe would have to be included in any discussions they had. While I would love to see DC back in the fold, given the 80's nostalgia wave DST has been riding (both now and in the past), I don't see how a He-Man/She-Ra series could fail.

[IndieMate]

When I watch it I can't help but pull out some of my DC Minimates.

I know what you mean. Everytime I watch Spiderman I pull out a couple of my Minimates and play out the fight scenes...

Does that make me a wierd person?

I can understand the urge to pull something out whilst watching some movies but doing so with 'Spider-man' is perhaps weird

Oh my God, it took me like half an hour to get that!

Edited February 15, 2009 by Iowa

[Cyc]

The fact that DC used to be C3, died, and then came back again as just Minimates says that there's hope to me.

It's possible, just its about as likely as DCD going it alone on them again.

Ignoring cynicism/realism for a sec, I think if it were to occur, it'd likely be mattycollector exclusives as opposed to mass retail, DST just seem to have trouble supplying true mass retail quantity that the big boys like Mattel and Hasbro pump out as a matter of course.

[MisterPL]

Ignoring cynicism/realism for a sec, I think if it were to occur, it'd likely be mattycollector exclusives as opposed to mass retail, DST just seem to have trouble supplying true mass retail quantity that the big boys like Mattel and Hasbro pump out as a matter of course.

From what I can tell, DST orders units around 5,000 for the specialty market. In my experience – working with Target, for example – the quantities start at 50,000. That might be more than their factory can normally handle but I know the folks in Maryland are also juggling a few lines at a time. That said, if Mattel placed an order in the hundreds of thousands, I'm sure DST and their overseas manufacturers could justify staffing up to accommodate.

MattyCollector wouldn't be a bad idea, though. It'd keep 'mates from competing with their other product at the brick & mortar stores.

[groundhog7s]

I still think the most simple solution is for DCD to start doing these again in a different format (boxsets, internet exclusives, etc). But they don't seem to want to figure out a way to sell these.

[NorthRaider]

I still think the most simple solution is for DCD to start doing these again in a different format (boxsets, internet exclusives, etc). But they don't seem to want to figure out a way to sell these.

This is what really ticks me off about this current situation with DC minimates It's as if DC simply doesn't care about expanding its appeal in other areas. Sure, we're only talking about 2-inch block figures here, but come on, DC can't possibly be THAT skeptical as to the success of their own characters. It's almost as if they want Marvel to win.

[comedian]

I think DCD isn't lying when they say that these just didn't make them enough money for them to warrant a continuation. Enough is the subjective part. They turned a profit. Just not as much as they can producing other lines. And for whatever reason, the folks running the show have always been a little scatter brained about what they were trying to do strategically. Kingdom Come, Superfriends, etc. There seems to be little if any long term thought on the lines survival since the big two became available for them to produce. The strategy near as I can tell is to get the big guns in as many formats as possible, surrounded by a few peripheral figures, wash, rinse, repeat.

I guess that all means they just aren't interested in even pursuing a different format like boxsets. The intention was never to complete the JSA or JLA or Titans (since it never has been with any other line of 6, er 7 inch figures), so it's pretty easy for them to walk away and move on to the next line they won't finish, based upon the next big book.

How many folks feel confident they;ll see more than 4 waves of the History of the DC Universe/Perez based series? Anyone feel like they'll get all the figures they want from that line?

In terms of Mattel, they and DST could do it, but I imagine there is no interest based upon the clunkers they showed at Toy Fair/NYCC. Too bad really, because done right, these can succeed. I think they're poorly marketed. Even the Marvel line had a thin period, back during the X3 mates series and just prior, before the Avengers wave, and 4 packs and other re-inventions of the line. Prior to those, they got pretty stagnant, and at least around the Denver area, I was being told they were not selling so well. Now? They're pretty successful near as I can tell. Or more than they were at a minimum. Character selection and marketing make a huge difference, and I would have to believe between DST and Mattel they could figure out a way to make it happen on a larger scale with DC (Vehicles maybe? and not block based vehicles either).

Too bad I doubt there is little interest with either party...

[Turtle]

I think it would be interesting for Mattel to do this just from the mass-market perspective, but otherwise I don't see the point of getting Mattel involved. DCD was able to produce minimates. I would much prefer for DST to simply try to somehow get that license from DCD and make the toys themselves (if that is even a possibility- it very well may not be). I think it would work better than getting Mattel, who already has PLENTY of DC product in mulitple scales and formats, to outsource to a company with whom they don't have (or need) a relationship all to add yet another scale and format that would potentially compete with the upcoming heroes-style mini-line. I just don't see it happening. A tweak in the DCD-DST relationship might work a little better.