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Hi everyone. I have not been very good about checking out this message board that has all the GOOD, former, spawn message boardmembers. I apologize. Its not because I dont think you guys are awesome. I realize most of you dont even bother with the "other" message board (or shit slinging bullshit board).
I wanted to spew a bit if you dont mind.....Im completely fed up with the toy business.
I have spent the better part of 18 YEARS in this business (comics and now toys). This business has been very good to me over the years and has provided me an excellent means to support my family. I have also be lucky in that I "LOVED" my job and looked forward to coming in each and every day.
Things have changed. As most of you guys know Ive always been a one trick pony. I do mcfarlane toys and mcfarlane toys only. Todd, on several occasions, asked why I didnt diversify?...simple answer. I always felt a loyalty to his company and I didnt feel it was right to offer products from competing companies.
The toy industry is in a real funk right now as Im sure most of you are well aware. Nobody buys toys at retail levels anymore (or atleast not the smart ones) as it is a buyers market.
There are several factors that I see that have contributed to the demise of mcfarlane toys (I really can only comment on them as that is all I do)
When the company was in it's infancy stage the mass market (Toys-R-Puss, Wall-fart,etc) had zero interest in carrying mcfarlane toys. We, the specialty market, supported McFarlane toys because we KNEW they would produce dynamite products. As everyone knows they basically revolutionized the toy market. Higher quality action figures...plain and simple.....and who did they have to thank for their success....us, the specialty market guys, who supported them initially....there USED to be about 8 or 9 major players/buyers in the mcfarlane toy market (I was one of them)...I am the ONLY one left....all the others are gone.....
WHY?
The mass market wanted in.....and in my opinion mcfarlane toys turned their backs on the ones who made em in the first place.....the specialty market.....and what has the mass market done now?......they blow out product a month (or less) before it comes out.....and now they are bailing on mcfarlane toys......then, mcfarlane toys decides to open up the online spawn store.....claiming they would not be competing with the specialty market or mass market because they would be:
a) charging more for the figures
b) would not sell current products until 3 or 4 months after initial release to allow their customers to move some product
c) would not be preselling series
Well........none of it is true
a) they CAN charge more for the figures. They would be morons if they didnt.....if you are surfing the internet for a product and find 15 companies selling the product..one of which is the manufacturer who are YOU more than likely to order from?...a company you know nothing about or the manufacturer....its a no brainer......
b)they sell products a week after we (and others) get them....total fucking bullshit
c) no presells?...sure , no presells but if you go to their site (spawn store) you see the players listed, with prices.....cant order them yet, but they are there....
I used to preorder 700 to 1000 cases of baseball....and that has always been the WORST selling line......what do I order now?...40 cases....in fact, with MLB series 16 I REDUCED my preorders from 40 cases to TEN cases.....
I am usually a very optimistic person....but I dont see us continuing in this business if mcfarlane toys business practices dont change. I have loved every minute of my 18 years in the business but Im to the point now where I cannot make a living.........
Thank you for listening...I TRUST this thread will remain here......I will be very disappointed if it is transposed over to the official spawn message board.
kim
spiders web, inc
www.spawntoys.com
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IMO you're welcome to vent as much as you need to Kim. And out of all of us; you're one of the few (if not the only one) that has anything of importance to lose.
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Kim,
I understand 100%.
I too am very disappointed in the industry, even McFarlane.
I'm not buying as much toys as I used to for one reason, not much that they are making interests me anymore.
If you were to leave the business, you will be truly missed.
<font color="#cd6600" size="1">[ August 03, 2006 10:59 PM: Message edited by: Nomalas ]</font>
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sorry to hear about your troubles, kim. it's interesting to hear about this from a business standpoint. As collector's, I think a lot of us have been looking around in the past year or so and saying, "what the fuck has happened to this company (McF) we used to love so much?"
So it's unfortunate - but not surprising - to hear that McF's product doesn't sell like it used to. I think most of us fanatic McF collectors all feel pretty simliar nowadays - they just aren't putting out products that we want to buy anymore.
It seems to me like Todd's attitude in the beginning was "fuck the rules, I'm going to do what I want". That was great and it worked for a while because we all shared Todd's vision. I think Todd still has the same attitude, but the vision has changed...the vision has become something much more corporate, something that a majority of collectors simply don't share with him anymore. But there are all kinds of copy-cat companies out there now who have continued the "McF legacy". THOSE companies are getting my money these days, and it has nothing to do with loyalty. It's about buying things I actually want to own.
My advice to you is if you are going to stay in the toy game, start branching out. You don't have to nix your McF product, but as a business man I'm sure you realize you have to go with the flow and sell people what they are going to buy. If it's not McF products that people want to buy from you, then make it something else. IMO, McF has made it clear to fans in the past few years that they are not going to pander to any ONE type of collector anymore (if they ever really did). So as a business man, why have an obligation to just ONE company, especially if you can't sell their products like you used to? I'm only one fan with one opinion, but I know I've become sick of being loyal to a NAME. Nowadays, I buy what I like, regardless of who makes it.
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"My advice to you is if you are going to stay in the toy game, start branching out."
I agree with that-
being a caveman, ordering 'on line' is/was always a last resort for me.
But now all my stores are gone!
(and there used to be sooooo many)
Granted the last few years there's not been as much out there that interested me (esp. from McF)
Think I'm going to go from a being McF completest to a Funko guy [img]smile.gif[/img]
Good luck, Kim~
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What's really fucked up, to see this thread?
I've purchased more from Kim in the past year and a half, then I ever have.
Now if that isn't turning full circle?
( I still try to catch the discounted stuff though)
You'd think that with the corporate sales he IS making, Todd would give a little KickBack to the little guys. What? Hell if I know! but something.
There's been some really BAD choices made in the licensing, of late. Which makes me wonder who's REALLY running the ship.......is it a case of "CrakHead Todd"?
Or is there somebody Really close to him now, that never was before? 'Cause none of it "fits" the character that we all know OF.
I know one thing is FOR SURE! If he doesn't step up his game when it comes to movie and music properties, his company will sink! (via SLU!)
But Hell ya, KIM......Get ahold of Randy Faulk at NECA...... I'm sure he'd be more than happy to help you "diversify". I'm pretty sure his email is still listed publicly on Neca's site.
Tap the Action Die Cast Market too! You know Nascar isn't going anywhere!!!
Pc.
Ck
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i liked reading your post, i mean i'm sorry that things aren't going well for you as it's your life, but i'm glad when people can be honest with us (the collectors) theres nothing i hate more then hearing how great things are going then next thing you know the company closes up shop. i agree with the guys above though, i know Todd is family and all but if things aren't working out for you then branching out a bit might be a good thing for everybody
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I hope the collectible field is just changing and not on it's death bed....
Just like music, I would rather buy quality products that I like instead of "mass market sterilized" or "Wal-Mart Approved (censored)" merchandise.
I only collected Spawn... I bought cases and collected full sets and variants. Issues such as space and music mostly contributed to me selling off the majority of my collection, but a big part of it was I no longer found myself really excited about new lines coming out. As the lines have "explored new directions" my interest continues to slide.
I don't bad mouth the other lines as some people really like them... but I'm not into the really "toy looking" or "cartoon looking" stuff, and I'm not going to drop several hundred dollars on statue stuff from Sideshow or someone when I could be buying new guitars or amps with that kind of money.
This thread really makes me sad as Kim is really one of the best guys I've ever had the pleasure of doing business with.
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Wow. That was a good vent!
As a retail shopper I'll agree that the toy market is sucking huge, right across the board...
I don't buy much in the way of McF anymore because I feel their focus has changed and I also think they have become stagnant in their production. I'm a movie collector and when was the last time they actually put out a good MM line? I don't do Sports and that's where most of their plastic goes. I don't do military, I don't do music, I don't do dragons and I don't do cartoons. I'm the part of their market they dropped.
I've also switched to companies that can provide the same level of sculpting (which most do now) and offer great articulation that is non-intrusive. (Mezco rocks.)
Online shopping? Crazy. McF price points have gone from $11 CDN to $16+ CDN over the years and if you tack on the shipping costs (which are partially insane due to the weight) you end up raping your bank account. Don't even ask me to bend over for any US online store.... including Spawn.com.
In my personal opinion, I think McF toys has gotten too big. I won't suprise me if they implode on themselves. There are too many products being pumped out for any one collector to keep up with, any retailer to order and any online store to get without ending up with dead stock.
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It's time to diversify, Kim. While it might appear that the market is in a slump - and for manufacturers, it really is, including McToys - it's not for many small specialty retailers online. Why? Because while the big retailers have bailed, the collectors haven't - yet. Collectors are searching for ways to buy product now that the brick and mortar stores have bailed out, and they are turning online. I know several retailers who are simply to busy to even keep up with orders right now.
Diversify. Look into the high end market - it's booming. And get yourself known at the non-Spawn boards and websites. Online retailers have a chance to take advantage of the retailer bail out right now, but if they don't, the collectors will end up leaving the market and spending their money elsewhere.
