Mater and the Twins will be Revealed on April 11, 2009!As a collector and marketing expert, I'm going to give my input about these two numbers. First, the Edition size of 10,000 is far too high in my opinion. I would set it at 3000 for Comic-Con attendees and 2000 for MattyCollector.com. Here's my reasoning...The secondary market is what feeds all areas of collecting. If I purchase 10 sets, keep two for my collection and want to sell the other eight, then I want to make a decent profit when I sell them. If 10,000 exist, I'll have far too much competition on Ebay, and be lucky to make a $10 profit on each set. I won't want to waste my time, and certainly won't want to invest $300 ($30 times 10 sets) to buy ten sets. What does this transate to? Mattel will not sell out their supply!
Second, putting a limit of 1 to 4 sets per person at Comic-Con is a mistake. Do I think people should be able to buy any number? No! But, the idea of 1 to 4 is too low. Comic-Con attendees are the serious, most hard core collectors, and secondary market sellers out there. I'd set the limit to 10 Cases. The sets are going to be big. They may be packed to just two per case. Possibly four to a case. Let attendees buy a higher quantity for these reasons...They will buy more on the front end and have them presold to secondary collectors, they will buy more for friends, they will buy more for themselves. Allowing them to only purchase 1 to 4 is stupid! Doing what I suggest will certainly help to ensure Mattel will sell out at Comic-Con.
Finally, shipping these sets to buyers will run about $15 and make them more difficult to sell. They are big and will weigh a bit. So, keep the edition size low and let people buy more of them. I bought 6 Cases of Lightning Storm McQueens last year. I had to ship them home via UPS which added $3 in additional cost/unit to my total cost. Again, people like myself and others feed the secondary market and help keep the collecting going strong. Don't over produce and don't hamper the secondary market makers.
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8 comments:
From a non-marketing but just collector perspective : I want them as cheap as possible and I don't care for the hype of "limited" editions. That's just one big markering (comic) con. So Mattel: produce more than 20.000. Limit sale on SDCC to 1-4 sets and sell the rest via Matty or any other internet outlet.
Scooby, Different perspectives certainly shine different light. Especially, since you are an International Collector. The $30.00 is as cheap as they can make it and stay within cost guidelines. I wonder what they'll charge you for international shipping to Belgium? I disagree with you on the quantity because it will make the sets very common. I looked up Lightning Storm McQueen from last year, and he sold for just $26.00. That is based on 7000 being made. There has to be a scarcity to making it sought after. Just look at the Speedway of the South Set.
Disappointed in your post. You sound like a scalper. Mattel has no desire to prop up your secondary market profit margins. Would have expected more from you.
I'm an international collector too. And whilst I can appreciate the secondary market (I've used it) I can see no reason as to why it is important to Mattel. I was able to get a Lightning Storm McQueen from Matty last year. He sold out within a couple of hours. I see know reason why a similar number of this new set won't do the same. And people were making 100%+ profit on him for quite a while which isn't bad for something that has only just become available. Give it a few years and I'm sure that if these things are still collectible you'll be able to make a good return on your investment.
But, it wrankles to read that Mattel SHOULD produce less of these limited edition sets because YOU want to make a large profit on the secondary market. Mattel are in business to make a profit for themselves, not to help profiteers.
What always amazes me about people is how they attack a person, and are ignorant about the real intent of what is being said. First, I am no different than any collector who sells a few extra Cars to pay for his collecting. Second, if there were not secondary sellers, half of you would never get the rarest of items. This is the case with EVERY collecting hobby! Third, you both miss the point and instead level a personal attack on my character and act like it is about me. It is not. The point is that if Mattel saturates a market, the item will not be wanted. Do you think Mattel wants to be sitting on an extra 3000 sets they can't move?! Hell no! If collectors can't sell a few extras, make some money for their time, gas and be worthwhile, then why should they waste their time buying extras. Then, they'll sit there and devalue the entire edition! How many Ramones do you want? All people do is complain because he is a "Peg Warmer!" Yet, how many collectors are dying for Sarge to be reissued?! Get the point! If I can't sell a few to make up flying to Comic-Con, covering it for you to read, paying for my hotel, rental car, food and then keep a few, then I won't buy more than one or two. Then, the supply will overwhelm the demand, and they won't be sought after by anyone. Whether you like it or not, this is part of collecting. I'm not the type who's running around and hoarding Cars every time a new character is released. It is a waste of time. Yet, plenty of stupid people do, and they create artificial scarcity. Because, I sell a few extra Comic-Con releases, or get a few extra TRU promo cars to sell, doesn't make me a bad person or a "Scalper!" Thousands of collectors sell extras to cover their collecting. So, get the point! Funny, how the scarcer the item is, the more people want it. People always want what they can't have!
I apologise if I offended you. That was not my intention. However, the tone of your article did read to me that you thought that Mattel should make a limited edition more limited so that those who wished to purchase a large quantity of these items could make a larger profit when you came to sell them on.
If these items were only going to be sold at an event like SDCC which by it's very nature only a relative few people can attend then to a certain extent I can see where you're coming from. However, with these limited editions also being sold by MattyCollector why should any ordinary collector miss the opportunity of buying the ONE they want for their own collection at retail price because others wish to be able to buy all they want to sell at a premium on the secondary market. I am quite sure that the quantity earmarked for sale on MattyCollector will, even in these straightened financial times, sell out within hours including the addition of any unsold stock from SDCC.
Mater will be a double Ransburg
I guess you Collectors guy can have at it:)
I just want to Design great die cast characters/sculpts that will stand the test of time. That's it.
The quota and where they will be sold is not my call, my team just provides the product. Let's see where it all settles, I just know you will/should like this years SDCC offering. Not a con at $30 SRP.
acuransx
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