Mattel Issues Updates!

Collectibles Collectibles
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**Mattel’s ToyGuru gave this GIANT update on Ghostbusters Classics **

I know everyone has been itching from some news for the line. Obviously we are gearing up for NYTF where we will update collectors on all of our Matty.com toy lines, but to help get some needed info out there, here is the latest scoop.

1: The next figure will be Vinz Clortho in March. Also in March will be the Club Ecto Marshmallow Mess Ray which ships only to Club Members and was covered by the cost of membership!

2: After Vinz will be a new figure in May that will include a new pack in Ghost.

3: Winston with slime blower will be out in July.

4: We also have 2 GB2 12″ 2-packs coming out this year (that was a lot of 2s!). The first will be Winston and Peter in April. Both packs will come with a TON of 12″ accessories including protonstreams!

5: The PKE meter did great. We are looking into other prop replicas down the road. No plans right now for a re-release but it might happen in time (such as in a movie year).

6: The Retro Action RGB figures should be hitting Toys R Us and “emerging channel accounts (i.e. online retailers) soon. They will not be available here at this time.

Okay, so that is the catch up on releases. To hit a few points fans have brought up and are concerned about:

A: The line is doing great! We have a total of 7 figures coming out this year including 4 variants of the GB boys and 2 new characters (one is Vinz!). Plus a really amazing SDCC item to reveal in April-ish.

B: We do hear all the requests. More Ghosts, more equipment, more proton streams, removable packs, more characters and so on.

There is a lot planned. We do need to spread out key releases and key refreshes to keep the line going strong. We’ve already front loaded the line with the iconic movie 1 versions of each character. With a little time, we’d like to get to most if not all of these requests.

C: There are more re-releases of older figures planned. We won’t offer re-releases every month, but much as we did for Cyber Monday last year, you can expect the main guys to be up for sale again.

D: We know there is a lot of demand of Real GB 6″ scale figures. The catch with that is based on the baseline sale of the 6″ movie style line, the demand just isn’t there (well the vocal online demand is, the sales number are not). GB Classics sells well, but at this time not at the numbers that would justify a 6″ RGB expansion which requires A LOT of new tooling.

We know fans want RG. Personally, I do to. But in the end, it is pretty accepted that the movie style is overall more popular (meaning not just the ■■■■■■■■ fans, the casual fans need to purchase too to keep the line going and for the casual fan the movie is more popular). And if the movie style is not doing the numbers we need to see for an expansion, expanding into a more tooling intensive (and overall less popular) style is not a wise business model. (I am not saying Animated is not popular, just that it is not AS popular as movie style).

Personally I really want RGB toys, especially for the vintage nods we could do. It might be something we can get to in time. Right now we are doing 1-2 newly 100% tool’d figures a year (like Vinz Clortho) and 4 partially tool’d figures in movie style. All of the RGB figs require almost 100% new tools and we just don’t have the resources right now for this (based on sales).

So to wrap up, do keep those suggestions going! We want to deliver product GB fans are going to love and we need your feedback to do that. I will continue to be most available on the “Ask Matty” section of this board. If you feel like GB info is not getting out there, just post a question here and I will try to answer. That is the best way to get direct info answered (but it is not a forum for asking about unreleased figs etc.. do check out the “tips” post before posting!)

So, if you want the footnotes version:

March: Vinz Clortho

March: Marshmallow Mess Ray

April: Winston & Peter 12″ 2-Pack

May: Brand New, yet Unannounced Figure

July: Winston with Slime Blower

TBD: Ray & Egon 12″ 2-Pack

-2 Brand New Figures, new ghosts

-PKE Meter is gone unless there’s a new movie

-No Real Ghostbusters outside of Retro-Action

-No word on Retro-Action Real Ghostbusters Series 2

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Also worth noting

Mattel does not have the rights to produce a Louis Tully from Ghostbusters 2 (no jumpsuit Louis)

Mattel looked into producing a Larry King figure, but they do not have the rights

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I can’t understand how the rights work that we can get a GB1 Louis but not a GB2 Louis… Maybe Moranis signed different licensing agreements for the films, excluding his likeness for Ghostbusters 2 products. I would do my best to renegotiate with him personally, ear muffs are too cool.

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Awww man…does this mean we can not get Courtroom Louis with an Elevator prop?

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I think Courtroom Louis is far down the line with figures, but then again, if they are talking about Larry King, who knows…

Honestly, I would like to see the Mayor released.

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Before they get to a Larry King Figure I would hope they’d do a Dana, a Dana as Zuul, a Dana with Oscar, Janosz, Janosz in drag and of course Janine (Both GB1 and GB2 styles.

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How the hell can there be no GB2 Louis? I don’t even understand that.

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Definitely not the case, because they DID do a GB2 Minimate of Louis.

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Still no sign of the dogs either. I’m guessing they either don’t have the rights, or aren’t keen on them as they’ve previously been released by Neca.

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Based on the list and the info. I’d say the figure releasing in May is NOT a Ghostbuster. The guy said there are two original characters coming out. One is Vinz. The rest of the calender so far are Ghostbusters.

“Right now we are doing 1-2 newly 100% tool’d figures a year (like Vinz Clortho) and 4 partially tool’d figures in movie style.”

My fingers are crossed for a Janine with a pack in ghost.

Though I seriously wouldn’t mind Zuul, Gozer, or Vigo either. But I think these would sell without a pack-in ghost.

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A Vigo firgure would be great !

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I’ve got it.

A scale version of …

The statue of liberty !

BEST FIGURE EVER !

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I think or at least hope that Vinz Clortho Louis comes with his Terror Dog counterpart, it would just make sense. Hoping MAy is Janine or Dana.

But seriously their trying to get LArry King? Are you ■■■■■■■■ me pile, their actively seeking the license for a guy who was in 2 seconds of the first movie and they don’t have a Dana or Janine yet. No Vigo, Zuul, Gozer, but we are going ■■■■■ to the wall to make sure the guy who’s 90 years old and has as much to do with the Ghostbusters franchise as Carl Speckler from CaddyShack is one we’re trying like hell to get.

Ah what the hell, would love to do a diorama with Courtroom Peter talking with Larry King, heck I’d buy Larry if they released him. I just want the line to continue.

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I think or at least hope that Vinz Clortho Louis comes with his Terror Dog counterpart, it would just make sense. Hoping MAy is Janine or Dana.

But seriously their trying to get LArry King? Are you ■■■■■■■■ me pile, their actively seeking the license for a guy who was in 2 seconds of the first movie and they don’t have a Dana or Janine yet. No Vigo, Zuul, Gozer, but we are going ■■■■■ to the wall to make sure the guy who’s 90 years old and has as much to do with the Ghostbusters franchise as Carl Speckler from CaddyShack is one we’re trying like hell to get.

Ah what the hell, would love to do a diorama with Courtroom Peter talking with Larry King, heck I’d buy Larry if they released him. I just want the line to continue.

With that said, I think the May figure will be the Mayor’s Assistant from GB 2. Just have that feeling.

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I’m a little surprised to see Slime Blower Winston pushed back so far. But I’m taking that as a good sign that the changes are being done right.

Also, I’m interested to know who the new character is. If there is a “pack-in ghost” that makes me think it won’t be a full sized ghost by itself - unless it’s the librarian - with pack-in transformation head. Which would be totally sweet.

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I think the joke about Larry King should have been a lot clearer to some people here. I highly doubt they’re seriously going after that figure so early in the line, let alone at all.

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Sad thing is I am so desperate to keep the GB love going that if they did actually seriously release this figure I would get it.

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Some say sad, others say desperate or obsessive… I say Commendable. The line will only keep going if we let it.

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Hrmmm… no idea then. Unless minimates don’t really count as likeness use, an don’t need actor approval because they’re so stylized…?

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Plus the Minimates are made by a different company. The details of the licensing agreement could be different.