Marvel Earnings Call Confirms Disappointing Spider-Man Toy Sales

[Ryo Jin]

Marvel Earnings Call Confirms Disappointing Spider-Man Toy Sales

Herb Greenberg (MarketWatch) submits: On Marvel's (MVL) earnings call today, the company hinted at what I wrote back in June and has since become apparent: That sales of Hasbro's (HAS) Spider-Man toys have been a disappointment.

According to Marvel CFO Ken West, "While Hasbro has not been disappointed with licensed Marvel toy sales to date, we have reduced our forecast for the second half of 2007 to the low end of their forecasts to reflect a possibility of lower reorders..." Hasbro, you may recall, paid Marvel a minimum guarantee of $215 million over five years, with $100 million paid up front.

Marvel forecasts assume the company will receive far more than the minimum. As I quoted one analyst as saying, "By getting such big guarantees, it has a high hurdle going forward." Marvel's rollback in second half guidance would seem to reflect just how high that hurdle is.

Onward...

Ha, no surprise. Morons.

 

[Saint553]

Well, when the supply is high and the demand is down (losing a good chunk of collectors that still get movie figures), what do they expect?

 

[FEAR THE BAT]

I say f***'em.

 

[Kable24]

Maybe everything went down hill when they decided to do 5 inch figures instead of the normal Legends scale. Maybe people aren't impressed with Hasblows use of cheap plastics and higher prices. Maybe people don't want 15 different Spider-Mans and one Venom or Sandman figure that looks like a kid sculpted it.

 

[Roughneck]

Now maybe they will learn that Kids shouldn't be the target market.

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

Maybe everything went down hill when they decided to do 5 inch figures instead of the normal Legends scale. Maybe people aren't impressed with Hasblows use of cheap plastics and higher prices. Maybe people don't want 15 different Spider-Mans and one Venom or Sandman figure that looks like a kid sculpted it.

Maybe you're absolutely correct on all counts.

I've bought less merchandise (i.e; none whatsoever other than the movie novel and sound track) for SM3 than i have for either of the previous Spidey films.

Hasbro needs to check themselves...

 

[Doc_OCK_4MUGEN]

gee... the sales were dissapointing?!
Five inchers... feh! Sales would've been slightly better if the figs were on the 6 inches range... but noo!!
Kids want smaller figs!!!
Kids want videogames!!! only old farts buy action figures!!!
Think Mc Fly!! Think!!!
I've saved a lot of money on my action figures thanks to the five inch work in progress hasbro S-m3 figs...

 

[spideyboy_1111]

bwahahaha!

 

[Doc_OCK_4MUGEN]

C'mon!! There are more reasons why they failed:
No GWEN!? Hello!! Most Spidey collectors would sell their mothers for a Gwen fig... Why no Gwendy here...
Lack of a Dancing Tobey... Everyone who's seen the movie remembers Dancing Tobey... (for different reasons) Why do we get black Spidey with a little more sand chunks in the suit and no Dancing Peter... He danced more than he was sand covered...
Tophenom... A venom with Topher's face inside Venom's jaws... sounds simple enough...

But still they were overpriced underpainted and underdweveloped... (They haven't hit Action Figure Puberty yet...)
And Kids still like videogames better...

 

[venom892]

Dude they sucked thats why they didn't sell.I see them on pegs all the time.

 

[newavengers12]

Man I have love the way Hasbro has work with the legends so far.... but S3 figs and FF2.... just dumb 5 inch figs!