Why do all batman toylines have stupid variants?

[blightsbiohazar]

Ever since the Dark Knight collection in 1989, every single mainstream batman figure line BAR NONE has been at least 50% idiotic variants that have no basis in any sort of media. The list of all the dumb orange or armored batmen would go on for pages. Seldom do you even see other characters get this treatment. I realize a lot of superhero toys go in this direction but why does Mattel persist? These versions do not sell well. Even as a kid I knew I wanted the main version of Batman or "regular batman". Even kids know how he looks in each version of the show so why even bother with these stupid pegwarming pieces of crap?

 

[DaRkVeNgeanCe]

to sell toys and make money, do you know anything about business?

 

[aragen]

I enjoyed all the variants. It made things a lot more fun.

 

[blightsbiohazar]

Yes I know about business and I see what moves on the shelves. The stupid repaints never sell well.

 

[lixdexia]

Yes I know about business and I see what moves on the shelves. The stupid repaints never sell well.

they don't really have to sell THAT well to turn a profit. it's alot like the carnival where you spend $15 popping balloons with darts to win a giant teddy bear that cost them 50 cents. they already have the mold, all that's changed most times is the colors, and if they make it there's enough people out there that will buy it.

 

[Dir en grey]

Why? Because they want to milk the cow as much as possible... so to speak. And as long as there are people buying these "stupid variants" they'll keep making them. I personally don't buy the figures that you see in places like Target/Toys R' Us... because they look like cheap plastic... not to mention I'm not an 8 year old boy :|. For my money I'd rather buy the 1:6 scale figures because they actually look good and I can keep them as collectibles.

 

[SHADOWBAT69]

Yes I know about business and I see what moves on the shelves. The stupid repaints never sell well.

Maybe in your neck of the woods. However when children go to the toy store they want more and more Batman figures. Thats why they have the variants. If there was only one black or blue grey Batman, then mom and dad wouldnt keep buying the same figure. Its called marketing.

 

[mxn36]

I don't think classifying it as simply marketing and "milking the cow" is enough. This really is a phenomenon exclusive to Batman. Yeah, of course they want to make money, but there are much more better ways to "milk the cow" than making the most asinine variations they can think of. Look at the Spider-Man line, you don't see many bright neon orange camouflage versions, you see ones with different action features. Like one that can kick, one that can punch, one that's battle-damaged, one's with different accessories, and none of them straying too far from their movie counterparts. There are more ways to get the most out of a character than re-painting it outlandish colors and slapping a bunch of bright light on it.

 

[DJ Kornphlake]

Repaints are more cost efficient than making new molds.

 

[Angelus_Darko]

This actually has it's story: Back in '89, Toy Biz had the Batman rights, but was a small company, so it couldn't produce enough figures. Kenner/Hasbro got them, but they didn't have time to make molds, so they decided to just use the same mold and repaint it over and over again. And that's why we as kids got stupid crap as "Artic Adventure Batman" and the same Batcave with only a few changes.

You can read more about it here: http://cooltoyreview.com/Flashback003.asp

 

[ScarecrowMan666]

This irritates me as well, and probably explains why I don't have alot of figures of the Bat. I usually try to get the ones that resemble the movie closely, or ones that are really cool like the Legends of Batman series, or the Legends of the Dark Knight line.

 

[mikey1974]

This actually has it's story: Back in '89, Toy Biz had the Batman rights, but was a small company, so it couldn't produce enough figures. Kenner/Hasbro got them, but they didn't have time to make molds, so they decided to just use the same mold and repaint it over and over again. And that's why we as kids got stupid crap as "Artic Adventure Batman" and the same Batcave with only a few changes.

You can read more about it here: http://cooltoyreview.com/Flashback003.asp

not only that,they saved even MORE money because the initial sculpt was just a modified version of their old Super Powers Batman figure,now with a new belt,and slight resculpting to the neck area and the front of the boots....

 

[SHADOWBAT69]

I don't think classifying it as simply marketing and "milking the cow" is enough. This really is a phenomenon exclusive to Batman. Yeah, of course they want to make money, but there are much more better ways to "milk the cow" than making the most asinine variations they can think of. Look at the Spider-Man line, you don't see many bright neon orange camouflage versions, you see ones with different action features. Like one that can kick, one that can punch, one that's battle-damaged, one's with different accessories, and none of them straying too far from their movie counterparts. There are more ways to get the most out of a character than re-painting it outlandish colors and slapping a bunch of bright light on it.

This is because Spider Man isnt cool, or badass enough to pull off those variants.

 

[mxn36]

This is because Spider Man isnt cool, or badass enough to pull off those variants.

Batman isn't pulling off those variants either. No character can. Because they're ******ed.

 

[Darkseid1]

to you they are stupid. to an 8 year old they are cool. I dont know where the proof that variant figures are ******ed and useless is coming from, but theyve been around for years. even Mego had variants. and they sold, as do the variants from every other action figure line in the past 30 years. those spider man figures that look exactly the same just sit on the pegs. why? because its the same damn figure. kids, as well as collectors, want something that at least looks a bit different. I guess this is just the mentality thats come about due to this boring era that the Nolan films have brought about.

 

[blightsbiohazar]

I was 8 when these were out too. I hated them then too. And are you saying the Nolan films are boring now? What's cool to you? Adam west talking to sharks?

 

[blightsbiohazar]

damn double post

 

[mxn36]

I hated them when I was eight as well. The proof comes in the fact that these things are bigger peg-warmers than spider-man figures. I've probably been to around 20-25 different stores around the northeast that sell TDK toys since they've been out, every one of them is stocked full of these variants warming the pegs. I've seen more kid's buying the movie masters than these things. Yeah they'll sell eventually, the only way they can - 6 months from now on super clearance. The same thing happened with all the variants in the Batman Begins line.

 

[Bathead]

Ack.This is nothing new. They've been doing this variant madness for a very long time, and not just with Batman. And they do indeed sell. If they didn't, the toymakers wouldn't make them.