Even though I had purchased a few before, I was surprised in 2013 by Masters of the Universe Classics. Mattel sold a pile of back stock to clearance retailer Big Lots, where they were sold for ten bucks a piece--substantially less than they were sold to subscribers. I bought Vikor in 2011, for $31.20 shipped, and I'm pretty sure the price has gone up since then!
Of course, the Big Lots selection varied from store to store, and when you got there; so there was no guarantee you would get all or any of the figures available. I did pretty well, but then bought a Chief Carnivus off eBay because I never saw him locally and got him without too much markup. ($20.70, more than if I'd found him at Big Lots, but less than direct from Mattel.) I forgot Carnivus and Count Marzo for the picture up top, though.
Further shoring up the MOTUC ranks, I bought another Battleground Teela and an Eternian Palace Guards two-pack from Matty's confusing and not especially deep Black Friday sale. Together they were just under $54 shipped, which is the regular price for the guards, so I guess I could look at it as getting Teela and shipping free.
Finally, I mentioned getting a third DCUC Hawkman in 2013, but I already had him: he was in a MOTUC/DCUC two-pack with Stratos, for five bucks. They can argue it out over who is whose accessory...
While I'm pretty pleased with this lot, I don't know if it has sold me on future MOTUC releases. Maybe? When I can get a deal, anyway? I consider myself a casual fan, and prefer some of the ancillary characters over the leads. I don't know if Mattel will ever unload more stock like they did, but it has to be a pretty special figure to tempt me for thirty-plus bucks.
Still, the potential interchangeability of Masters figures has some appeal to me: third-party manufacturers are starting to make some aftermarket heads that look great. I love the idea of making a few changes and adding a new character to the shelf. We'll see...
Being not even a causual fan myself, despite loving them back in the day, I sw a Moss Man figure a couple months back @ my local Big Lots. 10$, but I didn't get him. You'd think I would've since he looks someone you could kill and smoke, litterally, like Man-Thing or Swamp Thing. Alas, even 10$ seemed like too much.
ReplyDeleteWe shall see. I wish the DCUC line would've done this, especially with the lasr subscription waves. I might have to bite the bullet this year and buy from Amazon some of thos figures like Ra's Al Guhl, Ocean Master, The Red Hood, Damien Wayne, and Monsuier Mallah and the Brain.