Getting quite bad in the UK with McFarlane toys a lot of retailers have just decided to stop selling them. We’ve actually had entire waves never come out here and apparently McFarlane toys forget to tell people they need to order stuff. And one retailer even said when they asked for pictures, they got told to get them from US sites
Same here in Germany. Heaps of figures from all waves are missing. One of my online retailers here has posted the following disclaimer: “Not all products are currently available in Europe. Anyone missing something is welcome to contact us about US imports!” In the end, this leads to a logical spiral: if only a few and incomplete waves are available, retailers and customers will turn away more and more and Mcfarlane Toys will send less and less to Europe because things aren't going well, etc. Hasbro and Mattel also have very strange distribution models, but at least you can still get the stuff here in Europe.
You're talking about Smyths toys and Argos, forget looking at toy isles in the the big supermarkets too, the only high street stores I've found McFarlane stuff is HMV and B&M😢 the latter doesn't puy that stuff online either🤒
It’s funny because Mcfarlane started out as a small independent company that went up against the bigger companies. And you would think they would help the smaller guys like Nerdzoic
You have way too much faith in Todd. This behavior has been Todd from beginning to end. Where do you think this comes from? Todd has made his bed now. He's sleeping in it.
McFarlane Toys used to primarily be sold in smaller stores geared towards older collectors. Some of their stuff was in Toys R Us but it was mainly the early lines, and you'd rarely see them in something as mainstream as Walmart. Obviously these stores started disappearing over time and the business model changed along with that, but I think this is an issue with management more than Todd per se. Matt didn't have an issue with the previous employee so this leads me to believe a new person with a similar position screwed things over.
@@sa-x19 well, it leads me to believe that there was a hard-working employee that clearly couldn't take the way the company operated and got the heck out. Because that's the way Todd has operated his entire life. He cares about one person and one person only and that's his own ego.
Yup...my local targets has been way, way down on new figures. Went from full pegs, to maybe a new case every couple of months and what's left on the pegs is clearanced
Not true. New Mcfarlane product is plentiful at both Walmart and Target. I can find all new figures from any line they have other than the 1966/‘66 Comic 6” line. I just bought King Spawn and the Mcfarlane/1st Spawn 2-pack at Target and those are new. (well King is but 2-pk is new for mass retail). Also found the entire DC wave with the Mr. Bloom 2-pack and Fire and the new BTAS Batmobile showed up today. They have all the new Warhammer and all the Maniacs lines. Target has pegs up for the Marvel comic cover dioramas but I havent seen those in person yet. Walmart is getting Spawn over in the collector’s aisle with NECA and any new Super Powers and DC Multiverse hit pretty regularly and I have few problems finding Gold Label there. Super Powers was nothing but waves 1 and 2 there for a long time but the last 2 new waves including vehicles are easy to find. They also have 1966 vehicles but no figures. There’s more new product showing up now than ever before. The only difference is there’s not an onslaught of 10K peg-warmers now which was a problem there for a while. On a side note, new MoTU Masterverse, Origins, Filmation Origins and the TMNT/MOTU figs, that are newer than the lines Target carries (at this time), are at all my WMs now as are new Classified and Retro Classified. My point is the drought, for the most part, is over and finding new stuff is very easy most of the time. And then there’s always Gamestop which seems to get ALL of the newest figs first, so if youre looking for something and especially if it’s a Hasbro line then give them a shot. They also have the latest Spawn some times. I know there are a couple figs that I saw at Target but then they sold out l, but GS has them and at multiple stores.
Tbh this sounds like the typical McFarlane current business model, the other guy was probably fired because he was being cooperative and working with you, so doubtful Todd would even care even if he sees this vid but he won't. They seem to be taking cues from Mattel on how to run their business by only working with big partners and once those paths dry up what will they have remaining. Case in point look at their current Super Powers crowdfund it's not going anywhere because not many are aware of it and they don't have the marketing channels to get the message out there and drive people to their web store, that's where they need people like you but they don't see it that way anymore. You can tell that VP didn't even read your initial email.
Dave..its funny how your name has turtle in it and you speak knowledgeable about Mattel. I know a famous turtle dude who has shared those exact kinds of sentiments with me❤...
I often pass on buying figures from other companies because I SPECIFICALLY WANT TO BUT IT FROM NERDZOIC. That’s how committed I am committed to this brand.
Been a few UK retailers not happy with McFarlane too, some said they're expected to order stock from stuff not even announced, entire waves or sub-lines cancelled due to not meeting minimum order, and at least one retailer not given images and told to find them on US websites.
Star action figures are stopping selling McFarlane figures because of how stupidly difficult they are for them to deal with. Think the Batman Forever wave might be one of the last things they will be stocking. McFarlane really need to get their heads out of their ass.
I work for a Comic Store and the profits on Mcfarlane from distributors is ridiculous. There is no real money to make unless you price it higher than you can get from big box retail stores . I feel your frustration Matt.
macfarlane isn't doing well .. as someone who is from Singapore, I heard that the local distributor here went bankrupt. so we no longer have it at retail.
Matt, your store is unlike any other I’ve dealt with because you sincerely remember and know what it’s like to be a collector to a passionate extent. If they’re screwing with you like this, they’re screwing with us. Your ire has soothed to the point where you’re level-headed enough to have chosen your words carefully. I love that you’re fighting back. I hate when I get a copied and pasted response. I genuinely love that I don’t get that from y’all. You treat me like a person, not a profit. Todd has never given me this impression. I’m certain he will do something about it. Keep your head up, sir. You’re doing great.
Dude!!! This is nuts. Sounds like some account managers were let go and some nut head VP is swinging the pendulum to far the other direction. Or hasnt filled the roles and is over worked. Any rate, i think you came off with the right amount anger and presented the information without name calling, so well done. 👏🏼
The Walmart here is the only store in town that sold McFarlane toys and I can tell you that they have had nothing new in months. I don't even know if they've had any new stock besides what they've had sitting in the clearance aisle forever, and that's only four figures.
Gamestop and occasionally target still get figures but that seems to be it. And it's very little. The rest are still stuck with the aquaman figures that won't sell.
Walmart management once told me-- If stuff ain't selling, they don't order more or it goes to "better performing" stores. When I used to work at walmart- they don't have the best inventory management. Stuff just comes in palettes and it's mixed. The store will break down the palette when they get to it. There's really not "timed" or "scheduled" releases. Hell, my current walmart puts out "new" movies a week (some times 1.5) later.
Referring to McFarlane Toys, it's one thing to have your business model change in terms of direct accounts, but it's wholly unprofessional to reply to a potential business partner with "sorry" and no additional details of how things currently exist when it comes to direct accounts and distribution. As a collector of their Super Powers line, I've already been concerned with decisions that promote money over creativity and customer satisfaction. Whether that be putting the wrong head on a figure to save a buck, or to follow the fan Facebook group without ever interacting to alleviate our frustrations (whenever their in-the-pocket admin allows any remote critique over them).
Sounds like Paulie was a good worker (and networker) who was surrounded by bullshit and he had the option to let it change him, or to get out. And he got out. I think your problem is systemic in McFarlane and Paulie was a bright spot that has since gone out. Happens a lot in companies. Sadly.
I ran the online store Toycade for 12 years. We did a similar volume to you at just over 1 mil annually. We had the same experience with McFarlane. Mattel may have had them beat though. Curious how you have an account with NECA. They stopped doing business with us after we closed our office. We owned a mixed use commercial building and rented to ourselves so that we could jump over the brick and mortar hurdle. Do you have a physical store? Anyway, I always enjoy your videos, watching you endure the same pain I did for over a decade. 😂 I’m the end, our margins were just too thin. Don’t know how you do it, but I’m rooting for you.
The instant PO sell outs, promises of restocks, and then no restocks (Classic Wonder Woman) really annoy me as a buyer as well. I'm thinking of dropping most McF stuff if it continues.
That is what most Toddsters don't understand, they feel O here we have an upset person attacking McFarlane. The same for the company, but yet product is not getting out everywhere. Delays are more and more, False release dates are being made, product availability is going down.
Honestly Ive kinda stopped collecting in general. Hasbro has gone down the toilet and McF already has one and a half feet in the grave. I still have a few McF things I want such as the gotham knights wave and the black adam page puncher superman. But, after that things will remain uncertain.
I own a store in Europe and McFarlane has been missing out on sales by not releasing everything over here anymore. I got many customers asking me for waves that are never available in the EU. While i see them get dumped on US markets. The exclusive deals with BigBad and EE often end up over here as well, because they don't sell enough of them. So why do these exclusives? I know Todd is a good businessman, so i really think it's not him that's messing up. There has probably been a change in management when it comes to distribution in the past year and it's not going well. I still see many toy manufacturers cling on to big stores like walmart, and target, while these companies don't give a crap about your products. They throw it on their shelves, not even knowing what they are selling. While small specialist retailers get screwed with higher purchase prices and not getting the good stuff. Especially the smaller stores are willing to work hard and sell your product, with much more love and dedication for your products. I really hope Todd sees this video and maybe reads some of the comments as well. McFarlane makes great products but are missing out on huge sales opportunities by ignoring small to medium business and limiting a lot to just the USA.
To show how bad it is in Europe here is a list of basically all DC releases tha never got to Europe. It seems this has been happening since the last 9 months. Before that we basically got 90% of them. Now it seems we don't even get half of the figures released. Incomplete waves turn off McFarlane collectors the most. I have many customers who are upset by this and start to move to other brands now. What we do get is very limited, often sells out quickly before they get releases. And we've been getting some old releases that don't sell well in the US that are about a year old. Anyway here is the list Sold out at McFarlane, never got to Europe: Batman Classic TV Series Batman Reborn Batman Superman Fusion Batman Cowl Black Manta Super Powers MetaMorpho Super Powers Green Lantern Super Powers Booster Gold Super Powers Cyborg Superman Robin Tim Drake Mister Zsasz Captain Boomeran The Penguin DC Classic) Starfire Kryptonite Doomsday Batman Prestige Suit Aquaman JLA Green Lantern JLA Brainiac Skull Ship with Brainiac Superman of Earth-2 (Crisis on Infinite Earths) Kid Flash (Crisis on Infinite Earths) The Spectre (Crisis on Infinite Earths) Psycho Pirate (Crisis on Infinite Earths) Batgirl (Batman & Robin) Poinson Ivy (Batman & Robin) Robin (Batman & Robin) Available at McFarlane store, not available in Europe: Wonder Woman Jim lee Statue Jonah Hex & The General Geen Lantern jamal Campbell Statue Mr Freeze Booster Gold Batman of Earth-22 the Bug Blue Beetles ship Brainiac Skull Ship Items where pre-orders were available but got cancelled for no reason. Ambush Bug Armored Batman Ghost of Zod Brainiac Green Lantern Silver Age (Digital Wave) Aquaman DC Classics (Digital Wave) Batman DC Rebirth (Digital Wave)
Todd mcfarlane could give 2 craps about customer service,quality control or even getting product out there..... the main problem his HE MAKES TONS OF SHIT NO ONE WANTS BECAUSE HE THINKS ITS COOL...AND THE STUFF PEOPLE WANT....HE MAKES VERY LIMITED AMOUNTS. . He didnt like 89 batman...he made the figure and batmobile complete inaccurate junk. Batman and robin,forever...he likes so there really detailed and near perfect.
Mcfarlane pissed me off with their recent classic Wonder Woman release. There's no reason why a fig with a wide release like that should have sold out so fast, especially when they had to have known it was going to be so in demand. I've stopped buying their figs.
I dont think McFarlane will be able to keep the DC Toy License.. with the shrinking toy industry I expect Hasbro to buy Mattel and pick up thr DC License from McFarlane
Todd just picked up/is taking on some Hasbro product, I don't think Hasbro can afford to start doing DC stuff .. especially with their current pricing on Marvel figures and Disney Star Wars, no one is going to spend 35-40 bucks on another comic series
@@nnemov22you do realize they acquired DC Direct, meaning they’re in good standing with DC/WB. They’re gonna have the license for awhile, so you’re gonna have to wait a long time
Sounds like a nightmare. It’s a nightmare for consumers too. There is so much inconsistency with the product, in terms of direction and quality, that I am surprised they still make a profit.
I'm still spicy about that Target Exclusive Year 2 Batman that came with a broken arm. I wrote in to ask about a replacement arm since it was sold out nearly immediately and they told me my only option was to return it to Target if I wasn't happy with the quality. After a possibly profanity filled reply where I mentioned it was a sold out exclusive, they offered me a $50 gift card. Then never delivered said gift card. I emailed them 3 times over a 2 month period before giving up. Then, out of the blue, 18 months later I FINALLY got a reply and the digital gift card for their store. Their lucky I'm a DC mark, otherwise I would have dropped them entirely.
Mcfarlane has been really dropping the ball with the dc line. Its to a point where they arent even at major retailers anymore. I wouldnt be shocked if they lost the license soon. Luckily for me I only have a few more figures I want them then im done with the line until something changes.
I buy everything from Hasbro to Hot Toys and McFarlane is the only company I shy away from because every piece I've ever bought was terrible compared to what other companies produce. I feel they just cannot consistently produce quality product.
Own a store myself and corporate @ McFarlane is full of clowns, and the only thing worse their is their shipping department. Completely braindead packing process for a "collectible" company. They are lucky the molds are good because if their quality drops at all, they will be dropped like a bad habit by most collectors.
I own a store as well and have to say i noticed the plastic on the window boxes of big figures (2-packs, vehicles, megafigs and statues etc) gets damaged very quickly. They changed the material so now when you touch the window box and squeeze it just a little, the plastic breaks. They become very hard to pack without damaging the box. This is not the case with figures from before 2023.
Sounds like the typical "you should be groveling at my feet and thanking me for allowing you to sell our products." The shelves at my local walmarts and targets have been bare for months.
Thanks for this post Matt. I’ve been a toy collected all my life. Even as a young kid in the late 70s, I made sure that when I played with my Star Wars figures, I TRIED to keep them pristine and still have them all today. That said, I know little about the modern collectable TOY business and your frustrated rant really was an education. While I regret the cause of your rant, you and your store are on my radar now. I’d be more than happy to add you to my list retailers I shop from. To be honest, a lot of the stuff I buy now I order direct from the toy maker, catch with a decent markdown on BBTS or EE, or if lucky catch online on Walmart, Target, or Amazon shop sites. In doing so, I find the quick sellouts of the coolest stuff, much shorter to no “coming soon” presale previews, and staggered and delayed release of products and waves truly annoying now. It’s like it’s all designed to serve bulk resellers who scoop things up to sell at crazy jacked up prices. I don’t know, man, I’m on the verge of getting out of the hobby, but your post got me encouraged by knowing I’m far from the only one frustrated and that there are still retailers out there who want better for both their customers and, understandably being a business, themselves.
If there are a few things I learned from the corporate world they would be: 1.) New admin will always be insecure of old admin achievement, in turn flushing out old connections (while adding contempt & controversies) and starting new ones (that tend to fail 90% of the time.) 2.) Evil, selfish, manipulative, bully bootlickers are always out for higher positions (even if the one they compete with are the ones that got them hired) and they're usually encouraged to do this once they've bumped a few elbows and tickled a few chins. 3.) There are those who see their partners merely as variables. Once you show you have a mind of your own and start giving opinions, they'll drop you like a cotton bud after it's completely dipped in ear wax and gunk. 4.) Cults! There are and will always be. 5.) Apparently gossip circles play a part in the office when it should actually be a no no in any job position. 😅 Take it easy out there and cheers to your content! 🍻
The DC Multiverse line is the main toyline I collect. I buy most figures in the line. However, I'm really getting pissed that they are making figures harder and harder to get. From pre-orders that instantly sell out to making figures (like the JLA Superman RED) that are never seen on shelves and instantly tripled in price by scalpers on ebay. I will NOT give in to scalpers. IF McFarlane doesn't want me to buy directly from their site or by retails stores, than I'm out. I'm really close to quitting them cold turkey.
I just had this same dilemma. It's insane 'cause I've been collecting the line since Day One and to feel that sort of need after four years of it just isn't right. I'm with you on the scalpers, I won't yield to them, but McF doesn't make it easy. I honestly don't even know who his target market is anymore. The scalpers maybe? Darkseid & Wonder Woman are just the beginning of highly desirable characters with low production runs. I almost dropped the line entirely after the fracas with Darkseid selling out in mere minutes. As much as it would suck, it seems like we, the collectors, aren't being heard.
I kept saying it, whoever is incharge of Mcfarlane's marketing/management is not doing the company any good. I'm still wondering where their decision making is based upon, do they data that we do not have? Cause I'm pretty sure they are not using collector/customer's feedbacks
The grey canopy on the batmobile was the final nail in the coffin of collecting McFarlane for me. Haven't wanted much else except for plastic man and I don't do BAF's as I NEVER want the whole wave.
I started collecting figures again with the Superpowers line. Not only did they make Walmart exclusives that no Walmart in an hour radius stocked, but now preorders sell out within an hour. To me preorders were designed to judge interest and determine stock, now it's just a presale. Target and Walmart stocked the new wave, only select stores got them, and they only got I case 6 figures.
Thins situation reminds when I asked you why shipping was so high on one of your items and all you said was "wow Ive never seen that before" and didnt offer a solution? I do, I ended up getting it from EE instead.
McFarlane has swung way too far on the other side of the pendulum, pre orders sell out in minutes and don't come back in stock. Why can't they find a happy medium???
I hope McFarlane crash and burn. As a consumer who isn't American - getting the good stuff is almost impossible unless you find a months ahead pre-order and be there at the right time and right place. Missed the Plastic Man wave and don't think I'll ever see it again outside the unwanted figures in it. The Batman Forever wave I was lucky I jumped on before pre-orders sold out. Almost missed the Batman & Robin wave but luckily stumbled upon it in stock on release. Never seen Poison Ivy available since. Gave up on TDK wave. Gave up on Superpowers variants because what's the point in hoping to luck out? Seriously don't understand why they decided to make all the stuff most people want the hardest stuff to get. Just means people give up or feed the secondary market. It might be hot for a while but it will burn out. And I will be laughing at Todd's stupid company when that happens and then a company who can get stuff into people's hands can take over.
Thank you for sharing you situation! This is what we need from all businesses! We need honest and open messages about what goes wrong so that customers know!
The fact that someone that has a store is talking about the fact that Mcfarlane Toys is going down hill it’s comforting, because i thought i was the only crazy guy
I dont know how Mcfarlane toys makes money nowadays. They only make like a few figures of character that is going to sell like hot cakes amd thanks make tons of figures of a character that nobody wants . i dont know who is making the business decisions and choosing the characters but clearly it looks like todd needs to start getting rid of people from his company for his own company good .
Honestly I’ve cut back on Mcfarlane as a collector. I’d rather save and spend more on premium offerings by Mafex, and SH Figuarts, eventually I would like to add some Hot toys also. I still regularly buy Hasbro, Neca and Super 7.
I only got into McFarlane because I could build most of the MK vs DCU roster. And I mainly wanted the Batman villains that I'm nostalgic for. I got Penguin, Joker, Two Face, Riddler, Mr. Freeze, and Bane. And I called it a day. Lol
I’m in the same boat. I only buy the occasional batman or joker, and spend my money on Mezco, JoyToy, and other 3rd party premium figures. Mcfarlane destroyed the joy of collecting with ridiculous exclusives and terrible distribution. I’ve sold off most of the ones I owned.
I wish MacFarlane toys would make more villains from the classic Batman tv series like Mad hatter, Clock King, Minstrel, Shame, Ma Parker, Sandman, Puzzler and others.
The easiest way I see how their trying to run things is that their thinking their like Hasbro. The problem is tho Hasbro has been around way longer, have other properties and other distributors that aren’t just target and walmart. That’s why you’ll never see a Hasbro fig being overpriced on an online store. What’s even worse is their deal with marvel and that has probably going to make things even worse cause that price tag of marvel/disney is ridiculous. I did a project on both Hasbro and Macfarlane and I said in my project that the only way they get over the hump is if they can match the demands of what the consumer wants and fix their distribution problems. And as it looks rn they barely can even do one of those
At this point I want Mattel, Hasbro or even Jada toys to get the DC toy license so we can have 6inch DC figs again and probably better QC than McFarlane’s staction figs that could easily break.
@@fillerbunnyninjashark271 how so? They’ve made a great Power princess whom is a Marvel version of Wonder Woman and funnily enough McFarlane decided finally decided to make a classic Wonder Woman when Power Princess was announced by Hasbro.
Still waiting for the Spock and Riker action figures that go along with the released Kirk and Picard figures, unless McFarlane cancelled the Star Trek line and never told anyone.
To be fair, Mcfarlane figures are QC garbage. Never seen as many issues with a brand of figures as Mcfarlane. I stopped collecting Mcfarlane all together. At least over here, I noticed Mcfarlane figures barely moved at all and went on clearance in a number of stores…
I don't buy from Mcfarlane toys anymore, every figure I wanted sells out right away, the last figure I got was Garbage with loose joints, if I get treated like this, Screw them!!!
My Walmart has just stopped selling them, they only have a couple page punchers Batman. And they were selling like hot cakes, they just haven’t restocked in months
I got back into buying McFarlane toys a couple of years ago when they released the MK line (who would pass those up?) and then the modern Mandarin Spawns (because it's just so nostalgic if you've ever owned the originals from like 24 years ago!). But after that I pretty much stopped again. Because every other toy they've released since was either Batman or Superman, or Batman and Superman again. Not saying it's the wrong business decision. It's making them tons of money I'm sure. It's just not my thing. They're making more Batmans and Supermans as we speak.
@JayL8899 I found black adam, flash and some other figures from mcfarlane in 2023 and stuff from 2024 currently at Ross, not everything he puts is that good and on Amazon the batmobile w Keaton was on huge discount sale, 😏
@@Csthedirector I follow all the toy hunting pages, not 1 has posted anything on mcfarlane Flash figures showing up at Ross. You might be confusing it with spinmaster but that’s ok, it happens. Also Black Adam came out in 2022, not 2023. Curious though, what 2024 dc multiverse figs have you found at Ross? I’m glad you were able to get the Batmobile at cheaper price so you could afford it, that’s a win!
@JayL8899 Not every store carries the same product I was looking for some Transformers and couldn't find what everyone else kept finding the same happens w my local ross stores, I've seen some (not everywhere) in my areas but they don't catch my attention so I ignore them, plus not every Pic reaches social media but I know what I've seen in person and passed on
After a succesfull Kickstarter I had high hopes for the glory days of old McFarlane Toys (Viking Age,...) to reimurge... BOY, WAS I WRONG... Spawn figures are just OK but the whole Platinum / Gold / Collector labels just ruins the whole experience (as well as the last set of, you guessed it, Spawn plastic statues). Then there are the DC figures => Just NOoo. Just to many of the same (Batman / Superman). And then it finally happened : The return of the little plastic statues for Diablo IV and WOW and offcourse Marvel. Hooray... Hasbro / Mattel might get a lot of comments about their ACTION figures, at least they are there... And 4 Horsemen might get a lot of stick for their ACTION figures lack of articulation BUT who else makes knights, orcs, elves, trolls, horses and even a bear ALL in 1 toyline...
Watching this video made me quite upset. I've worked for several corporations in my career, and I can tell you that losing a dependable sales guy who was helping you establish an account, and now having to deal directly with a VP who is shutting you out is not a good sign for the company. Your best bet is to continue trying to get in touch with Todd directly. From what I hear, contacting him through social media might be your best chance of success. You may also want to reach out to the guy who left and see if he has any advice on what’s going on.
Mcfarlane have been treating retailers in the UK pretty bad as well. Things have improved a little as some have imported stuff over. However about 3 months ago they did a 50% off code for UK customers on their store trying to cut out retailers who are trying to get product from distributors who seemingly never get it. We went from having a line you could buy easily for a good price with lots of unique molds to now having loads of reuse (some of it quite poor) for an inflated price (collector editions) and most items sell out on pre order or just don't show up (I've had to resort to ordering from Germany, China, Ireland and the states just to keep up). I'm glad you are using your voice to stand up against this they need to find a balance as they have an amazing license and some of their figures are still excellent but they need to treat their fans and independent retailers well especially since we all see Todd as the indie guy after all he should be better than the big companies.
I stopped working yrs ago and that's the only way I'm available to get Mcfarlane at the time they release because the good stuff sells out so fast. AND the system to get Chase variants is ridiculous! I bought about 7 each of the Starfire, JLA Superman, and the Azrael Batman trying to get the variant and did not get one and had to return all of those figures. Collecting use to be fun!
Brother, McFarlane doesn't care. I should have seen that back in 2010 SDCC where he just took off on a bunch of people waiting in line for him. It was the afternoon, and he didn't wave goodbye, nothing to the crowd. It wasn't till his recent art contest that I realized he didn't care. Him or his team picked an AI artist when it was in the rules no AI allowed. Also picked a piece that wasn't in the theme. I no longer purchase anything McFarlane or Image comics. I no longer give my money to him.
Agree with you man, lately the way they do business makes it difficult for small businesses and collectors too. Is hard to get their figures, most targets and Waltmart dont get a lot of figures, probably 2 of each figure, basically the only way to secure your figures is online paying extra for shipping 😒
I used to collect the McFarlane Walking Dead 5 inch figures. Those used to be awesome. The articulation was decent and the likenesses were good for being such small figures. But then they just abruptly stopped making them. And it was right when they were the most popular. It was so weird. And then I remember they replaced them with those Color Tops (we called them color flops). They were basically statues and they sucked. I never bought any other McFarlane figures after that
All small sellers are being squeezed out at EVERY turn. From ebay to amazon and manufacturers. If you aren't in the top few of their sellers, they really don't care. They are literally trying to force small sellers out of business. There is no other explanation for the amount of abuse they all pile on sellers. And even this guy counts as a small seller these days. The type of sellers they care about are NOT ones that have the top guy of their company also running a youtube channel. They want the kind of sellers that have a CEO who has a butler and chauffeur and can't even find youtube without help from his butler. Who also knows nothing about what he is selling. But sells millions of dollars of their product per year. It's going to be like the movie idiocracy where you get EVERYTHING from one seller or two at most.
I'm still waiting to see if their 3" DC Page Punchers line is dead, but Todd and his company refuse to release any information on that line. At least to collectors. =(
Mc farland as of late has been a dumpster fire. I have stoped collectimg them with how they currently are, which bugs me because lately alot of their current releases are exciting. They are currently in the same boat as Super7
I don't think Todd gives a crap, because he's been personally promoting the fact that they're the only company who wouldn't allow non-attendees to buy SDCC exclusives... 😒
@jamespaul6315 He's promoting/advertising it, and repeating the fact that they were "con floor only." Not to mention as Matt says a few times in the video, it's Todd's company. If he wanted to, he could make them available to everyone. But he chose not to.
@John-gv2hg Actually, *that's* not correct. I tried for both exclusives I wanted, and was denied both. And everyone I know who tried were denied. I hadn't heard of *anyone* successfully getting one until your comment. And that's *still* customer-unfriendly elitist B.S. This is supposed to be a hobby. Hobbies are supposed to be inclusive. This is the kind of B.S. he quit Marvel for. This is the kind of B.S. he started his own toy company to combat. F*** Todd.
@@tenimeartstudios well I did win and so did my friend and my wife, I get that your pissed with McFarlane toys but it is was it is at the end of the day, you've made your point but I doubt it will get you anywhere, I'm sorry to say.
the new price increases of mcfarlane is disappointing. a lot of my buyers stopped buying , and those who are still buying decreased their purchases. really sucks.
Prices have increased for every brand in the past 2 years. Production costs have gone up, salaries have gone up and they are scaling down the production quantities after COVID to not overproduce. The result is much higher prices. Give it a year or two and things will balance out.
@@melgale dang. That..cld be due shipping the producy to your country..maybe? Or..maybe your area is 'Upper clasS'(ish?).that..kinda does suck tho..sorry to hear.
I really hope this video reaches McFarland. There’s seems to be some inconsistencies in their business practice. On a side note I appreciate how transparent you are and because of that you’re always my first stop shop. I’m also glad to hear that business is continuing to grow. You’re obviously doing something right and I hope McFarland recognizes that.
As a mcfarlane collector. It does frustrated me. That. Figures. Sell out almost immediately and I have to fucking. Pay Double or triple and. That's super frustrating and I have been buying less and less from McFarlane. Cis I am tired. Of not being able to complete my DC teams because I have to hunt down. And pay amounts that the figures are not even worth for
I’ve really never liked McFarlane toys. Even in the late 90s and 2000s their product was garbage. Your store has been amazing. Your always my go to. Just let me know when we get those mezco Deadpool and Wolverine‘s.
I still don't get it. As a toy photographer I just have to say it... mcfarlane toys suck. I own one decent figure and that's Swamp Thing, and even it's too big. The scaling sucks. They don't even scale with each other. Batgirl is just as big as Batman. The articulation is honestly decades behind most other toy lines. The quality control is laughable. They just are not good toys. I pray to the toy gods for the day another company gets the DC license. Until then, I only buy Mafex dc figs. I hope for the sake of your business, and well being this gets sorted for you.
I’m a toy photographer and I’ve never once had any issues with a McFarlane dc figure, be it articulation or QC. They have better articulation than a lot of companies out there. I hope McFarlane keeps the license for the foreseeable future.
its a horrible company and cant compare to some other smaller companies with less budget its a laughing stock in a toy industry pathethic figures @@BoogSReviews
@@BoogSReviewsI've had a few issues...left leg being longer than the right, hands not fitting well in the wrist slots...little stuff like that. And then there's some paint issues...hands or heads being way to disportionate, skin tone being off. There's no way you never had any issues at all with McFarlane figs
I want to collect McFarlane, but when it comes to their DC line, nine times out of ten, there is something wrong with the figures, whether it's a creative decision or the physical product.
Its not just Macfarlane its Hasbro and other companies too. Im sicn and tired of having 20 figures dumped on me at once and whiile im trying to figure out which ones are out and where? They sell out because of low numbers then by the time i find out where they are? Thry are sold out and i gotta buy from scalpers cuz thats it. Thats all they relase then they turn around and dump 20 more figures on you.
McFarlane's distribution has been getting steadily worse & worse for some time now. most of the time you need to pre order immediately or it sells out completely, and that's just the regular line, it's even worse for gold labels and platinum releases. Here in the UK it seems less & less retailers are willing to even stock McFarlane product, SAF outlined pretty much everything you did in your video in a Facebook post where they explained why they'll no longer be offering any McFarlane product. It's such a shame because they're making some great products, but they're becoming so hard to acquire that it's killing my enthusiasm for the line. The more gaps in my collection, the less likely I am to collect the line moving forward.
I think solid indicator of something up at Mcfarlane overall. Can’t produce near enough to meet demand at this point. BBTS, EE, Mcfarlane online shop, target, walmart, GameStop all sell out of the sought after items quickly. If they want to leave money on the table by not making enough of the things people actually want that’s on them.
Really feel for you with this, Matt. I hope we can get an update down the track - really looks bad for the guy whose whole rep is ‘stuck it to the big guys’ has a team that’s either incompetent or actively undermining their own customers, let alone the end consumer…
Their customer service is lackluster. I've emailed them before and waited weeks for a response. I reached out about my defective Year 2 fig and waited half a year before they followed up with the promised discount code in a previous email.
Shit like this is why I keep asking myself why I still continue to collect McFarlane. I stopped collecting for a while after the whole $40 COIE bs, but got back into them a month or two ago with the 1st Appearance Batman. However, I'm not sure if there's really much of a point, knowing how badly managed the whole company is, and how much of asshats the McFarlane staff have been to you and many other retailers. I've never had a toy company that I've practically tried to force myself into loving more than McFarlane. I may either sell my figures or tear apart for fodder, and I'm not sure I'm ever coming back to collecting that company this time.
Getting quite bad in the UK with McFarlane toys a lot of retailers have just decided to stop selling them. We’ve actually had entire waves never come out here and apparently McFarlane toys forget to tell people they need to order stuff. And one retailer even said when they asked for pictures, they got told to get them from US sites
yeah being a mcfarlane collector in the uk sucks 😭
Wow, that’s really bad.
@@capical7585I’ve not collected McFarlane at retail in years. I’m happy not too.
Same here in Germany. Heaps of figures from all waves are missing.
One of my online retailers here has posted the following disclaimer: “Not all products are currently available in Europe. Anyone missing something is welcome to contact us about US imports!”
In the end, this leads to a logical spiral: if only a few and incomplete waves are available, retailers and customers will turn away more and more and Mcfarlane Toys will send less and less to Europe because things aren't going well, etc.
Hasbro and Mattel also have very strange distribution models, but at least you can still get the stuff here in Europe.
You're talking about Smyths toys and Argos, forget looking at toy isles in the the big supermarkets too, the only high street stores I've found McFarlane stuff is HMV and B&M😢 the latter doesn't puy that stuff online either🤒
Maybe that new guy you're dealing with designed that Gal Gadot figure and got his feelings hurt about your review? 😬
@@TheSonnyChannel 😂😂😂
Lol 😂😂
Sounds like the SaberForge system.
4 out of 5 star rating? You get treated like crap, if they bother responding at all.
@@thatHARVguy SaberForge system is my favourite HeavyMetal band!
😂😂😂
It’s funny because Mcfarlane started out as a small independent company that went up against the bigger companies. And you would think they would help the smaller guys like Nerdzoic
i don’t think that Todd is a huge human value guy, i don’t know him, but it looks like when he’s on top he forgets how it is to be on the bottom
McFarlane figures were always crap. I remember the mgs figures falling apart in the damn boxes before even being opened
You have way too much faith in Todd. This behavior has been Todd from beginning to end. Where do you think this comes from? Todd has made his bed now. He's sleeping in it.
McFarlane Toys used to primarily be sold in smaller stores geared towards older collectors. Some of their stuff was in Toys R Us but it was mainly the early lines, and you'd rarely see them in something as mainstream as Walmart. Obviously these stores started disappearing over time and the business model changed along with that, but I think this is an issue with management more than Todd per se. Matt didn't have an issue with the previous employee so this leads me to believe a new person with a similar position screwed things over.
@@sa-x19 well, it leads me to believe that there was a hard-working employee that clearly couldn't take the way the company operated and got the heck out. Because that's the way Todd has operated his entire life. He cares about one person and one person only and that's his own ego.
He always seemed very cool to me in interviews honestly
@sa-x19 I remember the only stores I could find McFarlane stuff at 20 years ago was mostly dingy record stores, lol
I used to see McFarlane toys in stores like Genovese as a kid... Which was the 90s CVS/Duane Reade
Their production is wayyy down. It's not at Walmart. It's not at Target. It's pretty much reserved for online McFarlane toy store and BBTS.
and Amazon
That's how they all are. And they make it extremely difficult to buy them online.
Even at local comic/toy stores they have to pump up the price a bit from how rare is to find some figures
Yup...my local targets has been way, way down on new figures. Went from full pegs, to maybe a new case every couple of months and what's left on the pegs is clearanced
Not true. New Mcfarlane product is plentiful at both Walmart and Target. I can find all new figures from any line they have other than the 1966/‘66 Comic 6” line. I just bought King Spawn and the Mcfarlane/1st Spawn 2-pack at Target and those are new. (well King is but 2-pk is new for mass retail). Also found the entire DC wave with the Mr. Bloom 2-pack and Fire and the new BTAS Batmobile showed up today. They have all the new Warhammer and all the Maniacs lines. Target has pegs up for the Marvel comic cover dioramas but I havent seen those in person yet.
Walmart is getting Spawn over in the collector’s aisle with NECA and any new Super Powers and DC Multiverse hit pretty regularly and I have few problems finding Gold Label there. Super Powers was nothing but waves 1 and 2 there for a long time but the last 2 new waves including vehicles are easy to find. They also have 1966 vehicles but no figures.
There’s more new product showing up now than ever before. The only difference is there’s not an onslaught of 10K peg-warmers now which was a problem there for a while.
On a side note, new MoTU Masterverse, Origins, Filmation Origins and the TMNT/MOTU figs, that are newer than the lines Target carries (at this time), are at all my WMs now as are new Classified and Retro Classified. My point is the drought, for the most part, is over and finding new stuff is very easy most of the time.
And then there’s always Gamestop which seems to get ALL of the newest figs first, so if youre looking for something and especially if it’s a Hasbro line then give them a shot. They also have the latest Spawn some times. I know there are a couple figs that I saw at Target but then they sold out l, but GS has them and at multiple stores.
Tbh this sounds like the typical McFarlane current business model, the other guy was probably fired because he was being cooperative and working with you, so doubtful Todd would even care even if he sees this vid but he won't. They seem to be taking cues from Mattel on how to run their business by only working with big partners and once those paths dry up what will they have remaining. Case in point look at their current Super Powers crowdfund it's not going anywhere because not many are aware of it and they don't have the marketing channels to get the message out there and drive people to their web store, that's where they need people like you but they don't see it that way anymore. You can tell that VP didn't even read your initial email.
I didn't know about a superpowers and I follow this stuff
Dave..its funny how your name has turtle in it and you speak knowledgeable about Mattel. I know a famous turtle dude who has shared those exact kinds of sentiments with me❤...
@@brandonw007 I know nothing 😄
“It’s a big club, and you ain’t in it”
George Carlin quote I like it
"Whoever coined the phrase let the buyer beware was probably bleeding from the a**hole"
That’s for the elites
I often pass on buying figures from other companies because I SPECIFICALLY WANT TO BUT IT FROM NERDZOIC. That’s how committed I am committed to this brand.
For real!!
Ths one deserves a like from NERDZOIC 👍
That's kinda sad
@@williamk52 because I want to support a small business that I like?
@williamk52 Not really bro supporting a small business owned by somebody that seems like a good guy is better than buying from a huge corporation.
Been a few UK retailers not happy with McFarlane too, some said they're expected to order stock from stuff not even announced, entire waves or sub-lines cancelled due to not meeting minimum order, and at least one retailer not given images and told to find them on US websites.
I only see Props carry them they either go on sale or sell out lol there doesn't seem to be anything else...
@@TheHairyGorillacomics and cocktails, figure displays, star action figures
@@John-gv2hg Comics and Cocktails are the last place I'd go lol stole £35 by law they had to refund in full. Yeah Star Action just started.
Star action figures are stopping selling McFarlane figures because of how stupidly difficult they are for them to deal with. Think the Batman Forever wave might be one of the last things they will be stocking. McFarlane really need to get their heads out of their ass.
I work for a Comic Store and the profits on Mcfarlane from distributors is ridiculous. There is no real money to make unless you price it higher than you can get from big box retail stores . I feel your frustration Matt.
macfarlane isn't doing well .. as someone who is from Singapore, I heard that the local distributor here went bankrupt. so we no longer have it at retail.
explains the new kickstarter if true . ?
What kick starter?@@superzeronoelvalencia1361
Matt, your store is unlike any other I’ve dealt with because you sincerely remember and know what it’s like to be a collector to a passionate extent. If they’re screwing with you like this, they’re screwing with us. Your ire has soothed to the point where you’re level-headed enough to have chosen your words carefully. I love that you’re fighting back. I hate when I get a copied and pasted response. I genuinely love that I don’t get that from y’all. You treat me like a person, not a profit. Todd has never given me this impression. I’m certain he will do something about it. Keep your head up, sir. You’re doing great.
Dude!!! This is nuts. Sounds like some account managers were let go and some nut head VP is swinging the pendulum to far the other direction. Or hasnt filled the roles and is over worked.
Any rate, i think you came off with the right amount anger and presented the information without name calling, so well done. 👏🏼
I thought that too.
The Walmart here is the only store in town that sold McFarlane toys and I can tell you that they have had nothing new in months. I don't even know if they've had any new stock besides what they've had sitting in the clearance aisle forever, and that's only four figures.
Gamestop and occasionally target still get figures but that seems to be it. And it's very little. The rest are still stuck with the aquaman figures that won't sell.
Walmart management once told me-- If stuff ain't selling, they don't order more or it goes to "better performing" stores. When I used to work at walmart- they don't have the best inventory management. Stuff just comes in palettes and it's mixed. The store will break down the palette when they get to it. There's really not "timed" or "scheduled" releases. Hell, my current walmart puts out "new" movies a week (some times 1.5) later.
Referring to McFarlane Toys, it's one thing to have your business model change in terms of direct accounts, but it's wholly unprofessional to reply to a potential business partner with "sorry" and no additional details of how things currently exist when it comes to direct accounts and distribution.
As a collector of their Super Powers line, I've already been concerned with decisions that promote money over creativity and customer satisfaction. Whether that be putting the wrong head on a figure to save a buck, or to follow the fan Facebook group without ever interacting to alleviate our frustrations (whenever their in-the-pocket admin allows any remote critique over them).
You are the consumer, not the customer.
Sounds like Paulie was a good worker (and networker) who was surrounded by bullshit and he had the option to let it change him, or to get out. And he got out. I think your problem is systemic in McFarlane and Paulie was a bright spot that has since gone out. Happens a lot in companies. Sadly.
I ran the online store Toycade for 12 years. We did a similar volume to you at just over 1 mil annually. We had the same experience with McFarlane. Mattel may have had them beat though. Curious how you have an account with NECA. They stopped doing business with us after we closed our office. We owned a mixed use commercial building and rented to ourselves so that we could jump over the brick and mortar hurdle. Do you have a physical store? Anyway, I always enjoy your videos, watching you endure the same pain I did for over a decade. 😂 I’m the end, our margins were just too thin. Don’t know how you do it, but I’m rooting for you.
Hired some s#!t help, and lost the people taking care of them. Typical🙄
The instant PO sell outs, promises of restocks, and then no restocks (Classic Wonder Woman) really annoy me as a buyer as well. I'm thinking of dropping most McF stuff if it continues.
That is what most Toddsters don't understand, they feel O here we have an upset person attacking McFarlane. The same for the company, but yet product is not getting out everywhere. Delays are more and more, False release dates are being made, product availability is going down.
Honestly Ive kinda stopped collecting in general. Hasbro has gone down the toilet and McF already has one and a half feet in the grave. I still have a few McF things I want such as the gotham knights wave and the black adam page puncher superman. But, after that things will remain uncertain.
I own a store in Europe and McFarlane has been missing out on sales by not releasing everything over here anymore. I got many customers asking me for waves that are never available in the EU. While i see them get dumped on US markets. The exclusive deals with BigBad and EE often end up over here as well, because they don't sell enough of them. So why do these exclusives?
I know Todd is a good businessman, so i really think it's not him that's messing up. There has probably been a change in management when it comes to distribution in the past year and it's not going well.
I still see many toy manufacturers cling on to big stores like walmart, and target, while these companies don't give a crap about your products. They throw it on their shelves, not even knowing what they are selling. While small specialist retailers get screwed with higher purchase prices and not getting the good stuff. Especially the smaller stores are willing to work hard and sell your product, with much more love and dedication for your products.
I really hope Todd sees this video and maybe reads some of the comments as well. McFarlane makes great products but are missing out on huge sales opportunities by ignoring small to medium business and limiting a lot to just the USA.
To show how bad it is in Europe here is a list of basically all DC releases tha never got to Europe. It seems this has been happening since the last 9 months. Before that we basically got 90% of them. Now it seems we don't even get half of the figures released. Incomplete waves turn off McFarlane collectors the most. I have many customers who are upset by this and start to move to other brands now. What we do get is very limited, often sells out quickly before they get releases. And we've been getting some old releases that don't sell well in the US that are about a year old.
Anyway here is the list
Sold out at McFarlane, never got to Europe:
Batman Classic TV Series
Batman Reborn
Batman Superman Fusion
Batman Cowl
Black Manta Super Powers
MetaMorpho Super Powers
Green Lantern Super Powers
Booster Gold Super Powers
Cyborg Superman
Robin Tim Drake
Mister Zsasz
Captain Boomeran
The Penguin DC Classic)
Starfire
Kryptonite Doomsday
Batman Prestige Suit
Aquaman JLA
Green Lantern JLA
Brainiac Skull Ship with Brainiac
Superman of Earth-2 (Crisis on Infinite Earths)
Kid Flash (Crisis on Infinite Earths)
The Spectre (Crisis on Infinite Earths)
Psycho Pirate (Crisis on Infinite Earths)
Batgirl (Batman & Robin)
Poinson Ivy (Batman & Robin)
Robin (Batman & Robin)
Available at McFarlane store, not available in Europe:
Wonder Woman Jim lee Statue
Jonah Hex & The General
Geen Lantern jamal Campbell Statue
Mr Freeze
Booster Gold
Batman of Earth-22
the Bug Blue Beetles ship
Brainiac Skull Ship
Items where pre-orders were available but got cancelled for no reason.
Ambush Bug
Armored Batman
Ghost of Zod
Brainiac
Green Lantern Silver Age (Digital Wave)
Aquaman DC Classics (Digital Wave)
Batman DC Rebirth (Digital Wave)
Italian collector here, i feel you man
Italian collector here, i feel you man, where are you in Europe?
McFarlane is like the Vince McMahon of the toy industry. He makes his product for an audience of one, himself.
Don't forget about the big black 🍆🍆🍆
Todd mcfarlane could give 2 craps about customer service,quality control or even getting product out there..... the main problem his HE MAKES TONS OF SHIT NO ONE WANTS BECAUSE HE THINKS ITS COOL...AND THE STUFF PEOPLE WANT....HE MAKES VERY LIMITED AMOUNTS. . He didnt like 89 batman...he made the figure and batmobile complete inaccurate junk. Batman and robin,forever...he likes so there really detailed and near perfect.
The ones who buy the product are the consumer, not customer.
Mcfarlane pissed me off with their recent classic Wonder Woman release. There's no reason why a fig with a wide release like that should have sold out so fast, especially when they had to have known it was going to be so in demand. I've stopped buying their figs.
It’s weird that this happened cuz ‘89 Batmobile is STILL available on Amazon
Scalpers didn’t help.
I find the whole politics of the toy/action figure industry quite interesting. Who knew ordering McFarlane stock would be this messy and complicated
I dont think McFarlane will be able to keep the DC Toy License.. with the shrinking toy industry I expect Hasbro to buy Mattel and pick up thr DC License from McFarlane
Agree, I don't see him with it any longer also.
Bad busniess.
Todd just picked up/is taking on some Hasbro product, I don't think Hasbro can afford to start doing DC stuff .. especially with their current pricing on Marvel figures and Disney Star Wars, no one is going to spend 35-40 bucks on another comic series
@@robbieracer3294 I think the licensing fees for DC are less than Disney owned properties
@@nnemov22you do realize they acquired DC Direct, meaning they’re in good standing with DC/WB. They’re gonna have the license for awhile, so you’re gonna have to wait a long time
Hasbro is literally is the red and licensing everything out. They ain't buying shit
It’s not surprising Mcfarlane (the company) is screwed up. None of the Walmarts in my area even carries it anymore
Sounds like a nightmare. It’s a nightmare for consumers too. There is so much inconsistency with the product, in terms of direction and quality, that I am surprised they still make a profit.
I'm still spicy about that Target Exclusive Year 2 Batman that came with a broken arm. I wrote in to ask about a replacement arm since it was sold out nearly immediately and they told me my only option was to return it to Target if I wasn't happy with the quality. After a possibly profanity filled reply where I mentioned it was a sold out exclusive, they offered me a $50 gift card. Then never delivered said gift card. I emailed them 3 times over a 2 month period before giving up. Then, out of the blue, 18 months later I FINALLY got a reply and the digital gift card for their store. Their lucky I'm a DC mark, otherwise I would have dropped them entirely.
You're a consumer. This is why they can treat you like shit and you'll come crawling back. Stop
Mcfarlane has been really dropping the ball with the dc line. Its to a point where they arent even at major retailers anymore. I wouldnt be shocked if they lost the license soon. Luckily for me I only have a few more figures I want them then im done with the line until something changes.
I buy everything from Hasbro to Hot Toys and McFarlane is the only company I shy away from because every piece I've ever bought was terrible compared to what other companies produce. I feel they just cannot consistently produce quality product.
Own a store myself and corporate @ McFarlane is full of clowns, and the only thing worse their is their shipping department. Completely braindead packing process for a "collectible" company. They are lucky the molds are good because if their quality drops at all, they will be dropped like a bad habit by most collectors.
I own a store as well and have to say i noticed the plastic on the window boxes of big figures (2-packs, vehicles, megafigs and statues etc) gets damaged very quickly. They changed the material so now when you touch the window box and squeeze it just a little, the plastic breaks. They become very hard to pack without damaging the box. This is not the case with figures from before 2023.
Shouldn't matter how "good" their sculpts are (they're not), if they're a shit company, stop supporting shit
Sounds like the typical "you should be groveling at my feet and thanking me for allowing you to sell our products." The shelves at my local walmarts and targets have been bare for months.
Thanks for this post Matt. I’ve been a toy collected all my life. Even as a young kid in the late 70s, I made sure that when I played with my Star Wars figures, I TRIED to keep them pristine and still have them all today. That said, I know little about the modern collectable TOY business and your frustrated rant really was an education. While I regret the cause of your rant, you and your store are on my radar now. I’d be more than happy to add you to my list retailers I shop from.
To be honest, a lot of the stuff I buy now I order direct from the toy maker, catch with a decent markdown on BBTS or EE, or if lucky catch online on Walmart, Target, or Amazon shop sites. In doing so, I find the quick sellouts of the coolest stuff, much shorter to no “coming soon” presale previews, and staggered and delayed release of products and waves truly annoying now. It’s like it’s all designed to serve bulk resellers who scoop things up to sell at crazy jacked up prices. I don’t know, man, I’m on the verge of getting out of the hobby, but your post got me encouraged by knowing I’m far from the only one frustrated and that there are still retailers out there who want better for both their customers and, understandably being a business, themselves.
If there are a few things I learned from the corporate world they would be:
1.) New admin will always be insecure of old admin achievement, in turn flushing out old connections (while adding contempt & controversies) and starting new ones (that tend to fail 90% of the time.)
2.) Evil, selfish, manipulative, bully bootlickers are always out for higher positions (even if the one they compete with are the ones that got them hired) and they're usually encouraged to do this once they've bumped a few elbows and tickled a few chins.
3.) There are those who see their partners merely as variables. Once you show you have a mind of your own and start giving opinions, they'll drop you like a cotton bud after it's completely dipped in ear wax and gunk.
4.) Cults! There are and will always be.
5.) Apparently gossip circles play a part in the office when it should actually be a no no in any job position.
😅
Take it easy out there and cheers to your content! 🍻
The DC Multiverse line is the main toyline I collect. I buy most figures in the line. However, I'm really getting pissed that they are making figures harder and harder to get. From pre-orders that instantly sell out to making figures (like the JLA Superman RED) that are never seen on shelves and instantly tripled in price by scalpers on ebay. I will NOT give in to scalpers. IF McFarlane doesn't want me to buy directly from their site or by retails stores, than I'm out. I'm really close to quitting them cold turkey.
I just had this same dilemma. It's insane 'cause I've been collecting the line since Day One and to feel that sort of need after four years of it just isn't right. I'm with you on the scalpers, I won't yield to them, but McF doesn't make it easy. I honestly don't even know who his target market is anymore. The scalpers maybe? Darkseid & Wonder Woman are just the beginning of highly desirable characters with low production runs. I almost dropped the line entirely after the fracas with Darkseid selling out in mere minutes. As much as it would suck, it seems like we, the collectors, aren't being heard.
I love Plastic Man, but trying to build the figure after all the JLA Superman figures sold out was a nightmare.
I kept saying it, whoever is incharge of Mcfarlane's marketing/management is not doing the company any good. I'm still wondering where their decision making is based upon, do they data that we do not have? Cause I'm pretty sure they are not using collector/customer's feedbacks
The grey canopy on the batmobile was the final nail in the coffin of collecting McFarlane for me. Haven't wanted much else except for plastic man and I don't do BAF's as I NEVER want the whole wave.
I started collecting figures again with the Superpowers line. Not only did they make Walmart exclusives that no Walmart in an hour radius stocked, but now preorders sell out within an hour. To me preorders were designed to judge interest and determine stock, now it's just a presale. Target and Walmart stocked the new wave, only select stores got them, and they only got I case 6 figures.
Thins situation reminds when I asked you why shipping was so high on one of your items and all you said was "wow Ive never seen that before" and didnt offer a solution? I do, I ended up getting it from EE instead.
McFarlane has swung way too far on the other side of the pendulum, pre orders sell out in minutes and don't come back in stock. Why can't they find a happy medium???
Stock selling out is the happy medium for McFarlane. They don't wanna sit on anything
Man this is depressing to see. The one thing I've always said to defend McFarlane when others shit on them is that at least they're not the big guys
I'm genuinely looking forward to hearing how this plays out......
I hope McFarlane crash and burn. As a consumer who isn't American - getting the good stuff is almost impossible unless you find a months ahead pre-order and be there at the right time and right place. Missed the Plastic Man wave and don't think I'll ever see it again outside the unwanted figures in it. The Batman Forever wave I was lucky I jumped on before pre-orders sold out. Almost missed the Batman & Robin wave but luckily stumbled upon it in stock on release. Never seen Poison Ivy available since. Gave up on TDK wave. Gave up on Superpowers variants because what's the point in hoping to luck out?
Seriously don't understand why they decided to make all the stuff most people want the hardest stuff to get. Just means people give up or feed the secondary market. It might be hot for a while but it will burn out. And I will be laughing at Todd's stupid company when that happens and then a company who can get stuff into people's hands can take over.
Thank you for sharing you situation! This is what we need from all businesses! We need honest and open messages about what goes wrong so that customers know!
The fact that someone that has a store is talking about the fact that Mcfarlane Toys is going down hill it’s comforting, because i thought i was the only crazy guy
I honestly wouldn't worry about it. His products really aren't worth anymore of your time and energy.
I dont know how Mcfarlane toys makes money nowadays. They only make like a few figures of character that is going to sell like hot cakes amd thanks make tons of figures of a character that nobody wants . i dont know who is making the business decisions and choosing the characters but clearly it looks like todd needs to start getting rid of people from his company for his own company good .
Not negative at all. Very constructive criticism on your part, sir. Well done.
Honestly I’ve cut back on Mcfarlane as a collector. I’d rather save and spend more on premium offerings by Mafex, and SH Figuarts, eventually I would like to add some Hot toys also. I still regularly buy Hasbro, Neca and Super 7.
I only got into McFarlane because I could build most of the MK vs DCU roster. And I mainly wanted the Batman villains that I'm nostalgic for. I got Penguin, Joker, Two Face, Riddler, Mr. Freeze, and Bane. And I called it a day. Lol
@@joseortega7815 McFarkane didn't release a Comics TwoFace
I’m in the same boat. I only buy the occasional batman or joker, and spend my money on Mezco, JoyToy, and other 3rd party premium figures. Mcfarlane destroyed the joy of collecting with ridiculous exclusives and terrible distribution. I’ve sold off most of the ones I owned.
I wish MacFarlane toys would make more villains from the classic Batman tv series like Mad hatter, Clock King, Minstrel, Shame, Ma Parker, Sandman, Puzzler and others.
The easiest way I see how their trying to run things is that their thinking their like Hasbro. The problem is tho Hasbro has been around way longer, have other properties and other distributors that aren’t just target and walmart. That’s why you’ll never see a Hasbro fig being overpriced on an online store. What’s even worse is their deal with marvel and that has probably going to make things even worse cause that price tag of marvel/disney is ridiculous. I did a project on both Hasbro and Macfarlane and I said in my project that the only way they get over the hump is if they can match the demands of what the consumer wants and fix their distribution problems. And as it looks rn they barely can even do one of those
At this point I want Mattel, Hasbro or even Jada toys to get the DC toy license so we can have 6inch DC figs again and probably better QC than McFarlane’s staction figs that could easily break.
Hasbro would be worse
@@fillerbunnyninjashark271 how so? They’ve made a great Power princess whom is a Marvel version of Wonder Woman and funnily enough McFarlane decided finally decided to make a classic Wonder Woman when Power Princess was announced by Hasbro.
Still waiting for the Spock and Riker action figures that go along with the released Kirk and Picard figures, unless McFarlane cancelled the Star Trek line and never told anyone.
If corporations cancel a line they don't need to tell anyone
I lost a lot of money on series 1-2 McFarland dc figures .
I realized quickly that he was doing exactly what he did to comics in the 90s .
To be fair, Mcfarlane figures are QC garbage. Never seen as many issues with a brand of figures as Mcfarlane. I stopped collecting Mcfarlane all together.
At least over here, I noticed Mcfarlane figures barely moved at all and went on clearance in a number of stores…
I don't buy from Mcfarlane toys anymore, every figure I wanted sells out right away, the last figure I got was Garbage with loose joints, if I get treated like this, Screw them!!!
My Walmart has just stopped selling them, they only have a couple page punchers Batman. And they were selling like hot cakes, they just haven’t restocked in months
I just hate how hideous the figures look and how there's barely any variety aside from the legions of Batman variants
Wow, that’s some major BS they’re putting you through
I got back into buying McFarlane toys a couple of years ago when they released the MK line (who would pass those up?) and then the modern Mandarin Spawns (because it's just so nostalgic if you've ever owned the originals from like 24 years ago!). But after that I pretty much stopped again. Because every other toy they've released since was either Batman or Superman, or Batman and Superman again. Not saying it's the wrong business decision. It's making them tons of money I'm sure. It's just not my thing. They're making more Batmans and Supermans as we speak.
Coming out of SDCC, it sounded like a lot of people are unhappy with McFarland. I wonder if the whole business is hurting
Half of mcfarlane stuff ends up at Ross and clearance anyway
I kept telling people 3 yrs ago in all Mcfarlane products do not sell, three years later and still the same.
Yeah stuff from 2022, nothing in 2023 has ended up at Ross and clearance because of lower production runs. Good luck
@JayL8899 I found black adam, flash and some other figures from mcfarlane in 2023 and stuff from 2024 currently at Ross, not everything he puts is that good and on Amazon the batmobile w Keaton was on huge discount sale, 😏
@@Csthedirector I follow all the toy hunting pages, not 1 has posted anything on mcfarlane Flash figures showing up at Ross. You might be confusing it with spinmaster but that’s ok, it happens. Also Black Adam came out in 2022, not 2023. Curious though, what 2024 dc multiverse figs have you found at Ross? I’m glad you were able to get the Batmobile at cheaper price so you could afford it, that’s a win!
@JayL8899 Not every store carries the same product I was looking for some Transformers and couldn't find what everyone else kept finding the same happens w my local ross stores, I've seen some (not everywhere) in my areas but they don't catch my attention so I ignore them, plus not every Pic reaches social media but I know what I've seen in person and passed on
After a succesfull Kickstarter I had high hopes for the glory days of old McFarlane Toys (Viking Age,...) to reimurge... BOY, WAS I WRONG... Spawn figures are just OK but the whole Platinum / Gold / Collector labels just ruins the whole experience (as well as the last set of, you guessed it, Spawn plastic statues). Then there are the DC figures => Just NOoo. Just to many of the same (Batman / Superman). And then it finally happened : The return of the little plastic statues for Diablo IV and WOW and offcourse Marvel. Hooray...
Hasbro / Mattel might get a lot of comments about their ACTION figures, at least they are there...
And 4 Horsemen might get a lot of stick for their ACTION figures lack of articulation BUT who else makes knights, orcs, elves, trolls, horses and even a bear ALL in 1 toyline...
I straight dropped McFarlane, after being unable to get a classic Wonder Woman. The only toys they make that i want, I can’t get.
Watching this video made me quite upset. I've worked for several corporations in my career, and I can tell you that losing a dependable sales guy who was helping you establish an account, and now having to deal directly with a VP who is shutting you out is not a good sign for the company. Your best bet is to continue trying to get in touch with Todd directly. From what I hear, contacting him through social media might be your best chance of success. You may also want to reach out to the guy who left and see if he has any advice on what’s going on.
Mcfarlane have been treating retailers in the UK pretty bad as well. Things have improved a little as some have imported stuff over. However about 3 months ago they did a 50% off code for UK customers on their store trying to cut out retailers who are trying to get product from distributors who seemingly never get it. We went from having a line you could buy easily for a good price with lots of unique molds to now having loads of reuse (some of it quite poor) for an inflated price (collector editions) and most items sell out on pre order or just don't show up (I've had to resort to ordering from Germany, China, Ireland and the states just to keep up). I'm glad you are using your voice to stand up against this they need to find a balance as they have an amazing license and some of their figures are still excellent but they need to treat their fans and independent retailers well especially since we all see Todd as the indie guy after all he should be better than the big companies.
I stopped working yrs ago and that's the only way I'm available to get Mcfarlane at the time they release because the good stuff sells out so fast. AND the system to get Chase variants is ridiculous! I bought about 7 each of the Starfire, JLA Superman, and the Azrael Batman trying to get the variant and did not get one and had to return all of those figures. Collecting use to be fun!
Brother, McFarlane doesn't care. I should have seen that back in 2010 SDCC where he just took off on a bunch of people waiting in line for him. It was the afternoon, and he didn't wave goodbye, nothing to the crowd. It wasn't till his recent art contest that I realized he didn't care. Him or his team picked an AI artist when it was in the rules no AI allowed. Also picked a piece that wasn't in the theme. I no longer purchase anything McFarlane or Image comics. I no longer give my money to him.
Agree with you man, lately the way they do business makes it difficult for small businesses and collectors too. Is hard to get their figures, most targets and Waltmart dont get a lot of figures, probably 2 of each figure, basically the only way to secure your figures is online paying extra for shipping 😒
I used to collect the McFarlane Walking Dead 5 inch figures. Those used to be awesome. The articulation was decent and the likenesses were good for being such small figures. But then they just abruptly stopped making them. And it was right when they were the most popular. It was so weird. And then I remember they replaced them with those Color Tops (we called them color flops). They were basically statues and they sucked. I never bought any other McFarlane figures after that
All small sellers are being squeezed out at EVERY turn. From ebay to amazon and manufacturers. If you aren't in the top few of their sellers, they really don't care. They are literally trying to force small sellers out of business. There is no other explanation for the amount of abuse they all pile on sellers. And even this guy counts as a small seller these days. The type of sellers they care about are NOT ones that have the top guy of their company also running a youtube channel. They want the kind of sellers that have a CEO who has a butler and chauffeur and can't even find youtube without help from his butler. Who also knows nothing about what he is selling. But sells millions of dollars of their product per year. It's going to be like the movie idiocracy where you get EVERYTHING from one seller or two at most.
I'm really sorry you experienced this mess, Nerdy. I hope things work out in the end.
The answer is dont so business with mcfarlane. Problem solved.
I was thinking that the whole video.
I'm still waiting to see if their 3" DC Page Punchers line is dead, but Todd and his company refuse to release any information on that line. At least to collectors. =(
Probably dead. They don't sell at all. Even at huge discounts.
Anyone who knows a thing about Todd McFarlane would already know he doesn’t know how to run a business. You create your own demons.
Mc farland as of late has been a dumpster fire. I have stoped collectimg them with how they currently are, which bugs me because lately alot of their current releases are exciting. They are currently in the same boat as Super7
I don't think Todd gives a crap, because he's been personally promoting the fact that they're the only company who wouldn't allow non-attendees to buy SDCC exclusives... 😒
Did he really say that like its a good thing?
@jamespaul6315 He's promoting/advertising it, and repeating the fact that they were "con floor only."
Not to mention as Matt says a few times in the video, it's Todd's company. If he wanted to, he could make them available to everyone. But he chose not to.
Actually that's not correct you could enter the eql competition and a lot of people won
@John-gv2hg Actually, *that's* not correct. I tried for both exclusives I wanted, and was denied both. And everyone I know who tried were denied. I hadn't heard of *anyone* successfully getting one until your comment.
And that's *still* customer-unfriendly elitist B.S.
This is supposed to be a hobby. Hobbies are supposed to be inclusive.
This is the kind of B.S. he quit Marvel for. This is the kind of B.S. he started his own toy company to combat.
F*** Todd.
@@tenimeartstudios well I did win and so did my friend and my wife, I get that your pissed with McFarlane toys but it is was it is at the end of the day, you've made your point but I doubt it will get you anywhere, I'm sorry to say.
The chase figures are nightmares. In Canada couldn't find Manhunters or Azrael batman
The whole chase things should die out, its stupid, because of the lack of on shelves have to be missing out on money.
the new price increases of mcfarlane is disappointing. a lot of my buyers stopped buying , and those who are still buying decreased their purchases. really sucks.
Prices have increased for every brand in the past 2 years. Production costs have gone up, salaries have gone up and they are scaling down the production quantities after COVID to not overproduce. The result is much higher prices. Give it a year or two and things will balance out.
What price hike? Retail? Still is 19.99 ? Jw
I live in another country. It's around 31usd where I'm from.
@@melgale dang. That..cld be due shipping the producy to your country..maybe? Or..maybe your area is 'Upper clasS'(ish?).that..kinda does suck tho..sorry to hear.
@@jasond.471 I'm in South East Asia. Distributor couldn't help it. They had to raise prices because McFarlane raised it.
You’re such a cool person. I dig your content so much.
I was going to get the Adam west Batman wave from your site but didn’t see it on there, which I bet relates to this issue.
I really hope this video reaches McFarland. There’s seems to be some inconsistencies in their business practice. On a side note I appreciate how transparent you are and because of that you’re always my first stop shop. I’m also glad to hear that business is continuing to grow. You’re obviously doing something right and I hope McFarland recognizes that.
As a mcfarlane collector. It does frustrated me. That. Figures. Sell out almost immediately and I have to fucking. Pay Double or triple and. That's super frustrating and I have been buying less and less from McFarlane. Cis I am tired. Of not being able to complete my DC teams because I have to hunt down. And pay amounts that the figures are not even worth for
I’ve really never liked McFarlane toys. Even in the late 90s and 2000s their product was garbage. Your store has been amazing. Your always my go to. Just let me know when we get those mezco Deadpool and Wolverine‘s.
They could fill up a whole landfill with the crap they produce
I have no idea whats going on but in my area (west texas east new mexico) wal-mart has stopped carrying macfarlane toys
They went back and reviewed your videos, fired the guys that put you on the mailing list and they're all the better for it.
I still don't get it. As a toy photographer I just have to say it... mcfarlane toys suck. I own one decent figure and that's Swamp Thing, and even it's too big. The scaling sucks. They don't even scale with each other. Batgirl is just as big as Batman. The articulation is honestly decades behind most other toy lines. The quality control is laughable. They just are not good toys. I pray to the toy gods for the day another company gets the DC license. Until then, I only buy Mafex dc figs. I hope for the sake of your business, and well being this gets sorted for you.
I’m a toy photographer and I’ve never once had any issues with a McFarlane dc figure, be it articulation or QC. They have better articulation than a lot of companies out there. I hope McFarlane keeps the license for the foreseeable future.
its a horrible company and cant compare to some other smaller companies with less budget its a laughing stock in a toy industry pathethic figures @@BoogSReviews
@@BoogSReviewsI've had a few issues...left leg being longer than the right, hands not fitting well in the wrist slots...little stuff like that. And then there's some paint issues...hands or heads being way to disportionate, skin tone being off. There's no way you never had any issues at all with McFarlane figs
The McFarlane action figures have terrible ankle/wrist joints. You're better off customizing a marvel legend
I want to collect McFarlane, but when it comes to their DC line, nine times out of ten, there is something wrong with the figures, whether it's a creative decision or the physical product.
Its not just Macfarlane its Hasbro and other companies too. Im sicn and tired of having 20 figures dumped on me at once and whiile im trying to figure out which ones are out and where? They sell out because of low numbers then by the time i find out where they are? Thry are sold out and i gotta buy from scalpers cuz thats it. Thats all they relase then they turn around and dump 20 more figures on you.
Please keep us updated on the situation.
McFarlane's distribution has been getting steadily worse & worse for some time now. most of the time you need to pre order immediately or it sells out completely, and that's just the regular line, it's even worse for gold labels and platinum releases.
Here in the UK it seems less & less retailers are willing to even stock McFarlane product, SAF outlined pretty much everything you did in your video in a Facebook post where they explained why they'll no longer be offering any McFarlane product.
It's such a shame because they're making some great products, but they're becoming so hard to acquire that it's killing my enthusiasm for the line. The more gaps in my collection, the less likely I am to collect the line moving forward.
Most of McFarlane Toys are shelf warmers in my area whether its Walmart or Target.
I think solid indicator of something up at Mcfarlane overall. Can’t produce near enough to meet demand at this point. BBTS, EE, Mcfarlane online shop, target, walmart, GameStop all sell out of the sought after items quickly. If they want to leave money on the table by not making enough of the things people actually want that’s on them.
Really feel for you with this, Matt. I hope we can get an update down the track - really looks bad for the guy whose whole rep is ‘stuck it to the big guys’ has a team that’s either incompetent or actively undermining their own customers, let alone the end consumer…
So, this is 3 weeks ago. Has Todd received the message yet?
Their customer service is lackluster. I've emailed them before and waited weeks for a response.
I reached out about my defective Year 2 fig and waited half a year before they followed up with the promised discount code in a previous email.
Sounds pretty bad if they are not wanting any type of business big or small. I think even some Walmarts stop carrying McFarlane toys.
Dude don’t stress yourself out. These figures sit on pegs. An eventful they end up at Ross. Save yourself the trouble.
Shit like this is why I keep asking myself why I still continue to collect McFarlane. I stopped collecting for a while after the whole $40 COIE bs, but got back into them a month or two ago with the 1st Appearance Batman. However, I'm not sure if there's really much of a point, knowing how badly managed the whole company is, and how much of asshats the McFarlane staff have been to you and many other retailers.
I've never had a toy company that I've practically tried to force myself into loving more than McFarlane. I may either sell my figures or tear apart for fodder, and I'm not sure I'm ever coming back to collecting that company this time.