Post by Dr. Bolty, Disaster Enby on Dec 28, 2011 16:18:59 GMT -5
The following thread is PURE SPECULATION. There is no news and no NEWZ in it. This post comes from an action figure fan who wonders how the action figure market affects WWE.
Having worked in a toy store this past holiday season, I think it's accurate to say that WWE action figures sell really well. Like, I've read a few times that Transformers and Power Rangers have them beat in sales - that might be right, but WWE is probably the best-selling boy's toy brand for Mattel (that isn't Fisher-Price).
Well, it occurs to me that a lot of shows with this much tie-in merchandising are forced to change their plans to accommodate what the toy executives want - Gargoyles, for instance, was forced to include a helicopter in an episode (regardless of how little sense it made) because of the toyline; several Batman shows have had significant influence from the toy people; etc, etc. Last year had the rumor about Daniel Bryan being fired at Mattel's behest (whether it was true or not is anyone's guess).
Wrestling is weird, because the toy company can't demand too many changes. If a wrestler's toys are selling well and he's injured all year, they can't really force WWE to have him on TV. The pace of wrestling means that many wrestlers don't even get toys until they've faded into obscurity (Drew McIntyre, Justin Gabriel, Ezekiel Jackson, I'm lookin' at you).
But...does Mattel (or previous toy licensers) make demands that WWE can reasonably meet?
For example: Evan Bourne. This guy is all over the toys. There's a good turnover rate for the line, and he's almost always packed well in the assortments. I wouldn't be surprised if his toyetic-ness (kid appeal character, small, good-looking, flips a lot) is a factor in his being consistently featured.
Then there are the hilarious misfires, like John Morrison. This guy probably had more toys over the past two years than anyone outside of Cena, Orton, and Mysterio - and in late 2010, it looked like he was seriously about to be pushed to that level. Then 2011 happened, and he was jobbed out and released. And now Mattel has to scrap any toys they had planned for the guy.
There's also the odd case of Wade Barrett. He had no toys during the time he was on fire in 2010 as the leader of Nexus - he had debuted too soon for them to have a mold ready. He gets a long bout of irrelevance in 2011...and gets pushed again, with a vengeance, around the time his toys come out. Probably a coincidence, but I'd be intrigued if this happened to anybody else.
Anyone else want to weigh in? Do you think a wrestler's toy sales could affect his push?
Having worked in a toy store this past holiday season, I think it's accurate to say that WWE action figures sell really well. Like, I've read a few times that Transformers and Power Rangers have them beat in sales - that might be right, but WWE is probably the best-selling boy's toy brand for Mattel (that isn't Fisher-Price).
Well, it occurs to me that a lot of shows with this much tie-in merchandising are forced to change their plans to accommodate what the toy executives want - Gargoyles, for instance, was forced to include a helicopter in an episode (regardless of how little sense it made) because of the toyline; several Batman shows have had significant influence from the toy people; etc, etc. Last year had the rumor about Daniel Bryan being fired at Mattel's behest (whether it was true or not is anyone's guess).
Wrestling is weird, because the toy company can't demand too many changes. If a wrestler's toys are selling well and he's injured all year, they can't really force WWE to have him on TV. The pace of wrestling means that many wrestlers don't even get toys until they've faded into obscurity (Drew McIntyre, Justin Gabriel, Ezekiel Jackson, I'm lookin' at you).
But...does Mattel (or previous toy licensers) make demands that WWE can reasonably meet?
For example: Evan Bourne. This guy is all over the toys. There's a good turnover rate for the line, and he's almost always packed well in the assortments. I wouldn't be surprised if his toyetic-ness (kid appeal character, small, good-looking, flips a lot) is a factor in his being consistently featured.
Then there are the hilarious misfires, like John Morrison. This guy probably had more toys over the past two years than anyone outside of Cena, Orton, and Mysterio - and in late 2010, it looked like he was seriously about to be pushed to that level. Then 2011 happened, and he was jobbed out and released. And now Mattel has to scrap any toys they had planned for the guy.
There's also the odd case of Wade Barrett. He had no toys during the time he was on fire in 2010 as the leader of Nexus - he had debuted too soon for them to have a mold ready. He gets a long bout of irrelevance in 2011...and gets pushed again, with a vengeance, around the time his toys come out. Probably a coincidence, but I'd be intrigued if this happened to anybody else.
Anyone else want to weigh in? Do you think a wrestler's toy sales could affect his push?