DCUC wave 2 availability

Regarding my comment yesterday that DCUC collectors are “in the dead period between waves two and three” yo go re of OAFE writes in:

remember, for most people, this is still the dead period before DC Universe 2 and 3, not between. And the semi-recall isn’t helping that situation any…

If collectors haven’t found DCUC wave 2 in a store by now, they may never. I think it’s possible wave 2 had its production run cut a bit short in order for Mattel to ramp up production on wave 3 and the Wal-Mart wave. However, word from CornerStoreComics is that Mattel is still planning at least one more shipment of wave 2, this time with the Jason Rusch Firestorm. Whether this shipment will hit brick-and-mortar retailers as well as CSC and its brethren remains to be seen.

DCUC2 may end up being a relatively scarce wave. We’ll see–I’ve got a question in to Mattel about it.

However, as I’ve said before, I don’t think action figure collectors can rely on retail distribution for action figures anymore–particularly lower-production, collector-oriented lines like DCUC. Mattel has taken the step of offering six-figure cases to online retailers. When you factor in $4 gas prices for driving around to department stores on a regular basis looking for figures, ordering a case online is probably at least a wash in terms of expense, and you’re guaranteed a full set (though not all the variants).

I’ve always been a big proponent of online action figure shopping; I make no bones about that.* Though in the interests of full disclosure, my tragic flaw is a desire for instant gratification, which the Internet happily caters to.

But when three out of four Americans are Internet users–and those who aren’t probably don’t have much money to spend on collectible toys–I think it’s reasonable to suggest that collectors who want to make sure they get the action figures they want order them online. This is particularly relevant in today’s market, where, according to some companies, a figure needs to sell at least 20,000 units to be profitable, and collectible figure lines often get canceled if there aren’t enough orders from retailers (online or otherwise), who in turn base there orders on the expressed interest of their patrons. Taking a wait-and-see approach to action figure lines may be preferable for the collector, but it’s going to cost us several lines in the long run.

However: while I do think online retail is the best direction for the collector’s market, companies like Mattel have to improve their quality control in order for collectors to feel comfortable ordering online. One of the main reasons collectors don’t order more online is because they want to compare paint applications in person, since the iffy QC of many mass market lines results in great paint apps on some figures and terrible ones on others (Red Tornado from the first wave of DCUC was a fiasco in that regard). Personally, I’m not picky enough for this to be a problem–I can’t recall ever wanting to buy another copy of a figure to replace one I’d ordered online with a lackluster paint job–but it’s a big deal for many collectors.

Also, good customer service is a necessity. Collectors need to be able to easily replace a figure that breaks out of the package. In the age of online retail, this burden would be better served by Mattel itself than the retailers.

Of course, perhaps I’m being overly-idealistic and short-sighted here. Online retail is not a panacea, and there are presumably other options for collectors and action figure companies to address availability issues. I’m curious to know your thoughts, particularly those of you who collect Hasbro lines like Star Wars and Marvel Legends.

* And it’s not because I’m a shill for my sponsors–which I am, but not in this case. I’ve been buying action figures online since 1993, when I bought a Transformers G1 Swoop off another collector on the Prodigy bulletin boards.