Super7 Ultimates, Reaction and other Products

Posted by: @misfit

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The first "deluxe" Transformers figure has been revealed to be Soundwave and he's an Amazon exclusive. For $40, you get Soundwave, a cassette tape insert, and a box styled to resemble a VHS box. That's all. I know this line is supposed to be "skimpy" relative to a standard Ultimates release, but how can you release an action figure without the character's signature weapon? 

And $40 doesn't really feel like a bargain price...  $35 still tricks you into feeling low, it's a full twenty dollars cheaper than a regular Ultimates figure.   But this "Deluxe" figure is even more than that and sure doesn't feel very "Deluxe" when the only accessory is a cassette tape...

@panthercult Yeah Super7 still can't get out of their own way when it comes to these releases. They're competing with Neca and Nacelle at these prices and these stripped down rereleases/repaints still fail to offer the value of those companies' offerings at a similar price. They still act like they can charge a premium for their products when every market signal is telling them they really shouldn't. I'm much more accepting of a figure at 35 than 55, but like still a few basic things are expected with a release and one of them would be their main weapon.

For Soundwave, you're better off just buying the Ultimates figure, but if I was gonna do that, I would have done it already.

Good luck Super7. You've shown everybody the $55 price point for Ultimates was bullshit with these $35 releases but you're still screwing up the $35 releases. You also managed to ruin the hefty profit margin line that was Reaction by offering Reaction+ figures at the exact same price point. Also reaction to the finished Joe releases seem to be mixed with the people that buy O-ring Joes so good luck there. You'll always have the true believers but you need more than that.

So, probably pretty telling that BBTS revealed one of it's anniversary figures was a "bloody" variant of Ultimates Pit Fighter Conan and no-one cares.     I can't imagine they'll be able to sell many of those at $55 a pop.   I mean, I bought the first version - which probably wasn't worth the price - but there's no way I'd consider a second one covered in splashes of red paint.     I struggle to even figure out the subset of collectors to whom that appeals.   I guess there are some brief cut scenes in the pit fighting montage where he is pretty bloody,  but I certainly don't need that on my shelf.    I'll be interested to see how long that one lingers.

I think the appeal to this Pit Fighter Conan is pretty strictly limited to the probably VERY few people that are either Conan or Super7 'completists' and people that missed the first version for whatever reason. I mean, if you put both figures in front of me and I didn't own either, I'd almost certainly grab the bloody one because that's more interesting to me for this particular look.

That being said, it's Super7 and these Conan figures are terrible. So this is more of a hypothetical. But I CAN see the market being there for this on a limited scale, which is probably fine for an exclusive? I'm more surprised that BBTS is willing to take an exclusive from Super7 after all the clearances and static stock.

The exclusives might have been makegood for BBTS helping Super7 clearance out their inventory AND take the PR hit that retailers had "over-ordered" the Ultimates and all that stuff in the 50% and more sale was BBTS stock. Not that Super7 had purposely overproduced to have their own stock and were stuck, or that the made to pre-order numbers marketing was not true, or that collectors were canceling pre-orders in droves due to the poor quality of the Ultimates. Or all three.

Conversely, the also overpriced ReAction figures have hooked me with the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory figures and the Richard Scarry figures, because I am fine with fairly static but decent figures for those properties. Because at least with the ReAction lines there seems to be some logic to the character selection...

I've been waiting patiently all year to see what Super7 was doing with the Frosty license and, probably as expected, they're doing ReAction. Which is fine and suitable for the license, I'm just personally slightly annoyed he doesn't match the classic animated special, even though that's what they're using on the card art. I've always wondered if there is some licensing thing at play because most Frosty merch seems to reflect his design from Frosty's Winter Wonderland with the scarf and sunflower. This one is kind of a mix as he has the scarf, but the shape of the snowman is more or less a match for the original TV special. The green hat is a new wrinkle and makes me think Scrooge and not Frosty. I'll get it, though I'm surprised he's being released all by himself. And I bet there will be a super size version in the future, unless this thing tanks.

EDIT: I actually read the description of the figure and wouldn't you know that actually helps. The scarf is a soft goods scarf and is removable so he can be more screen accurate for sticklers like me.

There's another decent sale of Ultimates (and Reaction) at BBTS right now.   Entire waves of TMNT at a price that factors out to $22 per figure.    Figures from a number of other Ultimates lines for pretty decent prices.   

Hyacinth Hippo is under $20.      Deals on Power Rangers, Toxic Crusaders, Transformers, Silverhawks, Thundercats, Simpsons, Disney, etc.

I did end up going in for a Silverhawks Steelheart and a Transformers Bludgeon at $27.50 each.   That's two for the price of one essentially.     For any of you that consider Ultimates but are kept away by the high prices this could be your time to dabble.

I just grabbed 2 new Mouser packs at that price.

Is it a new thing that Pulse is carrying Super7 Power Rangers products?

@fac new as in "this year" new, but they've doing so for a little bit. Those metallic Power Rangers were announced around comic con as a Pulse exclusive.

Yeah -  Pulse has featured Super7 product pretty much since Hasbro and Super7 launched their licensing deal.   Pulse has had reaction, O-ring and Ultimates G.I. Joes listed there before for sure.   I don't remember if any of the Super7 Transformers products were ever listed but I feel like maybe.   

Thanks, was curious as they highlighted the Super7 Rangers in the recent Pulse marketing email and I hadn't been paying close enough attention to know they had ever sold non-Hasbro produced stuff. 

https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/VariationDetails/195770?o=4

Ultimates The Worst Black Falcon and Robot Reaper for $55 USD for both. A steal of deal for these. Maybe the best Ultimates figures I've got, and I would urge anyone to grab these if you were ever tempted by their designs.

Yeah...  I have the Black Falcon and like it well enough,  though would have liked it more at this price.   I had considered Robot Reaper and then passed.    I can't pull the trigger on this for what would essentially be the full price for Robot Reaper plus an extra Black Falcon that I don't have a use for though.    Sigh.

@panthercult Robot Reaper is also on sale individually for 27.50 so you don't have to get the bundle if you want him. I do like the figure as I think the design is really fun. Articulation is pretty much standard Super7 so it isn't great, but it's not like he has to do much either.

https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/VariationDetails/195784?o=4