Is Hot Toys Past Their Prime?

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ShadowGuardian

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I wanted to make a general thread for this to hear what the freaks community as a whole has to say on the matter. I know it has been discussed in a few of the sub-forums a bit, but when a property like DC gets put on the back burner, of course people in the DC forum are going to be more peeved.

As of January 2021, Hot Toys is arguably the biggest they've ever been as a company. They're releasing on average ~56 figures a year now (stat pulled from Justin's Collection). More and more of your average nerds are becoming aware of Hot Toys. I know the freaks forum is on a downwards trend for activity compared to the old days, but groups on other platforms like Facebook (bleh :wink1:) and Reddit have grown exponentially in the past year. Hot Toys has some of the biggest licenses in the game, and from a financial position they are still going strong.

However, I can't help but notice that some collectors (specifically those who have been with Hot Toys for longer) are less than satisfied. There are complaints that Hot Toys is half-assing more releases (less accessories, poor head sculpts, etc) and yet still raising prices. There has also been a strong trend of just Marvel and Star Wars releases, 2 massive properties expected to get many figures but now apparently at the expense of figures from smaller or more classic brands. Even juggernauts like DC seem to be getting sidelined, never mind any other smaller franchises. I have also noticed a trend of Hot Toys releasing/announcing many many masked and armored characters (whether it be troopers or Spider-Man, Iron Man or Mandos, etc), thus avoiding the need to do more complex tailored outfits or realistic portraits that originally drew many to Hot Toys. Not to mention we are slowly seeing more weird variants, like the venomized stuff or now Marvel zombie stuff I guess.

Reissues or slightly modified re-releases are becoming the norm; there has been an uptick in those especially as of late. As of this morning the Shoretrooper has been put up again, and in the past year ~20% of the announcements fall into this category (~10/52 if I counted correctly). I feel like even this is a bit generous because I didn't count things like the regular 1984 Wonder Woman which is basically an updated recolored version of the other ones. Of the past 7 announcements, 3 have been re-releases (Dark Knight Batman, Iron Man Mark 5, Shoretrooper).

I have never had the luxury of owning detolfs upon detolfs of Hot Toys, both for financial reasons and because I've become more and more picky in what I display, but I have picked up a handful of Hot Toys in the past 5 years (I think like 15? Most have come and gone though). So I haven't owned every release under the sun like a select few, but I have been following the company for a while and have looked back at older releases, and I just can't help but feel that Hot Toys used to put out so many pieces that I would marvel at and only dream of owning, versus now where I rarely feel that with every passing announcement or release.

What do the freaks have to say on the matter? Would be interesting to hear how long you have been collecting Hot Toys as well. :clap
 
By their very nature, cult classics and older properties have smaller audiences; yes an aging collector may see a rise in disposable income, but it may get diverted to things like family, traveling, retirement etc.

I can't prove it, but I also have a feeling 1/6 is a hobby most people transition out of, either due to:

  • Financial pressure
  • Burn-out
  • Space constraints
  • Contentment, i.e. getting their interests and quitting
  • Moving on to other collections
  • Boredom (either of the hobby in general or what's on offer)

Marvel and Star Wars are the most high profile geek properties right now, and a combination of Disney marketing and social media (notably Instagram and Facebook) drive younger collectors to follow these properties and create a 'community'. This is also something younger people tend to do.

Hot Toys is selling more product and they're driven to make a profit via efficiency, so it makes sense that they will cut corners where they can, as far as the market will bear. Some of the newer collectors don't have nostalgia for cut-and-sew because plasticized fabric and moulded details are all they've ever experienced, and to be absolutely fair, sometimes those material and design choices are as durable or better for fine details than their predecessors, at least when being mass-produced.

Head sculpts for this company remain hit or miss, but they have always been. Their lesser likenesses were always buoyed up by very lifelike paint apps, and for the most part, I haven't seen any consistently serious contenders to challenge them on that front.

So I think that if they continue in this vein, the company's days of being "cool" by the standards of their original fans, are behind them, but the new fans don't care, they have other interests.

I think Hot Toys as a company will last as long as the 1/6 hobby does, and they do help significantly to drive it and grow it.

  • For creativity, unexpected moves, and cult credibility? Well past their glory days.
  • Staying power and profitability? Not going away anytime soon.

I'm almost done. Like every obsessive weirdo collector ever -- :lol -- I have my personal list of figures I'd like to see get made or updated, which I would buy immediately, but every day that passes makes those more unlikely, and I imagine there will come a time when I just don't care anymore because I'll have moved on. It's a natural enough progression.
 
Well I'm setting money aside for Exo-6 and Star Trek this year. One Trek character gives me more happiness than fifty Iron Men. Hot Toys are in an endless loop now of Iron and Spider Men and endless troops. They used to be like crack for me, craving updates and the next figure. But you can tell they're just churning stuff out now, the easy figure, and have lost their passion. I really can't wait for what Nanjin has up his sleeve, away from those fools at QmX who squandered the Trek license.

Threezero and Damtoys are doing well lately too. Looking forward to seeing what they have this year.
 
I think Hot Toys is in their prime. They have never been bigger. In my opinion, they have been better but that is subjective. I have been colleting since 2012, on and off. I don't buy that much, just what I really like.
I have tried other companies, but no one has quality like Hot Toys. Threezero is getting there but their hs are nowhere near Hot Toys. Even though they produce a lot of figures I don't care for, I still admire them for their succes and I still admire most of their products. I do think a strong fan base not afraid to vioce their opnions are important to this hobby.
Since I began collecting a LOT of young men (mostly) has arrived. They are less picky and more likely to buy something half-assed. They have a lot of money to spend. For Hot Toys, it's a dream come true. They can half-ass some figures and they will still sell, some people complain but they are told they always complian and most of the reviewers just love everything. I feel sad for the new collectors because it feels like they are not allowed to complain and everything is dandy.
It's not.
A lot of us older farts have hoped that some other company would come along and challange Hot Toys, simply to push them to do better. Back when I started, they had to prove themsleves, fend of the competition. Now they are leaned back, counting the money and not really giving a flying ****.
And then again, they still make really cool figures, I disliked the Solo movie, but the figure was really good, great likeness. Wasp was a good likeness.
This is not a small niche anymore, the 1/6 scale collecting has grown. And it's getting bigger and bigger every year. More young people (mostly men) are joinging the ranks of hot toys collectors.
This is Hot Toys prime time.
Also the youtube reviewers are very good at telling people this and that will be worth a fortune in a few years, or months even. One reviewer even said that the Mark 85 Tony head was a money maker, cause there was so few made ... in that stupid comparison, the grinning Paul Rudd sculpt will be worth thousands, cause they didn't make too many of those.
Don't listen to people telling you what to buy. Buy what you like. This is not an investment, it's a hobby. You'll probably loose money in the long run, but if you had fun, who cares.
Sorry, to sum it up. Hot Toys have never been stronger and they get stronger and bigger every day. As a collector, I am happy. I just wish someone would come along and give them a fight.
 
They're doing OK but I'm at least in a place where I'm cutting back a lot and sticking with the things I like the most, I sold like half my collection last year and I'm going to be much more particular about what I get. For example, I'd like to get the Shoretrooper but won't because I don't really have space for more obscure figures.
 
  • For creativity, unexpected moves, and cult credibility? Well past their glory days.
  • Staying power and profitability? Not going away anytime soon.

That may be the perfect way to sum up Hot Toys in 2021. Really encapsulates a lot of what I was trying to say in 2 bullet points.

I think you're right too in saying that collectors transition out of the hobby to other things and new collectors transition in, which naturally alters expectations of Hot Toys and the kind of products they will output. Even pricing, when every popular figure is $260+ there isn't going to be much comparison to older figures so new collectors will accept the price and make a purchase.

Hot Toys is also at a point where they don't really need to be innovative to compete because they are king of the 1/6 market. People will still buy their stuff regardless, so why would they put in the effort?
 
I think HT is still king when it comes to production paint apps. Sure there are custom artists who paint better and sometimes HT paint detracts from the likeness rather than enhance, but I think no one can deny that when it comes to realism, HT is still at the top of the game. Sideshow, ThreeZero, Star Ace, DAMToys, even Blitzway all don't compare. With that said, I am pretty bored with HT announcements. Nothing greatly excites me other than the initial "ooo ahhhh-that's cool" but I haven't PO'ed a new HT figure in a very long time. I've followed HT since their initial Superman Returns and Batman Begins figures with first actual purchases being the POTC and TDK figures. I think one of the big drawbacks when it comes to HT is they get a license that has multiple figures that could be produced but they only produce one like The Matrix for instance or even Fantastic Beasts 2 which could've used Dumbledore. Marvel and Disney are the only ones that have the luxury of collectors getting nearly all the characters and even then, sometimes you don't. I get more excitement from say Asmus who not only tries to listen to customer feedback but also produces numerous characters, not just the "hero" even though I do understand they only have a handful of licenses to deal with vs all the ones that HT has captured (and even done nothing with).

They're doing OK but I'm at least in a place where I'm cutting back a lot and sticking with the things I like the most, I sold like half my collection last year and I'm going to be much more particular about what I get. For example, I'd like to get the Shoretrooper but won't because I don't really have space for more obscure figures.

This is pretty much where I'm at. Gone are the days of the "gotta have it!" feeling for a license I care about even with obscure characters. Now I just focus on stuff I really want.
 
Until another company steps in who’s as good or better, and releases figures consistently I think Hot Toys is still the premiere 1/6th manufacturer. So no I wouldn’t say that they’re past their prime. Creatively maybe they’re not the greatest and they stick with a lot of Marvel and Star Wars with a dash of DC every so often, but still they have way more output than any other company.
 
It's difficult to fault Hot Toys for sticking to licenses that are popular. At the end of the day, they're a business, and they need to make products that sell and appeal to as wide an audience as possible.

As others have said, until someone else is able to release figures with the same consistency and quantity as Hot Toys, they'll remain at the top. Though sitting on some licenses definitely helps to keep them there.

For some niche licenses, companies would probably have to crowdfund it or take paid pre-orders first. Companies are not going to be keen on taking risks on figures that might not appeal to a lot of people.

I do wish Sideshow were still in the 1/6 Star Wars game to provide aliens and background characters to supplement Hot Toys's Star Wars offerings. I think there's a market for that.
 
Until they start using molded plastic for clothing like that ThreeZero Storm Shadow,

Until other companies can match or exceed the quantity and quality of their offerings,

Until their quality starts to go down to SideShow's level,

I'd say Hot Toys is still in its prime. :)
 
The more you see of something the less wow factor you have. HT are what 600 releases deep now?

HT will never be mainstream. Most people are not going to pay $200+ on a 1/6 figure.

People might complain now at the lack of DC releases, but it wasn't long ago when TDK trilogy was getting all the attention. They're even going back to re releasing some of those figures now.

I don't know how old the average collector is, but I'm in my mid 30's and have collected for 8 years now. I enjoy some of the 80's classics, but also a lot of the current stuff. My oldest interest is probably original Star Wars, so 1977. There seem to be a lot of collectors here interested in licences prior to that like Trek and 66 Batman.

I do think a lot of collectors are moving into larger scale statues with so many more companies opening up to that market.

I also think having hundreds of figures from so many licences crammed into cabinets looks awful. Some HT collectors just become hoarders.


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I do think a lot of collectors are moving into larger scale statues with so many more companies opening up to that market.

I also think having hundreds of figures from so many licences crammed into cabinets looks awful. Some HT collectors just become hoarders.


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Large scale statues are not only more of an investment but also a commitment. Harder and more expensive to ship, to display, and presumably more of a pain to sell if necessary. Not my thing personally, but it seems you see them more and more.

As for the hoarding thing, that's every kind of collector. Some curate and display carefully, others less so. Doesn't matter what hobby it is.
 
As the hobby matures so do the collectors. I think HT remains as the big dog, and maybe even the gateway drug for most young collectors.

I've been collecting since 2008, when Medicom (remember them?) was still the king of 1/6th figures.
Hits and misses, HT doesn't pump out winner after winner. Back in the past they probably worked with 5 manufacturing companies, where 3 of them gave them excellent quality. Now they probably work with 15 factories to keep up with demand. You are assigned Iron Man, you are assigned Batman, you are assigned...... therefore thats an issue. When a factory already completes 500 headsculpts and quality wise is not ideal, you either take a loss... delay launch another 6 months and get another factory to do it. OR just release it and hope ppl don't complain too much.

In addition, they have been losing talent. Notably KA Kim and KOJUN (my favorite HT sculptor). Lee So Young is still great, and they have some hit and misses with their new talent, but it will be hard to replace 2 top notch artists. Last thing is, HT buys official licenses and they need to get final approval. If the actor (or their agent) wants them to modify a perfect sculpt they need to comply unlike freelance custom sculpts.
 
Great thread.

While as a business HT is probably in their prime, as an art figure maker they are way past their prime. They only do items that are guaranteed big sales, ignore the rest of the community wants.

To me, the figures were always about the art and design out into them. The classic movie figures versus the flavor of the moment.

I think HT lost touch with the art side of things, the film collector side of things and as a result we get pop culture regurgitation, rather than true art directed at cinema classics.

My proof? Make these figures from the films they mostly choose in 10 years and see who buys them.

My 1/6 dollar has not gone to HT in over 2 years. But my collection keeps frowning from the likes of Blitzway, VTS, and others.

Mainstream HT is the worst HT.


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It's hard to believe that the Hot Toys we know today once made those Inglourious Basterds figures. They wouldn't touch that kind of license with a bargepole now. Heck even The Godfather probably wouldn't get a look-in with them.

Are they past their prime? Well, certainly not if you're a Marvel fanatic. That said I'm surprised how inactive even the Marvel section of this site has become....whether it's reflective of online collectordom at large I don't know. Facebook was mentioned but I just have no interest whatsoever in transitioning over there. I'll stick with SSF until such time as I'm ever done with the hobby.
 
If you like Marvel (Spiderman especially), Star Wars and re-hash figures then yes Hot Toys is in their prime.

If you are interested in other licenses well then not so much.

Hot Toys use to roll the dice with licenses---good for the collector, now they play the safe bet---good for certain collectors.

I have taken much of my collecting dollars elsewhere.
 
To me, the figures were always about the art and design out into them. The classic movie figures versus the flavor of the moment.

I think HT lost touch with the art side of things, the film collector side of things and as a result we get pop culture regurgitation, rather than true art directed at cinema classics.

:clap:clap:clap

I have also viewed these higher end pieces as art, depicting some of the best of cinema. To think of all the time and effort from a passionate creative team that goes into making some of their best releases... sure it's not the art your common man thinks of upon hearing the word "art," but I argue it is art none the less.

Perhaps Hot Toys has just lot some element of... class? Losing touch with the "art" side of things makes sense to me, at least from the perspective of the company as a whole and the big dogs on top. All the artists and designers are still putting in just as much effort as ever I feel.
 
I'm so bored with them I'm actually looking at my first statue. Will likely be that Queen Studios Neo whenever it gets shown.

I've always been all about figures and boo to statues, but I've been doing the same. My buddy got a PF and seeing it in person is incredible, and that's an older Sideshow release (Arkham Asylum Batman). It's tempting me to go get a statue of my own; one of P1s would be amazing but so much $$$ for me and so big.

I do have Sideshow's Child statue coming soon, so I guess technically that's my first, but it's not quite your traditional statue.
 
I can't fault them for doing what makes them the most money, but I'm not going to buy from them just to buy from them. I have exactly one Hot Toys product in my collection: Age of Ultron Scarlet Witch. I love her. She's great. But I feel no desire to get her in another costume when I already have her in my favorite and no desire to get any other MCU characters. In my collection I have twenty-five dolls total.
 
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