Tag Archives: Mattel

JTA reader Ty checks in to share his Mattel The Child plush find at his local Austin, TX Walmart. Thanks for the report, Ty! Let us know in the comments other places this can be found.

EmpireToyShop has the new Mattel 11” Child “Baby Yoda” in stock and shipping this week. Very limited quantities available so Limit to 1 per customer.

Mattel will release a “Baby Yoda” plush doll with vinyl head on June 1st 2020. Price will be $24.99. The toy looks just as adorable as the character. And in my opinion this Mattel “Baby Yoda” is superior to the very stylized Funko Pop version – and even cheaper.
However, all of that raises the question if the fact that Mattel is making “Baby Yoda” could be a sign of things to come.
A quick reminder: the Hasbro Star Wars license expires in late 2020. And we’ve had no news at all regarding a license renewal or extension, which is highly unusual, because previously these extensions were announced years in advance.
That being said, it’s not unusual that various other companies are making Star Wars plush dolls. Porgs were made by a number of companies, for example. So it may well be that Hasbro has an electronic “Baby Yoda” toy in the works that can move and make sounds, just like the electronic Porg made by them. It’s therefore not about the fact that Hasbro has no exclusive license to make Star Wars plush toys. But that Mattel is making “Baby Yoda” is certainly interesting, because they didn’t make any plush Porgs back in 2017. So maybe Mattel wants a bigger slice of the Star Wars merchandise pie. And perhaps they want even more.

Mattel Baby Yoda

Most of you here on JTA certainly know of Funko and their Pop! figures. While many commenters here wonder who might ever buy these vinyl figures and some even consider them a plague, Funko seems to be a winner at the toy aisle. The company sees sustained growth and it seems Funko Pop! figures will not go away, but become even more ubiquitous. Time to take a quick look at some numbers and statistics, including shelf space at Walmart & Target. Which also includes numbers for Hasbro. So click through for more!

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The New York Post has run an article about the most returned Christmas gifts this past holiday season. You might be surprised that Star Wars toys have made the list. Special thanks to JTA reader John J. C. for the alert!

US toy company Mattel suffered quite a loss earlier this week. Warner Brothers decided not to extend the DC Comics boys’ action toys license with Mattel and instead gave the license to Canadian toy manufacturer Spin Master, beginning in 2020. Spin Master is a much smaller company compared to Mattel, their revenue in 2017 was 1.55 billion USD compared to Mattel’s 4.88 billion USD (Hasbro made 5.21 billion USD). You may know Spin Master from toys such as Air Hogs (there were a few Star Wars Air Hogs) and the more recent Hatchimals. Now, why exactly is Mattel losing most of its DC Comics license news on a Star Wars website? Let’s click through for a discussion and also for some speculation!

Batman on a Star Wars website. Because he’s Batman.

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Chinese factory workers producing toys for Hasbro, Disney, Lego and Mattel and are being subjected to “nightmare” working conditions in the run-up to Christmas, an investigation has alleged.

The report, titled “A Nightmare for Workers,” shows findings from campaign groups China Labor Watch, ActionAid, CiR, and Solidar Suisse, who sent undercover investigators to four factories that produced toys sold at Walmart, Costco, Target and other international retailers. (more….)

It must be exhausting making all of that 5POA crap!

It’s hard to believe, but San Diego Comic-Con is right around the corner. Before it begins, we wanted you to weigh in on your speculation of what licensees, specifically Hasbro, will reveal this year at the show. We’ve been hinted since Toy Fair that 2019 will be a year like no other in a very long time, post the Golden Age of Collecting. But will those rumors be revealed to be true? Anyway, let us know what expectations you have for The Vintage Collection, The Black Series 6″ line, vehicles, multipacks, and stuff from other licensees in our comments.

A brand new Star Wars spaceship has been revealed in the Star Wars Hot Wheels line. It’s from the upcoming Solo: A Star Wars Story. Click through to see the toy.

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BREAKING NEWS! io9 reveals that all of the Solo: A Star Wars Story toys will be available at midnight tonight. Check out the full story HERE!

Disney has officially revealed a ton of products from Hasbro, Funko, LEGO and a bevy of other licensees. New Hasbro figures are also officially revealed. Check out the gallery on our Facebook page! Click HERE for the official PRESS RELEASE.

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Fortune.com has written a fantastic article on why the Toy Industry would suffer if Toys R Us goes belly up. I have heard and seen many comments by readers ‘happy’ or ‘indifferent’ to see TRU’s demise because of various reasons, but there is a bigger picture. And Fortune goes into detail about it. Check out the article and then come back here to comment.

The Toy Industry numbers for the 2017 year have been released. We have a summation about how well Star Wars toys performed this past year in relation to recent years. Click through for more.

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Bloomberg writes “Now toymakers’ big bets on movie tie-ins look downright bleak. Playthings based on the “Star Wars” saga — the franchise that kicked off the whole phenomenon four decades ago — were down in 2017 despite a new film, “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” in December during the all-important holiday-shopping season. (more….)”

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Nonstop Star Wars is never a good thing. We have been saying this since 2015. It seems to have ramifications now. Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a hit, but the Force may not be as strong for Disney when it comes to merchandise sales this year. Panjiva, a data company that tracks the giant shipping containers that arrive at U.S. ports, says 6,587 of them with Star Wars gear were shipped in the seven months leading up to The Last Jedi, but that’s down 47 percent from the seven months leading to Rogue One in 2016 and off 56 percent from the same time period ahead of The Force Awakens in 2015. The Hollywood Reporter has the full story. (more….)

This brisk pace could affect DIS, MAT, HAS, JAKK. Finally! Kimberly Chin from Business Insider has written an article on how the frequency of the Disney Star Wars films (in addition to other factors) may not be ideal for the licensees trying to make money from the merchandise of these blockbuster films. Business Insider has put together a great article which develops excellent points including (1) Disney’s stock was flat even after its latest “Star Wars” flick reported a great box office weekend. (2) Movie sales may not translate into consumer product sales, according to Jefferies Analyst Stephanie Wissink. (3) The frequency of “Star Wars” movie releases may challenge merchandise sales for each movie. This article is worth checking out. It has been a topic we have discussed at length right here at Jedi Temple Archives. Now here it from the people who understand this professionally.

Toy giant Hasbro has approached Mattel about a potential takeover offer, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, a deal that could put iconic brands such as Barbie and Transformers under the same roof. Click through tfor the BREAKING NEWS report at CNBC.com.

You are? Well, how much do you enjoy standing in lines? Lines, lines, lines, and more lines! Star Wars Celebration is the same way. If you want exclusives, let’s face it, you’ll be in a line most of the day. Wouldn’t it be great if there was another way? Well, there is and I think it is time that everyone gets on board. Click through to see how to quell the queue madness.

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