Who are the customers?

jboyler · Post by **jboyler** » Thu Feb 24, 2005 5:37 pm

Who do you think is the biggest market for Transformers toys, kids or adult collectors?

It seems to me that the adult collectors would buy more TFs per person, mostly because they have more disposable income than younger kids who get their money from Grandma. It also seems that for grown ups, TFs don't compete with other toys (when I was a kid, I bought a smattering of different toys instead of sticking to a single line). On the other hand, I'm sure there are a lot more kids running around than there are adult collectors, so who knows.

The other thing I wonder about is the 'non-standard' toys like Re-Issues and Alternators. Re-issues seem designed to target adult collectors, and Alternators are more expensive, more complex, and more fragile, and are more suited to display in a glass case than to play with in a sandbox. And of course, there are toys like Masterpiece Optimus that I hesitate to call a 'Toy' in the first place.

What do you guys think?

-J

Optimus Prime Rib · Post by **Optimus Prime Rib** » Thu Feb 24, 2005 5:39 pm

Collectors Superior, children Inferior [/Soundwave]

Cyclone_X · Post by **Cyclone_X** » Thu Feb 24, 2005 6:16 pm

while hasbro (and hasbro lovers) generally would say that collectors are only a fraction of the market, I cannot believe this as the fans have had lots of attention lately, this in form of reusing names, reusing G1 color shemes, making a movie, Alternators, 20th Prime

most ofthe G1 era TFs/story is not well known to present day kids, as its not aired on TV, they do are available on DVD, but how many kids want to buy a cartoon that they dont really know?

so I say the market is 50-50

Optimus Prime Rib · Post by **Optimus Prime Rib** » Thu Feb 24, 2005 6:22 pm

then it is time we take over..

Arthur · Post by **Arthur** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 4:41 pm

Who are you calling inferior?? Nobody would follow an uncharismatic guy like you!

The Last Autobot · Post by **The Last Autobot** » Fri Feb 25, 2005 11:15 pm

Cyclone_X wrote:while hasbro (and hasbro lovers) generally would say that collectors are only a fraction of the market, I cannot believe this as the fans have had lots of attention lately, this in form of reusing names, reusing G1 color shemes, making a movie, Alternators, 20th Prime

most of the G1 era TFs/story is not well known to present day kids, as its not aired on TV, they do are available on DVD, but how many kids want to buy a cartoon that they dont really know?

so I say the market is 50-50

Well the reuse of names is more because if hasbro doesnt do it then they could lose the tm and end calling "Autobot Jazz" instead of simply Jazz. In Japan The Transformers series is a children Anime (thats the reason of the story treatment).

With all the collectors and stuff its always more the kids (in raw number) who buy than the 20 or more years old collector (sadly).

Optimus Prime Rib · Post by **Optimus Prime Rib** » Sat Feb 26, 2005 7:53 am

Arthur wrote:Who are you calling inferior?? Nobody would follow an uncharismatic guy like you!

Hey, nobody calls me unchrazamatic!

okok Im done

Arthur · Post by **Arthur** » Sat Feb 26, 2005 5:00 pm

Huh?, Children UNITE! [Children merging to form Baby-Devastator]

Looks like I'm not the only one to have memorzed the movie script! I never realized that I watched it so many times!

Gekigengar · Post by **Gekigengar** » Sat Feb 26, 2005 6:34 pm

Arthur wrote:Huh?, Children UNITE! [Chilren merging to form Baby-Devastator]

Looks like I'm not the only one to have memorzed the movie script! I never realized that I watched it so many times!

ohhh.... isn't that so cute it's a CHIBI DEVESTATOR!... would you like a teddy bear?

Arthur · Post by **Arthur** » Sat Feb 26, 2005 7:19 pm

Yeah I want a TEDDY BEAR!