On average, how many of each figure are made at a time?

[TWJT]

I've always kinda wondered this...from the '80s up to now, thinking about all the many, many, many series and sets of WWF/E figures through the years, even ECW, WCW, and AEW. How many of each figure are usually made? Is this known? I'm sure it's changed through the years with population growth and viewer growth and shrinkage. Would be interesting to find out, though.

[jasont]

I’d like to know this too.

Apparently there were 8000 Cody ‘Mustard’ Rhodes Ultimate Editons.

It seems like Indie companies like ZST have runs of around 2,200

Apparently the Black Card Sgt Slaughter is the rarest Mattel has put out (aside from those 1 of 5 Warriors)

AEW limited runs are 5000, 3000 and 1000, so my guess (could be way off) is a Mattel Elite figure is 50,000.

Have no idea. But would love to know!

[newgenandy]

Absolutely crazy numbers I’d guess?

Uk and Ireland alone smyths has 138 stores. Each store stocks aprox 8 of each figure when first released so that’s 1104. Let’s assume entertainer stock similar quantities and have 170 stores so there’s another 1360.

Let’s say each had 200 for online orders that’s a total of 2864 so let’s round up snd say conservatively 3k for 2 retailers alone in the uk and Ireland. Then there’s all the online retailers, smaller chains like toy town, hamleys, the toys r us franchises inside WHSmiths and independent stores etc.

Then you have the rest of Europe, North America, the far east, Australia snd New Zealand etc all of which would do crazy multiples of the numbers above

[jasont]

Sept 16, 2023 15:46:05 GMT -5 newgenandy said:

Absolutely crazy numbers I’d guess?

Uk and Ireland alone smyths has 138 stores. Each store stocks aprox 8 of each figure when first released so that’s 1104. Let’s assume entertainer stock similar quantities and have 170 stores so there’s another 1360.

Let’s say each had 200 for online orders that’s a total of 2864 so let’s round up snd say conservatively 3k for 2 retailers alone in the uk and Ireland. Then there’s all the online retailers, smaller chains like toy town, hamleys, the toys r us franchises inside WHSmiths and independent stores etc.

Then you have the rest of Europe, North America, the far east, Australia snd New Zealand etc all of which would do crazy multiples of the numbers above

Wow yeah you’re right. Maybe my figure of 50,000 should be more like 500,000!
When you think about it’s crazy how many toys are being produced. I kind of get the pressure on packaging considering a high percentage of collectors aren’t moc collectors and just throw away their packaging.

[Flair Forever]

I'm thinking maybe not as many as we'd guess....

There are almost 5000 Walmarts in the US and 2000 Targets.... can we honestly say that every single store gets 1 each of every figure produced? I can't say that... so 7000 stores in theory should be buying these products.

We hear stories of Walmart shelves sitting empty for months (not so much lately but still)..... and we hear stories of Walmarts having 3-10 Randy Ortons just warming shelves.... given Walmart's poor distribution, it's fair to say that maybe they were produced "1-per-store" and some Walmarts never got them.... and others got multiples. So possibly on average, 10,000 per figure. A chase is done smaller - 3000 to 5000.

Factor in International distribution..... so double it? I could see the number being in the 20,000 range for standard figs.... 25,000 for ones the expect to sell better (2 per case)... and maybe 30,000 for the ones that we see warming ALL THE TIME (The Roman Reigns, The John Cenas, the Rey Mysterios).....you know the "Top Picks".

This is all pure speculation by me. No idea if I'm even in the ballpark.

But I know damn well that every American store is NOT normally getting more than one of each standard Elite figure. Mine surely are not. And several stores NEVER have the Elite products stocked. And full waves are SKIPPED in the U.S. all the time. Still wondering where they go. Discount stores and overseas, I'm guessing.

[Mongo Bears]

There was only one ref Bill made

[newgenandy]

Sept 17, 2023 5:22:30 GMT -5 Flair Forever said:

I'm thinking maybe not as many as we'd guess....

There are almost 5000 Walmarts in the US and 2000 Targets.... can we honestly say that every single store gets 1 each of every figure produced? I can't say that... so 7000 stores in theory should be buying these products.

We hear stories of Walmart shelves sitting empty for months (not so much lately but still)..... and we hear stories of Walmarts having 3-10 Randy Ortons just warming shelves.... given Walmart's poor distribution, it's fair to say that maybe they were produced "1-per-store" and some Walmarts never got them.... and others got multiples. So possibly on average, 10,000 per figure. A chase is done smaller - 3000 to 5000.

Factor in International distribution..... so double it? I could see the number being in the 20,000 range for standard figs.... 25,000 for ones the expect to sell better (2 per case)... and maybe 30,000 for the ones that we see warming ALL THE TIME (The Roman Reigns, The John Cenas, the Rey Mysterios).....you know the "Top Picks".

This is all pure speculation by me. No idea if I'm even in the ballpark.

But I know damn well that every American store is NOT normally getting more than one of each standard Elite figure. Mine surely are not. And several stores NEVER have the Elite products stocked. And full waves are SKIPPED in the U.S. all the time. Still wondering where they go. Discount stores and overseas, I'm guessing.

I don’t get how in 2023 every (large) chain doesn’t have a robust system of inventory for people to see.

Using smyths as an example - they can do it snd are not half the size of Walmart etc so surely Walmart head office / systems should have enough spent to have real time stock?

E.g. smyths currently have the following for solo elite 104 as we speak
Aberdeen 6
Ashford 15+ (so a lot more than the 8 I guessed above)
Aylesbury 4
Ballymena 8
Bangor 6
Barnsley 7
Baisingstoke 10 etc

Target and Walmart need to spend some cash and get their systems up to date for the modern age.