I find that having a subscription service for my action figure really keeps me from what makes the hobby totally enjoyable: the hunt. There is no better feeling than visiting a bunch of Targets, Wal-Marts, and Toys ‘R’ Us stores only to come home with nothing but a half tank of gas. The masterminds over at Mattel thought that locking us into subscriptions was causing us (the consumer) to miss out on this wonderful aspect of toy collecting. Thus the “ONLINE CHASE FIGURE” was born.
Enter the Spirit of Hordak.
Masters of the Universe Classics – Spirit of Hordak
Release Date: 2013 Online Chase Variant (Randomly shows up on sale)
Price: $25.00
Faction: Horde
The Spirit of Grayskull figure was a huge hit that nobody actually owns since only about two were made. It’s been about five years since that initial ghost variant, and since then people still talk about wanting it. Mattel must have realized a “Spirit of” variant might sell well if publicly offered. To their credit NOBODY knew it was coming. I have to give them credit this thing was left completely under wraps and ended up being a huge surprise when it went up for sale. Like the Kennedy assassination or 9/11 (both comparable tragedies to the first Spirit of Hordak sale, obviously) I know exactly where I was when the news dropped.
I was sitting in the waiting room for my son’s dentist appointment back in May when I decided, like most parents in that room, to check my Facebook. I had recently followed Hoard World and they all of a sudden posted a phone screenshot of this “Spirit of Hordak” sale page! Not sure if he was kidding I clicked the link and found that Hordak had already escaped, another way of saying their short sale period ended. I would then go on to miss the early access sale (which much like Strobo lasted roughly one minute) and a couple random appearances on the site. The stars aligned at the end of May and I was able to order my usual set of figures, and thus ended the chase to get a Spirit of Hordak.
I think the important lesson we should take from this whole online chase figure promotion is that when Mattel thinks something is a good idea, they probably shouldn’t follow through with it. After the first couple sales and the unreasonably short early access window of opportunity people were a bit upset with this idea. It seems the emotions behind this figure have cooled a bit, but it always sucks when you can’t get a figure so I’m sure there are people out there wondering when he will pop up next. He hasn’t shown up much in June or July but this may have to do with upcoming San Diego Comic Convention preparation.
The other issue with doing an online chase figure is that it goes against what Mattel has been pushing us to do the past few years with the subscription. The original sell was that everyone needs to get a sub so you don’t have to worry about logging into the site on sale day. You also don’t really need to log into the site on any other day because besides the evergreen items there is nothing else worth buying. I’m curious if the “sub and forget it” model worked too well in that since most people who buy from Matty are subscribers so nobody hits the site anymore? That’s the only reason I can think of that they would all of a sudden want us checking out the site on non-sale days.
So how is this Spirit of Hordak? He’s cool if you like clear figures. The goal was to clearly go back and sell that four-year old Hordak mold without the all the paint applications. As a ghost (or spirit) he works pretty well because he is translucent with dark red paint on his eyes and Horde logo. I think if they were really committed to the ghost thing they would have given him some kind of stand so he can get a little elevation over the living. They didn’t include a stand, but what they did include is that white mystery crossbow we saw back at New York Comic Convention last year. While the bow looks great I was really hoping that it would come with a Filmation Hordak, but I guess that version wasn’t in the cards.
Back in May the Spirit of Hordak fetched a good sum on the secondary market, but as more people got him and the hype died down so did the prices. If you NEED him now just shop around but don’t pay too much. If it won’t kill you then just try to wait for the next sale. Eventually this guy will show up on a Matty sale day whenever Mattel is done playing the cat and mouse games.
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Love your thoughts on this, man. I definitely agree with you that a random online chase figure is completely contrary to everything about how this line is sold and marketed.
Yep, if they want people to check out the site when they aren’t having a sale all they need to do is leave stock up so people can buy it!
After five years I’m not sure Mattel even knows how they want to market their “collector” lines.
great review! You are really getting into shirtless motuc pics huh?
Half the time I think the proportions look better shirtless. But it’s probably just something weird about me.
Hey Jon who was the person who was imitating my name and calling us names?
It’s who you’d expect, yourself
Who are you seriously? this is not me doing this seriously Jon i’m not pranking you again!
Okay, that last one was me, I just could not resist dropping in on this
So it was you all this time, how could you when i thought we were friends finally. Thanks alot mate!
The real question is who are you? And why are you impersonating me fake Laurence
No you answer me matey, who are you?!
Whoa whoa whoa, why don’t you read it before you go and draw conclusions that I’ve been doing it? I said I did the last one, not all of the above geez L-Dogg, I’m starting to get the vibe that you don’t like me 🙁 But I do find this rather entertaining, Laurence vs Laurence(s), who shall be the victor? Most likely Laurence…
Sorry man but i wasn’t meaning to go against you, that’s probably what the fake version of myself want’s but we must stick together and hey i like you don’t worry man. None taken
Flutterlicious you suck, I’d never be friends with anyone like you
Well, how dare you Laurence, I thought we where friends! T^T
Well that’s exactly what i thought but if we’re not then we’re not and i can deal with that anyway in general as all you have been doing lately is pulling pranks on poor innocent vulnerable children so therefore you have been very sexually active lately.
What? Obviously you have the wrong person L-Dogg, I’d never do such a thing twice in the same day….
Oh right, so you’re providing your own false alibi to make up a explanation which is hardly relevant to the situation but still i would like to hear of how your methods were induced by your madness…
Look here whoever you are, if it is you Flutterlicious then in some way i will be able to prove it is in fact you by someway that i can find out hopefully the truth in particular.
Why the hell would I be that pussy Flutterlicious? That bitch has is straight up gay, one shall never reveal his true identity, without a riddle 🙂
Well, I’d have you know that you sir, are a dumbass… much the other Laurence… the FALSE Laurence
WickedLazers is that really you!?
Who are you really then?! because it seems straight away to me that Flutterlicious is only being 1 person at a time only to keep me shaken off my feet as to knowing who it is.
lol “The real question is who are you? And why are you impersonating me fake Laurence” that one was me, but none of the others
Please stop all this weird stuff i mean i use to do it but now it is gay stuff now which is hardly of any relevance to our recent discussion.
I didn’t realize he ever popped back up in the store. My whole stance with this online chase figure was that they should only play these stupid hide and seek games with cherry-pickers (so that would include myself) and give subscribers a fair shot (2 minutes during an early access that actually starts 13 minutes late does not count) to get one for each subscription they hold. Just put them in a subscribers’ only store, you get a password for each subscription you own, you can log into the store anytime during a 4-5 day period, and place an order for a single SOH.
That’s just too reasonable for matty I guess.
Yeah, one of the biggest problems I have with selling things off cycle is that as a subscriber I can never combine these things with my other orders. I know its never going to change, but it really does suck.
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