Toys to Retirement #52
Hello friends,
Been a couple weeks since my last public update. Back today with a review of the last couple weeks as well as some exciting toy news.
First off, a quick recap of some articles I’ve posted in the last couple weeks:
Three videos, all essential if you want to master toy investing in 2026. First up is the importance of understanding the intent of each toy from the manufacturer perspective. Next up is ten toys that I recommend keeping an eye on (and more importantly why), and lastly is a one hour video of some raw product research on Amazon exclusive toys.
If you are currently a free subscriber and interested in viewing these in full with a 7-day trial, just message me on Substack or Twitter with your email.
Okay, onto the toy news:
Hasbro Marvel Legends Fan Stream
Two days ago we had some new Marvel Legends reveals from the Hasbro team. While nothing has me jumping out of my seat, especially with the recent price increases, my personal standouts are Maximum Thor (Fan Channel + Amazon), Secret Wars Daredevil (Daredevil figures always appreciate well), and Archangel (Fan Channel).
As I’ve been mentioning lately, Hasbro has been tricky when investing on the front end, so I may be trying to snag these at end of life rather than early on.
Netflix Street Sharks Revival?
Rumors are circulating, but the clues add up. Netflix may be attempting a 90’s classic Street Sharks revival with a modern twist. I typically wait for official confirmation before sharing any rumors like this, but we have two clues that point to this being possible.
Street Sharks were supposed to have a third wave of toys produced by Mattel last year, revealed at a convention, that was suddenly canceled.
Funko just recently vaulted some Street Sharks Funko as of a few days ago
It’s not much, but something tells me this could be them deciding to pivot to Netflix-oriented designs in the near future instead of releasing merchandise for a non-relevant (for now) franchise.
Keep your eyes open! There’s a shot we hear more about this at Toy Fair this weekend.
Mattel Confirms TMNT License
As of 2027, Mattel will have a multi-year deal to produce TMNT toys. It seems they’re on a roll picking up some major licenses, doesn’t it? I’m excited to see where they take the line, especially because historically Mattel has had a collector line for their most popular franchises. There could be a world where Mattel launches a collector line, but at the same time I believe NECA and McFarlane also have the TMNT license, so they may be in charge of the more collector-oriented pieces. Either way, nice to have even further confirmation that Playmates is OUT, as of Jan 1.
NECA Producing Batman Returns 8-Inch Figures
This one is out of left-field! NECA appears to be slowly announcing some Batman Returns 8-inch figures. Not long off the heels of McFarlane’s 7-inch figures. While I always welcome more theatrical collectibles, I do feel this could hinder the trajectory of where McFarlane’s figures are headed for this movie. Right now, McFarlane’s Catwoman and Penguin are some of my favorite 401(k) holds, as up until now, customers had no other viable alternatives. We’ll see though, scale matters and perhaps people will prefer McFarlane’s work.
Have a lovely Valentine’s Day, and catch you in the next one!
