The controversy begins, again…

Mattel announced yesterday on MattyCollectors Facebook page, (On April Fools day of all days.) their convention exclusives for SDCC (San Diego Comic Con 2009) this July. They announced that for DC Universe Classics the exclusive would be The Wonder Twins, Zan and Jayna. Some photos had been leaked out a few months prior of Gleek the monkey and there was speculation that they might be coming. Well, here is where the controversy begins, Gleek will be offered only at SDCC. While you will have a chance after the convention to order Zan and Jayna from MattyCollector.com, the only way you will be able to get Gleek is if you go to SDCC. (Or spend outrageous amounts of money on E-Bay for him.) Here is what was said today on Facebook:

4: Yes, Gleek is only available at the show. He is not in the package with the Twins but rather will be poly-bagged as a “gift with purchase”. Why did we do this? Well simply, in years past we did not have online distribution through my awesome website Mattycollector.com. In years past the ONLY way to get any of the exclusives was at the show. Now that we have online sales, we wanted to find a way to still reward fans who come out to the show with an exclusive only at the show, and Gleek will only be a gift with purchase in San Diego. Will everyone be happy with this, maybe not, but at least the main items are online. In years past you couldn’t even get any of them without being at the show, now at least you can get the Twins online even if Gleek is not with them. This is why they are called show exclusives, because they are only at a show.

I cannot begin to tell you how much I think this really stinks! Will I buy the set from MattyCollector.com when it’s offered? Yes. Will I likely bid on a Gleek on E-Bay? Yes. But, I am not happy. It amazes me that they are wondering why the products they place on MattyCollector.com are not selling well (Except for He-Man, they say.) and then they do something like this to enrage the fans, which causes them to pass on the set because of the exclusion. Would you buy figures of the Three Stooges without Moe? This is a mistake Mattel. So what do you think? Will you buy, or pass?

wondertwinsandgleek