How is MH Doing? Popularity, Sales, Overall, etc.

[Lady Frostbite]

I haven't seen Garden Ghouls at all, then again I haven't been to Smyths or TRU lately, so don't know if they are there?

[taffeta]

Well, My Little Pony has really only had the one reboot that stuck.

This is inaccurate.  MLP's only truly unsuccessful reboot was G3.5, which only lasted for a single year. 
G2 was not very popular in the US and was only produced from 1997 to 1999 here.  But it was quite popular in Europe, where it continued to be produced up until 2003 when G3 was introduced. 
G3 lasted from 2003 to 2009.  And G4 has lasted from 2010 to present.  That's a six-year run for both G2 and G3, and a seven-year run for G4 to date.

Agreed. FIM went insane in terms of the TV series but in terms of the toy lines all generations were successful somewhere. I don't think 3.5 is generally considered a whole generation but a sub generation of 3 that kind of didn't work out but I do wonder if that was buying time while they came up with G4.

G2 was very successful in Europe. Middling here in the UK. G1 also stuck it out in most of Europe till 1994, discounted in stores still into 95 (even to 2000 in some rare stores but mostly gone by 96). G2 came here in 98 so not much of a gap. Holland also had a specific line in 1995. My Little Pony is successful though because it isn't a doll. I think the same might be true of LPS but I likewise don't know much about it. The thing is when there are successful doll lines like Barbie which reinvents itself, it's much harder to compete. And MH is Mattel, too, but Hasbro have done their best TO compete by getting the Disney licence and also basically hybridding concepts of Jem into MLP to create Equestria Girls (Rainbow Rocks is right out of Jem mindset). So Mattel isn't just competing with its own other lines but also with rival doll lines. MLP doesn't really have that. There are "fakies" and other horsey kind of toys but really MLP is Hasbro's thing and it's hard to compete with on the same level.

The point is that without the other generations being successful G4 probably wouldn't have happened. People talk a lot about the link between G1 and G4 canon and concepts etc but actually there are a lot of pony designs, names etc from G3 too, not least Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash which suggests Hasbro wanted some kind of continuity not just in name trademarks but actual pony appearances too.

@ LadyFrostbite - in Smyths I have seen all the Garden Ghouls and Treesa and I saw them I think in August or thereabouts. So they are there. I don't remember them being in TRU last time I went and Entertainer annoyingly doesn't have them. A random little toy shop I found in London the other day only had some basic versions of Lala and Frankie and then some old BYBY dolls...

[Lady Frostbite]

Yeah, the Entertainer doesn't stock MH at all. I think they're considered 'too scary' for their target demographic  They stocked Novi Stars, only reason I ever really went in there, to be honest. I want to go to a Smyths soon to pick up a FNAF Flocked Funtime Foxy (say that six times fast ...) so I'll be curious as to what their stocks are. Last time I went in was to get some £3 Swim dolls for buyers, they still had quite good stocks of EAH and more recent MH.

Argos is down to scraps, and there's only a single EAH doll left 

[Wardah]

Yeah, the Entertainer doesn't stock MH at all. I think they're considered 'too scary' for their target demographic 

I remember someone said it's because the owner is religious and believes that MH is "demonic". I've also heard they don't open on Sundays like Hobby Lobby and Chik Fil A here in the US.

[Manster Guy]

Yeah, the Entertainer doesn't stock MH at all. I think they're considered 'too scary' for their target demographic 

I remember someone said it's because the owner is religious and believes that MH is "demonic". I've also heard they don't open on Sundays like Hobby Lobby and Chik Fil A here in the US.

Yep, that's right. They also didn't stock Zelfs for the same reason, RLMAO. Zelfs demonic?? It's unbelievable to think that a owner of a branch of shops would turn down sales because of "demonic" toys.

[DEStokes]

My local Walmart has MH down to one 4ft shelf and one spot on the shelf above.  Descendants, DC, and Star Wars dolls have really taken over.  No sign of EAH since Summer of 2016 I think.

[Jabroniville]

Well I'll be dipped, SaelaVe, you got me.

Off topic portion removed as there has already been a warning on this thread to stay on topic. -Melissa, Monster Discussion mod. Moderator edit reposted 11/12/17 as it was removed by the user.

The notes about Girl Line Relaunches gives me hope that Monster High might return in full force yet again, even if it goes dormant for a while. It was too big, for too long (with a movie release being thought of at least once), for Mattel to just give up on it entirely.

[NsMHdolls]

Do you think that Mh is over with? By this I mean, do you think that the line will be discontinued?

I've loved Monster high since 2 years after they were released (I think.), and have always been happy to see new releases, but not so much lately.  The new Ballet and garden ghoul dolls are okay, but everything else... not so much. No articulation, cheaper looking clothes... they're just not the same.

So what do you think? Do you think that Mh is over with? If not, how much longer do you think that the line will last?


[Merging with the "How is MH Doing" thread. ~SaelaVe]

[Konzern]

I wouldn't say anything that is still coming out with the occasional release is over with.  Laying there twitching on life support?  Yeah.  Shelf space is getting smaller and smaller, lines are getting smaller and smaller, and more budgety, and the gimmicks are getting really tired out.  No one rushes out to buy these releases they turn out.  I haven't seen anything fly off the shelves in a while, though I truly expect to have nothing left after the spring reset in our Walmart.  We just have minis, the cheerleader/emoji budgets, and family pack Lagoona.

But, something is happening to keep them coming up with sets.  We know there are a few releases left to do, and they surprised us with Ghoul to Bat 2.0 and Ghoul to Wolf.  I think no one knew those were coming.  There might be even more we don't know of down the road. 

And I do feel that, down the road if the series ever gets fully axed, Monster High could make a good comeback.  As long as it is done at the right time with the same spark that originally caught people's eye.

[roseprincess1]

there is only one thing you can be sure of with mattel.
THey will do what suits them, and its hardly ever what you expect.
that being said.. i think we will have to wait an see.

[Carrehz]

I think it's on its last legs, yeah.

[NsMHdolls]

It is sad to see how the line is now. Truly one of my most favorite doll lines ever
 

[roseprincess1]

I am currently reserving judgement until i see the dance and transforming line.
The dance line is supposed to have a LOT of articulation, acessories, and costuming... what MH was famous for.
IF they can pull it off It might survive.
I like the idea of the transforming line.. i wanna see clawdeen up close.
but ultimately mattel will do what they bloody well want.. so we will have to wait an see.

[Claire85]

Honestly, I think it is going to go on hiatus in the upcoming months.

I think they will eventually do like MGA did with Bratz, revamp it and bring it back.

Problem is, I don't think we will see those gorgeous playline dolls again.

[furyXIV]

Honestly, I think it is going to go on hiatus in the upcoming months.

I think they will eventually do like MGA did with Bratz, revamp it and bring it back.

Problem is, I don't think we will see those gorgeous playline dolls again.

This seems like the most likely, unfortunately (and kinda fortunately).

[Jabroniville]

I imagine the current slow-down of the line will lead to Mattel eventually letting it drop (or be produced in tiny amounts), only to do a "re-launch" a couple of years later, thus attempting to get the old fans and a horde of new ones

[RochelleGoyleFanatic]

Long are the days when I'd scour the net looking for leaked photos of upcoming lines!

[roseprincess1]

Long are the days when I'd scour the net looking for leaked photos of upcoming lines!

Eh it is what it is love.
there are other pretty doll lines out there tho. If you love articulation and acessories and details id recomend the Project MC2 dolls. they are fantastic.
Im holdin out hope a lil longer.. we'll see

[NikkiBell]

I think it is on its last leg. The lines are getting smaller, taking longer to come out, and the shelf space in stores is getting tiny. The stores in my area are filled with MC2, Disney, Barbie, Shopkins, Num Nums, and DC Super Hero Girls. I think MH had a very successful run, but I can see it ending in the next couple of years.

They may, as others have suggested, do a relaunch like Bratz (or like Moxie Girls do every 3-4 years), but it won't be the same. I could see Mattel stopping the like in 2018 and relaunching in 2021 - by then new little girls will be in the fashion doll range. The little girls who would have been fans of MH will be older and probably not hanging out in the toy section.

[Jabroniville]

The thing that bums me out is I think I jumped onto this franchise fairly late. Through checking, it was likely around 2013 (when Target came to Canada), as there were no department stores or Toys R Us locations anywhere close to where I lived. However, I'd enjoyed looking at the stuff so much in Target stores (which were easily-found in malls) that I got into it, and learned all about it.

When Target left Canada in 2015, I was bummed at losing out, but I discovered ways to hit the Walmarts & TRUs in town that was quicker than I'd imagined, and got into things that way. So I've only really been into it for about three years- just enough time to have rented the movies before the local video store shut down, and enough time to watch EAH die out, and MH reduce its shelf-space.

Though I guess it's not THAT bad- I was around for the second or third wave of dolls to hit Canada, and I remember seeing many of the "Sig" characters in stores. I was in it before Haunted came out, and saw a handful of other movie releases. It just reminds me of when I got into the Disney Fairies franchise in a major way months after The Pirate Fairy came out... just in time to see it die an immediate death as soon as The Legend of the Neverbeast come out in stores!

I imagine Mattel still sees some life and value in it (have they announced the next movie, yet?), but I fear I'm correct in that we'll probably see a slowdown/shutdown until a big relaunch in a few years, since this PAST relaunch hasn't really set the world on fire.