Excellent point. It saddens me to take the fun out of collecting just to make a quick buck.

(As for your Leonidas example, I too can't keep the figures or anything like that in their packages... what's the fun in that? I've got my slowly growing Batman rogues gallery on top of my entertainment center because I think it makes a fun decoration and -- sometimes -- conversation starter)

But I remember seeing Batman Begins figures all over the place around here until just the last few weeks and one or two here and there even now. Of course, you can't have a Joker-driven movie without Joker merchandise, and I agree, I hope Mattel doesn't limit the numbers made. If the Scarecrow or Ra's al Ghul can be all over the place figure-wise, why not the Joker?

Collectors looking to make a quick buck always disturbed me because it really takes the fun as a hobby. As a young boy, I wanted to complete my set and it always seemed to be extremely difficult. But I wasn't trying to collect to sell them off someday, but just for fun.

Heck, I've still got my figures from the first two Keaton Batman films. They're not in the greatest of shape and they may be missing a cape or two, but hey, I had fun with them when I was a kid.

Why should these "collectors" keep the same thing away from kids now? (And I'll agree, TDK is probably going to be way too dark for kids. But I know I'd still be clamoring for a Joker figure if I was still young enough to play with them.)

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My sister has a Stretch Mr Fantastic. He was taken from his box immediately upon purchase, how could one buy a stretchy Mr Fantastic and Not want to play with it?!

I had a Han Solo gun when I was a little girl, and I'd love to have one again. I used to have to complete collections when I was younger, but that lost its importance to me as I get older.

Collecting as it's going on now and days is how the comic book bubble burst in the 90's. And eBay doesn't help. Don't get me wrong I love eBay, but it can bottom out the worth of an item really fast! Plus, when someone dies, you can bet if you look on eBay the vultures start listing items and the prices shoot through the roof.

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There is a distinction, that any toy collector will tell you.
(1) Collectors do just that - collect. They do it for the joy, of looking onto their shelf or curio cabinet and seeing a gorgeous figure, or the pride of completing a collection. It's a labour of love.
(2)Hoarders/Resellers so just that - resell. They hit the toy stores early in the morning and empty the shelves, so that parents can't find April O'Neil. They hoard as many pieces that they can find with the goal of reselling to the highest bidder. It's a job, not a hobby. Quite frankly, these people are the scum on the bottom of the shoe of the scum of the earth.

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We haven't even seen the movie yet.

That figure looks positively awful though... should've had Mcfarlane do it.

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I think you are silly. So what if someone wants to make some money. That is what this country is founded on. Free Enterprise.

Ok let's close down all the funeral homes, someone is profiting from death. LOL C'mon..

No one is happy that Heath died. But if we can make profit selling his action figure, why not?

I'm not some geeky collector, I buy anything legal that I can sell. Period. I am a speculator. How does this make me any different than someone who looks for and finds oil to "horde" is up and then sell it to you for $120/barrel?

Lighten up man.

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I had an April action figure, and though I haven't dug it out of the box in the attic in many, many years I'd be willing to bet it's still one of the hottest action figures I own.

On a side note, while I think we'd all love to know how you broke your King Leonidas figure, some things are just best left to the imagination.

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you say "someone out there is finding pleasure in Heath's death" but wasn't that what he was all about... just looking at him..hearing his voice....watching him on screen gave many people pleasure not to mention the Brokeback Mountain groupies (let's not even go there)... pleasure whether its right or wrong is spelled Heath Ledger and that is why he is so missed.... so grieved for.... and irreplaceable on the Hollywood scene.....o.k. now for the toys...maybe people can make money from them but if it is giving someone pleasure to have his likeness in a toy on their nightstand then let them have all the pleasure they want.

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For anyone out there who doesn't think toys come alive when your not looking, think again. I have a LOTR office. At the top of a huge bookcase, the hobbits, Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas and Gandalf battle a Black Rider. On the opposite of the room King Leonidas and Andre' Marek stand atop my desk. I constantly find the Black Rider on the floor and several of the figures minus weaponry or having fallen down (injured in battle?)

As if this isn't disconcerting enough, after Leonidas and Marek joined the room, I now often find Marek's arrows on the floor along with Leonidas spear. What exactly is going on here? I feel like I'm living through Night At The Museum...

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The one I couldn't get was the Han Solo 13" - 1978.

For me, there's a deeper aspect to all this exploitation. I have loved Batman since the old tv show, but I gave up collecting over 15 years ago, as it can be something that takes over your life, your home, and sometimes your paycheck. I would not have bought any of the action figures except that Heath is in the film. Those of us who are fans of Ledger are desperate to get these, not to make a profit, but because to us, this represents a tiny piece of him that's left.

For me, getting these has been very significant, as I knew him slightly, albeit only through correspondence. He was always kind and thoughtful to me and helped me in ways he never even knew just by being himself. I was so looking forward to meeting him at the TDK premiere, and his death left me devastated.

Heath was tickled by the idea of the action figures. And I, and my members, have been looking forward to the release of these for months. Now those of us who are not only Batfans, but also grieving for the loss of someone we cared about, go into our local stores and the entire Bat aisle is empty. It can feel hurtful to know, that in many cases (not all, but many), it's not people who care about Heath or Batman. It's just people looking to make a buck.

As much as I hate what the vultures are doing on eBay, I and many others have been forced into paying double or more, as there doesn't seem to be any other option. And I do defend capitalism and the right to make a profit. But on some level, those of us who were fans feel we deserve these more than a dealer does. This hurts.

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I am surprised, there were at least 5 of these at Wal-Mart on Wednesday, I didn't pick it up because it wasn't a very good figure.

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First off, April O'Neill wasn't just the Turtle's friend. Let's just say that when she was hanging out with the guys, their shells weren't the hardest thing on them. (at long last, my childhood fantasies are exposed!)

That Joker doesn't look too hot. I'd rather have one of Jack's Joker instead. But profiting from a celebrity's death is nothing new. Heck, you think any of that Marilyn Monroe crap would be worth anything if she was still alive? Is it just a matter of it being too soon? What's the moratorium on making a buck off a dead person?

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Being both a collector and a journalist myself, I have found that I do gain special favor with certain stores as I have befriended some of the clerks as I go around acquiring items for my collection or for that article I am wanting or consigned to write.
I myself have been fortunate enough to see 5 or 6 of the Late Heath Joker DELUXE MOVIE MASTERS figures available at one store and nobody was touching them.
I purchased the one. Then went back to the store the next morning to speak with a clerk who said they had something unusual in that might be of interest to me.
When I walked down that same Batman ladened toy isle 18 hours later, they were all gone. Not one single DELUXE Joker figure to be had. Now on the other side of things. Mattel is not by any means silly, stupid or ignorant. Mattel released a generic looking Joker figure that is more "KID FRIENDLY" looking and carries a suit-case of cool weaponry.
This is the 1 figure that I am more likely to give my 4 year old to play with than I would the Deluxe Joker figure that is going to sit on my shelf (opened & out of package). Because somewhere down the road, it might be of value just doesn't cut it anymore. The collector's market is becoming as volitile as the stock market.
I agree with you that there are those out there whom are "PROFITEERS". These people are not collectors. Just Toy "whores" for lack of a better term and would sell a toy to their grandmother for 3 times the price just to make a few extra bucks. These people are not collectors and really are only in it for the money. No worse than the Oil companies raising their prices to the point of stupidity because our president is not willing to tap our reserves to lower the costs for the american people. I dont wish to soap box here, but please understand that it may be in the news today. But if you do not feed into it with articles like this, then it will go away. As for Mattel making more of these Deluxe Joker figures. They are currently evenly packed at 2 Jokers, 2 Batmans and 2 Joker Goons (but w/ 3 different goon masks). There is a "Chase" figure that has been fetching almost as much in price as this Deluxe Joker figure you speak of... It is the Bruce Wayne Unmasked version of the Batman figure, which comes 1 per every 3 cases.
This was to be the one figure Mattel counted on everyone going on the hunt for.
And as for the TMNT Ravishing Reporter April O'Neill figure.
I have an extra one. If you do still want one, contact me & we can work something out. My 17 year old daughter is going to college next year & I just started to sell off my TMNT collection (per my wife's mandate!).

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It's amazing to me that no one has caught on that this isn't his last role...Terry Gilliam's "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" is. Sigh, but this isn't a Hollywood blockbuster, his role was incomplete, and there won't be a toy...people are stupid.

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