The Dark Knight Movie Masters are coming on Mattycollector.com once a month, starting with Jailhouse Joker, Prototype suit Batman in October, Harvey Dent in November, and brand new Jail Joker in December, Arkham Asyslum Scarecrow, Battle damaged Batman and Two Face.

Action League has a new line starting this month with a huge variety of mini 2-packs.

Great Adventure 2packs are also coming, including Batman and Grodd and playsets. There are mission Playsets, which include Plastic Man and a terrordactyl. Clock King and other brand new figures are coming. There are deluxe figures in this line and small mini-vehicles. There is a transforming Batmobile that transforms from car to aircraft with a push of a button.

There is another Plastic Man for this line that will come with a DVD for the line.

Super Friends has vehicles and figures planned for 2009, some exclusive to Toys R Us. One of the mini-vehicles will feature Green Lantern, for the first time. There is a Joker's Funhouse playset coming at the end of the year.

Justice League Unlimited continues through the year at Target and at Mattycollector. Fate of the line is in the hands of the fans. There are plans for international 3-packs and singles at non-Target stores. Most characters will have 5 points of articulation.
Aquaman, Deadshot, Black Batman, Superman Red and Blue with red Kryptonite. Hawkman, Martian Manhunter, new Captain Atom, Hawkgirl and Firestorm will finish out 2009.

3-packs: Apache, Black vulcan and Samurai; Plastic Man, Cyborg and brighter Mister Miracle; Silver Banshee, Superman and Metallo; Flash, Captain Cold, Captain Boomerang. 6-packs, Supergirl, Mr. Terrifc, Obsidian, Superman, Elongated Man, Hourman.
Calypso, Hawkgirl, Green Lantern, Superman, Flash and Wonder Woman.
Batman, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, Hro Talak, Param Dul and Lt. Kragger - Thanagar theme.

Die Cast 6-packs exclusive to TRU.

Matty will have a JLU origins 3 pack on August 3. Two more four packs will be on Matty and may continue to 2010 if sales are good.

Shazam, Black Adam, Mary Marvel and the WIzard on August 17th.

Doom Patrol 4 pack is coming! So is . . the Justice Guild


DCU Infinite Heroes is coming to Walmart and Matty this fall. Mary Marvel, Firestorm, Captain Atom. There will then be re-releases Aresenal, Reverse Flash and Bizzaro. harbiniger and 2 Shadow Demons. A new Green Lantern with Star Saphire
Animal Man pack with new articulation. Batigirl, Robin and renegade Nightwing. Parrelax, John Stewart.

The previousl announced Teen Titan pack is headed to Walmart. This will be followed by two Ulmacs, Superman, Wonderomwn, Maxwell Lord and Booster Gold.

...

2009 SDCC Day 2: MattyCollector news:

Are you a Mattel Matty Collector? Last year at Comic-Con Matty Mattel announced a new website to sell collector toys straight to fans around the world. This year find out the latest information on your favorite Masters of the Universe Classic, Ghostbusters, DC Universe, and other exciting MattyCollector.com exclusive product for 2009 and beyond! Panel includes an insightful Q&A with Mattel toy designers Bill Benecke and Terry Higuchi, as well as Mattel marketing brand Manager Scott Neitlich (AKA "Toy Guru") and special guests The Four Horsemen. As an extra bonus, Matty, the original Mattel Toy Guru, may even make an appearance to reveal a major announcement about a new line available nowhere else!

We will be posting updates from the panel as they happen over the course of the next hour, so be sure to refresh your browser on a regular basis. Often with these panels the information comes fast so we apologize now for any typos or miss-spellings of names that might come about during this live coverage. We will try and go back later and edit any such mistakes but want to get you the information as quickly as possible.

Available on Mattycollector.com are DC Universe, Avitar, Master of the Universe, Ghosts Busters and maybe some new lines later this year.

Bank Robber Joker, Prototypesuit Batman, Harvey Dent, Jail House Joker, Arkham Asylum Scarecrow, Solarized Batman, and Two Face will all be coming up in the 6 inch Batman Movie Masters line.

JLU Unlimited will also be available on Mattycollector, but the length of the line depends on fan interest.

DCU Classics are and will continue to be available on Matty. International shipping is available.

The World's Greatest Superhero line is also coming up. This is a recreation of the classic Mego figures from the 70's.

Matty will be carrying 12 inch Movie Masters, a new figure each quarter. Zod is up first.

Master of the Universe!
Battle stands are coming the Spring. There will be a new figure every month. With a subscription you are guaranteed to get every regular figure. There are also bonus figures that will be available from time to time but those are not included in the sbuscription.

With your subscription to Club Eternia, a $20 price, you get a special bonus figure only available to club members, as well as a specially designed map of Eternia.

Webster will be available in September. Teela is next in October. She comes with a swappable head and several accessories.

There will be a bonus figure in October - Zodak - an all new redeco, not available with the subscription.

In Novemeber - Scareglow! He glows in the dark!

For December - King Randor. Plus a bonus figure - Green Goddess, for the first time in plastic! She has a shield and staff.

Mattel/Ghostbusters/IMG_9533__scaled_600.jpg width=600 height=400>

Mattel (NYSE: MAT) achieved a small boost in its quarterly earnings via an ongoing cost-cutting program, spurred on by the difficulties toymakers have faced since the depth of the recession. After Mattel and other toymakers went through a dismal Christmas season last year, Mattel is attempting to get leaner in advance of this year's traditionally busy time for toy buying. Mattel also faces strong competition from other players in its industry, so the battle for consumer dollars will be fierce.

Mattel's Report
Mattel earned 6 cents per share profit for the second quarter, or $21.5 million, up from 3 cents per share or $11.8 million in the same quarter last year. Revenue, however, fell from $1.11 billion in the same quarter last year to $898.2 million in this year's quarter. Profits were boosted by the ongoing cost-cutting program, designed to take out from $180-$200 million over a two year period. 

Beyond the Earnings Report
While the goal of the cost-cutting is to keep inventories lean and ultimately avoid a repeat of the bleak Christmas season last year, Mattel is facing other challenges. Its major competitor, Hasbro (NYSE: HAS), just reported a robust earnings quarter boosted by its strong tie-ins with movie properties Transformers and G.I. Joe.

Mattel does not have any blockbuster properties this summer, and there is some concern that its age-old staple property, Barbie, may be a bit tired. Job cuts and price increases will only take Mattel and other toymakers so far, the key is the ongoing development of fresh properties and new toys.

(Fortune Magazine) -- Sitting on Richard Dickson's desk in Mattel's El Segundo, Calif., headquarters sits a 2008 Holiday Sparkle Barbie. Clad in a gold lamé dress, she looks like an aging, shrunken version of herself. "What she looks like," says Dickson, "is a cheap knockoff." Dickson keeps her around as a reminder of what not to do. Why? Because the 41-year-old new general manager of the Barbie franchise is staging an epic marketing makeover -- one that, if it works, could become a textbook case for how to turn around a brand.

Barbie's fall from grace has been spectacular. After being the top-selling fashion doll for most of the past half-century, she fell victim to changing tastes and to competition, most notably from Bratz, a line of edgier, more ethnically diverse dolls produced by MGA Entertainment. (Bratz's Yasmin Funk Out doll, dressed in a tank top and cropped jeans, has an urban look.) Mattel's own American Girl brand, meanwhile, has become a force among older girls. Barbie's worldwide sales peaked in 2002 at $1.52 billion and have plunged 28% since. Her market share, which stood in excess of 80% in 2000, now hovers at less than 50%, according to Needham & Co. analyst Sean McGowan.

Dickson's first move was to steep brand managers in the new aesthetic he envisioned for Barbie. He sequestered 12 senior executives for a weekend at the mod-baroque, Kelly Wearstler-designed Viceroy hotel in Santa Monica. "I wanted people to see what it was like to be surrounded by a signature style," he says.

Next, he mandated that all product fit the new Barbie image. No longer could the sales team assume they could order a custom doll to meet, say, Wal-Mart's specs. Letting retailers have such say over design was what had contributed to what Dickson calls "brand goulash": Barbie products used 17 shades of pink and six different logos. Today only one shade of pink, Pantone's No. 219, is allowed. Next up: whittling the number of licensees, which at one point numbered 1,000.

Then came an onslaught of PR: Dickson worked with decorator Jonathan Adler to stage a real-life Barbie dream house in Malibu and had designers including Diane von Furstenberg create life-size Barbie apparel for Fashion Week. To pay for it he cut back on traditional 30-second TV spots -- a hard sell to Mattel's board. "Let's just say there was a lot of pushback," he says.

His strategy seems to be working. Barbie's U.S. sales jumped 18% in the most recent quarter, the biggest gain in nearly three years. McGowan expects U.S. sales to total $370 million this year, posting their first significant increase since 2006. "Barbie is on a tear," says Gerald Storch, CEO of Toys "R" Us, noting that sales are up "significantly" over last year.

According to Mattel, each action figure, vehicle, and creature in their new Avatar toy lineup will come with a 3-D web tab called an i-TAG which can be scanned using any computer webcam. After doing so, special content unique to that product will be revealed onscreen. The content will vary by toy, but will include things like biographical information, additional images, and 3D animated models showing off the action figures' "engaging, evading, or defending moves." Even better, scanning two of the i-TAGs will reveal an onscreen animation showing 3D images interacting with each other.

 Mattel's DC Universe Classics line:

WAVE 10

• Joker, with Cane, Laughing Fish, Playing Cards, and Giganto-Mallet!

• Batman, 90's Michael Keaton-Style... with... giant... folding Bat-Computer thing?

• Power Girl, with Giant Bust, and Thighs with Walnut-Crushing-Power!

• Forager- with Shield and Wrist Blaster

• Beast Boy, Doom Patrol Style, with "I Transform into this!" Bird!

• Robotman, Doom Patrol Style, with "Important Device on My Chest" Accessory

• Man-Bat, with "I hope someone cares" Action!

• The Build-A-Figure appears to be none other than the Jack Kirby-esque "IMPERIEX"!

WAVE 11

• Steppenwolf, In his Green and Red costumes (gotta love the variants!), packed with various swords and axes of villainy!

• The Question, Vic Sage Style... while the figure doesn't show if the mask comes off, it too fails to capture the perfect Salmon colored shirt of the hit 80's book.

• Cyborg Superman, Sinestro Corps Style, albeit with no shown battery.

• Deadman, with "Collar to Put Nightwing to Shame!" Action.

• John Stewart, with Green Constructs of a fist and large gun!

• Katma Tui, with Green Constructs of a beam sword, and shield!

• Shark!, With.... I'm sorry. Look at the picture of this.... this is a waste of plastic.

• The Build-A-Figure appears to be the Mighty Poozer Smackin' Kilowog!

FABULOUS TWO-PACKS!

• "Animal Instinct!" - Includes Grant Morrison's favvy tiny leather jacket clad Animal Man and everyone's favorite 'WTF' character... B'wana Beast!

• "Sinestro Corps!" - Includes the dentist's favorite lady in yellow, Karu-Sil (with trusty yellow construct of her playful pups) and the bizzaro-esque Romat Ru!

SUPER DUPER GIFT PACK!

• Save up your birthday money for the "Gotham City Five- Gift Pack" which includes Two-Face, Super-Friends Costumed "Exclusive" Lex Luthor, Batman and Superman, and Catwoman!

While toy sales hold up well during recessions -- no parent wants to suggest a no-gifts birthday party -- the industry hasn't been immune from slowing revenue this time around.

Which is why it's encouraging to hear good news from Mattel(MAT Quote) and Hasbro(HAS Quote), the No. 1 and 2 American toy companies, respectively. This week, each reported higher-than-expected quarterly profits, bringing much-needed optimism to the sector.

No matter what the age of your target consumer, you can learn something from these companies' survival strategies. In the short term, make the best of what you've got by paring costs and focusing on a few key products. At the same time, you've got to lay the groundwork for future growth or risk getting left behind.

This should have been a banner year for Mattel and Hasbro. Mattel's iconic Barbie doll turned 50, kicking off a wave of publicity. This spring, the company opened a six-floor flagship Barbie store in Shanghai, where shoppers can pick up doll-sized Vera Wang wedding gowns, catch a live fashion show and design their own custom doll.

Hasbro, for its part, expected its Transformers toys to get a major boost from the movie "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," one of the year's biggest blockbusters. But penny-pinching customers have taken a toll on overall sales for both companies.

According to Sean McGowan, a consumer leisure and lifestyle analyst at Needham & Co., last year's holiday season was the worst for toy sales in 40 years. "The companies that did well were the ones who took away their promotional budgets and used that to cut prices. If you weren't offering value, people weren't buying."

Hasbro's G.I. Joe Is On A Risky Mission, While Mattel's Barbie Conserves Her Cash

Hasbro's G.I. Joe Is On A Risky Mission, While Mattel's Barbie Conserves Her Cash

Toy giant Hasbro reported its second quarter earnings on July 20 and the company beat analysts’ estimates. Earnings climbed 5% to $39 million. Archrival Mattel did well too, reporting on July 17 that its earnings leapt 90% to $21 million in the same period. But that’s where the comparisons end. Hasbro’s sales climbed 1% to $790 million for the quarter. Mattel’s revenues plunged 19% to $898 million.

The divergent sales trends reflect two very different approaches to management in this Great Recession. Hasbro has continued to invest in risky entertainment ventures, as part of a strategy to extend its famous toy brands into TV, the Web and the big screen. Mattel, by contrast, is playing it much more conservatively, cutting costs and husbanding its cash for better days.

Hasbro has got two big movies out this summer that it helped produce. Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen has already taken in more than $700 million in ticket sales worldwide and has become the top-grossing film of all time in China. Two years ago Hasbro sold nearly half a billion worth of toys tied to the first Transformers movie. Analysts believe it’s on track to top that this year.

Next up is a new G.I. Joe movie, to be released on August 7. It is also expected to do well, though not in the Transformers league. That’s a picture to the right of “Snake Eyes,” a character from the new movie. G.I. Joes don’t look they did when I was a kid.

Hasbro has continued to invest in this tough market. In April it announced it was spending $300 million to buy half of a new cable television network from Discovery Communications. Continued investment in that joint venture alone cost the company $9 million this quarter. Hasbro also spent $90 million renewing license agreements with Marvel Entertainment and Lucas Films. Overall its cash balance fell by one-third to $390 million in the past year.

“We feel very good about our long-term prospects for growth,” Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner told investors in a July 20 conference call. “Retailers around the world are supporting us. They want to place bets with great brands.”

Mattel, by contrast, is on track to cut a total of $200 million in costs out of its system in 2009 and 2010. Those efforts are behind its recent profit boost. Still, some of its core brands such as Hot Wheels and Fisher-Price are shrinking. Barbie sales worldwide were down 15% in the second quarter. In part that’s because the company is phasing out new Barbie DVD releases that were big sellers in past holiday seasons. It wants to be less reliant on such hit-or-miss entertainment properties.

Mattel’s CEO Robert Eckert blames the sales losses on retailers cutting back inventory, negative foreign currency adjustments and the company’s lack of big movie related toy licenses compared to last year. Instead he’s focused on right-sizing the company and on conserving cash. He’s increased the company’s cash holding in the quarter to $423 million, up from $384 million in same period last year.

You know you're a full-blown action figure geek when you get all excited about brilliant action figure packaging. MAtty Collector has released a video on YouTube showcasing their stunningly genius package design for the forthcoming San Diego Comic Con exclusive Wonder Twin 2-pack, complete with flashing lights and voices of the characters.

The box comes in two parts, hinged together that allows collectors to fold the two sections together, making Zan and Jayna bring their clenched fists together in their classic power igniting pose, thus triggering the lights and making the sound chips start projecting their voices to bellow things like, "Form of water!' and, "Form of an eagle!"

Most SDCC action figure exclusives (and there seems to be a ton of them this year) are already destined to be hot commodities, but add to this an astounding package design like this and collectors are going to be clawing over each other to get their mitts on one.

Mattel, Inc. will preview at San Diego Comic-Con 2009 a new line of action figures based on Twentieth Century Fox’s upcoming epic action-adventure film, “Avatar,” that will incorporate augmented reality technology, marking the first time this technology will ever appear in a retail toy product. The toy line, developed in partnership with Twentieth Century Fox Licensing & Merchandising (Fox Licensing) will feature heroes, creatures and vehicles straight from James Cameron’s much-anticipated film, which is set for release in December 2009.

“The development of our ‘Avatar’ toy line with the integration of the augmented reality technology marks an entirely new level of innovation in toys,” said Doug Wadleigh, Vice President for Boys Action Play Marketing, Mattel, Inc. “Boys will be able to play with the ‘Avatar’ figures and vehicles in ways that previously could only be imagined.”

Lora Cohn, Vice President, Fox Licensing, added, “This is going to be a ground-breaking moment for both film and toy with the introduction of one of the most innovative 3-D experiences ever conceived. Mattel has created the perfect complement to a film that is going to wow audiences the world over with its bold new vision.”

The i-TAG technology was developed by Total Immersion, the global leader in augmented reality. Total Immersion’s patented augmented reality technology integrates real time interactive 3-D graphics into live video. Once the object is recognized by the webcam, the product comes to life on screen.

“Augmented reality is a software solution that has significantly gained momentum and popularity with advertisers, retailers and marketers over the past several years because of its unique ability to engage consumers in their experience with a brand,” said Bruno Uzzan, CEO and co-founder, Total Immersion. “The launch of Mattel’s ‘Avatar’ toy line is truly groundbreaking, as this marks the first time augmented reality has been featured in a mainstream consumer product line.”

The Mattel line of “Avatar” action figures, creatures and vehicles will be available at retail stores nationwide in October 2009.

About “Avatar”

The director of Titanic takes us to a spectacular new world beyond our imagination, where a reluctant hero embarks on a journey of redemption, discovery and unexpected love -- as he leads a heroic battle to save a civilization in this epic action adventure fantasy. Conceived 14 years ago and over four years in the making, “Avatar” breaks new ground in delivering a fully immersive, emotional story and reinvents the movie going experience.

Mattel, Total Immersion Team Up for Augmented Reality Toy Line

Mattel Q2 2009 Earnings Call July 17, 2009 8:30 am ET Executives Dianne Douglas - Investor Relations Robert A. Eckert - Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer Kevin M. Farr - Chief Financial Officer Analysts Gregory Badishkanian - Citigroup Sean McGowan - Needham & Company Hayley B. Wolff - Rochdale Research Robert Carroll - UBS Securities ...

Mattel, Inc. will preview at San Diego Comic-Con 2009 a new line of action figures based on Twentieth Century Fox's upcoming epic action-adventure film, "Avatar," that will incorporate augmented reality technology, marking the first time this technology will ever appear in a retail toy product.

Mattel achieved a small boost in its quarterly earnings via an ongoing cost-cutting program, spurred on by the difficulties toymakers have faced since the depth of the recession .

Last year, we wrote about a somewhat horrific court ruling against MGA Entertainment, the makers of Bratz dolls, after getting sued by Mattel. If you don't follow the doll business, Bratz is really the first doll to successfully compete against the massively successful Barbie franchise in ages. However, the guy who came up with Bratz had worked at Mattel prior to going off on his own. Of course, this is the history of many different innovative companies. If you come up with a better idea while working at one company, it's a good thing that you can go off and build your own company. As we pointed out at the time, this is the story of plenty of successful tech companies. Steve Wozniak was at HP when he built the first Apple computer (and continued to work there for some time after Apple was moving forward). Robert Noyce helped found Fairchild (and later Intel) after growing frustrated at Shockley Transistor. Hell, William Shockley founded Shockley Transistor after feeling he didn't get enough respect at Bell Labs. Yet, here's a toy designer at Mattel who's entire operation is getting shut down because he came up with the idea while still employed at Mattel?

Even if you grant the somewhat troubling premise that the concept for the dolls was created at Mattel, at best you could make an argument that Mattel had some rights to an injunction and profits from the first generation of those dolls. Yet, the judge not only ruled that, but also that MGA had to give up all such dolls, and hand over all sorts of confidential info, including "all related products, designs, customer information and 'know-how' for a planned 2010 Bratz line." It's difficult to see any justification at all for forcing them to hand over future plans that had nothing to do with what the guy created while still at Mattel. MGA has now filed an emergency appeal, noting that if it does hand over such info and assets, it would have "devastating and irreversible consequences," which seems quite accurate. All in all, this seems like Mattel simply trying to stop competition, and it's a shame that the US court system seems to be helping.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission said toy-maker Mattel Inc. and its Fisher-Price unit will pay a $2.3 million civil penalty to settle allegations that they knowingly imported and sold up to two million toys that violated a federal lead paint ban.

The penalty is the agency's highest ever for violations of importing or distributing a regulated product in commerce. The agency said that as part of the settlement agreement, the companies deny the allegations. Representatives of the companies couldn't be reached immediately for comment.

The settlement stems from a string of Mattel and Fisher-Price product recalls that occurred in 2007.

The CPSC said that before those recalls, Mattel imported up to 900,000 non-compliant toys between September 2006 and August 2007, including the "Sarge" toy car and several Barbie accessory toys. The company distributed most of these toys to its retail customers for sales to U.S. consumers, the CPSC said. The "Sarge" car was recalled in August 2007 and the Barbie toys recalled in September 2007.

Fisher-Price imported up to 1.1 million non-compliant toys between July 2006 and August 2007, including certain licensed character toys and the Bongo Band, Geotrax locomotive and Go Diego Go Rescue Boat toys. Most of these toys were distributed to retail stores for sale to consumers. The licensed character toys were recalled in August 2007, the Bongo Band and Geotrax toys were recalled in September 2007, and the Go Diego Go Boat toys in October 2007, the CPSC said.

"This penalty should serve notice to toy makers that CPSC is committed to the safety of children, to reducing their exposure to lead, and to the implementation of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act" last year, said the CPSC's Acting Chairman Thomas Moore. That act, which was signed into law last summer, created an even stricter ban on lead paint in toys.

Years after the initial lead paint scandals that tainted Chinese products in the eyes of global consumers, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is finally getting around to impose fines on Mattel for their violations.

2008 SDCC Day 3: MOTU Merman and Zodiac Figure Images Added

2008 SDCC Day 3:

Mattel with their new series, Batman: Brave & The Bold. The series will be followed up with an animated series under the same title.< itxtvisited=1 div=>

Mattel/Batman_Brave_And_The_Bold/214__scaled_100.jpg width=100 vspace=3 border=0>	Mattel/Batman_Brave_And_The_Bold/2144__scaled_100.jpg width=100 vspace=3 border=0>	Mattel/Batman_Brave_And_The_Bold/215__scaled_100.jpg width=100 vspace=3 border=0>	Mattel/Batman_Brave_And_The_Bold/216__scaled_100.jpg width=100 vspace=3 border=0>
Mattel/Batman_Brave_And_The_Bold/217__scaled_100.jpg width=100 vspace=3 border=0>	Mattel/Batman_Brave_And_The_Bold/218__scaled_100.jpg width=100 vspace=3 border=0>	Mattel/Batman_Brave_And_The_Bold/219__scaled_100.jpg width=100 vspace=3 border=0>	Mattel/Batman_Brave_And_The_Bold/220__scaled_100.jpg width=100 vspace=3 border=0>
Mattel/Batman_Brave_And_The_Bold/221__scaled_100.jpg width=100 vspace=3 border=0>	Mattel/Batman_Brave_And_The_Bold/222__scaled_100.jpg width=100 vspace=3 border=0>	Mattel/Batman_Brave_And_The_Bold/224__scaled_100.jpg width=100 vspace=3 border=0>	Mattel/Batman_Brave_And_The_Bold/225__scaled_100.jpg width=100 vspace=3 border=0>

2008 SDCC Day 3: More DC Universe Classic Figures

Mattel%2FDCUC&pic=035.jpg&dispsize=600&start=0>Mattel/DCUC/035__scaled_100.jpg width=100 vspace=3 border=0>	Mattel%2FDCUC&pic=036.jpg&dispsize=600&start=0>Mattel/DCUC/036__scaled_100.jpg width=100 vspace=3 border=0>	Mattel%2FDCUC&pic=037.jpg&dispsize=600&start=0>Mattel/DCUC/037__scaled_100.jpg width=100 vspace=3 border=0>	Mattel%2FDCUC&pic=067.jpg&dispsize=600&start=0>Mattel/DCUC/067__scaled_100.jpg width=100 vspace=3 border=0>
Mattel%2FDCUC&pic=210.jpg&dispsize=600&start=0>Mattel/DCUC/210__scaled_100.jpg width=100 vspace=3 border=0>	Mattel%2FDCUC&pic=211.jpg&dispsize=600&start=0>Mattel/DCUC/211__scaled_100.jpg width=100 vspace=3 border=0>	Mattel%2FDCUC&pic=213.jpg&dispsize=600&start=0>Mattel/DCUC/213__scaled_100.jpg width=100 vspace=3 border=0>	Mattel%2FDCUC&pic=233.jpg&dispsize=600&start=0>Mattel/DCUC/233__scaled_100.jpg width=100 vspace=3 border=0>

Barbie Celebrate Disco Nikki Doll Description:

On Friday, toy maker Mattel (MAT) reported a second quarter profit of $11.8 million or $0.03 per share, a sharp decline from the $22.8 million or $0.06 a share it turned in for the comparable period last year.

However, both earnings per share and second-quarter revenue improved upon analysts’ estimates, which put profits at $0.04 per share and revenue at $1.04 billion.

The company attributed the uptick in profits to strong sales of the American Girl Brand, as well as sales of promotional toys associated with High School Musical, Speed Racer, Kung Fu Panda and Batman: The Dark Knight.

At the same time, sales of Mattel’s flagship brand, Barbie, declined 6%; this could be offset, however, if Mattel wins the rights to competitor MGA’s billion-dollar Bratz doll business. The company has already won a ruling that could entitle it to as much as $350 million in damages for property infringement.

In the period ending June 30th, Mattel posted a gross margin of 44.5%, a 30-basis point improvement over the margin posted in the comparable period last year. I consider this a promising sign of the firm’s flexibility - one that I hope is sustainable.

Total second-quarter sales were $1.11 billion, as compared to $1 billion in 2007’s second quarter. This was particularly good news, given the fact that the firm’s net sales fell 2% in the first quarter.

Based on these results, however, I don’t expect analysts to dramatically increase their full-year estimates; Mattel would have to put forth a few more solid quarters before the masses start flocking to the stock. Following this quarter, “cautiously optimistic.” Should be the watchwords.

And investors may be asking themselves: Why not buy Hasbro (HAS)? After all, its stock has been on a roll, it hasn’t been battered by lead-toy recalls (as Mattel has), and it’s turned in a string of solid results.

Mattel closed at $20.66, up $2.38 or 13.02%.

Mach 5

Name Mach 5 Toy Line Speed Racer Number Manufacturer Mattel Released 2008 Materials ABS, Diecast, Rubber Scale 1:24 Category Vehicle Series Speed Racer Designer Orig. Price $24.95

The movie version Mach 5 is a little more "real" than it's predecessor. I don't see why they couldn't have just used the original design, but it's close enough.

The designer of the high-selling Bratz dolls testified Wednesday that they were inspired by ads in Seventeen magazine, though he couldn't say which ones.

Carter Bryant, a former Mattel employee and designer of MGA Entertainment's Bratz dolls, spent his fifth day on the stand in El Segundo- based Mattel's federal trademark infringement lawsuit against MGA Entertainment.

Mattel alleges Bryant developed the concept for the Bratz figures while under contract with Mattel.

Wall Street analysts believe the dolls generate between $600 million and $2 billion annually for family-owned MGA.

Bryant worked for Mattel twice -- first between 1995 and April 1998, and again between January 1999 and October 2000.

Under questioning today by Mattel attorney Bill Price, Bryant was shown several early sketches he made of Bratz dolls.

Most of the drawings bore handwritten notes indicating they were drafted in 1998. Price compared 1999 ads from Seventeen to several of the Bratz illustrations.

The attorney asked Bryant whether a print ad published in 1999 for Paris Blues jeans might have been the one from which Bryant actually modeled several drawings.

``I don't remember that,'' Bryant said.

When Price showed a Steven Madden store ad from a 1999 issue of Seventeen that looked similar to another of the designer's drawings, Bryant admitted, ``I don't remember the first time I saw that ad.''

Price also inquired about conversations Bryant had with MGA Entertainment Chief Executive Officer Isaac Larian around the time Larian was purportedly courting the dollmaker in fall 2000.

Price asked if comments Carter later made to friends that Larian had told him he ``could be very rich'' after coming to work for MGA were correct.

``I don't remember him saying that,'' Carter replied.

In documents provided by Mattel, the company alleges Bryant secretly entered into a contract with MGA a month or two before his employment agreement with Mattel ended in October 2000. Within three months, Bratz prototypes were showcased at the Hong Kong Toy Fair.

In April 2004, Mattel filed a lawsuit against Bryant, alleging he worked for a competitor while employed at Mattel.

The company later dropped the suit following an undisclosed settlement with Bryant, but continued to press its case against MGA.

By that time, Bratz had chipped away at the status of Mattel's Barbie as queen of the dollhouse. In its first quarter earnings report, filed in April, Mattel reported a 12 percent decline in domestic Barbie sales.

Larian contends his designers and engineers turned the Bratz concept into a reality. He has compared his company's legal battle with Mattel to ``David fighting a mighty Goliath.''

In testimony earlier this month, Larian acknowledged that he recruited employees from other toy companies, including Mattel. However, he said MGA sought only ``former Mattel employees who were laid off'' -- not workers still contractually bound to the company.