It's incredible what can transpire in the course of a year. When we went through our 2011 in (Cool Toy) Review write ups we didn't have much nice to say about Mattel. In fact, you can say we didn't pull our punches and let it all out unfiltered. We would never presume that last year's article was responsible for what came afterwards, but it became apparent that Mattel knew there was a problem and in the months that followed they bent over backwards to turn the tides of collector discontent.

Despite economic factors all toy making companies had to deal with, Mattel addressed every single collector's concerns and steamrolled over the competition with superior products, honest and articulate disclosure of all relevant production matters, and most importantly, by listening to their customers. You'd be hard pressed to find a valid complaint from a collector of any Mattel line.

Mattel did something very important in 2012 by proving that their online business strategy can work, and in doing so, they found a way to directly offer the products collectors want without the support of the big brick & mortar chains. When it comes to single mid-price action figures that is a serious accomplishment; when it comes to a massive playset like the upcoming Castle Grayskull, it is unprecedented.

In 2012, Mattel managed to turn the game around, and they took the ball and ran with it. We hope that other companies will take note and find a way to get their products directly to the people that want them. Mattel stuck to their guns and made a risky endeavour into a massive success, and we all get to reap the benefit.