SEARCH      FEATURES    NEWSLETTER    EMAIL     HOME
White Space
Captain Toy/Michael's Review of the Week
Review Header Bar
White Space

Review of MOTUC Wall Hanging Display

Mattel
Date Published:
Written By:
Overall Average Rating: 2.5 out of 4

MOTUC Wall Hanging Display by Mattel

Dividing Bar

Dividing Bar

Introduction

Collectors are forever looking for new and interesting ways to display their treasures. Dioramas, glass or poly cases, backdrops, shelving systems, and play sets are implemented in an attempt to add some personality and excitement to the basic action figure layout.

Most companies know this, and a few have provided various diorama pieces to help create that ambiance. For their Masters of the Universe Classics line, Matty has gone big at times - like with Castle Grayskull - and very small at others, as with the individual figure stands.

This last month, they hit the ball somewhere in between, releasing the new Wall Display System. The idea is pretty simple: create some small, plastic shelves for the wall that include a MOTUC themed back drop.

They come packed two to a box, will run about $25 at Matty Collector, and are currently available.

Click on the image below for a Life Size version
MOTUC Wall Hanging Display by Mattel

Dividing Bar

Packaging - **1/2
It can't get much more basic than this, but it works. These come in a simple brown box, with the Matty logo and name.  Inside you'll find two backs, two cardboard inserts with different MOTUC graphics, and six shelves.

You might notice the box says that Matty Collector is 'Where Collectors are King".  I suspect that if this were true, there'd be a lot more beheadings in the Matty realm.

MOTUC Wall Hanging Display by Mattel

Dividing Bar

Sculpting - ***
These are designed to be used on a wall, not sitting on a desk or shelf themselves. I shot the photos with them sitting, since I wanted to quickly swap the backers and number of shelves as I worked, and that's not easy to do once it's mounted to the wall.

That's because they don't hang on a screw as you might expect. Instead, you screw them in at the top and bottom through a hole in each location. That makes it very sturdy, but a bit more difficult to easily remove from the wall. You can use Velcro wall hangers too, if you don't mind the back of the unit sticking out a bit from the wall, but it won't be quite as sturdy.

Since I didn't have mine on the wall, I had to use something to help support the base, and you'll see my cell phone if you look carefully.

Assembly is easy - pop the hole covers cut in the backer cards up, slip the card into the back of the assembly, and snap in the number of shelves you want. Voile!

As I said, there are two backs and six shelves included in each box. The backers actually have room for five shelves each, but it's unlikely you'll use that many with one unit.

The reason is space, of course. With all five in place, you'll only get 2 - 3 inches of height between them. That means all but the top shelf will be reserved for Lego mini-figures or Hot Wheels, or something else quite small.

With three shelves in place, you can easily accommodate 4 - 5" figures, two to a shelf. That would include Simpsons, Trek, TMNT, and many other recent lines.

For the intended MOTUC, you can go with a two shelf arrangement.  This is also useful because the top shelf doesn't need to be at the very top - you can drop it down to the second slot. This gives the figures a bit more stability, as well as looking better.

Each shelf has four posts included, two larger and two smaller. The larger work well for MOTUC, but you can get most figures to work with one or the other size.

The last option is a sixth scale figure. You can use one shelf, and if you go with the very bottom, the back of the unit and the figure should be just about the same size. It's not wide enough to create any extreme action poses, but you can stand a figure in a simple pose.

With the unit screwed to a wall, the shelves are sturdy enough to hold six 4 - 5" figures, or four MOTUC figures. It will be crowded, but the weight won't be an issue.

MOTUC Wall Hanging Display by Mattel

Dividing Bar

Paint - ***
There's really no paint, but I'm counting the printed inserts here. There are two: one with the traditional rock pattern, and one with the sunburst design. These have both been standard for MOTUC/DCUC, and make complete sense for those lines. They are also just generic enough to work with some other lines as well, although I'm sure that many collectors will create their own for other series.

MOTUC Wall Hanging Display by Mattel

Dividing Bar

Dividing Bar

Value - *1/2
For $12.50, you're getting a pretty basic shelf that can display 2 - 4 MOTUC figures, or various other numbers of smaller and larger toys. The design and material is pretty basic, making that a tough sell for most people.

MOTUC Wall Hanging Display by Mattel

Dividing Bar

Things to Watch Out For -
Not a thing.

Overall - **1/2
The basic question for someone looking at these is this: What am I getting for my money over just a small shelf? The answer is just two things: the backer paper, and the foot posts on the shelves themselves.

There are some better alternatives, obviously. You could just grab some Lack shelves at IKEA for $7 each (only two screws for them as well), and throw in a big roll of stone wall backdrop paper, and you can outfit a whole lot more figures for less money.

Then again, if you're a MOTUC completist, you'll have to pick up at least one set to maintain that perfect status. Having a couple to set out your favorite individual figures might be nice, but trying to use these to display your entire collection will run you far too much money to make sense.

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - **1/2
Sculpting - ***
Paint - ***
Value - *1/2
Overall - **1/2

MOTUC Wall Hanging Display by Mattel

Dividing Bar

Where to Buy 
Matty Collector is the place to pick these up, where they will run you $25 for a pair, or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
I've covered a lot of MOTUC figures and accessories, including the recent Scorpia and the huge Castle Grayskull. Before that it was Lord Dactus, IcerOctaviaSnake Face, JitsuRam Man,  Mosquitor, Castle GrayskullmanRattlor, Mekaneck, Sir Laser-Lot, and before that we had the cool Griffin, Slushhead, the excellent Draego, Kobra Khan, Sorceress, Demo-man, Fearless Photog, Snout Spou, Wind Raider, the large Megator, the giant Tytus. Leech, Icarius, Clawful, the Faceless One, Catra, Sy-Klone, King Hssss, Vikor, Buzz Off, Grizzlor, Roboto, Gygor, Chief Carnivus, Whiplash, Orko, Count Marzo, She-Ra, Optikk, Evil-Lyn, Moss Man, Trap Jaw, Adora, Scare glow, Teela, Man-at-arms, Hordak, Zodac, Faker, Mer-man, Stratos, Webstor, Tri-klops, and starting out with He-man, Skeletor and Beastman together in one review.

- I also covered Battle Cat and Panthor, the big kitties.

- check out the cool MOTUC Display stands.

- I've also looked at more weapons recently.the cool custom swords and shields you can get from SpyMonkey Creations.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

Discussion:
Want to chat about this review?  Try out one of these terrific forums where I'll be discussing it!

Enjoyed this review? Be sure to head back to the main page to find thousands more just like it!

Dividing Bar

Dividing Bar

Please share with your friends!

MOTUC Wall Hanging Display by Mattel

Back to Main Page
This product was purchased for the review by the reviewer. Photos and text by Michael Crawford.

White Space
Review Bottom Edge
This page copyright 2000 - 2017, Michael Crawford. All rights reserved. Click here for copyright permissions!