It is being reported by
Bleeding Cool that
Diamond Select Toys is being shut down and all of it's staff was let go on Friday.
At the beginning of the year
Diamond Distributors which owns
Diamond Select Toys declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. All the assets from Diamond including
Diamond Select Toys were purchased by
Universal Distribution LLC and
Ad Populum which as we previously reported completed that purchase this past
Friday.
Since Friday their have been a number of reports about layoffs that have begun at Diamond as the new owners begin the restructuring process of their new purchase, primarily on the comic distribution side of things.
Today however it is now being reported by the above mentioned
BleedingCool website that the entire
Diamond Select Toys division had also been shut down.
This report seems to be based primarily on a supposed
social media post from
Mark Herr, a former Diamond Comics executive.
"So, yesterday, new owners took ownership of the company I spent many years helping build it into the giant it became. And yesterday, the restructuring began. They aren't putting out press releases or anything of that nature as to who was let go. So, it's industry websites, social media, and direct questions to those I can ask. Now, as a reminder, while I worked there for 29 years, I have been gone for 16 years. So, there are plenty of "big names" at the company that I didn't even know.
I do know the subsidiary Diamond Select Toys was shut down yesterday and all staff let go. At least three of them are guys I know very well, all having worked there for over twenty years. I have heard that Steve Leaf was among the people let go in Purchasing. Steve would be the last surviving Purchasing member that I brought into the department. So, that's especially hard for me. (Outside of him being a really nice and very knowledgeable guy.)"
I say supposed because based on the link provided to Herr's social media by BC, I see no such post having been made. Since I didn't see Herr's post myself, I can only speculate that they deleted the post between now and BC's reporting of it. I personally have seen one person, a Production Manager at Diamond Select Toys this weekend post on their Facebook page stating that they had been let go from the company, but they did not suggest the entire company and everyone in it was let go. And I have seen no mention from any other DST employee's I follow on social media stating they have been laid off or that the company is being shut down. That doesn't mean they haven't been let go, just means they haven't stated so publicly.
Assuming this news of the new owners shutting down Diamond Select Toys is true, that leaves a lot of questions about what will happen with all the solicited products that many etailers and comics shops have been taking pre-orders on up until now???
UPDATE: I have been able to confirm through several retailers that they were informed DST is being shut down. It's still not clear what will happen with open pre-orders but the general consensus from folks I have talked to is that they will be canceled.
We will update this story as more details become known.
That's a bummer. While I never collected Select myself, I always appreciated the line. I did have the Rhino for a brief time before the Marvel Legends Retro Card version came out.
Damn... I've had Anihilus on preorder from Entertainment Earth for months now & it had a release date of August 2025... this is AFTER by first preorder on Amazon was CANCELLED a few months back..I'll try to remain optimistic..I still haven't gotten an email from EE cancelling my preorder...so you never know..
I think this means that they won't be taking any more pre-orders, considering that some retailers still had pages for those products. If I had preordered anything before May 18, I'd still have hope.
Damn man. I was holding out for that annihilus and war machine really hard hoping something slipped thru because I just dont see hasbro releasing that type of war machine or annhilus with that level of paint and sculpt at a fair price EVER. Won't happen. Now should Hasbro capitalize by trying to "one-up" the DST annhilus, that would be great but not probable since as it stands their the lone competitor for "affordable" marvel figures. I just hope hasbro comes out of the woodworking w/in the next yr or so with phenomenal Annihilus to play off a strong FF performance. And a war machine akin to the diamond select perhaps a maxium...(which is bonkers cuz DST war machine is bascially what a maxium war machine could be but with better paint apps and for nearly half the price).
Ron -
2025-07-19 @ 3:59 pm
Well now that DTS will not be releasing Annihilus, perhaps Hasbro will pick up the ball and offer him as part of their FF movie push.
This news really isn't a surprise, but darn we all hoped, At least would have been nice to see all of the things get released that currently had been solicited for pre-order, but I was doubting that would be the case, Annihilus would have been really nice to get in the end, too bad, I know my friend who collects the Muppet figures is pretty saddened by the fact they won't be getting the final figures.
Who knows maybe, just maybe some of these items might get released...but nobody should hold their breathe.
JayC -
2025-07-19 @ 2:49 pm
This was issued late yesterday to some retailers. Doesn't really state much different from what we reported the other day but looking less and less like anything that hasn't come into stock will be filled.
I had ordered the Annihilus through my local comic store and he recently told me it had been canceled. Whether that means his preorderss or the figure in general, he wasn't sure but it just wasn't coming anymore. At the same time, I had ordered an Adam Warlock statue through Gamespot (now EB Games) and they haven't had it canceled on them but the date just keeps changing and being moved out.
Yeah I really wanted that Annhilus. War Machine as well but when diamond hit the fan I was hoping at least Annhilus made it through. Still have my hopes even if the probability is low.
On 7/16/2025 at 4:24 PM, GnarlyCharlie85 said:All I can say is I know people are really wanting that Annihulis. I think if we could get him that would be the equivalent of going out with a bang, so to say. That Hobgoblin would be nice also I wanted him just for the glider. But man that Annihulis was one of the best marvel select figures they ever did and everyone was so hyped over it. Just feels like a shame if we can't get it.
I think the shame about Annihilus is that the order window opened up back in 2023, and with all that time they still weren't able to get it to market before Diamond crashed. But I imagine that if something's on a boat on the way from the manufacturer, there's a decent possibly it's that.
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