Not easy <> Expensive. Different things. There's nothing wrong with Habro saying this. Hasbro looks at number : Hmmm, we only make $3 (25%) profit from first use versus $4 from redecos (33%) but fans think we make $6 a figure on redecos (50%). Hasbro says : Redecos are not as profitable as you might think. Some fans hear : Hasbro barely makes any money of poor redecos. Poor Hasbro.
I'm just sick of all the hate repaints are always getting. True, some of them tend to seem unnecessary; yes, I hate all those Bumblebee repaints as much as the next guy; but sometimes, repaints can be really good, and sometimes a good repaint can redeem a good mold ruined by an ugly initial color scheme.
There is a big process. It works for takara since they make new characters or improve old toys. It a negative for hasbro with a let's add another bumblebee and it will shelfwarm until it 4.00 dollars on sale.
The are less cheap now after Mattel Screwed the Pouch on Safety the other year. and made all the toy makers do more safety tests by law. However the idea is to recoop the cost of the mould as much as anything if you can get 100,000-250,000 or more figure out of the steel mould you'd not want to only run off 20,000 figure from it you'd not be recooping your cost so well then as if you either make a huge number of something or use the same mould to make another character or repaint. I think that was why Hasbro repainted DOTM Voyager Optimus so much as they had a narrow window to recoop the cost. It might be viable to use a deluxe mould for a single character though if they make enough of them. This is one of the main reasons it's a bit crazy to not get better use out of the First Edition moulds in the months to come - otherwise they just won't be as profitable for them. I hope they realise the primary desire is for the original colours to be more widely available and not for a mad repaint or Bulkhead with a new head. Perhaps one of the reasons Takara toys are so expensive is because they have fewer repaints of them. Also bare in mind the last few years many moulds are made with the intention of producing them as another character from the outset. Personally there's some "Repaints" I still actively want - such as some more Cybertron Starscream repaints. or Jetfire as Skyfall. And as I've said a time or two in the past I think there's merit to be had in producing the Energon Terrocons in a range of other colours - as the moulds they have repainted a lot are mainly cars and things like the Insecticon or Ravage could bare a few more colours from them I think. Like Glit or Bombshell colours maybe ?
Yeah, I'm not sure I believe them. BUT- if it's true, then why so many pointless remakes when they could give us new molds instead?