Good parents should be telling their kids that from the get-go, and not for toys, just life in general... But, your post was funny, I laughed.
Well, if you must complain, how about complaining on behalf of the people who have it worse than you? Sort out Australia's hacked-up prices first, then see about Europe, and then perhaps north America.
Why? American consumers are going to be concerned with prices on American products. Europeans with European prices, etc It would be nice, sure, if that were the case. The vast majority of us here are from the States so we will be speaking about things as they relate to our perspective
Yea my bad, I just meant the prices in general. I live in North America so that is what I have with experience with, we are all in this price increasing shithole, just at different rates really
If I could love a post... Because we're not supposed to be douchebags? We're supposed to have empathy for others? We'd want someone to care about us if we were in the same situation? If their prices were already garbage, and our prices go up, then they're priced out thus leaving the fandom with a big hole in it. And if we must be selfish in our thoughts, think about this...if that happens, then we suffer when the line dies because the US isn't capable of carrying the line on its own.
People have the right to complain. Just because their situation may not be as bad as others’ doesn’t make their reasons for complaining any less valid. Yes US prices aren’t as bad as overseas. That doesn’t mean US consumers haven’t seen a price increase. That doesn’t mean that we’re any less enthused or more willing to pay higher costs long term. If that qualifies me as a “douchebag”, fine? I guess? Sure? lol Granted, we’re talking about toys here. Nonetheless people flop about the word empathy these days far, far, FAR too liberally. I don’t understand how this became a moral argument. It’s a non sequitor to OP’s question. The “well we have it worse than you do so shut up” argument stands on fairly weak ground.
People can complain, people can also complain about the complainers. It's easy to think "me, me, me" but it takes little extra to consider the plight someone else is going through or has been going through all this time. So, when someone says "welcome to the party" instead of crying and gnashing teeth, they could say something like "yeah, I don't know how you guys did it..." or "man, you guys had it bad, this sucks!" We US collectors take things for granted. Yes, the price increases suck, but until we're in the shoes of our European (I count Australia among them, Parliament and all) and South American brethren, we're not really going to know just how much this sucks for real. Yeah, it's not great paying $20.00 for something that was like...$16.00 last year, but at least we can do it. You're not factoring in the ability to buy them at BBTS with a POL or even better places like Toy Dojo or The Chosen Prime where we're rewarded for doing so. We're not having to buy from the other side of the world, which adds to the price, and waiting weeks to months only to get a lemon and not be back at square one, but worse off because now we don't have the money to cover the replacement or its shipping. No, I don't think it's too liberal. I think empathy can spring up from the simplest or less important of things and actually spread to bigger/wider implicating issues. If we give a crap for someone in their "best" of times, we're far more likely to really feel for them in their worst times. If we push our humanity aside all the time, we'll never have it in necessary times. I've been on both sides of the tracks when it comes to having money in my pocket. I've STILL had it better than some have had, period. The fact that I can even sit here and discuss it with you tells me I still have it better than some and that's a sad thing to say. I can certainly empathize with someone upset with their situation because they're in an area Hasbro doesn't care about. So does the argument of "well we have it bad, too, so we're going to complain and we don't want you complaining that we're complaining". How about this? It sucks all the way around, we're in agreement, let's move on with our lives?
Yeah, with the movie toys they kept getting smaller while the prices went up. On a whim I bought Titan Master Hardhead. He felt cheap, hollow, and floppy compared to older toys that were bigger and cheaper at the time.
Plight? These are toys, man. Yes but...I'm not taking into account what other countries pay. It's irrelevant to American consumers. We’re talking about empathy for toys. You realize how ridiculous your kumbaya mentality sounds in this context? Right? As to your last point, that was the direction where this thread was going until Imperator started whining.
To be perfectly honest, Transformers were almost criminally underpriced for a time. We were truly spoiled. Yes, I balk at a $20 Deluxe but for the price you get a pretty impressive parts count, heft, and now paint and articulation. The price has gone up a lot in the past few years. And other brands haven't gone up like that. But that's because it was insane that I could buy two Deluxes for the price of a single Marvel Legend. It stings seeing the prices of Transformers go up relative to other brands (which it inarguably has done in the past few years), which renders the "inflation" argument tough to swallow. But at least we're getting a quality product for what is, in my opinion, a fair price. Especially considering the sheer number of "for kids" Transformers that are simpler, have less paint, less articulation, and yet still somehow cost basically the same. It's wild that it's the collectors who are getting the better deal right now. ... except for the smallest price points. $6 for a Targetmaster is insane, as is $5 for a Micromaster considering a Legion-class figure is way larger and costs the same (and $5 is a pretty significant price hike for that class, too).
The price could rise, but it could also fall Price increases are not due to inflation, there are many things that affect how a transformer is priced. This is not my job so I am only stating what I have researched about this which is not a lot The price of plastic is rising faster than inflation. The price of plastic could continue to rise, but it could also Fall. Plastic is a limited resource, but whether or not the oil that makes up plastic is running out (Peak Oil) is a controversial issue right now. Demand also changes the price. I don't know how to explain this point effectively but the price could decrease if enough people are willing to pay for the toy at a lower price, and the same is true for price increases. The Revenge of the Fallen toyline was the first time in recent history that the price of the deluxe transformer increased, and that was following the wildy successful first Transformers movie line. Likely what happened is the price increases because a lot of people were willing to pay the extra $2.50 (or however much it was) for a deluxe figure. So the cost and demand are two factors affecting the price of Transformers toys. If the price of plastic continues to rise the price of toys will probably continue to rise and if enough people are willing to pay for Transformers at a higher price than the price will rise; but the price could go lower if enough people were willing to buy the toys at a lower price Other things might affect the price, like the price of competing products but I don't know a lot about everything that goes into pricing products. It is definitely interesting to research the business side of this hobby, I recommend it
I know they're toys. My point is if you have empathy/sympathy in the littlest things, chances are you will in the big things. Sometimes the little things can make or break a day for someone. I'd rather be understanding of their current situation than to be cruel about it and mock them for it. My posts just so happened to be about toys, but my point was more generalized than anything. And you say foreign costs are irrelevant to American consumers, but they're not. You might not realize it, but they collectors around the world are connected and do influence each other, especially in terms of the market. If one area isn't buying or they're not getting what's supposed to be coming to them, it reports skewed numbers back to Hasbro and they don't bother with that area or those consumers anymore, they move on. And with a smaller buying audience, they make the same product, but fewer people to buy, so they raise the prices on those who do buy. (Namely us, in the US.) And Imperator can complain. You can also complain about him complaining, he and I can both complain about you complaining about it. Sorry, you're unhappy about the pricing, I'm saying we're all fortunate enough to have the ability to complain, let alone have first world problems. *shrug*
Getting back to the root of the thread here, prices on Transformers are increasing. Collectors are upset about it. Let’s discuss. For some reason people like touting the “my country has it worse, so stfu America” argument. This adds absolutely bubkiss to the discussion. Same with saying “these are first world problems.” This is a transformers forum, not Model UN. And thankfully not the cesspool that is r/politics. Let’s leave the “holier than thou” posturing to those places Let’s focus on why they’re rising as opposed to pouting about who has it worse.
You didn't add anything to the discussion, either. There are more productive ways to discuss the situation and people might not like what's being said. You want to move on? Okay. You made your complaint, Imperator made his, I've made my point pertaining to that specific discussion. Let's move on and admit it just sucks for everyone, period. How's that? Now, back on main topic. This is going to settle for a while, the current pricing, but it'll probably climb again in another 2-5 years or so. It's one thing for Takara-Tomy to ask their current pricing because Japan is expensive, and now Hasbro is forcing them to focus on the world and not just what's outside their windows. On top of that, they're now exporting directly and letting Hasbro Pulse do it instead of Hasbro Asia's factories picking up the ball and running with it for them. That's all going to raise costs. Plus moving factories to Vietnam and India isn't going to be cheap or easy, either. Cheaper and easier than they'd have us believe (they've had to move factories before) but not as much as we believe it might be. And forget politics (because we're not allowed to discuss them, nor do I want to. I hate discussing them with a passion.) it's also about having their stuff stolen right out of the factory. From molds, to figures, to entire production runs(!), they had to get out of Dodge to recoup some of their losses. China wasn't really doing anything to help them and pressure from fans, retailers, and safety laws aren't helping either. Prices suck. The only thing we can do is vote with our wallets and not buy them, but if we do that, the die-hards will continue purchasing them and their costs will go up and as long as Hasbro gets even a buck, they'll keep doing what they're doing. For us to really make an impact, every single collector the world over would have to band together, along with parents and tell them "Nope. We're done buying your figures at this price. Fix it or I'm out." and that'll never, ever happen. The only options are: Pay and eat the cost or stop collecting. Hobbies are expensive, there's nothing we can do about it.
I don’t see how general retail releases will be a thing a decade down the road for Transfomers. It’s kind of a joke how smaller deluxe figures are twice as expensive as they were just a little over 10 years ago. This isn’t a sustainable industry outside hardcore fans. $25 for a deluxe down the road is outright outrageous when an Ultra Class from Universe 2.0 was bigger AND had electronics. This isn’t inflation alone. Crude oil prices have fallen and likely will continue to do so. T US economy would be in deep doo-doo if this was an inflation issue. And yet the stock market is the highest it’s ever been. Declining physical toy sales is likely the explanation.
When the exchange rate is taken into account, are Australians really paying that much more for Transformers than Americans? I am on Australian Target and the prices for Transformers: Siege figures are 34 AUD for a Deluxe, 49 AUD for a Voyager, 89 AUD for a Leader. According to the exchange rate right now that is roughly $23 Deluxe, $33 Voyager, $60 Leader. Compare US Target prices; $20, $30, $44. By my calculations the price is larger, but for the Deluxe and Voyager figures it does not seem to be much of a difference at all. Is there something I am missing here?
You can complain but other folks can make opposing points or show stuff that gets overlooked or minimized. I’m -glad- Hasbro made the price/size changes we got in Siege because the alternative would be the TF products division of Hasbro would have eventually been shut down or sold off to another company. I don’t think Hasbro is gouging us. I think the toy aisle is a super cutthroat business. Just think about how many brands and types of toys that exist today and are marketed at the 6-12 age range? How many brands have survived the 80s? The future will be ruled by Marvel, Star Wars, Lego and forth place will be TFs. Then you got TMNT, DC and random anime fighting for 5th and 6th. Go look at how much the other toys cost and then cry into your beer about the cost of TFs.
