well, let's see then, if I remember what I learned in school correctly there are more people in the US than in whole Europe (off course, these numbers are a couple of years old), so that in it's own right should make it so that the sales in the US are higher than in Europe, and that would be if Hasbro had sales figures depending on continent, which I doubt. Logically, their sales figures will by country and then indeed, Belgium would probably only have 1% sales of what the entire US has, but Belgium is also only the size of New York, nobody takes that into account, now let's also factor in the high price, which makes it so that anyone who can afford it buys their TFs from another country, probably America or Japan, and the fact that we only get a handfull of figures of each line, which makes it so that there are less TFs to buy to start with and indeed, you get low sales numbers in Europe. I have even noticed that the webshop I mentioned in my intial post (archonia) sells the American and Japanese versions of the figures, NOT the European version (difference between American and European versions? the Packaging). So I'm guessing that Hasbro Europe charges them more for the same figures as Hasbro America.
Yes, the US population is much higher then countires in Europe. Pretty obvious. If somehow, Europe could get sales of TFs up to about the same level as the US, you'd probably see prices drop & get more waves. Its well established on the site that Transformers are at least 2x US prices in Europe. What about other toylines that they share with the US (Star Wars, GIJoe, Marvel, LEGO)? Are these also 2x the price?
depends which company makes the stuff, marvel is hardly available because we don't have comic books, GI Joe isn't sold here anymore but star wars is i think also twice the US price and still your argument doesn't make sense about the prices, because otherwise, why would prices be so different between countries? I'm telling you, hasbro only cares about the US
The problem is not Belgium alone (the prices aren't better in France, if you think that, you just happen to go to the wrong stores), it's the European commercial mentality: make big profit on each sale rather than selling more things at a cheaper price to make the same profit. But yeah, import is still cheaper than buying at retail anywhere in Europe... Chinese sellers, you will always be my friends!
If France isn't better, then how come I pay less for a certain figure in Auchan than I would in any Belgium store?
Unfortunately, customs are more aggressive, just plain nosey, in some European countries than others.
Indeed, another something I found out when researching importing a car, is that in Belgium, customs gets to estimate the value of what you import and you have to pay taxes on the estimation. so with the example of a car: you buy let's say a nissan skyline R32 in Japan for about 2000 euros (i've seen an import site where you really can get one for that price). The car arrives in Belgium and the customs get to look it over and estimate that it's worth 5000 euros, than you pay taxes on those 5000 euros. And a guy I know once imported 100 Guy Fawkes masks for a party he was giving (everybody had to wear one of those masks). The package arrives in customs, they see the quantity of the masks and they give him another 100 euros in taxes because they assume he's importing them to sell them. He then had to use the money he had set aside for the drinks for his party, to get those masks out of customs and then indeed sell them to get back the money for the drinks.
Because Auchan is cheaper than what store you usually go into in Belgium, that's all. You can find Deluxes for 14€ in Belgium and you can find the exact same figure for 25€ in France as well. It's not about the country, it's about the store. If you really want a price difference country wise, you'll have to travel overseas.
Try Colruyt, Cora, Bart Smit, Intertoys (and avoid no matter what: Maxi Toys and La Grande Récré). Their prices are nowhere as good as those you could find in USA but they're the cheaper I could find without ordering from China and such. Last prices I remember from there: 14,35 each for Generations WFC Prime and Bee (when they got released) and 14,99 for RTS G2 Prime, 9 for Breacher. Even cheaper than Archonia. By the way, if you're also interested in older TFs, check Intertoys regularly, they often have great sales on old items like Leaders from past year for 19,95€.
The two nearest Colruyt stores in my area have either no toys or hardly any, Bart Smit in my area has the same prices as anywhere else except for the occasional sale on figures nobody buys (not that they have a wide selection anyways) and Cora and Intertoys aren't anywhere near where I live Are you by any chance from the french part of Belgium?
That's ridicolous and I doubt it confirmes with european import laws. If I buy a Nissan Skyline from Japan for €2000,- and import it to Holland, I pay 19% + inklaring (import) over 2000, not more. At least not for the import. If customs screw you by saying it's 5000, you shouldn't take it and show what you payd. That's the value, not what a catalog at the customs office says And wishing for the same prices in the store, as seen online is completely insane. Everyone knows a store asks more than online in Europe. Stores have rent, advertisment, employees, heavy taxes, where online stores have almost non of these. If I want to buy a dishwasher, the price in a store is almost certain 25% or more higher than a online store.
I can only say what I know (and it's 21% in Belgium). Also, I'm not wishing for the same prices as an online store (although that store in France is actually cheaper than the online shop I shop at) I just want more affordable prices. They can sell them for 14,50 in France and apparently even in the French part of Belgium, but they can't sell them at that price in the dutch part of Belgium? what kind of BS is that?
mmm actually the average range of price for a deluxe is 18 euros here in france, only some old models got a better cost (like now, the animated) the price is also quite variable depending on which store you go
well, last time I went to Auchan all deluxes were 14,50 no matter which series they were from, even the DOTMs (though they had only three Roadbusters left from DOTM) But I will give you that, that the price changes almost every time I go there, though i've never seen a price higher than 16 euros for a deluxe in Auchan, and even that's a reasonable price in my opinion. And even if it are only the older figures that drop in price, they at least drop in price, in Belgium they first become shelfwarmers, then they go back into the warehouse for half a year and then they try to sell them at two thirds of the price (or if they get really desperate, half price). do you know what I paid for a figure from the 2007 movie a couple of months ago in Belgium? 10 euros do you know what I paid for a ROTF figure in Auchan a week later? 6 euros do you know what the price is for an Animated deluxe in Belgium? 20 euros at the cheapest.
@ BigB: It's all a game of supply and demand. If Belgian stores want to make a certain amount of profit on a product, they can ask whatever they like. And like mentioned before, it depends on the store you go to. You cannot say "They can sell them for 14,50 in France and apparently even in the French part of Belgium, but they can't sell them at that price in the dutch part of Belgium? what kind of BS is that?", because you don't know if it's the same in the whole Vlamish region. Same as in Holland. Here a lot of stores have stuff for a certain price, but if you look on the Dutch and Belgian Transformerforums, you see people hinting others where in the same franchise stuff is cheaper. I feel for you mate, but revolting against toystores isn't the way. Spending a lot of money on gass, or public transportation, to get a bot for a few euro's less isn't either. You can beter do the math and choose for online stores in Holland (Gerrutcamaro), Belgium(Archonia), USA (TFSource, BBTS), Japan (Robotkindom, Etoysjapan), Ebay, Marktplaats and the forums of Belgium and Holland (BTFA, TLF and Transfans). A little effort saves a lot of money
Actually they are rather laks when you read the import laws, which are the same in all EU countries, but some countries don't amply them the way they should be applied (The Netherlands spring to mind..). Customs are there to watch what your importing and why, nothing to do with nosey. If you can't live with that don't import.
Never seen WFC or generations in any store here (might inform where you found them?), bought them at archonia. They were released in France i read.
Big B's knowlegde of custom law is rather limited it seems. Before making bold statements better to get your information right first instead of listening to peoples exhuberant claims of how it's done Customs can value an item if the importer can not produce sufficiant evidence for his purchaseprice or when fraud is committed.
Exactly. Customs should ask for a receipt, not make up their own prizes. Cause that's what they're doing. Fraud? I think it's theft if you claim 250% of the tax your allegedly owe.
