I really wouldn't call a paltry $4 jump a symptom of "greed".

Probably, more that the US-Asia exchange rate just tanked over the last couple of weeks, so they're probably covering their ass.

 

Let's do some quick math:

Stormbomb: 934 in stock x $4= $3,736
Backfiery: 1563 for preorder x $4= $6,252
Thundershed: 578 in stock x $4= $2,312
Total profit made on measly $4 increase: $12,300

Also, if it was the US/Asia exchange rate, please explain why the remainder of their import figures stayed at the same exact price. This should be effected across the board.

Lastly, is an 8.35% fluctation the norm in monthly exchange fluctations. If it is, we're in serious trouble.

I'll make a deal. Some one explain the factors I want you to explain and I back off. 1+1 does not equal 3. I am just trying to get someone to show me how 1+1=2 here.

 

^ That is assuming they all sell out and don't eventually show up for clearance prices at a later date.

 

theres a chance that Shrapnel and Bombshell were slightly underpriced, and the price hike on Kickback is to cover some sort of expense. or perhaps Kickback actually cost more to make, and they projected him at a certain price, but he ended up costing more, possibly due to a QC issue. whatever the reason, its not the end of the world


EDIT:: OR (and i think this is likely) the $4 bump is to cover the cost of all those extra blades for Stormshred.

 

They cleared a butt load of stock on Stormbomb, so I think they will clear these.

Yeah, but then all the other stores would jack the price just like BBTS/TFSource if that was the case.

I would say your arguement more then any other made the most sense.

You know what my theory is. I'll share. They were looking at their best selling items and identified that these were most likely them. They then jacked up the price to make additional profit in a quick manner. If these continue to sell like hotcakes, it is an easy 12Gs to be made in the next month or so. I don't think that is a far stretch. Also, it won't be the first time that a company has taken advantage of FP popularity to make a profit.

 

it could be BBTS giving out the extra blades. I don't know how TFSource handles their customer service, but i get the feeling that the hike could also be to cover their own thing.

or maybe FP did a price hike, and these two DID increase their prices, while no one else did, not wanting to change prices on their customers. I just get the feeling its those blades

 

FP packaged those blades, not BBTS.

Maybe other companies did not want to pass along the costs, but it hurts those smaller companies not to pass on the cost. I'd figure a smaller seller is working on smaller profit margins.

 

Wouldn't be a first time fans did the same thing. So we all do it, including other online stores. I am saying this based on "if" your assumptions are correct.

We have members that jack up prices RIGHT AFTER things are sold out on online stores. We also have online store jack up (but not nearly the amount within the time span) as fans. Even if this were the case (I don't believe there is enough evidence for me to believe so), it isn't abnormal.

 

Of course it is not abnormal. I am okay with it as long as people stop pretending this is not just pure greed on their part. As long as that is admitted, I am okay.

I just would like for us fans to keep getting screwed all the damn time. Seems like the norm. I mean you can see the profit margins these companies have on figures. It is not like $5 a figure. Look at Amazon Unicron for instance. They buy at $60 and sell it at $90. I mean that is straight 50% jack up on price. (BTW, shipping is free)

I mean, just on the search page for unicron, you have the $90 Unicron, and $35.00 for the Unicron stand that does nothing but sit there. It doesn't transform, it doesn't swivel, it doesn't have height adjustment, nothing. Just like $2 of plastic sold at $35.

I am all for companies making profits and such, but come on, we just keep getting screwed left and right on cost all the damn time. It would be nice if the companies we did business with really took care of us.

I guess POL is the best we get.

 

Amazon offers free shipping, but for BBTS (or anybody else) to ship that thing, it would be around $10-15. That cuts their profit in half.

 

What I meant is that Amazon is giving them free shipping, so the final price for them is $60.

They don't lose money on shipping at all, they charge you by the pound. So your still paying for shipping. If you look, even with your POL, as you order, your shipping cost keeps increasing on lbs. level. So while initially it is like $11, then they add +1 per pound. So this guy costs you $15 to ship, not BBTS.

It is straight 50% profit for them. No money loss there.

 

I am only agreeing with you on the basis that your argument is right. I stand on the opposite side of the camp on this, but arguing on the point of price rise is getting old and boring for me =)

But with regards to what you said, "pure greed" is totally debatable. A company's purpose is to generate profit, and if the profit generated is considered "fair" (which in itself have now become a relative term), I don't see an issue. How is BBTS feeding its staff, for example? Therefore, I disagree that BBTS's price rise, EVEN if it is on purpose, implies PURE GREED. There are so many hidden factors not considered.

I prefer to give them the benefit of the doubt until evidence shows otherwise.

 

Yeah, human nature. And I agree this is getting boring a bit too. At this point I am just repeating myself.

But if you ever sold any figures to BBTS and saw their resale cost on those figures, you would see the type of profits they make on stuff. Of course there are other factors as well, but trust me, no one is starving there.

To be honest, the nickle and diming shit gets me more then anything else. I mean, there was no real reason to raise this price. That is my point. It is to make money.

I have no problems that companies try to make money, but seriously, we get killed when collecting TFers. We are such an easy damn target.

 

Well... most collector items are like that, especially in the toys realm.

Nickle and Diming gets to me as well, but I dunno why I find it more tolerable with certain groups, companies, or what nots, maybe because something else makes up for me. (disclaimer: it does not mean I agree with you that's what BBTS is doing here. I do agree with you that Nickle and Diming is a terrible, rude, and cheap decision of anybody)

 

You sir are absolutely right. I agree on nearly everything including this repetitive subject matter. As well thought out some of these posts have been on both sides everything is just being repeated.

 

You know what, I thought about this last night. It is the increase that pisses me off the most.

If BBTS or TFSource started this at $51.95 I really wouldn't have given a shit less. That would have been fine. It is the nickle and diming, or in this case dollaring that pisses me off. Let's add $4. Hahahahahah, damn TFer suckers will pay anything, muhahahaha.

 

This is a reality that the fans have created. They are just taking advantage of the situation. It is capitalism and greed but at the end fo the day they are doing nothing we are not allowing them to do.

 

OK, I created a safe heaven to post cost conversation as to not derail other threads. Please join me for some tea and some debate:

http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-toy-discussion/468706-unfair-pricing-tfers-toys.html#post6680764