Prices continue to rise on Transformers toys and other popular brands
Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012 2:07PM CDT
Category: Toy NewsPosted by: Seibertron Views: 34,980
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The retail prices of Transformers toys and other popular brands continues to increase at stores across America. These price increases continue at nationwide chains such as Walmart, Target, Toys R Us, Kmart and others. Is there an end in sight? How much is too much? Is there a limit to how high these prices will climb before you stop collecting? Sure oil prices and overseas labor costs have increased ... but is that enough to justify almost doubling the prices of these toys in the past 2 or 3 years? Share your thoughts and comments by joining our discussion by clicking here.
Pictured below are some new price tags of Transformers and Marvel Universe toys at the Rosemont Target near Chicago, IL. Time to front page this so that others can join the discussion about this issue.
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Posted by King Kuuga on October 3rd, 2012 @ 2:08pm CDT
Posted by samuraiman on October 3rd, 2012 @ 2:10pm CDT
Seibertron wrote:The retail prices of Transformers toys and other popular brands continues to increase at stores across America. These price increases continue at nationwide chains such as Walmart, Target, Toys R Us, Kmart and others. Is there an end in sight? How much is too much? Is there a limit to how high these prices will climb before you stop collecting? Sure oil prices and overseas labor costs have increased ... but is that enough to justify almost doubling the prices of these toys in the past 2 or 3 years? Share your thoughts and comments by joining our discussion by clicking here.
Pictured below are some new price tags of Transformers and Marvel Universe toys at the Rosemont Target near Chicago, IL. Time to front page this so that others can join the discussion about this issue.
$17.39 plus tax??? if this gets around to California i’m done with retail it’s going to be all about online
Posted by Ruthless Cynic on October 3rd, 2012 @ 2:11pm CDT
Posted by Erailea on October 3rd, 2012 @ 2:17pm CDT
Also wondering if this has anything to do with the holidays coming and/or future sales so the store(s) can gain more profits while making the consumer think they are saving...
Posted by Rhinox23 on October 3rd, 2012 @ 2:18pm CDT
That Bot wrote:And why Voyagers aren't getting price-jacked.
...yet.
This is getting a little bit ridiculous. There was a thread I commented on awhile back about changes in TF buying habits. This pricing further justifies buying online from BBTS, TFSource or the like. Not to mention the gas money you save and you don't even have to suffer the frustration from not finding what you want! Online stores will probably see an increase in purchasing...assuming they don't go up in price!
Posted by NebulanFree on October 3rd, 2012 @ 2:18pm CDT
Posted by Seibertron on October 3rd, 2012 @ 2:22pm CDT
Erailea wrote:Is this across the board or just a few stores playing the price hike game?
Also wondering if this has anything to do with the holidays coming and/or future sales so the store(s) can gain more profits while making the consumer think they are saving...
I've been wondering that myself.
Posted by Decatron on October 3rd, 2012 @ 2:23pm CDT
Posted by Bumblevivisector on October 3rd, 2012 @ 2:25pm CDT
To whoever killed the electric car back in the day: Jolt is hunting you down as I type this.
If I saw proof that Hasbro had abandoned sweatshop labor entirely, I wouldn't mind as much, but we seriously need to stop using oil as fuel wherever possible so that it can be used for plastics as Primus intended. There may not be a realistic alternative for rocket and aircraft fuel, but if the U.S. had switched to some sort of electric/solar/flywheel combination for cars 20 years ago, we could've led the whole world away from this situation.
And no, that's not trivial, since the rise in plastic prices is surely hurting products that we actually need.
Posted by CrimsonPrime on October 3rd, 2012 @ 2:26pm CDT
Posted by toonbot on October 3rd, 2012 @ 2:28pm CDT
But I believe it is because the demand is so high. Collectors buy out these toys as soon as they hit the shelves(you know who you are). Collectors will continue to snatch these toys up no matter the cost and Hasbro will continue to raise it.
Posted by Bubbah on October 3rd, 2012 @ 2:34pm CDT
Posted by PrymeStriker on October 3rd, 2012 @ 2:40pm CDT
Posted by Tresob on October 3rd, 2012 @ 2:40pm CDT
Most of my purchases are either from reduced-price liquidators like Marshalls or old lots on eBay.
On a related note, I think this is one of the reasons why Cyberverse and Kre-o are so popular. It's a bit like the Squinkees phenomena. When the regular-scale toys are so expensive, the micro-scales seem like a bargain by comparison (even if they aren't).
Posted by Mkall on October 3rd, 2012 @ 2:48pm CDT
Posted by datguy86 on October 3rd, 2012 @ 3:03pm CDT
Another part of this might be due to competing toy packaging within the same line of toys. Prime, Generations, Bot Shots and Cyberverse - these are all competing for the same shelf space while ultimately being the same thing. And quite frankly, that's a frustrating product to sell because consumers want one and maybe not the other.
Raising the prices also means store can hold "sales" where the product remains "discounted" throughout the season. Of course, the sale price is the the MSRP. HTS always offers the toys at MSRP (though it is telling FoC/Generations went from $12.00 with OP, Jazz and Shockwave to $15.00 with the Combaticons).
Some food for thought.
Posted by Megatron Wolf on October 3rd, 2012 @ 3:08pm CDT
On another note i am ashamed that its come down to this, companies preying on kids like this especially when the economy is shot to shit. I can only imagine how many kids have been unable to buy that toy that they want cause everytime they go to get it & they think they've save up enough the price is higher. All this is going to do is alienate people away from the product and thats going to screw everyone in the long run. A kid is going to realize eventually that hes getting screwed and go elsewhere, remember video games are just as big as toys these days and i wouldnt be surprised if alot of kids start saving their money to get more games than transformers or power rangers. Thats what ive been doing, ive been buying cheap figures off ebay (not just transformers either) & putting the rest of the money towards video games. And now that i look back i saved alot of money. Yeah it does suck that i cant go and get that new figure i want but ive learned to wait and ill pick it up on clearance and if i dont get it then oh well, my collection is still over 1000 strong. 1347 if i remember correctly.
Posted by LordBludgeon on October 3rd, 2012 @ 3:10pm CDT
Posted by RodimalToyota on October 3rd, 2012 @ 3:19pm CDT
WAS 17.95
SALE NOW 15.99!!!!ZOMGWOWLOOKATTTHEMONEYYOURSAVING!!!
Posted by Solrac333 on October 3rd, 2012 @ 3:23pm CDT
Posted by NTESHFT on October 3rd, 2012 @ 3:25pm CDT
Posted by NTESHFT on October 3rd, 2012 @ 3:26pm CDT
Posted by G1 Legacy on October 3rd, 2012 @ 3:26pm CDT
This does seem like good old fashioned greed in effect. I wouldn't be the least bit suprised if this doesn't result in some type of backlash. I like the FOC game but I havn't been the least bit impressed with the figure line associated with it. I'm still trying to figure out what classifies this as a "Generations" line but thats a different discussion. And their charging MORE for these? I mean its ludicrous. I'm well aware that their are plenty of you that like the new line and have the expendable income but doesnt it hurt just a little bit when your forking over that cash or plastic at the register versus what your getting in return?
I bet their will be a ton of peg warmers come the first of the year. And then you'll see a price drop back to previous rates.
For me personaly this has been such a tough year for this hobby. Botcon came too early, prices skyrocketing, the FunPub fiasco and nothing really good coming out except in the Masterpiece line and those cost a small fortune and now to add insult to injury they charge almost $20 for a Deluxe class. I may need to take a breather from this pretty soon, and that sucks b/c its brought so much joy over the years.
Posted by shocksound96 on October 3rd, 2012 @ 3:28pm CDT
Posted by OptiMagnus on October 3rd, 2012 @ 3:31pm CDT
Posted by welcometothedarksyde on October 3rd, 2012 @ 3:47pm CDT
Posted by Homerjay14522 on October 3rd, 2012 @ 3:48pm CDT
So first off, it apparently is the retailers bending us over, not Hasbro. Secondly, why is Hasbro themselves showing 2 prices? It's actually too bad at both Target and Wal-Mart, they will not price match internet prices, you could possibly use the suggested retail price to argue with. Third, what makes these companies think this will work for them with this poor global economy? I'm willing to bet they will find more figures stolen, or bought then returned with incorrect merchandise in the package like I say at a Kmart the other day to the Cyber Verse Optimus Maximus base figure.
I mean, IDK what we can do beyond contacting the manufacturer to put pressure on the retailers to cut their prices. I mean we live in an age where Wal-Mart won't even price match their OWN WEB SITE PRICES. And their Idea of "Clearance" pricing still has 60%profit margin. What happened to the basic economic Idea that you pay for shelf space, and having product not move loses you money. That once the item has been around for a long time, deeply discount it to get it out of the store to get new product in.
It was a while ago, before Prime figures came out that My local Wal-Mart and a section of pegs, 6 wide my 5 tall, pegs holding about 5 figures, all had the DOTM Deluxe Optimus, and the repaint. That is 150 OF THE SAME FIGURES THAT AREN'T selling. This is why we have only seen some figures like Reveal the Shields at the second hand and discount chains like Marshall's and Ollie's. Someone up higher need to take basic economics classes again and learn how to sell product.
Posted by whacko on October 3rd, 2012 @ 3:57pm CDT
I agree with many people that the price of a deluxe class figure should stay below $10. However the truth is that it is likely Hasbro needs to charge these prices, or else stop manufacturing Transformers toys. I don't think this is simply an instance of Hasbro "getting greedy."
Posted by skidflap on October 3rd, 2012 @ 3:57pm CDT
plus some tf prime deluxe class figures have been packaged with a dvd of the episode loose cannons, that's why some of them are almost boarding $20. so far the ones i've seen with this is:
knock out
kup
bumblebee
cliffjumper
wheeljack
soundwave
vehiclcon
other than that, deluxe figures have a decent price tag here. not sure why FOC figures have a high price in other places.
Posted by alekesam on October 3rd, 2012 @ 4:00pm CDT
Yeah, I don't quite get the "charge 'em more for smaller toys" idea either. Some of the WFC TFs figures are pretty bad@$$ but they're not even as big as any of the other lines deluxe toys. Heck, are they even as big as the TF: Prime figures?
I've been surprised by Wal-Mart's recent climb in price because that's where I usually find them the cheapest. Here in California, it hasn't hit 17 bucks yet but I have seen 15 not including tax.
Surprisingly, TRU had the cheapest price by comparison. Even still, I think it's strictly online/ebay/Amazon/other time where I can find deals. 15-17 bucks for deluxes (and not hard to find deluxes, just regular deluxe TFs even) is more than overpriced. May as well just get the Voyagers (which, if they would make all the major characters in the current lines would not be an issue).
Posted by Autobot Joe on October 3rd, 2012 @ 4:00pm CDT
Posted by ARCTrooperAlpha on October 3rd, 2012 @ 4:04pm CDT
YEAHHHHHH !!!!!!!!!
Posted by alekesam on October 3rd, 2012 @ 4:07pm CDT
Posted by Mindmaster on October 3rd, 2012 @ 4:10pm CDT
Posted by ebonyleopard on October 3rd, 2012 @ 4:13pm CDT
Posted by Evil_the_Nub on October 3rd, 2012 @ 4:14pm CDT
Posted by Stryfe Convoy on October 3rd, 2012 @ 4:16pm CDT
1. The cost of plastic and what not. That's already been discussed in earlier posts.
2. The cost of manufacturing the toys. Also already discussed in previous posts.
3. No one seems to want to talk about the fact that the 3rd party toys might actually be a part of the price increase. And no, I'm not saying that 3rd party TFs are a problem. If Hasbro is looking at the collecting community and seeing us buying all these expensive 3rd party toys, which are pretty expensive, and sometimes about the same size as the toys they are trying to sell now, they probably haven't actually purchased those 3rd party offerings and seen the difference in quality. If you saw a competitive manufacturer selling similar products at higher price points, and selling more of them than you are, you either up your prices to match, in an attempt to make your own product not seem so cheap, or you stop manufacturing your product. Simple business economics.
Now I realize I'm about to get a whole hell of a lot of flak for that little paragraph, and please let me explain, I wish I could afford all of those 3rd party toys. They are better quality. They are more fun to transform. They are usually made of better material, though that may just be the few 3rd party pieces I actually own. I just can't afford to get the current crop of Hasbro offerings, let alone the toys I really want in my collection.
I'm not trying to persuade anyone to not buy any certain thing. I just thought it might be food for thought...
Posted by LiKwid on October 3rd, 2012 @ 4:28pm CDT
Deluxes get smaller, Prices get bigger...seems legit...
*note sarcasm...
Posted by 1111111222233333 on October 3rd, 2012 @ 4:39pm CDT
Posted by PrymeStriker on October 3rd, 2012 @ 4:40pm CDT
LordBludgeon wrote:Hmm... I was just at Wal-Mart yesterday and for me they are still listed at 12.99. Hopefully they don't get increased too much in my neck of the woods.
Your location is Cybertron. You're on another planet. Here on Earth, prices are truly outrageous!
ARCTrooperAlpha wrote:PPL !!! Let's BOYCOTT WALMART !!!!
YEAHHHHHH !!!!!!!!!
NAAHHHHHH !!!!!!!!!
LiKwid wrote:Deluxes get smaller, Prices get bigger...seems legit...
*note sarcasm...
Posted by SlyTF1 on October 3rd, 2012 @ 5:19pm CDT
Posted by kirbenvost on October 3rd, 2012 @ 5:20pm CDT
...I'm only pretending to be a dick about it, price increases do suck. It's just that we've been paying 25% more than you guys up here forever, so I didn't feel much sympathy until now. However, this combined with the decreased sizes and complexity and terrible lack of paint apps...yeah, things are getting pretty bad.
Posted by SonicSpazz on October 3rd, 2012 @ 5:29pm CDT
Posted by amtm on October 3rd, 2012 @ 5:50pm CDT
In any case, a couple years ago I dug up scans and pics of U.S. ads and price tags from the '80s and found Starscream was $12.95 at TRU--about the same as a modern Deluxe--and sale prices for deluxe equivalents were around $7 to $8. Keep in mind that's not factoring in inflation. Each dollar was worth more back then.
Just wait for the holiday sales. You'll be able to get Deluxes for $8 to $10 when all is said and done.
Posted by PrymeStriker on October 3rd, 2012 @ 5:55pm CDT
amtm wrote:Just wait for the holiday sales. You'll be able to get Deluxes for $8 to $10 when all is said and done.
But what Deluxes will we see? If they do it right with the holiday reset, we're good.
We just need more shipments. We know how fast Dreadwing, Rumble, Vehicon, Dead End, and others will fly off shelves.
Posted by Noideaforaname on October 3rd, 2012 @ 5:57pm CDT
usinflationcalculator.com wrote:If in 1996 [Beast Wars Deluxe] I purchased an item for: $10
then in 2012 [Prime/FoC Deluxe] that same item would cost: $14.68
That is, $15 Deluxes isn't so much price gauging as it is just adjusting for inflation, and that's exactly where the MSRP (Hasbro's suggested price) is set, implying anything above that is purely on the retailers.
Of course, Hasbro has been noticeably cutting corners with a brand that's been doing phenomenally well lately, which is certainly strange. I could understand if they were made to keep the prices down, but that obviously hasn't happened.
Posted by Manterax Prime on October 3rd, 2012 @ 6:33pm CDT
Plus, a majority of figure nowadays aren't even worth the high price. This is why my lego collection outnumbers the bots and cons. The prices stay the same and only increase with the size of a set, the bigger it is, the more it costs. Not, the samller it is.
HASBRO! GET WITH DAMN PROGRAM!
Posted by Dyn@mo on October 3rd, 2012 @ 6:38pm CDT
Buuut, the fandom have proven time and again that they're more than prepared to fork out huge sums of cash for very little, or shoddily-assembled plastic. So I guess we're partly to blame. You can buy an "exclusive" pink Prime from BBTS for seventy bucks. That thing is as exclusive as a McDonald's cheeseburger, but you can be sure that a healthy portion of the fandom will fork out for it.
Ultimately though the market is our responsibility. It's up to us to vote with our wallets, so if we're really not happy about the situation we know what to do.
As for me, I'm definitely going to be more selective about what I buy. The odd MP here and there. My favourite characters as/when they show up. The most I've ever paid for a TF is about $120 and I'll never pay more than that.
Almost $20 for a deluxe is the point where I have to seriously think about the importance of having another plastic robot on my shelf.
Posted by Manterax Prime on October 3rd, 2012 @ 6:45pm CDT
I'll buy bots too, but the only ones I want are Magnus, Thundertron, and the FE figures.
Posted by RodimalToyota on October 3rd, 2012 @ 6:50pm CDT
MSRP is still the MSRP, the retail chains can change prices as much as they want. This isn't Hasbro's fault. Hasbro made the figures smaller, with less paint apps, and articulation to keep the figures at the MSRP level.
Which If I believe right is supposed to be 12.99$
You want to throw fire, cast it towards the retail tyranny of Walmart and target. They are the only main retail competition, TRU has got their own game and is usually more expensive which doesn't seem to hurt them.
Also, unless ton's of reports start flooding in with this price point.
it could just be a bad Dept manager who is raising prices trying to impress the MOD.
I'd calm down... and go transform something.