Yeah, they just didn’t plan well IMO and expected too much return. I know I’m not unique - I am at the age where I sort of have disposable income, and while I’m not the figure purchasing type for myself, I do do it vicariously through my 3 year old boy.
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My Skylanders collection for instance[/details]
But I’m not buying a KID a $40 transformer. I’m not buying him a $30 transformer. If you expect me to buy ‘movie licensed’ toys, then it can’t go past $20 for the good stuff. And I’m not saying that as a cheap skate, its just real talk. for instance
This Toothless toy runs for $34 regular price. No one bought it. Once it dropped to under $20, they flew off the shelves. Especially comparing it to the other HTTYD toys that retail for $10-$15.
TF toys for die hards or REAL fans of the series can be priced at whatever is fair market, but if you are going to ride out on movie toys, you got to cap it at $20-$25.
I would have to agree. The increased pricepoint has really been what’s killing things. $50 for the leader class figures that are out now is ridiculous. What’s worse are those Titan figures. They are basically dolls that have a price tag of 19.99. Action masters had more poseability. The only figures that have come out lately that seem to have been worth the MSRP price boost were ROTF leader versions of Optimus and Starscream. ROTF Prime still has to be one of the greatest marvels in articulation, transformation, and outright sculpt.
So, I wrote this up for FB, but I feel this is important enough to warrant sharing it elsewhere, but especially here, as TF was my inspiration, and it has direct real-life parallels right now.
We live in a glorious time, even with all the frankly horrific downsides; things ARE gonna work out, contrary to what impressions you may get from the things that happen.
But, all things come to an end; and the bad things are the first to die, when it comes down to it.
In any case, never has there been a time when you can have this be the theme for someone, and people will have known it word for word for decades, by heart, and it’ll be as meaningful now as it was back then, if not more so.
Keep your heads held high, folks, the sky’s the start, never the limit!
Honestly the 3 step or so $9 figures were the only movie licensed figures worth looking at. I can’t speak to actual performance, but from a look/complexity/price stand point - they were ‘ok’, just because of the movie, I didn’t CARE about them…can’t put that on Hasbro though. Too many non-transforming figures either - you are spot on about the 3’ ‘dolls’, and I mentioned the pull-back toys in the TF Movie thread. I almost caved and bought the Grimlock double pack at TRU for Nathan - but even with 2 figures, it was still $20 per figure or close to it, making it just too dag on expensive for me to get for a kid ‘on a whim’ - birthday or reward is different - but movie toy related purchases are usually ‘on a whim’ for kids - at least with my experience.
One day I’ll just eBay a bunch of them for $100 and get $300 worth of toys for him. I’ve been buying the Construct Transformers from 5 below, he’s got like 5 of them - Silverbolt, Bumblebee, Barricade, and I forget the other two, maybe Ratchet. For $5 its hard to argue with, though Walmart wanting $12 or 13 for Megatron was too much.
On that note, regarding toylines, a widely-liked favorite is now gonna be half price(down from USD $100+!)
Henkei Classics Jetfire, up to pre-order. http://tfsource.com/henkei/cybertroncon-skyfire/
I think Hasbro saw that the online retailers like BBTS are selling for $80 or so and thought, "Hey were giving them a cheaper offering"
However they are dumb because
many people who preordered the Takara version paid around 50-65 when it was relatively new.
2), supposedly there are bootlegs that are high quality that go for 50.
Unlike soundwave from last year, there isnt any additional “content”. US Hasbro MP Soundwave had 5 cassettes as opposed to 1 with Takara.
Hasbro Prowl is looking like he may not have the rocket launchers or anything extra.
Prowl is more important to comic fans, but compared to Op, Soundwave, Starscream, I think Hasbro is overestimating his appeal a bit.
As someone has no MP and hates the distribution/ rat race to get a MP in the US, I really wish Hasbro would partner with Amazon or put MP through their own Hasbrotoyshop instead of TRU. TRU always jacks up the price after 2-3 weeks and theyre hard to find, and scalpers come and buy like 5 at a time and sell them for 2x
I think its funny that its cheaper to buy MP 10 optimus from Takara (300) than look for a Hasbro one on ebay (450. really son?) :lol:
The article mentions the Brainmaster >> Saber >> Star Saber configuration, but not if this figure will do it. To be honest, It doesn’t look like it stepped out of the anime series like some of the other MPs look (at least from those angles). Like Magnus, it seems a little chubby. The big thing to me is that he has to be able to hold his sword with two hands. Like the feature with MP Soundwave’s arms that allow him to hit the eject button It’s one of those poses that define the character.
It’ not bad, but MP-10 does it just as good, and it transforms. I am sure this is a pretty good statue since it’s a hot toys release. If MP 10 had a better paint job, this wouldn’t be needed.
Sad it took 3P companies to force HasTakTomy to show them a contender in the combiner game. I promise you Devastator HAS to be in the pipe. Now I still need to understand why Generations Optimus Prime is a terrible figure.
EDIT - I know why, they are using the Voyager Prime mold as Motormaster.
