TF Views

Dominic wrote:That is more or less what I told her. I also pointed out that Hasbro is simplifying designs, which cuts the development time/cost. (She is smart enough to catch that sort of thing, if not know why.) She gets it. But, even if I were willing to actually stump for Hasbro, she would not decide that made it okay.

Hasbro isn't *just* simplifying design though, Smokescreen has more parts than any figure I can think of in the last 2 years, they're slowly learning to get smarter with how they use those budgets - making a friction hinge instead of shooting a pin through the joint, or making a part safe to run in ABS instead of having to rely on shooting it in softer PVC, that sort of thing. But for her, only the product can sell itself, she's not invested enough to wait until they get back to running speed.

Dude, 25A Joes were $5 dollars in 2007 and were up to $8 a year later. That was Hasbro getting greedy. This is the same damned thing mixed with a healthy dose of laziness.

That wasn't greed or laziness, that was something much worse... market disinterest. When you start selling 1/10th the volume you had been, you cannot make up profit on volume anymore, you have to make it up more on individual units, which means price increases to offset volume losses.

Toys are a hobby item. They are a wholly discretionary purchase. People can skip them, even dispose of toys them already have, with no real consequence. The value is largely perceived. And, the minute the purchase is not seen as "worth it", the item is not getting sold.


My cousin has other things that she wants to do. She is not going to spend $20 on a damned Deluxe. She is looking at colleges. She just got her driver's license, and is likely looking at cars. Did I mention that she likes cars and it likely going to kit her vehicle out when the time comes?

She got in to cars and TF by watching NASCAR. (Hey, she has her hobbies.) Given the chance, she would rather go to a racing event with her friends than buy toys. Hasbro's current prices are going to force that kind of binary decision.

Sounds like she'll need money to buy a second car and more insurance.

-notes that she is also the daughter that I will never have.

Never say never.

Honestly, after kids like my cousin and a few others, I really do not want them. If nothing else, I would measuring my own children against the standard of another child, which would not be fair to them. (I just happen to be very fond of this particular kid.)

But for her, only the product can sell itself, she's not invested enough to wait until they get back to running speed.

Dude, I do not think that I am invested enough in the property to wait around.



Dom
-hates to say it....