rumours/reports of impending price increases

[Dominic]

I saw a report at the AllSpark. It looks credible.

If it is accurate, Deluxes will cost closer to $20, with other price points likely being scaled up proportionally or phased out.

In terms of percentage, this is less of an increase than the (then staggering) price jump at the beginning of the UT. But, so soon after the late Bayformer era price-bump, it is bothersome.

To add insult to injury, unlike the UT, the design teams are obviously cutting corners on the newer toys. The UT toys were not perfect, but (especially in the case of the earlier toys) the design and engineering was clearly ambitious. The FoC figures (and many of the "Prime" figures) are the product of obvious laziness. Casual customers may not notice the design simplification. But, they are definitely going to notice the smaller sizes.

I wonder if Hasbro might move to Japanese style boxes on smaller toys, as a way to sort of "mask" the price bump. If done right, that could also save space (or at least offer more flexibility in how that space is used) at the retail level.



Dom
-and the line just gets easier and easier to skip.

[Shockwave]

Like I needed one more reason not to buy toys. Still, Hasbro is continuing to make not buying toys easier. It's Takara that's making online buying a tough pass, what with reissuing Fort Max and what not.

[Onslaught Six]

I'm not paying $20 for Deluxes. I guess this means I'm out.

[Dominic]

Fort Max is easier to skip when you consider the price. (Look it up. Look it *way* up.)

The $20 price tag alone is not enough to push me out. But, a $20 price tag on top of lazier designs and ever decreasing quality control is.

Most of us have bought imports or convention exclusives at one time or another. You can try to rationalize it all you want. But, a $45 toy is a $45 toy, regardless of it being imported or otherwise exclusive. Not quite 15 years ago, I bought most of BW Neo. But, most of those toys were "worth it". Most of those toys had better design and execution than many of the toys being sold today. (Even the recolours in Neo tended to be better than the US toys.)

The best designed toys out right now are largely in a store exclusive recolour line consisting largely of moulds from 2+ years ago. That is a serious problem.


Dom
-figures that $15 Joes cannot be far behind.

[BWprowl]

I'll believe it when I see it. No, seriously. They told us for like six years that Deluxes were going to go up in price, and it only actually just happened *this year*. I haven't seen the report you're talking about, but unless it's got actual cited references from Hasbro or something, I'm going to assume it's the same panicky, baseless, sky-is-falling bullshit this idiotic fandom loves to propogate. Hasbro's still pushing Transformers hard in a variety of size classes and lines (I am ASTOUNDED that Bot Shots are still on shelves), with Deluxes being the only ones that have increased at all (Voyagers remain at $20), and a new friggin' movie coming out in the next year. Keep calm and carry on, everything will be fine.

Or believe whatever you hear on the internet, I don't care.

[Onslaught Six]

Fort Max is easier to skip when you consider the price. (Look it up. Look it *way* up.)

$350 is not that bad for Fort Max period.

[Shockwave]

Fort Max is easier to skip when you consider the price. (Look it up. Look it *way* up.)

$350 is not that bad for Fort Max period.

Especially case fresh with his sword!

[andersonh1]

Deluxes only recently went up to $15, which is too much for me. I've already pretty much quit buying them. A $20 price point would seal the deal.

[Dominic]

I would be willing to pay more for some figures. But, Hasbro needs to deliver better product. I would *maybe* pay Scout prices for the modern standard of Deluxes.

Fort Max is a *big* toy. But, that is about all one could say for it. Have you ever fiddled with a Fort Max? That same impressive size makes it cumbersome. It does not have $350 worth of display or fiddle value.

Dom
-shoulder surfing a kid watching "Dragon Ball" in the computer lab.

[Onslaught Six]

To you, maybe! Some of us like Fort Max.

That said, I would like a tiny Fort Max more.