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12-21-2009, 11:36 AM | #21 |
pegwarmer.
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: The MI
Posts: 2,287
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Quote:
There is one problem with all of this, the average American consumer is a moron.
Myself included. I paid $40 for a Night Raven. I paid $9.99 for PP Baroness. I will pay $9 or $10 each for the POC line, i will just limit the amount of figures that i buy. I do not have the self control to boycott my favorite toy line in the hopes that prices will go down. Heck, i do not have the self control to wait for WM to get the figures i need, because i worry about not getting them, so i pay the $6 or $6.99 at other retailers. Quote:
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I think it was certainly poor planning on Hasbro's part that they invested so heavily into the RoC line and it resoundingly tanked, necessitating a drastic price mark down, but look at the Tformers line, which continues to sell gangbusters, and is practically a license to print money!! In essence, if a company like Hasbro continues to make oodles of profit from it's other lines, even if RoC isn't doing nearly as well, how are we the purchasing public demonstrating to them through our use of the almightly dollar that they should lower their prices?
As for the popularity of TFs, I think you're right they are a much stronger brand than Joes (and SWs even stronger than TFs), and that is how they company can afford to put out Joes at the retail price they want, even with less being sold at that price point, and still make money overall. This is basic economics 101 - economies of scale - and as Joe-fans it really works in our favor. We should go and thank all the SW Clone wars buying kids that they make so much money for Hasbro that ROC (and, yes, 25th) figs are still able to be clearanced so quickly... Quote:
Sounds about right for the making of the product, but missing ALOT of other things that go into determining the final price. Can't just say, it costs 1-2 bucks to make and ship the figure and then they mark-up from there. Technically, it's true, but that mark-up isn't pure profit.
Hasbro's end: employee salaries, health insurance, manufacturing insurance, facility maintenance, profit, advertising, misc. cost of doing business expenses and probably more Retailer's end: employee salaries, health insurance, manufacturing insurance, facility maintenance, profit, advertising, misc. cost of doing business expenses and probably more So all that needs to be factored in as well. My company, I get billed out to the client at 3x my salary. But that sure as hell isn't all profit for the company, the difference between my bill rate and my salary. It's not to say that the figures/vehicles could be cheaper, they probably could by a buck or so and the companies still make a good profit, but it's no where near as horrible as people like to make it out to be. The revenue coming in to Hasbro comes (mostly) from toy retail sales, and each dollar of that $7 gets divvied up to pay back all the costs you mentioned (and probably some more we don't know). I don't know what Hasbro's actual profit margin per fig is (nobody here does) and I bet the final retail prices could come down a bit and profits cut into without hitting up against total cost. But it's ignorant, myopic and ill-informed to think that retail prices represent a dramatic markup just because manufacturing costs are so low.
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12-21-2009, 11:42 AM | #22 |
Cobra Deus Mors
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Look behind you.
Posts: 622
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angrypandink, thank you. COBRA!!!!
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12-21-2009, 11:44 AM | #23 |
Half-Man, Half-amazing
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 94
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The problem is, if people jsut stop buying these things to send a message to companies, the companies are just going to think they don't sell and won't make any vehicles, playsets or big items. Then people will whine and bitch that Hasbro doesn't care about what the fans want. So either way, you lose unfortunately.
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12-21-2009, 11:49 AM | #24 |
Plastic lover
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Over The Rainbow!
Posts: 8,395
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I'm doing my part. Those ROC figs can rot on the pegs.
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12-21-2009, 12:15 PM | #25 |
Cobra Soldier
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Miami, FL
Posts: 48
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What about all the salaries these companies need to pay? Yes, the mark-up is high, but you make it sound like they can make a toy for pennies and sell for $10 a pop and it's all profit. There is a lot of planning and research and development that happens before even one penny of profit is made. Countless individuals are employed by these companies and a lot of that money is going out to them, not just the CEOs at the top of the chain.
Don't get me wrong, I think that the prices of toys are a little ridiculous but there are a lot of mouths to feed. |
12-21-2009, 12:18 PM | #26 |
Baronesslover
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: CT,USA
Posts: 1,810
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I just think it is an insult to charge 9.99 for ROC figures and then have them on sale for 5 bucks all the time. Its a slap in the face.
Period! |
12-21-2009, 12:22 PM | #27 |
Plastic lover
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Over The Rainbow!
Posts: 8,395
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Quote:
Personally, I cannot wait to see if they have the cojones to raise the price on those plastic failures.
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Anything but to face ourselves as we are... |
12-21-2009, 12:24 PM | #28 |
#voteblackjack
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Northwood, NH
Posts: 35,747
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Quote:
TRU has sales, with the 2 for $9.99 deal. That's a sale. What Target and Wal-Mart are doing are not sales, it's a temporary price reduction (not clearance either) to clear out inventory. And, at least in my neck of the woods, it's working as I'm seeing new stock appearing on the shelves all over the place around here. How is it a slap in the face? Of who? How? More then likely the retailers are losing money on these being 5 bucks, at the very least the profit margin is being greatly reduced because all the other costs that the mark-up covers (insurance, cost of doing business, maintenance, salaries, etc..) does not change and the only place to take the hit is in profit.
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12-21-2009, 12:32 PM | #29 |
Thin the Herd
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Wilmington, NC
Posts: 115
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Yes...the average American IS a moron. In all contexts.
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"I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, then questions the manner in which I provide it." |
12-21-2009, 01:51 PM | #30 |
Hisstank Ninja
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Mint on Card
Posts: 8,956
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Quote:
Bottom line is the people that have the money don't give a shit (about anything or anybody but themselves). They don't mind being ripped off. They'll pay any price to get what they want. So the toy collectors that have the money will continue collecting & the rest of us will all eventually be forced out.
Secondly, it needs to be said that this is the same situation people face in every single free market that's ever existed. No one will be forced out. If there's demand, that will result in product that appeals to every level of income. Quote:
People need to step back and realize that just because some guy is selling a Joe at market value, that doesn't make him a scumbucket. You're not entitled to his goods at your price. Quote:
Sounds about right for the making of the product, but missing ALOT of other things that go into determining the final price. Can't just say, it costs 1-2 bucks to make and ship the figure and then they mark-up from there. Technically, it's true, but that mark-up isn't pure profit.
Hasbro's end: employee salaries, health insurance, manufacturing insurance, facility maintenance, profit, advertising, misc. cost of doing business expenses and probably more Retailer's end: employee salaries, health insurance, manufacturing insurance, facility maintenance, profit, advertising, misc. cost of doing business expenses and probably more So all that needs to be factored in as well. All businesses do it, not just toy manufacturers. So it's not like they're some Evil Corporation laughing at all of us as they make 6 dollar profits from each figure. My company, I get billed out to the client at 3x my salary. But that sure as hell isn't all profit for the company, the difference between my bill rate and my salary. Probably marketing is the biggest user of most of the mark-up money. A good example, go to a bar, all those things sitting on the tables advertising different kinds of beer? That's given to the bar by the beer distributor, it's a form of advertisment. The money to produce those things, which generate no immediate return revenue and possibly may not generate any at all, that money has to come from somewhere. It's not to say that the figures/vehicles could be cheaper, they probably could by a buck or so and the companies still make a good profit, but it's no where near as horrible as people like to make it out to be.
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