Bowspearer wrote:Metrosuplex wrote:So you're saying that $150 import = $80 import. Got it.
How much you pullin' in? I'm just curious if I should imagine an Aspen-regular or a negative-credit preppy when I read such comments.
You're not getting it at all. Let me put it this way. Take Masterpiece Prowl for example. Generally what happens is that someone like BBTS will either import from a Japanese retailer or from a Japanese wholesaler, whereby they're paying not only for the item cost, but for freight - all of that gets factored into their markups, and presuming there's no price gouging, then you're paying a markup on quite possibly Japanese retail and a markup on shipping.
Let's compare that to buying from a Japanese online retailer - in this case HLJ.
In the case of Masterpiece Prowl (and this is all in USD), the preorder price from HLJ was $47.67 and the retail price from them is listed at $59.58 - plus whatever the shipping is.
BBTS want $79.99 for it on preorder plus whatever the shipping is.
In other words, if you by from an international importer rather than a local retailer (which is what HLJ is in the case of Japanese releases), then you're going to pay way more for it than if you'd gone for the local retailer option had had them ship it internationally to you.
It's the same deal here- anyone forking out BBTS prices on that rather than dealing with a Japanese online store, only has themselves to blame and has no right to complain about high prices which they've chosen to pay.
No, no, I understand what you mean completely. I've made that mistake with the micron arms set of 5, where I thought $15 was better than $26 and didn't factor how high the Japanese shipping would be (as not all sites list shipping before you place an order).
Anyway, your point is completely valid and well-taken; I was just complaining about the $150 price tag being high in general. For $150, I'd honestly prefer the 3rd Party Quake Wave. I don't mind reissues, but $150 for a reissue is too high for my tastes. At least the MPs are new, modern molds. Right?