The Energon Pub

News Credits: 104 · Sat May 01, 2021 5:35 pm

The rich elites get richer and the poor stay poor..

News Credits: 22 · Mon May 03, 2021 8:47 pm

Cyber Bishop wrote:The rich elites get richer and the poor stay poor..

Welcome to America, home of the 2 party system.

News Credits: 4878 · Thu May 20, 2021 1:51 pm

Like many of you, I had assumed that when Hasbro announced price increases, they were simply referring to the increases we were already seeing. Like deluxes going from 19.99 to 22.99. But nope, there are more increases coming, as they warned. Canadian toy retailer, Toy Snowman, broke down the increases for all Hasbro collectible products. These are Canadian prices, so while it may not be the same increase for US MSRP, there is a good chance that the same dollar increase is mirrored in the US MSRP, especially since this increase has nothing to do with a change in exchange rates with the US dollar actually being rather weak right now in comparison to the Canadian dollar. These new MSRP Prices are effective August 2021.

Star Wars
Black Series 32.99 - 33.99 (1$ increase)
Vintage 17.99-19.99 (2$ increase)
Helmets 149.99-174.99 (25$ increase)

Marvel Legends 32.99-33.99 (1$ increase)

GI Joe 32.99-33.99 (1$ increase)

Power Rangers 32.99-33.99 (1$ increase)

Transformers
Core 14.99-15.99 (1$ increase)
Deluxe 32.99-33.99 (1$ increase)
Voyager 39.99-44.99 (5$ increase)
Leader 69.99-72.99 (3$ increase)
Commander 120-125 (5$ increase)

No change for other classes within the same lines so far.

News Credits: 42 · Thu May 20, 2021 2:50 pm

It will be interesting to see which retailers follow suit and which ones hold steady.

I have a number of August or later releases on pre-order from Amazon using the wish list trick, and while the deluxes are at $22.99 already, the Voyagers and Leaders are still at $29.99 and $49.99 respectively.

Thu May 20, 2021 3:05 pm

I guess Hasbro thinks that the same volume of product will move no matter what the cost is. I, for one, think that they are kind of "shooting themselves in the foot" over their offerings, and that many of us will be a bit more choosing in our purchases. I get the whole "best version of a character" mind frame, but with the versions we have already, Hasbro is really going to have to knock it out of the pack on their future products. Between the blatant QC issues, hollowness, distribution and availability issues, and seemingly inferior plastics used as of late, the "fun-factor" of collecting is starting to go by the way-side.

News Credits: 4878 · Thu May 20, 2021 3:32 pm

TF-fan kev777 wrote:It will be interesting to see which retailers follow suit and which ones hold steady.

I have a number of August or later releases on pre-order from Amazon using the wish list trick, and while the deluxes are at $22.99 already, the Voyagers and Leaders are still at $29.99 and $49.99 respectively.

Interesting, we'll see what happens with those prices.

Thu May 20, 2021 4:14 pm

increases for joes you cant find

News Credits: 30 · Thu May 20, 2021 4:33 pm

Oh don't worry, mortals! According to certain of your politicians, who shall remain nameless, all of this 'inflation' isn't real! And even if it is real, it's only 'transitory'! They're politicians - we can trust them, right?

News Credits: 2 · Thu May 20, 2021 4:42 pm

DeathReviews wrote:Oh don't worry, mortals! According to certain of your politicians, who shall remain nameless, all of this 'inflation' isn't real! And even if it is real, it's only 'transitory'! They're politicians - we can trust them, right?

come on man!

News Credits: 4878 · Thu May 20, 2021 4:43 pm

DeathReviews wrote:Oh don't worry, mortals! According to certain of your politicians, who shall remain nameless, all of this 'inflation' isn't real! And even if it is real, it's only 'transitory'! They're politicians - we can trust them, right?

Since when does Death care about inflation?

News Credits: 241 · Thu May 20, 2021 5:04 pm

william-james88 wrote:
DeathReviews wrote:Oh don't worry, mortals! According to certain of your politicians, who shall remain nameless, all of this 'inflation' isn't real! And even if it is real, it's only 'transitory'! They're politicians - we can trust them, right?

Since when does Death care about inflation?

And why is everyone linking inflation to politicians? Just asking, but it seems a whole lot like scapegoating :???:

News Credits: 1350 · Thu May 20, 2021 5:24 pm

Jelze Bunnycat wrote:
william-james88 wrote:
DeathReviews wrote:Oh don't worry, mortals! According to certain of your politicians, who shall remain nameless, all of this 'inflation' isn't real! And even if it is real, it's only 'transitory'! They're politicians - we can trust them, right?

Since when does Death care about inflation?

And why is everyone linking inflation to politicians? Just asking, but it seems a whole lot like scapegoating

Scapegoating? That strawman over there told me to trust him!

All jokes aside, I was expecting worse hikes to be fair

News Credits: 4 · Thu May 20, 2021 8:19 pm

I know this isn't really the point but what is that Power Rangers price point? Is that for the morphers? I can't think of anything else at a $30 price point. Lightning Collection figures are $20, basic action figures are $10, megazords are non-existent at the moment.

News Credits: 241 · Thu May 20, 2021 8:45 pm

King Kuuga wrote:I know this isn't really the point but what is that Power Rangers price point? Is that for the morphers? I can't think of anything else at a $30 price point. Lightning Collection figures are $20, basic action figures are $10, megazords are non-existent at the moment.

Going by the Beast Morphers Price Points, it's either the Deluxe Zords (T-Rex Standalone, the rest in 2-packs) or the larger Role Play Weapons. The former are set for a Fall release.

News Credits: 2 · Thu May 20, 2021 8:51 pm

I stand by my previous post. Demand has not gone anywhere, but supplies are drastically reduced because suppliers have been shut down. That's a large reason of why the new NextGen gaming systems are hard to find; as non-essential suppliers (you know, like makers of metformin were designated) they had been shuttered. Now there is a massive backlog of supplier orders, meaning increased costs (partially from demand and partially because of re-startup costs, rehiring costs vs sustained employment which is always more expensive, and some new tax hikes). I am expecting a cost rise across the board (ALL products with the possible exception of perishables/food) of between 15-40% before the end of 2022. I hope it doesn't happen, but signs are pointing that way.

News Credits: 4878 · Thu May 20, 2021 8:59 pm

King Kuuga wrote:I know this isn't really the point but what is that Power Rangers price point?

Lightning collection; it's the same price point as black series, tf deluxes, marvel legends, ect

https://www.toysrus.ca/en/Power-Rangers ... 5480F.html

Also, come one guys, there's a short video there with all your answers. If something is unclear, just give it a look, it will answer all your questions.

News Credits: 241 · Thu May 20, 2021 9:03 pm

Jelze Bunnycat wrote:
King Kuuga wrote:I know this isn't really the point but what is that Power Rangers price point? Is that for the morphers? I can't think of anything else at a $30 price point. Lightning Collection figures are $20, basic action figures are $10, megazords are non-existent at the moment.

Going by the Beast Morphers Price Points, it's either the Deluxe Zords (T-Rex Standalone, the rest in 2-packs) or the larger Role Play Weapons. The former are set for a Fall release.

Didn't realise the prices were in Canadian dollars. Wasn't that clear on first sight, maybe add CND?

News Credits: 1 · Thu May 20, 2021 9:47 pm

I can easily stop buying these and end my Transformers collecting.

News Credits: 4 · Thu May 20, 2021 10:05 pm

william-james88 wrote:
King Kuuga wrote:I know this isn't really the point but what is that Power Rangers price point?

Lightning collection; it's the same price point as black series, tf deluxes, marvel legends, ect

https://www.toysrus.ca/en/Power-Rangers ... 5480F.html

Also, come one guys, there's a short video there with all your answers. If something is unclear, just give it a look, it will answer all your questions.

That's too much work.

Also I was naively thinking that a $20 USD toy wouldn't be $30 CAD, because even if they were shooting for a round number, $25 CAD is the closest equivalent.

News Credits: 4878 · Fri May 21, 2021 12:01 am

King Kuuga wrote:Also I was naively thinking that a $20 USD toy wouldn't be $30 CAD, because even if they were shooting for a round number, $25 CAD is the closest equivalent.

Yeah that makes sense, since you knew the others were Canadian prices. Just comes to show that the prices outside the US are pretty damn unfair. Alas, out lighting series toys will now be $34 CAD. Honestly, it doesn't make sense. The basic figures are one third the price but are as big and have decent enough articulation.

In general, the lighting collection should not be the same price point as the licenced figures. Star Wars and Marvel figures both have that extra heavy licencing fee Hasbro has to keep paying (passing off that cost to us), but they don't have that for Transformers or Power Rangers. That's why a Transformers toys sells for as much as the licenced lines and yet has more than double the parts plus an entire additional phase based in Japan (so double the design cost as any other action figure toyline).

But Power Rangers? the only explanation is that this is the line used to generate the biggest margins to sustain the same prices for all Hasbro figures of the same size/class as a whole.

News Credits: 4 · Fri May 21, 2021 2:17 am

william-james88 wrote:
King Kuuga wrote:Also I was naively thinking that a $20 USD toy wouldn't be $30 CAD, because even if they were shooting for a round number, $25 CAD is the closest equivalent.

Yeah that makes sense, since you knew the others were Canadian prices. Just comes to show that the prices outside the US are pretty damn unfair. Alas, out lighting series toys will now be $34 CAD. Honestly, it doesn't make sense. The basic figures are one third the price but are as big and have decent enough articulation.

In general, the lighting collection should not be the same price point as the licenced figures. Star Wars and Marvel figures both have that extra heavy licencing fee Hasbro has to keep paying (passing off that cost to us), but they don't have that for Transformers or Power Rangers. That's why a Transformers toys sells for as much as the licenced lines and yet has more than double the parts plus an entire additional phase based in Japan (so double the design cost as any other action figure toyline).

But Power Rangers? the only explanation is that this is the line used to generate the biggest margins to sustain the same prices for all Hasbro figures of the same size/class as a whole.

Well even though PR actors aren't exactly A-listers, they still have to pay them for the rights to their likenesses when those figures come with a face sculpt. Also, as I've remarked on some Facebook TF groups, $20 (USD) has become the de facto price point for collector-targeted action figures. Star Wars, Marvel, DC, Ghostbusters, He-Man, even Jurassic Park is starting to get in on it. That's why I think TF deluxes and PR Lightning Collection settled there. It's a proven price point that signals that it's similar to these other higher quality lines. As you said, maybe the margins are better, but that's just the icing on the cake.

News Credits: 101 · Fri May 21, 2021 4:58 am

Some of these prices increases are already in effect. But many are still at the old prices like 40$CAN voyagers and 30$CAN deluxes.

Better buy the things NOW at the old prices while we still can. If there's something you even just kinda want and it's at "full price" but that price is the old one, consider the thing on sale and get it NAO!

Fri May 21, 2021 7:53 am

Maybe if they stocked the shelves of Walmart and Target more, they'd sell more figures and make more money..

I know I'm not alone when I say -The aisles around here are pretty empty of the good figures.
There's not enough for kids to buy.. let alone all us more adult fans .

News Credits: 101 · Fri May 21, 2021 8:21 am

khrome wrote:Maybe if they stocked the shelves of Walmart and Target more, they'd sell more figures and make more money..

I know I'm not alone when I say -The aisles around here are pretty empty of the good figures.
There's not enough for kids to buy.. let alone all us more adult fans .

It's like this everywhere. The stupid savage lockdown on served to screw up every layers of the global economy. Add money incentive for people to NOT work, and you have the Perfect Storm for disaster.

It's not over. Companies like my shop are buying raw materials en masse in case of an upcoming hyper inflation. The irony is that will be one of its cause.

It's not over.

News Credits: 19 · Fri May 21, 2021 11:35 am

Prices will probably have to be raised again for transformers to compensate for the loss of sales in hiking up size classes to the next price wise. I'll just hope the pound goes to goold old days conversion rates of $1.6 or higher.