The Energon Pub

Yeah, it sucks. The end consumer is really the only one who can positively effect pricing by speaking with their wallets. Unfortunately Hasbro & retailers are all businesses so all they see are the dollar signs. But I can't put the blame on Hasbro for this. They've got the suggested retail price set at $15 which was raised from the previous years, but we understood it for the most part. The stores are the ones going above and beyond with higher price spikes. In the past, stores were good at keeping prices either at or even below MSRP, & we got spoiled. While Hasbro is a business, they do make attempts at showing fans & collectors they listen and care. If they didn't, there's no way we'd ever see any of the Masterpieces stateside, or things like the First Editions being brought back. But they've also made their share of mistakes (TFP Breakdown I'm looking directly at you!). But on this one, I've got to cut Hasbro slack, this is the retailers doing.

xBigbotx wrote:Yeah my local Target had the prime figures at @ 18.29 after months looking for a vehicon finally found one but pass cuz of the price. Hasbro is starting to make the figures smaller for deluxe and more expensive

that is ridiculous!

I expect jacked up prices at smaller stores like Rite-Aid (where I saw a Universe 2.0 Starscream and Hound going for 18 bucks a pop, when they were still ten at Wal-mart). But that Target store... how do we know it's not just THAT store?

... checking Target.com, they still have Dark of the Moon deluxes. ... Ranging from $16-30$ each!?!?

I'm thinking it might just be Target that's inflating these prices. O_O

Grimlock64 wrote:I expect jacked up prices at smaller stores like Rite-Aid (where I saw a Universe 2.0 Starscream and Hound going for 18 bucks a pop, when they were still ten at Wal-mart). But that Target store... how do we know it's not just THAT store?

... checking Target.com, they still have Dark of the Moon deluxes. ... Ranging from $16-30$ each!?!?

I'm thinking it might just be Target that's inflating these prices. O_O

With Walmart following suit? Probably. Target was the first one to jack prices, I guess Wallyworld just thinks it's a good idea to screw over their consumer base as well.

I haven't seen Wal-mart charge as much as Target yet. YET. But that seems to be the trend here. Meijer's still cheaper, but my Meijer usually tends to suck when it comes to new toys. ><

User897 wrote:RhA, I won't even dignify that with a reply.

Why not? You're blaming Hasbro for the prices stores charge.

RhA wrote:

User897 wrote:RhA, I won't even dignify that with a reply.

Why not? You're blaming Hasbro for the prices stores charge.

Come on RhA, don't you know that Hasbro is the root of all economic suffering in the world

Well, regardless of WHY this is happening, the effect is that it will significantly affect sales.

I was actually attempting to purchase ALL non-repaint Prime toys and FOC toys, in all sizes.
I had purchased most, fortunately, when they were at the $12 price point. When it bumped up to around $15, I had trouble justifying it, but still bought the Vehicon because of how great a toy it is.

At this point, personally, I'm going back to what I used to do before these lines came out:
I buy motorcycle bots, Ultra Magnus, and Prowl. Occassionally, random figures at Marshall's. That's a BIG drop from me picking up the entirety of two lines in all sizes.
Income-wise, that's much more money lost than would be by keeping the figures at reasonable prices.

Like I said, regardless of the cause, the effect is the same.

Grimlock64 wrote:I expect jacked up prices at smaller stores like Rite-Aid (where I saw a Universe 2.0 Starscream and Hound going for 18 bucks a pop, when they were still ten at Wal-mart). But that Target store... how do we know it's not just THAT store?

... checking Target.com, they still have Dark of the Moon deluxes. ... Ranging from $16-30$ each!?!?

I'm thinking it might just be Target that's inflating these prices. O_O

It's actually gotten to the point where not only is it easier to find new Prime figures at Walgreens rather than Target, it's cheaper too.

It is a very sad day... Kmart DOES actually have the lowest prices for transformers in my area now.

Never thought I'd say that haha.


Thankfully I got to pick up shockwave,jazz and Prime the other day for 14.99 at target.

gotta put it on, in spite of all the people blaming Hasbro...

I haven't read all 22 pages over this, but, I just got back from K-Mart in Peachtree City Ga and they have their Deluxes at 18.99.


This is making me more and more choosey about which ones I want to own. Infact, some that I had considered I have written off as this is simply too much money.

Funny enough, it makes the MPs look inexpensive. I wonder when they will have a price hike as well. (Unless they already have, charging 60 dollars for the cassette double packs)

Severa wrote:I haven't read all 22 pages over this, but, I just got back from K-Mart in Peachtree City Ga and they have their Deluxes at 18.99.


This is making me more and more choosey about which ones I want to own. Infact, some that I had considered I have written off as this is simply too much money.

Funny enough, it makes the MPs look inexpensive. I wonder when they will have a price hike as well. (Unless they already have, charging 60 dollars for the cassette double packs)

They wont, because they have an MSRP, plus the E-tailers that we love here as sponsors have yet to raise prices randomly for no reason.

the last time i was in walmart, their price on the foc transformers was about $15.00. i havent purchased one there since before the price hike, and i visit four walmarts, a target, tru, and even ross and bealls for transformers on sale. i might start just buying 1-2 online until hasbro decides that they can lower prices a little bit.

i remember when these ones would only be about 10 bucks whats wrong with hasbro are they trying to piss us all off. Also 14.96 is what the target here costs and the walmarts 15.96 and there are 2 of them the only major problem for me is that them restocking is impossible they have had the same bots out for over 2 months nothing has changed -except i got all 3 fall of cybertron figures and the one ratchet from primes but other than that its just the 3 cybertron figure and lots of bumblebees -i did find one knockout at walmart-got it but thats it. The one jewel i found recently was the generations kup at a toysrus in atlanta ga when i was at a con for 14.95

one of the reasons why its getting difficult for me to collect on a weekly/monthly basis

It might be partially our faults. The lowered prices due to mass production during the movie lines held a staedy price until that eded. It is primarily a collectors market now, so when Hasbro watches us shell out $50+ bucks unremorsefully thru thier "fan" site, they rest easy charging you $18 at retail. The only solution is to boycott, but even that might sink the brand into oblivion.

The first Transformer I bought as an Adult was Excellion for $8. That is almost voyager size these days.

reflector7 wrote:It might be partially our faults. The lowered prices due to mass production during the movie lines held a staedy price until that eded. It is primarily a collectors market now, so when Hasbro watches us shell out $50+ bucks unremorsefully thru thier "fan" site, they rest easy charging you $18 at retail. The only solution is to boycott, but even that might sink the brand into oblivion.

Exactly.

i just wait here in canada esspecially at wal mart with batman and avengers toys seeling like crazy the transformers sections always stays loaded with toys i just wait for sales.. i know at the bargain shop in canada deluxe transformers are 21.99 and i gave the store manager a peice of my mind and told her she wouldnt sell any of them to an actual collector maybe parents who just need a toy for a birthday or something she replied that it was main office who decides the prices so 21.99 at a place called the bargain shop is crazy transformers are cheaper at mom and pop drug stores

and i notice transformers have to be one of the easiest toys to steal esspecially at walk mart and big places maybe that could be a reason for high prices too

ginthermax wrote:and i notice transformers have to be one of the easiest toys to steal esspecially at walk mart and big places maybe that could be a reason for high prices too

Theft is a problem that impacts all areas of a business , so yes, I do agree that slight price rises are inevitable as a result. The majority of the price hikes are a result of all those involved in the product up to the point of sale to make a profit. Simple business operations, nobody is going to operate at a loss just to keep prices down for the consumer.

breakdown99 wrote:

ginthermax wrote:and i notice transformers have to be one of the easiest toys to steal esspecially at walk mart and big places maybe that could be a reason for high prices too

Theft is a problem that impacts all areas of a business , so yes, I do agree that slight price rises are inevitable as a result. The majority of the price hikes are a result of all those involved in the product up to the point of sale to make a profit. Simple business operations, nobody is going to operate at a loss just to keep prices down for the consumer.

Price hikes are going to encourage criminals to steal them because they can't afford them.

Price hikes EVERYWHERE. I finally found the Toys R Us exclusive Masterpiece Optimus Prime yesterday and the price jumped up $20 from the two "out" stores I've been to. They're all $119.99 now. Hasbro needs to realize that the reason why their sales are down is because stores are still stocking Dark of the Moon figures and G.I. Joe figures for a movie that never came out (which are all on clearance at every store). Parents who grew up on the originals in the '80s don't want their kids having shelf warmers. And the big kids want the good figures. Raising the prices isn't going to get more profit, it will get less. Especially if it's on figures no one wants.

Exhibits below are from the last month and for the most part that's how all stores are. There's more Bumblebees out there than there are Transformers fans. It's the E.T./Atari syndrome.

Yeah, I was iffy on getting the new MP Optimus before, but when I finally saw one today, for $120, it wasn't too difficult to leave it in the store.

Price hikes are going to encourage criminals to steal them because they can't afford them.

Most criminals are going to steal regardless of price, want or need.