The Energon Pub

News Credits: 1 · by **mattyc1007** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 8:35 am

the UK cheap? 8-}

for a deluxe for anywhere apart from tesco (who canceling orders) and ASDA (who probaly will too!) they cost me £12.69

voyagers are the same and higher above the same

activators £7.00 what the hell! it went from 3 quid to that! not to much but when youre on a budget and in debt (stupid hybrids) its a hell of a problem for me, also waiting for the new wave of univeeses from argos.

good thing ebay prices dont go up unlease you bid on em! :mrgreen:

News Credits: 198 · by **DevastaTTor** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:08 am

Jenus wrote:The Wal-Mart in my area had the price tags up for $12.88 but when I took Smokescreen up to the check out lane it wasn't in their system yet, they asked me how much it was and I said $5.99 so I got a good deal on him.

You could have at least quoted the holiday price. Whatever you can live with though-this is a Transformers site, not a morality site.

by **JesWal** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:51 am

Ah man! As if my wallet isn't light enough already! And with that wonderful new seven bot, two-feet tall Devastator coming out too!

This flat out sucks hasbro. It really does.

News Credits: 10 · by **Lapse Of Reason** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 10:05 am

I don't like to pay more for something than I used to, just like many of us here. Unfortunately the price hike comes as no surprise.

$7.77 or even $10.00 is just downright cheap when you consider all the production and distribution costs of a deluxe Transformer toy. Someone is paying for that low price, whether it be the minimally paid factory worker, the children suffering from lead paint exposure due to companies trying to cut corners, or the underpaid and underinsured retail store worker. With the costs of raw materials, fuel for transportation, and having to pay to meet government regulations on the rise, a price increase is downright inevitable.

For those who claim the price increase is pushing them out of the hobby and can't afford to pay the increased price, well you probably shouldn't be buying toys anyway. Think of how much money you will now save.

For me, if I like it I'll buy it. I just hope with the increased price comes better quality control. The newer Universe deluxes seem to be better quality than the previous runs so I hope that is a continuing trend.

News Credits: 1 · by **rpetras** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 11:03 am

While that does, indeed suck, I'm gonna buy what I need while the prices are still low.

But then, that is what I usually do.

I do WELL when the sales are on. :grin:

News Credits: 1 · by **the_dark_decepticon** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 11:41 am

The price increase isn't just deluxes. The voyagers at my WalMart went up as well. They are now $21.96 from $19.96. The Marvel Crossovers also went up to $16.97. This price increase just really killed it for me. I will still collect, but I may not pick up a figure that I was on the fence about.
Here's my example. Last night I go to WalMart and get really excited when I turn into the toy isle. I see pegs full on Universe deluxes. Low and behold there hangs Cyclonus in all his awesome glory. I have been looking for this figure for a month all around my tri-state area to no avail. I'm super excited. Then my excitement gets knocked down a notch. I look at the price. $12.88!!! :evil:

I was just at WalMart 2 days ago and the prices were $9.96 (or whatever close to that number). It just really killed it for me and for their sales. Because they also had Cheetor, Dinobot, and Smokescreen. All of which I would have picked up if they weren't almost $13 a pop. I walked out of there with 1 figure instead of 4. The appeal those other 3 "on the fence" Transformers had to me was lost because of the price tag. I can only hope ROTF figs go down. *End rant.* :-B

****On another note I just checked HTS and Universe Cyclonus is still $10.99. That kind of leads me to believe this is a WalMart price increase and not Hasbro. I am curious to know if Target or TRU have raised their prices. Anyone know?

News Credits: 6 · by **Jenus** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:25 pm

DevastaTTor wrote:
Jenus wrote:The Wal-Mart in my area had the price tags up for $12.88 but when I took Smokescreen up to the check out lane it wasn't in their system yet, they asked me how much it was and I said $5.99 so I got a good deal on him.

You could have at least quoted the holiday price. Whatever you can live with though-this is a Transformers site, not a morality site.

Sorry but I typed that in wrong I actually told the lady at the register $8.99. I would not have wanted to be that cheap.

News Credits: 8 · by **Megatron Wolf** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:30 pm

Are you kidding me? $13 for a deluxe?! What the hell are they thinking? This is rediculas man. if walmart has them for $12.88 then that means every one else is going to have them for $13-$13.99. With the way the economy is i foresee a decline in sales now. I know i wonr be buying as much. Its not that i dont want to buy as much its because i cant. I dont see this lasting long. Hasbro thinks this is going to make them money but im sure they'll lose more. Lets hope not all store are going through with this.

by **Ultra Prime** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 12:48 pm

I think it would be worth considering here that a few points needs ot be kept in mind.

The economy has been tanking for quite awhile now. With production costs for consumer goods going up and retail spending going down due to incerdible unemployment things like this are an eventual outcome.

The price increase on our beloved Transformers does present the delimma for all of us as to what we buy, how much we buy and if any of us can afford to be completists.

And lets not forget that the holiday sales wars are now over. It's not about making sales as much as it is about the bottom line now.

When you factor all the steps Hasbro goes thru to produce TF's and get them to the retail stores to be sold and the costs involved for the retail stores to have the product to sell us if their is a increase anywhere along the line us consumers are going to get saddlebagged with it. That's the way business is done nowadays.

Personally I see it as our time in the US of paying cheaper prices than other parts of the world is going to possibly go away. I for one will be far more selective about what TF's I get since the cost to have them is now going up. I had no intention of getting the second movie line anyways. But now I simply won't be able to afford to get any of the ROTF line.

We'll all have to see how Hasbro and the retail stores handle any drops in TF sales after the price increases become more widespread. :-B

News Credits: 15 · by **Ravage XK** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 1:36 pm

I just checked the price of Universe Sunstreaker at Argos which is a big UK retailer. It was £12.69 which works out as $18.52.

Until you live in the UK you have no idea what a rip off is!! If we had the equivalent of your new prices ($12.88) we would pay just £8.82.

News Credits: 8 · by **NuclearConvoy** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 1:49 pm

Oh YAY! Because, y'know, I can't already justify buying Deluxes for 15$ in Canada, so now they'll be going up. Fu cking Butt Nuggets!

News Credits: 8 · by **NuclearConvoy** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 1:54 pm

Megatron_Wolf wrote:Are you kidding me? $13 for a deluxe?! What the hell are they thinking? This is rediculas man. if walmart has them for $12.88 then that means every one else is going to have them for $13-$13.99. With the way the economy is i foresee a decline in sales now. I know i wonr be buying as much. Its not that i dont want to buy as much its because i cant. I dont see this lasting long. Hasbro thinks this is going to make them money but im sure they'll lose more. Lets hope not all store are going through with this.

Deluxes in Canada have been 14.95 for a long freaking time, and with the US Price Hike I have a feeling it'll jump up up here as well.

And not to mention the UK Prices...

by **VonSchlitzy** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 2:05 pm

went to my local Wal-Mart last night and picked up two animated deluxes and two universe deluxes. i was pretty excited about my prizes that i never bothered to look at the price tag on the pegs. once i got to the check-out and paid for my loot i realized the price increase. had i been paying closer attention i would have probably only purchsed two figures instead of the 4 figures i paid for. i'm still gonna try to complete my universe collection and my animated collection, but now i think i'm gonna pass on the ROTF toy line. this has also squashed my intentions to start collecting the Marvel crossover line! a big disappointment for me to say the least. but i simply can't keep up with everything at these new prices.

News Credits: 1 · by **T-Macksimus** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 2:52 pm

I'm quite sure that if many of you do the math and adjust the figures depending on the exchange rates of the different currencies you'll all agree that, to varying degrees, we are ALL getting BENT OVER! :evil:

I'm still not yet to a point where I can even start collecting again since the U.S. housing market is still so crappy that my given profession still has not picked back up, therefore no work/disposable income. By the time I can even think of buying a Robot Heroes or Legends pack, they'll be priced into the unthinkable range. I'll have to start saving now just to get a TF2 movie ticket and say to hell with buying any of the movie toys. My kids will be getting the cool stuff long before I will. :sad:

by **Optimum Supreme** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 3:33 pm

Meh, it's not that high of an increase. I usually found them for between $10 and $12 dollars, hardly ever as low as $7 or $8, I think some of you people are just spoiled by finding such great deals in the past.

I'm more concerned with the way Hasbro seems to be going with cheaper plastic on a lot of the toys. It's one thing to raise prices and keep the quality the same. It's quite another to raise prices while simultaneously lowering quality. Pick one or the other, jerks!

News Credits: 9 · by **Zeds** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 5:03 pm

Sign of things to come as some economies run enormous deficits and debts that are 100% of their GDP. A debt that will not be paid off for 1 or 2 generations or longer.

As they run more and more deficits the value of their currency will drop and domestic prices will rise as the devaluation on the global market means your local currency won't go as far to purchase the goods to put on the store shelves. Simple economics.

News Credits: 2 · by **Stockade** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 6:01 pm

It's really nice of Hasbro to raise the price of Transformers right before TF2 ROTF comes out. I guess instead picking up every transformer i want, ill just have to limit myself to ones i really want or is rare and kool. Our economy really sucks bad!!! Hopefully in the future maybe the price will come down, if not time to move onto something different..

by **ShockGuey** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 6:16 pm

Jesus **** Christ, I hoped It would never come to this! The best thing we can do the ensure that the prices go down is buy stock. If we all buy Hasbro stock, the prices will go down and we can safely buy toys at $10. Besides, after Animated Season 3, ROTF, GI Joe, and our constant buys the stock is gonna go up, so it's a win win situation.

News Credits: 23 · by **1337W422102** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 6:28 pm

ShockGuey wrote:The best thing we can do the ensure that the prices go down is buy stock. If we all buy Hasbro stock, the prices will go down and we can safely buy toys at $10.

...or the company will just have more money because of the money you gave them when you bought the stocks, and when they're back on top and making mad profit again, you might get a little bit of that money you spent back, depending on the type of shareholder you are.

If prices are going up, I strongly doubt they will be coming down any time soon. If if they were able to lower the prices, they'd just leave them high and make more profit, wouldn't they?

Well, at least they didn't go for their original plan: shifting each price class up a level, so that Deluxes would be Voyager-priced, and Voyagers the price of Ultras, etc.

by **Point** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 7:46 pm

Well, G.I. Joe going from $5 to almost $9 in the span of 3 months ended my collecting them and this might end me collecting any new TF stuff now too. While figs like Cyclonus and Dinobot are pretty cool, others like Galvatron and prepetually-looking-down Ironhide aren't worth $13. They are barely worth $7.77 and I'm sure this price increase won't lend itself to better paint apps or tighter joints. Just got Inferno and he's pretty cool, but he might be the last contemporary TF fig I purchase.

News Credits: 8 · by **NuclearConvoy** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 8:19 pm

Zeds wrote:Sign of things to come as some economies run enormous deficits and debts that are 100% of their GDP. A debt that will not be paid off for 1 or 2 generations or longer.

As they run more and more deficits the value of their currency will drop and domestic prices will rise as the devaluation on the global market means your local currency won't go as far to purchase the goods to put on the store shelves. Simple economics.

Makes me relatively happy to know that Canada isnt in the worst off position.

News Credits: 402 · by **Mkall** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 8:19 pm

All I hope is that with the price increase, quality and QA will increase proportionately.

News Credits: 1 · by **mattyc1007** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 8:57 pm

Ravage XK wrote:I just checked the price of Universe Sunstreaker at Argos which is a big UK retailer. It was £12.69 which works out as $18.52.

Until you live in the UK you have no idea what a rip off is!! If we had the equivalent of your new prices ($12.88) we would pay just £8.82.

think like that eh? i was supposed to be paying 5 quid for all the movie deluxes, and with this stupid lend money thing the pound to the euro is gonna crash and my suppliers in spain are gonna fall.

News Credits: 3 · by **MagnusPrimal** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 10:05 pm

Well, the price increase won't break me. However...

I will be buying far fewer Transformers than before. Before, if I was on the fence, or just bored, I'd buy it. Now? Forget it. Very few deluxes are worth $13 to me.

Luckily, I have only a few Universe figures left to buy. Smokescreen, Dinobot (for my daughter, I'm getting the Henkei version. Dinobot *is* worth it!), and Ratchet should do it. I was already skipping the movie line, and I buy very, very few Animated figures. If the price stays up, or even increases, I imagine I will start to slowly phase out of buying new TFs.

It's happening now with comics. Marvel raised the price of some of the comics I bought to $4. I no longer buy those comics. And since I imagine that's just a harbinger of things to come, I figure by the time the year is out, I won't be buying any Marvel comics. If it happens, it happens. People can say "Oh, we say we'll quit, but we'll still buy them" all they want. But I, for one, will not.

by **ashe5k** » Sat Jan 31, 2009 11:34 pm

Well that pretty much settles it for me. Ratchet and maybe Hot Shot and I'm done collecting for good, or at least sticking to figs that really really impress me.