Starscream GaGa wrote:It makes me depressed when I see Americans whining about prices.
Here, its a bargain to find a Deluxe for less than $25, or a commander for less than $15. Not to mention that RRP at TRU here is $8 for Legion, $$15-20 for commander $30 for Deluxe, $50 for Voyager and $80-100 for Leader!
People don't know how lucky they are...
The American consumer should be very conscientious when spending, as many are out of work, limited on funds, and/or haven't gotten a pay raise in some time. Transformers are a hobby, but I remember about 5 years ago I could've picked up a Deluxe TF for $7/8. Before PRID, we were going $9.99 - 12.99 for the class figure. Expect to pay a few dollars more if purchasing from TRU or online sellers that make a distinction between figures in a wave.
With all the issues of the world and resources become "scarce", we just see prices raise year after year. If we didn't "whine" about prices, I think that's sending a message to manufacturers and retailers that we don't mind the price increase, and will likely not mind a further increase.
With some context, regional prices are just that: regional. Your economy is most likely different than ours, and your consumers will have different experiences than ours. Quite frankly, I believe Hasbro USA would be digging their own hole if they decided to jack the American prices up to levels you identify with. Not to say some people wouldn't continue to buy the product, but it definitely wouldn't be at the same rate seen today.