HASBRO Profits Down 47%--Transformers Sales Down

they could also chalk this up to transformers jumping from 9.99 to 12.99 and the marvel figures shrinking in size to g.i.joe size and going for 8.99 instead of the joes' 6.99

Were TF sales down BEFORE or AFTER they raised the prices? I don't know how they expect sales to improve when they're charging $12-13 for Deluxes figures.

I was in TRU this weekend, and I had Wreck-Gar in my hands, but I noticed how small it is for a Voyager and said to myself "This is NOT worth $23." So it went back on the shelf, next to six other Wreck-Gars, six Lugnuts that nobody wants, about dozen Animated Jetstorm/Jetfire packs that nobody's buying (there or any other store), several Movie Ultra Wingblades and Jetstorms that they've been trying to unload since last year ($27 each), and about 30 or 40 Star Wars TF Millenium Falcon two-packs.

Walmart, with the $12.88 Deluxe price, has so many Deluxe figures on the racks they're literally falling off, and it's been that way for weeks. Oh, and like TRU, they've got plenty of the Animated Jetstorm/Jetfire packs!

Target: same story. Nobody wants the $12 Animated Deluxes, and nobody wants the Animated Jetstorm/Jetfire.

Meanwhile, I can't find Universe 2.0 Deluxes anywhere, even though I'm ready and willing to buy them!

grimlockprime108 wrote:they could also chalk this up to transformers jumping from 9.99 to 12.99

Exactly what I was going to say.

The $12-$13 price tags on Deluxes (as well as all the other classes going up also) has certainly made me pickier about who I pick up...I'd buy a LOT more if the prices were like they were before and around xmas...Now the figures I don't really want that badly, but WOULD have been willing to pay $8 for, I can easily pass up to save $13...


I also wish they'd continue with the Robot Heroes (I was looking forward to Predaking) though I have never actually heard officially they were cancelled...But I think it would do them some good to reissue the first couple of waves that came out around the time of Classics...

fenrir72 wrote:Is too much of a good thing too much? Hasbro is milking the brand too fast or is it too little too late? TFA for instance IMHO was a mistake, strayed too far from the tried and tested formula and turned it into too much Teen Titans and less TF. Of course the price increases don't help either plus the current economic slump.

Yes! How dare they try and make Transformers appeal to modern children!

Do you remember when Beast Wars came out, horrified the fandom, and then proceeded to revitalise the franchise and win critical acclaim? The tried and tested formula is, to be frank, bollocks.

fenrir72 wrote:Another stupid move was the release of pinky Prime 'nuff said. Just an underwhelming experience. On the contrary, G1 re-issues are selling like hotcakes if I'm wrong well show me a place where they are gathering dust?

Here in Japan many of the Encores are just gathering dust. Not just the vans, but the seeker-double pack, Hoist, Trailbreaker and Meister are still sitting around. Starscream stayed on the shelves for ages too.

fenrir72 wrote:and last but not the least, all this re-paints.........stoooooooooooopid!

All what repaints? I can't speak for the children, but the collectors seem to be snaggin' 'em all recently.

fenrir72 wrote:Hasbro is diluting/squeezing too much from a particular mold that sooner or later something has too give.

But they should re-re-release G1 toys? Aren't you contradicting yourself here?

fenrir72 wrote:TF the Movie toys well with the exception of Prime 'nuff said.

Are you saying the movie toys apart from Prime were repainted too much, or only Prime was repainted too much?

In my experiences here in Louisville, most of the stores are full of mostly empty pegs, with the same 5 figures that have been hanging there for three weeks. I'd be glad to buy more, as soon as the stores actually have something I'm looking for.

I am not surprised. As others have said raising prices by as much as 3-4 dollars each and the new marvel figs costing a stupid amount for such a tiny figure, it is no wonder they lost revenue.

Plenty of toy sales are impulse buys by kids, and with prices like that most kids/parents will look for something else.

I personally was going to pick up a few Marvel guys for nostalgia...until i saw what they cost and said hell with it and bought a few GI Joes.

As far as the transformers prices, I will still get new molds/characters I want, but i will not be buying any of the endless old mold recolors they keep trying to push at the inflated prices.

Alright, here's the scoop.

First off, everyone who is blaming this on Animated is dead wrong. Everyone who is blaming this on the price increase is much more on target. Let's face it; the few quarters for Hasbro, they have been bucking the economic trend by showing a decent profit increase. Now, with the heavy toy-buying seasons truly past they are feeling the pinch. It comes as parents bite back on their frivilous spending- and let's face it, disposable income is what they usually use to buy toys for their kids. As that income stays in their pockets, Hasbro has finally felt the pinch of the Yahoo Recession. And THAT , more than anything else, is why the profits have done what they have. That WILL change when the movies come out and stimulate the kids desires and cause them to continuously bug their parents for new toys from these lines.

The other major issue has been the TOTAL AND UTTER LACK OF NEW PRODUCT. As Hasbro has sunk all their resources into the new movie lines, they have more than likely culled staff from the other lines and the result is minimal output for these. We're expecting, what 1 new animated figure? Zero classics figures? 2 SWTF figs? No mention of any new Marvel figs at all? And we haven't had any new ones out in a couple months. They have reached market saturation with the line they have out and, as a result, have stopped selling much. The key to any line is the release of new product. When the movie comes out, this trend will hopefully change a little. But this is merely a blip on the radar for Hasbro.

I love you too Diem

Familiar with the post content.

diluting a particular mold Pinky Prime 'nuff said , the black box Hasbro SE of Universe, Tommy Gun Optimus Prime need I say more. Repaints? Just how many more classic/universe Starscream/seekers can we take? Green, white,pink,orange,indigo etc.Heck even the henkei seekers are already showing their age(TT and Skywarp)resulting to many sloppy samples.

TFA: shelf warmer with a few exceptions, in my place with the exception of Shockwave, Optimus, Bitzwing,Megatron and Grimlock, all are shelf warmers, as stated by previous posters, I didn't say it

Tried and tested,OK I'll be opening a can of worms which is better G1 or Beasties well Beasties was good but it became even better when the storyline was directly linked to G1.........in another aspect of trying to be hip and modern, sometimes too modern, sometimes if it ain't broke why fix it? Make them big and nasty bots and not well Teen Titans(another can of worms it's like flogging a dead horse), or haven't you noticed the design though how do I describe it edgy also contributes to well numerous flaws which already has been mentioned.

Tried and tested? Does that mean stagnation? Well not necessarily, improvements must be implemented, innovations must me pursued else you run the risk of staying behing but too much is well........


Bollocks? Well if its so bollocks, how come G1 is still being released? Btw you may be right in Japan, the place is so trendy that what was hot now ain't so tomorrow but why does Takara continue to produce such "shelf warmers"? China, their biggest market. . Then again I'm not quite sure what makes the japanese capitalist mentality tick, they make lots of stuff that are twice the price of MP and still make a profit(?)

Btw, my source which is a specialty shop always has 'screamer,seekers in short supply. IH and Ratchet ...well I mentioned it as an exception. Meister too is a victim of overstock, him being a well love fig. Not surprised with the pickups too (so I forgot to mention them).

Movie toys, so many versions of a particular character (and yes I forgot to mention too many repaints) They have black, gray,white pink, orange (I'm exaggerating) Premium Prime, regular Prime, low leaded Prime, camera bot jets and a whole slew of characters that didn't even show up. Leader Prime was great btw.

Satisfied? Oh and TF Star Wars sucks. Star Wars as is is GREAT but turning them into TFs simply

No shit! That's what happens when you raise the price! I had no problems buying 3 for under 30 bucks but getting just 1 for 13 bucks?! Hell no. If I'm going to pay more, I might as well get Henkeis and that's what I've been going. And when the movie comes out, I'm just giong to be really picky about which figures I get.