I'm tired, boss.
Hasbr-uh-oh - Business and Tariffs Discussion
- Thread starter Thylacine 2000
- Start date
Re: those Amazon prices, I saw a few Wal-Mart's doing those NOW, though it wasn't consistent, even in the same store (where I saw 24.99, 27.99, and 29.99 all at once in AOTP, Studio, and Retro Brawn all in the same rack). And it's what knocked me out of a lot of future plans and into 'pay off my car ASAP so in case of job issues, repro won't be a possibility'. I know it sounds like an overreaction but I figure its easier to engage survival mode a bit too early than too late, as my toy collection plans are just a reflection of the bigger situation at any point in time. The three to ten bucks depending on size class is the tiny top I can see of a buried mountain that may be a volcano I can't.
Saw similar at mine where the GI Joe Classified figures they have are different prices depending on SPECIFIC ASSORTMENT:
Frag Viper was $20.49, Footloose 24.99, Monkeywrench 27.99
I kind of wonder if the wonky “Collector Spot” is an issue there as well since Classified isn’t in the normal figure section.
When I find out I have to work more to pay for my meager sources of happiness in an increasingly uncaring world:
...I have no clue then. I thought Transformers at least sort of made sense by 'line', but if figures in the SAME line are having this, from the same company in the same store, the already shaky rationale falls out the window.
Isn't this just a case of them not repricing old stock that is already on the shelves, though?
Walmart’s pricing system USED to work on an assortment SKU system. Meaning, if they raise the price of “Transformers Age of the Primes Deluxe Assortment”, all figures released under that assortment should see the price increase regardless of how old the stock is. The complicating matter is that, unless someone with access to the system manually “cross indexes” different SKUs, each SKU functions in its own bubble. (Back in Titans Return launch, my store cross indexed all the Generations Deluxe figures, while at the same time trying to clearance out stragglers from Thrilling 30, resulting in me getting the entire first wave of TR deluxe figures for $2 each).
So my Walmart, for instance, technically carries the following deluxe SKUs-
Age of the Primes- 27.99
Studio Series 27.99
Earthrise Runamuck 27.99
SS Bumblebee 27.99
Capsule (Excellion and Sideways) 24.99
Devastation Optimus Prime (haven’t looked in a while, either 24.99 or 27.99)
TFOne Bumblebee (ditto)
Retro 29.99
GI Joe is even worse, from what I can tell. None of my recent purchases rang up as “GI Joe”, just “Site Merch”. So my INCLINATION is that the big collector island is a big wrench that Walmart, on multiple levels, don’t know how to manage. I mean, bless Hasbro and Mattel for making it happen. But it’s obvious to me that there are two “inventory systems” at play and nobody knows how to manage it all.
At this point, I'm committed to finishing the Thirteen.
Anything else will have to be a very case by case basis, with these prices.
Pretty much sums up my buying patterns these days.
My want list has been pretty well fulfilled over the years. Other than finishing Bruticus, I'm more or less all set, until/unless they get around to Computron, Monstructor, or Beast Wars Rampage.
I'd say my collector mindset has changed but it really hasn't, even though I now consistently have a monthly income without even working (THE EMPLOYED HATE ME. LESBIAN FINDS THIS ONE WEIRD TRICK TO EARN MONEY WITHOUT NEEDING TO WORK) and even though I do obviously gotta pay bills and taxes on my summer home...I still haven't really changed much with how I buy even pre-tariffs and jive?
I dunno, I guess for me I was already mostly reserving myself to buying figures I want (and I mean 'really want' not just 'Oh yeah he looks cool') outside of like...holidays/my birthday where I feel I am allowed to splurge and also like if a store is doing a sale/has a figure marked for clearance and I decide to grab it if it's a cool figure and hey it's on sale.
Edit: Also I hate to say this but - even though I haven't grabbed any yet - a good chunk of my 'Wow that looks cool I want it' transforming robot part of my brain is now occupied by things like high quality KOs and things like Metal Cardbot lol. Look Transformers does not yet have a pirate Transformer that turns into a pirate ship I don't think. Or a train Transformer that comes with two other train cars to combine with the main figure as a super mode. Hasbro should take notes.
I dunno, I guess for me I was already mostly reserving myself to buying figures I want (and I mean 'really want' not just 'Oh yeah he looks cool') outside of like...holidays/my birthday where I feel I am allowed to splurge and also like if a store is doing a sale/has a figure marked for clearance and I decide to grab it if it's a cool figure and hey it's on sale.
Edit: Also I hate to say this but - even though I haven't grabbed any yet - a good chunk of my 'Wow that looks cool I want it' transforming robot part of my brain is now occupied by things like high quality KOs and things like Metal Cardbot lol. Look Transformers does not yet have a pirate Transformer that turns into a pirate ship I don't think. Or a train Transformer that comes with two other train cars to combine with the main figure as a super mode. Hasbro should take notes.
Regardless of where the money comes from, it's still not infinite. And when finite resources run up against the ugly thought of 'But is it WORTH it to me...?' things go downhill fast. I just had a good windfall from Ebay, even after the fees and shipping. And it's gone into the car. That car payment eats EVERYTHING quick. Still hoping for Bruticus at some point. It's just not going to be a preorder right now. I also look forwards to some Onslaught reviews, as that single-pin hinge sort of worries me still. Bad experiences with that sort of joint on something with that much weight.
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I think since getting Fortress Maximus, I've had a greater sense of... fulfillment.
I still want Transformers, lots of 'em, but I don't think the fire is burning as brightly these days. Whether it's down to that, the constantly increasing prices, or something else, I'm not sure.
I'd like Star Optimus and Armada Optimus and Studio Series '86 Optimus and even some guys who aren't Optimus, like Superion, but... I dunno. I've just focused more on more very specific niche interests. Like the Rescue Bots in Legacy/AotP, or Blaster's cassettes (Ratbat and Perceptor were nice bonuses there, though).
If I ever find myself with a lot more money and a lot more room, I might get back into it more, but as it stands, I feel like I'm on the verge of being priced out.
Though I have considered narrowing things to basically Studio Series '86 and guys who'd complement them like Outback (one of the remaining "must haves" for me), too.
I still want Transformers, lots of 'em, but I don't think the fire is burning as brightly these days. Whether it's down to that, the constantly increasing prices, or something else, I'm not sure.
I'd like Star Optimus and Armada Optimus and Studio Series '86 Optimus and even some guys who aren't Optimus, like Superion, but... I dunno. I've just focused more on more very specific niche interests. Like the Rescue Bots in Legacy/AotP, or Blaster's cassettes (Ratbat and Perceptor were nice bonuses there, though).
If I ever find myself with a lot more money and a lot more room, I might get back into it more, but as it stands, I feel like I'm on the verge of being priced out.
Though I have considered narrowing things to basically Studio Series '86 and guys who'd complement them like Outback (one of the remaining "must haves" for me), too.
Tbh one of the reasons I consciously decided to scale down around the time of AOTP launching was that even then I was feeling the cost crunch. And space, because I'm still trying to bail myself out but selling off old stuff is taking forever. I think past me would be a bit disappointed and pretty surprised at me passing on most of the Thirteen (for now at least), but it's kind of difficult to stay that excited when life in general feels like you're kicking your feet like mad underwater and expending all your energy just to stay afloat, not even get anywhere. This latest hike -- and since 2020 there have already been quite a few -- is taking things to a level I can't comfortably participate in as frequently and ardently as before.
I think the last 5-7 years (jaysus) feels like a good run. Rebooting the G1 collection, getting a TON of redecos and retools outside the main G1 collection to scratch that itch, Collaborative, redos of redos extending to BW and Armada, some nifty new ideas. And the stuff that was in the previous batch pre-WFC is still perfectly fine (Combiners, Headmasters), if the new ones are out of reach.
I mean even Hasbro is already just redoing their redos of redos with renewed takes on Megatron, Soundwave, Seekers... Maybe at some point in the future I can check those out, but right now it can't be as automatic as it once was.
Maybe I'll just keep crossing stuff off the G1 Update list. I'll show up for Turbomasters as I'll show up for the more niche stuff I like if anyone gets around to it. But for the most part the ice floe of disposable income is shrinking by the day, and more and more of the income is spoken for as it is.
I think the last 5-7 years (jaysus) feels like a good run. Rebooting the G1 collection, getting a TON of redecos and retools outside the main G1 collection to scratch that itch, Collaborative, redos of redos extending to BW and Armada, some nifty new ideas. And the stuff that was in the previous batch pre-WFC is still perfectly fine (Combiners, Headmasters), if the new ones are out of reach.
I mean even Hasbro is already just redoing their redos of redos with renewed takes on Megatron, Soundwave, Seekers... Maybe at some point in the future I can check those out, but right now it can't be as automatic as it once was.
Maybe I'll just keep crossing stuff off the G1 Update list. I'll show up for Turbomasters as I'll show up for the more niche stuff I like if anyone gets around to it. But for the most part the ice floe of disposable income is shrinking by the day, and more and more of the income is spoken for as it is.
TBH, I haven’t been completist since the Beast era, and that was primarily for the western/Hasbro releases. [Back then it was far easier to attempt to get everything released in one year, due to the fewer amount of figures released, and no mega-massive figures (and for British people, a much more favourable exchange rate).] But! Yeah, I understand it’s annoying not be able to get the stuff you want to as readily due to all the sharp price increases. As I’ve said, I don’t aim to get the “full set”, and wouldn’t want to, but some more affordability would be nice.
Yeah, the years of completionist are well behind me. I had several complete collections, but ended up selling a lot because of life.
I try to get new molds that I'm interested in, but I've pretty much checked out of studio series, aside from the occasional 86 release and things that interest me. Masterpiece is a joke with pricing and complexity. I've got my Rhinox and Rattrap to go with Primal and I'm getting the new Prime and that's it there.
I still like the mainline releases. AotPs continues to have my attention. I like the new, updated figures. But even those are going to be viewed with far more discretion.
I try to get new molds that I'm interested in, but I've pretty much checked out of studio series, aside from the occasional 86 release and things that interest me. Masterpiece is a joke with pricing and complexity. I've got my Rhinox and Rattrap to go with Primal and I'm getting the new Prime and that's it there.
I still like the mainline releases. AotPs continues to have my attention. I like the new, updated figures. But even those are going to be viewed with far more discretion.
Yeah, I really don't have the space, time or finances to approach collecting from a completist viewpoint these days. It's been a while since I have done that, but I generally have just bought what I liked each year. I still find a lot to like, even if I can't "catch 'em all" - and the HasLab stuff has been fun and largely good.