MOTUC 2013 Price Increase Discussion

[Berserker79]

So price increase took place and it will take place in the future.

Here in Germany gas prices increased ridiculous high over the last months, currently around 8.4$ a gallon.Also prices for food increase slightly, only the money I earn each month doesn't become more.

How long will you support an expensive hobby like MOTUC when Mattel increase their prices again on the figures?

[Canada-Man]

Prices go up. The price of everything goes up so its only at matter of time. I will still collect til they make the last figure in the line.

[MOTU_Maniac]

So price increase took place and it will take place in the future.
Here in Germany gas prices increased ridiculous high over the last months, currently around 8.4$ a gallon.Also prices for food increase slightly, only the money I earn each month doesn't become more.

Yeah, I know. Prices for most goods and utilities increase every year, but our paychecks don't

[Plasol]

So price increase took place and it will take place in the future.

Here in Germany gas prices increased ridiculous high over the last months, currently around 8.4$ a gallon.Also prices for food increase slightly, only the money I earn each month doesn't become more.

How long will you support an expensive hobby like MOTUC when Mattel increase their prices again on the figures?

Hi Berserker79 it truly is sad that we have to deal with this kind of stuff thanks too are wonderful world governments constantly making big mistakes and not only that but wasting millions of euros/dollars on stupid things and making it worse for us I find the Mattel figures at Matty are very expensive and other price increase will make it even more harder to collect more figures and would probably limit many people to one per month or even drop the toy line one of the biggest problems I see are when the figures sell out and run out of stock the prices even go higher on the market and the shipping is just insane.

[Barnster]

How long will you support an expensive hobby like MOTUC when Mattel increase their prices again on the figures?

Till the end of the line.

I already cancelled my DC-Comics subscription, stopped collecting Transformers, Star Wars, Movie Replicas and so on. Collecting MOTUC is the only hobby I got left, and it is worth it.

[Staff Of Ka]

Prices go up. The price of everything goes up so its only at matter of time. I will still collect til they make the last figure in the line.

ditto im aboard for the long haul

[zodak74]

Price increase for me means choosing the cheapest shipping option to help balance things out a bit, and certainly the purchase of only one of each item (no multiples for extra parts, other display options, army building, whatnot).

[EuroCoin]

Price increases (not only Matty ones) and local government lowering customs limits next year are not an ideal combination for me, I may have to ditch the sub and possibly become an infamous cherry picker.

- Joni -

[motu77]

Price increase ofr means end of collecting. I've got three kids and a wife to take care of so I'll have no problem cutting out getting toys each month.

[bigassbuzz]

Heed the wisdom of Dr Ron Paul.

[Crusader]

If prices go up, I'll just start buying less and limit myself to a select list of characters I really need. And if I miss out on a figure on sales day, then I miss out. No matter how great the sculpts are, I have a certain budget to spend every month on MOTU (not just MOTUC) and if I have to make cuts, MOTUC is the first to go.

[Fabulous]

So price increase took place and it will take place in the future.

How long will you support an expensive hobby like MOTUC when Mattel increase their prices again on the figures?

I love this line and luckily this is the only toyline I collect so I don't have a huge complaint about paying extra over time for the sake of these figures. Like TG said in the recent RGC, when it reaches $40 a figure its going to challenge a lot of people but for now if they're under $25, then I have no problem. It also means possibly getting a 2nd job but eh.

Glad they made the Star Sisters now, if they were made in the $40 per figure era, then they'd possibly be $120

[csc0709]

So price increase took place and it will take place in the future.

Here in Germany gas prices increased ridiculous high over the last months, currently around 8.4$ a gallon.Also prices for food increase slightly, only the money I earn each month doesn't become more.

How long will you support an expensive hobby like MOTUC when Mattel increase their prices again on the figures?

Not to get off topic, but $8.40 a gallon for gas in Germany. WOW! There would literally be riots in the United States if gas prices were that high. Admittedly, we depend on our cars far more than our European friends cause we are so spread out with few options for public transportation, especially in Texas were I'm located. I wouldn't be able to afford to go to work everyday, if prices were that high here. My work is 22 miles from my house. The US economy would collapse under those kind of prices. MOTUC figures would be astronomically priced if gas prices were like that here, if Mattel could even afford to do the line under such conditions. I fill up about 4 times a month, and with those prices, the cost of filling up my car would exceed my monthly car payment and insurance combined. The car idustry would crumble as Americans would no longer by cars and resort to walking, if not horse drawn carriages again.

[Kowl]

I know that I'm probably in the minority here, but I kind of wish they would just increase the price of the figures to $25 and stop crying about lack of tooling dollars. If the figures cost $25, then maybe they wouldn't be cutting cool accessories like Horde Prime's staff & Drago's whip!

[JonWes]

To be honest, if they do increase the price next year, I hope they can hold that for another three years. If it goes up to $25, I can do that. I would stop collecting other lines and just go with MOTUC if I had to.

[Zodach]

I am fortunate to be able to afford everything in this line, even with the price increases coming for subscribers next year. I have other lines I collect that are much more expensive (statues and mini busts). I am actually surprised prices have been holding at $20 per figure since the beginning in 2008. A lot of 6" collector figures at retail are $15-20 and most of those don't have the same quality and accessories that MOTUC does. Even the vintage collection Star Wars figures are running $9-10.

[Sir Reilly]

I feel that another price increase might be unavoidable, but is unacceptable unless Mattel and Digital River finally get their jobs done right in these areas: Quality control that actually works instead of us receiving figures with swapped pieces, damaged lenses and breaking trunks. Customer service that deserves its name instead of doing stuff like cancelling subscriptions and blaming the customer. Product getting shipped in time instead of consumers still waiting for their Wind Raiders.
I dare say that most of these issues would be yesterday's news without DR...

[Night Stalker]

The MOTUC line is already too expensive for me. When it first started, I had every intention of collecting each figure, but thankfully the lame Z-list characters, shoddy production and questionable Mattel shenanigans that have plagued this line since early on made it that much easier for me to buy only the figures I want.

But still, I have no problem paying that type of cash for a top-notch figure of the highest quality. MOTUC doesn't fall into that category. These are $10 figures ($15 is being really generous) at best, and that's about all I'm willing to pay for them via ebay or BBTS sales. I know that most people don't want to hear that, but every one of my MOTUC characters has some sort of production flaw and I've come to accept the fact that these are second-rate toys manufactured for 28-42 year old males with disposable income.

So when Mattel raises the price of these figures to $40 a pop, it's not going to effect me either way. I'm still going to wait for them to go on sale or buy them second hand at a deep discount.

[Benedict Judas Hel]

How long will you support an expensive hobby like MOTUC when Mattel increase their prices again on the figures?

Until they start making crap I don't want or until the price outweighs my desire to own the figure.

[GozzoMan]

I know that I'm probably in the minority here, but I kind of wish they would just increase the price of the figures to $25 and stop crying about lack of tooling dollars. If the figures cost $25, then maybe they wouldn't be cutting cool accessories like Horde Prime's staff & Drago's whip!

OR they could accept a less ridiculous margin per (already overpriced) figure, make a better job at QC them, hire a better line manager, realize the selling potential of MOTU ... and, voilà, "magically" profit more overall by selling more of them!

EDIT: Oh! And reissue the ones people actually want to buy, of course!

Don't you love economics?

But still, I have no problem paying that type of cash for a top-notch figure of the highest quality. MOTUC doesn't fall into that category. These are $10 figures ($15 is being really generous) at best

This!

So when Mattel raises the price of these figures to $40 a pop, it's not going to effect me either way. I'm still going to wait for them to go on sale or buy them second hand at a deep discount.

I vehemently applaud you, sir/madam.

Until they start making crap I don't want or until the price outweighs my desire to own the figure.

Aaaaaaand this.

I love MOTU... and I really love this line overall idea and look... but I'm not comfortable eating BS.

[Ealo]

i'll buy until the line dies, even at $40 a figure... the only dubious silver lining is that i won't have to pay that price long as the line would be dead in rather short order.

[shadowfall1976]

If they go up too much more, and the prices are reflected on the 3rd party also by lower production numbers, then I will stop collecting wanted but unneeded figures, and just wait for my last 5 or 6 to be made and call it a day. Then I will go back to Transformers full time, and other lower priced lines.

[cbomb23]

The MOTUC line is already too expensive for me. When it first started, I had every intention of collecting each figure, but thankfully the lame Z-list characters, shoddy production and questionable Mattel shenanigans that have plagued this line since early on made it that much easier for me to buy only the figures I want.

But still, I have no problem paying that type of cash for a top-notch figure of the highest quality. MOTUC doesn't fall into that category. These are $10 figures ($15 is being really generous) at best, and that's about all I'm willing to pay for them via ebay or BBTS sales. I know that most people don't want to hear that, but every one of my MOTUC characters has some sort of production flaw and I've come to accept the fact that these are second-rate toys manufactured for 28-42 year old males with disposable income.

So when Mattel raises the price of these figures to $40 a pop, it's not going to effect me either way. I'm still going to wait for them to go on sale or buy them second hand at a deep discount.

Please? $10-$15 figures??? what maybe 10 to 15 years ago??? While $20 for an action figure in general seems like a lot, it's the sign of the times. What figures are better? Hot Toys? well those are $200 each. Star Wars/GI Joe/Marvel Universe? great figures, great sculpts, but these are way smaller and cost nearly $10 each. Marvel Legends/DCUC? while these are great are they better than MOTUC and cost $15-$20. Thundercats? LOL not even worth talking about. So which figures that are $20 are worth it, since these aren't?

[Hordaiquiri]

It'll all depend on the markup. I'd have no problem paying for them with a slight increase... it's the shipping/tax cost that kills. $25 would be the limit.

Again, depending on the markup, I'd either cut back a bit on other spending to get MOTUC or I'd end up cherry-picking, something that I'd rather not do since I genuinely like almost 95+% of product that's been introduced. Worst case scenario, I'd go back to just getting POP, Horde, and finishing off Skeletor's crew.

[wolfsfang]

I would say $25 - $30 per figure would be my limit but then you also have to add in international shipping charges (I live in the uk) because if they increase too much as well then even if the figure is only $25 I still wouldn't be able to afford the line and thus would have to quit it...again...this time for good