MOTUC 2013 Price Increase Discussion

[Dr Kain]

That is another factor. Are they going to make sure there are no more defects like bad jobs and reversed limbs when they raise the price? If I get a 2013 sub, and the figures are $25 or more, and there is one figure with reversed shoulders, I want the guarantee that I can cancel my sub with no hassle because that is unacceptable for a toy that is priced that high to not be free from defects.

[Saved]

Sweet Jesus...


OP...please, for the love of God, buy an economics book and watch the news.

Priced SHOULD have gone up in 2009 or 2010. We got away with it for 2-3 years. Prices rise. It happens. If you don't like it, don't buy the toys. If $5-$10 more a month is THAT bad, perhaps this Adult Collector Line isn't for you.

Im sure Mattel loves the fact that the 1% will always support this line no matter the costs. But as economic experts like you are well aware of what happens to supply when demand diminishes. As we already saw that subs have gone down and even product has gone down this year. Will be interesting if this line survives past 2013. And no. I will choose not to buy (directly), just as many others already have. I am patient and I can wait to buy something somebody doesnt want at a better price.

[MOTU_Maniac]

I think if ToyGuru could give us a range, like saying "it'll be more or less than $10", that would go a long way.

I would like to know if it is going to be more or less than $5 because an increase of $5 is HUGE!!!

[Replikor]

That is another factor. Are they going to make sure there are no more defects like bad jobs and reversed limbs when they raise the price? If I get a 2013 sub, and the figures are $25 or more, and there is one figure with reversed shoulders, I want the guarantee that I can cancel my sub with no hassle because that is unacceptable for a toy that is priced that high to not be free from defects.

...now [IF] this price increase DOES INDEED make backwards shoulders and other Quality issue go to the wayside... then I say increase it then, as this line is PLAGUED with WAY too many Quality Control issues for the prices we pay for them.

An as much as direct buys can complain... imagine the poor secondary market ppl! They are paying x1 1/2 or x2 what direct buyers pay.

But in the end... I honestly don't see anything changing except the price going up...

[shadowfall1976]

Sweet Jesus...


OP...please, for the love of God, buy an economics book and watch the news.

Priced SHOULD have gone up in 2009 or 2010. We got away with it for 2-3 years. Prices rise. It happens. If you don't like it, don't buy the toys. If $5-$10 more a month is THAT bad, perhaps this Adult Collector Line isn't for you.

I guess you have money coming out of your ears, you do realize that many buy this line as a hobby, and have mouths to feed and bills to pay....and by your same statement with your economics book and news, you do also realize that people have limited funds. Just because we all love this line, doesn't mean we can indefinitely buy them if the prices go beyond a certain point we set. I find it so hard to believe the level of non compassion over a toy line for those who have lower capitol to buy them....

And for action figures....$25 + is a bit much to swallow, they are just toys after all.

[Zodach]

But prices did go up on this line last year.

They went up only 10% and that was for day of stock which is a much smaller percentage of overall sales than subscribers who did not have a price increase.

I don't have a problem with chinese workers getting paid. But if there is no cost benefit in making the figures there, then there are other options. Heck maybe even bring it back to the USA, cause Lord knows we need the jobs.

What other options are there? Please enlighten me. Do you want to send production to a third world country that doesn't have the infrastructure or access to raw materials that China does. Not to mention the skilled manual labor would be a big step down. If you thought we have quality control problems now, they would be much worse somewhere else.

Bringing production back to the U.S. would increase the prices substantially more. We would probably be paying $40+ for these figures if they were made in the USA. Do you support that? We have to pay for health care on top of wages and we all know how much health care costs go up every single year.

But the bottom line is that we are not getting our money's worth for an item that is a luxury, its not a necessity.

If you don't feel you're getting your money's worth than stop buying them. Mattel will continue making them as long as enough people buy them and I think plenty of people will still do just that even at $25-30. The alternative is that there are no more MOTU figures. Keeping the prices the same or lowering them is not an option. As Scott said, Mattel isn't increasing their profit margin, they're just covering the production cost increases that have occurred over the last 4 years and will continue to happen in future years.

And for action figures....$25 + is a bit much to swallow, they are just toys after all.

Exactly! They are just toys and this is just a hobby. Nobody is being harmed by prices going up. Will some people be unable to afford these figures with each price increase, yes, but how many toys cost the same today as they did in 2008? When manufacturing costs go up, prices go up. The companies aren't just going to step in and take a hit on their profit margin especially when they are a publicly traded company who has to answer to shareholders on their profitability each quarter.

[fball13z]

Sweet Jesus...


OP...please, for the love of God, buy an economics book and watch the news.

Priced SHOULD have gone up in 2009 or 2010. We got away with it for 2-3 years. Prices rise. It happens. If you don't like it, don't buy the toys. If $5-$10 more a month is THAT bad, perhaps this Adult Collector Line isn't for you.

BC you and I do not always see eye to eye, but man sometimes I love you lol

great realistic post!

They went up only 10% and that was for day of stock which is a much smaller percentage of overall sales than subscribers who did not have a price increase.




What other options are there? Please enlighten me. Do you want to send production to a third world country that doesn't have the infrastructure or access to raw materials that China does. Not to mention the skilled manual labor would be a big step down. If you thought we have quality control problems now, they would be much worse somewhere else.

Bringing production back to the U.S. would increase the prices substantially more. We would probably be paying $40+ for these figures if they were made in the USA. Do you support that? We have to pay for health care on top of wages and we all know how much health care costs go up every single year.




If you don't feel you're getting your money's worth than stop buying them. Mattel will continue making them as long as enough people buy them and I think plenty of people will still do just that even at $25-30. The alternative is that there are no more MOTU figures. Keeping the prices the same or lowering them is not an option. As Scott said, Mattel isn't increasing their profit margin, they're just covering the production cost increases that have occurred over the last 4 years and will continue to happen in future years.

Yup love you 2, so nice to see some people talking sense

[bigsexy_j]

I think this line will do fine with the increases if Mattel looks into the price gouging Digitl River is doing with the shipping charges. Find out why the charge more the anyone else. If the cost per figure goes up but shipping is normal it won't be o a.

J

[Saved]

They went up only 10% and that was for day of stock which is a much smaller percentage of overall sales than subscribers who did not have a price increase.

But the price increase would catch up with the sub the next year, and s&h went up as well.

What other options are there? Please enlighten me. Do you want to send production to a third world country that doesn't have the infrastructure or access to raw materials that China does. Not to mention the skilled manual labor would be a big step down. If you thought we have quality control problems now, they would be much worse somewhere else.

Bringing production back to the U.S. would increase the prices substantially more. We would probably be paying $40+ for these figures if they were made in the USA. Do you support that? We have to pay for health care on top of wages and we all know how much health care costs go up every single year.

There are always options. I f I had the whole skinny of it it would be me working there and not them. Guess what? We may be closer to $40 than you think now and the quality or the customer service is still not there and the workers making these are still probably making less than what they should.

If you don't feel you're getting your money's worth than stop buying them. Mattel will continue making them as long as enough people buy them and I think plenty of people will still do just that even at $25-30. The alternative is that there are no more MOTU figures. Keeping the prices the same or lowering them is not an option. As Scott said, Mattel isn't increasing their profit margin, they're just covering the production cost increases that have occurred over the last 4 years and will continue to happen in future years.

I have stopped buying them directly. As have many already if your read these forums. And in this day and age there is no way I believe that Mattel has carried on this line for the past few years if the profit is even to none. Carrying the costs from the past? What kind of excuse is that? And for future costs? There are no guarantees this line survives year in and out. And you are saying they want us to pay for future costs of toys that might not even be produced? You rather have an quality-challenged & expensive line than nothing at all?

Please clarify if I misunderstood.

[Slave2Evil_Lyn]

Honestly? I think cost-reducing like 2012 would have been better. In 2012 we only lost:

-Draego-Man's shield
-Draego-Man's flame whip
-Draego-Man's non-flame sword
-The Mighty Spector's whip
-Horde Prime's staff

Paint Decoes:

-Stinkor's metallic blue on accessories
-Some silver details on Horde Prime

Say ALL figures are $25 for 2013. Is $3 increase per figure REALLY worthy of 5 accessories and more paint details on 2 figures? Heck no! 12 regular figures + 4 quarterly figures (16) X $3 price increase = $48 extra dollars. That's basically $10 per accessory cut. That's pretty insane, in my opinion...and by saying "dramatically increasing prices", it's probably going to be even MORE than that!

If we could do 2013 at 2012's cost by "losing" the same amount of accessories/paint decoes, I say go for it! The price increase is definitely going to lower sub sales (not sure how significantly, but it will...the high cost of the 2012 sub is why fewer people subscribed via data collected from polls and reading the different forums). Keeping the costs to the consumer lower = more sales. More sales = higher profit. It's like Mattel is becoming allergic to success.

Those are the missing accessories that we know of, it is possible that with the more resent figures revealed that accessories were cut before they were shown. That could be why Frosta only has a shield and pinwheel, the 4H may have sculpted other accessories for her but Mattel "cut" them to save money.

I understand where you're coming from but I think in the long run we'd loose a great deal more if Mattel kept the prices at $22 and cut accessories and paint decos. The last think we want is figures with 1 accessory and no more extra heads.

A price increase sucks, I hope TG was overstating when he said "dramatically raising prices."

[Grayskull's Heir]

I tend to agree with the supporters this time
As a subscriber, prices have been stable since 2009 (2008) and I don't see a problem in price increses next year. I agree that prices in all areas go up, so why not in an adult collectors line.
I'd pay $25 for a figure as long as they come with all accessories and paint apps

[KUZEH]

It's simple economics,
besides these are a luxury, not a need...

[Zodach]

But the price increase would catch up with the sub the next year, and s&h went up as well.

Shipping from Digital River has nothing to do with the retail price of a figure for Mattel. Does it impact sales? To some extent yes, but it is completely independent of the reasons Mattel is increasing the price of the figures (labor and raw materials).

There are always options. I f I had the whole skinny of it it would be me working there and not them.

The options are prices go up or Mattel stops making figures because management decides the line isn't worth putting resources into it for a lower profit margin. That's their business decision and one that makes sense.

If you're referring to the other manufacturing options which are cheaper, don't you think a company as large as Mattel that does the majority of their manufacturing in China would have looked into alternatives for cheaper labor? I can tell you that a lot of companies have found out that the access to raw materials and solid infrastructure is not there in other countries that may offer cheaper labor. Not only that but they do not have the skilled labor to compete with what China can produce.

I have stopped buying them directly. As have many already if your read these forums.

That doesn't hurt Mattel at all if you are still buying figures through secondary sellers. If you support the resellers on eBay and online sites likes BBTS Mattel is still getting your money in the end. You are also probably paying a premium for that figure, so why would you complain about a price increase from Mattel if you can afford to pay more than MSRP now?

And you are saying they want us to pay for future costs of toys that might not even be produced?

I was not saying that, but Mattel knows how much manufacturing costs can increase over the course of the year. I don't think they can lock in prices from their manufacturer in China for all of 2013 by the time subscriptions go on sale in July/August. They have to do their best to estimate what costs may be over a year in advance to know what to charge subscribers in order to hit their profit margin targets.

You rather have an quality-challenged & expensive line than nothing at all?

YES! I would rather pay higher prices to get Ram Man, Horde Troopers, Two Bad, etc. than not having them at all.

Please clarify if I misunderstood.

See above. I understand that collectors can be very sensitive to price increases especially those with a more limited budget, but tell me what other toys or collectibles you purchase today that cost the same as they did in 2008? Increasing prices are a reality across the action figure/toy industry and I don't see how you can expect Mattel to be responsible for prices in a supply chain which is mostly out of their scope of control.

[Robogeek1973]

Forgive me if I'm wrong as I've been out of the loop for awhile but hasn't the price gone up recently already or no? When I first started collecting a couple years back the figures were $20 apiece and are now $22, so when exactly did that increase take place? I buy enough toys (Transformers, MU, ML) so I know how the prices have increased for those lines but I'm just curious as to what the time frame is for this line from the last increase.

If it was recent than I understand folks getting a little upset over it.

[fball13z]

Forgive me if I'm wrong as I've been out of the loop for awhile but hasn't the price gone up recently already or no? When I first started collecting a couple years back the figures were $20 apiece and are now $22, so when exactly did that increase take place? I buy enough toys (Transformers, MU, ML) so I know how the prices have increased for those lines but I'm just curious as to what the time frame is for this line from the last increase.

If it was recent than I understand folks getting a little upset over it.

$22 is only for the day of sales, any of us that signed up for the sub are still getting them at $20 and since most the sales come from the subs, most the figures are being sold at the 2008 Price

[Robogeek1973]

Ahhhhh I see.



Carry on,lol.

[Saved]

Shipping from Digital River has nothing to do with the retail price of a figure for Mattel. Does it impact sales? To some extent yes, but it is completely independent of the reasons Mattel is increasing the price of the figures (labor and raw materials).

Might be, but Mattel has say and influence over shipping negotiations with the various shipping companies.

The options are prices go up or Mattel stops making figures because management decides the line isn't worth putting resources into it for a lower profit margin. That's their business decision and one that makes sense.

Again, I dont know about that. Because if its as bad as Scott states it is it means this line has broken even at best for the last few years and No way a big company keeps a product afloat that cant turn in profit for that long.

If you're referring to the other manufacturing options which are cheaper, don't you think a company as large as Mattel that does the majority of their manufacturing in China would have looked into alternatives for cheaper labor? I can tell you that a lot of companies have found out that the access to raw materials and solid infrastructure is not there in other countries that may offer cheaper labor. Not only that but they do not have the skilled labor to compete with what China can produce.

I will concede that point to you on the basis that moving a shop of their sive somewhere else where they might get a better deal is only cost effective on the long run.

That doesn't hurt Mattel at all if you are still buying figures through secondary sellers. If you support the resellers on eBay and online sites likes BBTS Mattel is still getting your money in the end. You are also probably paying a premium for that figure, so why would you complain about a price increase from Mattel if you can afford to pay more than MSRP now?

I never said that what I do hurts mattel. But its one or 2 less subs they sell then last couple of years. I dont buy from secondary online retailers that crank up the price. That would make my complain for price increases a moot point. Not sure how you figured that out. I buy here or ebay at prices equal or less than I would pay matty and that includes shipping. I know Im not the only one who does this and I know already a few people that normally resell their subs have drastically reduced the number of subs they buy. I mean, last year TG had to practically beg people to buy the sub. What do you think will happen this year?

I was not saying that, but Mattel knows how much manufacturing costs can increase over the course of the year. I don't think they can lock in prices from their manufacturer in China for all of 2013 by the time subscriptions go on sale in July/August. They have to do their best to estimate what costs may be over a year in advance to know what to charge subscribers in order to hit their profit margin targets.

They know how much manufacturing cost will increase? Really? So I believe that their recent generosity of not raising the prices for 3 years came from the bottom of their own hearts? Because everyone knows oil prices did not go up at all between 2008-2011. And suddenly prices go up 2 years in a row? It doesnt add up.

YES! I would rather pay higher prices to get Ram Man, Horde Troopers, Two Bad, etc. than not having them at all.

Again. Im sure Matty is glad the 1% will buy their MOTUC product no matter how much it costs. TG has mentioned many times the importance of the subs to keep the line going. The rest of us will remain cherry pickers through whatever means we have. So I guess since for you and many others money is no issue you will be able to buy the fine quality customs offered online of all the figures that will not be made.

See above. I understand that collectors can be very sensitive to price increases especially those with a more limited budget, but tell me what other toys or collectibles you purchase today that cost the same as they did in 2008? Increasing prices are a reality across the action figure/toy industry and I don't see how you can expect Mattel to be responsible for prices in a supply chain which is mostly out of their scope of control.

Price increases are all over the spectrum food, clothes, education, fuel, etc... We can go over political issues and conspiracy theories untill kingdom come. But there are things that are under a company that are controlable. Its just up to them how far and fair they will go for their customers.
Prices have gone up all over the toy industry. But this is a very drastic case on their end. normally Figures go up maybe $1 each year or couple of years. We will know soon enough how bad the damage is. Maybe its time for this line to go to retail in order to survive.

[DarkLiger]

I doubt I'll re-new. Anime and Tokusatsu are my main hobby. I only kept my sub because of lack of interest in Kamen Rider Fourze and with the 30th anniversary I felt some great figures would be released.

[bcrduke]

Ypu guys can argue with each other all day and all night.

The facts:

- a "dramatic" price increase could lead to MANY people leaving the line, or, worse (bear with me), hardcore customers like us buying only one Subscription, instead of two or three.

- a "dramatic" price increase is BAD for foreign customers, who I think are very important to the success of the line. Customs fees will be higher. That's a problem.

- Mattel and Digital River have made it nearly impossible to exchange faulty figures. For example, if you had a faulty Fisto or Sorceress, and you returned the product to Digital River before an order had been created for replacement, you would have been out of luck. Formerly, Digital River would accept emailed photos of the faulty product, and you could return the faulty product at your discretion. They argue that this change was made to combat fraudulent claims of broken toys. I think it was implemented to scare customers into keeping their broken toys (rather than risk losing out on the figure), so they don't lose money on replacements.

- a "dramatic" price increase will lead to more complaints from customers who will absolutely NOT tolerate bad paint, reversed parts, broken pieces. So if Scott and Mattel are annoyed now, 8 hope they are prepared with the new team at DR.

I do not expect quality to improve because of a price increase. LOL

And I know there are price increases across the board in all areas, but remember, we've been paying a premium on these figures. $20 for an ACTION FIGURE is a premium

[Saved]

Ypu guys can argue with each other all day and all night.

The facts:

- a "dramatic" price increase could lead to MANY people leaving the line, or, worse (bear with me), hardcore customers like us buying only one Subscription, instead of two or three.

- a "dramatic" price increase is BAD for foreign customers, who I think are very important to the success of the line. Customs fees will be higher. That's a problem.

- Mattel and Digital River have made it nearly impossible to exchange faulty figures. For example, if you had a faulty Fisto or Sorceress, and you returned the product to Digital River before an order had been created for replacement, you would have been out of luck. Formerly, Digital River would accept emailed photos of the faulty product, and you could return the faulty product at your discretion. They argue that this change was made to combat fraudulent claims of broken toys. I think it was implemented to scare customers into keeping their broken toys, rather than risk losing out on the figure.

- a "dramatic" price increase will lead to more complaints from customers who will absolutely NOT tolerate bad paint, reversed parts, broken pieces. So if Scott and Mattel are annoyed now, 8 hope they are prepared with the new team at DR.

I do not expect quality to improve because of a price increase. LOL

100% Agreed!!!!!!

[Hosed Ovor]

Ypu guys can argue with each other all day and all night.

The facts:

- a "dramatic" price increase could lead to MANY people leaving the line, or, worse (bear with me), hardcore customers like us buying only one Subscription, instead of two or three.

- a "dramatic" price increase is BAD for foreign customers, who I think are very important to the success of the line. Customs fees will be higher. That's a problem.

- Mattel and Digital River have made it nearly impossible to exchange faulty figures. For example, if you had a faulty Fisto or Sorceress, and you returned the product to Digital River before an order had been created for replacement, you would have been out of luck. Formerly, Digital River would accept emailed photos of the faulty product, and you could return the faulty product at your discretion. They argue that this change was made to combat fraudulent claims of broken toys. I think it was implemented to scare customers into keeping their broken toys (rather than risk losing out on the figure), so they don't lose money on replacements.

- a "dramatic" price increase will lead to more complaints from customers who will absolutely NOT tolerate bad paint, reversed parts, broken pieces. So if Scott and Mattel are annoyed now, 8 hope they are prepared with the new team at DR.

I do not expect quality to improve because of a price increase. LOL

And I know there are price increases across the board in all areas, but remember, we've been paying a premium on these figures. $20 for an ACTION FIGURE is a premium

I couldn't agree more!

[Zodach]

Again, I dont know about that. Because if its as bad as Scott states it is it means this line has broken even at best for the last few years and No way a big company keeps a product afloat that cant turn in profit for that long.

I never said Mattel was breaking even or hasn't turned a profit on MOTUC. Scott never mentioned that either. We know they make money on this line and have in 2012 just like they have every other year. As a company they have to maintain profit margins for any line or they are going to cancel it and move their resources elsewhere.

I buy here or ebay at prices equal or less than I would pay matty and that includes shipping.

Were you able to get Sorceress, Fisto, and Shadow Weaver for less than Matty prices? Good luck paying less than retail for Spikor or Ram Man in the future.

I know Im not the only one who does this and I know already a few people that normally resell their subs have drastically reduced the number of subs they buy.

Subs are down from 2011 and 2010 and we all know that. How much they are down we don't know. Scott has said even though subs were lower for 2012 the numbers are still well above their minimum requirement to keep the line going. Will subs continue to decrease? I think so. It's almost inevitable that as more popular characters are made and prices go up interest is going to diminish no matter what.

They know how much manufacturing cost will increase? Really? So I believe that their recent generosity of not raising the prices for 3 years came from the bottom of their own hearts? Because everyone knows oil prices did not go up at all between 2008-2011. And suddenly prices go up 2 years in a row? It doesnt add up.

You misunderstood me. Based on past experience Mattel knows that manufacturing costs can rise over the course of the year. They can't know exactly what the cost is going to be for all figures made in 2013 when they sell the subscriptions in July/August this year, but based on past trends they can see those prices going up and have to plan pricing based on that data.

Again. Im sure Matty is glad the 1% will buy their MOTUC product no matter how much it costs.

I never said I would buy MOTUC product no matter how much it costs. I said I would definitely pay higher prices for figures I really want if the alternative was not having them at all. I do have a limit though.

You guys can argue with each other all day and all night.

The facts:

I don't disagree with the points you make. I know that the higher the prices go, the more people expect and the lower the subscribers will be. What is your alternative though? Mattel can't directly control the price of raw materials and manual labor in China so what do you propose? And please don't suggest that Mattel lowers their profit margin because that isn't going to happen. Neither of us know what kind of numbers they're looking at but I don't think Mattel is concerned about letting this line get canned if they can't meet their profit targets. They will just put the resources somewhere else.

And I know there are price increases across the board in all areas, but remember, we've been paying a premium on these figures. $20 for an ACTION FIGURE is a premium

Yes, it's a premium but this is an online exclusive collectors line that is hard to compare to anything at retail since we don't know production numbers. They don't pay a licensing fee and they sell direct, but we have no idea how much extra it costs to produce a smaller line like MOTUC compared to higher quantity retail lines such as Star Wars, WWE, Marvel, DC, etc.

Why don't we look at the GI Joe subscription service which is going to sell figures for approximately $20-25 each? Those are 3 3/4" Joes that feature heavy parts reuse. I think MOTUC is a better value since the figures are twice the size.

http://www.gijoeclub.com/FSSexclusives.cfm

[orbles]

I was expecting a price increase for 2013. Other figures have gone up in price and MOTUC prices have stayed the same for almost 4 years now. Sometimes I still can't believe how expensive SW figures are now. I can remember when they were $4-5.

It is funny that everyone assumes we were getting a good price in 2008, maybe they were overcharging us, remember no licensing fees and no middle man to mark up the product. So now they are raising the prices to maintain the level of profit from 2008!

[Saved]

Were you able to get Sorceress, Fisto, and Shadow Weaver for less than Matty prices? Good luck paying less than retail for Spikor or Ram Man in the future.

As a matter of fact I did.

Even got the Shadow weaver for the price of a 2011 sub thanks to a Matty shipping her to me instead of Demo man. Glad to see a DR mistake go my way. Still got Demo man for under matty/dr price.
Recently bought a loose beast man for $18 shipped and a loose H Hordak for $19 shipped. I could go on. I can wait for the price of these figures to go down in the market. Its all about the timing.

Subs are down from 2011 and 2010 and we all know that. How much they are down we don't know. Scott has said even though subs were lower for 2012 the numbers are still well above their minimum requirement to keep the line going. Will subs continue to decrease? I think so. It's almost inevitable that as more popular characters are made and prices go up interest is going to diminish no matter what.

He was still begging for people to subscribe there for a while. But if that is what decides if the line goes on....

You misunderstood me. Based on past experience Mattel knows that manufacturing costs can rise over the course of the year. They can't know exactly what the cost is going to be for all figures made in 2013 when they sell the subscriptions in July/August this year, but based on past trends they can see those prices going up and have to plan pricing based on that data.

Fair enough. But why the sudden change 2 years in a row after 3 years of no change?




[QUOTE=Zodach;3020875]
I never said I would buy MOTUC product no matter how much it costs. I said I would definitely pay higher prices for figures I really want if the alternative was not having them at all. I do have a limit though.[QUOTE=Zodach;3020875]

Everyone has a limit. But when will mattel draw the line (as best)? We are already paying over $30 a figure including shipping. Why is their shipping more expensive than most other online retailers. MOTUC is not their only product so its not about the size.

[fball13z]

It is funny that everyone assumes we were getting a good price in 2008, maybe they were overcharging us, remember no licensing fees and no middle man to mark up the product. So now they are raising the prices to maintain the level of profit from 2008!

right but the part we dont know, is the could have only made 5000 figures to sell online vs a retail line like DCUC where they may make 20000+ figures, with the smaller lines they have to make more per figure, since they do not have retail volume