Should old figures be sold at the new, higher price points?

**Whiplash7** · December 21, 2012, 02:22pm

Come January, they will be charging charging $27 for $20 figures. That's kind of ridiculous. I thought it was bad when they started selling old figures for $22, but at $27 it's unbelievable. I can understand the price increase for new figures, but the old ones didn't cost them $27 to make. Figures should be sold at their original prices imo: 2013 - $27. 2012 - $22. Everything prior - $20.
What say you?

**The All American** · December 21, 2012, 02:28pm

It would be nice, but Mattel is a business, and I don't see them doing this.

**bizzysim3** · December 21, 2012, 02:34pm

They already sell older figures at a higher price. Heman, skeletor, shera, ect.. They were all originally $20 and now sell for $22. I imagine you could get the old ones cheap anyway on Black Friday or the mystery box sales they have and if they screw up another figures forearms we'll get free figures.

**He-bro** · December 21, 2012, 02:49pm

I agree, this is crazy!!!!

I had the same argument with my gas station, they raised the price but still had the old gas in the ground. Why was I being charged more when the gas they bought was at a lower price? The guy told me that they have to charge the replacement cost to get new gas.

About 2 years later the price of gas went down everywhere, but his was still high so I asked him again about his price why was it still higher and this time he said, "Well I have to show a profit for the gas I already bought." Bottom line, he (and most likely Mattel) will charge the highest price they can get away with and will find someway to justify it.

**shadowfall1976** · December 21, 2012, 02:35pm

No, $22- $27 for old ass figures made prior to any increase is asinine....plain and simple, those figures did not come from increased costs....they are old stock, some, way old stock.... nothing is right about it, especially with them *****ing they want old stock cleared out....

And $27 for Rot Spout especially is totally unrealistic....he should be sold at a discount because of the basic ethics, they know he's defective.

How can anyone with good conscience sell a defective figure at a $7 mark-up instead of a mark down? A figure that rotted even when left MOSC?

The $27 is ******** anyway for these things being the retail price for non subscribers....With all the problems especially. $25 is my absolute cap for
Matty retail, I will spend a bit more at BBTS to get the last 4 figures for my collection just to not deal with Matty myself once my sub is up in 2014.

Paying more to guarantee I get perfect or at least acceptable to my criteria figures without a BS return policy, and a crap ass CS base will be well worth it.
At least in 2014 I won't have to guarantee Mattel $500+ for a year of figures I don't want all of....I can spend $100 at BBTS and get only what I want,
and combine shipping for 6 months if I so choose to.

**vancak** · December 21, 2012, 02:47pm

No, they shouldn't. But, this is Mattel and they keep screwing their customers. That is why I'm glad I'm done with this line once my Granamyr arrives (unless I can get some of the newer figures I want at a really cheap price [around $20, which isn't really cheap]).

**slackrguy** · December 21, 2012, 02:48pm

Ae they going to increase the cost of the year-round available & inventory sell-off figures to $27? If so, could you please post a link because I'd like to see exactly everything that announcement said & the context it was said in.

Thanks!

**Kowl** · December 21, 2012, 03:07pm

Originally Posted by slackrguy

Ae they going to increase the cost of the year-round available & inventory sell-off figures to $27? If so, could you please post a link because I'd like to see exactly everything that announcement said & the context it was said in.

Thanks!

http://forums.mattycollector.com/eve...077#2041043077

http://forums.mattycollector.com/eve...077#6641035077

"You have been given ample notification!"

**slackrguy** · December 21, 2012, 03:18pm

Originally Posted by Kowl

http://forums.mattycollector.com/eve...077#2041043077

http://forums.mattycollector.com/eve...077#6641035077

Thanks!

I have trouble seeing the Evergreen basic figures valued at $27.00 but that could be because I already have them and would not pay $27.00 to have a duplicate. However, someone who doesn't have them may see more value in them than I do.

**Benedict Judas Hel** · December 21, 2012, 02:56pm

Originally Posted by Whiplash7

Should old figures be sold at the new, higher price points? What say you?

I say yes!

(I just wanted to be the only one that said "yes".)

**DO4M** · December 21, 2012, 02:58pm

If figure X didn't sell out at $20. I don't know what makes them think that it will sell at $27...

**hadley** · December 21, 2012, 03:08pm

If the price increase leads to more money in their pockets, they should.

If the price increase leads to fewer customers and less money in their pockets, they shouldn't.

Matty's got bills to pay. We never signed a contract that said Snout Spout would always be $22. More MOTUC profits should translate to more MOTUC resources.

**Kowl** · December 21, 2012, 03:20pm

Originally Posted by hadley

If the price increase leads to more money in their pockets, they should.

If the price increase leads to fewer customers and less money in their pockets, they shouldn't.

Matty's got bills to pay. We never signed a contract that said Snout Spout would always be $22. More MOTUC profits should translate to more MOTUC resources.

The price increase on the old figures also helps them offset the loss on storage costs that they have been paying for unsold stock at DR.

**Mad Scientist** · December 21, 2012, 03:33pm

I think this is capitalism, we can not argue with that. But IMO they could have a price of 23 or 25 for the old figures and 27 for the new ones, that would be more fair. Obviously by rising the price they could be compensating other costs, but we don't know for sure.

**ninja man** · December 21, 2012, 03:09pm

if they strat selling older figures for a higher price point....they are likely only going to hurt themselves. At $27 per figure PLUS shipping, you can kiss any new collectors good bye. I thought $22 was way to high for an action figure...

**Clawful Ofit** · December 21, 2012, 03:29pm

From a business point, I totally get & understand it, BUT... Flipshot & Snout Spout didn't sell at $15 with lower shipping, who's gonna buy them at +$13 & 50% more shipping? Amazon has them consistently at $28 & below with free 2 day shipping for Prime members & free 5 day shipping for non members. I actually got my Flipshot for $16 shipped a few weeks ago.

Hopefull that high dollar figures will make everything come out in the wash. If I save X amount on say Whiplash, I may spend that on Carnivus & not feel as violated.

Sigh, I remember when it was just about the toys & having fun. As a kid money, price increases, character selection & design choices didn't matter. Just good guys vs. bad guys & awesome adventures. I miss those days.

**bcrduke** · January 8, 2013, 08:29pm

I have to agree with those who say it wasn't a good idea to raise the prices on older items.

Other companies don't do that kind of thing.

Mattel, in this case, could use all the good will it can create for its customer base, and this increase on older stock just makes the company look thoughtless and tacky.

Is it capitalism? Sure, but that doesn't mean capitalism is devoid of tact.

Good capitalism is more than just nickel and dining the customer.

**Megalodon** · January 8, 2013, 08:39pm

Originally Posted by bcrduke

I have to agree with those who say it wasn't a good idea to raise the prices on older items.

Other companies don't do that kind of thing.

Mattel, in this case, could use all the good will it can create for its customer base, and this increase on older stock just makes the company look thoughtless and tacky.

Is it capitalism? Sure, but that doesn't mean capitalism is devoid of tact.

Good capitalism is more than just nickel and dining the customer.

Yea funny this is if it was another company they wouldn't **** off their customers either.....

**King Kahn** · January 8, 2013, 09:23pm

wow, surprised they are doing this. Yeah, most companies don't raise prices on old stock. I can see keeping it at 20/22 but this is kinda crazy, even from a business standpoint. The retail corp I work for wouldn't continue to raise prices on older items unless they were selling like hotcakes. These items are no hotcakes.

**Berserker79** · January 8, 2013, 09:26pm

I don`t think, the Palace Guards will sell well for 54$...

**Kowl** · January 9, 2013, 12:59am

Originally Posted by King Kahn

wow, surprised they are doing this. Yeah, most companies don't raise prices on old stock. I can see keeping it at 20/22 but this is kinda crazy, even from a business standpoint. The retail corp I work for wouldn't continue to raise prices on older items unless they were selling like hotcakes. These items are no hotcakes.

I'm pretty sure the rising cost on the evergreen figures is meant to help offset the storage costs for having these figures unsold at the DR warehouse.

**Bjjer** · January 9, 2013, 10:38am

Another nail in the coffin regarding reissues. If Matty sees dissapointing sales with the old stock they will be less likely to want to run more figs to sit in storage(no matter how popular or fan demanded the fig is the whole run won't sell out).

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