Is the packaging worth enough for it to effect the value of your purchase?

[TF76]

It wasn't a toy sale item or anything to do with toy sale, just you having a rant about not getting a toy for the price you believe your entitled to, based only on your own opinion.

The event just happens to be while toy sale is on makes no difference targets policy's are targets policy's everyday, if they are working within those policies I honestly don't see the problem.

I'm interested in info on the sale updates etc... Not the same rants over and over.

I don't agree with your opinion and it is just that, your opinion.

[Mr Ed]

It wasn't a toy sale item or anything to do with toy sale, just you having a rant about not getting a toy for the price you believe your entitled to, based only on your own opinion.

The event just happens to be while toy sale is on makes no difference targets policy's are targets policy's everyday, if they are working within those policies I honestly don't see the problem.

I'm interested in info on the sale updates etc... Not the same rants over and over.

I don't agree with your opinion and it is just that, your opinion.

This is a very pleasant forum and people help each other with sightings, share concerns and rants. Whilst this topic has gone off forum, it's not the end of the world. Just ignore them and move on man!!!!

[bowspearer]

This is a very pleasant forum and people help each other with sightings, share concerns and rants. Whilst this topic has gone off forum, it's not the end of the world. Just ignore them and move on man!!!!

You know the ironic bit. When I posted that it was nothing more than light hearted anecdote which made me laugh with how ironic it was in light of the current retail sales crisis here and this happening in the middle of a toy sale.

It seems I didn't know half the irony of since posting it earned me an ambush and personal attacks where I'm supposedly 'emo' and 'bawwing on the internet'....

[Mr Ed]

You know the ironic bit. When I posted that it was nothing more than light hearted anecdote which made me laugh with how ironic it was in light of the current retail sales crisis here and this happening in the middle of a toy sale.

It seems I didn't know half the irony of since posting it earned me an ambush and personal attacks where I'm supposedly 'emo' and 'bawwing on the internet'....

It's ok. Just ignore it and move on. We're not fighting for sheep stations here

[griffin]

Moved discussion of packaging 'value' here, as it could be interesting to see who thinks toy packaging, at least Hasbro packaging, is worth paying for... especially if you found a mint toy in damaged packaging.

And please, no insulting the opinions of others, as everyone needs somewhere to have a whinge if it doesn't target others or isn't too aggressive. This is a toy collector website - where else would toy collectors be able to have a rant to an applicable audience?

Also, unless we have a store's representative to officially outline their policies (selling undamaged product in damaged packaging), or their purchasing objectives (of things that could be collector-oriented), we can only guess at them. So no need to get too worked up over someone else's opinions or guesses. For all we know, Hasbro told Target that they had a mystery store exclusive for $50 that they could sell at $200... which just made them look like they were targeting the collector market, but since both would be making money neither cared what the item was.
(but that's just another guess, as I don't think retailers in this country and this current economic climate would care what they sell, as long as they make sales/profit)


As for the selling of undamaged toys in damaged packaging - most products in a store that are on the shelves in an outer carton/packaging aren't making a sale based on the packaging. The point of toys (and this is why retailers, including TRU don't get this uniquely different product department) is to make the sale through visual means, to kids (and parents for their kids). Unlike all other departments in the stores, toys are not an overly practical product that just needs packaging to get it safely from the store to the home... it needs the packaging to convince the consumer to grab it off the shelf first.
So part of the product is the way it is packaged, hence the frequent use of big open plastic bubbles, colourful packaging and character art and/or bios. A kid needs to be visually captivated and sold on the product before they even walk out of the toy section of the store - that's why business marketing of toys has to take on a whole different perspective and direction to any other product in a department store. A lot of the times, toys will be an impulsive purchase after the consumer has arrived at the store. They may have gone there initially because of a movie, TV show or advertisement/catalogue, but unless there is a specific sale on, it will come down to price and visual appeal of the complete package (product and packaging).
That differing marketing strategy is something department stores and even dedicated toy stores don't get when they stock a toy that is in damaged packaging. Because even if it doesn't get kept by the final recipient of the toy inside, it will be judged as part of the purchase to begin with.
And none of that even looks at the Collectors side of things either. We may be a small "insignificant" portion of the market, but this issue isn't something exclusively confined to collectors. Humans in general can be a picky lot - dismissing an item just because it has the most insignificant defect... If toys were packaged in plain looking boxes with just the name on the outside, then it wouldn't matter how damaged it was if the contents were still mint.
Retailers have need to take on that different strategy with their Toy Departments, realising that a portion of the value is in the 'point of sale' display of the toy (it's packaging).
(and if they are worried that people might damage the packaging to get a discount, that's what the security cameras are supposed to catch... or just discount the item and return it to the shelf at a random time later to discourage someone from thinking they could damage it and take it to the register to get the discount right there and then)

[liegeprime]

For me, since I dont really keep packaging, nope not at all. As long as the toy inside is of good quality, complete and undamaged, I certainly wouldn't mind puchasing it. Also doesn't devalues the toy IMO.

Also, with some toys found wanting in the QC dept. Being well packaged but still a defective toy kinda makes the packaging and the toy more useless in my view. It's like adding insult to injury..... in a twisted kinda way. That then devalue a toy for me. It's okay to go for eye-catching, good for display packaging, but, at times Hasbro or any toy company uses this as too much of an excuse to jack prices up while no real improvement on the toy itself.

[Decepticon]

I always look for pristine packaging on ANYTHING I buy. From food to magazines. I have bought sooo many TF deluxes and would always choose the best packaging of the same toy even if Im gonna rip it open when I get home. I just want value for money!
Target prob would mark that BB down eventually, but until they are ready. I used to work for Coles and forever had customers coming up to me requesting something damaged to be marked down. I used to tell em to basiclly get @#$@.

[Gutsman Heavy]

It don't bother me much, I chuck the packaging out. I don't think toys should be massively reduced due to torn packaging, way too exploitable. It'd be like that scene in Big Daddy when they dent the cans to make them cheaper.

[UltraMarginal]

+1 to what Griffin said. rather insightful, even if the packaging doesn't really effect the toy, your still going to be tempted by the undamaged box next to the damaged box as a purchaser.

Eventually an item like that will get marked down due to being constantly overlooked, and needing to be moved, but until there is damage to the actual toy/product I think the store is justified in not marking it down.

I also think rather than policy, this type of decision is often up to the individual. how good a day they are having and if their store gets "damaged" packaging often.

I got a few extra dollars off a ROTF leader Megs because one of the leg panels was loose in the box and I politely asked for the discount. luckily I was able to re-assemble. but that was a gamble I took.

Which only proves my point about how out of touch Australian toy retailers are and how their sales are plummetting as a result. Furthermore this is the same retailer who got in the Takara version of MP-02 and MP-04 so clearly Target head office is not only aware of collectors but has also marketted to them in the past- like when they picked up most of the US store exclusives between 2001-2006 for RiD-Cybertron. Clearly somewhere between Head Office and the stores, Target have some serious communications problems.

I always attributed this to there being a collectors gaurdian angel living somewhere in the Target Procurements department. not really related to any particular line of communication. Much like the Takara Jetwing prime at the moment, though that is in a lot of stores so, maybe that's a Hasbro Australia Angel.

[gdmetro]

I always look for pristine packaging on ANYTHING I buy. From food to magazines. I have bought sooo many TF deluxes and would always choose the best packaging of the same toy even if Im gonna rip it open when I get home.

Same. From my own POV, I generally don't buy something that has damaged packaging on normal goods, let alone TFs... but there are always exceptions- so for me, it will depend on what the particular item is, how much I want it and the price being paid.

For TFs, even if I am opening it, I will most likely always scrutinize and not buy one with a damaged box if it can be avoided. If its a really scarce figure I need, but with a damaged box, Id probably still get it (This is mostly for current Hasbro mainline releases).

As for the OP: One has to remember, retailers are running a business on a large scale - so they probably will have many different factors (from a financial/business angle) than what we as a consumer or as collectors would consider.

My guess is they are probably so large and inflexible as to not care enough to give a discount like that. (Yes, I know, even in light of the drop in retail purchasing).