MP Acidstorm for sale on TRU website

[griffin]

Comparing Minimum wages isn't indicative of the two general socio-economic standards of the two countries... especially when many of the minimum wage jobs over there don't take into account tips/gratuities that many employers take into account when paying their employees.
A better comparison would be the average wage of both countries (or the Median - which is total earnings divided by the population, so that it takes into account low income, average income, and high income earners... because "luxury" items like collector figures aren't going to be bought by many/any of the lowest income earners, making it moot comparing minimum wages of both countries).

In about 2007/2008 the Median in America was about US$54,000.
At the same time, the Median in Australia was about US$44,000.
(this figure apparently takes into account exchange rate fluctuation... because our average in AU$ was about $66,000, which is still only a little more than the figure in America... if our dollars had actually been of equal value)

And that's only as high as it is, due to the number of people in Australia earning massive money from the Mining Boom... throwing out the average in the last 15 years.
(while the American average has been pretty flat for the last 7 years)

If that Boom hadn't happened, we'd still be significantly lower than the Average American wage (which is more indicative to the average standard of living), and it's mostly the average consumer who buys toys... because it isn't a necessity like food, clothing or accommodation that the minimum wage-earner is often only able to afford.


Still... ignoring the statistics above that disprove the suggestion that we should have higher prices, due to the myth of us having 2.5 times the living standard than America, it doesn't justify the "Australia Tax" that companies like Hasbro apply to foreign items - that doubles the price of items for us (consumers), when it doesn't cost them double to import them... particularly during a time when the exchange rate was at, or near, parity in recent years, making it easy to prove that they have been scamming retailers (and us) in a BIG way.

[millhouse]

Still... ignoring the statistics above that disprove the suggestion that we should have higher prices, due to the myth of us having 2.5 times the living standard than America, it doesn't justify the "Australia Tax" that companies like Hasbro apply to foreign items - that doubles the price of items for us (consumers), when it doesn't cost them double to import them... particularly during a time when the exchange rate was at, or near, parity in recent years, making it easy to prove that they have been scamming retailers (and us) in a BIG way.

Oh, I don't totally disagree. For the most part in fact, I do agree.

That being said, the example of a $75.00 toy going for (essentially) $91.00 (a discrepancy of $16.00) is pretty tolerable in consideration of a number of factors, including isolation (and thus cost per unit), lack of decent distribution networks (when compared to the US), the exchange rate, and the minimum wage arguments.

I think the argument is there. I just don't think Acid Storm is the example to hold up, y'know?

[griffin]

Historically, the larger the Transformers toy here, the closer it gets to US pricing.

But in this case, he was linking to the toy while it was on sale for US$48, so comparatively it was a significant difference... but yes, it isn't the best example of "Australia Tax" with TFs.
Deluxes have always been the best example... constantly being priced here for around double US$ value, when it doesn't cost any different for it to be sold here compared to in America.

[drifand]

I only think it was a sale so it is just one of those things, the normal rrp to reflects correct prices imo. I have no dispute over either prices.