YOTH Starscream and First Edition Optimus coming to TRU

[Bidoofdude]

It took me a sec to find it, but the YOTH Optimus product number was actually on the front of the box - A7286
(I should have looked online, as it might have even shown up on some of the fansite galleries)

Going back to my price listing 13 posts above - based on the AU vs US price for YOTH Starscream, the YOTH Optimus would end up being over the $200 mark. Maybe we wont be getting it after all, because it was too high?

At US0.88c to our Dollar...

First Edition OP - - US$60 (AU$68) in America - - AU$130 here (AU$62 extra, or 91% more)
YOTH Starscream - - US$110 (AU$125) in America - - AU$190 here (AU$65 extra, or 52% more)
YOTH Optimus - - US$130 (AU$148) in America - - would have been at least AU$225 if here (at %50 extra)

The "Australia Tax" margin (the price increase that corporations charge on exclusive imported items) decreases as you get more expensive, jut to make them more appealing to retailers.
In the case of the YOTH pair, they could have sold Optimus here for under $200 and still made money... but they look to have chosen the less popular Starscream figure only because it was cheaper. No one is going to pay $200 for that simple Cybertron toy, no matter how fancy the box looks.

$130?!? They're insane with that price.

[Sinnertwin]

Cheers, Griffin

Rather than the 1000 odd units of Starscream, i would've opted for 350 each of SS & 2 OP's. The 1000 units over 35 stores works out to be close to 29 units per store. At the price that they're currently in the system for i doubt they'll move close to half of that number.

[yoshi594]

mmm isn't there a chance yoth optimus might come out at other stores besides toys r us?

[drifand]

Sounds stupid because in Singapore they were out on regular stores.

[griffin]

Yes. If it doesn't appear at TRU at all, it could show up at any store, or even a mass release (but unlikely at that price)... or not at all.
No figure is ever "globally exclusive" to a particular retail chain, so any mass-produced figure can be available to all stores here, unless a particular store wants exclusive rights to it... or Hasbro offers exclusivity as an incentive, just to get it into the country.

[Defcon]

this is crazy news if they only end up selling Starscream and for an unattractive price really makes these a no-sale for almost everyone. I was looking forward to YOTH Optimus even though I already have the original release, because I would of been tempted to buy it

[drifand]

I will live without this yoth version as I prefer the normal release mp-10

[millhouse]

So, no YOTH Prime for TRU?

Colour me surprised. I would at this point rather pay extra $ elsewhere online than shop at TRU in Australia, just because I've found them so useless in running a business.

[Dangermot]

Well it seems that YOTH Optimus is available for pre-order on the American Toys R Us website.

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index...entPage=family

Does Oz Toys R Us normally follow the US?

[griffin]

(Edited title after splitting off the YOTH Optimus news to its own topic)

First Edition Optimus is coming to TRU (they told me today that it was April, but was reported earlier as early May). It is not a store exclusive though. (Target also have it coming for $99, and other stores maybe as well)