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

[JuzMel]

Funnily enough, even though I'm an MISB Collector (not really by choice though), when I look for a TF, I actually check out the paint job, closeness of joining parts of the vehicle, quality etc before I even bother about the packaging. I think there was once I only realised that one of my packaging was dented when I got home.

I guess like what liege says, if the packaging is perfect, yet the toy inside has sh-t paint jobs / quality, then it kinda defeats the purpose of why we get the TF in the first place. So in my view, it's more about the quality of the figure itself rather than the box packaging.

But I guess it's also depends on how badly damaged the packaging is. If the damage is enough to indicate that there might be stolen parts from it, then I think the store should give a discount. If it's only exterior bending / torn cardboard and the box is still sealed, then I guess it's really up to the store's discrepancy on whether or not they want to give the discount.

[SkyWarp91]

tl dr: bawwing on the internet doesnt solve your problems.

I have to disagree with this. It doesn't necessarily solve your problems but is a good way to express/vent your thoughts. I love the fact we have a 'I need to Vent' thread, venting there often calms me down and stops me before I go out and do something vengeful.

Maybe they don't want to encourage people to tear up packaging in-store so that they can get a discount on the product. And in their mind, toys are like any other product they stock, like kitchen appliances, clothes, stationary, etc - as long as the product inside is undamaged, the packaging is just there to ship it in.... and therefore would only discount if the product itself is damaged or missing something (like they do at Kmart with their clearance basket at the back of the store). Only collectors like ourselves value the packaging as much as the product (well, a few of us do).

I agree with Griffin here, he basically sums it up pretty well. Stores are reluctant to sell their products at cheaper prices because of that exploitation of damaging the packaging. I work in shelf-stocking and I was stocking this tray of tinned food but all tins had water damage and rust was evident on the outside. I told the manager and because it was a whole tray of cans, he couldn't deal with losing money so he told me to restock it. Yes, I also don't know why he is a manager in the first place.

[griffin]

I have to disagree with this. It doesn't necessarily solve your problems but is a good way to express/vent your thoughts. I love the fact we have a 'I need to Vent' thread, venting there often calms me down and stops me before I go out and do something vengeful.

That's why it (and other related topics) is there, because we are more than just a news site that random people post comments to... we have become a community of people who listen to other members and are willing to help out whenever we can.

[TF76]

I feel this thread got a little nasty or at least heated begor it was moved and I think most of it was my fault. I meant no hard felling and to make any of my comments seem like personal attacks.

[Prowl]

I don't really care for packaging overall. It does not affect my decision to buy a item as I will usually bin it & keep the cardback. That said I will always go for a minty one if I can on principal.

[Defcon]

Looking at the original comments regarding purchasing items in damaged packaging, I'd say its fair for retailers to refuse discounts because of damaged packaging. Why because it will start a bad trend, because people who recieve discounts for damaged packaging will likely try again.

If its a major damage to the packaging it should be removed from display for repair, if thats not possible it should not be returned to the shelf. It can be wasted off as damaged stock or discounted and placed with other damaged discounted items in a separate location.

Customer service is very important, firstly the customer should be thanked for bringing a damaged item to someone's attention. The problem should be acknowledged! a WFC Bumblebee which is an old item and with damaged packaging I'd be happy to get something for it and just give the customer a discount. Or just politely refuse to sell the item and say unfortunately it is unfit for sale

[Dkaris]

I want to apologize to you guys for snapping. I've since calmed down and realize I shouldn't have posted to begin with because I wasn't in a good mood (work related, go figure.) So I'm sorry for offending or insulting anyone with my previous post.

[UltraMarginal]

Another point that I thought of is , when I'm looking at a shelf full of figures, I always go for the one with the best paint apps, less mold flashing and best transformed appearance. the toy is my first priority but in this case, generally the packaging will all be in pretty good nick. if a paper hook is damaged, I'm not really worried.

I am only really worried about packaging when it is so damaged that the integrity of the figure coiuld be compromised.

still, if there are two figures that appear to be of the same quality paint wise, i will always go for the one with the shinier packaging.

My previous comment still holds for the retailers though and I think Defcons customer service comment is also very relevant.

[kristofferrer]

Got one which should make people shake their heads and laugh. Went into my girlfriend's local Target store last night when I found a WFC Bumblebee, only the top left quarter of the card had been ripped off it and the card was half ripped off the blister. I went to the service desk and asked how much they'd do it for. I was told $25. And Aussie retailers wonder why sales are down.

I found a RTS Wheeljack missing the two spanners/exhaust in my Gf's local Kmart and it was still selling for the full price. So naturally i sad "nah" i wont get him.

I prioritize the quality of the figure over its packaging but only if there's another figure to compare it with. I do like 'MISB n all', but if i see a complete MISB figure i'm after with poor packaging (and it's the only one the store has in stock) ... meh i'd get it for the price they were selling it for

(** looks at collection table **) "isn't that right Classics Ironhide?"

[bowspearer]

I think it really does depend. I think the problem is that the toy industry has a similar issue with collectors that the whole retail industry has with online shopping.

I remember a few years back, the owner of a certain online TF store who I knew through another local TF forum, told me in confidence that reps weren't that fond of fans, to put it nicely.

Maybe that situation has changed since then, I don't know, but it does highlight a problem.

At the retail level, and possibly even the distributor level (ie Hasbro Aust as opposed to Hasbro USA), the industry seems to be still stuck in the 1980s and 1970s in terms of the retail sales end of the business.

Back then of course, toy collecting, with the exception of MAYBE Star Wars by actual collectors, was a rarity, if non-existent.

These days though, it's all over the place. Some people will still open them up, but some people will still keep things in packaging, and the more time goes on with the retro fad amongst gen-xers, the more it will become a factor, especially when you get toylines that have run for close to 30+ years (in 3 years that's transformers, next year it's GIJOE, to name 2 examples) where kids get parents back into some lines.

Even if the TF collector market share is only 20% (which was a figure I recall hearing a few years back), that's still 1/5 of your business.

Maybe in the past, retailers could have ignored the collectors market in the toy industry, just like they could have ignored online shopping.

Yet with the retail market as it stand and if things are as dire as the likes of Gerry Harvey are claiming, then surely the market needs to maximise all its profits.

In the case of collectors, this means realising that retailers aren't just selling a toy but a choice as to how that toy is displayed- will the collector display it loose or will they display it sealed. As such a figure that cannot be displayed sealed is not going to have the same value as something which can be displayed sealed.

Obviously minor to moderate shelf wear, as in the typical sort of wear you see on packaging, is what could be classed as reasonable condition.

However the moment you go beyond that, there's enough of a difference to cause a discernable difference in value- especially if it's at the point where the toy has actually been partially opened already.

How much of a difference that warrants, be it $2 or $5 in the case of deluxes for example, is for the retailer to decide (incidentally it was the fact that the rrp was offered in that case which was what seemed so laughable).

However there needs to be some kind of system in place, even if it's a decision that when a package is that damaged, that the item is removed from sale.

However a lack of some kind of approach to this, and continuing to price gouge on RRPs across the board, effectively ignoring the collector's market, is only going to continue to hurt the retail sector through a significant number of lost customers- especially when online shopping offers US prices, factors in packaging depending on where you shop, and even makes shipping costs negligible in large enough bulk buys.

I want to apologize to you guys for snapping. I've since calmed down and realize I shouldn't have posted to begin with because I wasn't in a good mood (work related, go figure.) So I'm sorry for offending or insulting anyone with my previous post.

Apology accepted. We've all had off days.

I am only really worried about packaging when it is so damaged that the integrity of the figure coiuld be compromised.

Although even when it's not, there's a difference between a torn hook and a card that has been half ripped off the bubble (it's a wonder that the top paper layer of carboard hadn't ripped off) and a quarter of the card being ripped off it to look at the example which prompted my initial post.

That's where there really needs to be some kind of determination in the industry as to what constitutes reasonable shelf wear.