TF wholesale pricing info...

[Geminii]

Ya, basically there's no compelling reason for Hasbro Australia to drop their prices while they're raking it in. They have no viable competition for importation of Transformers, and there's a high enough demand so that they're effectively not competing on price with other toys, either.

In summary: "I'm sorry, were you bitching about us on the internet? We couldn't hear you through the additional multiple millions of dollars."

About the only way prices are going to drop is if a toy chain with a lot of stores Australia-wide starts importing Transformers directly. And presumably all other Hasbro products as well, since Hasbro Australia isn't likely to continue doing business with such a chain. And then there's the question of where the chain is actually going to source its material from overseas, because Hasbro USA sure as hell ain't gonna be supplying it, and how much would it want to pay to have several major Wal*Marts covered by (effectively) scalpers? And how much again for insurance on international shipping?

Sure, it could be done on a smaller scale. Perhaps a store or chain which didn't sell Hasbro products in general could import _just_ Transformers and sell them cheaper. Specialty stores, perhaps.

Only... if they're not known as toy stores by the public, they're not going to put much of a dent in the market overall, and the price of Transformers elsewhere is going to remain high. Not to mention that if the normal store price of a Transformer is $99, and the speciality store can import it for $50, why would they sell it at $55 instead of $88? Or even $109, given that they are a specialty store, meaning higher prices for a more discerning clientele, and therefore the people shopping there are more likely to have mad-money?

[MV75]

See, I don't do it to get back at Hasbro. I'm doing it to save myself as much as I can.

3 months ago I thought otherwise though. I saw some of the guys here talking about how they were importing from places like BBTS and stuff and to put it bluntly, I was disappointed.

I believe in buying locally (probably because I live in a small town and try to keep as much money locally) and supporting the local bloke. Sure K-Mart and Target aren't exactly local, but the amount of money I spend there in a year I can pretty much say goes straight to pay one of the local workers wages.

But then I stopped and thought about it, supporting locally is one thing, but I have expenses of my own and I need to put myself first. So I checked out BBTS and not only do I save myself the hassle of running around looking for figures (which often involves a 200km round trip to Cairns which may or may not prove fruitful) but if I order enough it works out cheaper. So I save money on the cost and I save money on the petrol and I can guarantee myself getting the figures I want.

So Hasbro can do what they like in this country as far as i'm concerned. I'd be more inclined to blame the retailer than Hasbro but at the end of the day, I need to save money for MYSELF.

The toys are made in China, so doesn't matter to me on where I buy them from.

But the way you want to be supporting locals is what I do when I shop.

I always try and buy at least a made in Australia product because it's keeping someone in a job. So yea, I buy Golden circle pineapple and I constantly check labels for country of origin, because you really do have to with generics as they can and do change. I don't mind paying the difference of a few cents, even sometimes up to 20 cents to buy made in Australia items.

I'm not exactly brand locked either, I won't, for example, buy things like Kellogs or kleenex because they charge too much, I'll buy the cheapest made here thing instead.

EDIT: If only they (Hasbro) did set up a factory here, I'd be more accepting of paying the $25 for a deluxe then, because that's what they'd actually have to sell it for then.

Explains why we get reamed in New Zealand, since HNZ is a sub branch of Hasbro AU. Wouldn't surprise me at all if we have the pay the AU price which is coverted to New Zealand dollars

Being very weak at the moment ($1NZ = 78cAU) its not a good time to buy from Australia.

You're heading straight to a recession very soon too over there. I heard/read something earlier today about that if we are going down, then it will be New Zealand first before us. We still have the mining boom, so it might even save us.
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Ford granada (europe) specifications

[STL]

The whole support the local economy vs. putting yourself first is a very interesting one. I try to do the former as long as it doesn't put my position in the latter out of pocket too much.

[griffin]

Griffin> is it illegal or something to publicly post wholesale prices? Why cant you post all fof the class sizes?

It's along the lines of 'biting the hand that feeds you'. I don't want to be giving a reason for Hasbro to cut all ties with us, again. And it isn't necessary knowing more than one anyway, because it is to give you an idea of the pricing structure here. There'd be nothing you could use the figures for anyway.

See, I don't do it to get back at Hasbro. I'm doing it to save myself as much as I can.

3 months ago I thought otherwise though. I saw some of the guys here talking about how they were importing from places like BBTS and stuff and to put it bluntly, I was disappointed.

I believe in buying locally (probably because I live in a small town and try to keep as much money locally) and supporting the local bloke. Sure K-Mart and Target aren't exactly local, but the amount of money I spend there in a year I can pretty much say goes straight to pay one of the local workers wages.

But then I stopped and thought about it, supporting locally is one thing, but I have expenses of my own and I need to put myself first. So I checked out BBTS and not only do I save myself the hassle of running around looking for figures (which often involves a 200km round trip to Cairns which may or may not prove fruitful) but if I order enough it works out cheaper. So I save money on the cost and I save money on the petrol and I can guarantee myself getting the figures I want.

So Hasbro can do what they like in this country as far as i'm concerned. I'd be more inclined to blame the retailer than Hasbro but at the end of the day, I need to save money for MYSELF.

I have to agree with that. As much as I'd like to support the local economy (of which about 40% of the retail price stays in the country), it is difficult to want to sacrifice a number of toys to pay the extra amount it costs to buy locally. I never buy domestically unless it is on sale, if I can help it, but when the checklist starts ballooning between sales or availability in this country, I have to search foreign sources to at least save some money and guarantee myself all the figures I am after.

And as Burn says, it isn't a case of getting back at Hasbro, because it wouldn't make any difference to them, even if the 100 or so committed collectors on this board all decided to import our figures. They would still get their sales with the general public, and the prices would stay the same. Do what ever is best for yourself, and leave Hasbro to deal with its own public image.

[GoktimusPrime]

I'm all for supporting local industry but at the same time I will look overseas if I can find substantially better value.

[kurdt_the_goat]

As much as i'd like to see a more accurate reflection on the exchange rate, i don't think it'll ever happen - they can't keep on changing prices with exchange rate fluctuations. If the AU dollar lost its strength against the US dollar, would you want them to reflect this too? If they lower prices now, and then the exchange rate goes to the shitter, they have to put prices up again don't they? That's a situation i'd imagine they want to avoid!

[Omega Supreme]

The GI Joe toyline has one of the largest playsets (USS Flagg) but hasbro wont reissue it. This is my fake explaination of why I dont like Hasbro, the real reason is here in Canberra we only have two Comic Book shops(3 up until recently) and the smaller of the two- Dee's Books and Comics- has tried on a number of occasions to order stock directly from Hasbro but each time they have been turned down, its fair enough that they are only a small store, but Hasbro WILL sell stock to the other comic book shop and they are not any bigger than Dee's. You are probably saying why not just go to the other comic shop, will I do, but they overcharge by alot on pretty much everything except the comics themselves. I know both managers at Impact and they are good guys(and fellow TF collectors), so at times I will pay the excessive prices they charge. I have asked the managers if they had any trouble ordering stock from Hasbro and the reply I got was a simple "No none at all". Personally I cannot see why Hasbro will take orders from one place, but not the other. Dees has been in its same location for as long as I can remember, where the other shop "Impact Comics" has only been open since 2004. Its not just Hasbro, Dee's has the same trouble with Marvel Merchandise - even the comics!!

Well thats my rant, thanks for reading.

[Tober]

I used to buy Alternators from BBTS cos it was much easier than searching for them here, especially when they wern't released here anymore and places like Biblyco were charging like demented bulls. It often worked out cheaper too cos the shipping was less back then. Although I no longer shop there or endorse them.

I tend to only buy technical lines like Transformers Masterpiece and Binaltech, Macross Yamatos and various others. All of which have to be imported from Japan (with the odd exception like MP-4, which I've had since initial release...). And the occasional Henkei.

Even though I'm a strong supporter of HLJ I also support F2F and Overdrive becasue they offer access to exclusives that HLJ can't provide. They have to go out of their way somewhat to get them, even if it's to the exclusive stores themselves on the other side of town... so I like to pay a few dollars more in shipping to keep them in business. Also F2F release dealer room exclusive naughty photos, like the Alternity, so that we can see what we are preordering at wholesale.

November is going to HURT!

[PirateCop]

25 bucks for a deluxe, 50 for a voyager...sooo expensive

[amon]

well, perhaps an irrelevant topic,but maybe help a little here

I went to a toy wholeseller with my neighbour several times.He sometimes sells toys on ebay,so he got an account there years ago.I don't know where exactly it is,cos my neighbour drove the car.as far as I can remember,it's in west sydney,30min south from Strathfield Via motoway.My neighbour said it used to be at Silverwater,which is very easy to reach,but now it has moved.The toll fee is 15 dollars, plus the petrol,so we don't go there a lot.

It is a big warehouse roughly the size of 3,4 basket ball court.Basicly is a oversized Toys R Us, except they don't have video games.

they purchase through a different channel from K-mart's,that's why they don't have Ultimate BBB when the movie was on, but they do have all the other TF toys. The best thing there is you do't have to buy by boxes,if you only buy one table tennis ball, that's still ok.

The prices there are not...Extremely surprising.
I m not sure if it is ok to say their prices, or shall I just say the deluxe price,Griffin?