Another Year, Another Figure Price Increase Coming From Hasbro

[MonsterChris]

On 1/26/2022 at 11:56 AM, tarot said:

That's not how it works mate. The price increase is due to a number of factors but mostly due to oil and plastic price increases. With plastic being faze out in many products, the price of it has increased due to the fact that there is lower amount of companies using it. Because it this Hasbro has to increase the price. We will still get the same amount of accessories but they will cost Hasbro more to make.

Wait.  You're contending that a lower demand for plastic is driving the price for it up?  Am I misunderstanding you?

[Flounnderr]

I've been collecting Marvel Legends since around 2004 and that's when you could get them between $7.99 and $12.99. At every price point increase I've been revising my purchasing. Am I a fan of FF or X-Men...eh not really, but I would buy new figures at 14.99. At 19.99 I became even more selective, I began to focus on only figures from the Classic Marvel 1961-1991 era and Spider-man figures. Last year at $22.99, I stopped buying re-makes of figures and also stopped buying BAF's. So at 24.99, it's really going to have to be a "must have" for me.

$24.99 is not the final price of the figure. Nowadays, you can't really find the toys you want in stores so we now have to factor in Shipping prices (which have also risen) as well as the wonderful Internet Sales Tax that never existed a couple years ago. So really the price of a Marvel Legends figure at the end of it all is closer to $39.99.

[tarot]

On 1/26/2022 at 8:52 PM, MonsterChris said:

Wait.  You're contending that a lower demand for plastic is driving the price for it up?  Am I misunderstanding you?

in many ways yes. With many companies using less plastic, suppliers have little choice but to increase the price they supply to companies like Hasbro in order to make a profit themselves. Hasbro and other company only buy a set amount of oil and plastic to make their figures and toys so the suppliers have to get them to pay more.

[NotNamed]

On 1/26/2022 at 10:56 AM, tarot said:

That's not how it works mate. The price increase is due to a number of factors but mostly due to oil and plastic price increases.

If it were the price of plastic, you wouldn't see colossal hunks of plastic like the Titan Hero figures coming out at a fraction of Legends price.

It's pretty simple: They've recognized they can squeeze consumers for more profit, thereby pleasing shareholders.

[MODADDYDODOK]

HA wow well they better start producing some bangers then bc nothing  we’ve seen standard is worth this. They barely even get accuracy right as it is anyway, whether it’s colors, details, costumes, likeness, proportions etc. theres always something noticeably off it seems like and that has gotten soooo frustrating. So unless they step up their game and give us what we want and do it right, I’m outtie.

[MonsterChris]

On 1/26/2022 at 4:02 PM, tarot said:

in many ways yes. With many companies using less plastic, suppliers have little choice but to increase the price they supply to companies like Hasbro in order to make a profit themselves. Hasbro and other company only buy a set amount of oil and plastic to make their figures and toys so the suppliers have to get them to pay more.

Do you have a source on that?  I can't find any news or journal articles describing that scecnario.  It's a fundamental law of economics that lower demand for a product drives prices down, not the other way around.  I'd be interested to know why this case seems to be the inverse of that.

[tarot]

On 1/26/2022 at 9:10 PM, NotNamed said:

If it were the price of plastic, you wouldn't see colossal hunks of plastic like the Titan Hero figures coming out at a fraction of Legends price.

It's pretty simple: They've recognized they can squeeze consumers for more profit, thereby pleasing shareholders.

Yes that is also true but the price of plastic is also a major factor. If you don't think so, go look at the price of other companies. I'm sure Mattel and McFarlance will have to increase their prices soon.

[GrtWhiteCustoms]

Unfortunately I will be forced to pay this for select figures. I'm not gonna give up collecting but I will be more picky on who I purchase. 

[watanabefan]

To those upset, I'll just say cherry picking is your friend. Hasbro's been turning out some great work but there's been a lot I skip not out of quality reasons, but because sometimes it's just a costume or character I don't care for. I don't really collect by eras or even team dioramas. I buy what I think looks cool; if I want enough of a wave and the BAF to justify getting them all, cool. If not, I'll skip and either trade for the remaining BAF parts or see if I can find 'em loose for a reasonable price (that's assuming the BAF appeals to me in the first place).

So I've never been a completist.

[CRobTheCreator]

This for me was expected. I’m glad I only collect comic characters and no MCU. Will have to spend more diligently.

[Archaengel]

On 1/26/2022 at 12:52 PM, Atlantis said:

They definitely are not worth it when they're being produced with error after error, and overpriced parts we can do without. They're not worth it when the company isn't respecting the fans, and giving us what we want. They're not worth it when the company is hell bent on sticking with "exclusive" markets, with proven poor performance, that just shut out that fans that want to give them money. They're not worth the frustration, the disappointment , or the time. And its sad, 'cause its a great line.

If anything, I think the quality of legends has gone down over the last 2 years. I can notice a huge difference in the product while they are working from home.

The final products rarely look like the digital render (iceman, dormammu), awful face sculpts get the greenlight (sue storm, new sabretooth), many joints are feeling gummy, QC issues (stealth iron man, god doom crotches), and I've broken more joints over the last year than I ever have. The price has gone up 25% in a single year but the quality has severely suffered while they weren't working from the office. I'm hoping they can kick it back into gear, and I think they might be (if figures like Armored Spider-Man or Shocker are any indication), but if they don't step up their game then I'm out.

[sentinelofliberty41]

I mean, it sucks but honestly I feel like that's about what I average paying for them anyway. Like I'm seeing others say, I'm really not surprised and 22.99 always felt like a placeholder pprice. Still,, Legends are the only toyline I collect and they're cheaper than anything else I'm interested in outside Marvel comics. Thank God I'm not a completionist, I just get who I like or have a personal attachment too. 

[The Mad Bubbler]

On 1/26/2022 at 4:13 PM, Archaengel said:

If anything, I think the quality of legends has gone down over the last 2 years. I can notice a huge difference in the product while they are working from home.

The final products rarely look like the digital render (iceman, dormammu), awful face sculpts get the greenlight (sue storm, new sabretooth), many joints are feeling gummy, QC issues (stealth iron man, god doom crotches), and I've broken more joints over the last year than I ever have. The price has gone up 25% in a single year but the quality has severely suffered while they weren't working from the office. I'm hoping they can kick it back into gear, and I think they might be (if figures like Armored Spider-Man or Shocker are any indication), but if they don't step up their game then I'm out.

Yeah, quality has gone down. I'm not super-optimistic, though, as the quality of Hasbro products has been steadily decreasing, across the board, for years. I collect a bunch of Hasbro lines, and plastic quality and quality control have been in decline for at least a decade, while prices continue to climb. I first noticed them using thinner, lower-quality plastic with the Wal-Mart exclusive Legends from the first Avengers movie, and it has slowly gotten worse since. "Frozen" joints have become a huge issue- the number of Hasbro figures I've gotten with joints that need to be put in the freezer and/or put in very hot water before they'll move has gone up dramatically. 

[MIKE]

When Marvel legends started they were around 8.00 or 9.00 bucks a piece. I have had alot of fun collecting over the years. got all the sets and all the variants in the beginning. Then the prices started going up. Had to start picking and choosing what I could afford. Now I let whole sets go by like the Eternals wave and Armadillo BAF wave. Guess what I am getting at is they have sucked all the fun out of it for me. I know there is a lot of you out there in the same boat. 

[SpiderS]

Good thing I don't collect full waves and am more selective, but then again there's so many figures I got that were both over and under retail price that it's probably doesn't do much. 

[McHogan]

Like everyone here this news means I’ll be way more selective of the figures I buy. Got to think with so many cutting back that those oddball characters like White Rabbit and Rock Python will become a thing of the past. Not like Hasbro will think too many will be jumping to spend $25+ on Z list characters. Those really were a luxury of a time when cost/ demand made character selection fluid and they could sneak in a few deep dives every now and again. 

Too bad, as my hopes of filling in my Avengers roster with the more obscure characters may not happen. And forget about 5-6 figure team box set! Imagine the Children of Thanos set coming out with that new price point!! Those after market prices that we all shudder at will be closer to MSRP.. 

Well, I’ve posted many times here that we were in a true Golden Age of Legends Collection these past few years. All good things come to an end

[GarimusPrime]

I'm getting close to the end. ML's were $6.99 when they first hit shelves. Between price hikes and the fact that I am very much running out of space to store and/or display my toys, I don't know how much longer I can keep up with the hobby. My days of wave-collecting are finished. I'm only cherry picking the occasional figure from now on.

[Ando_Calrissian]

I am just going to be getting what I like, but I'm not going to go crazy. I am not a completionist.

[Atlantis]

On 1/26/2022 at 12:11 PM, MODADDYDODOK said:

"......They barely even get accuracy right as it is anyway, whether it’s colors, details, costumes, likeness, proportions etc. theres always something noticeably off it seems like and that has gotten soooo frustrating. So unless they step up their game and give us what we want and do it right, I’m outtie..."

Well, well, well.....now where have I heard that before? 

LOL

Seriously though, this is what I've been saying to those that don't like to hear me complaining or what not. You just can't continue to over charge and under deliver your product, whatever it may be, and expect customers to stay with you. Regardless of the apologists and excuse makers you may have in your corner, its not a sustainable business model. There are a thousand things out there that might be out of your hands, but there are a thousand that are totally up to you.

[Reno]

This isn't really surprising to me and likely will have no real impact on what I choose to buy. I've always just collected 1 version of each character. I don't need multiple versions. So far I have a version of every different character they've ever made (including alternate universe versions like AOA, Spiderverse, etc,) in 6" scale form going back to when Toy Biz first converted from 5" to 6" in the mid-to-late 90's. I'll probably mostly stick to just new previously unmade characters going forward. I have just within the last year allowed myself to start buying some Hasbro versions of the characters that were vast improvement over my older versions, but I'm much choosier about that.  I only collect this line and DC figures, but Todd McFarlane imposing his 7" scale has greatly curtailed my buying of DC figures. I'm often tempted to buy the GI Joe or Star Wars figures but know I that just can't afford to collect non-comic figures in addition to what I'm already doing. Overall, I'm relatively happy with the Hasbro product, with the exception of repeating figures so often with just minor upgrades / costume changes and having to get those to get a BAF piece....  Ideally I'd never have to buy another version of an A-List character to get the BAF I want or the previously unmade character in a 2-pack... but Hasbro knows what they're doing to get people to spend more $. Honestly if they raise their prices enough to make larger margins per figure then they can also seller fewer figures and still make the same profit. It's either lots of figures at small margins or fewer figures at larger margins....

[NotNamed]

Like others, I've already been getting more choosy about the Legends I buy, so that will only accelerate.  At over $20, I'm not buying every comic-based figure anymore. 

[Outsiders]

I can say a lot about this matter but since my comments will be about politics and the bozo's running this country, I'm not going to get into that here.

On a side note, we all saw this coming and it's not going to just be Hasbro but we have seen prices going up for Mattel, McFarlane and all the rest of toy companies still in the market.  Also we have to look at what the cost will be coming from online retailers who sell these toys.  Man, I miss the days when a figure cost maybe 6-7 bucks and you could find them in multiple stores.

[MightyThorness]

If prices keep going up there going to start lose business I can just buying figure at the higher price point it was bad enough uping the the price for $19.99 to $21.99 and with tax it's more around $25.00 and now they rise the price to $24.99 and with tax that brings them to $30.00 a figure and that's for a basic not a deluxe I will be getting most if not all the one I can on clearance from now. They better not do another Haslab the year the collector community needs a break in some form.

[greenlucario]

Guess I'm going to trim down my picks even more.  Honestly, more than a few places are already at this price point, probably see a lot of stores, online or otherwise up the price to almost $30 now.  

[Benn]

On 1/26/2022 at 4:22 PM, MonsterChris said:

Do you have a source on that?  I can't find any news or journal articles describing that scecnario.  It's a fundamental law of economics that lower demand for a product drives prices down, not the other way around.  I'd be interested to know why this case seems to be the inverse of that.

This feels like a slight misunderstanding of the concept of supply and demand. When demand for an item drops, one way of preserving equilibrium is to lower the price and keep the supply the same. Another (more sustainable) way is to lower supply, which is rarely feasible without also increasing the price. If fewer people want plastic, then factories will simply produce less plastic and ask higher prices of those who do still want it. We're not looking at a truly competitive market here, either, because the reason plastic use is on the decline isn't economic, it's environmental. Lowering the prices isn't going to convince people to buy more plastic if the reason they stopped buying it wasn't its price.

On 1/26/2022 at 5:51 PM, MIKE said:

When Marvel legends started they were around 8.00 or 9.00 bucks a piece. I have had alot of fun collecting over the years. got all the sets and all the variants in the beginning. Then the prices started going up. Had to start picking and choosing what I could afford. Now I let whole sets go by like the Eternals wave and Armadillo BAF wave. Guess what I am getting at is they have sucked all the fun out of it for me. I know there is a lot of you out there in the same boat. 

On 1/26/2022 at 6:50 PM, GarimusPrime said:

I'm getting close to the end. ML's were $6.99 when they first hit shelves. Between price hikes and the fact that I am very much running out of space to store and/or display my toys, I don't know how much longer I can keep up with the hobby. My days of wave-collecting are finished. I'm only cherry picking the occasional figure from now on.

You guys get, though, that everyone's money today is less valuable than it was in 2002, right? A 2002 dollar is equivalent to about $1.55 in 2022 dollars, probably more considering how high inflation is at the moment. And it's not just my dollars and yours that have been devalued, it's Hasbro's too, and their suppliers'. So, if they have to spend $1.55 on the things that used to cost them $1.00, and their suppliers have to do the same, a proportional increase in everyone's margin means your 2002 dollar is probably actually more like the equivalent of today's $3.72, which makes $24.99 look pretty reasonable by comparison.

On 1/26/2022 at 9:38 PM, MightyThorness said:

If prices keep going up there going to start lose business I can just buying figure at the higher price point it was bad enough uping the the price for $19.99 to $21.99 and with tax it's more around $25.00 and now they rise the price to $24.99 and with tax that brings them to $30.00 a figure and that's for a basic not a deluxe I will be getting most if not all the one I can on clearance from now. They better not do another Haslab the year the collector community needs a break in some form.

You should start looking around for out-of-state small businesses to support. The tax nexus thresholds for needing to charge sales tax on out-of-state sales are far higher than the volume of sales your average local brick-and-mortar store is going to be making to any given state outside their own. Don't want to pay sales tax? Buy from someone who doesn't have to charge it.