New Dollarama Action Figure finds

[FlashWWest]

Totally agree on the price point. I started buying it when it was first released but gave up by about Wave 3. $20 was too much. And now seeing some of those earlier waves showing up at discount shops is frustrating. But I have scooped up the later waves at $5 a pop so that's some consolation. Also, found Goblin today!

[Robert Fett]

Originally Posted by m.arndt

Any chance people are still seeing any Marvel 3.75 inch figures at Dollarama?
I have passed on Falcon numerous times but I just thought of a use for one and of course they?re finally all gone in the Dollaramas near me

At the Agincourt Mall Dollarama today there was one Falcon at the end of the peg. In front of it were a couple of Phoenixes, pls some figs from the Green Goblin wave (mostly The Thing). I'm sure I've seen the Falcon recently at other locations around Scarborough.

[cloud]

Originally Posted by Zeroflamez

So is this 3.75 line dead? If it is I'm not surprised. The price they wanted for them was nuts. These always should have been $5.

There was about $17. It sounds about right. $5 is not realistic.
I think you aren't the only one but the expectation of cheap really kills toy lines these days.

People are expecting peanuts to get a decent collectible, toys that are aimed for kids but collected by adults.

If you are confused. Think Lego

[canprime]

Originally Posted by cloud

There was about $17. It sounds about right. $5 is not realistic.
I think you aren't the only one but the expectation of cheap really kills toy lines these days.

People are expecting peanuts to get a decent collectible, toys that are aimed for kids but collected by adults.

If you are confused. Think Lego

Well over production sure hasn't helped the perception of value compared to price. All that product showing up at Ollie's, Ross, hell even here at Dollarama, is changing expectations.



Now this year, if they have reduced production, will see less product available and that should change people's perception of value when they can't find product as easily as before.


However back to the Retro ML (3.75"). These were always overpriced, just like the SW Retro line, at nearly $20.


Why would someone pay almost $20 a figure for 5POA when on the same retail shelf you can find Titan figures (8-12") 5POA and the newer 4" Marvel figures (with slightly more POA) for less?



The Retro lines are clearly geared towards adult collectors, and since the ML line is on "hiatus" (yeah right) and now both the ML and SW lines are showing up at Dollarama for $5 (and elsewhere for the same or less) I think the people have spoken.


Kids are always the target for a lot of toys, but something like the 5POA Retro lines are not geared towards kids when they cost more than other similar offerings, and don't focus on characters that kids are familiar with.


So that leaves collectors and, again, we have spoken about what we think about the prices of these lines when they don't sell.


Most people want a lot, for a little amount of money, which isn't always realistic, but quality of product doesn't always line up with higher prices (and vice versa).

[Robimus]

Originally Posted by cloud

There was about $17. It sounds about right. $5 is not realistic.
I think you aren't the only one but the expectation of cheap really kills toy lines these days.

People are expecting peanuts to get a decent collectible, toys that are aimed for kids but collected by adults.

If you are confused. Think Lego

Dollar Tree has had its Final Faction figure line start at $1 a few years back. Now a $1.50 each. Not that much different than the 5 poa retro lines beyond licensing.

I think it does give a kinda behind the scenes view of how much it actually costs Hasbro to produce a 5 poa figure, again minus licensing fees.

If one company can make money at a $1.50 retail for a very similar product...........well, lets just say it opens a discussion about price to be sure.

[Zeroflamez]

Originally Posted by cloud

There was about $17. It sounds about right. $5 is not realistic.
I think you aren't the only one but the expectation of cheap really kills toy lines these days.

People are expecting peanuts to get a decent collectible, toys that are aimed for kids but collected by adults.

If you are confused. Think Lego

I don't expect to pay peanuts for a decent collectable. The problem is the value to price ratio is way off for too many Hasbro products. These 5 poa Marvel figures aren't worth $17 or whatever they retailed at. Maybe $5 is too much to expect them to be these days but they really should have been no more than $10.

No. expectation of cheap doesn't kill toy lines. Inflated pricing and very little value to match kill toy lines. Yes I agree there are many collectors that want something for nothing but I feel as if they are the minority and most collectors (including myself) just want to feel we're getting our moneys worth. If that I being cheap then I guess I am.

[Robimus]

Final Faction to Star Wars Retro comparison. Retro is slightly nicer imo. But not at the regular retail cost.

[cloud]

Originally Posted by Robimus

Dollar Tree has had its Final Faction figure line start at $1 a few years back. Now a $1.50 each. Not that much different than the 5 poa retro lines beyond licensing.

I think it does give a kinda behind the scenes view of how much it actually costs Hasbro to produce a 5 poa figure, again minus licensing fees.

If one company can make money at a $1.50 retail for a very similar product...........well, lets just say it opens a discussion about price to be sure.

What's a Final Faction? Never paid much attention to Dollar toys to be honest.

Hmm... I guess think of it this way. I just find it's not about people understanding how much things cost and retail price, etc. It's almost like people think oh I wanna pay only $1.5 per toy so companies are over charging. But not understand the process or things and business practice.
It's comparable to ramen restaurants are over charging because we can find a pack of instant noodles for $2 or less.

I've been collecting for a long time so I tend to be able to understand the manufacturing process.
It's just not comparing 2 toys side by side. There's a few more from approvals to materials being use and distributions and licensors of course. Sometimes not everything is up to Hasbro.

At the end of the day $20 per figure is pretty much the average.

[canprime]

Final Faction was actually a pretty fun little toyline. They even had a few animated episodes that weren't terrible (all things being relative of course).


The figure, for the most part, were not good. Comparing them to the 5POA stuff released by isn't entirely fair. I mean these are $1.50 figures, with limited paint apps and accessories. Which is why you have to buy accessory packs to really get them fleshed out.


That said.........


They are still massively cheaper than Retro ML/SW, or even McFarlane DC Super Powers. And you can get a more kitted out figure with the accessory packs for less than $5. On top of that they did a vehicle!!! It was a dune buggy-esqe vehicle for $1.50 (think similar to the AWE Striker from GI Joe) and for another $1.50 you could get an accessory/armour pack to attach to it. So for $3 you had a very good, very solid, vehicle that I currently use with some of my vintage 3.75" Joe figures as another vehicle.



As to the current pricing range, $20 may be the average, but it certainly isn't a perceived value to consumers since so much of the product seems to end up on sale/clearance/dumped on liquidators.



Which is probably why Retro ML is going on hiatus, and I won't be surprised if SW is next. Super Powers probably won't end up that way, but that is probably more due to McFarlane being willing to sell for slightly cheaper and longer than what Hasbro might be willing to do with a line.


Though McFarlane isn't immune from the Dollarama curse with Avatar and My Hero Academia stuff showing up now.

[Zeroflamez]

Ike canprime said $20 may be average but it doesn't mean people will buy it at that price. Honestly I think Hasbro has saturated the market with too many collectors lines. People can't afford to buy everything these days especially at these prices. Of course prices will never go down but I think Hasbro would be better off canning these pet project lines instead of stretching their budgets thin and just use that money to make better figures for their bread and butter collectors lines as well as adding more value. That way people will feel more comfortable paying msrp and less would go to liquidation.

I mean yeah, Hasbro already plans to combat this by making less but it's just putting a bandaid over what the real problem is instead of fixing it.