I can't help but feel that the Collector's Club keeps prices on figures like the last wave of DTC and convention figs artificially high. I don't know what their margin of profit is on convention sets and other exclusives but I can guess that it's ridiculously high. If the Club sold their items for less and more of these figures were in the marketplace, then a more realistic price could be realized. The other problem is that we, as collectors, keep paying the Collector's Club prices. Nobody seems to call them on their absurd prices and people keep on buying, so why should they reevaluate their pricing. I think they're getting away with murder ( in a recession! ) and we are allowing it? I just would like real collectors not to have to go into debt to get something they really want. What do you guys think?

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Oh, it's all right. I'm sure that we can handle this situation maturely, just like the responsible adults that we are. Isn't that right, Mr... Poopy Pants?

I think the prices are high but in the quantities that they are doing, They are probably about right. Remember, a lot of these figures are being produced in quantities of a 1000 or less. That is a very small number for a toy run. Even the new Mattycollector He-man figures are being produced in much larger numbers and they are $20 each. As an example, about a year ago me and a friend were trying to put out a comic book and found in the numbers that we were going to produce, about 500, the books would cost us $4.50 each just to make. We got a second quote for 2000 just for giggles and it was going to cost us about $300 more for the additional 1500 books. That is a huge shift in price per book. Quantity is the biggest factor in these things. While I wish these figures were cheaper, I due understand the price and gladly pay it when i think the figure is worth it. Still, I would guess that they are getting a pretty good mark up. 25-35% profit would be my guess. Side note, I overheard a conversation at one of the cons a few years back between Brian and someone I didn't recognize and he stated that he had not broken even on a lot of the toys due to not selling through.

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I'm not one to spend an absurd amount of money on a "collectible"toy, but I see the reasoning. When produced in small quantities, ie 1000 or less) then the market goes high. Collectors will pay the money to have a limited edition product. However, I am not "a collector". My collection is for dios, photos, and for "funsies". So, I will not pay $50 for a RAM cycle that I could get for $10 at WalMart in the new mold. (I would however pay $700 for a complete Defiant/Gantry if I had it)

Yo Joe!

"I overheard a conversation at one of the cons a few years back between Brian and someone I didn't recognize and he stated that he had not broken even on a lot of the toys due to not selling through."

At a lower price point, maybe they would have sold through. I don't have a problem with the initial pricing, but after a year or so, you need to mark things down or work out a promo so as the seller, you're not married to the item and some collector's can get a deal on exclusives that may not be current any more.

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Oh, it's all right. I'm sure that we can handle this situation maturely, just like the responsible adults that we are. Isn't that right, Mr... Poopy Pants?

I think that's it: the prices are just a bit too high to bring in the sales he needs to move the stuff. Even prices on the secondary market (e.g. eBay) are dropping on "exclusives". People just aren't ready to pay more than $20/figure unless it's really special. The MOTH sets were pretty good, and they included army builders, so people seemed to buy them up. But even those figures can be found for $10-15 now.

Agreed. I think they are so scared of not making a profit they hold on to the stuff for years. I know that back in November I got some great deals on the clearance sale they had going on. I bought a few of the older 12in con exclusives for near 50% in some cases.

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But yet the 25th line was supposed to be CHEAPER so they went with it and STILL raised prices... I think he's just trying to kill the line so he can sell it and feel good about it... Its the poeople that are paying the high prices that keeps him in it and so keeps raising them cause he knows there's people that'll pay it. I don't OWN any Convention figures due to them being so high and highly likely never will. Even though there are a few I wouldn't mind owning but I know it won't ever happen.

You just have to keep an eye out and you can find them at a good price sometimes. I am not a 25th style fan so it got real cheap for me to decide. On the other hand, I don't think the decision to go 25th was because it was cheaper as much as the club could not afford to buy and up keep all the molds as Hasbro decided to junk them. Those molds are very expensive to maintain. You have to remember, not all molds were lost over the years. Some had gotten so bad that they could not be used anymore and even Hasbro could not see the profit in repairing/replacing some. (though I bet a few would have been plenty worth it to them in army builder sets)

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Yes, you see this on Ebay all the time. With the 2007(?) Jet pack Grand slam and Star Duster, I see some people have had them on ebay for like 28 weeks at a time for $400.00 and can't sell them. the whole time racking up seller charges.

I asked a guy who had the Roddy Piper figure for $700 if he would take $400 for it (because it says "or make an offer") and he said he couldn't sell it for less because he needed to recoup his sellers fees! It's stupid, why sell it for a price you're not gonna get and rack up seller charges?