Hot Toys, you’re going to put yourself out of business!

[Hamanu]

Foxconn had a yearly turnover rate of 35% in 2010 https://sacom.hk/archives/946. Their workforce is going up from 900k to 1.3M and they're increasing salaries, as are Honda, Sony and other companies that do their manufacturing in China.

Because of the gigantic global trade imbalance, everything made in China will start increasing in value as the Chinese standard of living improves.

I wonder how much of their total run is being sold in Asia. That's where their future market is, depending on how much they'll be obsessed with Hollywood franchises there.

 

[robbiethepainter]

Just to clarify my stance, incase people give a ****, I have absolutely none. Other then extremists that seem to think Hot Toys is a Gordan Gekko mixed with the Antichrist , I think a lot of theories have validity. But in the end, that is all they are, theories. I have a feeling almost everything people are talking about in these threads has a contributing factor to the state we find ourselves in.

 

[Hamanu]

I have a feeling almost everything people are talking about in these threads has a contributing factor to the state we find ourselves in.

I think you're quite right. I remember how the price of RAM memory spiked some years ago when a factory in Taiwan was devastated by earth quake.

Yah, it can be one thing or many. Greed, costs, acts of God, global recession...

In the end we'll either pay or pass.

 

[thenammagazine]

Would be hard to have that kind of turnover with how specialized some of the jobs at HT are. QC would be a nightmare for them.

If HT wants to put out a great product they have to have great people working on them. They will also have to pay those people very well to keep them.

You'd be surprised. It might seem impossible for a "specialized" product but when you see the actual assembly lines and how production is delegated, the hard jobs no longer seem so hard.

 

[SnakeDoctor]

You'd be surprised. It might seem impossible for a "specialized" product but when you see the actual assembly lines and how production is delegated, the hard jobs no longer seem so hard.

Exactly.

People often have no idea just how cheap some of this stuff is to produce. Cell phone cases that cost $50 retail, cost maybe a dollar to make -- including overhead, materials, and labor. With HT figures, we're talking about $3-5 worth of materials, max. Maybe $10 worth of labor per figure ... though even that seems high. Even hand-painted or handstitched items can easily be assembly-lined -- and people can paint and stitch dozens or more an hour. Licensing and sculpting costs will add some to the cost -- as will overhead (lights, power, factory space, etc.).

When I said they were making $100 profit per figure earlier ... I was being conservative. I wouldn't be surprised if their total cost for producing each figure was under $20. The more they produce, the more the cost-per-unit goes down (because the flat-cost for licensing, sculpting, and overhead can be spread over more items) -- and the more they sell. Cost down, revenue up ... a solid business model.

I understand why people complain about the prices. But, there are clearly people here making business recommendations to HT that know absolutely nothing about running a profitable business.

SnakeDoc

 

[medicomsucks]

I understand why people complain about the prices. But, there are clearly people here making business recommendations to HT that know absolutely nothing about running a profitable business.

SnakeDoc

I've read this type of comment for years and years in threads similar to this, whether it's Mcfarlane figures, Medicom Kubricks, Hasbro Starting Lineups and Star Wars. I don't think anyone who criticizes a company's prices are giving recommendations to that company. I don't think anyone honestly expects Hot Toys to say 'Oh look at what Dirk_Diggler_69_420 said on such and such message board, we better change our prices right now'.

I think these boards are just an outlet to give opinions and read what other people are saying about a hobby that is really only shared by a small percentage of the population. A lot of people who have collected toys for years and years have seen many popular lines discontinued and simply are typing from previous experiences. I don't think that's such a bad thing.

 

[styleznma]

Doll?!?!

lol

I don't think spending $200 or $300 on something that makes you happy is too much especially considering that I don't need cosmetic surgery, boats, convertibles, beach houses or maids. I enjoy movies and comics and there are handful of the characters from each that have meaning in my life, remind me of my childhood, are a connection to loved ones, etc. There are a select few figures that I would pay that much for but I'm not a "collector" or "completionist", there are just some characters that I enjoy looking at on my shelf, my kids love 'em as well.

Wow, you just explained exactly myself, lol.

Bottom line is, if its worth it to yourself and it makes you happy then by all means buy it, me personally, i just started buying 1/6 and I couldn't be happier, I use to buy random 6'' action figures, which ever sparked an interest, but with the 1/6 scale action figures the detail and quality is alot better than a 6'' action figure, so I can justify the price.

I found that buying these 1/6 action figures at a comic con warrants a better price than pre-ordering so far, but you never know whats going to be there so its hard to pass up on a figure that is a must have.

One figure that I would really love to have is the Iron Monger but 479??? just way to much, i could justify 350 tops but thats about it.

I went off to a tangent now, anyways I hope HT keeps improving their quality.

 

[Dollmanron]

I don't know if HTs will put themselves out of business, but they're definitely forcing collectors on a budget to be more selective.

I won't say that I'll completely quit HT, but I will think seriously before every pre-order. As a big batman I'm looking forward to more TDKR releases.

A figure like Wolverine, Spiderman, or even the new Robocop figures will have to be a pass based simply on price and as much as I would love to buy everything, I can accept that I have to focus my own buying habits.

I have been collecting action figures since I was five and now am getting ready to turn forty nine.

What I highlighted from hrambo001 is how it starts for collectors and eventually what the company will start to feel. Whether they wise up and reduce or level off prices, or just continue to let their prices run wild because of greed (we all know prices increase over time, but not at the rate HT is doing it) will tell the tail.

 

[hrambo001]

What I highlighted from hrambo001 is how it starts for collectors and eventually what the company will start to feel.

I can't begin to tell you how my collecting strategy has changed just in the past few months due to the price increases.

I used to buy almost every release HT's put out there. I would look at the price and just pull the trigger because the figure looked amazing. It didn't matter if I thought the movie was amazing, just ok or bad. If the figure looked great I ordered it.

Whatever the reason behind the price increases, be it greed, the economy, licensing fees, etc.. The simple truth is I can't do that anymore.

As a result HT has lost a significant chunk of my business. The days of impulse buying are pretty much done with.

Please note that this is just my own take on the price increase and it's effect on my collecting. I don't for one second think that HT is going to be reeling because one collector reduces how much I order from them.

 

[ebor]

I've had a good read through this thread, took a couple of days to digest what I read and how I feel about this topic.

I've been collecting 1:6th since 2008, collecting various things since I was 10, I am 42 years old. My collecting focus has changed over the years, however, in all my collecting interests, I started with a general overview (buying a lot of different lines/characters/teams/players/comic titles/genres) and moved to more and more drilled down specifics. ie from Sport Cards to just Boxing Cards to Programs and Posters, from Marvel and DC comics to only Conan (and only high grade Barry Windsor Smith). With 1:6th I am focusing on customs; and specific characters: Batman, Iron Man. Hot Toys is giving the consumer what they want. When they don't people will move on. Collectors are a fickle bunch. It will be interesting to see where 1:4 scale goes. I believe that this may be the demise of companies like Hot Toys--too much diversification and increased cost to the consumer. They need to focus on what they do best 1:6th. (keeping the price $200 would be nice too )

 

[Lejuan]

Bottom line is, if its worth it to yourself and it makes you happy then by all means buy it, me personally, i just started buying 1/6 and I couldn't be happier...

I went off to a tangent now, anyways I hope HT keeps improving their quality.

Wait for a couple of years and see how you feel about these dollies costing 50% more than what you're paying today but with no discernible difference in quality

 

[SnakeDoctor]

I can't begin to tell you how my collecting strategy has changed just in the past few months due to the price increases.

I used to buy almost every release HT's put out there. I would look at the price and just pull the trigger because the figure looked amazing. It didn't matter if I thought the movie was amazing, just ok or bad. If the figure looked great I ordered it.

Maybe that's the real difference. I never did that. I don't do 'completism'. I'm an attorney with a family and plenty of responsibilities ... if I'm going to spend $150 on a toy, its going to need to be something that I really want -- a great likeness of a great character from a great movie. I easily pass on a great likeness of a character I didn't care about, or a movie I found mediocre. I've got plenty to spend on without buying crap I don't even want.

The exact same goes for a $250 figure ... so not much changed for me with the price hike. I was always selective.

SnakeDoc

 

[styleznma]

I can't begin to tell you how my collecting strategy has changed just in the past few months due to the price increases.

I used to buy almost every release HT's put out there. I would look at the price and just pull the trigger because the figure looked amazing. It didn't matter if I thought the movie was amazing, just ok or bad. If the figure looked great I ordered it.

Whatever the reason behind the price increases, be it greed, the economy, licensing fees, etc.. The simple truth is I can't do that anymore.

As a result HT has lost a significant chunk of my business. The days of impulse buying are pretty much done with.

Please note that this is just my own take on the price increase and it's effect on my collecting. I don't for one second think that HT is going to be reeling because one collector reduces how much I order from them.

Im totally new to the 1/6th scale collecting of hot toys and SS (a month or 2 into it, I have 4 figures so far),

anyways, What was the price they were going for when you were impulse buying them??? just curious as to what the price difference is now?
Thanks,

 

[Uncanny Web-Slinger]

^ $135 to $180 or there abouts was the perfect price range for base figures imo

 

[medicomsucks]

^ $135 to $180 or there abouts was the perfect price range for base figures imo

I think it depends on the figure. I'm fine with a figure that's loaded with stuff that could actually be useful, a great portrait, for $200. But if they're going to put out a figure like Nick Fury, which is a little off, and the outfit is really nothing special, why is that $189.99? This looks more like something that should be $150.

You may argue that the licensing cost is what accounts for that price hike, if that's the case shouldn't the head be spot-on? Just a little over a year ago, BBTS sold the Mark IV Iron Man for ONLY $180. Do you think this Fury gives you a better deal than the Mark IV?

 

[hrambo001]

I What was the price they were going for when you were impulse buying them??? just curious as to what the price difference is now?
Thanks,

Nova got it pretty much right. I got a ton of my figures from about 135-170. Even the first DX figures I managed to get for under 200 a piece!

 

[hrambo001]

I think it depends on the figure. I'm fine with a figure that's loaded with stuff that could actually be useful, a great portrait, for $200. But if they're going to put out a figure like Nick Fury, which is a little off, and the outfit is really nothing special, why is that $189.99? This looks more like something that should be $150.

Exactly, I think I paid $150 for my Blade figure which had an excellent sculpt, great outfit and a ton of accessories.

Now we get Wolverine for $235!! And all he really comes with is a base!

 

[Grosby]

anyways, What was the price they were going for when you were impulse buying them??? just curious as to what the price difference is now?
Thanks,

You can see some of the old prices here:

https://www.angolz.com/store/movie-video-games-figure.html?limit=28&p=5&series=154

A few of them, like Two-Face, are adjusted prices for when they more recently acquired stock of sold-out items, but otherwise those prices of $120 - 130 were the standard at one time, with $170 - 180 being the ceiling rarely hit, at least as I remember it.

I can clearly remember looking at the T1 T-800 for $170 and feeling like that was really asking a lot.

 

[TheFiend]

$23 bucks for a True Type.

 

[Guinnessfan]

You can see some of the old prices here:

https://www.angolz.com/store/movie-video-games-figure.html?limit=28&p=5&series=154

A few of them, like Two-Face, are adjusted prices for when they more recently acquired stock of sold-out items, but otherwise those prices of $120 - 130 were the standard at one time, with $170 - 180 being the ceiling rarely hit, at least as I remember it.

I can clearly remember looking at the T1 T-800 for $170 and feeling like that was really asking a lot.

damn 144 for The Godfather, 550 easy now.