SSC Flint

[drjedisith]

so many cool things coming out so fast at higher and higher prices? im afraid somethings gotta give. or someone! lol

 

[D. Martin]

Yeah I'm gonna cancel the throne from SS direct and get from somewhere else.

I don't know if anyone here collects 3a toys but they are top quality figures reasonably priced and are released in tiny Edition Sizes.

And they include shipping worldwide in their prices. I just bought 4 ,12 inch exclusive figures shipped for 320 bucks. thats 80 bucks a figure . Bargain!

If a tiny manufacturer can produce such quality at affordable prices, why can't SS?

Licensing fees.

 

[D. Martin]

Well. You're a toy company sympathyser which is fine

We don't support them, we lose them.

 

[D. Martin]

Amen, if the item was priced correctly these would fly off the shelves.
Collectors will support lines, but once you get blind collectors to start questioning the price, you got a problem. Im not going to overpay for an item just so i can personally support the line,not buying at retail sends a message (and the message isnt 'i dont want this', its 'i wont pay that much').

The message it sends is "time to cancel the line"

 

[ProgMatinee]

We don't support them, we lose them.

I agree. I SOOOOOO WANT TO SUPPORT THEM!

But what am I supposed to do if they charge more than what I can pay without losing something else? Like I said its not my fault if they can't price something more affordably. They used to follow a model that I was able to afford.

They changed on me I didn't change on them.

 

[Swantiago]

Licensing fees.

Yeah I know there's that but hardly 30+ bucks per figure?

 

[D. Martin]

Is that what you do with everything? Such as gasoline. If fuel was 5x more expensive than what it is now, you'd consume an equal amount? Or if you like x brand beer and they started charging 3x more for it you'd still pay that rather than switch brands? Or if red shirts cost 8x what blue shirts cost you'd still wear red?

I SERIOUSLY DOUBT IT. You would reevaluate your tastes or priorities. So then lets say you switched off "x" brand beer because it got too expensive. If you still liked "x" and saw it on sale for a good price does that mean you can't buy it on clearance because you don't like the regular price? No you'd scoop it up while its cheap.

Well, yeah. For the most part I do. When it comes to gas, I don't drive all that much so it doesn't affect me too much, but I do pay full retail for things I like because that helps ensure the things I like will continue to be produced.

So the only difference here is you feel bad for toy companies.

Your argument is based on feelings and not any real economic logic.

That's retarded. (not saying you are). My opinion has nothing to do with 'bad feelings'. Canada doesn't have the same discount system as the US. Sure things do get cleared out, but for the most part Canadians put a higher value on the things we want, so paying retail for something you want makes perfect sense. You'll notice that Canadians (and other International collectors) tend not to bring up costs until a bunch of US collectors start complaining about having to pay tax or $5 extra dollars. For two countries that share the world's longest open border, it amazes me sometimes how differently the people for each country think about things.

 

[ProgMatinee]

I understand where you're coming from, but theres a cycle here in which SSC has participated in.

Lets say company produced 1000 items that MSRP was $100. Desired income= $100,000.

They sold 900 at retail. 100 of them at "clearance" $80.

Total sales = $98,000

Product 2, company wants to avoid the clearance so they cut the production down to 900 figuring that there are only 900 true fans that will pay retail. They still want their $100,000 so now they raise prices to $111.11.

Then lets say the $11.11 price increase now makes 10% of their customers balk. So in reality:

810 pay $111.11
90 pay $111.11 x 80%= $88.88(clearance rate established in product 1).
That adds up to $90,000+$8,000=$98,000

See the company is making the same amount of money, but they are cut their customer base by 10%. If they continue the cycle too hard they cut the bottom out of their customer base entirely and then they stop making product entirely.

In a case where SSC has fixed costs such as licencing and factory costs, the cost per item actually goes up more when they cut production runs.

Basically I'm saying SSC is in a tail chase, trying to make 12" figures profitable, but not making an effort to sell more units by pricing right.

 

[EVILFACE]

Damn Prog, we get it, you don't like the price.

Sucks to be you.

 

[ProgMatinee]

For two countries that share the world's longest open border, it amazes me sometimes how differently the people for each country think about things.

I'm not an expert on Canada by anymeans, but the way consumers think here in America is based on open competition for products. Lots of companies make toys and we are used to them competing with each other to supply a good price. The customers being more competitive leads to companies needing to excell and continually improve their products and their prices in order to survive. So that customer attitude works out well to progress things. Japan operates much the same way.

You'll notice that most of the products we talk about are either Amercian or Japanese, not Canadian or Dutch or whatever from countries that don't care about prices.

 

[ProgMatinee]

Damn Prog, we get it, you don't like the price.

Sucks to be you.

actually it sucks to be everyone that has to listen to me. Alright, I'll relax on the topic. I just think everyone needs to take the blindfold off that SSC cutting WAY back on their 1/6th product has a lot to do with their desire to charge everyone $125 for figures. So just know where to lay the blame.

 

[ProgMatinee]

I'm not an expert on Canada by anymeans, but the way consumers think here in America is based on open competition for products. Lots of companies make toys and we are used to them competing with each other to supply a good price. The customers being more competitive leads to companies needing to excell and continually improve their products and their prices in order to survive. So that customer attitude works out well to progress things. Japan operates much the same way.

You'll notice that most of the products we talk about are either Amercian or Japanese, not Canadian or Dutch or whatever from countries that don't care about prices.

i will say that all of this has led to American being in MASSIVE debt to countries so our products could be cheap...so by no means am I saying its a good thing in the macro economic picture. Its probably what will do America in in the end.

 

[Deeznutz6]

This thread is full of baby birds, cheap, cheap, cheap

SS keep producing Ill keep buying, this line is awesome

 

[thenammagazine]

Thats kinda hypocritical to say that collectors should either buy it or not buy it based on their level of want, but then follow it with saying people shouldn't wait for it to hit their own established price level.

What he's saying isn't hypocritical. It makes sense from a business perspective, and is primarily one of the factors in why Sideshow cancels lines. That whole "vote with your wallet" mentality doesn't make companies knock prices down, as people who lack a total concept of business think it does. It makes them abandon products that don't sell in search of new ideas that potentially will.

 

[The Craw]

so when are the real collectors gonna start the real Flint Thread? you know, the "official" one that's free of this:


<EMBED SRC=https://www.nooooooooooooooo.com/button.swf WIDTH=300 HEIGHT=300 PLAY=TRUE LOOP=TRUE QUALITY=HIGH></EMBED>

 

[thenammagazine]

so when are the real collectors gonna start the real Flint Thread? you know, the "official" one that's free of this:


<EMBED SRC=https://www.nooooooooooooooo.com/button.swf WIDTH=300 HEIGHT=300 PLAY=TRUE LOOP=TRUE QUALITY=HIGH></EMBED>

Reposting SW threads in the Joe thread... FAIL! Though, I think Prog should bookmark that so he can click it every time SSC reveals the pricing on their figures.

 

[The Craw]

sorry man. that button is the coolest thing to happen to this board since the MJ popcorn GIF.

 

[thenammagazine]

sorry man. that button is the coolest thing to happen to this board since the MJ popcorn GIF.

Every time I hear it, I can't help but think that if Hayden had been a better actor, and not ripped off Karloff for that moment, SW fans wouldn't be continually poking fun at that scene. James should be pulling a Han, "It's not my fault! It's not my fault!"

 

[ProgMatinee]

What he's saying isn't hypocritical. It makes sense from a business perspective, and is primarily one of the factors in why Sideshow cancels lines. That whole "vote with your wallet" mentality doesn't make companies knock prices down, as people who lack a total concept of business think it does. It makes them abandon products that don't sell in search of new ideas that potentially will.

is that the customers fault for not seeing value in a $90 german Indy or $70 3/4 figure like the Hobbits? Sometimes to sustain a line for longevity which could well mean 100,000 more units over the next 5 years you have to take your lumps and not take such high profit margins. Theres something to be said for making profits in mass rather than strict % per unit. Taking a stand for $10,000 on German Indy probably cost SSC $200,000 on continued sales of future Indy products.

 

[The Craw]

Every time I hear it, I can't help but think that if Hayden had been a better actor, and not ripped off Karloff for that moment, SW fans wouldn't be continually poking fun at that scene. James should be pulling a Han, "It's not my fault! It's not my fault!"

true. but who would have thought that years later the meat and potatoes behind that entire scene could be captured on a forum with the simple click of a blue button? it's genius.