Toyguru's recent explanation for the lack of paint applications on figures after raising prices in 2014, and more bad news on yearly price hikes begining in 2015:
2. Jun-Yor: Why are the 2014 figures already losing paint applications, like Two Bad's armor and shield? Wasn't that the point of the price increase?
Essentially you are getting 2014 figures at the 2013 price and costs have risen out of our control once again.
We took a big price increase in 2013 to catch up to rising costs from 2010-2012. We had hoped that price increase would hold to the cost to produce these figures for two years, and we know fans are noting one of the reasons for the price increase was to avoid "cost reducing" figures. Essentially, the real world x-factor was that costs to produce these figures are rising faster than we can raise prices (as we also promised there would be no price increase in 2014).
So a bit of a double edged sword in 2014. We can't raise prices, but costs are going up too quickly and to not cost reduce the more expensive figures. While the price increase we took in 2013 we had hoped would hold for two years. It did not. It only held for about 12 months, so by the time we got to 2014, we were once again at a point where the costs were outpacing the sales price (due to the promise not to raise prices in 2014).
Additionally, not every figure will need to lose some deco or accessories to hit cost. Two Bad and Blade for example have a ton of deco on their armor and bodies. They are more an exception then a rule Not every figure will have this in 2014 so this isn't something to expect for every figure in 2014. But we do need to bring figures down to sale price and as production costs continue to rise beyond our control or what we estimated back in 2012, we will need to counter that with product design changes.
Going forward, as a permanent solution, we will now raise prices every year starting in 2015 so we are no longer in any year selling toys at a previous year's price.
Essentially you are getting 2014 figures at the 2013 price and costs have risen out of our control once again.
We took a big price increase in 2013 to catch up to rising costs from 2010-2012. We had hoped that price increase would hold to the cost to produce these figures for two years, and we know fans are noting one of the reasons for the price increase was to avoid "cost reducing" figures. Essentially, the real world x-factor was that costs to produce these figures are rising faster than we can raise prices (as we also promised there would be no price increase in 2014).
So a bit of a double edged sword in 2014. We can't raise prices, but costs are going up too quickly and to not cost reduce the more expensive figures. While the price increase we took in 2013 we had hoped would hold for two years. It did not. It only held for about 12 months, so by the time we got to 2014, we were once again at a point where the costs were outpacing the sales price (due to the promise not to raise prices in 2014).
Additionally, not every figure will need to lose some deco or accessories to hit cost. Two Bad and Blade for example have a ton of deco on their armor and bodies. They are more an exception then a rule Not every figure will have this in 2014 so this isn't something to expect for every figure in 2014. But we do need to bring figures down to sale price and as production costs continue to rise beyond our control or what we estimated back in 2012, we will need to counter that with product design changes.
Going forward, as a permanent solution, we will now raise prices every year starting in 2015 so we are no longer in any year selling toys at a previous year's price.
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