MP-M01 Masterpiece - TF the Movie Edition - Starscream!

[Lord_Onslaught]

Thus proving it is not Takara who is price gouging Robot Kingdom has Leader Starscream for $82.90

 

It is TF Source and BBTS who is charging the $100.

[Azure_Dragoon]

...he says as if $82.90 isn't still WAY too much for a Leader class figure...

[Lord_Onslaught]

...he says as if $82.90 isn't still WAY too much for a Leader class figure...

 

Not for the Takara one. These are the same prices you find in the stores in Japan.

 

It all comes down to the cost of living. It is very expensive in Japan. Tokyo is the most expensive city to live in, in the world. the second most expensive is Osaka. Hong Kong is 5th. New York City is 8th. Singapore is 10th. There are no other US cities in the top 20.

 

$82.90 may be way to much to you, because you are used to the $45 leader class here in the states. In Japan they are used to the $77 leader class, and the $82 specials. That is normal price for stores in Japan

[Azure_Dragoon]

High cost of living translates into higher prices for commodities... but for a toy designed by Hasbro in the US (aren't most of the Bayverse toys designed here?) and made for dirt cheap in China, high cost of living does not justify such prices. Takara obviously feels like they can gouge their customers because that is what they are used to.

[Lord_Onslaught]

Its inflation gone crazy over there. It's the overhead that they pay.

 

But if they gouge, then I guess all of Japan gouges

 

So try this, stop looking directly at Takara, and look at all of Japan, it is not just Takara it is all of Japan that must be gouging.

 

Here is a breakdown of the Japanese Tax system

 

National Income Tax Rates Taxable Income Tax Rate less than 1.95 million yen 5% of taxable income 1.95 to 3.3 million yen 10% of taxable income exceeding 1.95 million yen plus 97,500 yen 3.3 to 6.95 million yen 20% of taxable income exceeding 3.3 million yen plus 232,500 yen 6.95 to 9 million yen 23% of taxable income exceeding 6.95 million yen plus 962,500 yen 9 to 18 million yen 33% of taxable income exceeding 9 million yen plus 1,434,000 yen more than 18 million yen 40% of taxable income exceeding 18 million yen plus 4,404,000 yen Prefectural Income Tax Rates Taxable Income Tax Rate all 4% of taxable income

 

Municipal Income Tax Rates Taxable Income Tax Rate all 6% of taxable income

 

Prefectural Enterprise Tax Rates

(in case of self-employed persons) Taxable Income Tax Rate all 3% to 5% depending on the type of business

So lets look at the 1.95 Million yen it converts to roughly $22,000 USD

its just taxable income rough;y $1,100 USD

 

Now for let's say renting an apartment

 

a small 2 bedroom apartment in Tokyo costs 239,000 Yen roughly $2,700 USD a month

Now food

a Cantaloupe in Japan costs 2,500 Yen roughly $20.50 USD

Japanese Beef costs 6795 Yen per pound roughly $56 USD

 

So can you see that it is not Takara, it is Japan as a whole, I bet after paying the overhead, they do not rake in as much as Hasbro does