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MP-14 is in stock at TFSource!


Hellscream85

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  • 2 weeks later...

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TFSource's price for Artfire is an absolute bloody rip off. The toy's only just been released and they're already charging more than TWICE (approx x2.3) the original pre-order price for this toy.

http://forums.TFormers.com/talk/index.php?showtopic=139768&view=findpost&p=1658318

 

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Look at this objectively, follow this link:

http://millionhero.jp/tfg2012/artfire.html

Scroll right down to the first post/article.

See where it says:

商品購入代金>

1個 6000円(本体価格4800円+送料・手数料・消費税1200円)

2個 11400円(本体価格9600円+送料・手数料・消費税1800円)

That means:

x1 toy for ¥6000 (AU$67/US$70): ¥4800 ($54/$56) for the toy, ¥1200 ($13/$14) for postage, handling and consumption tax

x2 toys for 11400JPY ($128/$133): ¥9600 ($108/$112) for the toy, ¥1800($20/$21) for postage, handling and consumption tax

...so for anyone who joins in a pair order, then it works out to be ¥5700 ($64/$66) per toy. Yes, there is also the cost of shipping the toy out of Japan which of course varies depending on where you live and method of postage etc., but at the maximum cost of $70 per toy, you're looking at an increase of SEVENTY DOLLARS PER TOY <---precisely double the original cost of the toy, and then you add the cost of postage on top of that (unless you make an additional purchase from them to get free delivery, and I bet that's only within the United States (so it's completely meaningless to non-Americans like me)).

 

Mate... if someone's going to DOUBLE the original price of a toy that's still current (this toy's only just been released), then it had better be delivered in a lead box cased in gold, presented on the bare belly of Karen Gillan (or Chris Hemsworth for those who are so inclined ;)). I paid ¥5700 ($64) for my Artfire... so I'm expecting mine to be delivered in a generic cardboard box by some hairy Australia Post worker with the top of his bum-crack showing. :P

 

------------------------

Disclaimer: No offence to Australia Post or its employees. Hairy bums and all. :)

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:facepalm:

 

Ok, places like TFsource are BUSINESSES, their objective is to make MONEY.

 

That being said, let's look at Artfire, a japanese limited run credit card exclusive. You paid $64, I'm guessing you have a friend, or personally have the ability to qualify for said exclusive, so you paid the basic cost of the figure to those that qualify. TFSource also pays that same cost per unit, being that this is not a retail store item and there is no vendor to go to. Naturally to make money (which again is the objective of any business) they have to mark up the cost to cover losses (cost of the figure, shipping, replacements for damaged/defective figures, etc.) It requires a high mark-up, 100% seems high, however that means TFSource has to sell 50% of their stock just to break even, with 0 defective/damaged toys. This is what you can expect from places that offer the services that TFScource does, if your Artfire arrives damaged where will you send it to be repaired/replaced? Also take a look at your everyday household items, if you knew how much it cost the retailer to get it on the shelf, your head would explode, not to mention retailers can mark most items down past 70% and still make a profit.

 

That being said I still only paid $57 for mine, due mostly to the fake Artfire preorder that was listed months back, as well as a constant dialogue with their customer service department. That, and I spend a crap-ton of money with them, mostly because it's nice to support those who really only want to make obtaining these great japanese, and 3rd party figures as easy and convenient as possible.

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I just can't justify paying that much for Artfire. This is just my opinion, but I like Inferno. He is in my top ten list of all time favorite Transformers. So I can't get Artfire since he uses Inferno's mold. I excuse Grapple since he and Infernonised the same mold in G1, but it seems to cheapen the classics mold by using it for Arrfire. It just looks like a special edition of Inferno. And no, I don't mind repaints and retools, but certain molds just don't need to be recycled over and over again. If you all like Artfire, I'm not knocking you at all.

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Ok, places like TFsource are BUSINESSES, their objective is to make MONEY.

100%+ seems like a far too high a margin to me. I could understand maybe $80-90... but $140-145?? Seems a bit steep.

 

guessing you have a friend, or personally have the ability to qualify for said exclusive, so you paid the basic cost of the figure to those that qualify.

It's not a credit card exclusive Transformer. It requires purchasing a copy of the "Transformers Generations 2012" book and then filling out the order form that comes with the book. And you can order up to 2 Artfires per order (so if you don't want the book, you can ask a friend who's buying it to do a pair order). I bought the book and did the pair order.

 

This is what you can expect from places that offer the services that TFScource does, if your Artfire arrives damaged where will you send it to be repaired/replaced?

I would contact either Million publishing or TakaraTOMY's customer call centre (they have two - one in Tokyo and one in Osaka).

 

Also take a look at your everyday household items, if you knew how much it cost the retailer to get it on the shelf, your head would explode, not to mention retailers can mark most items down past 70% and still make a profit.

Yes, but to me there's a reasonable limit before I say, "Alright, that's too much," and for me that's above the regular retail price (RRP) for an item. In Australia Voyager Class Transformers retail for approx. $50. Now I know that's already marked up WAY above how much it costs Hasbro to manufacture, distribute, market and sell the toy and that they're making an obscene profit margin on top of it. But I begrudgingly accept it and as such, I really do NOT ever want to pay _above_ RRP for anything. $64 for Artfire... I begrudgingly accepted it because it's cheaper than the alternative of paying for a G1 Artfire today (which I would never be willing to do since aftermarket G1 prices are so high). The most I've ever paid for a Voyager was $80 for BotCon Spark/Pyro - so that was x1.6 above RRP for me. Paying $140 for a Voyager would be equivalent to paying nearly triple (x2.8) the RRP for a Voyager.

 

That being said I still only paid $57 for mine, due mostly to the fake Artfire preorder that was listed months back, as well as a constant dialogue with their customer service department. That, and I spend a crap-ton of money with them, mostly because it's nice to support those who really only want to make obtaining these great japanese, and 3rd party figures as easy and convenient as possible.

:thumb

 

Speaking of Artfire, E-hobby needs to get off its butt and start making the Encore reissue of G1 Artfire.

Considering that it's been 8 years since Stepper was reissued, I'm not holding my breath for an Artfire reissue. :(

 

I just can't justify paying that much for Artfire. This is just my opinion, but I like Inferno. He is in my top ten list of all time favorite Transformers. So I can't get Artfire since he uses Inferno's mold. I excuse Grapple since he and Infernonised the same mold in G1, but it seems to cheapen the classics mold by using it for Arrfire. It just looks like a special edition of Inferno. And no, I don't mind repaints and retools, but certain molds just don't need to be recycled over and over again. If you all like Artfire, I'm not knocking you at all.

But G1 Artfire was also a redeco of the original Inferno mould... even closer than Grapple considering that he was still a fire engine (but retooled to accommodate the Targetmaster). So it makes sense of this Artfire to be a redeco of Inferno too. I'm personally over the Inferno mould though... I already have United Inferno and Grapple, and BotCon Pyro... that's already 3 different versions of the Classicsverse Inferno mould. If they reissued Artfire as an Encore, I'd happily get that and skip this Artfire.

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But G1 Artfire was also a redeco of the original Inferno mould... even closer than Grapple considering that he was still a fire engine (but retooled to accommodate the Targetmaster). So it makes sense of this Artfire to be a redeco of Inferno too. I'm personally over the Inferno mould though... I already have United Inferno and Grapple, and BotCon Pyro... that's already 3 different versions of the Classicsverse Inferno mould. If they reissued Artfire as an Encore, I'd happily get that and skip this Artfire.

 

I retract my previous statement. Hahahahahaha!! That's good to know, but right now with me trying to get some of these MPs and collecting Prime figures, I'll skip on Artfire.

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