Star Wars Toys a rip off in UK

[philliperry]

This probably isn't the best time to talk about this, as hardly anywhere stocks Star Wars figures / vehicles at the moment, especially now Toys R Us has gone. But when Ep 9 comes out, so will all the new toys. And they will be massively over priced in the UK, compared to USA. There's no justification for basic figures being £10 or over. And I remember the Rogue One vehicles - the U Wing was £65 in Toys R Us! I eventually bought it for £4.99 in Argos. And that At Act at £300? What the hell? I got that for £40 in the end.

So why are they so overpriced here? Is it because kids don't want them anymore, just 40 year old men? If they were more reasonably priced, I'm sure kids would want them.

And why is the selection here so lame? It takes months, if not a year to get some of the figures that were supposed to be in the first or second wave. Maybe Hasbro just can't be arsed with Star Wars anymore in the UK?

Sorry if this is an old moan and has been covered before.

 

[philliperry]

Oh, I went in Hamleys the other day. They were still selling those awful Force Awakens figures that nobody wanted, like Constable Zuvio (?) for £15 each! I bet they haven't sold a single one of those since January 2016.

 

[Mini99]

This probably isn't the best time to talk about this, as hardly anywhere stocks Star Wars figures / vehicles at the moment, especially now Toys R Us has gone. But when Ep 9 comes out, so will all the new toys. And they will be massively over priced in the UK, compared to USA. There's no justification for basic figures being £10 or over. And I remember the Rogue One vehicles - the U Wing was £65 in Toys R Us! I eventually bought it for £4.99 in Argos. And that At Act at £300? What the hell? I got that for £40 in the end.

So why are they so overpriced here? Is it because kids don't want them anymore, just 40 year old men? If they were more reasonably priced, I'm sure kids would want them.

And why is the selection here so lame? It takes months, if not a year to get some of the figures that were supposed to be in the first or second wave. Maybe Hasbro just can't be arsed with Star Wars anymore in the UK?

Sorry if this is an old moan and has been covered before.

I think that I have read that Hasdro are aware of their poor distribution and have put new things in place to elevate the lack of product available here. I believe that they have set up Hasbro UK to ensure we see figures at the same time "ish" as the USA.
If you look at sites such as Star Avtion Figures and Dark Side Toys they have all the latest stuff.
I know its not a bricks and mortar place, but it's the latest toys.
As for price, we have always been shafted on prices when you compare to the US, and not only on toys!
I doubt that is ever going to change!
Pounds for dollars is the old saying...

 

[Sundancer Squadron]

yes we sure do get screwed when it comes to prices, its even worse for our aussi friends though

 

[Mini99]

That's a good point, there's always someone worse off than you!

 

[monkey_roo]

As i seem to be buying a few figures again i wondered into Forbidden Planet the other thinking i might by a few Vintage Collection figs - may 8-9 a figure.... cheapest was 15 , some more and a lot limited to 1 per customer. I walked out with nothing...

That said i did order the Dr Aphra 3 figure pack from them online for 50, which seemed reasonable compared to Evilbay prices.

I know figures can't be 2-3 like in my day, but 15 for an action figure designed to be played with by a kid is stupid.

 

[philliperry]

I wish they would simplify everything. Get rid of Force Link for a start. And build a droid. That would bring the price down.

The other joke was how with the Solo figures, you couldn't get a Han Solo figure unless you bought one of the crazy priced play sets. I would have liked to have seen the basic Han figure that comes with the force link starter set, just released as a single carded figure. And lando for that matter.

They need to get back to basics.

 

[bosk70]

And why is the selection here so lame? It takes months, if not a year to get some of the figures that were supposed to be in the first or second wave. Maybe Hasbro just can't be arsed with Star Wars anymore in the UK?

Sorry if this is an old moan and has been covered before.[/quote]
I think that I have read that Hasdro are aware of their poor distribution and have put new things in place to elevate the lack of product available here. I believe that they have set up Hasbro UK to ensure we see figures at the same time "ish" as the USA.
If you look at sites such as Star Avtion Figures and Dark Side Toys they have all the latest stuff.
I know its not a bricks and mortar place, but it's the latest toys.
As for price, we have always been shafted on prices when you compare to the US, and not only on toys!
I doubt that is ever going to change!
Pounds for dollars is the old saying...[/quote]




I remember back in the middle 90's when the first of the new figures came out and we were all eager to hover them up as it had been so many years since we had seen any decent toy lines, there was a Hasbro uk and a uk web site from memory , where you could read about new products and leave feedback and get offers like the few mail aways they offered at the time, later on Mace Windu etc , that UK sales enthusiasm from Hasbro did not last long though and there was the same problems of missing figures in the line . Remember the Princes Leia, first wave not available so paid over the odd from dealers then loads available a few months later. :lol:

Sold most of my modern now but still kept my fav bits and will buy the odd item that i like the look of but only at the bargain prices when about, the toys are just not worth anywhere near the top prices Hasbro ask at first release , some of the prices now a days are laughable

 

[Mini99]

I know figures can't be 2-3 like in my day, but 15 for an action figure designed to be played with by a kid is stupid.

I think that these aren't aimed at kids to play with, these are aimed straight at adult collectors.

 

[philliperry]

Biggest recent rip off - the Vintage Collection Hovertank. The cheapest I've seen it is £75. Why? Who would pay that? Totally aimed only at adult collectors. It's worth about £40 max. It doesn't even come with any figures.

 

[Robstyley]

I was in the Entertainer (toy shop) in Crawley the other day with my daughter and they had **** loads of TLJ figures, all of them for £3 each as well as some TFA and R1 all for £3. I had a look at them and wasn't even tempted at that price. They're just shite figures, the plastic looks cheap and crap and they look as if they would snap in half if a 6 year old got hold of them. The R1 ones are prob my favourite card wise. £10 for them is ludicrous.

 

[StarWarsFan]

Makes you wonder