Tracking toy tariffs

Really sucks. I feel terrible for toy retailers. I think BBTS's way of handling it is the best. But this is of course lose lose all around for (almost) everyone. At least the extra tax each collector will have to pay out of pocket on their figures will go to a government service that will--oh wait never mind.
 
AgentHemlock said:
Really sucks. I feel terrible for toy retailers. I think BBTS's way of handling it is the best. But this is of course lose lose all around for (almost) everyone. At least the extra tax each collector will have to pay out of pocket on their figures will go to a government service that will--oh wait never mind.
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-- cover the cost of Trump's golf trips.

There I finished it out for you.
 
The one buddy I have that also buys toys is so screwed, and I feel bad for him. He lives in a small town with a very low-paying job, there's no way he can absorb this kind of increase on his hobby purchases.
 
Also reading that Amazon has already canceled some orders from Chinese suppliers, though toys aren't specifically mentioned. Just how long is it going to take for people to realize how much will be affected by this nonsense?
 
cmoney said:
Also reading that Amazon has already canceled some orders from Chinese suppliers, though toys aren't specifically mentioned. Just how long is it going to take for people to realize how much will be affected by this nonsense?
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When's May 1st? About 3 weeks.
 
I feel awful for BBTS (and others). This is a hobby for us but it is their livelihood. So many people that had a dream to make their own toys or own their own toy store and it was all going well for them until this out of touch fool came in and wrecked it all. Hope they are able to hang on but I don't see how they can if we stay on this current path.
 
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SDcomics said:
A 125% tariff increase on Chinese imports.

I hate math because .... well, I just hate it. But if I'm doing it correctly, a $25.00 action figure will now retail for $56.25.
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That's not how it works. As someone noted earlier in the thread the tariff applies to the manufacturing cost, not the MSRP. So the 125% is on whatever Hasbro says a Marvel Legends costs to make. Maybe they say it's $10, so then the $10 is charged $12.50. So your $25 figure goes to $37.50.
 
EnigmaticClarity said:
That's not how it works. As someone noted earlier in the thread the tariff applies to the manufacturing cost, not the MSRP. So the 125% is on whatever Hasbro says a Marvel Legends costs to make. Maybe they say it's $10, so then the $10 is charged $12.50. So your $25 figure goes to $37.50.
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Are we sure that will be how any of this will be implemented? We are not exactly dealing with people who are operating from knowledge or experience here. Assuming there will be any kind of hard and fast rules that won't change with someones passing fancy or "just because I say so" in the entire operating chain in any of this would be folly.
 
BBTS (and a few others) handling the dumbest business decision in modern history as well as they possibly can. Good for them. Gonna do what I can to not cancel stuff I've already committed to if I can afford it but proceeding with caution with preorders from here on out.

And after today's news, I keep thinking: Martha Stewart went to prison for lesser financial crimes but this guy's untouchable. Hell, if someone got into office and did the reverse, canceling student loan debt, creating a UBI and universal healthcare, made school lunches free, and revamped the prison system to be more humane they'd impeach him so fast the ink wouldn't be dry. I'm not a religious guy, but lately I'm beginning to believe that deals with the devil aren't a metaphor.
 
To @Darkmoon766's point:

https://bsky.app/profile/matthewdownhour.bsky.social%2Fpost%2F3lmflaaetvk2d

I doubt our money's safe anywhere, but I moved my money from a bank to a credit union this week. You might consider doing the same. Credit unions aren't insured by the FDIC, but by the NCUA.

https://bsky.app/profile/marisakabas.bsky.social%2Fpost%2F3lmgmkbump22m
JakeEkiss said:
I am a river to my people.
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Such a great movie.
Justice said:
I happened to check out a Facebook TMNT group post about the tariffs and I barely escaped there with my brain cells intact. It was something....
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I have to start advertising this place on social media, but I'm hesitant because there are no guarantees about who we bring in.
docsilence said:
And after today's news, I keep thinking: Martha Stewart went to prison for lesser financial crimes but this guy's untouchable. Hell, if someone got into office and did the reverse, canceling student loan debt, creating a UBI and universal healthcare, made school lunches free, and revamped the prison system to be more humane they'd impeach him so fast the ink wouldn't be dry. I'm not a religious guy, but lately I'm beginning to believe that deals with the devil aren't a metaphor.
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Every person in a position of power passed the buck to someone else. For 50 years.

I keep telling myself he isn't magic and he isn't immune to consequences, yet every day I'm proven wrong.
 
Chooch555 said:
BBTS' handling and messaging of this terrible situation is great and classy.
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See I am not feeling that. Now granted I am a Canadian and I haven't had dealings with BBTS in some time, but I don't see the email as "classy" but rather an attempt to mitigate the damage the tariff situation is having on their business model.

I posted on another board about how I feel they are trapped by their business model (preorders and stock rotation) so I understand their situation. However I am always a little skeptical of a company that goes with the "family owned" angle when they are bigger than most of the "independent" etailers combined.

Again, I understand they are in a terrible position, but I don't know that telling customers that they may get hit with an extra charge for items already purchased at an agreed price is good optics (to say the least). If that is the situation why not just cancel preorders and charge more for reordering? Because then they are stuck holding the bag on what they have already ordered and can't rely on most customers just eating the extra charge. They have already been charging more than most other etailers for years because of their market power (cheap shipping, business volume), so what is a little more upfront?

Anyway, like I said I understand the position they are in, but the email kind of rings hollow to me with the "hey we are with you as a family owned" and basically saying we won't honor preorder pricing going forward. I expect the same will happen with other smaller, and probably larger, sellers. Just not a fan of messaging that tries to play on emotions about business dealings, especially in regards to pricing.
 
I'm not sure that there is such a thing as a "big" toy seller online. Sure, BBTS is one of the biggest, but it doesn't make them some giant faceless corporation. And I would say the reason they don't cancel pre-orders and change the price instead is that we and they STILL don't know what the tariff situation will be by the time those items ship. Maybe they'll be higher, maybe they'll be lower, maybe they'll be gone entirely. The surcharge is a way more flexible approach to a changing situation.
 
cmoney said:
I'm not sure that there is such a thing as a "big" toy seller online. Sure, BBTS is one of the biggest, but it doesn't make them some giant faceless corporation. And I would say the reason they don't cancel pre-orders and change the price instead is that we and they STILL don't know what the tariff situation will be by the time those items ship. Maybe they'll be higher, maybe they'll be lower, maybe they'll be gone entirely. The surcharge is a way more flexible approach to a changing situation.
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I agree. However I didn't say they were some giant faceless corporation, however let's not pretend they are some tiny little one person operation in the toy etailer game either.

There are no good options right now. I just kind of get a bit of a negative feeling with the early tone set out in the email. I am not a big fan of trying to play up on customers feelings when you are trying to tell them they are (maybe) going to be paying more. I get the psychological reasoning behind that messaging, like I said I just don't particularly like it.
 
I do think this approach is the best they can do given the situation changes every day. Canceling and relisting preorders with the current tariff rate baked in wouldn't work, because those rates will be different by the time they arrive. A surcharge at time of arrival is flexible, it's transparent, and it gives people the option to decide in real time if they want the thing with the new tax levied.
 
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