Tracking toy tariffs

docsilence said:
It's curious to me that of all the products to take center stage, dolls/toys are in the media. Forget us old farts and our collections; hamstringing the toy industry publicly is just rock stupid and mean. These people hate anyone "less" than them experiencing any joy or convenience. It's like the idea of non-rich people being unhappy gets them horny.
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You're right. It's not just us talking about this! Heh.

Also, with all the talk here of jettisoning them off into space, I guess they feel the same way about us. Poor people should be placed in a large container and launched somewhere out of sight. Huh, common ground, sorta.
 
docsilence said:
It's curious to me that of all the products to take center stage, dolls/toys are in the media. Forget us old farts and our collections; hamstringing the toy industry publicly is just rock stupid and mean. These people hate anyone "less" than them experiencing any joy or convenience. It's like the idea of non-rich people being unhappy gets them horny.
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Honestly, I don't even think the adult collectors are more than a passing thought to them. People on both sides LOVE to use the classic "won't someone think of the children?!" argument whenever anything is brought up, whether it's race, religion, sexuality, what have you. Because children are seen as small and innocent and need to be protected from anyone targeting them with a mean, hateful agenda. It's a quick, easy way to rile up the easily offended, regardless of whether or not kids are actually affected by said issue, and it wouldn't surprise me that that's what's happening here- make it seem like the kids are the ones suffering most so that whatever opposing side will feel the heat more to give in to the demands.

Don't get me wrong, I know for a fact they hate poor people too, but you know they're gonna cover it up however they can by making them seem more righteous than they really are.
 
docsilence said:
It's curious to me that of all the products to take center stage, dolls/toys are in the media. Forget us old farts and our collections; hamstringing the toy industry publicly is just rock stupid and mean. These people hate anyone "less" than them experiencing any joy or convenience. It's like the idea of non-rich people being unhappy gets them horny.
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It's the easiest "strawman". Lots of grown men are uncomfortable talking about dolls at all. Frivolous things that have no real value. You could say that about a lot of things people want or buy, but if you're trying to make a point to conservative men, it's easier to aim for the low-hanging fruit. Dolls. Just don't include sports collectibles in the toy category! Or any other expensive outdoor toy like Jet-Skis or ATVs. No, we can't cut those. Let the kids suffer, their dolls are stupid and boring anyway!
 
Sgt. Stinky said:
I am not ashamed to say I have voted Republican my whole life. Most of the time the party beliefs have been mine. That does not mean that I have never voted for a Democrat before. I am tired of the broad brush that is used to demonize people who vote one or the other. Both parties suck and have this entire Century. People forget-or weren't born yet that we entered the 21st Century with a Federal Government surplus financially. They got rid of the deficit we had in the 90's. The deficit we currently have was racked up over the last 25 years-by both parties who were each in control half of those years. They use to know how to work together to get things done and it wasn't all my way or the highway. That is what saddens me. I grew up in in the 70's and 80's when things were far, far worse economically then anything going on now even with the tariffs. They suck no doubt about it. I have also been around long enough to know that this too shall pass. The thing that we need to be more aware of and try harder at is finding and voting for quality candidates. They choices for the last three Presidential elections have sucked quite frankly and I was depressed even going to vote for anyone of them. Still I am an optimist. I still believe in this country and what made it great. The pendulum always swings too far to the right or the left and eventually comes back to the middle when our government works the way it was intended. I haven't lost faith that that can happen still. We just need to find better caidates to vote for and spew less hatred toward each other.
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Ah, the old "both sides suck" chestnut. That is, 100% of the time, code for "I voted for the unpopular opinion here but I'm too scared to just say so" lol

Tell me when Democrats deported anyone without due process, decided abortions are illegal even for women who medically need one, and withheld medications from people that need them because they are part way through a treatment and pretty much could die without them? Show me those things, and then maybe we can say both sides suck. Until then, we have a new regime that has no problem with the old right-handed German salute vs a group that, at worst, are terrible at picking candidates to fight those regimes. A group that inconveniences the other side because they encourage people with the same genitals to hold hands or kiss in public. You mention that "both groups" got rid of the deficit we had in the 90's...which group do you think it was that got rid of that and created a surplus? Who was in office right before that group came in to fix that deficit? I don't always agree with democrats on everything, but I'll tell you what - one side wants what is best for the majority of people (and, yes, some are left out - it's the way it is), and the other side wants what is best for a very small minority of those people (the wealthy ones). Are these the same things?

Those don't sound like the same things to me, but sure - go off lol
 
Wicker_Basket said:
more infuriating than the killing itself?
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Oh, God, and as if on cue, one outs themselves.

Should the killings have taken place? Of fucking course not. *BUT* it is a decades long war that has been going on long before the Biden administration, and for the burden of responsibility to lie on him was and continues to be horseshit. We supplied weapons to an ally. And people were acting as if Biden was the one pulling the trigger.

The point being, stupid, is influencers using said influence, while using this war as their excuse, to sway an election among a certain segment of people who were unable to think for themselves. The same generation who voted for Trump because Joe Rogan told them to. And this, the same election with more at stake than a decades long war thousands of miles away. An election in which the alternative was going to be and IS going to be infinitely worse for the Gazan people than what was transpiring. It was moral grandstanding and virtue signaling one issue voting. It was the flavor of the week.

And now look at where WE are. And AGAIN, let me reiterate that now thet the damage is done, those same people are nowhere to be seen. Gaza is an afterthought and they've moved on to the newest grift.

So kindly--fuck all the way off with that noise.
 
RicksNerdLife said:
Oh, God, and as if on cue, one outs themselves.

Should the killings have taken place? Of fucking course not. *BUT* it is a decades long war that has been going on long before the Biden administration, and for the burden of responsibility to lie on him was and continues to be horseshit. We supplied weapons to an ally. And people were acting as if Biden was the one pulling the trigger.

The point being, stupid, is influencers using said influence, while using this war as their excuse, to sway an election among a certain segment of people who were unable to think for themselves. The same generation who voted for Trump because Joe Rogan told them to. And this, the same election with more at stake than a decades long war thousands of miles away. An election in which the alternative was going to be and IS going to be infinitely worse for the Gazan people than what was transpiring. It was moral grandstanding and virtue signaling one issue voting. It was the flavor of the week.

And now look at where WE are. And AGAIN, let me reiterate that now thet the damage is done, those same people are nowhere to be seen. Gaza is an afterthought and they've moved on to the newest grift.

So kindly--fuck all the way off with that noise.
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I'm assuming you don't think Palestine and the US's complicity in the actions of the Israeli government are an issue of real legitimacy. or at least that it is not an issue serious enough to affect voting behavior (in a scenario involving politicians unwilling to change their policy in the wake of public outcry).
 
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Mondo put out a statement about how they're handling tariffs. I'm not a buyer of theirs but I both hate that every company is needing to do this, but appreciate the clarity when they do it as specifically as Mondo did. It's precise, apologetic, and clear, which is appreciated.
 
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EnigmaticClarity said:
Political tangents are swirling this thread down the bowl again.

Hopefully it'll be months before people get so personal that TSI has to lock a thread, but now that the ad hominems are trickling in we've started down the path.
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To quote Dennis Reynolds: "Look at me when you're talking to me".

If you have something to say, say it. Stop acting like I'm not who the fuck you're talking to or about.

Sorry, not sorry that I get a little pissed off over the destruction of our country thanks in large part by people who couldn't be bothered with what was happening over there in the Middle East before last election cycle. We are in a bad spot, and frankly, I'm past niceties and civil discourse. I'm angry. I'm mad. Ad homs are what I've got. If you have issue with that, I'm positive there's a block button. Utilize it or shut the fuck up. Or here's a thought: sack up and deal with it.
 
docsilence said:
Mondo put out a statement about how they're handling tariffs. I'm not a buyer of theirs but I both hate that every company is needing to do this, but appreciate the clarity when they do it as specifically as Mondo did. It's precise, apologetic, and clear, which is appreciated.
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It's such a damned bummer that this is happening in the middle of the Real Ghostbusters line and just as their 200X MotU stuff was about to get going. For no fucking reason at all.
 
Ru1977 said:
That's what is great. They're awful, AND they're dumb. America never saw it coming.
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It's easy to conflate what they're conflating. Most people I know do the same thing, and it's understandable. There have been many Chinese brands over the years that had extremely poor QC standards and used the cheapest possible materials and failed as a result of it, and stuff we buy from Aliexpress and Temu are full of items from companies that made products like that.

Most of us know that foreign companies also outsource manufacturing to China, but they dictate the materials used and the QC standards that are put into place. It's still Chinese engineers mostly following those standards and Chinese testers doing the QC checks, but it's the higher foreign standards of companies like Hasbro or Apple that are controlling how those items are made. Chinese brands versus domestic brands who do controlled manufacturing in China isn't a hair most people have split, although I know I was aware of it long before I ever started buying action figures. I first noticed it as a teenager while working in the Men's Department at Sears how all of our clothes were made in China and sold by American brands. When Stephen Miller made his comparison I'm guessing he knows all of this and made the comments about cheap Chinese goods knowing that most of Trump's base listening would conflate American brands made in China with Chinese brands.

What's further confusing this subject now is that over the past decade there are actually quite a few good Chinese brands that also manufacture their products in China as well. There are several high-quality Chinese auto brands, electronics brands, and probably other markets as well I haven't noticed yet as the Chinese economy has improved over the past two decades. In our hobby I know of one company in this category--InArt and their line of 1:6 scale and now 1:12 scale action figures with that Dark Knight Rises Batman they've got coming in a few months.:oops: I doubt most of us ever get that Batman unless there's a deal within the next six months, and it's a real shame because he's got the best actor likeness I've ever seen on a 1:12 scale action figure.

My only hope with InArt and any other Chinese brands that surface over the coming years if the trade wars continue is that the Japanese retailers start offering their products. I checked that last month, but I couldn't tell that any of them were stocking InArt figures from Hong Kong. I hope they eventually do, because they can be the "two-step" between China and America if they start offering those brands for sale to American customers.

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Yeah, not everything coming out of China is what the general public think it is. I'm a frequent boardgame kickstarter backer (although I suppose THAT will stop now) and miniatures painter and if there's any QC issues for the stuff the folks I back, it's generally on the "we didn't test the rules enough" or "we didn't anticipate our deadlines well" side, not the physical materials. Beautiful games manufactured there. Same with a lot of toys.

I mean, I'm annoyed for myself, but I'm the "cool" childless uncle who works in writing superhero stories and likes to buy action figures and legos for my nieces and nephews EVERY opportunity I get. I'm not just bummed on my own behalf but on losing one of my favorite ways to show my family I'm thinking about them, assuming the prices skyrocket.

Those Hasbro and Mattel announcements are ominous. One of those ways the smaller companies are demonstrating the humanity of small business by telling us exactly how they're going to manage things instead of "prices... they will rise. Dun dun dun."
 
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