Tracking toy tariffs

I backed Nacelle's The Expanse Kickstarter "exclusive" double-packs, but pre-ordered the whole line-up through BBTS - the shipping price on the Kickstarter was always going to be variable which I didn't like a year ago and BBTS was going to be $4 for everyone.

But I just cancelled all of the basic figs. A, they are so late and still not even coming soon and B) none of the prototypes look good - they aren't finalized, but yikes - and C) I honestly have little need for these (especially with a major character likely never coming). And since I was already on the fence at $39 a figure, I have zero desire to pay any more. So figured the best thing to do would be to cancel now.

I'm still getting the Kickstarter pieces I ordered at some far, far distant future... but this was already an around $500ish order and just... nope.
 
yojoebro82 said:
The vast majority of the space devoted to vintage figure displaying in my figure room vastly outweighs my modern displaying. I just can't seem to box those things up. On a very rough average I'd say my display space is roughly 45% vintage GI Joe, 20% vintage Star Wars, 30% other (vintage TMNT, MOTU, Transformers, 90s Star Trek, 90's Power Rangers and other odd 80s and 90s stuff). I have a NECA street diorama that I rotate the modern stuff in and out of on occasion.
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It makes sense when we consider that most of us probably collect modern figures for nostalgia reasons. With that in mind, it's no wonder that oftentimes the -real- nostalgia wins over the new, manufactured nostalgia.

I waffle a LOT on this stuff, because I really am a snob about my toys and I want them to be as good as they can be. So I'll run out and buy 20 or 25 old 5" X-Men figures and then realize that I love them in my heart, but hate them with my eyes.
 
This one's mostly a me thing, but Creative Beast Studios has a statement about how they're going to handle the tariffs as well:

And while it’s not as fun as looking at new dinosaur figures, I feel I should address the recent concerns regarding the China tariffs. Since this is still a developing situation, there is no definitive expectation on how this will affect us. But I can confirm this: there are no changes to our releases- we’re fully committed to moving forward with everything that is currently up for preorder and beyond and we still intend to release our items as soon as we can. If the tariffs hold, there will likely need to be an increase on the regular MSRP pricing for new items, but if you do have a preorder, you are locked in at that price, period. We intend to keep things as close to the same as we possibly can as we absorb the brunt of the additional costs. My goal no matter how this goes is to continue to make high-quality collectible figures at affordable prices. We’re crossing our fingers and hopping for a reasonable solution for everyone involved, but we’re not slowing down. As long as our fans continue to support us, the sky is still the limit.
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creative-beast.com

Cyberzoic Utahraptor paint sample + tariff statement

Today we have another preview gallery of the Cyberzoic Utahraptor paint sample! This and the other wave B beasts have a release date of late May, but I think June ... Read More
creative-beast.com creative-beast.com
 
I haven't cancelled any of my preorders yet... but I'm definitely being very circumspect about anything not already in a preorder queue. I'll pick up that new Mystique coming whenever we get that preorder. I'll pick up a Rachel Phoenix if she ever gets announced. But outside of that, I'm putting a pause on my preordering until something calms this situation down.

I of course reserve the right to break this pause at any time if things get so weird that I need retail therapy...
 
Sounds like cell phones, laptops and some other electronics are getting tariff exceptions. Hopefully toys will get an exception as well. With virtually nothing being made in the US, it would only put the US owned and run toy companies out of business. There’s no American industry to protect with the tariffs so they might as well be exempt, right? Maybe just wishful thinking? Haha
 
So tech companies, the richest of companies affected, are able to get exceptions? When those products are the ones that could most easily* be made in factories here? Come on.

*easily is not really easy, I'm aware
 
Schizm said:
So tech companies, the richest of companies affected, are able to get exceptions?
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that's what we call The Art of the Deal, baby

in all seriousness, I am very much not surprised that the first China rollbacks are hitting the most widely purchased goods.

Wicker_Basket said:
the fact that the administration has put a 90 day delay on the initial round of tariffs (save China) makes me wonder if eventually the China stuff will be rolled back, though not before a few more months of bad headlines and economic misery.
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I just didn't think it would happen this soon.
 
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Schizm said:
So tech companies, the richest of companies affected, are able to get exceptions? When those products are the ones that could most easily* be made in factories here? Come on.

*easily is not really easy, I'm aware
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and as far as moving tech manufacturers into the US: do you really think Donald Trump is that serious about re-industrializing the country?
 
Wicker_Basket said:
and as far as moving tech manufacturers into the US: do you really think Donald Trump is that serious about re-industrializing the country?
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Haha nope. He literally doesn’t care what happens to other people, especially after he’s gone. He’d happily squeeze out the whole tube of toothpaste during his “long goodbye”.
 
This thing changes literally by the day. Last week there were tariffs on all countries. Yesterday it was down to just China. Today it's down to just China with the exception of certain goods? We could wake up tomorrow and it will all be different yet again. Here's hoping we're sitting around in the middle of summer saying, "Remember that one week where we all thought we wouldn't be able to afford our stuff?" I hope that's how this shakes out.

Worst case scenario, tariff prices kick in, figures go up to $40 and $50 a pop. People still pay it. Then suddenly either the President or China folds. Time comes for tariff prices to go away. But certain companies (***coughHasbrocough****) see that people were paying the tariff prices anyway, so they keep the tariff prices because reasons. Don't pretend you can't see that happening.
 
yojoebro82 said:
This thing changes literally by the day. Last week there were tariffs on all countries. Yesterday it was down to just China. Today it's down to just China with the exception of certain goods? We could wake up tomorrow and it will all be different yet again. Here's hoping we're sitting around in the middle of summer saying, "Remember that one week where we all thought we wouldn't be able to afford our stuff?" I hope that's how this shakes out.

Worst case scenario, tariff prices kick in, figures go up to $40 and $50 a pop. People still pay it. Then suddenly either the President or China folds. Time comes for tariff prices to go away. But certain companies (***coughHasbrocough****) see that people were paying the tariff prices anyway, so they keep the tariff prices because reasons. Don't pretend you can't see that happening.
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Importantly... it has already happened. Most of us have been around long enough to have seen this near-exact scenario play out a dozen times already. There's ALWAYS some existential threat to toy manufacturing or unavoidable economic struggle that has to be compensated for by increasing prices to the consumer. And it's always the case that those prices do not come down after the 'crisis' is over.
Whether it's a labour shortage in China, increases in oil prices, material shortages, shipping cost increases due to limited availability of containers/shipping lane issues, etc. There's always SOMETHING that gives these greedy pieces of shit a chance to hike the cost up. Almost always beyond the actual level that they're being financially affected. And then that just becomes the new price, regardless of how those circumstances later change.

The most damaging things we can do in a hobby like this is have any expectation of fairness and honesty from these companies (even the ones we like), and give any benefit of the doubt that they will act with integrity. I see it every time something like this happens; there's always a crop of collectors that are like 'at least it's temporary,' and truly mean it. It isn't. It never is.
 
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