HRGMann Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 I'm putting this topic in the Marvel thread since it was spurred by someone reporting in another topic here that the TRU 2-packs have been increased in price to $7.99. With all of the product coming out, some folks have joked "no I'm broke" and "there goes my wallet" - In the last couple of weeks, we've had TRU Marvel wave 6 and GB wave 3, Series 33 AND 34, and the IM2 army builder case and Spidey sets are due next week. So.... how much is too much to pay for singles or 2-packs? It feels like the price is getting closer to it's max for me at $8/pack. This is about the per pack cost is you ordered a single series at a place like BBTS, too. Now, I haven't purchased mates from a LCS since DC wave 8 (none of the shops in town carry them), so I have no idea what the normal price for packs are in the LCS's. I guess what I'm putting out here is, at what point will minimates have priced themselves out of your personal market? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthRaider Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 I'm gonna go with them exceeding the ten-dollar mark for a regular (non-variant) two-pack. To compare a variant set around here costs arounf $12. I'm fairly optimistic Minimates will still hover at around the eight dollar mark though. Otherwise I'll just take it easy with the completism and just pick and choose my sets instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onyx_6 Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 I have been paying $7.99 per pack at my LCS for Marvel minimates (and others as well) since the first Iron Man wave, or so. My LCS is nice in that they do not charge me extra for the variant and they hold a complete set for mme. I usually try and buy when they have a sale, but that does not happen regularly. When TRU had Marvel mates for $6.99, I was super happy, it being a dollar below my LCS. I have occasionally ordered a set online, when they have been on sale, making those minimates a little over 6 dollars a pack. I do not mind paying $7.99 a pack for minimates. That is $4 per mate. In fact, this is usually cheaper per mate than I have to pay per mate for mates in box sets form my LCS. On top of that, I also collect Star Wars characters abd a very limited number of Hasbro's Marvel 3.75" characters. Those usually run between 6 and 9 dollars per character. And to top it off, Hasbro's quality control issues and character mobility do not even come close to the excellence that is DST. All that to say that I would be willing to pay up to 6 or 7 dollars per mate, if it really ever came to that point. I think minimates are a truely unique thing and I am ready and willing to support DST for many years to come. Lets just hope they stay at the price they are for many years to come Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karamazov80 Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 Personally, similar to Onyx, I think I would swing $6-7 per 'Mate if push came to shove. Possibly more for more desirable ones, but I might avoid getting complete waves, etc. But will average parent/kid/collector walking down the aisle at the TRU be willing to shell out more than $4 per 2 inch figure? Not so sure about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobsterman Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 (edited) I remember having this discussion about DC mates. Back when they were around, they tended to run one to two dollars more than Marvel packs for whatever reason. It was not uncommon to see LCSs marking them at $9.99. For me, I'm not sure it's as much a question of at what price I would stop buying Minimates as at what price I would stop buying all of them. For example, I'm no longer collecting as a completist; there have already been several variant packs I've skipped because I wasn't willing to pay the variant premium for a specific character. I think $15 per pack is probably the number at which I would downgrade from a Minimate "collector" to a causal buyer, and would limit my purchases to characters or teams in which I'm really interested. Edited March 19, 2010 by Lobsterman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirymate Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 It's a two prong question to me. If I were to assume that nothing in my situation would improve over the next few months and years, and minimate prices continue to climb, then I will have to back off the whole buying wave at a time when they crack the $5 per mate mark. No way around it. On the other hand, I fully expect my financial situation to continue to improve, free more money for the trivial things in life, and hopefully be able to increase my collecting again despite inflation. (my wife and I both work in the residential construction industry, business has not been good for a while, but we're both optimistic that things at least in our region are on the slow upswing. couple that with the our active efforts to get out of all the way out of debt and I'm optimistic about our future) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRGMann Posted March 19, 2010 Author Share Posted March 19, 2010 Thanks for all the replies so far. I think that when the $5/mate range hits, I'll be done with the "gotta get them all" plan. At that point, choices will have to be made based on the character, quality, and accessories. Any new Wolverines would have to be packed with Kang, Beta Ray Bill, or Terrax. Army builders will likely build "Armies of 2". Box sets? would depend on who's in it besides the mandatory Spider-Man. I'm excited about the potential of the MAX line, but depending on the price, they may have to be the sacrificial lamb. I'm actually more excited about the Father's Day stuff, assuming it ever gets produced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karamazov80 Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 Wolvie/Beta Ray Bill 2-pack? Count me in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRGMann Posted March 19, 2010 Author Share Posted March 19, 2010 Wolvie/Beta Ray Bill 2-pack? Count me in! I think they appeared together when ROM and the other heroes saved the world from the Dire Wraiths using Forge's "planet-level Nuetralizer-enhancing device". ... man, I miss the 80's... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rheul Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 I've already slowed in my Minimate buying. Here in NJ with tax a 2 pack comes out to $8.05. While its true that you get two figures I really cant justify buying another Wolverine to get a Hand Ninja or something. Practically speaking, I don't have the room to display all my 'mates let alone an army of HYDRA Agents so basically its stupid for me to be a completest right now. I will continue to cherry pick (I have my WW Hulk and Mohawk Storm) but I'm not going to buy complete waves just to have anymore. I would buy another Wolvie for Rom though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karamazov80 Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 Sounds like the litmus test for true affection--who do you like enough to buy an extra Wolverine Minimate to get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 I haven't been a completionist for a few years now. Not neccessarily because of price increases though, more because there have been so many of the bloody things released over the last few years! That and the lack of them in the UK, obviously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killek Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 Sounds like the litmus test for true affection--who do you like enough to buy an extra Wolverine Minimate to get. When I started to get back into these I swore I would only ever get one Spiderman, and one Wolverine, and I've used up my Wolverine on Deadpool. That being said, it is probably my favorite Wolverine that they ever made. I probably would have used my Spiderman up on Transformation Venom but I didn't really want my one and only Spiderman to be the Cosmic version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivan Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 Here's a similar thread from the past for more thoughts on this: What's your budget? Can't say my numbers have really changed since then. ...snip... When I try to come up with an upper limit though, it's tough. $10 for a 2-Pack, sure. $12, okay that's do-able. $15, unnh, I guess, I do have a website to maintain. Much more and that's where the hard decision would have to be made. I think I'd have to murder (with great vengeance) my internal cheap bastard if I decided to pay more. (Of course that wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, he was the guy who prevented me buying a gold spidey in '03 and convinced me not to spend more than $3 on extra blanks. Jerk!) If things got to that point my other toy purchasing would definitely drop before Minimates. Muggs, done. LEGO, I've got enough. Hasbro Heroes, I've already cut back. Random impulse Japanese blind boxes? No more Designer Interior Chairs for me. (Yet they will never leave my heart.) I rarely buy loose 'mates, and only if I need a bunch and can get a bulk discount. *Goes off to play with his cute little chairs. No tea party like a mini tea party! karamazov80 brings up a good point. At what point does hypothetical-TRU-Mom say "I'm not spending X dollars on those two tiny little spider guys." I don't know, but I assume that market is probably more sensitive to price than we are. Hopefully TRU can figure out what the highest price is without killin' the lien. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stack32 Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 If DST continues with pack-ins like flight stands, the Phoenix base, Goblin glider, extra Sentinel parts, etc I think I could take $5 without making major changes. Any more than that and I'd have to start scaling back. I can't believe that many non-collectors would pay much more than $8 for a pack, just because of size if nothing else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battlecat Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 Haven't we already hit $20 on some of the Marvel 4-packs? The $5 Minimate walks among us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mirymate Posted March 19, 2010 Share Posted March 19, 2010 Haven't we already hit $20 on some of the Marvel 4-packs? The $5 Minimate walks among us Yeah, but those aren't the normal, consistent price. Most boxed sets still hover around $15 mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Vox Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 $10 for a basic set is too much. Even $9 as a standard price will slow me from complete collecting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eclipse Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 (edited) you know one of the things that attracted me to these little critters is the price, 3 3/4 figures have just gotten a little to steap for me, that and minimates are just awsome anyway, but if the price increases any further its going to slow me down alot for sure. I think the price know is just about right as far as increase goes -but thats just me Edited March 22, 2010 by eclipse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minimadman Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 The Rachel/Sentinel set is a good example of getting your money's worth, she comes with that awesome base and the Sentinel has a slew of interchangeable parts. Marvel Minimates at my LCS and TRU are the same price $8.02 (that's including tax) which I feel is more than fair because I don't think that there is any other figure available at that price much less that comes with all of the extras that minimates generally come with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRGMann Posted March 22, 2010 Author Share Posted March 22, 2010 The Rachel/Sentinel set is a good example of getting your money's worth, she comes with that awesome base and the Sentinel has a slew of interchangeable parts. Marvel Minimates at my LCS and TRU are the same price $8.02 (that's including tax) which I feel is more than fair because I don't think that there is any other figure available at that price much less that comes with all of the extras that minimates generally come with. Good point... on that particular set. Conversely, were I to buy a Klaw/Storm pack at TRU for $8.39 (my cost plus tax), I would get exaclty 1 new piece, Klaw's sound-thing. Don't get me wrong, I love the figures, but if money were already a real issue, I know which one I would be skipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minimadman Posted March 22, 2010 Share Posted March 22, 2010 The Rachel/Sentinel set is a good example of getting your money's worth, she comes with that awesome base and the Sentinel has a slew of interchangeable parts. Marvel Minimates at my LCS and TRU are the same price $8.02 (that's including tax) which I feel is more than fair because I don't think that there is any other figure available at that price much less that comes with all of the extras that minimates generally come with. Good point... on that particular set. Conversely, were I to buy a Klaw/Storm pack at TRU for $8.39 (my cost plus tax), I would get exaclty 1 new piece, Klaw's sound-thing. Don't get me wrong, I love the figures, but if money were already a real issue, I know which one I would be skipping. I would rather it be $7.99 feast or famine than The Storm/Klaw set be $7.99 and the Sentinel set be $9.99 because it comes with all of the extras wouldn't you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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