PVC figure Price Hikes!

[H-Gurl]

I'm sure others have noticed, that PVC prices are creeping up more and more these days!
1/8 scale figs have gone from around 3,800 yen to about 5800 in the past few years.

Also, I just spotted some news on Locus about price hikes.
This is the only place I've seen this information, but I can see with my own eyes that it's true.

We regret to inform you that Alter Group of Companies will increase prices effective from Jan. 1, 2008.
The brands include Alter, Good Smile, Max Factory, Solid Theater and Orchid Seed.

I think we all saw it coming though, with all the fakes on the market
I'll just be severely limiting my purchases from these makers, as I can't afford to pay $60 for every 1/8 figure.
I can only imagine what larger figures will cost in the future.

[rikuharada]

Well, if they increase the price and also increase their figures quality at the same time then I guess I can live with it. So far, imo, Alter, Goodsmile, and Maxfac product's quality have been improving quite alot compare to the past =)

[shawn]

Yup, I did notice. It's not good but we saw that coming, didn't we? Still I can't understand why if they keep increasing, how the heck is any collector gonna be able to keep up with it. Won't they lose out on sales rather than getting more? Maybe they are trying to cut down and limiting productions and selling less for more. Which bootleg makers are doing exactly the opposite, selling more figures for less. Obviously with inferior quality figures.
In the long run, I see damage done to the figure industry. Guys, hold on to your prized possessions as they may become extinct one day.

[rikuharada]

Guys, hold on to your prized possessions as they may become extinct one day.

Lol, well if they become extinct then that just going to make them even more valuable right

[shawn]

^What I mean is the real ones will be hard to find and like now, everywhere will be flooded with fakes and bootlegs but more extreme. Kinda like what valho was saying about his country and the bootleg DVDs, where there is no original releases and he had to settle for import only.

[rikuharada]

Well bootleg DVD and bootleg figs are two different matter. For movie people, they don't necessary have to have the original version, as long as they can see the movie then it is all good. However, for figure pp, assuming that most of them are collector, they going to want the real version and going to care alot on that matter. Anyway, my point is even if there were more fake out there, as long as we keep eachother inform and know where to look, the fake will most likely not gonna get to us. Don't look at the future for figurines with such dark image like that shawn lol

[shawn]

Oh well, there's always the star wars collectors.

[H-Gurl]

Yup, I did notice. It's not good but we saw that coming, didn't we? Still I can't understand why if they keep increasing, how the heck is any collector gonna be able to keep up with it. Won't they lose out on sales rather than getting more? Maybe they are trying to cut down and limiting productions and selling less for more. Which bootleg makers are doing exactly the opposite, selling more figures for less. Obviously with inferior quality figures.
In the long run, I see damage done to the figure industry. Guys, hold on to your prized possessions as they may become extinct one day.

I'm not sure if they will lose sales, but you might have something with the sell less for more.
It will help them recover profits, but it's not going to stop the fakes
I think it will just get worse, as the fakes are still dirt cheap to reproduce, and it's easy to tempt a new buyer with the pricing in comparison to skyrocketing authentic pricing.

I do believe that the damage is already being felt, which is possibly why the prices are getting like this.

[shawn]

I think authentic figures will be unaffordable and will just be a luxury for us and only well earners can afford them in the not too distant future. Others will have to resort to lots of ogling at pictures and dare I say it, ........bootlegs.

[H-Gurl]

Yeah, I've already resorted to oogling at pics of new expensive Alter Co. Releases
This is too cute, but the price tag is quite steep!
http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10065234

These new pricey figures will definitely only be an occasional luxury for me.
My Ryu Meifon just shipped from HLJ, so I guess she's luxury item #1! LOL

Ah, well, I still have good ole' Kotobukiya & Kaiyodo
Also, my art book and manga collecting to fall back on.

[GMCustom]

I am surprised to be honest. This reminds me of how much of a niche we are.

I am surprised so many companies are part of Alter.

I just need to hope I get into the police department ASAP and that there is plenty of over time.

[cbeley]

It's really sad that all these places bootlegging these products are causing this to happen (Though, if you are using US currency, it seems that the yen is going up in value in comparison to the dollar...or the dollar is going down...or both. A figure I had my eyes on for a couple months went up about $6 due to that, but I'm getting it for christmas anyways...).

You know though, I wonder if the people bootlegging these products are really making much more than needed to just live a decent life and the people selling the bootlegs who bought from the bootleggers are the ones making all the money...maybe an interesting way of looking at it, not that I think that justifies them in any way.

...This all especially bad for me though. Since I'll be going to college I probally won't have large sums of money that i can just spend unless I come up with some really good idea...plus, there the matter of actually displaying them in such a small dorm room (if I can bring a shelf and fit it...I should be fine since I don't imagine my collection will grow that much). I won't be able to have the fancy display I have set up now (refer to my post of my figures if you are curiouse...I need to update that picture though).

EDIT: Don't forget though, there are always gasphapons. They are relatively inexpensive and some of them look pretty nice (for example, the murata sets look wonderful and the soon to come out lucky star trading figures look pretty nice).

[Onegai]

True about the trading figures. Some of the Konami, ALTER and Maxfactory ones have been quite good recently.

[Arcturus]

The rise in cost, may not be all attributed to bootlegging. Rising oil prices, have probably raised transportation costs for base materials and the costs of the various plastics and other similiar materials.

[Susano]

The rise in cost, may not be all attributed to bootlegging. Rising oil prices, have probably raised transportation costs for base materials and the costs of the various plastics and other similiar materials.

Yeah, that's sort of my thought as well. Everything has gone up in price over the past few years, and not just in America. I'm sure the Chinese factories are charging more now as well to cover the higher costs for oil. I'm not that surprised, but it does mean I'm going to cut my purchases to only those items I really want.