Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

In the wake of all the TRU trouble, I was just curious to see what we would be left if ever TRU stores closed in my area (for th record, nothing is changing in canada at the moment). So I went on Amazon.ca, to see if they had the right prices and stockcompared to TRU and Walmart.

And holy hell, I don't know what is up with their prices. They are nowhere near retail with some of these.

Legion Bisk for $17 (down from $24)

https://www.amazon.ca/Transformers-R...s=transformers

Titan Master Crashbash for $16

https://www.amazon.ca/TRANSFORMERS-G...s=transformers

One Step Berserker for $18

https://www.amazon.ca/TRANSFORMERS-G...s=transformers

TR Trigerhappy for $26 (down from $30)

https://www.amazon.ca/TRANSFORMERS-C...s=transformers

:confused::confused::confused:

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

When I was trying to buy that Rescue Bot jet Bumblebee from Amazon.com, pricing was all over the place, it would change almost daily, ranging from $7 to $20+. Not sure how their system works.

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

Wow, those look like third-party seller prices... 50% above retail then discounted. Scammers.

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

Amazon is a generally crap place for Transformers aside from the occasional sale, but that's not necessarily true for baby stuff as well.

Anyway, I don't personally believe the narrative of TRU falling to Amazon and the likes: a parent bringing a child to a toy store to pick out a toy and then that child breaking down crying and demanding the whole set will always be a viable business model. TRU would be profitable if not for the massive interest payments on their debt, which was taken on when Bain Capital (Mitt Romney's goons) took TRU private.

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

Short answer - yes.

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

This based on those links

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

My girlfriend does all her shopping on Amazon. When we started dating, she asked me why I never buy TF's from there.

Stuff like the OP was my evidence. This is just how it is on Amazon, everything waaaaaay above MSRP, then put on "sale", and still overpriced. I know this is mostly private sellers - but its what's available on their site.

When you do find something at or close to MSRP, it's stuff that's been around for a while, released multiple times, etc. When any savvy collector could recognize these being less popular toys, and could pick them up on an actual sale, somewhere else.

So yes, +1, Amazon is on crack.

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

I picked up Cosmos and Seaspray for $6 and I did see Blitzwing and Octane for $12 so yes they are on crack!

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

Cosmos and Seaspray are $13 and $15, respectively, right now, so, yeah, WTF Amazon

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

I have tried doing searches on Amazon.ca for things and never end up buying anything for 2 reasons- they don't have what I'm looking for or it's 1.5x what it should cost. All that site has done is discourage me from seeing it as a place I would use.

How they're still in business is beyond me.

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

It's the way of internet selling.
They are moving in.

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

They actually do have big discounts from time to time. You just have to catch them when they happen.

In the last year or so they had discounted the Covenant of Primus down to around $30 from around $125. Right now it is $62 (so 50% off).

Over boxing week last year I picked up a ton of Marvel Legends and Star Wars Black Series items for less than 50% with sales. I got Netflix Daredevil & Punisher for less than $10 each. 6" Luke with Landspeeder for $30. Etc.

Yes sometimes their pricing is insane. However I find most items sold through Amazon, and not some third party seller, are close to retail price. Better in some cases (mostly household items).

And then if you are lucky, to catch Amazon at the right time, you can score big discounts.

If anything Walmart needs to get off their asses and start getting back to actually doing proper sales and clearances on toys. They really have fallen off compared to Amazon and TRU.

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

Yeah, their prices can be buts, unless you absolutely luck in to their warehouse stock. I got Trypticon, Blitzwing and Octane there all at cosy. But the closest third party prices were crazy and they don't stock much themselves. NOT a TRU replacement, especially for the average consumer.

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

Agreed about Wal-Mart, but why would they? Where is the motivation? They strangled Target, which was new, had growing pains and some mismanagement. But here, when 1 store opened Wal-Mart was unbelievable. They had moved out of a mall to build their own building elsewhere. When target came, Wal-Mart opened another store across the road from the mall they had moved from in an old sellers location just to limit Target's possible expansion. Both they and TRU had free shipping. After the closure, mysteriously, a minimum for shipping was again required. Now they see TRU in trouble. No real, viable competition means they don't need to do anything. Sad but true.

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

True, but Walmart's whole thing was always about being the lowest price in the market. Granted they still are in some cases, but the days of being $0.05 cheaper no longer matter.

Online they are getting their ass handed to them by Amazon. Also don't get me started on the whole "online pricing is different from in store because they are technically different entities" that Walmart uses.

Then on the other end Dollarama/dollar stores are really starting to eat into their market share.

Walmart is the big boy on the block, for now. However Sears used to be the #1 chain, and they clearly didn't keep up, and Walmart seems to be trending that way now. Yes in Canada we have very limited options, but I ask myself what Walmart offers now that I can't find somewhere else, usually for a better price?

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

Last year I scored a TR Fortress Maximus for a mere $140 as it was a warehouse deal also. Pretty sure it was the last 1 they had too cuz I checked after I ordered & the listing was gone.

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

Fort Max was $110 at my TRU recently.

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

I guess hey make their money from other things, especially with hosting third party listings. What I fail to understand is why have such big markups on their own products when they dont have a store front to support.

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

Amazon works on a algorythm of how much they have in stock of a particular item. Just like traditional warehouses did. You want to move inventory, if there is too much of said inventory.

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

Wow, this one really takes the cake, talk about a mark up.

https://static.seibertron.com/images...heatseeker.JPG

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

Just curious who is the amazon marketplace seller cmdstore they ALWAYS have these ridiculous prices up.

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

Amazon is all about flash sales. My advice is to keep things you want in your cart. Then check from time to time. That is how I got trpyicon and fort max for great prices among other things. :/

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

They are also known as toys on fire they have a physical store in ontario and another in Montreal. Walmart.ca is also flooded by their overpriced stuff.

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

I mean, if it's actually sold by Amazon, it's usually retail.

Problem is they so rarely seem to have TFs in stock FROM Amazon.

It's all the third party sellers with silly to insane pricing.

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

So I don't follow is that their business model? Hope to sell one deluxe available at retail for 79.95?

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

I'm glad I picked up all the wave 2 stuff I care about weeks ago while I was in Cali. To hell with that crazy mark up.

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

But that is the crazy part, the listings I keep showing are actually from Amazon, and not third party vendors. I have no clue why Amazon would charge $20 for a legion class figure.

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

About a month ago I bit the bullet and paid about $30 for Rescue Bots Blurr from Amazon for my son's up coming birthday, as it's the only one he doesn't have, and I haven't seen it in stores in at least 3 years.

Of course, wouldn't you know it, I go into my local Walmart a couple weeks ago and find the damn thing for $9.92!!

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

Do you have the single release of High Tide too?

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

Yep. He has the playset that came with sub Hightide, and he has the mega bot Hightide.

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

I think the question is, does he have this High Tide:

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/wRIAA...w5/s-l1600.jpg

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

^Yes. this one.

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

Never seen that one before.

He has this one:
http://www.cybertron.ca/boards/attac...1&d=1521458626
And this one:
http://www.cybertron.ca/boards/attac...1&d=1521458626

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

That's because he got half released. Packaged samples are regularly sold on Ebay from Asian sellers.

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

Meh, I'm not too concerned. He's got 2 good representations of the character for his collection, so he's happy.

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

Oh man, Amazon.ca is still doing all that sweet sweet crack:

https://www.amazon.ca/Transformers-G...+of+the+primes

https://www.amazon.ca/Transformers-G...+of+the+primes

https://www.amazon.ca/Transformers-R...s=transformers

And I remind you guys, these arent third party listings, this is all from amazon.ca proper

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

Silly Amazon. :primelaugh:

Re: Is Amazon.ca on Crack?
 

A lot of their prices are whack yes.

Bloody Ridiculous.