I'm calling *&^% on this.
It's like explaining an elephant up to the slightest detail, but for the lack of some small intangible detail I'm somehow lacking, everyone thinks I'm talking about a blue, flying kangaroo with the head of a lemon.
To make this absolutely clear, I'll everything my statement so it's highlighted.
I'm referring to one specific toy line produced by one specific company directly related to a movie license.
Meaning, of course, I get lectures about "Tell me about it. X other toy company charges X dollars for X product, and that's unfair" and lectures about "Prices are determined by many market factors and political reasons, so the company is right to charge X." Not to mention back seat driving about "You're going off topic" when every single thread veers off topic for pages. I'm not trying to get into a massive discussion about how I'm cheap or stuck in the past when it comes to toy pricing, I'm just saying (and again have to everything the statement) there is no rhyme, reason, excuse, or rationalization for 12 dollar mainstream tiny carded 2-3" PVC figures based on a popular franchise that's not sold on a collector to collectors market.
I call price gouging (or at least idiotic upper-management decisions), and no other company, on varying levels of A, B, and C list toy making, would be dumb enough to think that's going to fly. The toys in question are not collectible limited run, they're geared towards kids... you know... the group of toy buyers that routinely throw toys on the floor, get completely bored with them, and sell them at a yard sale for 25 cents.
Now I could talk about my displeasure with 10-12 dollar Star Wars figures, or 15+ dollar action figures around 6", but I completely realize that, due to all the everything everyone says, that's a new normal.