He-Man.org member Mermisto has written up an interesting post examining inflation and it’s relation to the action figure industry. It’s something I’ve been meaning to do but never got around to it, and I think Mermisto did a better job anyway because he had access to the old Sears Wish Book catalogs.
I’m not going to blockquote what he wrote (it’ll screw up the page after the “Read More”). His post starts with the quotations.
“When the MOTUC series was first announced, I thought the $20 price tag was a little much for an action figure, but since I have been collecting vintage toys over the past decade, I am used to paying over $20 a piece for dolls and action figures anyways, so it did not bother me too much.
However, I was recently curious as to how expensive the toys I grew up with really were. I know a lot of times nowadays I tend to look at prices at Target and Wal-Mart with vintage goggles on, as I remember back to the 1980’s when I could get She-Ra or Catra for $6.99 at K-Mart back in 1985.
So, using a handy price inflation converter, I looked up all the prices in my vintage Sears Wish Books, and converted them into current prices. (I rounded the current prices to the nearest dollar, or five dollar increments if they were over $20.)
1985
Toy / Original Price / Price If Sold Today
Castle Grayskull / 29.99 / 59.99
Snake Mountain / 44. 99 / 89.99
Night Stalker / 8.99 / 17.99
Spydor / 24.99 / 49.99
Bashasaurus / 13.99 / 29.99
Fright Zone / 28.99 / 59.99
Hordak / 5.49 / 10.99
Thunder Punch He-Man / 6.99 / 13.99
Modulok / 7.99 / 15.99
Land Shark / 11.99 / 24.99
Crystal Castle / 32.99 / 69.99
She-Ra / 6.99 / 13.99
Enchanta Swan / 17.99 / 34.99
She-Ra with Swift Wind / 14.99 / 29.99
1986
Toy / Original Price / Price If Sold Today
Crystal Falls / 19.99 / 39.99
Starburst She-Ra / 6.99 / 13.99
Crystal Castle / 29.99 / 59.99
Starburst She-Ra with Crystal Swift Wind / 14.99 / 29.99
Scratchin’ Sound Catra with Clawdeen / 13.99 / 24.99
Sea Harp / 14.99 / 29.99
Butterflyer / 11.99 / 24.99
Eternia / 99.99 / 189.99
King Hiss / 4.99 / 9.99
Multi-Bot / 7.99 / 14.99
Horde Trooper / 4.99 / 9.99
Blaster Hawk / 17.99 / 34.99
Monstroid / 19.99 / 39.99
Fright Fighter / 19.99 / 39.99
Likewise, a MOTUC figure sold today worth $20 would have been $15 10 years ago, and $10 back in 1984. Battle Armor He-Man was 4.99 in the 1984 Sears Wish Book, which would be 9.99 today. Would MOTUC He-Man have been worth twice as much as a regular 5 1/2 inch He-Man?
With a good 2 more inches in height, several more points of articulation, better paint applications, and more accessories, if the MOTUC figures had come out in the 1980’s I believe they would have still been well worth the extra $5 back then. Likewise, today, a regular MOTU figure would be worth anywhere from 9.99 to 13.99 due to inflation, depending on whether it’s a regular or Deluxe figure. I now think the MOTUC figures are well worth the extra $6 to $10, and now I can’t really imagine them selling for any less, regardless of whether they are sold in stores or online.
I also converted the prices from the 1983 and 1984 Sears Wish Books as well. (Remember, I rounded off the current prices.) If anyone is interested?
1983
Toy / Original Price / Price If Sold Today
Castle Grayskull / 24.99 / 49.99
Attak Track / 16.99 / 34.99
Point Dread and Talon Fighter / 14.99 / 29.99
Faker and Man-E-Faces / 9.99 / 19.99
He-Man and Trap Jaw / 9.99 / 19.99
Ram Man and Skeletor / 9.99 / 19.99
1984
Toy / Original Price / Price If Sold Today
Battle Armor He-Man or Skeletor / 4.99 each / 9.99
Orko / 4.99 / 9.99
Castle Grayskull / 27.99 / 59.99
Snake Mountain / 42.99 / 89.99
Roton / 9.99 / 19.99
Dragon Walker / 19.99 / 39.99
Stridor / 7.99 / 15.99
Road Ripper / 6.99 / 13.99
I realize that today’s MOTUC figures also include shipping as well. The 8.70 for shipping would have been 4.25 twenty-five years ago.”
Poe here again. So, according to these estimates, a MOTUC figure would have been $10 in 1984. Of course, Sears catalog prices were always at least a little higher than what you would have paid at a big box store back then–it was the “online store” of its day. But if a deluxe figure like Power Punch He-Man sold for $6.99, then $9.99 for a MOTUC figure doesn’t seem unreasonable at all.
But that’s just my opinion. Do you think the larger size and improved sculpting, articulation, and accessories (but minus the action features) would have been worth that price back then?