Midgarn wrote:
From where I work now, I may actually *gasp* have insight to this. Back in the summer, oil was $140/barrel, and all derivatives of oil, including the plastic for our Joes, were priced based on $140/barrel oil. Now, with the economy the way it is, folks have less spending cash (or, no credit to buy), current product isn't moving, and oil's between $45 and $50/barrel (at least as of yesterday).
Anyhow, in late October, I heard in the lunch room that over half of the Chinese toy factories have shut down completely. Everybody is overstocked with product -- product whose costs were based on that $140/barrel oil. Last week, the feeling that the market research folk at the company have is, that no matter the industry, the first thing that they have to do is sell off all that high-cost product. Then and ONLY then will they make more, based on the current cost of production.
By the time we get that turnaround, (now we come to my pure speculation), Hasbro may well package these up in movie format as a way to scream "new and different" to the general public.
My only concern with this theory, and I am no economist, is that by the time they decide to get around to making more stuff, whatever it may be, who knows where the price of oil will be at that point? Could easily skyrocket again.
Also, I tend to believe that as far in advance as toys are made, there's some Stingers and Arctic HISS tanks ready to go out there SOMEwhere...
