shadowslice e
Legend
Sounds like they need to talk to Gans.
35% Trump Tax = a $27 Valk
- Thread starter Dom
- Start date
One Wheel
Legend
Another aspect to this is that cube manufacturers are selling cubes for what they think they can get, not what they cost. Does it really cost 10x as much to make a Valk as to make a Guanlong? Probably marginal manufacturing cost is around $0.45-0.50 for the Guanlong, and $0.65-0.70 for the Valk (just guessing). They are making back their investment in R&D and manufacturing infrastructure, and making a profit on the rest. If they couldn't sell cubes for as much because of import tariffs the base prices would go down. If more people get into cubing and volume goes up prices will come down because of that as well.
Dom
Veteran
I hope you're right. I'm planning on going into the speed cube business with my local video game/comic book store.
newtonbase
Premium Member
Most manufacturers will do that. Look at iPhones. Their markup is ridiculous. I wonder what Apple think of this import duty?
One Wheel
Legend
I wasn't saying there was any problem with it, just saying that a 35% tariff does not necessarily mean a 35% increase in price.
As for Apple, I did see a headline a few days ago about Foxconn considering building a $7 billion display manufacturing plant in the US. That's a lot of money, but it could be offset pretty quickly by avoiding tariffs on iPhones.
pipkiksass
Veteran
I know a couple of years ago Moyu (when they first appeared on the scene) used to pay a healthy commission to cube designers out of their monstrous profit. Pretty sure they are (or at least were) just a plastics company.
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mark49152
Premium Member
That speaks volumes about their attitude to innovation.
pipkiksass
Veteran
It's all about brand identity and security of their precious image for them. Why innovate when every non-speedcuber who wants a Rubik's cube still goes to a physical store and buys theirs? They have no need/motivation to innovate.
How many people on this forum, other than those who were introduced to cubing by another cuber, didn't start out by forking out money to $even Towns for an overpriced brick with horrible stickers on it??
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Dom
Veteran
me
^_^
I used my wife's rubiks until we bought some speed cubes, though. so I see what you mean.
One Wheel
Legend
My dad bought me one with tiles.
pipkiksass
Veteran
But how much money have you forked out to your wife over the years? It all goes the same way in the end! [emoji6]
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mark49152
Premium Member
I don't disagree, but that's not the point I was making. The comment Mark reported was that Rubik's will never create a good speedcube because of popping, which to me says they think popping is a problem with no solution. That's a negative attitude especially given the improvements in pop resistance achieved by Chinese designers over the last 3-4 years.
If she had said the market is too small for them to bother with solving that problem, that would be much easier to agree with
. Maybe that's what she meant. Anyway, we'll see what happens with this RSA/Gans thing.
gavinmok
Member
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2017
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Why is politics also talked about here...
Comparing to the extra price of an iPhone (nearly US $200) in China, $7 is really a tiny number.o_O
Comparing to the extra price of an iPhone (nearly US $200) in China, $7 is really a tiny number.o_O
Loiloiloi
Veteran
How many new iPhones will a dedicated Apple user buy? Maybe 2? (200 * 2 = $400) And how many cubes will a dedicated cuber buy? Dozens if not over a hundred (100 * 7 = $700)
Even someone who bought 3 of the new iPhone would be less affected than a cube collector with a decent collection.
Dom
Veteran
it's not politics. It's about the fact that a 35% import tax increase would increase the price for ALL cubers regardless of political party. This affects everyone in the U.S. In fact, it will affect the cube market as a whole, since this will no-doubt affect how cubes are made in the U.S. Perhaps even some new cube companies will emerge in the States...
turtwig
Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2015
- Messages
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How many people buy over a hundred cubes? I've been cubing for 2 years, and I only have maybe 60-70, and a lot of them are doubles because I share with my brother.
Loiloiloi
Veteran
I said a dedicated cuber in original post because I'm referencing people who have to get the new cubes on the market, which there are certainly plenty of. The point of my post was to compare the people most affected by this, otherwise I wouldn't have compared with someone who buys 2 of the new iPhone.
A more realistic comparison would be a person getting a new iPhone say, every 2 years, and someone getting 50 cubes over 2 years. Still, the cubes are way more affected. $200 vs $350
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turtwig
Veteran
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If you're talking about people that have to get the new cubes on the market, then you should probably compare them to the people who get a new phone every year, if not more often, which there are also a lot of, changing the numbers to $400 vs $350.
newtonbase
Premium Member
Fire Cuber
Veteran
In the other hand, why would you NOT pay $7 more? If you love America, I'm sure you'll love paying taxes
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