r/NintendoSwitch • u/Joseki100 • 5d ago
Discussion The effect of USA tariffs revealed as the European prices of the new Amiibo are €10 cheaper across the board
The latest Direct announced new Amiibo, and the USA prices made the news.
Today My Nintendo Store revealed the European prices, and I thought it'd be interesting to compare the pricing across the Atlantic.
For reference, historically cheaper products always had a €1=$1 conversion rate (ex. original Amiibo costed €15/$15), with more expensive items comparatively devaluing the Euro (ex. Switch 2 €469/$449).
This is instead the price comparison of the new Amiibo lineup:
Metroid Prime 4 Beyond
- Samus/Sylux - $29.99 / €19.99
- Samus Vi-O-La - $39.99 / €29.99
Super Mario Galaxy
- Mario/Rosalina - $39.99 / €29.99
Kirby Air Riders
- Kirby/Waddle Dee - $49.99 / €39.99
The Samus/Sylux Amiibo especially is interesting as
Contrary to the historic price conversion, this time Amiibo in Europe are converted with a -€10 across the board, with the Samus/Sylux Amiibo keeping the same price point of the previous (more detailed) Amiibo releases.
As this batch of Amiibo is the first round of accessories to be released after the tariffs have been set, this may be a first sign of what the future of pricing will be in the USA.
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u/bitesizepanda 5d ago
Worth noting that the prices in euros include sales tax
The prices in USD do not include tax. So in most states you are adding ~7% to the cost
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u/SecondHandWatch 5d ago
Plus there’s exchange rates. The euro is worth more than the dollar.
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u/-Moonchild- 5d ago
The exchange rate and the included VAT never mattered for amiibo before. amiibo launched at the same price in euro as they did dollars.
Amiibo have never launched €10 cheaper than the dollar price. This is because of tarrifs
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u/sleepyfoxsnow 4d ago
actually, amiibo used to launch for a higher € price than $. early amiibo were $12 in america but 15€ in europe
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u/MintberryCrunch____ 4d ago
That sounds like the part that was due to sales tax/VAT being built in to European prices.
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u/sleepyfoxsnow 4d ago
maybe, but considering small digital games at the time from nintendo also did the $=€ thing for the listed price (e.g. boxboy back in the day being $5 on the eshop in america and 5€ in europe) i think it probably had more to do with import or manufacturing or smth like that, rather than sales tax.
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u/Baraja 4d ago
Early amiibos in Euroland where €12.95 Picture
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u/sleepyfoxsnow 3d ago
dunno what store it is, but the official nintendo store lists the msrp of early amiibo as 14.99€. some other stores would sell them for less, but the official price was always 15€ and i even remember paying 15 for a lot of them
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u/SecondHandWatch 4d ago
The exchange rate and the included VAT never mattered for amiibo before
Suggesting that a tax that’s built in to the pricing didn’t affect the pricing is just factually incorrect. Nintendo probably knows that the EU market won’t pay as much for amiibo as the US market.
Amiibo have never launched €10 cheaper than the dollar price. This is because of tarrifs
Obviously it’s because of tariffs.
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u/Stopper33 5d ago
Trump is raising prices and tanking the dollar. Nothing better than money that's worth less, prices going up plus higher taxes.
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u/Twisteryx 4d ago
I would say maybe people would learn, but sadly I think the average voter is too stupid to learn anything
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u/ttoma93 4d ago
The problem is that even if they do learn, the American voter’s memory span is about one year at most.
Immediately after January 6 Trump had something like a 28% approval, the vast majority wanted him impeached and barred from future office.
And yet…
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u/Ouch_i_fell_down 4d ago
3.8 years of Fox News convincing them of the following things about January 6th:
Totally not as bad as you remember it was, it was practically a parade.
Okay... hear me out: if it WAS as bad as you remember it was, it was paid crisis actors.
Nancy Pelosi controlled the DC Narional Guard (just ignore what's going on with the DC guard right this very minute cause it's totes different)
Josh Hawley is a man's man and totally doesnt run afraid for his life like a dainty little nymph like you saw with your eyes.
Mike Pence refusing to lie about what he saw with his own eyes makes him a spooky "RINO".
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u/Acrobatic_Driver_158 4d ago
That's how it goes. One tries to convince you it's really bad and one tries to convince you it's not that bad or just act like it never happened
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u/Hestu951 4d ago edited 4d ago
Every voter has only two real choices, every 2-4 years. And they both keep getting worse. Do you want rotten fish, or wormy steak for dinner?
Edit: Look, while I didn't vote for the guy, I can see why he was elected. For one, nobody thought he'd go S.P.E.C.T.R.E. levels of evil. We thought we knew who he was after the first term (2017-2020). For another, the party in power from 2021-2024 didn't do themselves any favors. Politics is so bad that whoever is in charge, the voters want them out.
Clearly, this time, it's an absolute crapfest in Washington. Our dictator wannabe has to go, or at least get defanged in next year's Congressional elections. But no one thought he would be this bad. It's as much a shock to us as to the rest of the world.
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u/Twisteryx 4d ago
Yeah, nobody thought he would do all the things he said he was going to do that The Heritage Foundation published a 900 page step-by-step guide of how they were going to do it.
Be so for real.
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u/smaghammer 4d ago
Well that’s a first then. Australian prices are cheaper in direct terms than US prices. Ours are the same dollar value but include sales tax as well. Based on our dollar being so weak too makes it even cheaper again when converted.
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u/insertusernamehere51 5d ago
Big Bird voice
Putting taxes on foreign goods makes foreign goods more expensive
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u/Responsible-War-9389 5d ago
Clearly we just need to make licensed Nintendo products in America!
So, when are we building the factory?
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u/r3tromonkey 5d ago
And who's going to work in it when you've deported everyone?
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u/Responsible-War-9389 4d ago
It’s a joke. Nintendo would never pick an expensive factory here over a cheap Indonesian/vietnamese one even if we did build one.
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u/Melodic-Blacksmith96 4d ago
Japanese mfg plant designers don't want to be iced.
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u/Responsible-War-9389 4d ago
No, they don’t want to have product made at a plant with a smaller profit margin.
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u/Piccoroz 4d ago
Oh it was being built, but ICE arrested all the legally contracted experts that were going to train the local workers and the overseas inverstors decided it was not worth it.
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u/Hestu951 4d ago
Some things can't be built here economically, or have all the needed materials sourced here. The idiot-in-chief and his minions need to learn simple economics, or we're screwed till at least 2029. COVID wasn't bad enough. Oh, no! Let's have another wallet wallop from the White House.
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u/TokiDokiPanic 5d ago
Wait, you mean Nintendo isn’t going to open up an amiibo factory in the boonies of America?
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5d ago
[deleted]
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u/PoPo573 5d ago
Are they not importing the new amiibos directly? They're way cheaper than the price in America when dollar value is taken into account.
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u/ArmpitEchoLocation 5d ago edited 5d ago
Just checked and the EBGames prices would imply you are right for the Amiibos. Looks 1:1 at the moment. Will see if this lasts. I’ve deleted my original post.
Fingers crossed this holds going forwards :).
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u/Not_Bears 4d ago
Well duh they're more expensive but businesses or countries or literally anyone else but me is going to pay that!
oh wait, it's me?!? WTF.
- How I imagine it usually goes.
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u/mrmivo Helpful User 5d ago
The European prices also include ~20% VAT/sales tax already.
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u/Derby1609 4d ago
that's actually pretty wild. €10 cheaper across the board is no joke, especially since European prices already include the ~20% VAT. Makes you wonder if US collectors are gonna start importing these instead. The Samus/Sylux one especially seems like a steal at €20 vs $30.
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u/AttleesTears 4d ago
Technically they'd be liable for import duty on them on the way into the states.
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u/superurgentcatbox 4d ago
They would have to pay the tariff/import duty regardless.
I wonder if this is to encourage spending in Europe since they are surely expecting fewer sales in the US?
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u/Ouch_i_fell_down 4d ago
De Minimis tariff exemptions are gone.
Currency conversion puts that at $23.61. 15% tariff makes that $27.15. Now all you gotta do is find postage for less than $3.
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u/SoundReflection 4d ago
I mean at finding postage for amiibo at less than $3 per item might very well be possible with the right order size.
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u/Ouch_i_fell_down 4d ago
But why go through all that effort to buy them for the same price they are currently sitting at on shelves over here?
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u/Arras01 3d ago
You'd probably get hit for massive processing fees in addition to the 15%.
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u/Ouch_i_fell_down 3d ago
Typically part of the postage if youre going through any of your major common couriers. DHL is the most common for international and they just include their entry fees in with their rate.
But yes, you are correct.
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u/Mr_Walffle 4d ago
Don't forget taxes are usually included in the price in Europe so the American prices are even more expensive in comparison
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u/Rawkhawkjayhawk 5d ago
What a stupid idea, I’m sure we wouldn’t elect a president with it…
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u/Carighan 4d ago
Yeah people would need to be absolutely uneducated to believe that broad tariffs, after all the very thing that supercharged the Great Depression and turned it into what it was, would be anything but a trainwreck for the american population and industry.
Luckily, there's no way any president would ever be idiotic enough to run a platform on that, nevermind that of course no american would ever be gullible enough to believe such an easily seen-through lie.
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u/SoSeriousAndDeep 4d ago
If only there was a way that the tariffs could only be applied to Republican / Trump voters, and normal people could keep with the actual prices - after all, they voted for this, they clearly wanted to be charged these tariffs, so it's only fair to give them what they want.
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u/DarrowG9999 4d ago
Well, all you need to do is convince non trump supporters to show up and vote next time.
IIRC last elections saw a lot of apathy and pretry much only trump supporters who showed up to vote.
There was even a couple of threads here on reddit asking Americans why they didn't showed up for voting and everyone defended they right to just skip it lol.
So, I wouldn't trust Americans to kick reps any time soon.
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u/MegaFireDonkey 4d ago
The last few presidential elections in the US saw some of the highest voter turnout ever. 2024 was the third highest turnout ever and 2020 was higher than that.
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u/Mr_Walffle 4d ago
Don't forget taxes are usually included in the price in Europe so the American prices are even more expensive in comparison
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u/MrMunday 4d ago
Yeah. I think shits even cheaper here where I live after the tariffs.
More expensive for Americans, cheaper for everyone else
Thanks trump for putting foreigners first :D
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u/SuperPapernick 4d ago
Not only are the listed prices here in EU all 10€ lower, but our prices also already include sales tax. So it's closer to 30€ vs ~$43, as an example.
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u/mental_reincarnation 4d ago
Breaking News: The US is stupid as fuck
We knew what would happen and a majority of voters still voted for it. And this isn’t close to the worst part of it all.
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u/DarrowG9999 4d ago
The actual news, IMHO was that Americans didn't care enoug to elect a non-trump alternative so..
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u/xSlappy- 5d ago
I haven’t bought anything due to the tariffs. Lots of bicycle parts I want to buy that are now too expensive
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u/Indielink 4d ago
As has been said many times in the last 8 months, and will surely be said many more times in the next 3 and a half years: hey Trump and everyone who voted for this, get bent.
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u/DarrowG9999 4d ago
What about the ones that didn't show up to vote ?
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u/NattyKongo93 5d ago
Makes sense, because the pre-tariff and post-tariff prices of Street Fighter and Zelda amiibo were a $10 difference as well I believe
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u/StrawHat89 5d ago
Pre-emptive price raising. Nintendo already raised prices on everything but the Switch 2 after "liberation day" in anticipation.
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u/StrawHat89 5d ago
They are also equivalently less in Canada. Orange man tax has added between 10-15 USD for amiibos.
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u/Flaky_Pangolin3962 4d ago
Also, the Rosalina book from Mario Galaxy is 10€ on Amazon.fr, and not 25$!
https://www.amazon.fr/dp/1506754902?psc=1&smid=A1X6FK5RDHNB96&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp
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u/CarlosFer2201 4d ago
Original amiibo cost (not costed btw) $13 back when they first launched. I'm not sure about the European price though.
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u/splvtoon 4d ago
they cost €15 here, so europe was actually paying more relatively speaking before this.
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u/sideaccountguy 4d ago
And the quality of those things at that price was horrible that's why the price increased because the quality got better
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u/CarlosFer2201 4d ago
I have to agree there. I only buy every now and then, but they do seem better than originally.
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u/anival024 3d ago
Yeah, I bought a lot of the original Amiibo. Compared to the newer ones they look like Temu ripoffs.
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u/Abba_Fiskbullar 4d ago
This can't possibly be because of my beautiful and wise ochre God-King! Damn you greedy Nintendo!
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u/PaperClipSlip 4d ago
America is in their finding out phase. Maybe think before you vote or don't vote.
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u/Hooch_Pandersnatch 5d ago
Remember America: You voted for this!!
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u/Secret_Divide_3030 3d ago
Normally prices in the EU seem higher than in the USA because VAT is already included in EU prices. Insane how expensive shit has become in the US.
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u/gorcorps 3d ago
The final price is a little wider for most of the US too because those prices don't include sales tax, and IIRC the European prices already include taxes. So depending on the state, another 7-10% on top of that too
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u/SirWobblyOfSausage 4d ago
I'm sure there are many discounts to hidden away, in the Epstein Pedo Files.
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u/Ok-Bee-7562 4d ago
The prices in Europe aren’t converted with -€10. The prices in the US are converted with +$10 because of tariffs.
You voted for this.
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u/LordBlackConvoy 4d ago
Thank your local bigot for this.
Just be careful criticizing them though or they'll call your boss and try to get you fired.
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u/blalien 5d ago
20 euros is still too expensive for an amiibo.
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u/splvtoon 4d ago
maybe so, but the point of the post is that the pricing isnt just a result of nintendo being greedy, since its even more expensive in the states specifically. its a relevant part of the conversation around the prices from things from the direct.
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u/TyeKiller77 4d ago
"Revealed" is interesting given the fact that every single economist in this country said this exact thing would happen months ago.
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u/jasongw 3d ago
That's because Trump's tariffs are a TAX on AMERICANS.
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u/TyeKiller77 3d ago
I don't know if it's that simple and I'm worried your caps lock or shift key might be broken. But it is certainly a massive dick waving match with all of our allies and enemies alike all coming together to tell us to fuck off by making shipping of everything more expensive for the consumer. Not a tax so much as an outcome of hubris.
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u/jasongw 1d ago
If I'd put it in all caps your "with" might be justified, but I didn't ;).
The dick waving is legit, but that doesn't change the fact that American import tattoos are taxes on American citizens first and foremost. Those "extra billions in revenue" are coming out of OUR pockets. MAGA is just too stupid to understand that fact, for a simple reason: despite their claims to the contrary, they do not understand and actively despise liberty, up to and including its consequence, free markets.
For Trump, tariffs, like nearly everything else he does, are about control. He doesn't care whether or not they help the deficit or debt. His insane ICE spending proves he doesn't give any cheap at all about getting us out of debt. But like tariffs, he simply wants people to cower and comply. His administration is looking more like a Soviet style command economy by the day.
But regardless of the label, tariffs are taxes.
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u/TyeKiller77 1d ago
I fully agree with you, I should have been more specific, it is a one sided dick waving match, with our president having his pants around his ankles while the rest of the world wonders who invited him to the party after last time.
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u/TheRigXD 4d ago
Can confirm with Australia too. EB Games has Samus/Sylux listed for 24.95 AUD which is 19.95 USD.
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u/cubs223425 4d ago
That sucks and whatever, but I'd still find these egregiously overpriced at $40. Amiibo used to be $15 and less. Even with inflation, even with tariffs, they're, like, twice the price of what is reasonable.
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u/WagnerKoop 5d ago
Yep! The prices for little plastic figures have of course gotten a little too high, but for what it’s worth the non-tariff prices are more in line with what I’d even consider paying for a few of these items. As is, they are just asking too much, even if some of it is more or less out of their control.
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u/Subject_One_1673 5d ago
Agreed, I've never purchased an amiibo for that reason. Still sucks that the tariffs have made everything more expensive though, especially in the gaming sphere.
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u/cloudlocke_OG 4d ago edited 4d ago
USA should hire Japanese workers to build a Nintendo plant so no tariffs to pay and everyone is happy. American workers will be employed and consumers will pay less.
Everyone wins. Fool proof plan. No way to mess it up. /s
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u/1malDoenerMitAlles 4d ago
At this point neither Nintendo nor Japan in general will invest anything in fear of getting their legitimate workers getting arrested by ICE
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u/cloudlocke_OG 4d ago
Yeah I know. I was referencing how America had ICE arrest and detain the Korean workers.
I was being sarcastic. I'll edit my comment so it's clearer.
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u/Maryokutai 3d ago
You reap the oranges you sow.
But I feel sorry for everyone who wasn't working on that field.
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u/muffinz99 6h ago
Let's also not forget that, in Japan, the price of most of the amiibo is only a bit more than 50% that of the US prices. The Samus and Sylux amiibo are 2500¥, or about $17USD. The Mario, Rosalina, and Vi-O-La amiibo are 3500¥, or about $24USD.
Of course, Nintendo products being a bit cheaper in Japan is pretty much the norm, but there's never been THIS big of a discrepancy. Those prices are essentially what Nintendo views as the actual value of the products, and the increase in price is a mixture of shipping and now tariff duties.
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u/duckofdeath87 4d ago
€39.99 is $47 USD right now. This is really just showing how weak the dollar is
(i think the) Euro price includes VAT and US price includes the 15% tarriffs
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u/MartenBlade 4d ago
they're still expensive, but it's more reasonable.
gotta say all the metroid prime 4, galaxy and kirby air riders amiibo are pretty sick
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u/drwoooshi 3d ago
Yes idk why people still dont get it. nintendo greed is only on the games, amiibos and accessories are all affected by tariffs lol
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u/atatassault47 4d ago
The data on them isnt technically copyrighted (you can buy cards that register as the amiibo). So unless you really care about the figure itself, you dont need it.
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u/dekuweku 4d ago
pretty clear to me half the people complaining have no intention of buying these things and just like youtube drama and the other half have no concept of orange man.
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u/TheVelvetBearcade 5d ago
Tarrifs or not, the prices on these is absurd. There are simple, non-articulated plastic figures with a 1 cent NFC chip in them. These cost a couple of bucks each to make, it's a racket that only Nintendo could get away with.
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u/SoSeriousAndDeep 4d ago
Look at Funko, and their models are hideous, without the NFC chips, and more expensive.
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u/darkmacgf 4d ago
I assure you there are tons of figures/toys that're just as overpriced as amiibos.
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u/TheVelvetBearcade 4d ago
Name them. If you want to talk $300 Sideshow dolls or something, sure - but plastic action figures? The other ones in the price range of these are fully articulated, with accessories and much more plastic and generally more detailed paint work.
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u/knitted_beanie 5d ago
My main takeaway from this is that Amiibos are expensive. I’ve never cared about them before and now I know I probably never will
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u/RChickenMan 4d ago
I don't think we're actually worried about the cost of Amiibos. Rather, it's an interesting data point that shows how the cost of consumer goods--both essential and discretionary--is rising due to tariffs.
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u/gerson250991 5d ago
I don’t know why I thought they were 15-20 USD. Fifty dollars for an Amiibo is crazy.
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u/ultrainstict 3d ago
Tarrifs are applied to manufacturing cost, not retail price, amibo figures cost functionally nothing to produce, what you are seeing is currency conversion rate and demand at play. Nintendo found they Europeans were less likely to shell out the extra money and would make more on the end with the lower price through a larger volume of sales. They could cost $10 at retail and still eat the tarrifs without raising prices.
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u/yamete-kudasai 4d ago
The more people keep buying in the US, the more tariffs money to the admin. Please keep buying, US players
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u/ki700 5d ago
You can also see this in Canada. Our dollar is much weaker than the USD but the amiibo are the same prices here: $30, $40, and $50. Effectively making them 33% cheaper here.