darkSpyro

I had expected the price of traps to go down after we found out about their reduced status in SuperChargers, yet this doesn't seem to be the case. Whereas most actual Skylanders can be purchased used for less than MSRP, traps are usually higher than MSRP (with the exception of Water and Life) even though they have less lasting value than actual Skylanders. Some (such as Light and Dark traps) have actually gone up in price to insane degrees.

Why is this, I wonder?

There were a lot of traps which were shortpacked at only a single trap per case and during waves 1 & 2, several in each case like that. I would guess that the prices have jumped both due to this rarity as well as resellers believing (and likely correctly) that it's mostly completionist collectors who are looking for all of the different traps post-Trap Team. However, as Activision mass produces everything in large quantities (proven by the fact that we still have back stock of SSA, Giants, etc., showing up regularly), if standard retailers don't end up putting in orders for more traps anytime soon we'll probably see mass dumpings of trap stock on third party discount retailers such as $5 Below, Big Lots, etc. I have a feeling that's how the US will ultimately get to see the Yawn traps on native soil outside of paying several hundred dollars each to overseas scalpers.

-Doug

I've seen prices go down a bit on eBay. But the thing is they are still relatively rare, so won't be super cheap anytime soon .

Also it's not like trap team is super old and outdated. Just coz SC doesn't have much use for them doesn't change they're function and collectibility for Trap team fans. . A lot of people are still looking for them .

It's the completionist collectors which may be paying a premium for the traps. Although I wasn't chasing after all the traps, I wound up getting about 80% of them through various sales along the line. The rational spender in me absolutely refuses to spend the insane amounts that some of the traps are going for. Keep in mind that the jerks who are scalping these just got lucky having some rares as they were buying up stock at stores and are probably sitting on dead weight with some other traps. Nobody had inside information on what would be rare and what wouldn't with the traps. Even those with information about certain traps being one per box would not have guessed so few traps of certain waves were going to be shipped out at all. According to BP (toy store owner on these forums), Activision is currently only distributing wave 2 traps at this time. Give the people what they want apparently isn't a strong suit for Activision. I tend to agree that all the traps were mass produced and are sitting in a warehouse somewhere out there. We may eventually see them at Five Below, but I'm more likely guessing Dollar Tree since they're not actually figures and the only market that will be rushing out to purchase them for $5 at Five Below would be the several hundred or so completionist collectors out there who don't have complete sets. If mass produced and collecting dust in a warehouse, I have a feeling the volume of traps that they're sitting on can't go for more than $1-2 at discount shops when and if they're eventually shipped out.

Fun note: when I was visiting the Toys R Us flagship store in Times Square in August, they had hundreds (if not thousands) of water traps and not one trap of any other element for sale. Talk about somebody dropping the ball on distribution! The glut of water traps is to blame for this stagnation of trap ordering and distribution.

Trap prices have not droped becasue ppl need traps, the game is only a year old. new ppl buy stuff all the time and then go to ebay now for the traps. You also have ppl collecting them all etc. Dark and light are highest because they seemed to arrived then went fast and now are pretty rare. Water and life seem to be the lower end.

If your looking for traps try walgreens, i checked 3 of these just last week because someone on here mentioned it and all but 1 had a good selection of every element minus light/dark or kaos. All were pretty much wave 1/2 no snake traps etc.

Quote: SlayerX11

Trap prices have not droped becasue ppl need traps, the game is only a year old. new ppl buy stuff all the time and then go to ebay now for the traps. You also have ppl collecting them all etc. Dark and light are highest because they seemed to arrived then went fast and now are pretty rare. Water and life seem to be the lower end.

If your looking for traps try walgreens, i checked 3 of these just last week because someone on here mentioned it and all but 1 had a good selection of every element minus light/dark or kaos. All were pretty much wave 1/2 no snake traps etc.

I tend to disagree on the point that people need traps. Perspectives tend to get skewed since this an avid Skylanders fan forum. Households don't generally load up on video game toys and rational parents tend to put a stop to it once a kid has 10-15 Skylanders. I would estimate that less than 1% of people who have Trap Team are the collect them all type and 95% are the buy the kids a starter pack and maybe a figure here and there type (the same type that are diminishing due to the game being such a cash grab year after year and parents are wisening up). The only must need trap that was on kids' wish lists was the Kaos Trap. I don't see kids running around sad because they didn't get a light rocket trap, a dark sword trap, or any of the yawn traps. Kids move onto the next big thing (Skylanders Superchargers or another game popular with classmates) fairly quickly and don't look back.

In addition to what above people are saying, with shipping costs included it's hard to sell something for less than the price of a trap.

i can't believe the ones in store are still the original retail price. i was gonna get another or two of each element to use them in SSC so i didnt have to keep swapping them in TT to get all the sky stones in SSC.....but they're still full price, i really thought they would be like 1 or 2 bucks lol

The EB near me had a recent restock of wave 1/2 traps as well. I also didn't plan on buying a lot of traps, but I wound up buying just over half of them due to sales and chasing after the villain variants. Personally I still need a snake trap (any element, waiting for the singles to show up again) and the yawn trap if it ever appears to have at least 1 of each sculpt.

As retailers clear out the TT starters (like the 75% discount at Target last month), people are gonna want Traps.

Being a latecomer to TT, I really only want 1 of each element. Right now, the 3 packs on Amazon might be the best bet, but they're still $5/trap.

Last year I was expecting to get large lots of traps for an average of 50 cents each off of ebay by this time this year. I wanted many to have a trap for each character so I wouldn't have to keep swapping them in and out of the jail. I don't even care which traps I have, even if they are all doubles, I just want the ability to use characters freely.

They are actually a bit important in SuperChargers too! They produce such nice magic vehicle damage which makes the vehicle boss battles so much easier and quicker, even on nightmare. I tend to go though only 5 to 8 Skylanders using the trap powers on nightmare (and I'm sure I could do better than that if I actually cared to play the game seriously). The only trouble is that I do go though the traps quickly and I certainly need more than my 12. I wonder if doubles works and the magic gets refilled or if you run though one, then all of the same exact traps are empty too?

Quote: Biodude

As retailers clear out the TT starters (like the 75% discount at Target last month), people are gonna want Traps..

This is a large part of it. So many TT starters are selling through close-out and people want the traps.

There are still a lot of people who are just getting in on Trap Team because of the recent price reductions. They're now trying to find the figures and traps...most of which are extremely hard to find in the stores, as there seemed to be a shortage overall. Those that were still left seemed to have been taken off shelves/pegs when Superchargers came out to make room, especially with a new DI and Lego Dimensions taking up so much space. I think it will be really hard to find Trap Team stuff from here on out. Though I still wouldn't be surprised to find shipments arrive at overstock places like Big Lots and TJ Maxx/Marshalls/Ross since I still believe there was stock stuck in inventory somewhere after the port workers strike. That seemed to be the catalyst for inventory to stop flowing into most stores. But the inventory has to be out there, somewhere. It's not like Activision to just not make that much, especially of wave 3.

Supply/Demand. People thought they'd be out in supply...well...THEY ARE NOT. At least not in my area. If I were starting Trap Team, I'd honestly would have a problem getting one from each element. FUHGETABOUTIT with completing collections.

I 100% agree that retailers don't want to stock these, and they'll be forced to distribute them through discount retailers as darkchylde indicates. Unless they re-package the boxes to NOT include water traps.

Quote: TakeYourLemons

I 100% agree that retailers don't want to stock these, and they'll be forced to distribute them through discount retailers as darkchylde indicates. Unless they re-package the boxes to NOT include water traps.

I can't recall the thread on here that I read it in, but it was indicated some time back that there would be new versions of waves, like wave "2.1" which would have the same case pack but leave out all of the water traps. I'm guessing that it's possible that these are what is being shipped out right now, but I have a feeling that this was a tactic that was on the table and ready to go but ended up being forgotten about and most likely never implemented due to the fact that retailers just rebelled against ever ordering more traps.

-Doug

The dumbest part of this whole thing is that this issue will make Trap Team not marketable to later customers. The traps are required to trap and play certain villains and now late players will never experience playing dark or light villains. I thought they would offer decent stock like they did for older games, but I guess this game is just an afterthought now. Shame because I really needed those yawn traps.

hence the heavy discount of the game as far as a retail standpoint was probably a bust due to the fact of how the traps were done poorly. There was no excuse to do water traps like they did. who would think that would've sold that many?

Thats one of the flaws in buying cheap, you can't choose what you'll find and in most cases its going to be very pricy to find good traps outside the starters

Quote: tigerdr

hence the heavy discount of the game as far as a retail standpoint was probably a bust due to the fact of how the traps were done poorly. There was no excuse to do water traps like they did. who would think that would've sold that many?

Thats one of the flaws in buying cheap, you can't choose what you'll find and in most cases its going to be very pricy to find good traps outside the starters

My sentiments exactly with that issue. Why so many of the water traps when one is included with the game, has a trap used for an exclusive villain, has more villains than it should have and when most of the water villains aren't even all that good? It just blew my mind they would put so much out for something already included in the starter pack when they were so good at giving an even amount of things from each element for four years.

People are paying because they refused to release the yawn traps in the U.S. Some people are in denial about them being released here, but... still waiting. In the meantime, people are paying stupid prices for them.

Patience.

Quote: UncleBob

Patience.

You better believe it.

If everyone had patience they wouldn't think they could get away with building a whole new portal for every version of the game and dumping what made the last one unique when doing so

Quote: Kung Fu Man

If everyone had patience they wouldn't think they could get away with building a whole new portal for every version of the game and dumping what made the last one unique when doing so

I haven't even used my Superchargers portal yet. It's only been the Trap Team portal. While it would be nice to be able to purchase a cheaper bare bones version of the game without the portal, their Giants portal owners packs were an utter failure with overstock being cleared out at multiple stores for $5. Considering they are selling the full version of the Wii U Giants starter pack at Five Below stores, nobody wants to even go near the old portal owner packs that didn't sell. From Activision's perspective, they can probably mass produce portals at less than a dollar and keep the MSRP high as long as the games they keep pumping out are profitable. And the trend of high MSRP starter packs is going to continue provided that Lego Dimensions is charging even more for their starter sets (though I do hear they are worth the money both due to quality and amount of content).