Miniatures Directory Definitions

Price is the manufacturer's suggested retail price of the model or figure. Prices are listed in the currency of the manufacturer's home nation. Always compare against the manufacturer's latest catalog or online catalog before ordering from them, as they may not have reported the latest price increases to us.

In many cases, an Equivalent Value is listed in parentheses after the price. This is the cost of the product as converted to a common currency. The default common currency is United States Dollars (USD). Members can change this default value in their membership settings. The Equivalent Value is shown for comparison purposes, but may not represent the actual cost.

Why not? If the local agent imported the goods from another country, his prices may be higher to cover his import-related costs or risks, such as:

• freight
• international tariffs
• a safety factor to compensate for daily fluctuations in the exchange rate
• bank fees charged when payment is made (can be as high as 25%)
• an allowance to cover for losses due to items being damaged or lost in shipping (not uncommon when shipping long distances, especially with large or fragile items)
• foreign manufacturers may not offer the same discounts as local manufacturers, making their products comparatively more expensive for the importer.

If the local agent manufacturers the goods locally under license, his prices have to cover:

• costs of local labor, which might be higher than in the source country
• manufacturing expenses, which may differ

The currency abbreviations, and the rate versus the United States Dollar, are shown below. Rate is the amount of currency equivalent to 1 USD.