Holy mark-ups! I can't believe they are allowed to charge this much for these toys.

Contributor: ZenaidaMacroura ZenaidaMacroura
So, it's, oh...about 4 am. I'm bored and there's nothing on TV, so I've been watching a show called Shop Erotic. They sell sex toys that they say are being sold at "low prices." And OH. MY. GOSH. Everything is unbelievably expensive.

On EF, the Lelo Mia sells for $49.99. On this show, it's "originally $159.95," and they've "marked it down" to $99.95. I mean...dang! And as if that's not bad enough, they also sell the Gigi and Iris, and get this! EF sells the Gigi for $72.74 and the Iris for $110.99. They sell them both for *drumroll*...$179.95. And that's supposedly marked down from the "normal price" of...$259.95! Holy. Shit. How the crap do they actually get people to buy this stuff! I mean, it's being marked up by over $100.

Has anyone else seen this show or anything like it? What do you think of it?
02/13/2011
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Contributor: Gunsmoke Gunsmoke
Some companies have such high marketing expenses that they need those margins and they would not be in business if people weren't paying the toll!
02/13/2011
Contributor: Waterfall Waterfall
That is crazy! I haven't seen anything marked up that much before, although in most sex toy shops and at most toy parties I notice that the toys tend to be a good deal more expensive than they are on Eden or the manufacturer's sites.
02/13/2011
Contributor: Emma (Girl With Fire) Emma (Girl With Fire)
Really? REALLY????? Think for a second about how much money it costs to produce a bra, and then think about how expensive bras are. REALLY?
02/13/2011
Contributor: potstickers potstickers
Geez... why does anyone even shop on the TV anymore? Can't they just bring up the internet and see how much the stuff costs online?
02/13/2011
Contributor: DeliciousSurprise DeliciousSurprise
They get people to buy this stuff in a few ways.

First is that it's an impulse buy, so you don't think about it.
Second is that they're reaching a market that has no idea what a sex toy "should" cost and won't research it.
02/13/2011
Contributor: PussyGalore PussyGalore
I mentioned this in another thread on here a couple of weeks back. It's outrageous and there has to be some sort of a cap on mark ups. It's ridiculous. I can't believe anyone would actually place orders, but apparently they do. The show has been airing since at least 2008.
02/13/2011
Contributor: IndependentlyHappy IndependentlyHappy
That is just ridiculous.
02/14/2011
Contributor: PussyGalore PussyGalore
Quote:
Originally posted by Emma (Girl With Fire)
Really? REALLY????? Think for a second about how much money it costs to produce a bra, and then think about how expensive bras are. REALLY?
Yes, that's true. It may cost $1.50 to make a bra then sold for $60 in Victoria's Secret. However, that exact same bra isn't going to be $160 at Frederick's of Hollywood, it'll still be around the $60 price point.

What ShopErotic is doing is outrageous and I'm disappointed in one of the girl's who hosts the show, she should definitely know better. Granted, she's a celebrity in the adult industry and it does cost extra to put on the show but no one can tell me that it's worth an extra $100 on top of an already expensive toy.
02/14/2011
Contributor: ScottA ScottA
What can you really do about it? Yes, outrageous markups are unethical, but what can really be done about it? I suppose that I come from a different mindset - when I wanted to get a first sex toy I had price shock and decided that I'd better really look around and see if I was getting a good deal and make sure that the toy I was getting would work well and for a long time. Then I discovered the materials debate, and so on...
02/15/2011
Contributor: Crystal1 Crystal1
Crazy! I was looking at a lingerie site a few weeks ago where every piece I was familiar with was at least $10-15 more than on EF. Why would I want to pay $90 for a $70 corset? I'm freakishly cheap, so I always shop around.
02/15/2011
Contributor: SexyySarah SexyySarah
Holy crap! That's a lot of money. I sometimes think EF has expensive toys, but nothing in comparision! Never seen the show though.
02/15/2011
Contributor: indiglo indiglo
I've seen this show before too, and thought the same exact thing. The prices are INSANE!!!
02/15/2011
Contributor: Purpleladybug Purpleladybug
Everything on TV and infomercials is crazy expensive! I guess they will get their money somehow.
02/15/2011
Contributor: ~LaUr3n~ ~LaUr3n~
Quote:
Originally posted by ZenaidaMacroura
So, it's, oh...about 4 am. I'm bored and there's nothing on TV, so I've been watching a show called Shop Erotic. They sell sex toys that they say are being sold at "low prices." And OH. MY. GOSH. Everything is unbelievably ... more
I have seen it and I am always so tempted to call in and throw the EF link out there to ruin their scam. Idk how what they do is even legal.

Some items I understand the price of... e.g. ToiBocks. But others...it is just ridiculous. Glass is a good example... I gotta give props to companies that keep their prices reasonable like Doc Johnson. Sure, their dildos in the $10 range are not silicone, but some other companies mark their dongs (of the same material) up to $20, $30 or higher! Do they think we are stupid? It's just a hunk of material. A machine makes it. It's not like it was widdled out of wood like the Hardwood dildos are made from hand.

I think the people who buy stuff off of those TV commercials are 1. addicted to things like the home shopping network (no joke...this is like an epidemic right now! People are going bankrupt from getting stuff they don't need off of Tv). 2. Are too embarrassed to buy in person 3. Are not aware of the wonderful internet, 4. don't know how to search for things like that, 5. or know where to begin, 6. or may not be educated. You may trust a person on TV telling you about a product more than you trust your beginner self looking on the internet. I'm sure they make plenty of money and it is criminal.

But it's not the only thing that is super marked up or has been. Beanie Babies are a wonderful example... the average Beanie Baby costs FOUR CENTS in materials to make. Add cheap illegal labor and a bit of transportation and the profits are still astronomical. NIKE sneaks anyone?

Oil is another one. But I won't get into that without going into a huge corporate crime lesson which I'm sure ya'll don't want to hear.

I see below that GWF brought up another good example...Bras. Seriously? I can spend $100 on TWO bras sometimes. I hate buying bras.

Anyways...end rant.
02/15/2011
Contributor: ~LaUr3n~ ~LaUr3n~
Quote:
Originally posted by Waterfall
That is crazy! I haven't seen anything marked up that much before, although in most sex toy shops and at most toy parties I notice that the toys tend to be a good deal more expensive than they are on Eden or the manufacturer's sites.
Some of the people who do those parties do it for a living so they gotta make a decent profit. I look at it this way: You are not only paying them for the product. You are paying for the privacy of hosting in your own or your friend's home, their educational information, and the ability to see the product up close, and often hold them in your hand. Convenience is expensive...and so is education actually lol.
02/15/2011
Contributor: ~LaUr3n~ ~LaUr3n~
Quote:
Originally posted by potstickers
Geez... why does anyone even shop on the TV anymore? Can't they just bring up the internet and see how much the stuff costs online?
There is a Horders episode where a lady bought hundreds of $ stuff a week and never opened half of it. She couldn't live in her house anymore because of all the boxes.
02/15/2011
Contributor: ~LaUr3n~ ~LaUr3n~
Quote:
Originally posted by ScottA
What can you really do about it? Yes, outrageous markups are unethical, but what can really be done about it? I suppose that I come from a different mindset - when I wanted to get a first sex toy I had price shock and decided that I'd better ... more
Education can be done about it! Spread the Eden word
02/15/2011
Contributor: UnknownGirl UnknownGirl
Yeah, it amazes me that people even buy off TV anymore. But I guess there is a huge audience for it since there are roughly 50 home shopping stations.
02/15/2011
Contributor: BadassFatass BadassFatass
Wow, I feel bad for the poor suckers getting pulled in by things like that. Haven't they realized that the internet is their friend?
02/16/2011
Contributor: Solar Ray Solar Ray
Spread the word about EF. The only thing better than buying here would be to buy at wholesale BUT then you wouldn't have this community and all the great feedback and reviews you wouldn't get free stuff either like you do here. Really nothing can beat EF for overall value.
03/02/2011
Contributor: sexyintexas sexyintexas
Quote:
Originally posted by ZenaidaMacroura
So, it's, oh...about 4 am. I'm bored and there's nothing on TV, so I've been watching a show called Shop Erotic. They sell sex toys that they say are being sold at "low prices." And OH. MY. GOSH. Everything is unbelievably ... more
Its only because they haven't heard of Eden yet!
03/02/2011
Contributor: skunked skunked
Quote:
Originally posted by ~LaUr3n~
I have seen it and I am always so tempted to call in and throw the EF link out there to ruin their scam. Idk how what they do is even legal.

Some items I understand the price of... e.g. ToiBocks. But others...it is just ridiculous. Glass is a ... more
"I think the people who buy stuff off of those TV commercials are 1. addicted to things like the home shopping network (no joke...this is like an epidemic right now! People are going bankrupt from getting stuff they don't need off of Tv). 2. Are too embarrassed to buy in person 3. Are not aware of the wonderful internet, 4. don't know how to search for things like that, 5. or know where to begin, 6. or may not be educated. You may trust a person on TV telling you about a product more than you trust your beginner self looking on the internet. I'm sure they make plenty of money and it is criminal. "


took the words outta my mouth
03/15/2011
Contributor: ToiBocksDawn ToiBocksDawn
Quote:
Originally posted by ZenaidaMacroura
So, it's, oh...about 4 am. I'm bored and there's nothing on TV, so I've been watching a show called Shop Erotic. They sell sex toys that they say are being sold at "low prices." And OH. MY. GOSH. Everything is unbelievably ... more
here's a little insider information lol. if you're seeing the host of shop erotic as Miyoko Fujimori than the show you're seeing is several years old and is a replay because she stopped doing it years ago but the show still replays. so when these were filmed (again if it's her) the toys you mentioned were hot off the presses and that was their pricing when they came to market. talk about milking some re-run video lol

also keep in mind lots of people still do not have the internet! i know, it's crazy but true! so tv at 4 am is the only shot they got... so they take it cuz a Gigi and Iris for $259.95 is better than the cost of no Gigi and Iris... lol
07/13/2011
Contributor: ZenaidaMacroura ZenaidaMacroura
Quote:
Originally posted by ToiBocksDawn
here's a little insider information lol. if you're seeing the host of shop erotic as Miyoko Fujimori than the show you're seeing is several years old and is a replay because she stopped doing it years ago but the show still replays. so ... more
Haha. Actually, she's not on the episodes I've seen recently, and the toys are fairly new ones. I can't remember who the ladies are who do the show now. I'll have to look it up.
07/13/2011
Contributor: Ghost Ghost
There is a local store that sells toys for double or triple what EF sells them for.
07/13/2011
Contributor: Errant Venture Errant Venture
*Walks into thread, notes high price tags, shakes head and walks back out, speechless*
07/15/2011
Contributor: slynch slynch
CDs & DVDs cost about $1.00 to make. Now that's a markup!
07/15/2011
Contributor: allinonekid allinonekid
The average markup for sending a text message is over 6000%
12/09/2011