Yen on the rise again
Being a regular buyer of Japanese products, we need to pay some attention to the forex (foreign exchange) market as well - especially if you order some of your items directly from those online hobby & toys shop in Japan.
When I analyze the currency movement chart today, I realized that the SGD-Yen rate now is quite high - in fact almost the same as the peak in the late of 4th Quarter 2009.
So if you see the prices in the local retailers/shops kind of a little bit high lately, don't complain, because even those shops have to deal with this forex issue accordingly.
But for sure, the price in few local toys and hobby store that I know locally is that bad, in fact they're quite reasonable. I've seen higher prices somewhere else in the neighboring country due to the tax and levy.
The current weak economy situation in the US and Japan is not good and we all hoping that things will get better - sooner rather than later...
There are reasons why big brother Bandai keep on pushing new products from various toy lines/series apart from many different variation of their flagship product - the GunPlaMoKits.... other toy companies are doing the same.
Due to the weak economy in Japan, most of them (the toy companies) now relying heavily on the export - purchases from customers outside Japan.
But if the Yen keep on rising... slowly but surely that will also affect the export and it is not helping at all.
Higher rate for Yen make their products become more expensive while in fact the Japanese will still receive the same amount in Yen.
For example today, 1,000 yen equivalent to SGD 16.10 roughly - in 2008 I managed to experience SGD 13.50 per 1,000 yen and slowly from there onwards the rate keep on increasing to the highest at one time was SGD 16.50 per 1,000 yen... that's expensive.
Japanese government recently promised that if the Yen keep on rising to the high level, they will do something to make it go down to a reasonable level....
If you ask me, reasonable level for now would be SGD 15.50 - I don't think they will lowered it to the level of below SGD 15.00 (per 1,000 yen), though I don't mind if that happen either - would be a great joy.
And the concern now, when will they (Japanese government) take that action? My guess it will be by end of September 2010, maybe - but I can be totally wrong on this, don't count on it, anybody can make their speculation or wild guess - the only person who know better is the current PM of Japan.
How about you? Did you ever care about the Japanese Yen rate? Did you ever think what effect it will bring if the current situation goes on for a long time?
end
When I analyze the currency movement chart today, I realized that the SGD-Yen rate now is quite high - in fact almost the same as the peak in the late of 4th Quarter 2009.
So if you see the prices in the local retailers/shops kind of a little bit high lately, don't complain, because even those shops have to deal with this forex issue accordingly.
But for sure, the price in few local toys and hobby store that I know locally is that bad, in fact they're quite reasonable. I've seen higher prices somewhere else in the neighboring country due to the tax and levy.
The current weak economy situation in the US and Japan is not good and we all hoping that things will get better - sooner rather than later...
There are reasons why big brother Bandai keep on pushing new products from various toy lines/series apart from many different variation of their flagship product - the GunPlaMoKits.... other toy companies are doing the same.
Due to the weak economy in Japan, most of them (the toy companies) now relying heavily on the export - purchases from customers outside Japan.
But if the Yen keep on rising... slowly but surely that will also affect the export and it is not helping at all.
Higher rate for Yen make their products become more expensive while in fact the Japanese will still receive the same amount in Yen.
For example today, 1,000 yen equivalent to SGD 16.10 roughly - in 2008 I managed to experience SGD 13.50 per 1,000 yen and slowly from there onwards the rate keep on increasing to the highest at one time was SGD 16.50 per 1,000 yen... that's expensive.
Japanese government recently promised that if the Yen keep on rising to the high level, they will do something to make it go down to a reasonable level....
If you ask me, reasonable level for now would be SGD 15.50 - I don't think they will lowered it to the level of below SGD 15.00 (per 1,000 yen), though I don't mind if that happen either - would be a great joy.
And the concern now, when will they (Japanese government) take that action? My guess it will be by end of September 2010, maybe - but I can be totally wrong on this, don't count on it, anybody can make their speculation or wild guess - the only person who know better is the current PM of Japan.
How about you? Did you ever care about the Japanese Yen rate? Did you ever think what effect it will bring if the current situation goes on for a long time?
end
I have been holding back on my orders as of late. Unless its for significantly discounted items, probably i'll still go ahead with the purchase.
ReplyDeleteJPY on the rise?? Oh my god! That's bad news....
ReplyDeletebecause of that, I also slow down in ordering toys...
ReplyDeleteUgh... That would slightly hike up gunpla and figure prices... geh.
ReplyDeleteNevertheless, HGUC Sinanju is calling me in October. =D
Fwah :( glad I haven't pre ordered anything from online store.
ReplyDeleteBD77, yeah me too... I'm waiting for 2 units of HGUC Sinanju in October 2010.... probably the last kit I will get this year....
ReplyDeletethere was once the yen price increase drastically but it was dropped after that. however the price of gundams didn't follow the droppning trend, only the increase one. sigh.
ReplyDelete