Here's a price guide to the original cost of Dudes in skate shops, toy stores, department stores, discount shops, and pharmacies!
When the dudes first dropped in 2000 with wooden boards with no rolling wheels plugged into their feet, they only cost $3.
Not a bad deal for a toy with no play features but plenty of personality and collectability.
In late 2001, the Dude site FAQs sites that dudes were $2.99 (original plug-feet, no magnets) to $3.99 (manga dudes with the added magnets, magnetic boards, and rollable wheels).
. Well into G1 in 2002, the dudes were still $3.99:
Additionally, the later crews in G1 had a wake, surf, or snowboard included with each figure for no extra charge to the magnetic single packs (good deal!).
The same $4 price tag was included with Hot Feet light-up board single packs. Likewise, these figures didn't come with a second board, but the cost of a light-up board with a circuit justifies the exact cost as a regular one with two boards.
If you stare closely at the K&B Toys clearance tag on the Deluxe Crew figures below, you may see the words "Was $6.99".
Deluxe Crew single packs were $7, just shy of double the price of a single HF or regular package. But, considering these packs each came with a combo of 3 magnetic obstacles, this is justified.
They were basically mini-playsets.
The 3-Packs cost $10, sticking to the good ol' buy two get the third for half off deal, as buying three separate single packs would've been $12
Note: These dudes on clearance from KB Toys went down to $6.
When the Evolution Series rolled around, dudes started coming with a pack of trading cards and had bendable arms. This made them costlier to produce, and so the price went up to $5 per dude.
The new feature Evolution Lines cost slightly more than the main series.
The Blastboards cost a dollar more than the $5 single packs. Blastboard singles were $6 due to the long pull-back motor boards, high-quality longer boards, and added deco on each motor.
The regular Tech Deck Dude single packs never surpassed $5 from 2000-2007, but the Grimm Dudes, Creatures, and Skate Crew were much more costly. Hence why these all were phased out around 2004.
The Grimm Dudes from 2003 below both cost a whopping $6, double your standard G1 dude.
The cut that World Industries, Blind, Toy Machine, and PIG took from licensing fees must have been quite a bit.
The regular Tech Deck Dude single packs never surpassed $5 from 2000-2007, but the Grimm Dudes, Creatures, and Skate Crew were much more costly. Hence why these all were phased out around 2004.
The Grimm Dudes from 2003 below both cost a whopping $6, double your standard G1 dude.
Grimm Dudes and Creatures cost $6 due to their massive size, custom boards (which would become exclusives per pack), and the intricacy of their molds.
Most shocking in doing my research was finding out that Skate Crew licensed figures from World Industries, Blind, PIG, and Toy Machine cost $6!! This one was on clearance at 3 for $5, but you'll notice it says "Was $6":
Most shocking in doing my research was finding out that Skate Crew licensed figures from World Industries, Blind, PIG, and Toy Machine cost $6!! This one was on clearance at 3 for $5, but you'll notice it says "Was $6":
The cut that World Industries, Blind, Toy Machine, and PIG took from licensing fees must have been quite a bit.
These figures had no bendy arms, play features, or cards like the Tech Deck Dudes Evolution figures had, yet they cost $1 more. To be fair, they did have more complicated decos and weighed heavier.
This phenomenon is also examined in the X-Concepts licensed stickers, where they made stickers based on the brands whose decks they frequently made into Tech Deck fingerboards.
These packs are just 4 decal stickers, yet they cost $4.
This phenomenon is also examined in the X-Concepts licensed stickers, where they made stickers based on the brands whose decks they frequently made into Tech Deck fingerboards.
These packs are just 4 decal stickers, yet they cost $4.
Some of the Evolution era's mid-sized playsets (2003-2008) from a Feb 2005 Press Release:
Dudeville Magnetic Play Sets (Astro-Nots, Special Ops, and Scuba Squad cost $6.99).
If I had to guess, 2-Packs were likely $12, since TDD dudes pack rule was (the price of each dude + half the cost of the final dude) ex: In G2, three single packs would be $12, but a 3-Pack was $10.
Last Dude Standing with Bull and Cluckers, in this late 2004 press release, is listed at $24.99
Bowl-A-Dude with Crash was $12.99
Bounce-A-Dude with Whiplash, in this late 2004 press release, is listed at $24.99
A pack of trading cards was $1.99
I have no idea how much more long ramp-based sets like The DownHill Dude Challenge cost, probably $30-40? But, this is just my rough estimate, I will see if any pop up with their original price tag.
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