Comparing the price point of the Masterpiece Convoy/Prime to the Q-Rau is a bit unfair.
Transformers has a far bigger fan base than Macross and it's a safe bet that Takara/Hasbro's production run has been far, far larger than Yamato's. The larger the production run, the lower the per unit cost and selling price can be.
Takara/Hasbro have probably made at least 100,000pcs of the Convoy/Prime (if not more) and while I can't reveal the actual production run figures for the Q-Rau, it is considerably smaller quantity by a huge margin.
Graham
[my first post, I've been lurking for a few years, hello everyone!]
I was writing up a multi-page guestimate on the production costs and run of the Rau based on some experience I've had, however I could get in trouble for mentioning some of the examples I'm familar with due to NDA.
[no I don't work for a toy company, but I'm in a related business ]
I'd say MPC Prime/Convey had a production run of a few million units easy. Walmart in the USA alone will cover that.
With a production run that huge, I wouldn't be surprised if the cost to build prime was 2-5$ for Takara. I do know that smaller toys like hotwheels cost 5 to 25 cents each to produce, and thats with final assembly, and with diecast.
The only way Yamato can seriously drive costs down is to get a larger market opened up. And.. well theres an issue with that as we all know.
I got one on order from Kevin, he'll fit in nicely with my gaggle of robots at work.