Very Expensive Way to Purchase Model Dinosaurs

Everything Dinosaur team members criticise dinosaur tour merchandise prices.

After 65 million years, they’re back, or at least that’s what the trailer says for the forthcoming “Walking with Dinosaurs/Dinosaur Live” UK leg of the world tour.  The tour starts with dates in Glasgow and will play throughout the Summer at major venues across the country.  It certainly has been a highly successful tour to date, with the dinosaurs and their puppeteers playing to packed houses in Australia, North America and Europe.

Just like rock stars this 90 minute dinosaur extravaganza will play arena sized concert venues.  We think the roar of the 50 foot long Tyrannosaurus rex could be as loud as any rock band, however, it is sad to note that this tour has one other thing in common with rock bands and other groups in concert – the rip-off merchandise.

The tickets are not cheap for starters, for tonight’s performance in Glasgow (the tour kicks off today), the cheapest tickets are £20.00 and we are not sure whether there are any concessions on offer.  Team members at Everything Dinosaur, are going to one of the performances, we call it “training” but I know the cost of the tickets were quite high, especially as we wanted to be near the front in good seats.  Our concern is that if you are a family, perhaps Mum, Dad and two children simply purchasing the tickets will make a sizeable hole in £100.  Then there is parking, food and the inevitable souvenirs such as the dinosaur models, a choice of Stegosaurus, Brachiosaurus or T. rex according to the official website – but £15 each, that is ridiculous.

Whilst we can appreciate, the need to sell merchandise at an event like this, it is very disappointing to note that the model prices are extremely high, in fact this sort of thing does upset us when we know how tight money is for some folks at the moment.

The models available for the exorbitant price of £15 each, are ones we know very well.  We have in our model ranges a series of six models that we sell into schools, as they represent different dinosaur families and the models are robust and sturdy.  Just what you need for schools.

Everything Dinosaur

We market prehistoric animal models and a range of dinosaur themed toys and gifts: Dinosaur Toys and Gifts.

There are two meat-eaters, T. rex and Deinonychus (large version of Velociraptor), plus four herbivores Triceratops, Brachiosaurus, Parasaurolophus and Stegosaurus.  We send out all six models, plus fact sheets and the whole set packed and despatched first class post does not come to much more than the cost of just one model purchased from the show.

The Creative Play Set from Everything Dinosaur

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

It is disappointing to note that a family orientated entertainment can rip-off customers in this way, the merchandise is expensive at such events, but to market a single dinosaur model for £15 when you can purchase the entire set of six for a little more than this (including post and packing), this is a shame.  If you have two children and they want a model each – that’s £30 before you start.

They may be making their first appearance for 65 million years, but let’s hope that one day the practice of ripping off audiences with over priced merchandise goes extinct!