Re: High Street v online prices
Reading through the posts on this thread one factor appears to have been overlooked what it costs to manufacture these artists' crayons.
Faber Castell more than likely own the manufacturing rights, if they decided to sell the crayons at the full selling price from their shops on the high street they would be making an enormous amount of profit. Crayons, however good they are, do not cost £2 each to manufacture and package.
It could be that Faber Castell are either selling them very much cheaper via another company, even one they have set up, that then sells them on Amazon. Better some profit that way than none at all if they are not selling at the usual high street outlets due to how sales have spiralled downwards.
When I was working it was in the printing and advertising industry. The early days involved working with the creative, 'arty' side. We used a spray adhesive in creating some work, this was extortionate in cost but was nothing special other than the manufacturing company was the only one selling or importing it. It was known what it was used for and the only industry using it was well-known for how much it cost for the products being produced. I am going back some 35-40 years and for an aerosol can of adhesive spray to cost around £25 was very, very expensive. Everything we used was expensive, the costs though reflected the purpose and the industry in which it was used.
Later that adhesive spray was reckoned to contain carcinogens. Spray booths taking the residue of spray out of the atmosphere so that it was not inhaled had to be used. Then of course computers arrived and were being technologically advanced so making it completely unnecessary for the process that used the adhesive spray. Everything was done on the screen, as it is today.
Anyone who has seen how crayons and pencils are made will realise they are produced in millions so manufacturing costs are relatively low. Even at the lowest price quoted on this thread, each crayon, including packaging, costs nearly £1, allowing for a good profit to be made, which may account for the very much lower price on Amazon.