I'd rather Totem releases these "Collectors" cards with slightly higher prices than another SEC you have to gamble for to get it.

I too

I'd rather Totem releases these "Collectors" cards with slightly higher prices than another SEC you have to gamble for to get it.

Bien sur, c'est évident.
Il y a déja assez de SEC pour moi que je "dois" obtenir. Et il y en aura encore d'autres, de toute façons.
[quote] I'd rather Totem releases these "Collectors" cards with slightly higher prices than another SEC you have to gamble for to get it. [/ quote]
Of course, it's obvious.
There is already enough SEC for me that I "need" to get. And there will be more, anyway.

Then all nudity only cards should cost less.

Are you sure? It's quite probable that recent "nudity only" models from France did charge the company more than east Europe ones - for doing less.

Anyway, I am personally ok with the current price system.

Not really sure what all this debate is about
Here's how I see it...

It's ONE card...
it's your choice, buy it, or don't buy it..

Is this card worth the extra cost...

my Opinion:
Yes, It worth Much more than the extra cost...

Buy it if you want it, or don't buy it...
It's a free choice, No one is ***** it on you...

I think the ***** here is that this is an indication that all future "exceptional" cards will also be additional cost. It is a slippery slope Totem is suggesting. All special cards will either be SEC or will cost more. I think every card should be the same price. I am okay with the SECs though, since that creates some excitement about new releases. This price increase for this special XXX card hints at the possibility that all future XXX cards will cost more. That said, I will buy this card on Friday regardless of the price.

Ce n'est pas le premier fil où il est question du prix des cartes. Je ne pense pas qu'il soit cool pour iStripper et surtout pour les danseuses de le remettre en cause. On est ici sur un produit de divertissement pour adultes et non pas sur un produit de première nécessité. Quelque soit la conjoncture économique et nos propres situations personnelles, nous n'avons pas à discuter et faire appliquer une nouvelle grille tarifaire en fonction du type de show que vont produire les filles "Soft", "Hard", "Collector, "Pas collector" etc...

Ça me fait penser, aux types qui vont voir les travailleuses du sexe, ils en choisissent une à leur goût et ils "osent", là aussi, remettre en cause le prix et discuter du tarif à la baisse!

Allez dire à Lamborghini, Ferrari et Rolls Royce que leurs voitures sont trop chères. Ou allez dans un strip-club et dites aux filles que les shows c'est trop cher et vous verrez comment vous serez reçus...

Et comme ça a été dit par d'autres, iStripper fait des promotions qu'il faut saisir sur le moment.

On est pas aux rayons machines à laver, cafetières et j'en passe...

hints at the possibility that all future XXX cards will cost more.

No. The higher price for a card has already be done many times and will surely be done again, without that to imply an higher price (specially if - as I hope - east Europe models will be allowed to travel again)

Quelque soit la conjoncture économique et nos propres situations personnelles, nous n'avons pas à discuter et faire appliquer une nouvelle grille tarifaire en fonction du type de show que vont produire les filles "Soft", "Hard", "Collector, "Pas collector" etc...

On this I agree. The current price system - even whith its SECs and the few higher priced shows - is a good compromise and I think it should stay as it is.

What makes me mad about this card is that there were absolutely 0 standing or pole clips..only table clips. It was not clearly stated (i would not have bought it if I knew beforehand).
Is it possible to have a refund and of course lose my rights to display the card in my collection?

@DukeNukem
That you should maybe asked directly to Team by opening a ticket - since only Team can answer.

@Ullubu
You hit the nail on the head. If it is that this model was more expensive because of the content in the card then surely new models, and certainly first timers with no experience (as shown by their initial performances, completely understandable) would cost Totem less. Why aren't these non full nudity inexperienced first timers cards not 5 credits less? i could name a few recent cards that fall into this catagory. i have bought most of them at full price with no complaints. Surely totem can absorb the "extra" model cost for one card especially since these sorts of cards tend to sell more.
And I know it's all a choice here and no one is ***** me to buy anything. But it is also my choice to say I think this price is too high. Demand and supply determines retail price. Regardless of what a specific model charges if enough consumers refuse to purchase these special card at 40% over reg price then I am certain that totem will stop issuing these specially priced cards. THe consumer has the ultimate power here not the supplier of a luxury product. No one is ***** Totem to charge 40% more for this card. think about that. not 15 or 25% more. 40% more. I will not be getting this card at this price. I may pick it up with the cash back as stanson suggested. If enugh members do that or simply refuse to buy it outright. it will send a powerful message to the corporate heads who set these prices.

You hit the nail on the head. If it is that this model was more expensive because of the content in the card then surely new models, and certainly first timers with no experience (as shown by their initial performances, completely understandable) would cost Totem less

In normal times most of the performers come from Eastern Europe, mainly from Ukraine and Russia where the cost of living is relatively low. Currently, due to the travel restrictions, the models mainly come from France - maybe even being based in Paris where Totem's studio is located but where the cost of living is very high. It would not surprise me in the least if these newcomers were more expensive for Totem to hire than the earlier ones, not less.

@DukeNukem
That you should maybe asked directly to Team by opening a ticket - since only Team can answer.

You're right, I just created a new ticket, I used the Billing category, do you think it is the right one?

You hit the nail on the head. If it is that this model was more expensive because of the content in the card then surely new models, and certainly first timers with no experience (as shown by their initial performances, completely understandable) would cost Totem less
In normal times most of the performers come from Eastern Europe, mainly from Ukraine and Russia. Currently, due to the travel restrictions, the models mainly come from France - maybe even being based in Paris. It would not surprise me in the least if these newcomers were more expensive than the earlier ones.

That would be completely understandable if this was the first time Totem did this. That line of reasoning tends only to support my position. In that case in times past when Totem sourced lower cost models from Eastern Europe it stands to reason that some of those models were first timers and eager to get themselves in the spotlight to help push their career forward , totem would likely have gottema few of them at a lower price than their established eastern european and western european mdels. yet there has NEVER EVEN ONCE been a new card debut at a discounted price. And Certainly not 40% less.

Totem is using these special cards to boost their profits and fair play to them if they are able to pull it off. All i am saying is that the consumer ultimately sets the retail price not the supplier. The only reason that they can charge us 40% more is because they are confident (or at least hopeful) that we will pay it. If we don't then they will stop. I doubt that anyone can present a reasonable retional argument to dispute that cnclusion. I suppose one could argue they can decide to close down. I doubt this. They would more likely simply stop hiring models who charge too much for them to sell at a price that their consumers are willing to pay.

I stopped worrying about having all the cards when SEC cards became common. If higher priced cards become a regular thing too, I will stop buying those and wait for cashback or games of chance. If a higher priced card is worth it to you, buy it, but if it is more important to let Totem know that you won't support random price hikes in the future, don't buy it.

They would more likely simply stop hiring models who charge too much for them to sell at a price that their consumers are willing to pay.

That, i.e. "charge too much for them", is probably why they switched from mainly Czech performers to Ukrainian and Russian, and before that from mainly Western European to Czech. In both cases the new areas could supply plenty of experienced, but relatively cheap, performers. However this is not the case if ***** to switch back to Paris where there will be plenty of experienced but expensive performers. "Too much" really should be regarded as "more than equivalent alternatives".

There's an error in logic here.

French models might cost more for the same content, but they show less in the end, so their rate should be cheaper. So we're paying the same fixed price for models who are showing less, and I doubt they were overpaid to do it.

I don't mind either way, like I said. If I don't like the cards, I don't buy them.

@Alkasyn

No error in logic - it is quite possible that the French models cost more to hire even though they are showing less. I fully expect that Totem could find French models that would show more, but would charge Totem even more to do so, more than Totem are "willing to pay".

it is quite possible that the French models cost more to hire even though they are showing less.

Quite probable if not certain, I would add. Cost of life in Paris is extremely high.
By the way, if this was not true we would have probebly seen lots of French models here in the past years - we haven't seen almost anyone till 4 months ago, instead...

@Alkasyn

No error in logic - it is quite possible that the French models cost more to hire even though they are showing less. I fully expect that Totem could find French models that would show more, but would charge Totem even more to do so, more than Totem are "willing to pay".

IMO the fault is in that because they cost more to hire Totem is overpaying them. I think that the company is simply paying what it expects to pay and the girls offer an according type of performance. We should not be expecting the shows to be cheaper (or more expensive) because of differing rates for talent, imo.

@Alkasyn

On the other hand Totem may be paying the minimum that the girls will accept and if they offered less would not be able to hire anyone that met their criteria for attractiveness etc. That is not overpaying, it is paying the "going rate".

When the travel restrictions disappear the "going rate" will almost certainly reduce because Totem will be able to hire from outside of France (and as a result we will once more see fewer French models).

It's actually all quite simple.

Because of the situation in Europe currently, it is a seller's market where the models are the sellers.

If you don't want to pay their price, you don't buy - which ultimately would mean - no new shows.

And that's my two-pennorth as a member (not as a moderator).

@Alkasyn

No error in logic - it is quite possible that the French models cost more to hire even though they are showing less. I fully expect that Totem could find French models that would show more, but would charge Totem even more to do so, more than Totem are "willing to pay".
IMO the fault is in that because they cost more to hire Totem is overpaying them. I think that the company is simply paying what it expects to pay and the girls offer an according type of performance. We should not be expecting the shows to be cheaper (or more expensive) because of differing rates for talent, imo.

Agreed. Price should not fluctuate based on the model cost lower or higher. I would go further. Xxx show prices should not change due to more hardcore content. Just as non xxx shows do not drop in price due to softcore content or at times no full nudity

One thing I will say in support of Totem is they have the best customer support in their sector. And tthey tend to listen to member requests. The recent mobile web version changes shows that . As does their prompt responses to tickets

Agreed. Price should not fluctuate based on the model cost lower or higher. I would go further. Xxx show prices should not change due to more hardcore content. Just as non xxx shows do not drop in price due to softcore content or at times no full nudity

I agree with that. There are reasonable aguments that the prices for nudity/full nudity/XXX should be the same or alternatively that all three should have different prices. Currently, with very few exceptions, there is just one price for the regular releases - @wyldanimal has posted a list of the 20 or so cards out of over 4000 that have been sold for a higher than normal price because they were special in some way. There is no indication that this last card is a harbinger of generally higher prices for XXX cards.

Yes. The current pricing, with same price for all cards apart some - very few, indeed - exceptions, is the best choice.

@HansSachs, oui, certainement.
Mais il faut bien penser que le cout de la vie augmente dans tous les domaines. Et la pandémie actuelle impacte encore davantage cette hausse.
Il faut donc s'attendre a ce que le prix des cartes suive cette tendance a plus ou moins long terme. Espérons que Totem pourra minimiser cette tendance! 😉
@HansSachs, yes, definitely.
But we have to remember that the cost of living is increasing in all areas. And the current pandemic has an even greater impact on this increase.
It is therefore to be expected that the price of cards will follow this trend in the longer or longer term. Hopefully Totem can minimize this trend! 😉

@TheEmu

Why is this particular card "special" though? It pay contain more hardcore action but that hardly puts it in a unque catagory. I can see the parody cards or the duos being special. Not the addition of candle wax. Models in past have had tail insets and i have a card with a model licking her fingers after using them for anal then reinserting it. So the candle is the only unique aspect. Tons of cards have special elements and props or objects too costing more to implement. One featured choking and harcore bdsm language. WHere is the special line? So putting asid possible extra model cost. What makes this 40% more special?

@mitchell, The answer to that was supplied by @Rex himself (Totem's CEO) earlier in this thread.

https://www.istripper.com/forum/thread/45917/1?post=683892

Alles über iStripper / Paris. We have a problem!

All models ask to be paid more to perform XXX therefore all XXX cards should cost more than regular cards. Sometimes models ask to be paid much more to perform XXX and when that happen we do release t...

@TheEmu
Thanks for highlighting that. As I said earlier although I strongly disagree with this decision I must applaud totem for listening to their customers and responding to their complaints or requests.

@Rex
Thanks for giving us something in an"official" capacity. I disagree with the decision all the same and won't be getting this card at that price but it does show that you all in corporate are actively looking into the concerns of your customers. I used to buy these higher priced cards in the past but I will wait for a cash back to get this particlar card and other specially priced ones going forward.

Not really sure what all this debate is about
Here's how I see it...

It's ONE card...
it's your choice, buy it, or don't buy it..

Is this card worth the extra cost...

my Opinion:
Yes, It worth Much more than the extra cost...

Buy it if you want it, or don't buy it...
It's a free choice, No one is ***** it on you...
I think the ***** here is that this is an indication that all future "exceptional" cards will also be additional cost. It is a slippery slope Totem is suggesting. All special cards will either be SEC or will cost more. I think every card should be the same price. I am okay with the SECs though, since that creates some excitement about new releases. This price increase for this special XXX card hints at the possibility that all future XXX cards will cost more. That said, I will buy this card on Friday regardless of the price.

This isn't a slippery slope. As Rex said, they needed a xxx performer, as the lockdown has effected their access to pornstars, this particular xxx performer was very expensive, so her cards will be as well. Probably a really common thing in the industry right now as those willing to travel and perform are making more while others locked behind borders have to wait for the pandemic to end. Totem will take financial hits on cards in order to diversify or expand the catalog, they did this with most of the American performers, but the are also going through a pandemic and all of the effects lest we forget.