Transformers Venting thread!

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

AH yeah, I was just mentioning the difference between the mall page (https://takaratomymall.jp/shop/g/g4904810177944/)you linked and this listing on their Transformers Official site they also have.
https://tf.takaratomy.co.jp/products-lineup/tf_kd/kd-ex-09

[GoktimusPrime]

Thanks to the recent stupid amounts of rain in Sydney, we've been having stupid levels of humidity in our home. I was quarantined in our master bedroom for a week when I had COVID, and during that time my Transformers room was locked up for that whole week. After my quarantine period was over, I was able to leave my bedroom and when I opened the TF room door I was hit by a really strong musky smell from the humidity that had been building up in there. There was also a thin layer of mould that had developed on some toys and shelves; more like a mouldy film... very thin and easily removable with a brush (or just wipe off with my finger). But still...

Since then I've placed a few cups filled with calcium chloride to absorb the moisture in the room, as well as an open box of bicarb soda to get rid of the smell. I'm also leaving the fan and air filter running in the room. The window in that room is completely blocked off in order to prevent any sunlight from getting in, but the downside is that I can't open the window to air it out either. So this is my alternative; moisture absorbers, fan, air filter (which I have in there to reduce dust) and bicarb soda.

Unfortunately, I don't have all these things in my basement (aside from the moisture absorber) and today I discovered that a lot of my packaging cards have been destroyed by mould. :( Including Beast Wars cards which I've been keeping since the 90s. :( They're unsalvageable so I've just binned them.

[Bemblebuu]

Bought my first few Legacy TF's today, and I'm not liking the shape of the boxes. Angled on all sides except the bottom means they can't be stacked (lack of plastic windows also makes them weak too). I guess it's no more keeping the boxes for me!

[ComradeRenko]

Opened up SS86 Sludge today, set him on the table and immediately watched him bend at the knees and collapse. A figure that back heavy needs stronger ratchet mechanisms (or what ever the term is for that specific joint type). Ended up opening the knee up and packing the hollow ratchet mechanism to reinforce it. I had to do the same thing with Slag/Slug when I got him as well. Really not a fan of the current hollow ratchets being used.

[GoktimusPrime]

Someone just PMed me asking if I would sell him a toy but post it to him for free. :eek:

Why would anyone do this? Do they think that Australia Post is going to generously let me send stuff for free? I only ever ask for a discount if I'm either:
a/ purchasing multiple items, or...
b/ I can do immediate payment and pickup
I never ask for a discount without offering something back. Isn't that how negotiating works?

Simply asking for a discount or free shipping without any form of counter-offer just feels demanding and entitled.
"Give me free shipping."
"Give me a discount."
Really? Why?!

I once asked a buyer why, and he said that it was too expensive; note that this was over a really cheap price too (you all know my "Not above RRP" price guarantee).
Anyway, I've told this person that he can have free shipping if he buys 3 or more items from me.

[GoktimusPrime]

LOL :D

Some dude abused me in private message (not here) because I declined his lower offer for a toy that I was selling.
Full disclosure:
* The toy in question is a MISB MPG01 Shouki.
* The RRP on this toy is 19800JPY or $215 before shipping.
* I pre-ordered my MPG Shouki from AmiAmi and paid $200 including post.
* I was selling this toy for $200; same price that I paid at AmiAmi. Was making no profit, and it's still below RRP!
* Buyer gave me no reason to accept a lower price (e.g. offering to buy more than one item etc.). Just wanted a lower price.

And yeah, so basically after I said no to him, he swears at me verbally abuses me. :D I know that there are sources out there where you can get this toy at a cheaper price, in which case, this buyer is more than welcome to go shop there. But $200 is what I paid for from AmiAmi and it's what I charged. I've since sold the toy minutes after this dude swore at me, and I had over half a dozen other interests to buy flooding my inbox, so I was never concerned about not selling this toy. It was a case of first in best dressed... wanna have a tantrum because someone said no to you? You do that then. :)

This is from supposedly a grown adult... :eek:

[GoktimusPrime]

Called my local Kmart to see if they had any Velocitron toys in stock, and the staff member told me no, but that another Kmart 9km away had stock. So I drove over to check, also while calling that Kmart to confirm if they had stock. Nobody answered the phone by the time I got there, so I went in to see for myself... only to find nothing. :mad: Staff there confirmed that they don't have any stock. The whole reason why I call these stores is to confirm if they have stock and not waste my time going on wild goose chases. I provided him with the SKUs, and he told me that the system said that the other Kmart had stock. Liar.

[Tranceblade]

Someone just PMed me asking if I would sell him a toy but post it to him for free. :eek:

Why would anyone do this? Do they think that Australia Post is going to generously let me send stuff for free?

Because modern day methods like using eBay have conditioned them into expecting so.

Either way, I've found that overpricing on eBay works, even if only to create that contingency to placate the single celled organism of a buyer that expects their offer to be accepted. And that's assuming they've properly read the listing.

[Autocon]

People expect you to over price now in anticipation of haggling. People always haggle on second hand goods, garage sales etc. Very annoying so I sell at higher prices on gumtree

[griffin]

I think that too many people are so used to "free shipping" from the various online retailers, they expect it, and don't realise that the shipping isn't really "free", they are paying for it in the items themselves... either with a more expensive price on everything (like Amazon), or non-competitive pricing (at RRP without sales) so that the retailer makes enough profit from the total price of larger orders to pay for the shipping over certain order amounts.
If there was no such thing as "free shipping", the pricing of the items would be cheaper, because that shipping cost has to come from somewhere, and the retailer/seller is not just going to pay for it with their own money.... that's the buyer paying for it with higher prices - they just don't realise it.

[Tranceblade]

And of course the reason why the final value fees are as draconian as they are, is because people were doing some odd combination of shipping and price and eBay still wanted their piece of the pie

Not to mention that if you rely on the new payouts system and don't get your margin right, shipping could well be out of pocket for you as the seller

[GoktimusPrime]

I once had someone try to haggle me for a $30 RRP toy that I was selling for $10 (he was demanding a 50% discount). When I told him that the price was already very cheap, he said that he couldn't afford it. :eek:

Mate... if 5 bucks makes or breaks a deal for you, then maaaaaaaybe you shouldn't be collecting toys? <shrugs> :/

I do sometimes haggle to, but I always ask, not demand. And I always make a proposal to benefit the seller, such as purchasing multiple items, instant payment with pickup etc. Some kind of benefit for the seller... not just asking for a discount for discount's sake. And I don't mind people haggling me for prices if they're going to offer something back (or I will even just throw in a discount or bonus goody if they are buying multiple items, even if they don't ask for it).

People expect you to over price now in anticipation of haggling. People always haggle on second hand goods, garage sales etc. Very annoying so I sell at higher prices on gumtree
This is precisely why I despise shopping in a lot of Asian countries where they overprice goods and expect shoppers to haggle. Absolutely loathe it. This is why Japan is my favourite Asian shopping destination; the price that's advertised is the price you pay!

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

This is why Japan is my favourite Asian shopping destination; the price that's advertised is the price you pay!
Except when it isn't. ;) I've always gotten a discount on any TV, Aircon, big ticket item I've bought in Japan.

But I agree, Haggling should benefit both parties. I'll only start haggling with a second hand seller if I believe the price is unreasonable, or I want to combine a deal or something like that. If people automatically start charging more because they expect people to ask for discounts, it's just a PITA for everyone.

Will admit that guy asking for 50% discount on a 10 buck price is taking it too far. That's taking the mickey somewhat... I'd give him points for trying, and then deduct them for wasting time.

[griffin]

I'd be putting in the description - ridiculous offers will be ignored.

[Skyfire]

I'll just leave this here, coz I think this is going to be a thing...

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52294425900_c5bbb26cbb_c.jpg

[GoktimusPrime]

One of the window tabs on my MP Clampdown broke off. Also, the piece that the arms are attached to has become warped. :mad:

[Omega Metro]

Sat down yesterday with my chocolate liquorice bullets ready to watch The Bumblebee Movie only to find it’s not available for free on any of my 1000 streaming services I pay for…….:/…. Ended up watching the 2007 movie. (Which I still love). Still annoying though as everything I do want to watch us never available. I wish the TF 80s/90s cartoons were on streaming.

[Paulbot]

The good news is that the G1 cartoon is free to watch on YouTube, all 4 seasons:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD3dCMp2WHiwrVPo2XaZpkWp3K3xpx3h8
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD3dCMp2WHizDuYwURcwk1VhvsPQo_Fx8
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD3dCMp2WHixI37GR775SsxS70SupKT62
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD3dCMp2WHiwnw25srmaM6hW8rzDg4yqV

[JJJ]

This is why I do two things about shows or movies I like:

1) buy it on DVD, where possible
2) resort to piracy where necessary - and no, I have no qualms about it whatsoever

[Dimi194]

This is the true pain of the Streaming Wars - everything has been split up.
I'm also reverting to DVD/Blurays for my favourites to avoid this issue!

[Autocon]

Better stock up! Blu ray and dvds are being phased out by retailers.

[Omega Metro]

Better stock up! Blu ray and dvds are being phased out by retailers.

I have about 500 blu-rays an DVDs that I never even use these days. Can’t get rid of them unless I give them away which I don’t want to haha :)

[griffin]

I got rid of 90% of mine several years ago while there were places that were still buying them, but now that all the Movie rental stores are gone, and retailers are getting out of selling them (the BigW near me no longer sells them now), I regret getting rid of them now, as I am often finding myself wanting to watch something that never gets played on TV and even if you can find it on a streaming service, you can't buy it.

The thing that annoys me most as a Transformers fan is no longer being able to collect Transformers cartoons, and maybe even Movies soon too. My comics and DVDs is something I am most proud of in my Transformers collection, and it has now been a couple of years since the cartoon saw a physical release, and some of the comics are not getting a physical release either... it seems that a Transformers collection is pretty soon going to only be a toy collection.

[High_Q]

My comics and DVDs is something I am most proud of in my Transformers collection, [snip]... it seems that a Transformers collection is pretty soon going to only be a toy collection.

That's a surprise and perhaps unusual for a TF fan. Most TF fans would probably be toy collectors, primarily, so the toys would be the most important part of their collection, and also something they'd be most proud of, especially if they have an impressive collection like you do. Fiction media (DVDs, comics, posters) would be secondary.

[JJJ]

Not so odd, I suspect. For a start, it is far easier to afford comics and DVDs than a whole pile of toys. And I guess I would fit that description - I never had many Transformers toys as a kid, and so the comics (which I could afford each week with my pocket money) were what my "collection" was (and so would have been a pile of VHS tapes if we had had a VHS at the time :) ). And this was true until very recently - I missed the toys of the 90s and 00s for the most part, checking in every few years to see if they had got any closer to what I wanted, and was vaguely aware of the toys over the past 15 years, but I was keenly aware of the comics, and have a bookshelf full of them. I was also aware of (some of) the cartoons, and obtained copies of them, too (a complete DVD collection of Animated being the one I prize the most).

I only started buying toys again in late 2018 (and not Hasbro products either, until I encountered Siege Starscream in the wild April 2019). It is true that they are now the largest (and most expensive) part of what I have, but the comics will forever be what Transformers is for me.

Gotta say though that I've not noticed any comics not being released physically - what have I missed?

[griffin]

The toys are great, yes... and the primary part of my collection, but it is the comics and cartoon that give us the "characters" behind the toys. It's the stories that feeds our imaginations, to know who the toys are representing, and to be able to creatively "play" with them (even if it is just for a few minutes of transforming it between modes before going on the display shelf).
Having easy access to those stories, both in print or on disk, is a catalyst for better enjoying the toys as I get them, and I miss not being able to collect everything official now to fully enjoy my toy collection.
And until recently I was able to record cartoon episodes that didn't get released, but the more recent shows that didn't make it to free-to-air, I don't have a copy... and in a few years time when my recording device finally dies, I will lose a lot of recorded episodes (because panasonic doesn't let you copy recordings to a disk or USB).

[High_Q]

And until recently I was able to record cartoon episodes that didn't get released, but the more recent shows that didn't make it to free-to-air, I don't have a copy... and in a few years time when my recording device finally dies, I will lose a lot of recorded episodes (because panasonic doesn't let you copy recordings to a disk or USB).

Great to read about different ways fans enjoy TFs. I'm more of a 'toys that transform are cool' kind of a fan, and have much less attachment to most TF fiction.

But having said that, the only reason i haven't thrown out my PS3 is so i can rewatch the 86 movie or JP G1 DVDs for the 100th time. I don't know whether to purchase a dedicated Bluray / DVD player once my PS3 breaks down, or maybe just watch them free online at lower resolution/quality.

[Tranceblade]

And until recently I was able to record cartoon episodes that didn't get released, but the more recent shows that didn't make it to free-to-air, I don't have a copy... and in a few years time when my recording device finally dies, I will lose a lot of recorded episodes (because panasonic doesn't let you copy recordings to a disk or USB).

Theoretically you could just remove the HDD and mount it in a PC. Provided it's not using a proprietary format for either the drive format itself, or a recording encryption, SD recordings will be MPEG2-TS streams similar to a DVD and HD will be MPEG-4. The worst part is opening each individually numbered recording and determining what the recording is.

Alternatively it may be an option to invest in a USB tuner that has software support for recording.

[JJJ]

Great to read about different ways fans enjoy TFs. I'm more of a 'toys that transform are cool' kind of a fan, and have much less attachment to most TF fiction.

But having said that, the only reason i haven't thrown out my PS3 is so i can rewatch the 86 movie or JP G1 DVDs for the 100th time. I don't know whether to purchase a dedicated Bluray / DVD player once my PS3 breaks down, or maybe just watch them free online at lower resolution/quality.

Have you condsidered ripping your DVDs?

[High_Q]

Have you condsidered ripping your DVDs?

No, i didn't think of that, so thanks for the advice. I don't have a ripping device, though, so might have to borrow etc. when the time comes.

[JJJ]

And then you've got to have a way to play them back once ripped, too :)

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

That is also why I never got into streaming. I'd watch a show form here and a show from there and BAM I'm into paying 100 odd bucks for the chance to watch some shows, but probably still not all.

Is the Bumblebee movie ltd to Paramount plus now?

It's also doubly annoying trying to figure out which show/movie is on what streaming thing.

[High_Q]

And then you've got to have a way to play them back once ripped, too :)

True. I think i'll just watch them on Youtube then.


That is also why I never got into streaming. I'd watch a show form here and a show from there and BAM I'm into paying 100 odd bucks for the chance to watch some shows, but probably still not all.

So far, i've been disciplined enough to switch between the streaming services, so i'm not paying for more than one at any time. So, i'd complete all available seasons of a series on Binge, for instance, and unsubscribe to it, subscribe to Netflix and watch the shows i want there and repeat the (re/un)subscription process. Just need to remember to re-subscribe within a few months to ensure the streamer retains your saved favourites.

[Autocon]

We are actually getting shafted with accessibility. The sad thing is kids are use to the way things are now.

I want to rip all my cds dvds to usb sticks, as many tvs laptops etc have usb slots. Hope my ps4 doesnt crash :(

[GoktimusPrime]

OMG... just got off a chat with one buyer who kept on non-stop trying to lowball me, asking for lower prices for no particular reason (I did offer to give him a discount if he purchased multiple items, but he declined). He eventually found one toy that was cheap enough for him... tried to haggle the price for no reason but I refused. So then he begrudgingly accepts. Only to then whinge because the place where I want to meet him is one postcode farther than where he's willing to travel to. Seriously.

I just left the chat. :rolleyes:

[griffin]

Another case of something missing from an open-front box... I got the SS-93 DLX mv5 Hotrod from Amazon Australia about a month ago, and I just opened it yesterday to find the gun missing. There was a plastic tie-down near the robot's right leg, with nothing tied down, so my guess is that it came loose at some point from the factory, and fell out somewhere before it was put in the shipper box to me.
Even if it had been from a physical store, the gun was so deep inside the box that it would have been impossible to steal it without opening the box first.

Now Hasbro has to pay to trash a 99% complete toy, just because they thought it was good to remove one sheet of plastic from protecting a *plastic* toy. (I can understand eliminating the plastic inner trays as being wasted plastic that most people don't keep, but I don't see why they can't still have the single plastic sheet window, since they are selling a big lump of plastic inside the box anyway.)


This will be the third refund/return I will have had to do with Amazon Australia in the last month... I hope they don't red flag me as a suspicious buyer soon.

[JJJ]

Now Hasbro has to pay to trash a 99% complete toy, just because they thought it was good to remove one sheet of plastic from protecting a *plastic* toy. (I can understand eliminating the plastic inner trays as being wasted plastic that most people don't keep, but I don't see why they can't still have the single plastic sheet window, since they are selling a big lump of plastic inside the box anyway.)

It isn't about the amount of plastic, or reducing plastic waste in toto. The toy itself will not end up in the ocean choking marine life, but a small sheet of plastic will. And removing that choking plastic is what this is all about.

[Skyfire]

Another case of something missing from an open-front box...

This is another reason why I prefer to buy in-person if possible. I bought a Legacy Skids in-person that had one of its guns loose in the box and could have easily fallen out. I deliberately bought it because it was otherwise a good-looking copy and I just knew that it would fall out and some kid would get that Skids for a present :(.

I wonder what happens to lost little accessories lying around in a warehouse. I guess either a worker throws them away or tries to put them back where they belong - probably mostly the former. In my mind there's this box in the employee tea room where loose bits are free for all :cool:.

[KELPIE]

Now Hasbro has to pay to trash a 99% complete toy, just because they thought it was good to remove one sheet of plastic from protecting a *plastic* toy. (I can understand eliminating the plastic inner trays as being wasted plastic that most people don't keep, but I don't see why they can't still have the single plastic sheet window, since they are selling a big lump of plastic inside the box anyway.)
More annoyingly, why are they inflicting this on Transformer fans, yet Star Wars, Marvel and Power Ranger Fans don't have to put up with it?


It isn't about the amount of plastic, or reducing plastic waste in toto. The toy itself will not end up in the ocean choking marine life, but a small sheet of plastic will. And removing that choking plastic is what this is all about.
Do you mind explaining to me either:
A) how the small sheet of plastic will end up in the ocean?
or
B) how the Transformer wont?

[JJJ]

Is this really a mystery? I thought it had been well publicised years ago.

Small, light pieces of plastic end up being washed into the ocean (from landfill, from bin spills, from dumps, into storm drains and then rivers - and lighter plastic is blown as well as washed), where they float with the currents into great swirling masses of small bits of plastic. On the way, and when in the swirl, they are a real hazard to marine life.

A whole toy is very unlikely to be washed into the ocean in the first place. I'm not saying it won't or can't happen, but simple numbers mean that the small bits are the majority of the problem.

I also know that nobody in a position of power in Hasbro gives a damn about this, and that they're just doing it for positive marketing, but in the end the why does not matter, so long as they do the thing. Every little bit (pun intended) matters.

Do you recall the last time you saw a set of plastic 6-pack-rings?

[GoktimusPrime]

Is this really a mystery? I thought it had been well publicised years ago.
Super common knowledge. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is triple the size of France and has a mass of over 87Mt.

[Tha_Phantom]

I also know that nobody in a position of power in Hasbro gives a damn about this, and that they're just doing it for positive marketing, but in the end the why does not matter, so long as they do the thing. Every little bit (pun intended) matters.

Yeah, this. It's funny seeing people almost suggest that Hasbro shouldn't try to help the environment because their motives aren't pure. :rolleyes:

[KELPIE]

Is this really a mystery? I thought it had been well publicised years ago.

Small, light pieces of plastic end up being washed into the ocean (from landfill, from bin spills, from dumps, into storm drains and then rivers - and lighter plastic is blown as well as washed), where they float with the currents into great swirling masses of small bits of plastic. On the way, and when in the swirl, they are a real hazard to marine life.

A whole toy is very unlikely to be washed into the ocean in the first place. I'm not saying it won't or can't happen, but simple numbers mean that the small bits are the majority of the problem.
Except the whole toy gets broken into pieces on its way to landfill which very easily follows the same path as the plastic slip.

To be fair, I'm not saying something shouldn't be done. I'm just playing devils advocate. Also, as a MISB collector, I'm more affected than others.

I just hope people place themselves under the same lens when talking environmental impact. Just the simple manufacturing and shipping of our luxury hobby is a burden on the environment.

[JJJ]

I try to yes, but I'm also not going to make perfect the enemy of good. The only plastic garbage I buy is Transformers and MOTU (and really, those stupid little plastic straps that MOTU comes swathed in are far worse than a sheet of plastic). Not that I have any interest in almost everything else, but I do avoid wherever possible encouraging the use of plastics. Modern life makes it hard, though, when most things come wrapped in multiple layers of unnecessary plastic.

[Seraphim Prime]

In moving, I've found that I have managed to lose some pieces to some of my TFs :(

Nothing major that means I cannot enjoy the toy, but little bits that make it less complete - Generations Hound's shoulder cannon, Masterpiece Dinobot's eye beams, Masterpiece Bumblebee's rear numberplate.

[DELTAprime]

In moving, I've found that I have managed to lose some pieces to some of my TFs :(

Nothing major that means I cannot enjoy the toy, but little bits that make it less complete - Generations Hound's shoulder cannon, Masterpiece Dinobot's eye beams, Masterpiece Bumblebee's rear numberplate.

I hope you're just in the same boat I was after my renovations last year. I lost the head of my Titan Master Getaway. I finally found it months later caught inside my Leader Class Jetfire's chest cavity.

[Keidatron]

SS Gamer Ed Bumblebee. Trying to get his legs into car form infuriates me no end.

[Bemblebuu]

SS Gamer Ed Bumblebee. Trying to get his legs into car form infuriates me no end.

The trick is making sure his lumbar is tabbed securely into the roof shell bit, otherwise grief will ensue. The first time I transformed him, it was an untabbed squeeze-fest.

[Dimi194]

Not sure what's going on with the BB Jungle Mission 3 pack, but the first set I got had 2x Wheeljack's blaster and no weapons for Nightbird, and then the replacement pack had 6 instruction booklets (i.e. 2 copies for each figure)... might be one to open soon after you buy it in case you need to do a return.

[Skyfire]

Not sure what's going on with the BB Jungle Mission 3 pack, but the first set I got had 2x Wheeljack's blaster and no weapons for Nightbird

You and SarhBear are reverse twinsies.

http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php/29641-BigW-toy-sale-13th-June?p=659178#post659178

[SarhBear]

Haha, dang, so that's where Wheeljack's gun went :p

[Dimi194]

:rolleyes: Ooops! Well, I can confirm at least at Big W Menai they were very chill about the return, even before I explained "this figure is meant to have a sword and this one a gun but they both came with guns"

[GoktimusPrime]

<random rantage>

I'm gonna cop flak from lovers of obscure-referencing toys here, but I'm personally not a fan of Hasbro prioritising toys based on aborted G2 prototype variants over CHUG toys based on the regular G2 versions. We're getting G2 prototype coloured Dorito-Jazz, but we've never had just a regular CHUG G2 Jazz toy. G2 Jazz is a part of people's childhoods; i.e. 90s kids who had this toy. That Dorito Jazz is part of nobody's childhood.

Heck, even the Diaclone, Microman and other pre-TF redecos are still part of people's childhoods. Diaclone and Micro Change toys were also released in North America and Europe (as Diakron, Trasformer, Diaclone etc.). Heck, I explicitly got Galactic Man Shockwave because I grew up with "Shackwave" from Tandy, since the original G1 Shockwave toy was never sold in Australia. That Galactic Man Shockwave is from my childhood (as it would be for a lot of 80s kids). Magnificus is also from my childhood, because I had a (probably counterfeit) Microman Perceptor toy from the Sydney Royal Easter Show. Heck, even red Diaclone Ligier (Mirage) would've been from some people's childhoods (at the very least, kids in Japan who had that variant). Nobody the hell ever grew up with Dorito Jazz!

I don't mind if they want to make these more obscure repaints as limited exclusives, like Gens Selects or Hasbro Pulse etc. But it's weird that we're getting these toys before their regular versions... and will this mean that we may never get the regular versions? Will a regular CHUG G2 Jazz never see the light of day? The abandoned prototype G2 Sideswipe looks weird, but at least we have had a regular G2 Sideswipe toy in CHUG. So I don't mind if they do it afterwards; it means that the aborted-G2 Sideswipe CHUG hasn't supplanted the regular one.

Thank you for attending my TedTALK. :p
</rantage>

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

I'd still like the old 'new head, maybe new extra piece/weapon' remold-into-obscure-old-character-homages we used to get to come back as a regular thing. I used to really like seeing updated Action Master or Micromaster etc. characters coming out as mild retools, it helped update old characters and gave us a chance to experience new molds without having the same character over and over again.

Like, come on Hasbro, you've still got all these unused characters from weird little groups like the Aquaspeeders and Stormtroopers, Predators and Turbomasters, how about some of those guys?

[snaketales]

There was a G2-styled CHUG Jazz in the 'Ultimate Gift Set', albeit in the TF2010 mold and the deco wasn't an exact match.

[DELTAprime]

Given how much Hasbro seems to love repainting figures into obscure variants I'm fully expecting an Action Master Jazz from G1 in addition to every obscure G2 variant they can possibly find before the SS86 Jazz mould is retired.

[Tha_Phantom]

So I held off from purchasing the Botcon version of Nacelle in the hope that they'd do another one from the Earthrise seeker mould.
Well, it turns out we have gotten a revisit of Nacelle, but from the Siege tetrajet mould.
I'd wager most fans won't care either way, but for me the appeal of owning it was that the inspiration for the character came from a G1 Thrust prototype - which the Tetrajet mould takes away from.

Not a big deal, just a minor annoyance. I still won't go and chase the Botcon one as I've heard it's prone to breaking at the wings. So I guess I'm without a Nacelle. :rolleyes:

[DELTAprime]

Yep. It seems slightly odd to me that they used the Tetra Jet mould instead of the Earthrise Thrust mould given Nacelle's origins as a prototype for Thrust.

[Seraphim Prime]

Would have preferred a Thrust retool, but the Tetrajet version fits with how she was portrayed in the 2019 IDW comics, so with this set as a comic based set it makes sense. I like that the highlight of the chest vents points towards the VTOL engine of the Thrust prototype.

Still would have wanted the Thrust version...

[griffin]

I guess if Nacelle was in the IDW comics as a tetrajet, it makes sense to have this one released as part of the IDW comics toys that are all coming out on the same day... but like other fans, I would have preferred it homage the original concept toy rather than an IDW version that I didn't even know existed until now.

Both concepts are so very very niche that more people would probably know of the BotCon toy than either of those two concepts (the original concept or the IDW character), so the popularity of this toy will probably just come down to how well it looks as a redeco toy... and we already have two blue tetrajets for people to compare this one to.

[KELPIE]

To be fair, G2 Jazz, really isn't a repaint. It's more of a decal change.

That said, I think this is due to the retail situation in America at the moment. Unless its a Gen Selects release, they need to release a group of figures in a theme. Probably realised they could get more repaints out and brownie points with this set than standard G2. Down the line, I'm sure we'll get a proper G2 Grimlock... doubt we get a G2 Jazz though... or a metal vac Beachcomber :(


Magnificus is also from my childhood, because I had a (probably counterfeit) Microman Perceptor toy from the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

*Raises hand.
Yup, this is me.

[GoktimusPrime]

To be fair, G2 Jazz, really isn't a repaint. It's more of a decal change.
The original G2 Jazz was mostly a restickered toy, although with slight retooling, namely the addition of a hole on the roof for the gun and narrower feet. The mouth also has more of a smirk due to mould degradation (which continued to plague preceding reissues of G1 Jazz until it was fixed for Encore [well, technically for Comm. Series Ricochet^Stepper). In the context of a CHUG G2 Jazz it'd be a redeco though. :)


*Raises hand.
Yup, this is me.
This is why I'm a Magnificus completist. I own every Magnificus action figure ever made. Yep. All 3 of them. :p Nothin' like being a big fish in a small pond. :D :p

[Jaxius._]

The legacy wave with Crankcase is on sale at target so i thought id finally get Crankcase seeing as i have been wanting to try him out and for $19 who can complain
Went to 4 different targets (which is like most of the targets that still probably exist now) and nothing
Can definitely see the Nest repaints will be the next to clear

[GoktimusPrime]

I've lost count of the number of Transformers toys that I've seen in shops today with parts/accessories removed by vandals. :(

I think that windowless boxes will be the way of the future. We're already seeing it with Leader Class figures, as well as those little Tacticons. I personally don't mind it. I've noticed that some Marvel toys are already windowless. Just include good photos of the toys.

[JJJ]

Windowless boxes will only happen if and when Hasbro decides that returns/losses are costing them too much (and this cost outweighs the benefits claimed by marketing of having open boxes, both in terms of securing sales and the perceived value of corporate citizenship ratings). Their announcement some months back about the items that were moving to closed boxes notably did not include Transformers.

[Cat]

I've lost count of the number of Transformers toys that I've seen in shops today with parts/accessories removed by vandals. :(

I think that windowless boxes will be the way of the future. We're already seeing it with Leader Class figures, as well as those little Tacticons. I personally don't mind it. I've noticed that some Marvel toys are already windowless. Just include good photos of the toys.

Oh really? Dang. Just last night I was thinking how great it was that I'd never seen a single case of that in person here, compared to all the reports of it happening in the US. I thought it's great how sensible our people are. So much for that.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

It's happening here in HK too. :(

[DELTAprime]

I think it really depends on your local area. At work, we don't have this issue at all. In fact, the last time we had any problems with someone doing anything with a Transformers toy was a Leader Class where some kids decided to open it so they could look at the toy because they couldn't see it without a window. I was asked to inspect it and ensure they didn't steal anything from the box.

[griffin]

I think that windowless boxes will be the way of the future.

Not necessarily, as next year's Legacy United Leader class will have windows too, unlike the last two years which had solid boxes... so even more toys to steal parts from. :(

Those various movie toys that were basically just on a backing card, made it really easy for people to pry off parts, when you can get your whole hand around the toy... especially the heads.

[GoktimusPrime]

Windowless boxes will only happen if and when Hasbro decides that returns/losses are costing them too much (and this cost outweighs the benefits claimed by marketing of having open boxes, both in terms of securing sales and the perceived value of corporate citizenship ratings).
True. And I have spoken to retail workers who said that theft was just as bad with plastic windowed boxes, and that plastic vs open windows makes no difference in their experience.

[KELPIE]

It seems the "cost" doesn't just come from theft. It looks like they're changing it up for the other figures, because the Marvel and Star Wars fans just stopped buying. So they needed change what they were doing.

[Jaxius._]

Black Friday sales, great, might grab some bots i have been wanting, not only has my local JB suddenly gotten rid of all their transformers but the next nearest has minimal stock. All i wanted was legacy Shrapnel and Bombshell and they aren't even avaliable online at JB either.

I miss when Kmart and Target and the like stocked generations more regularly.

[DELTAprime]

I knew that the Legacy Armada figures didn't have Minicons (red Hotshot excepted). But I only just figured out about 30 minutes ago when I went to put OG Armada Minicons on the Legacy Armada figures that there's a distinct lack of Minicon ports also.

Not happy JaAm.

[Jaxius._]

A rant about prices but what’s new I suppose.

EB/Zing has always charged a little extra i can accept that. But how can Kmart sell SS86 brawn and SSROTB Wheeljack at $32 (a perfectly reasonable price and equal to what deluxes have costed for years) but JBHIFI who over the past year or so has essentially cornered the market on Transformers charge $40-$45 a deluxe, yes i know there are online stores like Gamesman but how can JB get away with charging so much, have you seen how much stock they have on the shelves i can still buy year 1 Legacy figures there 2 years later.

I just have a real issue with how our biggest physical stores have all but dropped stocking Transformers (hopefully kmart continues with SS at least) while JB puts their prices up to nearly what the next size class costs.

[Skyfire]

It is curious that the general retailers that used to stock Generations (Big W, Kmart, Target, Toymate, Toyworld and Myer) have no or little (recent) stock. That has perhaps allowed JB to raise their prices. I would love to know the thinking of the people who have been responsible for JB's foray into TFs (I remember their tentative start and have watched them become full blown). For a while, I thought Big W and Kmart practically abandoned Studio Series until SS86 Ironhide and now Scrapheap and Brawn turned up, missing whole waves. I keep waiting for Legacy United to appear online or in-store but maybe they never will or will start at wave 2 or something.

I've been price matching JB for a while, online and in-store, and have a 70-80% success ratio. Most times they don't care about "assortment" and the requirement of "an identical item" as long as the item is part of the toyline. When the general retailers drop their website listings (completely drop the line) is when I will feel the pinch more. Price matching is a bit of a chore though and I would much prefer the general retailers to get back in the game.

[JJJ]

Hasbro sets the recommended retail price. This is directly connected to the price at which they sell to retailers (see below for variation).

Kmart/Target/Big W can afford to bring in a smaller profit margin per unit by selling vastly more quantity than JB and EB, who, due to the much smaller turnover of stock, need a larger profit margin per unit.

In addition to this, Kmart et al may very well have an arrangement whereby they actually pay Hasbro less for stock than other places, precisely because they place such big orders. JB & EB will almost certainly not have that option.

Following on from that, Kmart et all may be in a position to strong-arm Hasbro on prices, just like Coles and Woolworths do to their suppliers, and Malwart does to everyone in the US. JB and EB would be laughed at if they tried this.

(there's also a diversion into transport that I won't bother with, but in the same way as above Kmart et all pay less for that than JB & EB too, and places like The Gamesmen pay even more again)

Yes, deluxes did cost around $30 for years. The key part there is that that price is years old (also, lower than RRP - the benefit of buying from a place the size of Kmart). When prices stay static for an extended period of time, they tend to change, when they change, quite dramatically.


I don't want to sound snotty or anything, but I keep seeing the same complaints here and elsewhere and this really is, to me, basic economics. People seem generally to understand that the above is why Coles and Woolworths sell for so much less (yes, even taking into account their huge price hikes and gouging) than other supermarket chains such as IGA and especially anyone not a chain, such as a local grocer or butcher or corner shop; so why is the pricing of Transformers seemingly seen differently somehow?

[DELTAprime]

Let's not forget that after the death of the previous Hasbro CEO, the current Hasbro CEO decided it would be a great idea to raise prices across the entire company's lineup. So the fact we are paying more isn't entirely on Woolworth's and Coles's heads in this case.

Also, Toymate, Toyworld, and Myer are small fry in the Aussie retail space. They will not be getting any deal from Hasbro on pricing.

As for JB HiFi's price matching policy, the CEO spoke about that and said essentially he would rather take some of you're money than get none of your money. It's an unfortunately uncommon business tactic.

[GoktimusPrime]

A rant about prices but what’s new I suppose.
<snip>

Remember that JB Hi Fi, EB Games and Zing all have price match policies. And I know that JB Hi Fi will also price match online prices; I've gotten them to price match Amazon Australia a couple of times. So yeah, if you can find the same item for a better price elsewhere, get them to price match.

[DELTAprime]

EB Games and Zing

Unless my local store is high on their own BS, which is totally possible, EB Games only price matches on games, not "loot".

[Skyfire]

Playing around with Legacy United Origin Wheeljack (the first Transformer on TV and the first transforming one, yay!) made me watch the very first episode again and it's always bugged me that when he and Bumblebee encounter the Decepticon welcoming committee, who are straight in front of them and fire shots into Wheeljack's windscreen, Bumblebee gets out and fires his pistol in the opposite direction. What?!?

[Lint]

People who do this annoy me. Just steal the whole thing you coward.

https://i.imgur.com/PbWKuEG.jpeg

[Skyfire]

I see the hamburger wrapping... they got a Minecraft lion.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

I have a BWII Thrust. I know I do. I picked it up years ago in Tokyo and kept it unopened waiting until I found a BWII Dirge to go with it.

I found a BWII Dirge in Hong Kong, and shipped it back to Oz.

Now I can't find my BWII Thrust. :(

I KNOW it's got to be in one of my boxes or SOMEWHERE vaguely logical, but I've looked through pretty much all of them and he's just not showing up in any of them.

[GoktimusPrime]

People who do this annoy me. Just steal the whole thing you coward.
TakaraTomy alternates between windowless boxes like Hasbro, plastic windowed boxes and windowless cardboard boxes. I understand that Hasbro has made a commitment to go plastic-free, but I would personally prefer entirely windowless boxes vs these open windowed boxes. I don't know if they're any better in theft deterrence; it could be that these open window packages simply make theft more visible/noticeable to us. But either way, I think that windowless boxes just look nicer. And if windowless boxes do help in making opportunistic shoplifting that one bit harder, then that's all for the better.

Here's an example of Hasbro vs TakaraTomy's Studio Series Blaster/Eject packaging:
https://i.ibb.co/rtbPbDP/temp.jpg

Here's a photo of some Transformers on sale at Harajuku Kiddy Land in Tokyo last Friday:
https://i.ibb.co/xh4hNBW/temp.jpg
You can see a combination of plastic blisters on the EarthSpark Deluxes, windowless boxes for SS Blaster/Eject, and every other toy having open window packaging.

[Lint]

And if windowless boxes do help in making opportunistic shoplifting that one bit harder, then that's all for the better.


Unfortunately not being able to see the product itself does impact sales. Sure for the collector market who follows news and reviews the packaging not having a window may not affect the ability of the product to sell but for the general retail consumer the product which can be seen is far more eye catching and reassuring than playing the 'whats the product in the box?' game. I recall a bunch of Fast & Furious Hot Wheels collector packs which shelfwarmed like crazy even on clearance because the cars were packed in a black box with only some pretty unromantic side profile diagrams of the cars on the back of the box (not even stock photography). In the transformers world we see the same thing with Commander and Leader Class offerings because the general retail consumer isn't going to drop 100 bucks or more on stock photography. Same goes for the minimalistic cardboard box Generations Selects line, almost everyone of which ends up on clearance because the product is not designed to draw attention to itself.

So while I am frustrated by the open windows, I can understand why they must exist.

[Jaxius._]

Ordered ss86 prime from JB, gets delayed, then Myer gets it in stock so i cancel JB and order it there. They sent me ss86 Springer instead, the receipt says ss86 prime but that’s not what’s in the box, so time to return it and hope third time is lucky.

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

Same goes for the minimalistic cardboard box Generations Selects line, almost everyone of which ends up on clearance because the product is not designed to draw attention to itself.

So while I am frustrated by the open windows, I can understand why they must exist.

I really hate the Gens Selects boxes. I found some of them at a store and it tookme so long to work out where to look to see what box was what. Sure, they were the TT Seacons, which were online, so I guess the box art doesn't matter so much, but damn, it's ugly.

In a way the box plays an important part of the experience of the toy. I was just recently appreciating the joy of the TT Legends Boxes. Great colours and artwork. Nicely placed figures inside the box. Relatively consistent sizes. Beautiful to look at.

[Seraphim Prime]

Broke my Energon Demolisher arm as I was in the process of repacking them to go into storage ahead of a new baby in the new year.

[GoktimusPrime]

Everyone hates Gens Selects boxen. They work in the U.S. where these toys are pre-order exclusives, but their blandness sucks for retailers in Asia (and specialist stores in Australia).

Seraphim: congrats, dude! :)

[BigTransformerTrev]

So I did the Windblade model kit on the weekend that I’ve had for years and never bothered with. Constructing the head, upper torso and lower torso were pains but the limbs and wings were fine.

What was really annoying was connecting it all together. The ball joints connectors were that tight on her head and torso pieces I basically smashed her getting them together and had to rebuild. Then where the arms join to the shoulders were that loose that they would not stay in no matter how many times I reconnected and now they have some discreet black electrical tape holding them on.

Has anyone else had this issue with the kit and if so how does the Arcee one compare? That’s the other kit I have and if she’s like Windblade I’ll be in no hurry to attempt her.