Are you likely to buy any TF4 Movie gimmick toys?

[griffin]

With us older collectors, the gimmick lines rarely attract our attention, and hardly ever show up as acquisitions.

So, with the fourth movie being heavily geared towards a younger demographic with gimmick toys (Power Battlers, One-Step Changers in 3 sizes, Flip& Change, Dino Sparkers, Titans in 2 sizes), it doesn't appear to leave many purchasing options for the older demographic... or does it.
(excluding Construct-Bots and Kreo, as they are a grey area in terms of "gimmick"... and ignoring store exclusives, as they are generally just redecos)

At this time we have in the first two waves of known figures...
15 - mainline "Generations" (8 Deluxe, 4 Voyager, 3 Leader)
28 - gimmick figures (7 Power Battlers, 7 One-step Basic, 1 One-step Mega, 1 One-step Electronic, 3 Flip&Change, 3 Dino-sparkers, 4 Titan 12inch, 2 Titan 16inch)

How many gimmick toys are you intending or expecting to buy for this movie?

- None
- Maybe one or two
- Probably Several
- A whole gimmick line
- All of them

If you are planning to get some of the Gimmick figures, which ones and why?

[KingGrimlock]

So far ive only purchased the one step grimlock just to see what they were like, plus I thought it would be fun just to transform while working on my computer and stuff. Its not bad for what I expected, if you go in expecting a massive amount of accuracy to the movies with these figures you're gunna be dissapointed. However the grimlock I got has a lot of detail all over it and the way it transforms is actually pretty cool. While it does have limited posability the gimmick I has makes up for that, which I guess is the aim of the figure. One funny thing I have noticed is that it seems to have the most accurately proportioned t-rex mode of all the grimlocks so far. I might get some more one step changers but only when they drop in price, they should cost around the same as a commander class in my opinion.

[Omega Metro]

Gimmick Grimlock maybe.......when they are on clearance.

[Firestorm]

The gimmick toys don't really appeal that much to me, but I may get a couple of figures if there are characters who don't get a generations version. Like the Power Attackers Junkheap that was announced a little while ago, if there is no Generations Junkheap announced (at maybe Botcon) I may get the gimmick version instead

[BigTransformerTrev]

I bought a few with the first two movies, many of characters that were not in the flicks such as Ramjet and Cliffjumper just so I could have Movieverse versions of them. Got the Frenzy that turned into an actual cd player because I thought that was kinda cool.

DOTM I didn't bother and wont with AoE - in part because the toys mainly suck and in part because people tend to throw them out so I find them for like either 20c at Op Shops or friends just give them to me when their kids are sick of them ;)

[Bidoofdude]

Nope.

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

So far I'd be very surprised if I am going to buy any AOE toys at all at the moment. None of them have really grabbed me and screamed 'buy me.'

[Tober]

As far as the gimmick toys go, no, very unlikely. I will consider some of the Generations cars, but I would probably get every Human Alliance vehicle if they revisit that line.

[Defcon]

no gimmick toys for me. Those are kind of disposable toys really, the ones you are likely to see in a box at a market for a couple of dollars each. Thats where these will end up eventually if you are patient :p

[griffin]

I see the gimmick toys as being "gift" toys, while the mainline toys are more the "collectable" toys.
One type you give, one type you keep.

Considering the age rating of the movie, and its target demographic (teens and older), it makes you wonder who are going to be buying all of these gimmick toys that are going to be filling stores for the next few months.

[i_amtrunks]

Considering the age rating of the movie, and its target demographic (teens and older), it makes you wonder who are going to be buying all of these gimmick toys that are going to be filling stores for the next few months.

3 boys in my classroom have had their 7/8th birthdays over the last 2 weeks. All 3 got the one step change Grimlock figure, so I think that the price point must be fairly attractive to parents looking for presents for other children at the very least.

That being said, the sheer number of these wave 1 figures being ordered makes me believe we will have the same problem as DotM, too much wave one to sell, in this case, too many gimmicky toys, not enough actual variety.

[Hursticon]

0. ;)

[Zommael]

I got the One Step Grimlock and kinda like him. I want to get the giant Stomp and Chomp Grimlock, purely so I can have Grimlock riding Grimlock. If I do, I might get a One Step Decepticon too for the gimmick functionality with SAC Grimmy. SAC Grimmy looks like a cool toy too.

I actually think the Flip and Change Lockdown looks better than the Generations version, so I might get that as well.

My main focus for the current movie is a complete set of Dinobots.

[PROVOST]

Nothing so far looks worth getting.

[Megatran]

Well someone's buying these toys, which are aimed at a more youthful demographic. The TF stand at BigW Highpoint (Vic) was pretty bare yesterday morning. This is a positive sign the TF4 movie line is doing well, albeit at the early stage of release.

I voted NONE. In fact I'm skipping all the AoE line.

[Omega Metro]

I change my mind. I want Flip and Change Lockdown.:)

http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-news-rumors/987190-crash-change-sliver-knight-optimus-flip-change-lockdown-released.html

[BigTransformerTrev]

Went through Target this morning. With the exception of a single Crosshairs, all the Deluxe, Voyager and Leader figures are gone. The shelves are still chockas with all the gimmick figures though :p

[Omega Metro]

Went through Target this morning. With the exception of a single Crosshairs, all the Deluxe, Voyager and Leader figures are gone. The shelves are still chockas with all the gimmick figures though :p

That's weird cos it's the opposite over here.

[Firestorm]

Well someone's buying these toys, which are aimed at a more youthful demographic. The TF stand at BigW Highpoint (Vic) was pretty bare yesterday morning. This is a positive sign the TF4 movie line is doing well, albeit at the early stage of release.

Personally I'm pretty suspicious about this. every Big W I've been to has an end of Isle display set up and every single one is almost entirely bare of ANY products (usually just 1 or 2 GEN deluxes and a couple of one step changers)
but when I go to Kmart, Myer or Target they still have fully stocked shelves/displays. I'm wondering if Big Ws are just trying to make Transformers LOOK like they are in high demand since they all seem to have these fancy end of isle set ups that only have like 5 or 6 products left on them at all times.
probably just being paranoid, does Big W offer better prices than the other places? that might be a better explanation for why only they seem to be selling out

[dirge]

So far I'd be very surprised if I am going to buy any AOE toys at all at the moment. None of them have really grabbed me and screamed 'buy me.'

I'm with Tets. Haven't been tempted by any of the stuff that's shown up yet & suspect I won't get anything. I certainly don't expect I'd be buying any gimmick toys.

[Sinnertwin]

Personally I'm pretty suspicious about this. every Big W I've been to has an end of Isle display set up and every single one is almost entirely bare of ANY products (usually just 1 or 2 GEN deluxes and a couple of one step changers)
but when I go to Kmart, Myer or Target they still have fully stocked shelves/displays. I'm wondering if Big Ws are just trying to make Transformers LOOK like they are in high demand since they all seem to have these fancy end of isle set ups that only have like 5 or 6 products left on them at all times.
probably just being paranoid, does Big W offer better prices than the other places? that might be a better explanation for why only they seem to be selling out

Price wise Big W aren't much better, maybe a dollar or two cheaper. Big W Leaders are $88, Kmart $89 etc
But i saw what you meant with just the one end cap of TF toys. If a Big w store only allocates one peg for Deluxes while a Target store allocates four, then the difference is much more noticable :)

[Zommael]

Personally I'm pretty suspicious about this. every Big W I've been to has an end of Isle display set up and every single one is almost entirely bare of ANY products (usually just 1 or 2 GEN deluxes and a couple of one step changers)
but when I go to Kmart, Myer or Target they still have fully stocked shelves/displays. I'm wondering if Big Ws are just trying to make Transformers LOOK like they are in high demand since they all seem to have these fancy end of isle set ups that only have like 5 or 6 products left on them at all times.
probably just being paranoid, does Big W offer better prices than the other places? that might be a better explanation for why only they seem to be selling out

I think someone on here posted a week or two ago that Big W are having distribution problems, and that's why they all have these big endcaps with no product on them.

I guess they might also be waiting for the actual movie to drop, which is coincidentally around the same time as the mid-year toy sales... :rolleyes:

[griffin]

Maybe the BigW product buyer actually had sense to remember the last three years of Transformers and NOT buy up big on the first wave... but spread out the product more and restock if demand is actually there for it.
BigW may not make as much money in the short term, but they will be the store-chain that will lose the least money over the long term (other stores have to clear out their June stock at a loss months later, while BigW would continue to be stocking new product to the end of the year).

[Zommael]

Maybe the BigW product buyer actually had sense to remember the last three years of Transformers and NOT buy up big on the first wave... but spread out the product more and restock if demand is actually there for it.
BigW may not make as much money in the short term, but they will be the store-chain that will lose the least money over the long term (other stores have to clear out their June stock at a loss months later, while BigW would continue to be stocking new product to the end of the year).

TBH, since Christmas 2013, my local Big W has been competing with my local Toyworld to be the single worst place in the entire universe to buy toys, so I very much doubt the notion that their product buyers have any sense.

(Big W actually shrank their toy section just before Christmas. Toyworld is even worse: while other towns' Toyworlds have shelves full of old product that they can't seem to shift, Rocky Toyworld just doesn't have any product at all. The manager of the Rocky toy store, I assume, recently heard about Big W's "shrink the toy department just before toy-buying season" stunt and felt he had to one-up him. The result is that he now has a sign on the door saying "No more than two children allowed at a time". Dude: you run a f***ing toy store.)

[5FDP]

I voted 'none'. I'll be sticking to grown up toys (read: Masterpiece) ;)

[Ravagecat]

Maybe the BigW product buyer actually had sense to remember the last three years of Transformers and NOT buy up big on the first wave... but spread out the product more and restock if demand is actually there for it.
BigW may not make as much money in the short term, but they will be the store-chain that will lose the least money over the long term (other stores have to clear out their June stock at a loss months later, while BigW would continue to be stocking new product to the end of the year).

That's some really wishful thinking Griffin :D In the end we can only hope :rolleyes:


...Snip The result is that he now has a sign on the door saying "No more than two children allowed at a time". Dude: you run a f***ing toy store.)

Whaaattttt!!! :eek::confused: Please share a photo I need to see this sign...

[UltraMarginal]

Well someone's buying these toys, which are aimed at a more youthful demographic. The TF stand at BigW Highpoint (Vic) was pretty bare yesterday morning. This is a positive sign the TF4 movie line is doing well, albeit at the early stage of release.

I voted NONE. In fact I'm skipping all the AoE line.

The night before the official release date of the toys my Wife saw a flex area in the toy section of my local big W (Macquarie) and it was loaded on both sides with stock. The next night or the day after that, we were there and it was decimated, gimmick toys, generations the lot. I has since been restocked at least one more time.


I don't really care for the look of the gimmick toys but the Engineering in these things is pretty interesting, the Idea of a Drift toy that transforms like a butterfly knife really appeals and the add that has the Grimlock you grab and spin around to transform has piqued my interest. I'll probably pick these two up on special or cheap when i'm in the states.

[Omega Metro]

I caved and got the OneStep Changer Grimlock yesterday. It is actually a fun little figure. The T-Rex mode is faultless as there's no giant hinges etc to ruin the look (unlike the Optimus version which looks crude). Will fit perfectly with the previous Legion/Commander sized movie toys. I find the engineering quite fun as you just pull the legs back towards the tail and you get a robot. The robot mode is definitely the weakest mode with no articulation except the arms can move up and down.

[M-bot]

I can understand the need to have toys that appeal to different consumers ie more complex/larger for older/discerning collectors and simpler for younger folk, but it seems to me that Hasbro are spreading themselves too thin with so many different lines and various gimmick toys for AOE, some if them just garbage (I'm looking at you, Titans!).

[MayzaPrime]

I put one or two down, just because I know that I will buy some for my kids. My boys and girl have heaps of bot shots, rescue bots & cyberverse toys. They love Grimlock so I will get them the flip and change toys.

The deluxe, voyager & leader figures will all be apart of my collection :D

[Trent]

None.

[Oberon Sexton]

I might get the one step Grimlock as a desk toy. If I had these one step transformation toys as a kid, it would have blown my mind.

[Harbinger]

just the dinobots, none of the others really interest me.

[Omega Metro]

Had a play with my friends child's One-Step Drift. It's a real nifty transformation but that's the only good thing. The robot mode is awful though. Just hope he didn't pay the $20 asking price at most places.

[Sinnertwin]

None either.

[Omega Metro]

Got Lockdown today for $14.99. Only cos I like Aventadors. Looks good I both modes.

[Omega Metro]

Picked up the 16 inch Titan Optimus at Kmart for $15. I bought it for a display piece and will maybe add some more paint to bring out the good sculpted detail that it has. And it's based on the Evasion Mode Optimus so has that G1 look about it. It's really not bad for $15 considering the 12 inch ones are uglier and dearer at $19!

[Tabias Prime]

Only one I've been interested is Slug.....and pick him up for $20 at the Nexus toy fair yesterday....screw paying $30:p:p:p

[SkyWarp91]

The gimmick toys don't really appeal that much to me, but I may get a couple of figures if there are characters who don't get a generations version. Like the Power Attackers Junkheap that was announced a little while ago, if there is no Generations Junkheap announced (at maybe Botcon) I may get the gimmick version instead

Add Steeljaw too
+1

[Megatron]

I won't be getting any AoE character toys coz none of them appeal to me but as far as gimmick toys go, I collect them as I would any other Transformers toys. Gimmicks don't really matter to me anyway because all my toys remain in MISB condition.

So I picked "None" but that doesn't indicate a lack of interest in gimmick toys per se, rather in a lack of interest in the AoE characters. :o

[1orion2many]

I haven't bothered with any of the AOE toys gimmicky or otherwise. I had a passing interest in the dinos but after seeing the movie that small flame of interest was put out with an ice cold bucket of Bay water:(

[liegeprime]

I'm only getting the Dinos ( well coz I love dinos) but that's about it, I'm not even getting the gimmicky versions ( power punch etc) just the regular deluxe or Voyager size ones and that's it. not into the gimmicky toys coz they compromise the toy itself when it comes to bulk, poseability and wotnot.