Collector Club Subscription set 3 now open for orders

[griffin]

The 2015 Club subscription figures were revealed at BotCon this year (http://www.toycollectors.com.au/bc14/bc14cc.html), and they are now available to pre-order for Club members until October 2nd.

There are seven figures again this year, with the main six being all Deluxes, and the mystery bonus figure won't be officially known for about another 12 months.

Of the six main figures, one has had a slight name change, but not the one that they told us might not get approved (Serpent O.R.). Instead, it was Zap that is now Carzap.

For those who are members, you have about four weeks to pre-order your set... for US$297 (an increase of US$18 from last year), plus shipping.
That will work out to about AU$70 per toy with shipping, or AU$60 per toy if you factor in the bonus figure.
Log in through the Club website (http://transformersclub.com/), which also has a preview image of Krok... which is just like the Magazine preview and BotCon preview, in that we still only get to see the robot mode.
(other previews should be posted on that site over the next week, but the BotCon reveal at least lets people know what each one is)

For non-Members, there are a couple of group order postings in the Saleyard... but be quick, as people hosting them will need to close them up with time to spare before October 2nd.


For a recap on the known figures from BotCon...
Actionmaster Krok with Gatoraider - Generations Megatron (new head) & JP Micron gater.
Nacelle - Classicverse Thrust looking like an early 80s catalogue (blue/red/white Thrust).
Serpent O.R. green/gold/purple JP Generations Ratbat.
Carzap - red/white/purple Generations Bumblebee/Nightbeat (looks like a new head), with Kreon GB Blackrock & Kreo station (homaging the unreleased Japanese Blocktown series).
Gen2 Starscream - redeco of Classic-verse Starscream to go with G2 Ramjet.
Tarantulas - redeco of JP Ehobby (Generations) Scrapheap, with 2 JP Micron beetles.

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/bc14/pa10.jpg
.

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/bc14/pb27.jpg
.
http://www.toycollectors.com.au/bc14/pa11.jpg .

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/bc14/pa12.jpg
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http://www.toycollectors.com.au/bc14/pa13.jpg
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http://www.toycollectors.com.au/bc14/pa14.jpg .

[Barrel05]

Theres alot of red white and blue in those figures

[MayzaPrime]

I ordered it this morning... I am loving the G2 stuff.

As I have said before Nacelle (while cool) should have saved for next years subscription service or some other exclusive.

[Barrel05]

Only really like Krok and tarantulus

[BigTransformerTrev]

Only really like Krok and tarantulus

Only Krok for me - the others hold no interest

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

Serpent O R looks surprisingly nice.... In a weird way. There's no way he's going to have that shine on him is he? I quite the fangs on his chest/abs

[griffin]

The Platinum Edition Sideswipe and JP GEN Ratbat have that metallic shine to the plastic, so it is possible... so it would be good if they manage to get it done in shiny green & gold like that.

[Sinnertwin]

Serpent O R looks surprisingly nice.... In a weird way. There's no way he's going to have that shine on him is he? I quite the fangs on his chest/abs

it sure does. Im still on the fence with this guy though

[reillyd]

I just went to place my order and it's over $100 in shipping, and another $20 odd in insurance. Was it this expensive last year?

I'm sold on the figures, but add one hundred for shipping and they start to look like very expensive exclusives. I wonder if it's be cheaper through BBTS to just cherry pick? But if the 7th is something awesome (eg Redwing) it would be pricey to get back in the secondary market

[griffin]

It is six shipments after all.... which is at least $17 each. That's the same as the last two years for a single set (which is why I try to get at least one extra set, to bring it down to about $75 shipping per set).
$17 isn't excessive by American standards (especially when you use ebay), but FunPub started hiding their shipping amounts, so it is impossible to know how cheap they are getting it, and keeping the difference.

When they arrive, you should be able to work it out through the USPS website, but then you have to hassle them for proof of what they paid, and/or a refund.
And they make that so frustrating, you give up bothering to chase it up after a while. :(

[BigTransformerTrev]

It is six shipments after all.... which is at least $17 each. That's the same as the last two years for a single set (which is why I try to get at least one extra set, to bring it down to about $75 shipping per set).
$17 isn't excessive by American standards (especially when you use ebay), but FunPub started hiding their shipping amounts, so it is impossible to know how cheap they are getting it, and keeping the difference.

When they arrive, you should be able to work it out through the USPS website, but then you have to hassle them for proof of what they paid, and/or a refund.
And they make that so frustrating, you give up bothering to chase it up after a while. :(

Maybe you could hit them up in that question thread at TFW? I bought a few of the TFSS 1.0 figures when they dropped in price earlier in the year from BBTS (Circut and Slipstream). Now BBTS have dropped the prices yet AGAIN so I just picked up Breakdown. Certainly beginning to be cheaper to just get the figures from places other than the official club. I will definetly want to pick up Krok from this lot, maybe when they become really (realitvly speaking) cheap at BBTS I may consider getting Nacelle & Serpent O.R, but it would have to be at a bargain price. No way am I paying the full TFSS 3.0 subscription service for this lot.

[griffin]

An image of a second figure has been tweeted (http://transformersclub.com/) - Nacelle - still not giving us any modes we haven't already seen. (there are four figures that have only had one mode revealed so far, so now would be a good time to reveal them)
It does include artwork of the character though, which should be its biocard image.

Apparently, Pete from FunPub has mentioned somewhere (I can't find it to reference) that the bonus figure is a Generations Legends figure (the ones that come with a "Targetmaster" partner)... which would mean a redeco of either - Optimus, Bumblebee, Starscream, Megatron, Swerve, Cosmos, Skrapnel, or Tailgate.
Could be anything from any of those moulds, since only one of this year's main six was anything obvious/expected (Gen2 Starscream).

[Paulbot]

Apparently, Pete from FunPub has mentioned somewhere (I can't find it to reference) that the bonus figure is a Generations Legends figure (the ones that come with a "Targetmaster" partner)... which would mean a redeco of either - Optimus, Bumblebee, Starscream, Megatron, Swerve, Cosmos, Skrapnel, or Tailgate.
Could be anything from any of those moulds, since only one of this year's main six was anything obvious/expected (Gen2 Starscream).

That Takara picture with the "G1" Nacelle toy (http://www.tf-1.com/articles/eurous_frame.php?art=earlyjets) features a blue Cosmos. Just saying.

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

The Platinum Edition Sideswipe and JP GEN Ratbat have that metallic shine to the plastic, so it is possible... so it would be good if they manage to get it done in shiny green & gold like that.

Yeah, I'd be all over it if it were coloured like that. I very much doubt it would be though.

[griffin]

A third character art/image has been released on their site (http://transformersclub.com/) - Tarantulas... now missing a LOT of paint apps on the robot and Microns that we saw at BotCon (in the first post above).

[griffin]

Hearing all the negative feedback over all the missing paint apps on this second version of Tarantulas, the Club have released a third version image (http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/conventions-15/tcc-figure-subscription-service-tarantulas-revised-promo-image-181139/), that changes a lot of the colours on the robot (including more striking greens), but still leaves the Microns as plain purple.
They've also fixed up the allegiance symbol on the artwork, which the artist put a Decepticon symbol on the leg instead of a Predacon symbol.

Since there are only two figures with new heads in this set, the more iconic Tarantulas should have got a new head instead of Carzap. Carzap, or Zap, is not well known enough to need a new head - it could have sufficed with Nightbeat's head, and no one probably would have complained about it not looking like the original Zap head. Most people know what Tarantulas' head looks like, but how many would know what Zap's head looks like?
A Tarantulas head would have helped push this motorcycle mould over the edge into "must have" for the robot mode.

[MayzaPrime]

Hearing all the negative feedback over all the missing paint apps on this second version of Tarantulas, the Club have released a third version image (http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/conventions-15/tcc-figure-subscription-service-tarantulas-revised-promo-image-181139/), that changes a lot of the colours on the robot (including more striking greens), but still leaves the Microns as plain purple.
They've also fixed up the allegiance symbol on the artwork, which the artist put a Decepticon symbol on the leg instead of a Predacon symbol.

Since there are only two figures with new heads in this set, the more iconic Tarantulas should have got a new head instead of Carzap. Carzap, or Zap, is not well known enough to need a new head - it could have sufficed with Nightbeat's head, and no one probably would have complained about it not looking like the original Zap head. Most people know what Tarantulas' head looks like, but how many would know what Zap's head looks like?
A Tarantulas head would have helped push this motorcycle mould over the edge into "must have" for the robot mode.

I agree, Nightbeat's head would have worked if, but isnt the mould still in use or alteast would have been when Zap would have been developed. However Zap could have been used in subscription service 4

[griffin]

The Club site has updated with the fourth figure - Carzap.

Carzap is actually the name of the unreleased Japanese white redeco of Zap & Windbreaker (http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Carzap), which I did not know until I looked it up today. (I thought the JP toy was either called Zap or unnamed because it was never released... and thought that FunPub called theirs Carzap because they couldn't end up using the name Zap - which was what they called it at BotCon.)


I still haven't seen a plausible reason why they preferred to give this toy a new head instead of Tarantulas. Not many people would be able to pick the original Zap's head out of a line-up to have this toy need it... but most people would be able to pick Tarantulas' head from a line-up for a "Tarantulas" toy to need it. And with Carzap coming with a Kreo Blackrock and mini-buildset, the toy already has something unique, so shouldn't be "greedy" with a new head as well.

[Tober]

So how do I go about getting Carzap if I'm not a TFCC member... :confused:

[griffin]

BBTS is probably the cheapest option on its own.

[Tober]

BBTS is probably the cheapest option on its own.

Thanks. :) :cool:

[griffin]

The artwork of the final Subscription figure has been released (http://www.transformersclub.com/) (Gen2 Starsceam), with about a week left before pre-orders close.

And to further promote the toys, a 22 page comic has been done up (https://twitter.com/The_TF_Club/status/514491786954567680), to be released digitally on the Club website tomorrow (not sure if it will be public, or viewable by logged in members - likely to be public if they are wanting to use it to sell more of the Subscription figures).
The comic follows on from last year's BotCon Machine Wars comic, but may not require reading that comic first.
The comic is being listed as Issue #9 of the Timelines series, which only now made me realise that this year's BotCon comic skipped ahead to issue #10 (last year's was #8 - and I didn't see anyone else pick up on the missing issue number).

Probably done to allow them to match up the issue number with their convention number for the anniversary this year (because they did two Issue #1 for 2005 & 2006, but 2005 was Volume 1, while the other 9 BotCon issues are Volume 2)... allowing them to slot in this non-BotCon issue into Volume 2.

[Tober]

So that would be this one (http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=HAS24021&mode=retail)?

No as easy to get. :rolleyes:

[Sinnertwin]

So that would be this one (http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=HAS24021&mode=retail)?

No as easy to get. :rolleyes:

Just keep checking daily, Tober
They put up one lot which sold out & then had more preorders made available. It's still early days & hopefully someone may cancel their preorder.

[Tober]

Just keep checking daily, Tober
They put up one lot which sold out & then had more preorders made available. It's still early days & hopefully someone may cancel their preorder.

Cool, thanks. Will keep an eye on it. :)

[griffin]

One of the few promises they've kept, but they are usually worse with long-term scheduling (this was just a next-day promise)... the free comic is up, which can be directly accessed here (http://transformersclub.com/Timelines9_2014.pdf).
(it's 60Mb, and took me ages to view/download it, so be patient, or maybe try it a little later when the Americans are done accessing it)

It also includes profiles of four of the six Subscription figures (missing G2 Starscream and Nacelle).

There's no mention of it being taken down after a period of time, but best to view/save it as soon as you can, in case it disappears suddenly.

[Tober]

Just keep checking daily, Tober
They put up one lot which sold out & then had more preorders made available. It's still early days & hopefully someone may cancel their preorder.

Just got a pre-order in. :D

[Paulbot]

(it's 60Mb, and took me ages to view/download it, so be patient, or maybe try it a little later when the Americans are done accessing it)

Explains why it took me over 20 minutes to get it to load on my phone this morning. I was going to read in to the train but the trip was over before even one page loaded!

[reillyd]

The catalogue and pretty pictures at the back did me in, and I bought a set. Reminds me of the old G1 catalogues each year :)

[UltraMarginal]

I do get the feeling that they've released this comic early to increase interest. I'm still on the fence but I haven't read the comic yet. :o

[SuspectimusPrime]

Thanks for the heads up, griffin. Bit the bullet and pre-ordered Krok (http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=HAS24016&mode=retail). Was quite afraid of it selling out, but after reading this disappointingly uninspired bio, I can understand why. A celebrity mecha-soccer player?! The word 'strategy' is only used once :(

Also, being silly here, but does anyone else think that Nacelle sounds like a girl's name? Couldn't they have called him TURBINE?

[Sinnertwin]

Also, being silly here, but does anyone else think that Nacelle sounds like a girl's name? Couldn't they have called him TURBINE?

I thought that too, but i find it quite fitting (http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en-AU&source=hp&q=nacelle&gbv=2&oq=nacelle&gs_l=heirloom-hp.3...5666.7855.0.8486.9.8.0.0.0.0.217.422.2-2.2.0....0...1ac.1.34.heirloom-hp..7.2.422.Y4dlyif1Riw) :)

[griffin]

I thought FunPub were just ripping off Star Trek with that name, but looking it up (http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Nacelle_%28WFC%29), it was taken from the Exodus book (along with BotCon 2013 Hotlink & Bitstream) that was printed in 2010.

(so maybe the Exodus author was the one ripping off a Star Trek word)

Obviously it is a real-life aircraft word (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nacelle), but I only ever heard it on Star Trek, and as a sci-fi fan of things like TFs & ST, I had never realised it was a real-world thing until now.

[spiderken17]

Yes, the nacelle is a part of a plane. Growing up with a plastic model building father has taught me much about planes.
Also yes, Nacelle is a dumb name for a Transformer. :)

[griffin]

For future reference - terms and conditions of the Subscription set (https://www.mastercollector.com/fss/termsandconditions.cfm?type=a).

The details on the subscription page...


The cost of the 6 figure subscription service is $297 (+ shipping for 6 shipments). You can pay all at once or in three installments of $99 (billed to your credit card). When you subscribe and choose pay by Installment, you will be billed for the first two month's shipments. Then sometime during the second month, you will be billed for the 3rd and 4th months' shipments and sometime
during the 4th month you will be billed for the final 2 months' shipments.

Please note that for the installment payment option there is a $4 service charge per billing
while the pay in full option has one $4 service charge.

The thing that confuses me, what is this service charge paying for? And why don't they include in the profit margin on the toys themselves and charge $301 plus shipping? Isn't the profit margin of their products supposed to cover resources, wages, labour, etc? Why tack on another $4 that could be part of the total price? Isn't the ordering system automated enough to not need a "service charge", that was only claimed to be instigated to pay for JUST the setting up of their online store.
If they were open to say what that extra several thousand dollars is going to, it wouldn't appear so sneaky or deceptive.

(Not that we'd ever know the answer to it - FunPub seems to treat Transformers Fans as mere replaceable customers, and Pete seems to be gagged from being able to answer anything put against the company, as he was able to answer my questions about creative things he was involved in, but not allowed to respond to the rest of my questions.)

[UltraMarginal]

crunch time is approaching, time to decide to either pick up some through third party sellers or buy the whole set and try to offload the same shitty ones as everyone else.

decisions decisions...

[Sinnertwin]

You could always put up a thread to gauge interest. There may be some local members interested in the others :)

[SuspectimusPrime]

If you're interested in keeping at least 4/6 (not banking on the 7th figure to be spectacular), then it seems like a good idea. Also, depends on your definition of 'shitty' :p

[Sinnertwin]

Hmmm.... Tarantulas, Carzap & Krok fit that definition :D:p

[Megatran]

crunch time is approaching, time to decide to either pick up some through third party sellers or buy the whole set and try to offload the same shitty ones as everyone else.

decisions decisions...

I'll take the crappy ones: Nacelle and G2 Starscream. :o

[Sky Shadow]

This is pretty cool, from the new comic:

http://oi61.tinypic.com/2v9teo3.jpg

[SuspectimusPrime]

^ Looks pretty good! This is what club catalogues should have looked like from day one.

[1AZRAEL1]

Hoping they all come out as shiny and great as those pictures. The fluroness of Tarantulas looks substantially better now.

[Sinnertwin]

Hoping they all come out as shiny and great as those pictures. The fluroness of Tarantulas looks substantially better now.

is he wearing hockey pads?

[crankcase76]

Just checked BBTS and they have 2nd round preorders up for the subscription figures, especially Nacelle and G2 Screamer .

[griffin]

Only a day left before pre-orders end... in case anyone was tempted to join the club and buy a full set.

[UltraMarginal]

Does anyone know if the 7th figure is a deluxe or something smaller? I feel like I've read or heard somewhere but I can't find it to confirm.

[Sky Shadow]

Does anyone know if the 7th figure is a deluxe or something smaller? I feel like I've read or heard somewhere but I can't find it to confirm.

It's likely to be a deluxe, just because it's probably a recolour of one of the other figures. It definitely comes with a Micron.

[UltraMarginal]

It's likely to be a deluxe, just because it's probably a recolour of one of the other figures. It definitely comes with a Micron.

cheers, I'm still sitting on the fence.
I'll probably sell off at least a couple of the set if I go ahead.

I like the two seekers, I like the bike mold and the scourge mold but the characters don't do anything for me.
the other two molds are meh and the characters don't do anything for me either. but the 7th could be awesome. maybe. or shit.

I guess I've got a few hours to go to think about it.

[griffin]

The silhouette on that "catalogue" in the free comic suggests it is a recolour of one of the Legends 2-packs, and refers to them as a plural.

[UltraMarginal]

well, I'm in now.

I forgot about all the shipping and with the mediocre exchange rate we're looking at about $84 per figure, not including the extra freebie.

I would like it if they repainted Carzap into windbreaker, that would be cool, and relatively easy for them to do but it'll probably end up in the next subscription or something ...

given the comment from Griffin, and the description with the eComic I think it will be a deluxe but probably a repaint of one of the others that has a micron partner.

[SuspectimusPrime]

Could also be the not-at-all-feminine-looking original BW Blackarachnia with more Arachnoids using the bike mould ;):p

[UltraMarginal]

Could also be the not-at-all-feminine-looking original BW Blackarachnia with more Arachnoids using the bike mould ;):p

those colours might look really good on that bike.

[Sky Shadow]

I had a think of some G1 characters who the existing 'beast' Arms Microns might best be recoloured into and came up with the following:

- One of the jets as Apeface with Arms Micron Gora as Spasma.
- One of the jets as Skyfall with Arms Micron Zamu as Top-Heavy.
- Anything as Charger with Arms Micron Zamu as Fire Beast.
- Carzap as Take-Off with Arms Micron Gul or Baru as Screech.
- Carzap as Rad with Arms Micron Jida as Lionizer.
- Krok as Devastator with Arms Micron Zori as Scorpulator (would be poetic because of the gang moulding they shared as Action Masters.)

It's unlikely that they'd do Jackpot, Bombshell or Banzai-Tron, but in the incredibly off chance that they did, they could use Arms Micron Gul or Baru as Sights, Arms Micron Ida as Needler or Arms Micron Gabu as Razor-Sharp.

Any other likely Micron usage? Obviously if the silhouettes are literal the seventh figure's Micron is not a beast, but I quite like the idea of any of the above being made in some way or other.

(Also, FunPub has said that they don't intend to use toys smaller than Deluxes (other than the Microns). But they've also said they've never overcharged on international shipping, so take that with a grain of bovine manure.)

[griffin]

given the comment from Griffin, and the description with the eComic I think it will be a deluxe but probably a repaint of one of the others that has a micron partner.

It was also tweeted by Pete, which I posted in post #12, that the bonus toy will be a Generations Legends toy with a "Targetmaster".

[Sky Shadow]

It was also tweeted by Pete, which I posted in post #12, that the bonus toy will be a Generations Legends toy with a "Targetmaster".

I think it might be this post (http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/transformers-news-rumors/1001160-tfss-3-0-official-images-revealed-3.html#post11569313) you're thinking of. And if it is the case, it could well be Cosmos as e-Hobby Pathfinder with Spay-C Micron.