Takara G1 Reissue & Classics Extravaganza!!

[kup]

From FTW2005:


http://www.fantofan.jp/

Encore 09 is Bumble (Bumblebee) with four other Minibots. The shadowed Minibots seem to be Powerglide, Warpath, Cosmos, and Huffer.
Encore 10 is OMEGA SUPREME!

Japanese Classics (HenKei "Transform"! Transformer) packaging and figures are also shown.

10 of the pictures are mirroed below, in case Fan2Fan goes down from heavy traffic. The other five pictures can be seen here.

http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/showthread.php?p=1843294

Highlights:

- We get a G1 Omega Supreme Reissue!!

- G1 Minibots! (Cartoon accurate face for Bumblebee)

- Kick Ass Classics Grimlock WITH GOLD CHROME!!

- A presentable Classics Starscream! (In regards to QC, I had bad experiences in that with the Hasbro version)

Kick Ass!

TAKARA YOU ROCK!

I will probably get Grimlock and Megatron and possibly another depending on how much of an improvement they are. Prime also looks to have chrome on his grill.
________
Taurus X (http://www.ford-wiki.com/wiki/Ford_Taurus_X)

[iceburn]

Thanks Kup...great news

[Borgeman]

OMEGA!!!!

*dances*

George

[G1Optimal]

If thats what the premium L.class primes, are going to look like.... :eek:

maybe, i will try and get at least one...

pic (http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/attachment.php?attachmentid=3302&d=1200409942)

That Bumblebee doesn't look to bad ether......

[gamblor916]

Yeah!!! Group buy anyone?

[Adzma]

Sweet! Omega Supreme! But I was hoping that Bumblebee wouldn't be part of the Encore line since, this is just me; I think his toy is hideous. Still got my fingers crossed for an Encore Grimlock announcement.

[liegeprime]

Yeah!!! Group buy anyone?

Im IN for group buy gamblor916.... as I don't have the means to order overseas hehehehe ( no paypal yet) I prefer someone locally! LMK how this develops, Great news KUP! Finally an Omega :D:D

[iceburn]

Trypticon, Metroplex and all the biggies next next...*haha*

[Soundwarp]

From FTW2005:
Highlights:

- We get a G1 Omega Supreme Reissue!!


OMG!!!!!!

Now this news ia worth breaking my silence!!!!

I am crying with joy, i was going to sell an arm and a leg on ebay to afford a perfect condition Omega but now i won't need to!

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[GoktimusPrime]

Guh... do I want a reissue Omega Supreme? On one hand, I have a complete Omega Supreme that's in reasonably good condition but the walking gimmick no longer works. Not sure if it's worth buying a reissue just for the walking gimmick... GAH! Undecided! :/

The Minibots reissue doesn't interest me at all as it sounds like just a re-release of the TFC minibot reissue set which I already have. I already have 5 different variants of G1 Bumblebee (6 if you include Bumblejumper) - don't think I need a 6th/7th. :p

Still, it's a neat set if you don't already have it. :)

In terms of the Henkei Transformers, I definitely want Megatron. That Starscream definitely looks nicer than Hasbro's but undecided as to whether or not I want to get him.


But I was hoping that Bumblebee wouldn't be part of the Encore line since, this is just me; I think his toy is hideous.
I've always liked the original Bumblebee toy - in context of being a 1st year G1 figure, it was well made. And I like the original head in all its glorious toy-accurate glory. :) But be aware that the TFC and Encore reissues have an entirely new showlike head and the rest of the toy has minor paint variations which makes the entire toy look more showlike.

http://www.tfclub.com/tffiles/toy/toynews/200401130003_12467.jpg


Still got my fingers crossed for an Encore Grimlock announcement.
I wouldn't hold my breath. We've never seen the Grimlock mould used since G2 - for the past 8 years of reissues from Takara we've never seen Grimlock reissued which suggests that they no longer have the moulds for this toy.

All these Encore reissues that we've seen and seen announced so far have either been from Takara-moulds that have already been reissued (e.g.: Convoy, Soundwave, Megatron, Ironhide, Ratchet, Jazz) or from non-Takara moulds which haven't been reissued (e.g.: Omega Supreme, Sky Lynx). The Dinobots are Takara-moulds which have not been reissued (at least not since 1990/91) so I'd say that the odds of seeing a Dinobot reissue are pret-ty slim. Being such a popular character, I'm sure that if Takara could have reissued him, they would have already done so. They've reissued Wheelie ffs... as if you wouldn't reissue Grimlock before that hunk o'crap toy if you could!


Trypticon, Metroplex and all the biggies next next...*haha*
Trypticon is definitely possible because we saw Takara reuse the mould in Beast Wars II... not sure if they've still kept the mould since then. Metroplex I really don't know.

Don't forget to fill out the feedback surveys and tell Takara what you want! :D

[Tiby]

This is great news! Sock it to the KO manufacturers!

[iceburn]

Don't forget to fill out the feedback surveys and tell Takara what you want! :D

Link me please?

[STL]

Sweet mother! Omega Supreme! Woot!

I'm excited and I already have one.

Now I have to wonder if it's worth chasing down a G1 Scorponok or will Takara re-issue another one....

[i_amtrunks]

I am very glad for the next 6 months being repaint heavy, means I can save for the Winter of 08, Animated, Classics 2.0 and now some re-issues I really want!

[GoktimusPrime]

Link me please?
Take out that little slip of paper that comes with all your Takara Transformers and you'll see the web site address...

http://www.takaratomyfans.com/

I've previously posted instructions on how to fill this survey out on the old-old board... I'm currently making new instructions (with pics!) but for some reason the site isn't accepting my JAN code number. I just tried to call Takara but the answering machine said that their call centre isn't open until 10am JST which is about half an hour from now - it's now 08:35 JST so I gotta call again around midday AEDST. But if you know what to do, then go nuts. :)

[iceburn]

ahhh its in jap..computer's displaying all as a bunch of ???? *haha*
looks like i can do it then...gok, fire away for the community

[Adzma]

I wouldn't hold my breath. We've never seen the Grimlock mould used since G2 - for the past 8 years of reissues from Takara we've never seen Grimlock reissued which suggests that they no longer have the moulds for this toy.

*Sniffle* I'm sad now. :( Me Adzma want you Grimlock to get a new mould already!

[hanprimus]

Thanks for the great news!!! Omega Supreme wahahaha......

[Paulbot]

Man this is a happy thread!! :)

Omega = <3

I'll get those Minibots too, I missed the first reissue and I want that cartoon Bumblebee face.

[Trailer Park Ninja]

Best. News. Evar. :D

[Kyle]

Welcome back Soundwarp! :)

[iceburn]

Welcome back Soundwarp! :)

eh?? where's soundwarp?

[Kyle]

Page 1 :p

[iceburn]

Page 1 :p

that's borge's signature...

[benben2142]

Yes I can’t believe it, there make a reissue of Omega Supreme and a Bumblebee both are so awesome and I so excited because HLJ will probable sell them cheap.

[Gutsman Heavy]

Thank Primus, OMEGA!!!!! I'm so happy right now, I haff a tear in my eye, so this is what happiness is!

EDIT: New Av in celebration!

[dirge]

i was going to sell an arm and a leg on ebay to afford a perfect condition Omega but now i won't need to!


You know, I'd still be willing to buy said arm and leg, if you're interested :p

Welcome back man :)

Gamblor & liegeprime: You would probably find that HLJ wouldn't send more than two Omega Supremes to a box, so any more than two wouldn't be worthwhile.

I'm stoked about Omega Supreme. I have all the yellow bits but the mechanism has randomly stopped working.

[Robzy]

OMEGA!!! :eek::eek:

This is the best news I've had all year ;)

[omega3]

yessssssssssssssss omega will be mine finally

[Saintly]

Yes I can’t believe it, there make a reissue of Omega Supreme and a Bumblebee both are so awesome and I so excited because HLJ will probable sell them cheap.

cheap? it's called japanese retail price...

then add postage

[GoktimusPrime]

Which is neither cheap or expensive. You're paying exactly what people in Japan would pay outside of sale price w/ postage. It is a perfectly reasonable price.

Cheap would be dealing with someone in Japan to go and bargain hunt for you for sales, which I've done many times before, but I'm happy to pay HLJ's prices too. :)

[GoktimusPrime]

Which is neither cheap nor expensive. It's exactly what you would pay in Japan outside of a sale plus postage. The only way to get it cheaper would be:
a/ You happen to be in Japan so you can go and hunt it down on sale (note: even when I was living in Japan I never actively bothered to hunt them down on sale :p - I've never seen a Transformer sold above RRP in Japan, they don't have the kind of price variations that we seem to have here)
b/ Get someone in Japan to bargain hunt for you and send the toy over. Something I've also done and still resort to for things that I can't get through HLJ
...but otherwise I think that HLJ's prices are perfectly reasonable and I'm happy to pay them when I use their service. :)


I'm stoked about Omega Supreme. I have all the yellow bits but the mechanism has randomly stopped working.
Nuts! Now I want one too for the same reason! Stupid peer pressure!! :p d: Ah well, now I'll be able to display Omega Supreme in both modes... ;)

[kup]

I cant justify importing a new Omega. Mine is repaired (walking mechanism was busted and rubber tracks on wheels had turned to dust) but I fixed it and it now works fine. Aside from that its in kick ass condition, he just needs stickers. But I am happy for all you guys who now get a chance to get an affordable Omega in mint condition :)

I also have the same approach to the Minibots, I already own them all and the Bumblebee cartoon face is not enough to justify buying them all again.

However the Gold chromed Classics Grimlock looks kick ass, same with Megatron but preorders have stopped :(. I am also tempted to get Prime due to the kick ass paint job and chromed grill.
________
Vaporgenie Vaporizer (http://www.vaporshop.com/vaporgenie-vaporizer.html)

[Paulbot]

I think the only way for TF communities to get more excited would be if ehobby were to announce a Guardian Robot repaint...!

[Kyle]

I'll get this reissue for sure, since I don't have the original one. An e-hobby Guardian robot repaint would rock!

[kup]

A guardian Robot repaint would be an absolute MUST and the possibility that it will happen is very strong too!
________
MAZDA J PLATFORM HISTORY (http://www.ford-wiki.com/wiki/Mazda_J_platform)

[Gutsman Heavy]

If they make an e-hobby guardian robot repaint I'll be stoked!

[GoktimusPrime]

that would be the height of teh kewlness!

[kup]

Isn't the color scheme of the Guardian robots based on the original colors that Omega had before Transformers?
________
Creampie Hardcore (http://www.fucktube.com/categories/463/hardcore/videos/1)

[GoktimusPrime]

No. But either repaint would be awesome IMO. :)

Pre-Transformers Omega Supreme - or Super Change Robo Mechabot-1, was mostly black.
http://www.actoys.net/bbs/attachment/Mon_0605/99_428_ba7e51aff320e7d.jpg

[Soundwarp]

That would be a sweet idea, only thing would be the price...

Was there a mention of price on the current Omega?

[The_Damned]

i wouldnt mind a MISB omega or 2!!!

[Soundwarp]

One in each mode :D

[STL]

That would be a sweet idea, only thing would be the price...

Was there a mention of price on the current Omega?

Nope. But I imagine it's at least 8000 yen. I think that was the price for Encore Sky Lynx. Even if it's 10000 yen, that's only about $110 AUD. That's pretty awesome for a MISB Omega Supreme. I might have one already but I would definitely buy another!

Just checked, Sky Lynx was 8,000 yen. Bodes well.

[roller]

bah so unfair the japs get it all while Roller gets nothing

or charged some insane price only affordable by European venitian river merchants

[kup]

No. But either repaint would be awesome IMO. :)

Pre-Transformers Omega Supreme - or Super Change Robo Mechabot-1, was mostly black.
http://www.actoys.net/bbs/attachment/Mon_0605/99_428_ba7e51aff320e7d.jpg

WoW! Omega's tank once had a flight mode! I didn't know that!
________
Porn On (http://www.fucktube.com/)

[Adzma]

Judging by how excited everyone is (I am too), I take it this is going to mark Omega's first reissue? I hope so, becuase that spells luck for my little dino bro'.

[liegeprime]

Gamblor & liegeprime: You would probably find that HLJ wouldn't send more than two Omega Supremes to a box, so any more than two wouldn't be worthwhile.
.

:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:(:( NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO..................MUST ...... HAVE........ OMEGA!!!!!!!

[Paulbot]

Adzma, yes this is the first time Omega's been reissued.

[GoktimusPrime]

It's also no greater guarantee of any Dinobots being reissued for reasons that I've already outlined on Page 1 of this thread. What it does mean is that there's hope for more non-Takara moulds to be reissued - such as the Deluxe Autobots, Deluxe Insecticons and Shockwave!

[kup]

Shockwave is a bit unlikely as Radioshak still has the license for it I think. But the Deluxe Insecticons, Roadbuster and Whirl are possible if Takara sees Market value in them.

I am personally hoping for Deluxe Insecticons.
________
BRUNETTE PORNSTAR (http://www.fucktube.com/categories/436/pornstar/videos/1)

[Adzma]

It's also no greater guarantee of any Dinobots being reissued for reasons that I've already outlined on Page 1 of this thread.
Well maybe it will if Takara realise there's great potential in sales, and they could possibly attempt to recreate the moulds, wouldn't be a true reissue per se, but it'd be as close as we could get.

[Gutsman Heavy]

Riding on the wake of Sky Lynx and Omega it seems almost any reissue is possible. Personally I'd love to see Shockwave, Trypticon, Scorponok, Bludgeon, Thunderwing, and a bunch of Headmasters & Powermasters! One can dream...

[Trailer Park Ninja]

Well maybe it will if Takara realise there's great potential in sales, and they could possibly attempt to recreate the moulds, wouldn't be a true reissue per se, but it'd be as close as we could get.

If they can put a man on the moon....how hard could it be???

[Robzy]

I remember years ago people saying Megatron wouldn't be reissued because of gun laws. Also, many people said Soundwave would be impossible because the mould was broken. Even 6 months ago Sky Lynx and Omega would've been only a transfan's dream... but look what's happened! ;)

I guess any character being reissued is "possible"! It just depends on who makes the decisions.

[GoktimusPrime]

a/ Megatron hasn't been reissued in countries where gun laws prohibit it! Those toy-gun laws don't exist in Japan so it's not a problem there. Why do you think we have the MP-05 Megatron Gun Club? ;)

b/ Soundwave's mould is lost. They had to retool a Soundblaster mould.

c/ Sky Lynx and Omega Supreme were considered unlikely because Takara didn't own the moulds. TakaraTOMY have since someone acquired the rights to those moulds - possibly because companies like ToyBox were bought out by TOMY, I'm not sure. But it wasn't unreasonable to not expect Takara to reissue toys from moulds that they don't own. Encore Sky Lynx and Omega Supreme technically won't be reissues because these Transformers were never released in Japan during G1!


If they can put a man on the moon....how hard could it be???

Great, as soon as TakaraTOMY gets government funding along the lines of NASA, then we should be seeing those Dinobots rolling in no time flat! ;)


Well maybe it will if Takara realise there's great potential in sales, and they could possibly attempt to recreate the moulds, wouldn't be a true reissue per se, but it'd be as close as we could get.
I hate to tell you this, but adult collectors compose a small minority of the Transformers consumer group. The majority of people who buy Transformer toys are children (and of course, adults who buy them for children) and thus adult collector oriented toys like G1 reissues only appeal to a very small and specialised niche market. As a result, Takara produces their reissues in more limited production runs and markets them specifically at adult collectors instead of kids (Ages 15+).

"But why don't they make them in regular production runs and market them at children too?"
...because G1 Transformers suck to kids these days? ;p Oh look, a really non-poseable brick-former that looks cumbersome, cheats by using stickers for details, and is less durable than more recent Transformers!

But just to give you the benefit of the doubt, Hasbro did do exactly that! They marketed their G1 reissues at kids (Ages 8+) and as a result had to do some nasty modifications to the toys for them to comply with current toy safety standards... missiles were ridiculously lengthened, launchers were neutered and for some reason that nobody can understand, they were stripped of chrome. And remember how these things shelf warmed? Yeah... that sure was fun. Not.

Re-constructing a mould for Takara is prohibitively expensive. It already cost them a bucket-load of money to re-cast the arms of Optimus Prime from scratch, but a character like Optimus Prime was justified because ... well.. it's Optimus Prime! And even then, look at how many times they've reused that G1 Prime mould again and again and again and again and again to milk as much money back off it! Phwoar!

And that's just the arms... you're talking about re-constructing the Dinobots from scratch?

...I just don't see how that could be economically viable, let alone profitable, for TakaraTOMY. :/

[STL]

Re-constructing a mould for Takara is prohibitively expensive. It already cost them a bucket-load of money to re-cast the arms of Optimus Prime from scratch, but a character like Optimus Prime was justified because ... well.. it's Optimus Prime! And even then, look at how many times they've reused that G1 Prime mould again and again and again and again and again to milk as much money back off it! Phwoar!

And that's just the arms... you're talking about re-constructing the Dinobots from scratch?

...I just don't see how that could be economically viable, let alone profitable, for TakaraTOMY. :/

This keeps getting tossed around like it's fact. Until someone gives me a rational explanation for why this is the case, I'll continue to be skeptical.

If you look at how easy KOs are getting done, you're essentially saying that Takara is so inefficient that they can't embark on a process that cheap, inferior production plants in China can.

There's no logic behind it to me. And asking me to believe something that illogical is a tough ask.

If it is the truth though, I'd love to hear an explanation. It confounds me that it could cost -that- much to simply recast arms...

[Robzy]

a/ Megatron hasn't been reissued in countries where gun laws prohibit it! Those toy-gun laws don't exist in Japan so it's not a problem there. Why do you think we have the MP-05 Megatron Gun Club? ;)

That's not what I mean - I'm saying he has been released regardless of what country we're talking about! (it's perfectly legal to import reissue Megs but not MP Megs - but that's another issue! :rolleyes:) So my point still stands... People said Megatron wouldn't be reissued... He was! They said Soundwave wouldn't be reissued... He was! They said Omega would NEVER be reissued... He is! People also say Shockwave and Grimlock won't be reissued... let's wait and see ;)



Encore Sky Lynx and Omega Supreme technically won't be reissues because these Transformers were never released in Japan during G1!

Then why are they part of the "ENCORE" line? ;)



G1 Transformers suck to kids these days? ;p Oh look, a really non-poseable brick-former that looks cumbersome, cheats by using stickers for details, and is less durable than more recent Transformers!

I agree!


Re-constructing a mould for Takara is prohibitively expensive. It already cost them a bucket-load of money to re-cast the arms of Optimus Prime from scratch,

How expensive was it? This is the first I've heard of it.

[GoktimusPrime]

This keeps getting tossed around like it's fact. Until someone gives me a rational explanation for why this is the case, I'll continue to be skeptical.

If you look at how easy KOs are getting done, you're essentially saying that Takara is so inefficient that they can't embark on a process that cheap, inferior production plants in China can.

There's no logic behind it to me. And asking me to believe something that illogical is a tough ask.

If it is the truth though, I'd love to hear an explanation. It confounds me that it could cost -that- much to simply recast arms...
Remember that:
a/ Bootleggers don't have the produce to the same production and quality standards that Takara sets for themselves and that their consumers would demand.
b/ Bootleggers have far less operational costs than Takara. For one thing, they don't have to pay for R&D/engineering which is an entire division in Takara.
c/ Bootleggers don't have to pay for licensing. Believe it or not, but licensing cost craploads. Remember those little comic books that I published for the Sydney TF conventions? Do you know how much Hasbro asked me to pay to purchase the licence just to publish those little comic books? AU$10,000. That's right. Just imagine the cost of licensing for action figures with registered trademarked and copyrighted names etc.
d/ Bootleggers don't pay for marketing. Advertising costs a lot of money.
e/ afaik most bootleggers operate entirely from very low-wage countries like China and paying their employees entirely in cheaper currencies like RMB. Companies like Takara are based in Japan paying full wages to employees in JPY. Sure, their primary production is done in factories in China, but their design and main operational staff are located in Japan. Then there's the cost of coordinate their operations between Japan, China and the United States with Hasbro - all legit, which means they pay taxes. Somehow I doubt bootleggers pay full tax. (-_-)

Takara themselves have stated that reconstructing a toy from scratch is heniously expensive. Do you remember how they were... well, not complaining, but they certainly weren't hiding the fact that recasting Optimus Prime's arms were a massive expense for them. And we've seen how they've kept remilking that mould... since they did the arm recast on the G2 Prime mould, we've seen...
+ reissue Convoy
+ Convoy black version
+ New Year Special Convoy
(+ Commemorative Edition Optimus Prime <--as requested by Hasbro)
+ Transformer Collection Convoy
+ Pepsi Convoy
(+ Pepsi Optimus Prime <--as requested by Hasbro)
+ iPod docking station Convoy
+ Encore Convoy
...Optimus Prime has been reissued more times than any other G1 mould, and it's easy to see that Optimus Prime is also the most sellable character simply because he's Optimus Prime (not rocket science).

If you really doubt all this, feel free to contact Takara, ask to speak to the head of their Transformers division (last time I checked it was Mr. Takagi) and ask him directly (yes, Takagi-san speaks fluent English - I've spoken to him myself).


That's not what I mean - I'm saying he has been released regardless of what country we're talking about! (it's perfectly legal to import reissue Megs but not MP Megs - but that's another issue! )
Err... G1 Megatron's kinda in a legal limbo... afaik it's still technically illegal to import this toy, but it's just that Australian Customs aren't actively seeking this toy like they did with MP Megatron. But before MP Megatron none of us ever worried much about importing a gun Megatron... I think that the Megatron Gun Club should extend itself to include G1 Megatron (and all other forms of gun Transformers, for all those Megaplex and Browning lovers).


So my point still stands... People said Megatron wouldn't be reissued... He was! They said Soundwave wouldn't be reissued... He was! They said Omega would NEVER be reissued... He is! People also say Shockwave and Grimlock won't be reissued... let's wait and see
I've never heard of people saying that Megatron and Soundwave would never be reissued period. I've only heard people say that Megatron would never be reissued in the Hasbro markets. And how long did those rumours last anyway? 8 months? Because the first Takara reissue (Convoy) came out in June 2000 and the first Megatron came out in Jan/Feb 2001... so... that's kinda weird.

People said that Omega Supreme and Shockwave would never be reissued because they're not Takara moulds. The fact that TakaraTOMY has somehow since managed to acquire the Sky Lynx and Omega Supreme mould and been able to reissue them is fantastic news, but it doesn't mean that people's doubts were unfounded. It's not unreasonable to assume that moulds that don't belong to Takara can't be reissued by Takara!! Remember that Takara were never even able to release these moulds during G1 (they were Hasbro exclusives)!

So I'm not saying that a Grimlock or G1 Dinobots reissue is impossible, but I'd say it's highly improbable. If Takara was able to reissue any of the Dinobots why wouldn't they have already done so in the last eight years of continuous reissues from Takara?? We've seen them go through the first reissue series (no special name), the Collector's Edition series, the Transformers Collection series and now the Encore series. That's four different series of reissues in eight years and not once have we seen a Dinobot reissue. And it's not as if people aren't asking for them. I've been asking, other fans I know have been asking - a lot of fans have been asking them for years and years in the old self-address cardboard survey slips that we kept filling out and mailing back to Takara many, many times. I'm sure we're not the only ones who have been asking. They've released other less-popular characters like God Ginrai, Star Convoy, G2 Laser Prime, Landcross, the Micromaster gestalts and Wheelie for crying out loud. As if you'd reissue Wheelie before Grimlock! The fact that they did indicates to me that in all probability, they are just unable to reissue Grimlock.

But hey, if they did, I'd be pre-ordering one lickity-split. Prove me wrong, Takara! But er, yeah... I wouldn't hold my breath.

Unfortunately the current online survey system doesn't let you submit suggestions for future reissues like the old snail-mail ones did (probably got fed up from all the relentless requests from dirge for a Time Warrior reissue/Binaltech/Masterpiece :p). If you're really keen on suggesting it, feel free to call TakaraTOMY.

Tokyo centre: 0011-81-3-5650-1031
Osaka centre: 0011-81-6-6395-1031
Weekdays 10:00~17:00JST (12:00~19:00AEDST) excl. public holidays


How expensive was it? This is the first I've heard of it.
I haven't heard an exact amount, but I've heard that Takara said it was a lot.

[Robzy]

Err... G1 Megatron's kinda in a legal limbo... afaik it's still technically illegal to import this toy, but it's just that Australian Customs aren't actively seeking this toy like they did with MP Megatron. But before MP Megatron none of us ever worried much about importing a gun Megatron... I think that the Megatron Gun Club should extend itself to include G1 Megatron (and all other forms of gun Transformers, for all those Megaplex and Browning lovers).

Well, I guess it depends on where you live in Australia! I've had no problems importing a G1 Megatron reissue recently, and my MP Megatron arrived in the post too! Also, several stores I frequent have had no problems getting Encore Megatron or MP Megatron in (Shintokyo had 8 MP Megs delivered before Christmas!) It seems like the eastern states are the only ones with the problems unfortunately!


I've never heard of people saying that Megatron and Soundwave would never be reissued period. I've only heard people say that Megatron would never be reissued in the Hasbro markets.

I remember reading "concerns" on several TF websites (Seibertron etc...) about Megatron. I definitely remember people writing on the forums that the Soundwave mould was broken/lost. Then all of a sudden it was announced as one of the TFCs. After that, I stopped believing what I read by so-called "experts"!


That's four different series of reissues in eight years and not once have we seen a Dinobot reissue. And it's not as if people aren't asking for them.

I wonder what the reason is!

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

Wow, I didn't know that Omega and Sky Lynx isn't show up in Japan G1! So all that time they had on the cartoon and Japanese fans would have been wondering how to get one.

This is fantastic news though. Once I have both I can have a foot race!! I had Omega when I was a kid, as I got him for Xmas one year, but the walking/driving feature broke so I took him back and got.............Octane....:eek: Godd news is I love Octane ( hey I was very young and the shop didn't have any Omegas in stock at the time).

As for Gok and your plans for having one in both modes, well lets hope you have a LOT of space available.;)

[Soundwarp]

This is fantastic news though. Once I have both I can have a foot race!! I had Omega when I was a kid, as I got him for Xmas one year, but the walking/driving feature broke so I took him back and got.............Octane....:eek: Godd news is I love Octane ( hey I was very young and the shop didn't have any Omegas in stock at the time).



Lol i raced my Skylynx and Trypticon and tryps won by heaps, can't wait to add Omega..


Oh and Octane does rule!!

[Adzma]

Hmm it seems my Grimmers wish has caused much stirring amongst the board... espically Gok... Maybe, Gok doesn't want a reissued Grimlock! He's in league with Takara and is paying them millions a year to prevent all Grimlock reissues and instead has one made each month purely for his own benefit! As he sits at his desk, he cackles away and uses the various Grimlock boxes to light Cuban Cigars, then tosses the toy into the fire!

Anyway, getting serious again. ;)

Well, I guess it depends on where you live in Australia! I've had no problems importing a G1 Megatron reissue recently, and my MP Megatron arrived in the post too! Also, several stores I frequent have had no problems getting Encore Megatron or MP Megatron in (Shintokyo had 8 MP Megs delivered before Christmas!) It seems like the eastern states are the only ones with the problems unfortunately!
Ooh! That's awesome. That means that anybody on the West coast who's willing can import MP Megs for us folk on the east coast and send it to us. The national customs is REALLY lax compared to the international. My brother has a replica Walther PPK that he ordered from WA and it could be mistaken for a real gun no question. Hell, it's even weighted accuately. I'll post a pic of it in a sec...

EDIT: Here we go.
http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/5776/waltherppklv2.th.jpg (http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/5776/waltherppklv2.jpg)
Now I know if I was a 7/11 clerk, or a bank teller I would be shite scared if someone drew this on me. If someone drew an MP-5 on me, and I didn't know what it was I'd probably be like... What the hell is that ludicrously oversized plastic gun thing?

[iceburn]

Not sure if anyone has seen it but Omega Supreme in digital-toys (http://www.digital-toys.com) is only priced at US$110 (to be released in June 2008).
Bumblebee and 5 minibots will be at US$35 (to be released in May 2008)

sorry for those whom have read my earlier post.

[kup]

The Dinobots wont happen because the KOers are already doing very competent (but illegal) recreations of them. Takara would need to compete with those which many fans have probably already purchased thanks to popular fan websites promoting them such as FTW2005.
________
Volcano vaporizers (http://volcanovaporizer.net/)

[STL]

Remember that:
a/ Bootleggers don't have the produce to the same production and quality standards that Takara sets for themselves and that their consumers would demand.
b/ Bootleggers have far less operational costs than Takara. For one thing, they don't have to pay for R&D/engineering which is an entire division in Takara.
c/ Bootleggers don't have to pay for licensing. Believe it or not, but licensing cost craploads. Remember those little comic books that I published for the Sydney TF conventions? Do you know how much Hasbro asked me to pay to purchase the licence just to publish those little comic books? AU$10,000. That's right. Just imagine the cost of licensing for action figures with registered trademarked and copyrighted names etc.
d/ Bootleggers don't pay for marketing. Advertising costs a lot of money.
e/ afaik most bootleggers operate entirely from very low-wage countries like China and paying their employees entirely in cheaper currencies like RMB. Companies like Takara are based in Japan paying full wages to employees in JPY. Sure, their primary production is done in factories in China, but their design and main operational staff are located in Japan. Then there's the cost of coordinate their operations between Japan, China and the United States with Hasbro - all legit, which means they pay taxes. Somehow I doubt bootleggers pay full tax. (-_-)

Takara themselves have stated that reconstructing a toy from scratch is heniously expensive. Do you remember how they were... well, not complaining, but they certainly weren't hiding the fact that recasting Optimus Prime's arms were a massive expense for them.

I haven't heard an exact amount, but I've heard that Takara said it was a lot.

I don't know. I still can't see it. This is part and parcel of their operations. Something they should be used to. There should be economies of scale and, if not that (or both), economies of scope. I can't see it. I mean, they licence all the time. Certainly it shouldn't be that -much- work to a company that makes a living out of this.

Knock-Off-ers have lesser costs granted. But they also by definition have lesser reach. So they're not exactly better off. There's pros and cons.

I'm not saying I don't trust Takara's word. But I'm still at a loss. Hardcore and knowledgeable fans like you don't understand it.

Either way, I'm not ungrateful for these new re-issues, mind you. Just stating that there's an inherent flaw in the logic that I'm being asked to accept.

I'm mighty excited about all these and am going to grab all the Encores. Most so far, I already have. But that doesn't stop me from wanting a crisp, clean new version (unless there's a TFC version floating around)

[1orion2many]

:)I'm glad you guys are all excited about Omega, I have 2 of them. One is in it's scruffy box and working and the second one needs to be fixed and put back together but I think both are complete from what I can remember so I haven't got to excited myself. Show me Shockwave and then you'll see this:D

[STL]

http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/showthread.php?t=163255

New and better images of Takara Classics.

They're all pretty awesome, especially, Starscream. I'm glad I preordered them early on. Grimlock looks a little funny with all the red

[Robzy]

http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/showthread.php?t=163255

New and better images of Takara Classics.

They're all pretty awesome, especially, Starscream. I'm glad I preordered them early on. Grimlock looks a little funny with all the red

Yeah, they're not bad... but Megatron's the only one I'll be getting I think!

I wonder (when it comes time to release repaints) if we'll see Thundercracker, Dirge and Thrust in this line. Maybe even anime-coloured Astrotrain?

[jaydisc]

I've seen a lot of commenters hoping for a differently colored Astrotrain, but the Hasbro Astrotrain is the already colored in the Japanese colors... I can't image Takara would paint theirs with the USA colors.

Ooooh. lots of chrome on these... I'll still stick with just Megs for now.

[iceburn]

gosh..i'm attracted to all of them now. *haha*
anyone wants my complete Hasbro 2nd set?????

[GoktimusPrime]

I don't know. I still can't see it. This is part and parcel of their operations. Something they should be used to. There should be economies of scale and, if not that (or both), economies of scope. I can't see it. I mean, they licence all the time. Certainly it shouldn't be that -much- work to a company that makes a living out of this.
I believe it is when you're making a relatively small and limited production run, which is what Takara does with reissues because it is catering for a relatively small and specialised niche market.

From what Takara told us with their Convoy reissue, re-constructing even part of a mould is a highly costly venture... that's why when they reconstruct moulds they will try to use as many parts from existing moulds as possible. Look at the Optimus Prime reissues. The arms are new casts, but the rest of the toy was recasted from the G2 Optimus Prime mould. Same with Jazz. Soundwave is essentially a reissue of Soundblaster, although Takara did make a new door, but the rest of that toy is from Soundblaster, hence why reissue Soundwave still has Soundblaster's head, buttons and door hinges.

The only way that Takara could reissue the Dinobots would be to take the G2 Dinobot moulds and recast it from there... but do they even still have the G2 Dinobot moulds? If so, how much? We know that Takara discarded the arms of the G2 Prime mould, hence requiring expensive full reconstruction of those lost parts.

And does Takara even still own the Swoop mould? We've never seen that mould used since 1984. In 1991 we saw three Dinobots reissued - Grimlock, Sludge and Snarl. In 1993 we saw Dinobot moulds reused for G2 - Grimlock, Snarl and Slag. So we haven't seen the Swoop mould in 24 years, we haven't seen Sludge in 17 years and we haven't seen the other Dinobots in 15 years. We haven't seen Wheeljack or Sunstreaker since they were reissued 18 years ago and we haven't seen Mirage since he first debuted 24 years ago.

Now I'm not saying that they've absolutely lost these moulds - I honestly don't know... but I'm saying that in my observation, I have come to deduce that the moulds are either lost or too far deteriorated to justify the cost of reconstruction for reissue.

...or maybe for some bizarre unknown reason, Takara has just decided NOT to reissue these highly popular moulds that collectors would have been asking them to reissue in their old feedback surveys... I don't see the logic behind that though. They have nothing to lose but a lot to gain from reissuing the Dinobots, Sunstreaker and Mirage. The fact that all these characters have seen new incarnations in Armadaverse, Binaltech, Robot Masters, Universe and Classics indicates that HasTak is acutely aware that these are popular characters.

And as I've mentioned before, Takara has reissued other characters which are far less popular - not necessarily unpopular, but not as iconically popular as the Dinobots... such as Targetmaster Hot Rod, Targetmaster Kup, WHEELIE!! (I still can't believe they reissued him - he even got an e-Hobby repaint!) - and be honest, how many of you even knew who the hell Landcross, Sixtrain, Sixturbo, Sixliner and Sixwing were before they were reissued?? These far lesser known and less popular figures get reissued yet the Dinobots haven't?

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z167/Great_WhiteSnark/Wheelie.jpg
"Even Wheelie can't believe this crock,
that I got reissued instead of Grimlock!"

[SofaMan]

And does Takara even still own the Swoop mould? We've never seen that mould used since 1984.

Swoop was reissued last year, wasn't it?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Transformers-G1-Reissue-Autobot-Dinobot-Swoop-New_W0QQitemZ320206536082QQihZ011QQcategoryZ4696QQ ssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

EDIT: No, wait, this is a knockoff. A good quality knockoff, mind you.

If no 'authentic original' mould exists, surely some arrangement could be reached with these knockoff makers. I mean, they obviously have the moulds , and the facilities to produce good quality reproductions...

[kup]

Swoop was reissued last year, wasn't it?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Transformers-G1-Reissue-Autobot-Dinobot-Swoop-New_W0QQitemZ320206536082QQihZ011QQcategoryZ4696QQ ssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

EDIT: No, wait, this is a knockoff. A good quality knockoff, mind you.

If no 'authentic original' mould exists, surely some arrangement could be reached with these knockoff makers. I mean, they obviously have the moulds , and the facilities to produce good quality reproductions...

I was thinking something similar since even on the poor quality KOs such as the Constructicons and other Combiners, the mold detailing is spot on, only the plastic they used is bad.

These KOers have already done the heavy work for them, If Takara licenses them or buys them out, all they have to do is put the Takara stamp and be a bit more serious when it comes to QC.
________
Shower sex (http://www.fucktube.com/categories/37/shower/videos/1)

[GoktimusPrime]

...cos dealing with bootleggers is legal. :p The most Takara can do is ask the Chinese government to enforce copyright laws and help bring these pirates to justice, but as we all know China is pretty slack when it comes to copyright enforcement (which is why copyright infringement is so widespread there - whereas Japanese copyright laws are even stricter than ours). Even a lot of US corporations like Sony are always battling to try to elicit China to crack down on their pirates with pirated CDs and DVDs but it doesn't really seem to be doing much. Even George W. Bush once had a meeting with Hu Jingtao where he asked him to be more vigilant against those who break copyright laws, but afaik Hu just gave Bush lip service and hasn't really done bugger all about it.

But yeah... I don't think that TakaraTOMY can even legally be able to deal with bootleggers lest they face prosecution from Japanese industry watchdogs (which as I've mentioned before, are uber strict).

[roller]

Is the encore soundwave a remold of the origiinal if the original mould is broken?

[GoktimusPrime]

Encore Soundwave is the Soundblaster mould but with the tape-chest door reconstructed to look more like Soundwave's. Hasbro's TRU reissue Soundwave is 100% Soundblaster mould (it's nothing more than a repainted Soundblaster).

Comparison between G1 Soundwave, TRU Soundwave and Soundblaster
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/soundwave_soundblaster.jpg

Comparison between original, Encore and TRU Soundwaves.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/soundwaves-1.jpg

Comparison between G1 Soundwave, TRU Soundwave, Encore Soundwave and Soundblaster (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhRjcF1Lb5w)

[dirge]

...and be honest, how many of you even knew who the hell Landcross, Sixtrain, Sixturbo, Sixliner and Sixwing were before they were reissued??


I knew, and had seen all of them in the flesh, well before they were reissued :D

I'd always wanted SixTurbo & SixBuilder, so I was very happy with the news of their reissuing.

We won't go into how much I paid for my (original, not reissue) Landcross set :eek:

[liegeprime]

[QUOTE=GoktimusPrime;3246]

And as I've mentioned before, Takara has reissued other characters which are far less popular - not necessarily unpopular, but not as iconically popular as the Dinobots... such as Targetmaster Hot Rod, Targetmaster Kup, WHEELIE!! (I still can't believe they reissued him - he even got an e-Hobby repaint!) - and be honest, how many of you even knew who the hell Landcross, Sixtrain, Sixturbo, Sixliner and Sixwing were before they were reissued?? These far lesser known and less popular figures get reissued yet the Dinobots haven't?

/QUOTE]

Wouldn't you know it, Wheelie is acursed figure... even Hasbro execs know that all the fandom HATES Wheelie, yet for some reason the mold "survived" the great fire of the Takara factory ( wherein most of the molds got lost)Cursed I tel you , Cursed!!! And we the fans are to suffer for this cursed figure!!!:eek::eek::eek:

[Soundwarp]

Omega Supreme is up at Tranfigure toys for pre - order price of $140.00AUD

[Soundwarp]

Omega Supreme is up at Tranfigure toys for pre - order price of $140.00AUD



Is anyone pre-ordering?

[dirge]

I will be preordering Omega at HLJ as soon as I can (:

[STL]

Likewise, Dirge. I've been waiting but haven't seen it offered up yet myself

[iceburn]

apparently mel has send them an email asking about it. they replied saying they're still discussing with the source on how many they will be getting in. so be patient my young ones...(i'm suppose to be an "uncle" here)

[Soundwarp]

OK who exactly is HLJ?

[iceburn]

HobbyLink Japan - http://www.hlj.com (http://www.hlj.com/)

[liegeprime]

Is anyone pre-ordering?

I did... just paid today as well.. I'm keeping my fingers crossed they wont F*@k me up this time with their new management. Since my last order with them ended up with a refund ( Kissplay Tapes). Although they did pull through with regards to my order of the MP "Naughty One" :D:D

[iceburn]

I did... just paid today as well.. I'm keeping my fingers crossed they wont F*@k me up this time with their new management. Since my last order with them ended up with a refund ( Kissplay Tapes). Although they did pull through with regards to my order of the MP "Naughty One" :D:D

Did you order with Transfigure Toys?

[Trailer Park Ninja]

apparently mel has send them an email asking about it. they replied saying they're still discussing with the source on how many they will be getting in. so be patient my young ones...(i'm suppose to be an "uncle" here)

Ok, "Uncle", I'm one of your nephews, buy me two in advance for my birthday lol :D:p

[iceburn]

Ok, "Uncle", I'm one of your nephews, buy me two in advance for my birthday lol :D:p

*faints* someone save me!

[Saintly]

apparently mel has send them an email asking about it. they replied saying they're still discussing with the source on how many they will be getting in. so be patient my young ones...(i'm suppose to be an "uncle" here)

you're not benben's uncle, are you?? :eek: :D :p

[STL]

Me too, pwease, Unca Iceburn!

[Tober]

Omega Supreme 5% off Pre-order special at HLJ.com (http://www.hlj.com/product/TKT30346)

Or 20% off at F2F (http://www.fantofan.jp/earlybirdsp.htm).

[Rampage]

Omega Supreme 5% off Pre-order special at HLJ.com (http://www.hlj.com/product/TKT30346)

Or 20% off at F2F (http://www.fantofan.jp/earlybirdsp.htm).

are F2F shipping prices pretty much the same as HLJ?

[Tober]

EMS is about the same.

SAL can be about 60% more from F2F for a small package or more if you want it tracked and insured. (something HLJ doesn't offer. Larger parcels are about the same.

If you email F2F they will give you a 'worst case scenario' amount for shipping.

[kup]

Takara Classics Astrotrain will be Purple and gray like his G1/cartoon toy!

http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/classics-11/possible-japanese-transformers-classics-astrotrain-picture-164180/

http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=TAK10804&mode=retail&picture=out
________
Montana Dispensaries (http://montana.dispensaries.org/)

[Paulbot]

Looks good, but also a little photoshopped... I hope it's right though as those colours look great.

[STL]

Well I do hope it's right cos basically I already pre-ordered a week back on the faith of Takara's current run of Classics.

[Robzy]

I tell ya - with all these great "repaints" in the Japanese line, I'm more and more inclined to skip Hasbro's 2.0 releases and just wait until they come out in Japan in the better colours... e.g. Powerglide!

But knowing my lack of will power, I'll probably end up getting both! :rolleyes:

[shole]

sweet
I should start collecting the encore series
been ages since I bought a TF now
also been ages since I was on the old forums as well

btw can we still purchase encore megatron without having to go through all those issues with MP-05 megs?

[GoktimusPrime]

I'd say no. You're better off getting the permit which says "Megatron Transformer" which means it would also cover Encore Megatron, not just MP Megs.

[autobreadticon]

what eva happened to these encore mini-vehicles, and for the love of wheelie where is that thead with that preorder info ?:confused::confused::confused::confused::confused :

[Tober]

what eva happened to these encore mini-vehicles, and for the love of wheelie where is that thead with that preorder info ?:confused::confused::confused::confused::confused :


According to Japanese Online retailer Red Mercury the TakaraTomy Encore/Reissue Minibots set will contain Bumblebee, Swerve, Pipes, Tailgate and Outback.

http://www.redmercury.co.jp/shop/detail.php?code=080424-RED-3972


and for the love of wheelie where is that thead with that preorder info ?:confused::confused::confused::confused::confused :

Which one?

HLJ.com preorder page (http://www.hlj.com/product/TKT30344)

[autobreadticon]

this original thead had different shadows of mini.........

[kup]

I just got an email from HLJ telling me that Encore Skylynx is ready for shipment.

Cool!
________
HONDA CBR954RR (http://www.cyclechaos.com/wiki/Honda_CBR954RR)

[JuzMel]

I just got an email from HLJ telling me that Encore Skylynx is ready for shipment.

Cool!
Yep +1 Yippie... :D

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

Having just read the abovie 2 posts, I went to check my accoutn a HLJ and I am waiting for them to process it all YAY!

Can I keep him in his box until Omega Supreme arrives? ( I wanna race them)


NOT LIKELY!:D

[autobreadticon]

it says that HLJ will open preorders for encore minis in march, i dont what you mean Tetsuwan Convoy

[shole]

oh man I love this exchange rate
bought skylinx for us$80 shipped
paid via paypal cost me au$87 shipped

[Paulbot]

Just been emailed to say my Sky Lynx has been shipped. :)

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

it says that HLJ will open preorders for encore minis in march, i dont what you mean Tetsuwan Convoy
I was talking about Sky Lynx. I missed the early bird for the minis, but got it with Omega Supreme.

I got charged for EMS shipping on Sky Lynx. 8,000 yen for the toy, 4,000 yen for shipping, the language I used when I saw the price of shipping: Priceless.:D

Anybody else get charged for EMS, or have I mucked up my account somewhere?

[Tober]

Check you 'shipping method' in your account overview.

Otherwise if there were other items in your parcel that total more than 15,000 yen it will be shipped EMS for insurance reasons.


Cool sig btw.

[STL]

Okay i finally got a payment request from HLJ (thanks Tober on telling me about how they work) but the shipping via SAL is 3,850? Is that right? What did other people pay?

[dirge]

HLJ use EMS where SAL is either not available or uneconomical. Basically it means the thing is too big, heavy or expensive!

I too have been charged for EMS when I normally use SAL. For two toys EMS worked out at ¥5400 - about $27 a toy.

[SofaMan]

Yeah, I got slugged 4000¥ postage as well, and I had SAL set as my default.

They're good though - I know they only change it for the reasons Dirge outlined. I'm happy to pay the extra 150¥ for way faster delivery, and obviously there is a point with size/weight/expense that SAL isn't economical.

[STL]

So does it still show up on your invoice as SAL? I'd be happy to pay that amount if I knew it was EMS. Just a bit shocked that much for SAL as otherwise I'd have gone for EMS.

[dirge]

My shipping notice does indeed list EMS. Can't speak for the single toy orders.

[iceburn]

i've got charged Y5400 for EMS as i've ordered the scene battle packs too.

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

Check you 'shipping method' in your account overview.

Otherwise if there were other items in your parcel that total more than 15,000 yen it will be shipped EMS for insurance reasons.

Yeh, I just went and checked and it is set on the SAL option. I know they use the EMS for insurance and sometimes when it is cheaper than SAL. I was just surprised as I have little idea as to how heavy he is and how big the box is. I am beginning to dread when my order for 3 Omega Supremes gets processed:o


3,850? Is that right? What did other people pay?
Looks like its about right with everyone about the same. I reckon they went for the EMS option due to insurance. If you look under your address as listed on the shipping notice, it will tell you which way it has been sent, but I believe that SAL is not traceable, so if you have an EMS tracking number listed than you got yerself some EMS Shipping thar.



Cool sig btw.
Cheers

[Tober]

According to the Japanese Postal Reference Table (http://www.post.japanpost.jp/english/fee/intel/parcel.html) it's actually cheaper to send a small pac by EMS than by SAL.

At around about the 1.5 kg mark the 2 methods even out a bit at 4,200/3,850 yen.

Box size is also a factor ofcourse.



i've got charged Y5400 for EMS as i've ordered the scene battle packs too.

I think you're missing a 0 :P

[iceburn]

Tober, 5,400 is just for EMS shipping. Total is 19,650

[Gutsman Heavy]

Transfigure toys have posted my Skylinx, along with Ironhide and Ratchet. Woo.

[sifun]

I freaking paid 124 bucks for skylinx from hlj. Ripped off hard.
I seem to get ripped off now a days its not funny.

transfigure have it for 115 btw. If we ordered 10 it would've been $83.5 each.

Who wants minibots? I do! hmm wonder how much a group order would be.

[iceburn]

transfigure originally had their price for Skylynx at $99.95. the $115 was a recent markup

[sifun]

they saw hlj and said thanks! *marks up price*

this makes me sad... scalparage. I guess transfigure is only a small business so its justifiable I guess.
I feel ripped off paying so much for EMS shipping. its bad!

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

I freaking paid 124 bucks for skylinx from hlj. Ripped off hard.
I seem to get ripped off now a days its not funny.

transfigure have it for 115 btw. If we ordered 10 it would've been $83.5 each.

Who wants minibots? I do! hmm wonder how much a group order would be.

Well, you probably paid 80 bucks and 40 for postage, which HLJ don't have any control over. With something as big as SkyLynx, postage is always gonna be a killer. I notice they have discontinued Sky Lynx already. Must have sold out on all pre-orders.

I see that Transfigure have it for $115, but does that include postage?

[iceburn]

TC ...transfigure requires at least $120 to get free postage. therefore with skylynx at $115, there's a shortage of $5 which means either it has to be purchased with something roughly more than $5 (e.g. keychain) or getting another skylynx hoping that someone will get it off your hands

[GoktimusPrime]

I find postage from Japan is cheaper if you do it in bulk, so it pays to do group orders with friends. :)

[reillyd]

I find postage from Japan is cheaper if you do it in bulk, so it pays to do group orders with friends. :)

Plus you're doing people a favour, by introducing skylynx goodness to their lives.

[autobreadticon]

dont get me wrong - but i felt skylinx was a weird transformer in the cartoon....

[GoktimusPrime]

He's meant to be - read his tech specs. He was that way in the comics too - but as arrogant as he is, he is reliable. :)

[autobreadticon]

any1 know what the encore mini-bots with bumblebee are?:cool:

[gamblor916]

Minibots are up for preorder at HLJ

[iceburn]

thanks gamblor...

[STL]

I just paid $123 for Sky Lynx. That's the last of my pre-orders with HLJ. No offence against their service but too many times I've ended up spending more than I could've gotten on eBay. The only rare items like the Metalverse Hot Rod were worth getting through there. Otherwise, eBay is a cheaper alternative. The same has been the case for all the Encores and MPs.

Right now I can nab a Sky Lynx for less than $100 on eBay. Yet having to see for HLJ I have to fork out an extra $20-30.

So yeah, I'll be using HLJ in the future for only rare HTF items. It's not that their ripping me off but shipping is higher and eBay being the competitive environment it is will mean prices tend to be a little bit lower.

Robot Kingdom though has great shipping rates and prices and everyone who's dealt with them here has liked them. I could use them or F2F.

[dirge]

HLJ is worthwhile for me, since I tend to preorder two or three of the same item, making their postage rates competitive. On occasions I've also ordered several items at once, which also helps keep the cost per item down (:

[GoktimusPrime]

*nods* posting from Japan is cheaper if you do it in bulk.

[shole]

I just paid $123 for Sky Lynx. That's the last of my pre-orders with HLJ. No offence against their service but too many times I've ended up spending more than I could've gotten on eBay. The only rare items like the Metalverse Hot Rod were worth getting through there. Otherwise, eBay is a cheaper alternative. The same has been the case for all the Encores and MPs.

Right now I can nab a Sky Lynx for less than $100 on eBay. Yet having to see for HLJ I have to fork out an extra $20-30.

So yeah, I'll be using HLJ in the future for only rare HTF items. It's not that their ripping me off but shipping is higher and eBay being the competitive environment it is will mean prices tend to be a little bit lower.

Robot Kingdom though has great shipping rates and prices and everyone who's dealt with them here has liked them. I could use them or F2F.exactly. generally I poke around ebay first to check. got my skylinx for au$86 shipped airmail which arrived in 1 week

[Bartrim]

With the aussie dollar doing so great I got Sky Lynx delivered for $91:D

[GoktimusPrime]

So true! I missed out on reissue Ultra Magnus because the Aussie Dollar was at record lows in 2000-2001 (I'd already spent my monies on reissue Convoy, Megatron and of course, some Car Robot figures) so I ended up getting the crappy Hasbro reissue with the f***ed up missiles (which I've since replaced with originals).

What really hurt was when I bought a spare Super Fire Convoy & God Magnus (actually the God Fire Convoy gift set) to trade with someone in Canada - which I sent to him with a MISB Machine Wars Optimus Prime and bunch of loose G1 figures... and the S.O.B. didn't fulfill his end of the bargain (so I got squat). I felt safe sending him the toys first because he gave me his name, address and phone number which I confirmed with because I called him and also spoke with his partner - who had kids. But the S.O.B. left them leaving the poor woman with a massive financial debt... so considering that the partner and children would've been shafted way worse than I did, I just had to let it go. (-_-) I hope they managed to find him and get some compensation from that c***.

[springah]

With the aussie dollar doing so great I got Sky Lynx delivered for $91:D

Sh*t, I totally forgot. Thats an awesome excuse to get TFs from the US!

BBTS still the best US online store going?

[Bartrim]

Sh*t, I totally forgot. Thats an awesome excuse to get TFs from the US!

BBTS still the best US online store going?

And with their clearance sale on at the moment it's a really great time for buying.:D

[autobreadticon]

SEXy

http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/generation-1-1/detailed-pictures-of-encore-09-minibots-set-164542/

[kup]

SEXy

http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/generation-1-1/detailed-pictures-of-encore-09-minibots-set-164542/

Yeah I am looking forward to those. I now only need Windcharger and Bumblejumper and I am done.

[Gutsman Heavy]

sweet, I'll be getting this set, I wish it came wish cliffjumper rather than the 'bee, I don't really need two.

[jaydisc]

I want my Encore Grimlock :mad:

[sifun]

damn you gok for getting my hopes up.