Transformers Vintage Reissues returning to Kmart

[griffin]

As we had noted a little while ago, if the Minibot reissues that were released at Kmart back in June did well enough, we would see more coming, and word from Hasbro Australia is that they are.

As long as the cargo ship doesn't lose its way, we should have the following appear at Kmart stores (and website) very soon, give or take a few weeks...

- Minibots (Legion) - hopefully wave 2, which has Gears and Warpath included - about 2000 units.
- Cassette 2-packs - should be both (Rumble/Ravage & Frenzy/Laserbeak) - about 1000 units.
- Soundwave (with Buzzsaw) - about 1000 units.
- Optimus Prime (cab only) - about 1000 units.

Plenty of stock for everyone... but don't wait too long after they first appear (which we will report here as soon as we hear that they are out).

These should be in stores and online mid-to-late November.

That's a great assortment of vintage classic Transformers toys in a short space of time, just before Christmas too... but who's really going to wait until Christmas to open these beauties up (or admire their sealed perfection on a display shelf somewhere).

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/news/2020/092301.jpg

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/news/2020/092302.jpg.http://www.toycollectors.com.au/news/2020/092303.jpg

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/news/2020/092304.jpg

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/news/2020/092305.jpg

[Paulbot]

Great news. I really want to get the Ravage and Rumble pack as they were my first ever Transformers and getting them in (mostly) replica packaging will be terrific.

[Skyfire]

I hope we're not charged stupid prices for them. I have a feeling we will given the first lot of mini-cars. And they'll still sell out. I bought the Soundwave and OP reissues in Singapore many months ago. The OP cost me SGD $120 from Toys R Us and Soundwave $93 from an airport shop. Really expensive but I've never owned them before. Fast forward and OP shelf warmed somewhat at the RRP and now clears at $48 (https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/singapore-transformers-sightings.155093/page-992#post-18335217). I was at TRU and held both cassette packs in my hands and thought "Hmm, $40 for a 2-pack of small toys..." and put them back.

[Sinnertwin]

Soundwave was listed as $79
$$$ for OP & Cassettes weren't available at the time.

[danny-boy]

Already have all these.

I wonder if I should hold off buying Astrotrain and Blaster and wait to see if they come out here.

[reillyd]

Already have all these.

I wonder if I should hold off buying Astrotrain and Blaster and wait to see if they come out here.

Yeah, that?s not a bad idea. Given that these traditionally go on clearance at walmart, you?ll still be able to get them on eBay later. But if they come out locally, you?ll save a bundle.

[griffin]

Astrotrain and Blaster are not coming here.
(unless there is some unsold excess stock that gets dumped in Australia in a few years time)

[Sinnertwin]

Soundwave was listed as $79
$$$ for OP & Cassettes weren't available at the time.

Cassettes $39 each
No $ info on OP

[Skyfire]

Thanks for the info Sinnertwin. Cassettes $39 each - here we go again ;).

[griffin]

Don't panic... shipment delays from China are making the release date for everything to be mid-late November. (I have updated the first post... I think I will say something on facebook next month as we get closer to their release.)

[Skyfire]

Thanks Griffin.

[danny-boy]

Astrotrain and Blaster are not coming here.
(unless there is some unsold excess stock that gets dumped in Australia in a few years time)

Why would they release every re-issue and not release the latest two?

[dirge]

$39 per cassette packs? I'm happy to pay that... considering my Astrotrain cost me ~$100 from Hong Kong.

Can't wait... and very much hoping Gears & Warpath turn up!

[griffin]

Why would they release every re-issue and not release the latest two?
We didn't get Starscream or Devastator reissues either.
It took a lot of effort to get kmart to just take these ones.

[danny-boy]

We didn't get Starscream or Devastator reissues either.
It took a lot of effort to get kmart to just take these ones.

Forgot about Devastator and Starscream.

[Sinnertwin]

Forgot about Devastator and Starscream.

We also skipped Hot Rod and the Japanese Cassettes 3 pack
Still, its a great way for those that have missed out or want a sealed retro set for their collection to get their hands on one.

[Tha_Phantom]

It took a lot of effort to get kmart to just take these ones.

And on that note, we should be grateful these showed up here at all. Thank you to griffin, Hasbro and all involved.

[reillyd]

I?m very grateful just to be able to see G1 on store shelves again. Most of my original G1?s were bought from Kmart, and even though I could technically get these by ordering from eBay, to be able to actually buy them in store is going to feel freaking awesome. Some may say its too pricey, but it?s still a fraction of the cost to reship them from walmart, to buy from an online store, or even from eBay.

I sincerely hope that they do well, so that Kmart is receptive to taking more (e.g. Blaster).

[Deano85]

We also skipped Hot Rod and the Japanese Cassettes 3 pack
Still, its a great way for those that have missed out or want a sealed retro set for their collection to get their hands on one.

I'm keen to get the boxed Optimus to go with Bumbleebee I picked up a few weeks back. Got plenty of other figures to play with.
The originals look better in box anyways with all the artwork instead of just being another figure on a shelf

[danny-boy]

It?s a shame that they only released a small selection in the original 80?s packaging. All G1 reissues seem to follow the same pattern. Commemorative series, Book Collection, Encore, and now the Walmart reissues.

[griffin]

Unfortunately a lot of those 40 year old moulds no longer exist.

[griffin]

When I was at the Kmart at Logan Hyperdome in Brisbane last week, they had 12 of the Reissue Optimus toys (without any damaging security strapping), so I had a fair few to choose from to find the best one... which wasn't as easy as I was hoping, as every single one had some sort of dent or scrape on the box somewhere, which mean none of the 12 were "mint"... but after about 10 minutes of comparing which scrape or dent was smallest (or less obvious), I came away with one.... and found something interesting in the process - some of the boxes were noticeably darker than others, and they had different production date stamps on them (I'm not sure if the date stamp has anything to do with the packaging though, as the boxes would have done all at once, while the production date stamps are just the day of when the toy is put together and into packaging).

I preferred the look of the darker version, as the blacks and reds were nicer (the lighter boxes looked faded).

These are some photos, which to my eyes, was able to pick up the different shading of the boxes.

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/2020km73.jpg

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/2020km74.jpg

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/2020km75.jpg

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/2020km76.jpg

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/2020km77.jpg

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/2020km78.jpg

[Kyle]

When I was at the Kmart at Logan Hyperdome in Brisbane last week, they had 12 of the Reissue Optimus toys (without any damaging security strapping), so I had a fair few to choose from to find the best one... which wasn't as easy as I was hoping, as every single one had some sort of dent or scrape on the box somewhere, which mean none of the 12 were "mint"... but after about 10 minutes of comparing which scrape or dent was smallest (or less obvious), I came away with one.... and found something interesting in the process - some of the boxes were noticeably darker than others, and they had different production date stamps on them (I'm not sure if the date stamp has anything to do with the packaging though, as the boxes would have done all at once, while the production date stamps are just the day of when the toy is put together and into packaging).

I preferred the look of the darker version, as the blacks and reds were nicer (the lighter boxes looked faded).

These are some photos, which to my eyes, was able to pick up the different shading of the boxes.

My parents bought me one from a TRU when they were travelling in Asia in April last year (so it would be a 2018/2019 production). I did notice that the paper stock used on my 2018/2019 box (stamp 91111) was the same type used on other mass retail releases such as Generations Siege and Studio Series, i.e. thinner, more flimsy and less glossy when compared to older Japanese or Hasbro reissues in the past.

I was interested in whether the current ones that we're now getting in Australia have the same or different paper stock. I saw some at a local Kmart a few days ago and could tell that these new ones are not really different from the 2018/2019 ones (in terms of paper stock only). I could not tell whether the 2018/2019 box was lighter or darker in terms of colour without having them side by side.

[griffin]

One post on TFW says (https://www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/deciphering-production-codes.202309/) that this is how you read the date stamps on the packaging...

First digit is the year (which means, you won't know the decade... and if identical packaging is still being used for more than 10 years (which is unlikely, as a reissue will change something on the box), you won't know which decade it was made in).

Then the middle 3 digits is the day in that year it was produced (I still don't know if that just means the day of boxing up the contents, as the contents themselves could have been moulded or constructed at any time before they are boxed up).

The final digit is said to be the location, if there is more than one factory producing a particular product (which is unlikely to be anything other than 1 for Transformers, as more moulds and locations would be very expensive, particularly with all Transformers toys being such one-off limited release these days, even the regular figures, that only get released for one or two waves now).

So, the two Optimus boxes that I found, were produced (or just boxed) 20 days apart, on August 21st and September 10th in 2019. (that means they've been sitting around for a year before they were in Kmart stores here)

While the one with 91111 has a date of April 21st 2019... so they made a few batches of these, probably for different markets.

[valkyrie_76]

My box has 92481.

So my Detective Conan deduction reasoning is that the one I have was made 6th September 2019.

[Kyle]

Interesting. Good to know the meaning behind the stamp :)