New Robotech as Jetfire

[griffin]

This isn't by Hasbro or TakaraTomy, but a Hong Kong business who does licensed toys, including Robotech... and their latest batch of fully-convertible figures replicate the toy that Hasbro released as Jetfire, including one that is coloured like Jetfire (in red and white) with the proper Jetfire head.

It is a little smaller than the original, and looks a little different, but has LEDs all over it, and is limited to 1000 units (500 sold in HK and 500 sold online for the rest of the world - which sold out really fast).

The price was us$230 (about au$350), but the product page (https://www.kitzconcept.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=108&) made it look like it was only us$110, as that was actually the deposit price.

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/news/2022/090101.jpg

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/news/2022/090102.jpg

[JJJ]

After it sold out yesterday, they opened it back up again for another 888 copies (no idea why they picked that number). I haven't looked since, but I imagine that those have also sold out.

[griffin]

I guess they could keep pumping out thousands over a period of several years... and I imagine that they didn't expect this sort of response from Transformers fans, as they were only producing toys for Robotech fans, who are a lot more niche now after all this time.

[Skyfire]

888 copies (no idea why they picked that number).

8 is like lucky 7 for Cantonese Chinese people, of which many HK people are. The Cantonese word for 8 sounds very similar to the word for "fortune". So it's common for promotions in HK and other Cantonese-speaking places to use 8s.


Robotech fans, who are a lot more niche now after all this time.

Now I feel old...:(

[jazzcomp]

Missed out on this.

[kovert]

This Valkyrie model could have a button cell battery compartment that is deemed unsafe by the ACCC for sale to customers in Australia. Earlier Valkyrie models from KitzConcept Ltd have a battery compartment secured with a screw, whereas recent models apparently do not. Would direct imports by Australian residents be affected by products with a non-compliant battery compartment?

[JJJ]

No, its not like anyone is checking the things as they come into the country, and the issue is sale of non-compliant items, not possession (because otherwise you outlaw decades of existing toys). Theoretically, you can still sell the non-compliant toys here, its just that if you get caught then you're in deep doo-doo (and no retail chain is ever going to risk this, so they're the ones who open and check stuff).

[kovert]

No, its not like anyone is checking the things as they come into the country, and the issue is sale of non-compliant items, not possession.

Cool. That sounds reasonable.

[Tha_Phantom]

Preordered without hesitation as soon as I heard about this and I'm glad I did.
This is the closest thing we will probably ever get to a toy-accurate G1 Jetfire update. More than happy for that statement to age poorly, though. ;)

[Skyfire]

Now I remember why this figure rings a bell. Madman Entertainment is selling the KitzConcept Variable Fighters (Roy Fokker's VF-1S was the basis for the original G1 Jetfire toy and this God of Flame figure) for $264.99:

https://www.madman.com.au/catalogue/view/60720/robotech-the-macross-saga-vf1s-rick-hunter-custom-1-72-scale-fully-transformable-veritech-kitz-concept

https://www.madman.com.au/catalogue/view/60721/robotech-the-macross-saga-vf1j-rick-hunter-custom-1-72-scale-fully-transformable-veritech-kitz-concept

[griffin]

I wonder if that means that they will also be securing a batch of the "Jetfires" for local release. If they do, it will give some people here a second chance at it.

[High_Q]

What's stopping this from being an official ROBOTECH x TF collaboration in the first place?

Just by adding an Autobot insignia, i expect the sales potential would be so much greater; it'd be a win-win scenario.

[DELTAprime]

What's stopping this from being an official ROBOTECH x TF collaboration in the first place?

Just by adding an Autobot insignia, i expect the sales potential would be so much greater; it'd be a win-win scenario.

I'd guess Harmony Gold.

[JJJ]

What's stopping this from being an official ROBOTECH x TF collaboration in the first place?

Just by adding an Autobot insignia, i expect the sales potential would be so much greater; it'd be a win-win scenario.

Same as what's stopped that for 40 years now - Harmony Gold is mindlessly obdurate and litigious. It really does seem that they operate on a doctrine of it not mattering how much money they could make, or how much they demonstrably don't make, but that so long as somebody else stands to make money they will forbid it.

[Omega Metro]

It’s available for preorder at BBTS if anyone wasn’t aware. Bit too small for me I think. Especially for the price. And I don’t want the dramas with the LEDs.
https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/VariationDetails/217476

[Other]

What's stopping this from being an official ROBOTECH x TF collaboration in the first place?

Just by adding an Autobot insignia, i expect the sales potential would be so much greater; it'd be a win-win scenario.

Ignoring that Hasbro doesn't license out the rights to make transforming Transformers(with some exceptions that are things they'd never make anyway), Probably the Lawsuit HG filled against Hasbro over the 2013 Transformers x G.I. Joe SDCC boxset that had a GI Joe SkyStriker done up in Jetfire's colours with a Booster/Drone to mimic the VF-1s Fast Pack

[High_Q]

Probably the Lawsuit HG filled against Hasbro over the 2013 Transformers x G.I. Joe SDCC boxset that had a GI Joe SkyStriker done up in Jetfire's colours with a Booster/Drone to mimic the VF-1s Fast Pack

Oh yeah, i forgot all about that. Lol.

[Tha_Phantom]

Got so excited that I also went and chucked the pre-TF deco in with my POL at BBTS. :p

https://www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/VariationDetails/192195