The Regret Thread

[Paul Agnew]

God Ginrai reissue -- paid full retail for that sucker (7980JPY - about $90-100)... then later on it shelf warmed so badly that even local import stores in Sydney were selling them for just $20!

God Ginrai? $20?!

[Hursticon]

God Ginrai? $20?!
*snip*

Yeah, I know... I hate it whenever Goki brings that up.

[jimoinj]

Regrets, I've had a few.

1) Leaving the bulk of my Chinese Transformers with a "friend" when I came back to Australia. They included MP Grimlock, Megatron, a bunch of Henkeis and Classics as well as G1 reissue Megatron from Japan. The "friend" somehow managed to "lose" them.

2) Selling off my old G1 Transformers for a pittance as a kid at a 2nd hand market, including Grimlock and Sludge, Pretenders, Headmasters, Cyclonus and Scourge. Along with lots of vintage Star Wars figures.

3) Buying that Japanese reissue Optimus Prime with mini hot rod figure (can't remember it's name) at a premium price. Later when I wanted to sell it found it was unwanted by fandom.

[GoktimusPrime]

I dont think classics grimlock is a bad toy just not epic like his MP self.

Yeah but Classics Grimlock was $25 whereas MP Grimmie was about $150! I find Classics Grimlock to be better value for money than MP Grimmie.

[liegeprime]

i regret buying TFC Battle Roller. that was a flimsy POS.

+1 to this, I almost forgot this 3rd party thing coz its piled somewhere, somewhere in the collection room it is a POS

[GoktimusPrime]

God Ginrai? $20?!

Yup.

I really should've bought a second one for that price... and it was at local import stores in Sydney too, so no need for postage -- just walk in, pay $20, walk out with toy in hand. Gah!!

[liegeprime]

Yup.

I really should've bought a second one for that price... and it was at local import stores in Sydney too, so no need for postage -- just walk in, pay $20, walk out with toy in hand. Gah!!

you shouldve bought 5!!

[GoktimusPrime]

...and to think that I paid about $90 for mine... *headbutts.wall* Gah!

Still, most of the time pre-ordering Japanese toys works out well for me because the aftermarket prices either tend to remain stable or appreciate afterwards... but God Ginrai was one case when the price just came crashing down.

Another time when pre-order kinda backfired on me (kinda) is when I pre-ordered Encore Metroflex and eHobby GADEP (Guardian Robot)... because just as they came out the Aussie Dollar plummeted (it was around the time the GFC happened), meaning that I ended up paying a lot more for those toys due to losing out through a crappy exchange rate. And apparently Encore Metroflex shelf-warmed in a lot of Asian stores afterwards (great). Ah well.

Overall I do like pre-ordering because I do pay the regular retail price (which is fine), it just sucks if there's a massive sale later, but that's only ever happened with God Ginrai; I've never seen a reissue sell for so cheap under import prices too! (but that was because Takara seriously overproduced that toy driving its value down) -- I already pre-ordered Encore Devastator months ago... I'd rather have the security of getting the toy as soon as it's out rather than risk not getting it later and possibly having to waste more time and money finding it and paying more. The paying more part especially displeases me. ;p

But honestly, if Devastator turns out to shelf warm and the prices get slashed later... meh... I'm happy to keep the pre-order and pay full price. Another thing is that I do get the toy earlier... Ginrai didn't get discounted to that price until a lot later, like maybe a year or so after it first came out? I know some people are patient enough to wait months or years to see if the price will drop to get a toy (it could work for Jetwing Prime and Ultimate Optimus Prime) - but then again, I'm not too good with waiting. Also, I think $90 is a fair price to pay for a MISB God Ginrai reissue. Whereas I thought the original asking prices for Jetwing and Ultimate DOTM OPs were too high, so I waited until they got cheaper before buying them... and I can understand it if some people are still waiting to see if they'll get any cheaper (they're both still massively shelfwarming).

But yeah, every time I think back to seeing God Ginrai at Modellers World for $20 each... I regret not picking up another one (or five ). This thread makes Goki a sad panda.

[kaiden]

Yeah but Classics Grimlock was $25 whereas MP Grimmie was about $150! I find Classics Grimlock to be better value for money than MP Grimmie.

well, value for money is subjective especially in regards to Transformers these days. the after market prices of G1 is a good indicator.

MP Grimlock is more expensive of course but for me it definitely had more play value and displays great. Henkei Grimlock even with the g3 sword didn't really do much for me and is packed away.

If there was a regret for the Takara MP Grimlock I have it would be that it didn't have the accessories that the Hasbro version had.

Henkei Grimlock I regret I bought to complete the line rather than actually enjoy as a toy.

[GoktimusPrime]

well, value for money is subjective especially in regards to Transformers these days. the after market prices of G1 is a good indicator.

I don't think aftermarket prices for G1 is good value at all. I don't really collect toys in the aftermarket.

MP Grimlock is more expensive of course but for me it definitely had more play value and displays great. Henkei Grimlock even with the g3 sword didn't really do much for me and is packed away.

For me, I feel that Classics Grimlock is worth the $25 I paid for him. He has good articulation, good light piping, I like the gun-sword (a neat homage to G1 Pretender Grimlock's weapon)... the tail weapon's a bit funky... but it's cool how it's articulated and visually is kinda like another Pretender Grimmie homage (arguably even a Transmetal Megatron tribute too). My main criticisms of the toy would be that the robot shoulders could lock in tighter -- they sometimes disconnect during toy play. Ditto the dino mode arms. But it's not as bad as the joints on some Deluxe TFs who cannot lock at all like say Deluxe TF movie Decepticon Brawl (although there is a way to compensate for this), and worse still, Reveal the Shield Jazz - I can't stand how his chest keeps flopping around during play, and unlike Brawl I can't find an easy way to compensate for this. Overall, I think it's a neat Deluxe and fairly good value at the Deluxe price point.

MP Grimlock on the other hand is the most expensive MP I've ever bought. The second most expensive was Thundercracker which cost me 10500JPY (AU$130). MP Hasbro Starscream was $100 and Rodimus was $80 (the cheapest), and all other MPs cost me 10290JPY (AU$126).

MP Grimlock's not a bad toy - in fact, he offers better play value than many other MPs, but he is distinctly the most simple of the MPs in terms of engineering (well, aside from MP Rodimus Convoy's trailer - which I don't have anyway ). From waist down the toy does feel like a Masterpiece, but from waist up he feels more like an oversized G1 toy. As I said, it's not a bad design, but I don't think it was worth $150.

Lemme put it this way, when I bought MP Grimlock my initial thoughts were that it's a nice toy, but I felt a bit ripped off paying $150 for it. When I bought Classics Grimlock while it didn't blow my socks off, I didn't feel that I'd spent too much money on it. Value for money may be subjective (possibly because it depends on one's standards and values) - but I personally found Classics Deluxe Grimlock to be better value than MP Grimlock.

If there was a regret for the Takara MP Grimlock I have it would be that it didn't have the accessories that the Hasbro version had.

When Takara MP Grimlock came out, I really wanted it, but I missed it because it came out just a few months before my daughter was born - so I was kinda pinching pennies at the time. In hindsight, I'm actually glad that I skipped Takara MP Grimmie in favour of Hasbro because of the accessories - especially because I just love G1 comic Grimlock and I find G1 cartoon Season 3 Grimlock to be annoying (I don't like how he and the Dinobots were reduced to bumbling infantile clowns after Transformers The Movie). And I've never been a fan of Nel Yomtov's colouring, so Hasbro's MP Grimmie gives me the best of both worlds - nice G1 toy accurate colours and his crown!

Also, I thought Tomy MP Grimmie was overpriced (so was Hasbro's, but Tomy's was more expensive! - 13650JPY = AU$168) -- but maybe for someone who prefers cartoon Grimlock over comic Grimlock Tomy MP Grimmie might be gooderer for them, and while they may pay $18 more (before postage), it does have a much nicer box and inserts (Hasbro's MP boxes are just suck).

Henkei Grimlock I regret I bought to complete the line rather than actually enjoy as a toy.

Yeah, but for $25 (2000JPY) did you feel it was particularly poor value for money?