Transformer Prime mainline toys released in Australia

[GoktimusPrime]

crankcase76 also got charged $59.99!

Umm... looking at my receipt, I think this is the code for the toy; it says:

TRANSFORMERS PRIME 226726 - is that the product code/number for the toy? If so then maybe try quoting this number to them when going back and asking for a partial refund?

Did you cut teaching some classes today to get some new figures?

Had a free period followed by lunch (and I didn't have PG duty ). Made it back by lunch time anyway.

Should be interesting to see if sales can rely purely on brand power since there is so far no Prime on free to air television...

Some kids at school have already watched TF Prime online. (I showed Megatron to one of my students who got all excited and started telling his friend about what Megatron does in the show ) - so I guess broadband internet might offer TF Prime one advantage that Beast Machines didn't have. Hopefully they won't show it at such a stupid time slot like Saturday 2PM. (and I can't believe it was never re-run at a different time slot... *sigh*)

[Hursticon]

Some kids at school have already watched TF Prime online. (I showed Megatron to one of my students who got all excited and started telling his friend about what Megatron does in the show ) - so I guess broadband internet might offer TF Prime one advantage that Beast Machines didn't have. Hopefully they won't show it at such a stupid time slot like Saturday 2PM. (and I can't believe it was never re-run at a different time slot... *sigh*)

This pleases me greatly to hear this Goki; sure, whilst watching the episodes via the Internet may or may not be favourable, I agree that it is an avenue that wasn't afforded to Beast Machines and which really gives me hope that kids who's parents can't afford Pay-TV will still have an opportunity to watch this great show.

Really cool to hear some older kids getting excited and talking about it, especially Megatron - He's so cool in this show and stands just below that of BW Megatron in my eyes.
(BW Megatron being the best iteration IMO )

[Jinto]

Really cool to hear some older kids getting excited and talking about it, especially Megatron - He's so cool in this show and stands just below that of BW Megatron in my eyes.
(BW Megatron being the best iteration IMO )

Ditto

its funny how Japanese collector lines which most people don't touch due to price are cheaper than Transformers here :P

I know, we're getting boned. I might take Demonac's advice and for the first time ever buy my entire collection of a series online.

[Paulbot]

I'm curious, since I wasn't here last year, when DOTM toys starting appearing locally and were selling at the same prices as Generations/Autobot Alliance toys, was there this much outrage/complaining?

It's not like it was unexpected that Prime toy prices would equal DOTM toy prices? I agree it doesn't need to be, and is cheaper to buy online, but it's not a surprise or anything new.

Is it partly just because the first sighting was at TRU and people are fixating on the price $$$ rather than then store where high prices everyday are common?

These figures will be at other stores soon (and it already sounds like TF:Prime Optimus Prime is a shelfwarmer ) so buying them at TRU means you pay some impatience tax.

[GoktimusPrime]

^agree.

$50 has been the price for a Voyager for quite some time now (even the TF1 Voyagers sold for $45-50 in many stores). There were some complaints last year about the size of the toys being smaller than before and thus it didn't feel like it was worth the money - which is understandable, but these "size classes" are really price points rather than any fixed determination of mass. Look at Beast Machines Megatron... size of a Deluxe but sold at the price point of a Mega.

so buying them at TRU means you pay some impatience tax.

Pretty much. But it can also save on time and fuel spent on hunting them down later given Hasbro AU's sometimes haphazard distribution patterns. Being more patient does have its rewards if you can get this toy for cheaper - no denying that, but getting it now means at least I have the damn thing now and I don't need to expend time and money (fuel) chasing it. Getting it online is another way to get it cheaper too, but the advantage of buying it from a store is that you already have the toy and you can play with it straight away. Also refunds/exchanges are less of a hassle compared with online shopping IMO.

There are pros and cons with buying the toy now at the full RRP vs buying it later at a discounted price vs buying it online. Also... these are the first new toys we've seen since November! So I think some of us have been feeling "thirsty" after this small "drought" and are willing to pay full RRP to quench this thirst.

But yeah... Optimus Prime looks like rubbish (there was one that someone else had already taken out of the box, so I had a look at it -- looks to be a whole new mould and not a redeco of FE Voyager OP and a rather unimpressive one at that (FE OP is way better)) and Megatron's fundamentally just an upsized version of the Deluxe figure, only with a Hasbro Greyriffic dull colour scheme (see my comments and photos on the review thread). Neither of these toys are inspiring, but I think there's some excitement about seeing new toys for the first time in 3 (almost four?) months.

So... Wave 1 Voyagers have been spotted. Where are the Wave 1 Deluxes and other smaller/cheaper size class toys?!?

[Accel]

I'm worried scalpers would have gotten to the RiD deluxes already.


poor shortpacked Soundy im glad I ordered you online

[UltraMagnus]

Please please please please stop buying at such a high price. it wont help you long term.

The dollar is 1.07 today and that means the true price (if compared to US) is $23.50 AUD. (thats retail price from TRU in US).
Paying $50 for a toy that should be half is a crime, but buying that toy is helping fuel that economy and practice.

http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/p...18&mode=retail thats for 2. Even with shipping of $31.24 its still much less than buying at retail.
If you are happy to wait and get all the deluxes at once

http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/p...29&mode=retail ($89.99)
Shipping $42.74 = $132.73
or you can buy at Australian retail at $29.99 RRP and it costs = $179.94 (even if $24.99 = $149.94)

I am just trying to save you all money. You'll have more money for more toys if you buy online.

[griffin]

...given Hasbro AU's sometimes haphazard distribution patterns.

Why is it Hasbro's fault when different store chains have different rates of distribution through their supply-chain networks, or different purchase periods to obtain new stock to begin with?
It's not like all 7 store chains (TRU, Myer, DJs, Kmart, BigW, Toyworld, Target) were ordering at the same time to have it in their stores at the same time... Hasbro doesn't ship to individual stores - they ship to a number of warehouses that then re-distributes to their stores. TRU may be an exception to that, with the amount of stock they get in from each toy company, but are you actually saying that if the entire chain of TRU was expecting stock, that Hasbro would be intentionally sending it to a handful of stores first and then make all the rest wait? Once the stock arrives at the Hasbro warehouse, it gets sent out to all the customers who have pre-ordered it, as soon as they can, or with their next delivery. If a store-chain wasn't yet interested, or didn't want the stock until later for a promotion or catalogue sale, it's not Hasbro's fault.
And if they did send stock out to a retailer's warehouse straight away, the retailer could well send it out to the stores straight away or months later... and if it isn't a big launching product that needs to be rushed to every store, the warehouse may just send it to stores on their next delivery that has space.
Working in a retail warehouse, we don't send everything we receive straight away to the stores. Some stuff can be for a promotion and sit collecting dust for months. Other stuff is only sent out to stores if that store's manager wants it (smaller stores don't stock everything). The supplier has no say in where their product goes once we get it in the warehouse.
And the same would go for Hasbro and their product. If the toys end up in stores eventually, Hasbro did their job.

I don't mind Hasbro-bashing for things they are responsible for, like the price-gouging here, or lack of consumer promotions, but blaming them for something that is out of their hands once they ship toys to retailers' warehouses... is a bit much. (and will just have them ignoring legitimate complaints if they think we impulsively blame them for everything)

[SMHFConvoy]

Why is it Hasbro's fault when different store chains have different rates of distribution through their supply-chain networks, or different purchase periods to obtain new stock to begin with?
It's not like all 7 store chains (TRU, Myer, DJs, Kmart, BigW, Toyworld, Target) were ordering at the same time to have it in their stores at the same time... Hasbro doesn't ship to individual stores - they ship to a number of warehouses that then re-distributes to their stores. TRU may be an exception to that, with the amount of stock they get in from each toy company, but are you actually saying that if the entire chain of TRU was expecting stock, that Hasbro would be intentionally sending it to a handful of stores first and then make all the rest wait? Once the stock arrives at the Hasbro warehouse, it gets sent out to all the customers who have pre-ordered it, as soon as they can, or with their next delivery. If a store-chain wasn't yet interested, or didn't want the stock until later for a promotion or catalogue sale, it's not Hasbro's fault.
And if they did send stock out to a retailer's warehouse straight away, the retailer could well send it out to the stores straight away or months later... and if it isn't a big launching product that needs to be rushed to every store, the warehouse may just send it to stores on their next delivery that has space.
Working in a retail warehouse, we don't send everything we receive straight away to the stores. Some stuff can be for a promotion and sit collecting dust for months. Other stuff is only sent out to stores if that store's manager wants it (smaller stores don't stock everything). The supplier has no say in where their product goes once we get it in the warehouse.
And the same would go for Hasbro and their product. If the toys end up in stores eventually, Hasbro did their job.

I don't mind Hasbro-bashing for things they are responsible for, like the price-gouging here, or lack of consumer promotions, but blaming them for something that is out of their hands once they ship toys to retailers' warehouses... is a bit much. (and will just have them ignoring legitimate complaints if they think we impulsively blame them for everything)

I work in retail too and you are bang on right. We're in a new year and big stores usually hold off until new season launch and that varies from company to company. Department stores will focus on fashion, homewares, whitegoods and electrical before toys.

[Doubledealer]

This:

Prices in this country will never go down if people keep buying toys at such ridiculous prices.
Stop. Buying. Toys (locally).

+ this:

It's not like it was unexpected that Prime toy prices would equal DOTM toy prices? I agree it doesn't need to be, and is cheaper to buy online, but it's not a surprise or anything new.

= this.