How much would it be in the states?
How much would it be in the states?
Unlikely to be above US$100, as it seems to be the ceiling price for TFs toys over there (to get retailers to take them and profit from them).
We might get quite a few TFs toys here at $100 plus, but it is quite unheard of in America.
$150 is gonna be a hard sell to parents. Looks like it's purely aiming at collectors only. Still it's cheaper than TT but wishing for a lower price.
It won't be just collectors, but also adults who have a casual interest in Transformers but aren't fans. And I think $150 is a fair price for this kind of MP by Australian MP price standards (remember that MP04 sold here for $200 and MP Grimlock sold for $150 etc.).
Cheaper is always better, but as you said, it is _significantly_ cheaper than TakaraTOMY's version. TakTOM's version retails for 23100JPY which converts to $288. And that's not including postage. So at nearly half the cost of TakTOM's, I find $150 to be an acceptable price for this MP in Australia, even despite the cheaper colours that Hasbro have chosen.
I'm hoping to get more value for money compared to the $150 I spent on MP Grimlock. That's the most I've ever spent on a Masterpiece -- only that it's just one robot (no trailer or roller etc.) and engineering wise it's relatively simple for a MP. I've never seen MP-10 IRL so I can't comment on its engineering, but even if it's simpler than MP01, given that it comes with a trailer and Roller (which MP04 didn't), it seems like superior value for money. Sure the TakTOM colours are nicer... but I'm not willing to spend double the cost to get one.
Sky Shadow made a good point about the Hasbro grey on another thread. On close inspection (a large image) the figure does look pretty cheap when it comes to plastic (Hasbro grey) and painted detailing. However it isn't as bad as other figures so it may still be worth the cost given the trailer is included.
Usually I opt for the TakaraTOMY version if I consider it to be nicer looking than the Hasbro version, because usually the prices are comparable. Take say Henkei vs. Universe. Henkei Deluxes typically retailed for 2310JPY ($29) -- so about the same as the RRP for a Deluxe here. At basically the same price, I definitely went with the Henkei version for a lot of figures, like say Prowl. For about the same price Henkei Prowl gives me chrome rifle, chrome missiles and chrome spoiler. Ditto Alternators... I paid 4980JPY ($62) for BT-1 Smokescreen. Then later I remember seeing Alternators Smokescreen at Kmart for $55. Okay, my BT Smokescreen may have been $7 dearer, but it's die-cast metal and has a much nicer and more realistic shade of blue.
But with MP10... okay yes, the Hasbro version looks nastier, but it's $138 cheaper than the TakTOM version! Same with MP Rodimus... yes the TakTOM version is nicer looking; the Hasbro paint apps are positively bone lazy by comparison... but the Hasbro version initially retailed here at a price that's $140 cheaper than the TakTOM version! (HAS RRP = $80, TT RRP = 17640JPY ($220)). So given the considerable savings that would be made with the Hasbro version... The colours on the TakaraTOMY version definitely looks nicer... but not "pay extra $138" nicer.
Yeah that makes sense and all but why do they persist with that horribly dull grey? Why is it so hard to do a more silver or even normal grey plastic? They have done it before and on occasion so why not do it all the time?
Fans have been hating the Hasbro grey and voicing against if for nearly a decade so surely Hasbro knows it's unpopular. I do not understand why they persist with it as I can't imagine another color being much more expensive since the plastic still needs to be dyed and molded.
Would it be possible to do a group buy from US and ship it here and still be cheaper than local TRU. Unless they have a pre-xmas sale like Roddy like last time then it's hard to beat.