Masterpiece Grimlock to be re-released by Hasbro Asia

[5FDP]

Seriously guys, if you can find me a brand new MIB Masterpiece Grimlock for less than that ($220~) price more power to you, but it's not going to happen and that makes this a great price because aftermarket sucks massively for Transformers.

So, by that rationale, if they were to release him for $400 and aftermarket prices were slightly above that, you'd still consider that to be a great price? I'm looking at it from a different perspective i.e. what you're actually getting for $220.

[GoktimusPrime]

Seriously guys, if you can find me a brand new MIB Masterpiece Grimlock for less than that ($220~) price more power to you, but it's not going to happen and that makes this a great price because aftermarket sucks massively for Transformers.

...and that's why I usually buy Transformers off the current market. (-_-)

So, by that rationale, if they were to release him for $400 and aftermarket prices were slightly above that, you'd still consider that to be a great price? I'm looking at it from a different perspective i.e. what you're actually getting for $220.

^This.

[Gouki]

...and that's why I usually buy Transformers off the current market. (-_-)

And in an ideal world, everybody could afford to do that. But we don't live in an ideal world.

So, by that rationale, if they were to release him for $400 and aftermarket prices were slightly above that, you'd still consider that to be a great price? I'm looking at it from a different perspective i.e. what you're actually getting for $220.

Each case has to be taken individually, but basically, yes. If Grimlock was rereleased for $400 and his aftermarket prices were $500+ then, absolutely. What am I getting for $220 if I buy this? Well, I'm getting what would cost me way more on the aftermarket, so, how is that a bad thing?

[Trent]

And in an ideal world, everybody could afford to do that. But we don't live in an ideal world.



Each case has to be taken individually, but basically, yes. If Grimlock was rereleased for $400 and his aftermarket prices were $500+ then, absolutely. What am I getting for $220 if I buy this? Well, I'm getting what would cost me way more on the aftermarket, so, how is that a bad thing?

You've also gotta take into account that as supply is increasing, demand will drop. Effectively Hasbro Asia have just reset the value of MP Grimlock to the price they sell for (As long as its in stock). So someone keen to offload one will have to drop below that point to move their product.

[GoktimusPrime]

And in an ideal world, everybody could afford to do that. But we don't live in an ideal world.

$220 seems less affordable than $150 to me. One reason why I prefer collecting toys off the primary market as opposed to the secondary market is because it works out cheaper (usually)!

Each case has to be taken individually, but basically, yes. If Grimlock was rereleased for $400 and his aftermarket prices were $500+ then, absolutely. What am I getting for $220 if I buy this? Well, I'm getting what would cost me way more on the aftermarket, so, how is that a bad thing?

I wouldn't say it's a "bad" thing -- good and bad are subjective and open to interpretation. But I wouldn't say it's terribly good value for money. Let me out it this way, a loose complete Fortress Maximus might cost you $1000 -- goodness knows how much a MISB G1 Fortress Maximus would cost. Let's just say $2000 for the sake of argument. So if they reissued a Fortress Maximus and sold it at $1500, would you consider that to be a good price considering that our hypothetical aftermarket price is $2000? Maybe for you it would be, but I personally wouldn't pay that, not when Brave Maximus cost me about $300 MISB. But of course, Encore Fortress Maximus is slated to be sold at 29800JPY ($315), which I find to be acceptable as it pretty much matches Brave Max's RRP (cheaper still for those of us who've preordered and obtained earlybird discounts). They recently did that chrome reissue of Sixshot (another Asian exclusive) at a much higher RRP than the first reissue... I can't remember what the price was, but I remember thinking to myself that there's no way I'd ever pay it.

I often feel that I'm paying an "impatience tax" when I buy toys at full RRP instead of waiting for it to come down in price during sales. But I think that when you pay inflated aftermarket prices, you're no longer just paying for the intrinsic value of that toy itself, you're paying like an "aftermarket tax". Every dollar above that toy's RRP is part of that "aftermarket tax" (just as every dollar I pay above sale price is part of the "impatience tax" for me). So at $220, you're paying $150 for the toy and about $70 "tax" on top of it.

"I love paying more taxes!" - Nobody Ever.

[griffin]

$220 seems less affordable than $150 to me. One reason why I prefer collecting toys off the primary market as opposed to the secondary market is because it works out cheaper (usually)!

He's talking about it being ideal if he (and others) could afford it when it was released... not the willingness to pay an extra $70.
Most of us can't afford the more expensive toys when they are first released, so by the time we can afford them, we have to pay more. We don't like it, having to pay more later, but we don't like it more when other people tell us that we should have bought it when it was released.

So... it would be an ideal world if we could afford the higher demand toys we really want, when they are at their cheapest (at release).

[i_amtrunks]

I'm another one who could not afford the original and slightly more reasonable $150 for this figure who won't be parting with $220 to get a re-release version.

I'd love an MP Grimlock after finally getting a decent quality G1 version, but that price is still too rich. But there are plenty who will see the price as reasonable or worthwhile who will purchase it, making Hasbro Asia very happy.

[Starscream77]

It's not an ideal price we all realize that, but for those who missed the initial chance to get it for one reason or another would be happy at this price if you still really want one.
Yes it is very dear but I really want one and I would rather pay 220 for something I know is brand new than 250+ on eBay for something probably open.
I don't think those of us who will pay it should be made to feel stupid which is how some of the comments on here are coming off

[GoktimusPrime]

I'm another one who could not afford the original and slightly more reasonable $150 for this figure who won't be parting with $220 to get a re-release version.

I'd love an MP Grimlock after finally getting a decent quality G1 version, but that price is still too rich.

^This!

If I were in your position i_amtrunks, that's precisely what I'd do. And I have been in a similar position before. MP-08 Grimlock was released in Japan 3 months before my wife was due to give birth, so I wasn't in a position to make a big expensive purchase. I called Hasbro who then told me that they would not be releasing an MP Grimlock and advised me to import the Japanese version. Their information has since turned out to be inaccurate, but at that time it seemed true to me, so I simply resigned myself as not getting an MP Grimlock. As fortune would have it, Hasbro did release their own MP Grimlock, which sold here for $150 (about $5 above TakTOM's price, but worked out cheaper since I didn't have to pay for postage), and best for me as a G1 comic > cartoon fan, it came with the crown instead of the brain scanner and butler accessories. But in that case, I got the toy because it was re-released at about the same price as TakTOM's version... if it'd been substantially above TaKTOM's price, then I wouldn't have paid it and just skipped it again. And I'm sure if this Asian exclusive version were closer to $150 then more people would be willing to get it.

But there are plenty who will see the price as reasonable or worthwhile who will purchase it, making Hasbro Asia very happy.

Yeah, I suppose it all depends on how desperately you want this toy MISB. If you really want it, then you have 2 options:
1. Bite the bullet and pay $220 for this overpriced reissue that's cheaper than the aftermarket prices for the previous versions. Not the best price, but cheaper than current alternatives.
2. Skip and see if HasTak releases it again at a better price.

Option 2 is a gamble... and while Option 1 is dearer, at least it's a sure bet.

I don't think those of us who will pay it should be made to feel stupid which is how some of the comments on here are coming off

I don't think that's been anyone's intention, merely that our hobby^lifestyle choice is jolly expensive at the best of times, let alone when paying increased prices. I'm more frustrated about Hasbro Asia trying to gouge collectors with their inflated price point. If TakaraTOMY can release Encore Fort Max at about the same RRP as Brave Max from 13 years ago, I don't see why Hasbro Asia couldn't re-release MP Grimlock at its original RRP too.

[Sinnertwin]

Wow... $220... $20 more and that's a weeks rent. Thanks, but I'd much rather a roof over my head.