MP13B Soundblaster and Ratbat revealed

[Quickstrike]

Oh god there has to be some other way to get Ratbat. I don't want to pay $160 for him!

Or do I?!

[Sinnertwin]

Wait for the 'loose factory samples' to pop up around February

[CBratron]

Why not just get a legit G1 Ratbat???

It's an option but if a solo MP Ratbat wasn't an option I'd probably be feeling vindictive.

[Hursticon]

Both Soundblaster and G2 Sideswipe pre-ordered from RK...

Why is it that places like AmiAmi & HLJ, always seem to be the last to place up preorders?

[ILikeSoundwave]

Why is it that places like AmiAmi & HLJ, always seem to be the last to place up preorders?

Totally forgot about Amiami, ill try to get Soundblaster from there when he is released.

[DELTAprime]

Why is it that places like AmiAmi & HLJ, always seem to be the last to place up preorders?

Waiting on HLJ also.

[GoktimusPrime]

It's an option but if a solo MP Ratbat wasn't an option I'd probably be feeling vindictive.

Getting a KO Ratbat isn't going to affect TakaraTOMY one iota. All it's going to do is potentially further harm other fans by sustaining the illegal counterfeit industry which aims to deceive collectors. KOs only affect companies when they're knocking off a current toy (e.g. KO MP Lambor). Knocking off a toy that HasTak hasn't produced in 27 years isn't really going to make a difference to them. And do you really want to have a fake in your collection? Eewww...

Getting a legit G1 Ratbat isn't going to reward TakTOM either, because you're going to be getting a second hand toy (even if it's MOSC, it would've already been purchased from retail long ago). That way you can still have your G1 Ratbat toy, but without contributing to an illegal industry that seeks to harm your fellow collectors. TakaraTOMY won't care either way -- the best way you can voice your complaint to Hasbro or TakTOM is to simply not purchase their product; we all vote with our wallets.

[Tober]

Why is it that places like AmiAmi & HLJ, always seem to be the last to place up preorders?

I think you kinda answered your own question before. I believe RK and BBTS have ordered the Asia stock through Hasbro HK and the Japanese stores are waiting for Takara's solicitations.

[UltraMarginal]

I boought a Reissue Ratbat a year or so ago and I was pretty impressed with the engineering in that toy. If they never release an MP Ratbat seperate to soundblaster it won't be the end of my world, though I'm always interested in a new mold like that.

[llamatron]

Why is it that places like AmiAmi & HLJ, always seem to be the last to place up preorders?

Because the Japanese retailers actually wait for the proper solicitations to come out from Takara with the pricing etc... All the US stores are just throwing up speculative place holders to try and get desperate people to lock in an order with them. As soon as one of the big boys does it everyone else has to put up a pre-order or risk losing out on major business.