Masterpiece MP-23 Exhaust

[kurdt_the_goat]

Clever photoshop from someone on TFW is right on the money - this is what they should release!

[drifand]

But that may offend Marlboro more.

[griffin]

Wouldn't Phillip Morris' legal team already be aware of Takara's intent to distribute locally & worldwide anyway?

They would, but at least if we don't get a legal demand to desist in promoting or advertising the item, or assist in acquiring one through any source, we can claim that we were not aware of it.
And just hope that PM hasn't filed something with Customs to screen for it, based on it being designated cigarette advertising or a childs toy related to cigarettes.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

When I used to work for one of the two main grocery chains and it was my day for picking cigarettes for the stores, it was like looking at a set of trading cards... and I would often look out for any new ones and read their descriptions, just for the morbid curiosity.

I always thought it was a bit of a missed opportunity for tobacco companies...all it needed was one line to turn an intended advertising negative into an incentive to buy even more packets of smokes:
Collect Them All!

[TF76]

I've been following this story on an overseas board and its has been hilarious to me. I haven't really been following transformer news for a long time. I'm sure this is just obvious and every day stuff (in the world of collectors) but anyway.

People are just crazy there (on the other board).

First it's announced the majority hated it, thought it was ugly

Then it was possibly not going to be available in their country, then many suddenly loved it and needed it.

Then it was announced its deco was slightly changed (not that it was ever that accurate anyway). Now it was going to be readily available and the majority hated it again.

Now it's rumored it is canceled again all together and now people suddenly love it and need it again. Lol

Insanity.

[Tober]

Strange days.. A tobacco company missing an opportunity to advertise to a young market, resulting in the chances that a KO Transformer's deco will be more accurate than the official product.

As with Macross product, it is too difficult to stop people privately importing it from a legal country. They could only crack down on stores selling it where they have jurisdiction.

[griffin]

I was totally skipping this MP, but now it's looking like this release is going to be so rare it's making me kinda wish I had ordered him from Japan along with everyone else

Ehobbybaseshop in HK still has it for pre-order for US$56, listing 10 units available (which I guess means they have a set number on order already).

[GoktimusPrime]

I don't see what the issue is for us as non U.S. fans. Just pre-order from a non-U.S. source like HLJ etc.

As for U.S. fans, does this ruling just mean that U.S. based stores cannot sell this toy, or does it additionally mean that the toy cannot be imported to the U.S.A. by non-U.S. sellers? (so a similar issue that we faced w/ MP Megatron back in 2007) If it's the latter, then I can understand the frustration from U.S. fans, unless I've overlooked something I don't see how it's an issue for us.

[drifand]

Blame the person who made an issue out of nothing and resulted in its current state. Sadly this is coming from a collector from TF forums. I wonder if he/she is hated for doing it.

I am washing my hands of this and I don't want to know how or what is going to happen. I am buying it and hopefully is not way off from what its initial state was. If it gets canned, then so be it. TT will need to replace a number for that piece.

[rodent]

TT's solution is simple - release an all-white Stratos Turbo, and include a sticker sheet with strategically-sized red triangles and black letters.