Titan Combiner Devastator - first look at German Toyfair

[drifand]

I may not get it, if I do, it may be my first MISB as I may not have the time to play with it. Will see how things go.

[Akky82]

A couple of things interesting about that listing - if that price is accurate and the rumour about it being $150-200, I think I'd prefer to buy it locally as it will work out cheaper. Also, they've listed a release date of September... I thought it was more mid-year i.e. June / July?

Me too, but premiumcollect says late august also.

[griffin]

Only general release items with Australian dates can be used as a rough guide in America for their release dates, and vice versa... their dates are a rough guide for their country, and can only be used as a very very rough guide (like as much as 3-6 month difference) for Australia... and that's only if Australia hasn't got any dates noted from an official source here.

Devastator in America had a "Fall" release date... and if someone official said "September", it is still a very vague date if announced several months in advance, so should be note that it means "give or take 2-4 months".
When Hasbro America says "Fall" on their products at NY Toyfair, it is often a very vague release date because it is so far ahead of production schedule, they don't know exactly the days when the Factories will be making them or know if Retailers end up being too slow or too fast with re-ordering later waves... and in previous years, many items that say "Fall" have been out by mid-year, or sometimes show up at the end of the year if it is a slow selling toyline. A "Fall" release date given out at Toyfair in February is really a six month possible window of June to December. While a "Fall" release date quoted mid-year, like at BotCon or SDCC, is generally more reliable to a Sept-Dec window.

In Australia, the store chain BigW has been noted as having a "mid-year" release of AU$198... but that will depend on any production or shipping delays (this toy is getting shipped direct to the Retailer's warehouse, not through Hasbro), or if any other Retailers have an earlier release lined up. Since we have June-July Toy sales every year in Australia from the Major Retailers, we often have special items held until then as promotional store exclusives that you guys get earlier in the year... but on this occasion we might be having something released on-time or early for the sale.

Since Devastator, like Metroplex in 2013, is a one-off item that is specially organised with Retailers in each country that wants Devastator... once they are ready to be released from the Factory, the release date in each country will depend on when the Retailers wanted them during the available release window (which appears to be mid-year to the end of the year)... and if a particular Retailer has an early exclusive to its release before other Retailers in that country get it.

Same thing happens with ongoing lines and sizes, in that Hasbro Australia gets the same stock as America gets, but a third factor is in play to delay a release in that they will only be able to ship them out to stores if they aren't stuck with older waves at the warehouse.


Soooo, to hopefully clear up the confusion about the different dates floating around, Devastator looks to have a release window starting from about June-July because of when they are finished being constructed at the factory... and in Australia, BigW looks to have first access to it for their July Toy Sale, and for all we know a store-chain in America will have it out in July too... but then all the rest of the retailers here and there (including online stores) will have it BY September (which can be as early as late July-August).
Don't get caught up on a release date that is more than a month away, as production and transport delays are always a factor. If one source is only a month or two different to another source, don't get worked up about it... a release month is always "give or take 2-4 months".

[philby]

I don wonder how many different paint jobs we're going to see of this fella.

SDCC? maybe a Japan con exclusive, a takara version?

I kind of want a version where all the treads are black, or a similar non-purple, non-green colour.

As excited and surprised I am that this is happening, I kind of agree regarding paint job. They've shown they can deviate a bit from a strictly G1 appearance with the change to Mixmaster, do you think adding more detail and changes in paint/plastic/deco would make it better or worse? Bonecrusher in particular looks a bit...bland, both original and here. What do you think of something similar to Maketoys Green Giant?

[philby]

a couple of new images:

http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-...mages-182678/?

[UltimateGalvatron]

snip

Soooo, to hopefully clear up the confusion about the different dates floating around, Devastator looks to have a release window starting from about June-July because of when they are finished being constructed at the factory... and in Australia, BigW looks to have first access to it for their July Toy Sale, and for all we know a store-chain in America will have it out in July too... but then all the rest of the retailers here and there (including online stores) will have it BY September (which can be as early as late July-August).
Don't get caught up on a release date that is more than a month away, as production and transport delays are always a factor. If one source is only a month or two different to another source, don't get worked up about it... a release month is always "give or take 2-4 months".

Yay! BigW in my small crappy country town! YES!

[ampoldj]

So my routine wil be work - BigW - Home again...

[Bladestorm]

So I was in Wan Chai Toy Street today and asked one of the stores about Devy's release date and was told he comes out next week(!!!).
Now, I'm taking this with a grain of salt as I won't believe it until I see it, however pre-orders for him here in HK are no longer available as it is "too close to release date". Take it as a rumour for now but wanted to share what the word is "on the street" here in HK today.

I will be heading back next week to see if he really does hit shelves or not.
If he is, I am hoping to grab one for my 8 year old who has had money saved for him since February... so we'll see.

[Megatran]

a couple of new images:

http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-...mages-182678/?

Is Devi's head suppose to be that small?

[philby]

not sure, but a few people on that site commented about it. did it seem bigger in any of the other photos?

im guessing it may have to do with how the head is stored when not in combined mode.