The Random Transformers Thoughts Thread

[GoktimusPrime]

Stumbled across this video showing the New York Toy Fair at F.A.O. Schwarz in 1984. Aah, the year (or close to it) that many of us began our Transformers journey, and here we are 31 years later and as passionate as ever!

[UltimateGalvatron]

7 years ago I started recreating TFTM with my G1 toys. I've sometimes thought about resuming work on it, but the idea of completing it would be dauntingly time consuming. It may be easier if it became a collaborative effort and we collectively completed it. Hhmmm...

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

That would be cool, except it might be easier with Classice-verse, with more articulation etc...
Also I only have G1 Seaspray and Constructicons

[UltimateGalvatron]

Our worlds are in danger!
To save them and the galaxy we must find the four Cyber Planet Keys, before the Decepticons can use them for evil.
IT IS OUR MISSION!
Hot Shot! Jetfire! Vector Prime! Landmine! Scattorshot! Optimus Prime! Transform and roll out!

[SuspectimusPrime]

A sighting from a few days ago - TRU Frankston had the platinum Blaster and Perceptor 2-pack on clearance, down from $199 to $189. The reason? According to the sticker applied by TRU staff, the "microscope does not work".

I didn't see if it was still sealed but I'm presuming it was sold, opened and returned. I also don't know if Perceptor's microscope is supposed to be a working one. So I'm left speculating: was it returned complete, or did someone buy it, remove a gun or a missile or something they needed, then return it with a stupid reason (ie "I was expecting a working microscope")? Was it meant to have a working microscope and this one didn't, and TRU staff thought that this decreased the value by only $10? Who is going to buy something that is faulty/doesn't work but that is still overpriced by a minimum of $50 (based on what you can get it for elsewhere)?

(Edit: According to TFWiki, the original Perceptor toy had a working (albeit crude) microscope. This does not resolve my speculation )

An even stupider reason: Back in my uni days I worked in the toys section of a department store, and every once in a blue moon we'd get customers returning TF Movie/ROTF transformers and saying that the toy is defunct because they can't transform it.

Unfortunately this only happened on my days off, and I come back to a perfectly good mistransformed robot in a mangled mess. Eventually it disappears off the shelf so I assume it was bought or just had a five finger discount applied to it.

[Paulbot]

An even stupider reason: Back in my uni days I worked in the toys section of a department store, and every once in a blue moon we'd get customers returning TF Movie/ROTF transformers and saying that the toy is defunct because they can't transform it.

Unfortunately this only happened on my days off, and I come back to a perfectly good mistransformed robot in a mangled mess. Eventually it disappears off the shelf so I assume it was bought or just had a five finger discount applied to it.

So here's a discounted item I found once at Target. What's wrong with Dirt Boss?



Forklift Mode missing! And by the looks of it the staff found an opened box on the floor and marked it down because of it.

[M-bot]

So here's a discounted item I found once at Target. What's wrong with Dirt Boss?



Forklift Mode missing! And by the looks of it the staff found an opened box on the floor and marked it down because of it.

Oh that's priceless

[CHILENO20]

So here's a discounted item I found once at Target. What's wrong with Dirt Boss?

Forklift Mode missing! And by the looks of it the staff found an opened box on the floor and marked it down because of it.

Ummmm, it says transformer on the box

[UltimateGalvatron]

So here's a discounted item I found once at Target. What's wrong with Dirt Boss?



Forklift Mode missing! And by the looks of it the staff found an opened box on the floor and marked it down because of it.

Holy Primus that's hilarious.

[griffin]

That's an interesting point.
Unless the packaging specifically says that the two images on the back of the package is the one toy in two forms, could it be claimed (intentionally or in ignorance of not knowing what Transformers toys do) that the package should have "both" inside as if they were actually two different toys (not one toy with two forms).

Using Dirtboss as the example, if you didn't know the multi-form gimmick of Transformers toys, you could look on the packaging and assume that the two toy photos on the back means two toys should be in the pack. (some Transformers toys can look like unrelated toys in both modes, especially if it has completely different colours between modes)
After all, non-converting toys generally don't show multiple photos of the contents as it could suggest that all of them is supposed to be inside the box.

For those thinking that Transformers would never have two modes of the same character on the pack AND have two different toys in the packaging... think again. The Titanium Optimus 3-pack had on the back, photos of the robot mode, truck mode and pre-earth mode... and guess what, it had three toys in the pack.
True, that's the exception, but I'm sure there is probably a legal argument that could claim that the packaging is advertising two toys but only includes one, because it doesn't state that it is the one toy, or the "sold separately" disclaimer of other products shown on the packaging.

[griffin]

(moved last few posts to here from the sightings section)