New Robotech as Jetfire

[griffin]

This isn't by Hasbro or TakaraTomy, but a Hong Kong business who does licensed toys, including Robotech... and their latest batch of fully-convertible figures replicate the toy that Hasbro released as Jetfire, including one that is coloured like Jetfire (in red and white) with the proper Jetfire head.

It is a little smaller than the original, and looks a little different, but has LEDs all over it, and is limited to 1000 units (500 sold in HK and 500 sold online for the rest of the world - which sold out really fast).

The price was us$230 (about au$350), but the product page made it look like it was only us$110, as that was actually the deposit price.

[JJJ]

After it sold out yesterday, they opened it back up again for another 888 copies (no idea why they picked that number). I haven't looked since, but I imagine that those have also sold out.

[griffin]

I guess they could keep pumping out thousands over a period of several years... and I imagine that they didn't expect this sort of response from Transformers fans, as they were only producing toys for Robotech fans, who are a lot more niche now after all this time.

[Skyfire]

888 copies (no idea why they picked that number).

8 is like lucky 7 for Cantonese Chinese people, of which many HK people are. The Cantonese word for 8 sounds very similar to the word for "fortune". So it's common for promotions in HK and other Cantonese-speaking places to use 8s.

Robotech fans, who are a lot more niche now after all this time.

Now I feel old...

[jazzcomp]

Missed out on this.

[kovert]

This Valkyrie model could have a button cell battery compartment that is deemed unsafe by the ACCC for sale to customers in Australia. Earlier Valkyrie models from KitzConcept Ltd have a battery compartment secured with a screw, whereas recent models apparently do not. Would direct imports by Australian residents be affected by products with a non-compliant battery compartment?

[JJJ]

No, its not like anyone is checking the things as they come into the country, and the issue is sale of non-compliant items, not possession (because otherwise you outlaw decades of existing toys). Theoretically, you can still sell the non-compliant toys here, its just that if you get caught then you're in deep doo-doo (and no retail chain is ever going to risk this, so they're the ones who open and check stuff).

[kovert]

No, its not like anyone is checking the things as they come into the country, and the issue is sale of non-compliant items, not possession.

Cool. That sounds reasonable.

[Tha_Phantom]

Preordered without hesitation as soon as I heard about this and I'm glad I did.
This is the closest thing we will probably ever get to a toy-accurate G1 Jetfire update. More than happy for that statement to age poorly, though.

[Skyfire]

Now I remember why this figure rings a bell. Madman Entertainment is selling the KitzConcept Variable Fighters (Roy Fokker's VF-1S was the basis for the original G1 Jetfire toy and this God of Flame figure) for $264.99:

https://www.madman.com.au/catalogue/...h-kitz-concept

https://www.madman.com.au/catalogue/...h-kitz-concept