G1 KO "reissues" - worth it?

[bruticus]

High end KO's - really awesome (and dangerous) such as the KO japanese headmaster set. very hard to tell without close inspection!!
"Supposedly" high end KO's - can be pretty sh*tty sometimes like the wheeljack. you will never confuse this guy with the real deal! this range is a hit and miss.
Cheap Chinese KO's (typically carded) - some are just nasty. others are solidly built and really great for custom projects when you need spare parts or if you dont want to chop up that genuine $150 etc...
Unique KO's - oversized stuff can be pretty enjoyable due to the novelty. (like my two Bruticus'... oh yeah!!!)

Get the high end G1 KO's if you already have the original and want to educate yourself on how to identify the fakes. nothing beats hands on experience.
However, dont buy KO's if you are desperately wanting/needing that figure for your collection, as you will be unsatisfied when you get it due to that nagging feeling and the potential chance of getting something that is poor quality. Only buy it if you really dont mind it and will enjoy it.

Its entirely up to you, but i would try to hunt for genuine G1 versions first as they are more rewarding to own.
If you only want minty G1 figures then you must save up for them or try harder to find the bargains. you will be much more satisfied when you put the effort in.

[5FDP]

While out shopping one day I came across an obvious ko set of constructicons.

There was a yellow KO Constructicon set sold in Kmarts about 5 years ago along with the Protectobots and Aerialbots. I'm surprised that they were allowed to sell them because of the quality (or rather lack of) with parts that would snap off with minimal force.

[GoktimusPrime]

I'd rather NOT own a toy than buy a counterfeit because to me, that would go against my standards as a collector and just... "defile" my collection by their very presence. I'm a collector of Transformers... not a collector of fakes. I'd rather live with the dignity of just not owning a certain G1 toy rather than living with the shame of owning a KO.

High end KO's - really awesome (and dangerous) such as the KO japanese headmaster set. very hard to tell without close inspection!!

I must confess that I was tempted by that set for a while... then I decided against it. That's the closest I've ever come to going to the Dark Side. Thank Primus I managed to resist the temptation in the end!

But yeah, I would hold more respect at seeing a small collection of authentic G1 toys over a big collection of fakes. Quality* over quantity IMO.

Just my 2c.

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*By this I don't just mean the physical quality of the toy, I also mean authenticity.

[Eruntalon]

High end KO's - really awesome (and dangerous) such as the KO japanese headmaster set. very hard to tell without close inspection...

There is the fact that the KO headmaster warriors don't have the original date stamps which I think is a pretty obvious difference.

[gdmetro]

It really all boils down to if you are comfortable with owning a KO.

I own a couple but I would never claim them as being legit G1 toys nor would I count them as being part of my collection. They are merely display pieces.

Like you, I considered whether or not we would ever see a reissue before making a decision to buy one e.g. Shockwave. It would be ignorant for me to think that if I took a moral stand and refused to buy a KO that eventually the KO makers would stop producing them as KO's have been around ever since Transformers emerged in the 80's.

The few that I have bought are quite high quality - comparable even to recent Hasbro / TakTom reissues. I have even heard that in some cases the quality is better.

Collecting G1 can be quite expensive as you know especially if you're hunting down that 'mint' piece. KO's offer an affordable alternative and at the end of the day, it's your collection and no one else’s.

Very valid point about moral stand -

And the fact that moulds such as Shockwave/ wheeljack/sunstreaker or jetfire - Highly unlikely to be ever released under the transformers brand again.

I have an older KO Ratbat that I mistakenly bought on ebay a couple of years ago. The quality isn't bad, about as good as an Encore tape reissue.

Since I have gotten a legit Ratbat and it is of a better plastic quality than the KO but still close enough to fool anyone not familiar with the small differences.

Ahh.. this makes me slightly disappointed since I got a few of the encores:
-Omega Supreme, Metroplex, jazz, ratchet/ironhide, optimus prime, soundwave, starscream, sky lynx.

Most of them, I think are decent quality. But starscream really disappointed me alot- maybe mould deterioration? I dont have any g1s except jetfire so I cant really make a comparison. But if the quality of even official Takara reissues are this low, if this is true than... sad day when KOs are of comparable quality.

High end KO's - really awesome (and dangerous) such as the KO japanese headmaster set. very hard to tell without close inspection!!
"Supposedly" high end KO's - can be pretty sh*tty sometimes like the wheeljack. you will never confuse this guy with the real deal! this range is a hit and miss.
Cheap Chinese KO's (typically carded) - some are just nasty. others are solidly built and really great for custom projects when you need spare parts or if you dont want to chop up that genuine $150 etc...
Unique KO's - oversized stuff can be pretty enjoyable due to the novelty. (like my two Bruticus'... oh yeah!!!)

Get the high end G1 KO's if you already have the original and want to educate yourself on how to identify the fakes. nothing beats hands on experience.
However, dont buy KO's if you are desperately wanting/needing that figure for your collection, as you will be unsatisfied when you get it due to that nagging feeling and the potential chance of getting something that is poor quality. Only buy it if you really dont mind it and will enjoy it.

Its entirely up to you, but i would try to hunt for genuine G1 versions first as they are more rewarding to own.
If you only want minty G1 figures then you must save up for them or try harder to find the bargains. you will be much more satisfied when you put the effort in.

Yeah- one of the figs I really wanted was wheeljack- surprise surprise. I definitely think waiting on acquiring them is better since, well I don't think KOs are the way to go.

The quality of the KO is really tempting, but I've been looking at the prices and they are still quite high- and that nagging feeling I think I will get after spending decent dosh on these, instead acquiring better stuff.

I really wanted to complete some subgroups i.e. Dinobots, autobot cars-mirage + wheeljack, gestalts, shockwave and other random figs.

But I don't think I want to get KOs, and the fact legit ones are too hard to acquire means I think i'm just going to give up getting g1 now. Its just too much hassle and money that would be potentially wasted.

My solution: Hope they release most of the ones I want in masterpiece- esp dinobots sometime in the next few years..hopefully...