Transformers Toy Rumours (must note a source)

[griffin]

Another rumour being claimed is that there could be some reissue Transmetal Beast Wars toys (from back 1998).

This one feels like a bit of a stretch to me. Even though there have been a small number of reissues of 1980s toys, I don't think the toys of the late 1990s (Beast Era) have been used by Hasbro since the early 2000s of Armada and Universe. (TakaraTomy have recently reissued 2000 Beast Machines Air Attack Primal and 1999 Big Convoy)
The most recent use by Hasbro of a toy from close to that era (that I can think of) is the 2000 RID Megatron toy used for BotCon 2016 as Transmetal Megatron.

Going back further...
2014 - FunPub was able to use the Japanese 1998 BWII Dirgegun toy for Thrustinator. (the same year as Transmetals from Hasbro... but 7 years ago)
2013 - FunPub used the Japanese 1999 BWNeo Big Convoy toy for Ultra Mammoth)

2005 - BotCon used the 1998 Fuzor Buzzclaw mould... which I think could be the last time Hasbro used a "Beast Wars" mould. It was only 7 years after it was a regular retail toy by Hasbro, so could have been easier to track down... but I get the feeling that the Hasbro Beast Wars years of moulds (1996 to 1999) are off-limits, and remind me if I'm missing something, but in the last 16 years, that one Fuzor mould was the only Hasbro Beast Wars toy re-used by Hasbro, which to me seems a little unusual (if true).

[DELTAprime]

One hand I can see Hasbro wanting to reissue them given how hard they are pivoting from G1 to BW. On the other hand, I think they would rather just make new moulds to sell of the TM characters allowing for a more mass audience to sell to.

[Tha_Phantom]

Perhaps these reissues are instead of them doing CHUG Transmetals. I don't think any TM stuff has leaked for Kingdom.

[Zommael]

The last time we saw a large number of Beast Wars toys reissued was for Armada and Universe in 2004-2005. I had assumed that the toolings had degraded since that point, but it may simply be that Hasbro decided to let them rest for a bit and had other priorities. Megatron, Cheetor, Airrazor, Rhinox, and Terrorsaur were all (slightly) retooled for their Armada releases, but I don't imagine that would have involved altering the original toolings.

[Paul Agnew]

Terrorsaur and Triceradon were repainted into Strafe and Slug for the Walmart Age of Extinction line.

[DELTAprime]

The last time we saw a large number of Beast Wars toys reissued was for Armada and Universe in 2004-2005.

Actually, it was in 2007 for the Beast Wars 10th Anniversary line in the US and Beast Wars Telemocha line in Japan.

[griffin]

Actually, it was in 2007 for the Beast Wars 10th Anniversary line in the US and Beast Wars Telemocha line in Japan.

Ah yes, those 6 toys that came with parts of Transmutate, from 2006, and the Japanese ones in 2007 as BW started there a year later.
I had a look through the tfu.info site, and since those reissue toys in 2006-2007, only the Terrorsaur mould has been used (in 2014) from the pre-Transmetal moulds (1996 & 1997).

[DELTAprime]

Some more evidence of SS86 Wreck-gar and Sweeps has been posted on TFW. Given the SS line is about screen accuracy, I'm really not sure how you would differentiate a Sweep from Scourge.

https://news.tfw2005.com/2021/02/08/...numbers-428607

[griffin]

At the beginning of the month there was this rumour...

Another rumour being claimed is that there could be some reissue Transmetal Beast Wars toys (from back 1998).

This one feels like a bit of a stretch to me. Even though there have been a small number of reissues of 1980s toys, I don't think the toys of the late 1990s (Beast Era) have been used by Hasbro since the early 2000s of Armada and Universe. (TakaraTomy have recently reissued 2000 Beast Machines Air Attack Primal and 1999 Big Convoy)
The most recent use by Hasbro of a toy from close to that era (that I can think of) is the 2000 RID Megatron toy used for BotCon 2016 as Transmetal Megatron.

Going back further...
2014 - FunPub was able to use the Japanese 1998 BWII Dirgegun toy for Thrustinator. (the same year as Transmetals from Hasbro... but 7 years ago)
2013 - FunPub used the Japanese 1999 BWNeo Big Convoy toy for Ultra Mammoth)

2005 - BotCon used the 1998 Fuzor Buzzclaw mould... which I think could be the last time Hasbro used a "Beast Wars" mould. It was only 7 years after it was a regular retail toy by Hasbro, so could have been easier to track down... but I get the feeling that the Hasbro Beast Wars years of moulds (1996 to 1999) are off-limits, and remind me if I'm missing something, but in the last 16 years, that one Fuzor mould was the only Hasbro Beast Wars toy re-used by Hasbro, which to me seems a little unusual (if true).

Today someone in America has found some new Beast Wars listings on the Walmart system, which could be the rumour above about Transmetal re-issues... or maybe it is like the Retro Headmasters, in that they are recent (Kingdom) toys released in 1990s Beast Wars packaging?

TRA GEN BW Vintage Optimus Primal
EAN: 5010993869862
Product Number: F1621


TRA GEN BW Vintage Trex Megatron
EAN: 5010993867103
Product Number: F1622


TRA GEN BW Vintage Rattrap
EAN: 5010993867141


TRA GEN BW Vintage Cheetor
EAN: 5010993866953
Product Number: F1620


Megatron and Optimus Primal are listed for $49.97, Cheetor for $22.97, and no price for Rattrap. No images yet but hopefully we will get more information soon.

Based on the prices that are being listed, it's difficult to expect it to be the Kingdom toys option, because $50 is the Leader price point in America, and Kingdom Optimus Primal was only a Voyager (which is $30 in America).
And if they are all reissues, Cheetor being at the current Deluxe price would also mean the $50 figures would need to be Leader class size toys (which would be the old Ultra class from Beast Wars), and that would be the first non-Transmetal toys from 1996.

The thing that is throwing me (and others) is the "vintage" in the product names, as past reissues didn't have "vintage" in those product names, while the Retro Headmasters had "Retro" in their product names.

I guess time will tell, on how wrong I am on those guesses.

[reillyd]

TFW2005 has the Kingdom Commander Class Rodimus Prime first looks, and appears to be from a retailer/distributor listing so is quite low-res. Disturbingly though it doesn?t show any cab, and makes him look like just an upscale Hot Rod with a sword.