Question about bundled packs.

[dirge]

I've just received a query via my website from a fairly well known American fan regarding the bundling of Transformers in Australia. He came across Cyberton's mega/MiniCon packs (the ones we've recently seen on special at Myer) and wants to know if we've received anything else like this.

I know we also received Cybertron Ultra with basics and Cybertron Ultras with bonus DVDs, and Armada Prime/Powerlynx Prime was sold with bundled MiniCon teams at Big W.

Is there anything else we've received down the years that I've missed?

[griffin]

Oh, you're referring to when they tape a bonus pack (usually Minicons or a basic) to the back of a boxed figure?
I think the first was during Armada. BigW seemed to be the only store doing it for a while, then Target, and I guess Myer as well. I think after BigW were doing it for a while, those other stores must have started asking Hasbro to do it themselves and sell the bundled packs to stores. The reason I'm guessing this, is that the BigW bundled packs had BigW tape roughly wrapped around them, while the bundled packs in other stores appeared to be more neater and had the same type of tape used in each chain.
I could ask Hasbro AU this, but they only reply to a quarter of my queries, so don't hold your breath on an answer too soon.

[TheDirtyDigger]

Ultimate BB with the two deluxes?

[griffin]

I didn't keep a record on the toy checklist of bundled TFs, because it wasn't really a packaging variant (minimum requirement of the checklist). The one thing I just thought of though, is go through the sightings and AU news sections of the old board (while it's still there), and look for any mention of bundled packs. It might take a while, but it's an option. But I can't think of anything else off the top of my head though that you didn't already mention.

[griffin]

Were the two deluxes taped to the side/back of the Ult BB, or was it contained in proper, new packaging?
If it is an actual packaging varient by the Hasbro factory, I don't think that's what dirge is looking for. I think its the unofficial (taped up) bonus packs that stores (or maybe Hasbro AU) did up by hand that we are looking for.

[Karl]

Hi, Folks. I was the one wondering about the Bonus packs.

I went back through the old Cybertron Sightings thread (31 pages worth) and these are what I found.

Voyagers w/ CD: Vector prime, Nemesis Breaker, Quickmix, Cybertron Defense Scattorshot

Voyager 2 packs: Soundwave/CD Scattorshot, Soundwave/Dark Crumplezone

Ultras w/ Scout figure: Dark Scorponok/Backstop, CD Red Alert/Repugnus, Dark Scorponok/Scrapmetal, Wing Saber w/ ???, Sky Shadow w/ ????, menasor w/ ????, Cryo Scourge w/ ?????

Voyagers w/ Minicon 2-packs: Vector Prime w/ ???, Leo Breaker w/ ???, Mudflap w/ ???, Evac w/ Skylynx/Thunderblast, Dark Crumplezone w/ ???, CD Scattorshot w/ ???

Leader Metroplex and Megatron with scouts (America got these)

Are there any others that any of you know about offhand?

Thanks for any help,

Karl Hartman

[griffin]

Damn, you've been busy.
If it is just the store taping two packs of toys together with some packaging tape, does the combinations really matter, or can some likely examples do?
The early stuff was generally not something done by Hasbro, but just a marketting gimmick by the stores (taping up their own 'bonus packs'). I think it usually came down to what assortments were out at the time that the stores got from Hasbro, but as I recall, it was usually fairly random with no intentional pairings. I personally avoided buying any of the bonus packs, because the way they taped the carded figure onto the boxed figure, it made it impossible to separate the two without destroying the packaging (which I keep).
I'll have a look into this as well, to see if there are any actual pairing examples recorded anywhere. Actually, I've been keeping the occasional junkmail advertising over the last few years, so I'll see if I can find any photographic examples as well.
If anyone here actually bought a bonus pack at any time, please post about it here.
I think the only bundled pack I did actually buy was a Cybertron Voyager pairing, because I think it was the only way to get Soundwave at the time. And they must have had heaps of them, because it was in all the pairings I saw.

[Demonac]

I remember cutting the tape off in the store, and reattaching another scout I actually wanted. What's the point of a bonus, if I already have it? hehehe

[i_amtrunks]

Dont forget the BWX Primal and Megatron having the bonus DVD with them...

TRU had Cybertron Leaders with a bonus scout figure too.

[dirge]

Karl, I'll get around to taking some pictures for you as I promised over the next day or two, but the sealed example I have is Mudflap/Landslide vs Kobushi.

I also picked up Cybertron Defence Scattorshot with Ascentor vs Payload (opened a while ago). So there's two pairing examples.

I'm also fairly sure I picked up Soundwave & Dark Crumplezone together - I seem to recall that I only grabbed DC because he was on the back of Soundwave (and the other options were toys I had already).