The Transformers Thread (licensed) Next

[Gakken85]

Lunar's price for MP-10 is $290 inc shipping.

$8 bucks cheaper than RK, and $9 bucks cheaper than TFsource. (Not sure if their free shipping is included as I didn't read the fine print.)

$25 cheaper than BBTS with shipping!!!

He's saved me about $100 bucks on MP's over the last few months.

Edited September 11, 2013 by Gakken85

[jenius]

Not a bad price. I think Lunar kind of botched their MP-10 preorder with that whole "I don't know the price.. please put down a deposit and expect it to be $300 or more" way of doing things. I've seen too many online stores not last very long already to start trusting that sort of action. Plus, it seems like a way for him to watch the market to determine a price rather than setting the price based on his normal margins. "Oooh, this toy will be popular, I can probably charge more but I don't know how much more." I'm not saying that was his thinking, he probably did have a hard time getting it ironed out, but it doesn't come across well. I used regular airmail with RobotKingdom and got it for $280 shipped. I was thinking about getting Prowl from them too but I'm not in a rush to get Prowl and I'm bummed I can't preorder all the fairladies and not have them delivered with BlueStreak (he's last right?) to save on shipping.

Edited September 11, 2013 by jenius

[Gakken85]

Yeah, that's not it at all.

If you've followed the drama of MP buying with BBTS in the last year and half you'd know why he does it that way. Places like BBTS will put up PO's 8 months early (Wheeljack and BB) just to fill orders and then they just let the price flux up and down as they get information. Lots of people have gotten pissed off at the prices jumping... especially when MP-13 jumped like $100 bucks back in March. I remembered some guy cancelled all of their BBTS orders over it. Like $1000 dollars! haha. The price of the brothers might still flux before they are released.

He constantly haggles with china to get his lowest price and is trying not to rip people off, while giving them a fair expectation of what they might pay.

Once he gets a solid price from his distro he puts a price on his site. It may only be $5-10 bucks, but it adds up over time. But like the MP-08 was $70-$100 dollars cheaper.

Prowl is the end of this month.

Bluestreak is next month.

No release in Nov.

SS is in Dec.

I doubt you could get those in the same shipment over 4 months! haha

Good luck with SAL. After my Virgin road almost got lost in New York and took 4 weeks, I stopped using it. haha.

Edited September 11, 2013 by Gakken85

[treatment]

For those that missed the amiami-preorder on MP-12b Sideswipe-G2 earlier, here's hlj's

http://www.hlj.com/product/TKT49828/Sci

5200y.

They haven't listed mp-13b Soundblaster just yet, so if you want to camp on it...

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

Lunar's price for MP-10 is $290 inc shipping.

$8 bucks cheaper than RK, and $9 bucks cheaper than TFsource. (Not sure if their free shipping is included as I didn't read the fine print.)

$25 cheaper than BBTS with shipping!!!

He's saved me about $100 bucks on MP's over the last few months.

that's pretty good price, saved 9 bucks over TFsource. it's as much as i guessed.

Robot kingdom would be good for pairing to ship mp 10 w/ prowl to get the coin and launcher for sure.

[treatment]

Heads up!

SoundBlaster MP-13B preorder is now listed at HLJ:

http://www.hlj.com/product/TKT47434/Sci

12640y (plus shipping-fees, of course).

[jenius]

Awesome, since I can't imagine I'll ever be in a mad rush to get my toys right away (I have a 1 year old, it's often weeks before I get to handle my toys any way) I'm going to try to get in on all future HLJ preorders and utilize that private warehouse function.

[Golden Arms]

I picked up a 'discounted' MP red alert. Not a bad toy for the price. The lambo and countach spellings were the only major detraction's. Last weekend I saw Metroplex in one of the stores.

[SuperSenpai]

I'm not the biggest Transformer collector, but I have a few, including an MP-10 Hasbro Optimus Prime that I picked up from TRU last year. I had to go through a lot of trouble to get that one. I've been eyeing the TRU exclusive MP Soundwave, and it seems that it's as hard to get as the MP-10. What's the deal with TRU exclusive MP Transformers? I understand retailers not wanting to have shelf-warmers, but for characters like Optimus Prime and Soundwave, these are practically guaranteed to sell no matter how many you order. I don't understand why don't make them more widely available.

[RD Blade]

I understand retailers not wanting to have shelf-warmers, but for characters like Optimus Prime and Soundwave, these are practically guaranteed to sell no matter how many you order. I don't understand why don't make them more widely available.

Risk vs. reward. The last MP Transformer at Walmart was Skywarp. If it warmed shelves, Walmart's bean counters only need to see "Masterpiece" and "Transformer" before they feel the urge to shy away. Anybody who knows Transformers knows MP-10 will sell out instantly. Anybody who doesn't know Transformers can only rely on history.

[SuperSenpai]

Risk vs. reward. The last MP Transformer at Walmart was Skywarp. If it warmed shelves, Walmart's bean counters only need to see "Masterpiece" and "Transformer" before they feel the urge to shy away. Anybody who knows Transformers knows MP-10 will sell out instantly. Anybody who doesn't know Transformers can only rely on history.

I didn't know Walmart carried exclusive MP Transformers. I was speaking primarily of Toys R Us, since my experience has been limited to them. But in the two examples I've seen (Optimus Prime and Soundwave), they seem to be incredibly hard to find -- almost never in stock at the website except for short windows of time, having to stalk the delivery trucks at the actual stores, and then as soon as they arrive they get cleaned out. Meanwhile you see them all over eBay getting sold for hefty markups by scalpers. I can't believe that TRU is completely oblivious to all that. Even at my local TRU, when I asked them about MP-10 Optimus last year, the manager gave me this annoyed look and told me "We don't know when they're coming, people have been asking me about that one all week."

[treatment]

Risk vs. reward. The last MP Transformer at Walmart TRU was Skywarp Thundercracker. If it warmed shelves, Walmart TRU's bean counters only need to see "Masterpiece" and "Transformer" before they feel the urge to shy away. Anybody who knows Transformers knows MP-10 will sell out instantly. Anybody who doesn't know Transformers can only rely on history.

I didn't know Walmart carried exclusive MP Transformers. I was speaking primarily of Toys R Us, since my experience has been limited to them. But in the two examples I've seen (Optimus Prime and Soundwave), they seem to be incredibly hard to find -- almost never in stock at the website except for short windows of time, having to stalk the delivery trucks at the actual stores, and then as soon as they arrive they get cleaned out. Meanwhile you see them all over eBay getting sold for hefty markups by scalpers. I can't believe that TRU is completely oblivious to all that. Even at my local TRU, when I asked them about MP-10 Optimus last year, the manager gave me this annoyed look and told me "We don't know when they're coming, people have been asking me about that one all week."

T,FTFY.

Wally's SW and TRU's TC. Shelfwarmers.

Edited September 13, 2013 by treatment

[jenius]

I think Robotkingdom has shipped me my Asia release MP-10. Unfortunately I'll be out of town when it arrives

[Uxi]

T,FTFY.

Wally's SW and TRU's TC. Shelfwarmers.

Yet both were less popular repaints of the Seekers. Did US Starscream shelfwarm? What about Rodimus and Grimlock?

[treatment]

Yet both were less popular repaints of the Seekers. Did US Starscream shelfwarm? What about Rodimus and Grimlock?

I wished Wal-Scream shelfwarm in my friggin' state like TC and SW. Never saw him at all in any wally's here.

Not sure about Rodi and Grim if they shelfwarmed. I know I passed on them both when I saw them.

[RD Blade]

Did US Starscream shelfwarm? What about Rodimus and Grimlock?

Starscream didn't shelfwarm in my area, either. I never found one. Rodimus and Grimlock were readily available...Rodimus moreso. But they both sold well...meaning I never saw them on clearance.

[Uxi]

Unfortunately I mostly drifted away between Wallyworld Skywarp (which I bought) and MP10 and really regret not hunting for both Rodimus and Grimlock at TRU (hell, I wish I had bought a dozen Grimlocks at retail and sold all but 2 to pay for everything else )

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

Starscream didn't shelfwarm in my area, either. I never found one. Rodimus and Grimlock were readily available...Rodimus moreso. But they both sold well...meaning I never saw them on clearance.

same here, never saw at walmart starscream in stores.

i saw grimlock and rodimus, didn't care about rodimus bc i don't like his character. he shouldn't of ever been leader. it should have been computron grimlock.

TRU grimlock i didn't care about either until he was worth something. grimlock to me is like my view of the 11c, i thought it was so so while as a shelf warmer and on clearance. then liked it only bc it was 400 and oos. if rodimus was worth something i'd probably find a reason to like him.

[Gakken85]

That's another thing I love about buying from a domestic seller. I don't have to sign for the package when they ship it to my house.

Such an annoying waste of time.

[technoblue]

Well, I'm done collecting Transformers Prime/Beast Hunters toys at retail. I've run into too many quality control issues with the figures I've chased down. I have been very pleased with the Masterpiece line, however. Going forward, I'm sticking to Masterpiece and decent third-party collectibles.

Edited September 14, 2013 by technoblue

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

if robot kingdom shipped mp-10, i wonder if tf source is going to ship optimus soon. i'm getting excited

[Renato]

I picked up a 'discounted' MP red alert. Not a bad toy for the price. The lambo and countach spellings were the only major detraction's. Last weekend I saw Metroplex in one of the stores.

If you have spelling mistakes, it's likely that you bought a bootleg.

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

they have bootlegs for masterpieces already?

[treatment]

they have bootlegs for masterpieces already?

Err, where have you been?

They're usually referred to as "KO's".

Edited September 15, 2013 by treatment

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

Err, where have you been?

They're usually referred to as "KO's".

haven't seen them. i only seen the g1 ko's as well as fan's prject stuff but not masterpiece bootlegs. What i mean bootlegs that have deceptive packaging to disguise as the real thing.

not things like "faithleader" it sounds like goldenarms was fooled thinking he brought an mp... so i was surprised there's stuff like that for the mp line. (identical packaging)

can you give me some links? that's help see what the bootlegs look like.

Edited September 15, 2013 by davidwhangchoi

[Uxi]

Faith Leader seemed a pretty blatant KO, though at least it was deliberately scaled differently. The Seekers have knockoffs, too, though IIRC the intent was to remove the Kawamori additions (which Hasbro later did themselves anyway) with MP-11.

Most third party stuff tends to cover areas not being covered by Takara/Hasbro like the Constructicons. Hopefully they get around to doing the rest of the Dinobots sooner or later since there probably won't be official ones. I wish SOMEONE would tackle Galvatron though I understand the hesitation since it seems obvious there should eventually be an official Masterpiece...

[CoryHolmes]

Just bought Metroplex. He's absurdly massive. Like, really HUEG, man. Robot mode is awesomely impressive, and city and vehicle modes... are not.

Seriously. He looks exactly like a robot squatting down and folded up. I can tell right away that robot mode will dominate my toy shelf, and the others won't make many appearances.

[treatment]

haven't seen them. i only seen the g1 ko's as well as fan's prject stuff but not masterpiece bootlegs. What i mean bootlegs that have deceptive packaging to disguise as the real thing.

not things like "faithleader" it sounds like goldenarms was fooled thinking he brought an mp... so i was surprised there's stuff like that for the mp line. (identical packaging)

can you give me some links? that's help see what the bootlegs look like.

Just go to TFW's 3rd Party forum and scan for KO in the thread-titles.

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

Just go to TFW's 3rd Party forum and scan for KO in the thread-titles.

thanks treatment!

update: i just read that the mp-12 ko thread. mp ko sideswipe seems well made for the price, maybe just as good/better than takara's... maybe golden arms didn't get robbed afterall.

Edited September 16, 2013 by davidwhangchoi

[xrentonx]

I think this was really useful for me on the KO stuff:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmiD8zlC3oQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpe5_3UxJpU

The most obvious thing that makes it a KO is the misspelling of "Countach" though.

[Gakken85]

Interesting news on MP-10 release. Only 800 units were made.

With the YOTH release (which will probably be a TRU Asia exclusive) they are probably going to retire that mold soon. (Lots of use to do the renewals)

Also heard a rumor that this new version of MP-10 will have improvements over the old version, but that's unconfirmed.

Also hear that TRU is trying to corner the market for MP's, which could mean prices will go up across the board, less room for shops state-side to make a profit.

Just bought Metroplex. He's absurdly massive. Like, really HUEG, man. Robot mode is awesomely impressive, and city and vehicle modes... are not.

Seriously. He looks exactly like a robot squatting down and folded up. I can tell right away that robot mode will dominate my toy shelf, and the others won't make many appearances.

Yeah that's two big reasons I had no interest in this toy. Too big, and the only decent mode was Robot mode. The other modes are a joke. The plastic looks super cheap too. I'll stick with my complete G1 from my childhood

Edited September 16, 2013 by Gakken85

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

I think this was really useful for me on the KO stuff:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmiD8zlC3oQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qpe5_3UxJpU

The most obvious thing that makes it a KO is the misspelling of "Countach" though.

thanks for the links, looks like the reviews convinced me to go the KO route for 30-40 bucks. i've never seen masterpiece ko copies like this... it's sorta scary that they are so nice in quality. so tiger tracks ko are factory seconds... interesting.

Interesting news on MP-10 release. Only 800 units were made.

With the YOTH release (which will probably be a TRU Asia exclusive) they are probably going to retire that mold soon. (Lots of use to do the renewals)

Also hear that TRU is trying to corner the market for MP's, which could mean prices will go up across the board, less room for shops state-side to make a profit.

Also heard a rumor that this new version of MP-10 will have improvements over the old version, but that's unconfirmed.

can't wait for mp-10 glad you were talking about it, it got my attention to pre-order prime. now i have to find a stupid grimlock...

[skullmilitia]

An improvement on MP-10 would be double jointed Elbows, or at least a full 180 degree elbow joint.

[Uxi]

I think that video just sold me on the KO.

That's so close makes me suspicious its gotta be inside job and/or semi sanctioned seconds, etc. No way would a KO redo their fonts, etc.

If/when they redo MP10, I hope they do the metallic eyes from MP1. The Hasbro is better than the Takara in that regard, but not by much. Really took a step backward in the legs in truck mode.

[Golden Arms]

If you have spelling mistakes, it's likely that you bought a bootleg.

I think it may be a factory reject. The packaging and other materials seem on par with my MP-sideswipe. The quality of the toy is were the differences become apparent. The paint quality in some areas and the misspellings are the only major issues.

thanks treatment!

update: i just read that the mp-12 ko thread. mp ko sideswipe seems well made for the price, maybe just as good/better than takara's... maybe golden arms didn't get robbed afterall.

I didn't get robbed. I strongly suspected that the there were some slight issues with the toy due to it being priced 1/2 as to what the MP is currently going for. I assumed that the seller had a batch of toys that made their way out of the back door of the factor due to QC issues.

Edited September 16, 2013 by Golden Arms