Hasbro Commemorative Series Sets

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Bonfire
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Hasbro Commemorative Series Sets

Post by Bonfire »

I couldn't find a full listing, but can anyone provide a list of each commemorative series that Hasbro has done and if anyone has their ear over at the company, any plans for future releases? I'm still on the hunt for Ultra Magnus for my son. Ever since DW's comic series and the explaination of the Optimus Prime white toy (kind of a good spin considering Sideswipe and Sunstreaker), he's been wanting it to "reunite the brothers" as he said. Too bad he got interested after Series 8 came out and there were no more Ultras (even though that was the one you could find everywhere at Toys R Us stores for a long time). I'm crossing my fingers that Astrotrain will be in the stores (I don't on-line shop unless I REALLY have to...and definitely NOT during Christmas, hehehe).
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Nevermore
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Post by Nevermore »

You did check the "Toys" section? :)

http://tfarchive.com/toys/checklists/ha ... issues.php

Unfortunately, TRU decided to discontinue the line last year due to bad sales, and until Hasbro find another retailer that's willing to carry them, the line is on hiatus.

For that very reason, Astrotrain is exclusively available from the Hasbro Toy Shop website.

Besides, this isn't news, so off to Toys we go...
Looking for a complete Energon Sky Shadow (from Superion Maximus).
Offering: Binaltech Hound, Swindle, Ravage (Corvette), Skids.
Can buy in stores: Robot Heroes Tigatron/Inferno, Ricochet/Predaking.
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Bonfire
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Post by Bonfire »

Thanks, Nevermore. Still exploring this whole site but I bookmarked that list. Damn hasbro....you have to be a member to order Astrotrain!!!! Ah, who am I kidding, I'll join in the new year, hehehehe.

No wonder the series was cancelled...look at all the ones that were reissued later. I never liked Hoist, Grapple, etc...so why reissue them? They should have put out the combiners like the Constructicons and the rest. Giant Tiger in Canada put out the "el cheapo" copies of the Constructicons, Aerialbots, Stunticons and Protectobots and they disappeared off the shelves. My son has a set of each, but due to the cheap plastic, most are broken and he wants to have better ones. I would have loved to have seen the Dinobots reissued as well as (don't shoot me for this) the first series of Headmasters (including Fort. Max.). When they came out, I found that different and cool, but when they over stocked the market with other Headmasters and then the lame Targetmasters, I gave up on Transformers and just enjoyed what I had previous to that era. Ok, Powermaster Optimus was cool, I'll admit that and we have it now.
"One shall stand...one shall fall" - Optimus Prime

"Why throw away your life so recklessly?" - Megatron
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Nevermore
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Post by Nevermore »

Note that Hasbro Toy Shop is not to be confused with the official Collector's Club online store.

Regarding combiner reissues: The existence of those countless bootleg sets is the very reason Hasbro and Takara won't reissue them in the near future.
Looking for a complete Energon Sky Shadow (from Superion Maximus).
Offering: Binaltech Hound, Swindle, Ravage (Corvette), Skids.
Can buy in stores: Robot Heroes Tigatron/Inferno, Ricochet/Predaking.
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Post by Cliffjumper »

The problem is that some of the moulds don't exist anymore (I believe that's the case with the Constructicons, at least) and reverse engineering (i.e. basically taking an existing old figure and casting new moulds from it) is very, very expensive. Lots of the moulds need maintenance and reapirs, too - I believe Soundwave cost Takara (Transformers' Japanese manufacturer a bomb to remake, and even then they had to compromise. Hasbro only tend to use moulds Takara have already made useable - I think because the Commemorative Series generally didn't make a lot of money.

The reason there are cheap copies of lots of the combining teams is because they've been made by "slush" moulding - I believe a very cheap way of making a mould from the toy... this is why fake Transformers such as those you mention tend to have a lot of waste plastic, and are often 5% smaller.
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Post by Denyer »

Originally posted by Bonfire
They should have put out the combiners like the Constructicons and the rest.
The designs haven't gotten any better since the Eighties. Relying on people to get nostalgic (as the Predaking reissue did, for example) isn't a particularly sound business plan... the number of people who realised Predaking and other large toys were chunky and not very detailed (after seeing clear photos) was pleasantly surprising...
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Post by optimusskids »

It was nice to be able to pick up some moulds like Tracks that I never got first time round. I'm sure there is a reason they never did Trailbreaker maybe he was planned and it was cancelled before he was scheduled to come out but it would seem an easy adaption of Hoist .

I wonder if the inevitable new movie tie ins will be same sort of quality as original Autobot cars or whether we'll get big chunky plastic things a la Nightbeat and more recent lines ?
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Post by Nevermore »

The list I linked above shows that there were indeed plans for Trailbreaker before the line was put on hiatus.
Looking for a complete Energon Sky Shadow (from Superion Maximus).
Offering: Binaltech Hound, Swindle, Ravage (Corvette), Skids.
Can buy in stores: Robot Heroes Tigatron/Inferno, Ricochet/Predaking.
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Bonfire
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Post by Bonfire »

Honestly, I hope the toy line is only on hold....yeah, wishful thinking, but I am seriously hoping they are. Hasbro needs to come out with a series that ALL Transformers fans, old and young, would love to have. The Combiners...my son would love, but I forgot to mention the other "group" I loved as a kid (second to Grimlock and his band of savages)....the Triple Changers. I'm crossing my fingers that Astrotrain is still available next month when i have the cash for it and i know my brother would love to have Blitzwing and Octane again (he left his originals in the family car when our parents traded it in for a new one...I told him to leave them at home, but no one listens to big brother, heheheheh).

My son was lucky on one part that still twists a knife into my brother. We have friends that for the last two years taught English in Japan. They sent us the Japanese releases of Hound, Rodimus Prime and (for me) MEGATRON!!!! No more sissy G.I.Joe designed tank for my all time favourite bot...I gave that to my son, hehehe...."Megatron attack!"....VERY LAME!
"One shall stand...one shall fall" - Optimus Prime

"Why throw away your life so recklessly?" - Megatron
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Post by Justin »

Unless you are dead set on the reissue ultra magnus the original can sometimes be had on ebay for pretty cheap. I got one that wasn't complete (missing one big robot fist, trailer connector, and small robot gun) for about $10. The reissue can be had on ebay but costs a pretty penny since it is usually misb.
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Post by Bonfire »

Well....so much for getting Astrotrain. I spent a good 20 minutes trying to register at Hasbro and there was no option to ship/bill me since I live in Canada. I even tried to find a Canadian Hasbro site and there doesn't appear to be one. I just got off the phoen to their customer service and they refuse to ship to Canada! So the only series 9 figure I can get is one that, to my knowledge, no one wants up here, but the good one I can't get. Thank's a bunch, Hasbro! Now I know why they stopped the series, they don't know what the heck they are doing.:rant: :wall:
"One shall stand...one shall fall" - Optimus Prime

"Why throw away your life so recklessly?" - Megatron
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Post by Nevermore »

From what I know, the reason their online store is only shipping within the US is because they don't want to compete with their own foreign distributors.

It'd be like parallel imports for toys that are widely available in other countries, although of course the downside is that it also affects exclusives that are ONLY available to the store website.

Maybe you could find someone within the US willing to order Astrotrain for you?
Looking for a complete Energon Sky Shadow (from Superion Maximus).
Offering: Binaltech Hound, Swindle, Ravage (Corvette), Skids.
Can buy in stores: Robot Heroes Tigatron/Inferno, Ricochet/Predaking.
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Post by inflatable dalek »

Originally posted by Bonfire
No more sissy G.I.Joe designed tank for my all time favourite bot...I gave that to my son, hehehe...."Megatron attack!"....VERY LAME!


You find a tank more sissy than a tiny, tiny hand gun?
REVIISITATION: THE HOLE TRUTH
STARSCREAM GOES TO PIECES IN MY LOOK AT INFILTRATION #6!
PLUS: BUY THE BOOKS!
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Post by Savannahtron »

I haven't been collecting since last year, but the TRU where I live in Savannah GA still had the reissues in the Spring, but when I went there a month ago, they were gone.

I liked the reissues, but to be honest, the Japanese ones were better.
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