Give Me Knock-Offs!

ColdBain · Post by **ColdBain** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 9:49 pm

So, I was online last week and noticed that a guy was selling a re-issue of the G1 Swoop, in an classic styled box and everything!

"Score!" I thought.

I commited to buy the item, even though I wasn't aware that the Dinobots were being re-issued (well, not officially anyway). I got it in the post, unwrapped it, and had a little play around with it (transforming the figure, putting the stickers on, etc).

As I was transforming the action figure, there was something about it that didn't seem right. It looked a little odd. I kept on looking at the figure on the box thinking;
"No, it's fine, look at the pictured examply, it's fine, see?" But then I realized that what was pictured and what I held in my hands were two slightly different things.

For one, the clear plastic beak of Swoop did not have a big round 'bulb' at the tip of it's beak in the picture, the underjaw was gold chrome, not red. The sword was gold, the missiles and his feet were gold chrome (not red plastic). AND, the missile launchers were able to fit into the sockets on his wings and NOT fall out.

It was then I realized that I had spent a little more than I would've liked... on a knock-off...

It's not all that bad I thought, I'll just get my brother's gold chrome paint from his Warhammer 40,000 kit.

***I have since found many various 'knock-offs' and other releases. Some are very cheap, others are not. I have found that there are a few e-hobby re-issues of Ratchet and Ironhide (which I would love to have to go with the old Megatron design!) Has anyone else had any experiences with 'unexpected surprizes' when purchasing knock-offs?***

martyboy70 · Post by **martyboy70** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 10:19 pm

This swoop ko is well known round these parts and has been discussed in a couple of threads and by all accounts is pretty damn close to the original and about as close as you will get to a new dinobot.
Because its so close it seems to go for not much less than a mint "real" g1 swoop(which are v.v. rare anyway) so dont feel too bad about paying top dollar for it and as you say you can get the paint out and get it nearly spot on.
Mind you if you really dont want it you can always throw it in my direction.

Post by **zigzagger** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 10:49 pm

Ah, cheer up ColdBain. Here, this should cheer you up!

EDIT:Yeah, some of you have probably already seen this. But I thought it was appropriate....and cute

martyboy70 · Post by **martyboy70** » Mon Apr 16, 2007 11:53 pm

Way to soothe his pain there zig!!!

ColdBain · Post by **ColdBain** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:06 am

I am pleased with the toy overall, the weird round beak thing always throws me whenever I look at it (anyone bite their lips occasionally and it swells up? That's all I ever think about when I look at him).

I definately would not have purchased the guy if it had not come with that awesome box, naturally I keep him stored in his little box, and he displays very well.

I'm going to have to test the Gold paint out carefully though, there are many colours to choose from, and I must get my painting skills up to scratch before I attack him. (I'm more worried about his feet that I am painting his beak). I used to collect Warhammer 40,000 Models with my older brother back in High School, eventually we combined efforts and I stopped playing the game. I was more fond of constructing and painting the models, whereas my brother was more fond of having a cool looking army and playing the game. I packed it in back in late 2002 when Games Workshop raised their prices.

And, of course, I year later RiD was being released in New Zealand. Funny how these things come go around.

I think after my initial shock at the toy I grew to like it, and it made me ponder the situation with other e-hobby and knock-off re-releases. I had an interest in some of the Korean Giftset Combiners that are out there. The plastic is a lot better than your general knock-off (like the slightly enlarged combiners) but they are still missing the quality you get from the actual product.

I nearly bought the Korean Computron... it came in accurate colours with no stickers applied. Which is great if you are familiar with the Reprolabels website!

Thanks for the cartoon Zigzagger, did you do that yourself?

dotCommunism · Post by **dotCommunism** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 1:46 am

From what i understand, the knock-off is pretty faithful to the original.

For example, the original did have a rounded beak (the diaclone version didn't, though), and it also has the red parts, red missiles and red sword.

http://www.tfu.info/1985/Autobot/Swoop/swoop.htm

That said, if what you bought was listed as a reissue, it's definitely the knock-off since Swoop hasn't been reissued officially.

Also the e-hobby toys are official releases, not knock-offs

Post by **zigzagger** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 6:39 am

Originally posted by ColdBain
Thanks for the cartoon Zigzagger, did you do that yourself?

Of course not, silly. Matt Moylan, the same fellow who runs the Lil' Tranformers site, did it. It's a cute little parody comic strip.

Somewhat back on topic, look what seibertron.com recently discovered. A new Swoop KO, fashioned in his ol' Diaclone suit. At least this time around, buyers won't be as deceived by appearances. Recolored box art being the most noticeable difference.

edited a zillion times, due to miss-attempts with the thumbnails....only I really care, though

RID Scourge · Post by **RID Scourge** » Tue Apr 17, 2007 2:06 pm

Ooh! I like Diaclone Swoop! Looks nice.

ColdBain · Post by **ColdBain** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 6:20 am

I have been prowling the internet for various e-hobby releases available, and I don't think there are any that really tickles my fancy (the price doesn't tickle my fancy either).

I didn't say e-hobby releases were knock-offs either, I associate the two because most of the e-hobby toys I've seen don't have the normal colours and such, and knock-offs are... well, knock-offs.

The blue swoop does look really cool though. Reminds me of the cartoon somewhat...

martyboy70 · Post by **martyboy70** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 10:55 pm

Oh dear I may just be in the same boat as Coldbain tho not on the same financial scale.
The other night I won an auction for everyones favourite geologist as it was MOSC but now having read the threads and relevant links on the new KO Wheeljack and Mirage coming out I fear its a KO does anyone know what I should look for when I get him in
This is it here in case it helps
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... &rd=1&rd=1
Please help:mad:

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 11:05 pm

Originally posted by zigzagger
Recolored box art being the most noticeable difference.

If I may push my giant, coke-bottle nerd-specs right back up my nose at this point, actually the box art hasn't been recoloured, it's the original Diaclone box art, it just hasn't been recoloured as the Transformer scheme.

I was going to hyperlink every other word to a different painfully obsessive site, but frankly I couldn't be arsed.

Nevermore · Post by **Nevermore** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 11:07 pm

Check for typos on the back of the card ("ture" instead of "true", "inrerest" instead of "interest", "sepcial" instead of "special", repeated "Swing arms down and push wheels in. Swing arms down and push wheels in. Swing").

Post by **Denyer** » Wed Apr 18, 2007 11:39 pm

You'd think anyone going to that effort already would be able/inclined to buy a native English-speaker a couple of drinks to look stuff over, wouldn't you?

Ackula · Post by **Ackula** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 2:55 am

Originally posted by martyboy70
Oh dear I may just be in the same boat as Coldbain tho not on the same financial scale.
The other night I won an auction for everyones favourite geologist as it was MOSC but now having read the threads and relevant links on the new KO Wheeljack and Mirage coming out I fear its a KO does anyone know what I should look for when I get him in
This is it here in case it helps
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... &rd=1&rd=1
Please help:mad:

I think the biggest giveaway would be that the seller actually stated that it is a KO in the auction description... look closely at the description..it says..and I quote

This is for the upcoming movie star G1 TRANSFOMERS BEACHCOMBER KO MOSC.

martyboy70 · Post by **martyboy70** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 7:46 am

yeah i know cliffy pointed this out elsewhere I was too busy looking at the pics:wall:

Post by **zigzagger** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 9:12 am

Originally posted by ColdBain
....Has anyone else had any experiences with 'unexpected surprizes' when purchasing knock-offs?***

Oh yeah, I was meaning to answer that in my earlier post. Well, it sort of answers your question. I have yet to unknowingly purchase a KO figure, and I have only actually purchased two intentionally - those being the Rumble/Buzzsaw and Frenzy/Laserbeak sets (this was before carded Rumble/Ravage and Frenzy/Ratbat knock-offs started surfacing). It was a rather pleasant experience, actually. Well made, having the fanboy precious die-cast parts, pretty close to the originals, and reasonably priced. I was quite pleased. Though, I noticed that the Rumble/Frenzy do fit a bit too snuggly in Soundwave's chest compartment - though they fit just fine in Soundblaster's.

RUNAMOK · Post by **RUNAMOK** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 10:05 am

Even if I have a lot of non-Hasbro transformers, i dont have meny that realy resemble any real transformers.
I have two crappy actionmaster Rollout knockoffs, they are not even as posabile as a real action master.
One other knockoff I can think of is a brainmaster face, I had a Lightspeed without a face. I found a knockoff scabre on a fleamarket. The scabre figure was in a horribile condition, but the brainmaster was intack. I bought the brainmaster and left the rest of the figure behind. It later turned out that it actualy was a knockoff of a Braver brainmaster, so now does my Lightspeed have a the right face in the wrong colors.

ColdBain · Post by **ColdBain** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 6:03 pm

re: Zigzagger

I have had my eye on the KO cassettes for awhile now, they seem to be poping up everywhere I go (online that is)! I would love to have the whole cassette collection (even if they are KO) just to go with my TFC Soundwave (poor fella only has a Lazerbeak to keep him company). And it's pretty cool that they come carded as well, I guess if I do end up buying the KO Cassettes I'll just pull the old 'peel-back-the-plastic-off-the-cardboard-a-little-bit-so-that-one-side- is-still-attached-to-the-cardboard-and-opens-like-a-door-and-cut-a- velcro-dot-to-the-shape-of-the-plastic-to-allow-it-to-open-and-shut- properly' trick again to keep them safe and sound.

PresidentSEARS · Post by **PresidentSEARS** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 2:46 pm

I fear I may have been duped too.
I recently purchased Superion (not the really obvious KO that's still in packaging) for around £10 - i thought - BARGAIN - i'll get that.
Now - I can't see any real differences when I look at pictures of Superion on any site - and it's slightly yellowed with age - which I thought gave it a little more realistic touch (even though that wasnt stated in the item description) but
When I look for any Hasbro or Takara markings - there are none - and no Autobot stickers seem to have been on it ever (no sticker wear at all where they should be) - but there is some nasty airforce stickers on it.

mastasini · Post by **mastasini** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 1:59 pm

does anyone know where I can find the KO cassettes in europe?

I really would like to buy some but they only seem to be popping up in Japan or america. and when they do turn up in europe they rapidly gain a 20 to 25 euro price tag for a carded 2 cassettes.

can anyone help me? I would pay a max of 12 to 14 euro for a carded package of 2.

TFARCHIVE FORUMS

Give Me Knock-Offs!

Give Me Knock-Offs!

Re: Give Me Knock-Offs!