POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!

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Denyer
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Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!

Post by Denyer »

you really do have to wonder how they figured a box set with three Deluxes and a Voyager would sell better than those individual figures sold separately.
Plus mixing of generations -- within a line works fine, within a box less so. Half the set has almost zero audience (no effort BB, low effort Primal -- originals both available elsewhere) and I can't imagine there's a huge overlap between people who want Fangry and people who want toy version BA, both are which are niche nostalgia-chasers but for largely different groups of people. And they've pre-killed some interest in Horri-Bull and Squeezeplay if they do them, unless Fangry gets another outing. I'm going to guess that Target insisted on a BB despite the VW restrictions, were given two ready-made variants and someone found 'Nemesis Primal' scratched into the underside of a desk that was stolen from FunPub offices in an after-school prank.

Low stock in the last year or so is more understandable with shipping issues thrown in, and smaller runs and smaller bundles possibly reflect learning from the way stock for previous bigger "set" store exclusives got remaindered and sold to other stores.

Splitting main characters and main subgroups over different territories and in sets/bundles, though... if I was bothered about yet another Ratchet, or conehead group, or getting the other Battlecharger, etc (and a *lot* of the fandom is, and there's a lot of crossover in collecting with completing sets of cards or whatever and autistic behaviours) I'd have jacked in bothering to try to collect those lines. It becomes too difficult to fight distribution and customers start fading away.

And for an international company they've been slow to grasp that the internet doesn't only operate in the US and that Pulse needed to hire/train social media people with enough experience to not act like it does, have wider distribution in place before announcements, etc. because Twitter or whatever is going to become an even more hostile environment when a lot of the interaction becomes calling them out on it.

There's more logic evident in what they're doing currently and using Selects to put out mostly single releases such as Jackpot/Tigatron/minibots -- the RR and Puffer set seems designed for people who want all minibots, regardless of how obscure. Maybe they're learning in that respect.

Marvel... yeah, they're very rare purchases, personally, and I'm more inclined to kitbash or substitute than chase down eg convention exclusives.

Transformers are kind of going that way. I've pre-ordered Drag Strip, Kickback and Skids for the chunky Legacy aesthetic and nothing else is on the radar. Drag Strip is the only slightly more exciting one and I hope those shoulder fins can be easily modified.
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Tantrum
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Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!

Post by Tantrum »

Am I the only one totally happy with the Worlds Collide set? I was initially most interested in Fangry. But, I'd passed on the car and ape molds' individual releases, and ended up liking both much more than I thought I would. I already owned Blackarachnia, and the WC one had worse QC. But, swapping the spider legs made standalone BA more show accurate, and the WC one has certain cheesy charm. It's like Hasbro made this box set of misfit toys just for me. I feel special.

I recently got Jackpot, Transmutate, and Cyberverse Slag. The visible seam in Jackpot's head doesn't bother me. The fact that one side of his head is noticeably higher than the other does.
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HeavyArms
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Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!

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GS Cartoon/Comic Galvatron, SS Thrust (Bumblebee), MP-10G Optimus Prime Ecto-35 Edition, Buzzworthy Bumblebee Origins Bumblebee, Covert Agent Ravage - These were all bought through the TCCAs freight-forwarding service, J-Mart.
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Warcry
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Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!

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Denyer wrote: Thu Dec 30, 2021 4:08 pmAnd they've pre-killed some interest in Horri-Bull and Squeezeplay if they do them, unless Fangry gets another outing.
This is definitely true for me. I'll still be all for a Squeezeplay because he's one of those randos I fell in love with as a kid thanks to their TFU profile being published in the comic. But Horri-Bull would have been automatic too just to complete the set and if that's not on the table then he's just some guy that I don't really care about all that much.
Denyer wrote: Thu Dec 30, 2021 4:08 pmSplitting main characters and main subgroups over different territories and in sets/bundles, though... if I was bothered about yet another Ratchet, or conehead group, or getting the other Battlecharger, etc (and a *lot* of the fandom is, and there's a lot of crossover in collecting with completing sets of cards or whatever and autistic behaviours) I'd have jacked in bothering to try to collect those lines. It becomes too difficult to fight distribution and customers start fading away.
Don't forget that there's a lot of newer collectors out there! What's "yet another Ratchet" to us would be the first Ratchet to a lot of people, and they can't get it because Hasbro thought it would be a good idea to make a super popular character exclusive to some random chain of pharmacies. If Ratchet was important to them, then those collectors are liable to quit before they even really get started. So it's not just long-term completists they're putting off.

I tried to get into collecting the six-inch G.I. Joe stuff, but Hasbro made it impossible for me to get like half of the first bunch of characters I'd wanted, so I gave up on it and moved on to other things instead.

(I actually don't own a Ratchet at all but that's because every one they've made has sucked.)
Tantrum wrote: Thu Dec 30, 2021 4:52 pmThe visible seam in Jackpot's head doesn't bother me. The fact that one side of his head is noticeably higher than the other does.
This was embarrassing. Did they hire the FunPub head sculpt guy? Jackpot is another rando I randomly fell in love with as a kid, this is probably the only new toy he's going to get for 20 years and they absolutely wrecked the most important part of it.
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Skyquake87
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Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!

Post by Skyquake87 »

Agree Hasbro is slowly killing interest in much of their stuff. Having pretty much got a monopoly on the toy market (everything from action figures to Playdoh) I guess they can do whatever. I get they have costs to cover and dipping into crowd funding to produce super-niche or eyewateringly expensive stuff makes sense, but it's just making me feel like I'm not the sort of consumer they're after anymore, which these days seems to be folk with very deep pockets or a social media presence 'Oh that looks interesting. Oh, wait, it's exclusive to a retailer/ online in the US only. And it's in a box with a bunch of other guff I don't want/ care for.'

The only Marvel Legends I've picked up this year have been ones that looked interesting I could find with ease in hmv (of all places). Transformers is just getting silly. I can't be arsed with online pre-order b.s. for everything that's in farting distance of being a collectable, so just miss the boat on a lot of things I might otherwise have bought. It's not a big deal for me, I'll happily spend my spare cash on other things, but if this is how its going to be now, I just don't see how this any fun for anyone - which is what I thought hobbies were supposed to be. Silly me.

Anyway, here's the last few bits i got in 2021:

Earthrise Ironworks
I don't know what Ironworks has done to become so unloved. He's cheap as chips these days and like Airwave, he's good fun. Nice base mode and pull apart features to lego him into other structures. Interacts okay with Siege Micromasters but I won't be using him to armour up any Deluxe figures again (they look like they're wearing a load of boxes).

Golden Disk Collection Mutant Tigatron
Showing up in the UK before the regular retail release, this is awesome. It works the same as Deluxe Class Cheeetor, but the Voyager size makes everything work that much better. The robot mode is cool and whilst the Mutant head is a bit ugly, it adds a bit of character. Beast mode is excellent. Tigers are grrrreat (sorry).

And some more goofy crap from 1988!

Sparkabots Fizzle & Guzzle
Taking the place of the pocket money Minibots, these are actually really great. They're super simple, but I like the sparking mechanisms which add some minor excitement/ danger (Guzzle's works really well, Fizzle's is well, fizzling out...) to add a bit of bonus fun. My examples are in good nick, just a shame about the weird discolouration (Fizzle's spoiler and lower legs have a greenish tinge to them and Guzzle's upper body has yellowed, whilst his legs - also white - haven't).

Pretender Cloudburst
Another 'can't give him away' figure on the aftermarket, finding one in superb condition isn't hard. I've been surprised how beefy (relatively speaking) the Autobot Pretender inner robots are compared to the Decepticons. Cloudburst is pretty swish as a slightly convincing space jet. The shell is like all the others in Autobot ranks - a cross between Smiffy from the Bash Street Kids and late 1980s sportswear.

And, best of all, from the future space year 2000, which now qualifies him as vintage (!):

Beast Machines Geckobot
What a great figure this is! Robot mode is half carnival half killer, all arms and the beast mode is so pretty. The colours on this are just fantastic. What a brilliant, brilliant figure. And I've no idea what size class he is. Seems too big for a Basic, but too small for a Deluxe.
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Denyer
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Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!

Post by Denyer »

Warcry wrote:there's a lot of newer collectors out there!
I'm less convinced of this each year. Don't get me wrong, Mattel seems to be doing well selling to 40+ year olds with MOTU, but with TFs the film boost effect is essentially over and Hasbro went fairly all-in on 30th and 35th anniversary outings -- scooping up some 80s kids who might have seen characters on shelves for the first time, but how many will stick around and 'upgrade' over the course of several versions of Springer or Tracks, or stayed on the fence that long?

I got a Scarlett to headswap with Ironheart as Rescue, as those stayed fairly cheap. I could go for a squabbling command unit of CC, Baroness, Destro, Mindbender and Serpentor but wouldn't put great effort into tracking down figures and wouldn't really be inclined to start collecting until latter two appeared. Have they even bothered to issue 'normal' Baroness without the bike? As you say, the current clack is that distribution is too shite to make it worth starting.

This reminded me I might be interested in the Jhiaxus, Wildrider and Iguanus that have been mentioned. Am guessing the Inferno and Elita-1 are redecoes.
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StoneCold Skywarp
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Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!

Post by StoneCold Skywarp »

Warcry wrote: Sun Dec 26, 2021 8:50 pm
Good luck! My MP Rodimus fell victim to the exploding shoulders years ago now and will spend the rest of his time in the spare parts bin. :(
That was something that always made me super wary about picking one up now, however many years later.

It arrived today and I'm happy to say it seems pretty solid. Nothing feels unduly weak in the notorious joints and it survived the transformation to space winnebago unscathed.

It's an odd beast having it in hand now, especially with the way masterpiece has developed over the last decade, the engineering is very much of its time but in terms of a pure representation of the character it hasn't been bettered (although the dx9 Carry did catch my eye, I primarily wanted this for the vehicle and that one is too small).

Of course, now that I've got one Fans Toys or someone will probably announce a version :sweatdrop:
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Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!

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SS86 Sweep

I didn't find the Scourge from this mold all that appealing, and really didn't understand why until I saw pics of it beside the Sweep. Then I realized that the colours were what was putting me off of it. I guess the Scourge figure uses TV show colours? This one has a brighter blue that's more reminiscent of the original toy, and that I found a lot more appealing. Ironically that means it's a terrible Sweep, since it's super visually distinctive from Scourge. But if you prefer your Scourge to have more of a Marvel flavour than a Sunbow one, I think this is the figure you'd want to go for. It also seems to be a lot easier to get your hands on a Sweep than on a Scourge, probably because (again) the different colours mean that the toy has limited appeal to the army-builders who already have multiples of the darker-shaded Scourge.

For my part, I'll quite happy to toss a custom Fracas on this figure and have it hang out with my other Decepticon Targetmasters. It's the king of all shellformers, of course, but it pulls the wings off nicely. The robot mode is a lot more enjoyable than the last couple Generations Scourges even if the hips seem to get in their own way when you pose them, and the vehicle mode is more swooshable than you'd expect a mostly featureless wedge to be.

Denyer wrote: Sun Jan 02, 2022 8:07 pmI'm less convinced of this each year. Don't get me wrong, Mattel seems to be doing well selling to 40+ year olds with MOTU, but with TFs the film boost effect is essentially over and Hasbro went fairly all-in on 30th and 35th anniversary outings -- scooping up some 80s kids who might have seen characters on shelves for the first time, but how many will stick around and 'upgrade' over the course of several versions of Springer or Tracks, or stayed on the fence that long?
When I said "newer" I didn't necessarily mean to imply "younger". I still see a lot of people on other sites who seem to have just gotten started collecting in the last few years. I get the impression that most of them are still in the same general 30s/40s demographic that we're in, though. Anecdotally, it feels like a lot of people who found themselves with extra time on their hands over the last two years have jumped into collecting to fill the gaps left by other hobbies that are difficult or impossible to do while COVID is still a thing, and are just getting their first crack at a lot of characters now.

Denyer wrote: Sun Jan 02, 2022 8:07 pmHave they even bothered to issue 'normal' Baroness without the bike?
They hadn't by the time I'd given up on caring about the line, at any rate. Baroness was impossible to get, it took months and months for me to be able to get Destro and Snake-Eyes, Amazon Canada cancelled every preorder they took for the exclusive Ninja Force Storm Shadow (which was the one thing I wanted the most from the line because I adored the toy as a kid) and I said "screw it" after that.

Denyer wrote: Sun Jan 02, 2022 8:07 pm This reminded me I might be interested in the Jhiaxus, Wildrider and Iguanus that have been mentioned. Am guessing the Inferno and Elita-1 are redecoes.
Inferno is supposed to be the Beast Wars character, I think? I've already heard rumours about a Selects Antagony redeco. Iguanus is apparently Core-class, which makes me wonder if he's BW as well?
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Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!

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Denyer wrote: Sun Jan 02, 2022 8:07 pm
Warcry wrote:there's a lot of newer collectors out there!
I'm less convinced of this each year. Don't get me wrong, Mattel seems to be doing well selling to 40+ year olds with MOTU, but with TFs the film boost effect is essentially over and Hasbro went fairly all-in on 30th and 35th anniversary outings -- scooping up some 80s kids who might have seen characters on shelves for the first time, but how many will stick around and 'upgrade' over the course of several versions of Springer or Tracks, or stayed on the fence that long?
Warcry wrote: Thu Jan 06, 2022 5:08 pm When I said "newer" I didn't necessarily mean to imply "younger". I still see a lot of people on other sites who seem to have just gotten started collecting in the last few years. I get the impression that most of them are still in the same general 30s/40s demographic that we're in, though. Anecdotally, it feels like a lot of people who found themselves with extra time on their hands over the last two years have jumped into collecting to fill the gaps left by other hobbies that are difficult or impossible to do while COVID is still a thing, and are just getting their first crack at a lot of characters now.
Can I quote y'all on that? I'm... working on a thing, and that's a pretty succinct summary of part of it.

Anyway, I found a Studio Soundwave (2018 Bumbebee iteration) today. He turns into a slightly squatter version of WFC Brawl's hover tank mode. I like it, but he's lonely without the complementary Ravage.
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Denyer
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Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!

Post by Denyer »

Go for it. I think it's a fair point that the pandemic has given a late boost to lines like Transformers and MOTU, and some of those folks will stick around -- although I think some of it is visibility of new posters rather than necessarily huge numbers. A post I'd clipped off Facebook ages ago summarised the factors for MOTU as;
Chris Bah'glenn Negri
Well with the Pandemic putting a bullet in the head of any theatrical releases in 2020 and into 2021, I don't forsee movie tie ins moving much merch going forward. I mean kids get bored with stuff just like we do and Toy Story 4, How to Train Your Dragon and Minions stuff isn't exactly flying off shelves.
I'm telling you, this Pandemic may have just given MotU the leg up it needed.
• Unintentional Parent/Children Bonding: Families being forced to quarantine at home during the lock down could have prompted them to share their old toys with their families.
• Lack of other Distractions: When Movie Theaters, Theme Parks, Gyms, Libraries and other places-to-go-and-do-things got taken away, people had to switch there focus to other things to distract themselves. Enter: MotU.
• Availability: Wal-Mart was the only store open that carried the line and if you went out for supplies, you could have brought He-Man and Skeletor home for your kids (especially if you were talking about or watching the old cartoon with them).
• No More Movie Toys: Normal competiton in the toy isle via big budget blockbuster toy lines disappeared as movie theaters shut down and Hollywood lacked a way to release their films. No films in theaters = no movie merchandise to sell to kids and parents.
• Affordable price point: $14.99 isn't a bad deal for these compared to Star Wars & Marvel toys.
• Toy Collectors like it: Every toy collector knows MotU and seeing these as the 80's line v2 is a big selling point.
• Cross Brand Promotion: WWE is a VERY popular brand and any kids that are into WWE may buy the Masters of the WWE figures too...and then get into MotU as it's a sort of "Gateway Toyline". There are also alot of WWE toy collectors so that line could have pulled some of those guys into Origins too.
I think all these things are major factors to take into account with this lines success.
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Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!

Post by Heinrad »

“So what’s in this thing, anyway?” Rattrap rapped his knuckles against the top of the shipping crate he was sitting on.

Dinobot, running the load lifter, continued to push the crate along the corridor. “How should I know?” His growl was even more annoyed than usual. “What I want to know if why I have to move YOUR worthless carcass along with this crate!!!”

Rattrap shrugged. “Why not?” He looked around. “We eva been in this part’s th’ ship before?”

“I do not know. After a while, all of these corridors start to look…. The same.”

“Yeah, you got that…. What th’ slag is that?”

The blinking neon sign over the doorway to what had been Sub-Cargo Bay 12 buzzed loudly, proclaiming to one and all MUSEUM OF EARTH CULTURAL ODDITIES AND OTHER KNICK-KNACKS. As the crate came closer, the doors hissed open and a blue and white Autobot came out, almost running to the crate. “Finally! FINALLY!!!! It’s here!”

Rattrap stood up on the crate. “You know what this is?”

Pipes nodded. “It’s several pallets worth of Amazon electronics returns. I was assured that the golden grail of Earth electronics would be in there.” His voice took on an almost awed tone. “A launch edition Sony PlayStation 5.”

Transformers War for Cybertron KINGDOM Pipes: Much to my surprise, I found Pipes at the local WalMart. I really like him, and I’d much rather have found him than Huffer. I had the original way back when, and always liked his look better than Huffer’s.
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Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!

Post by HeavyArms »

Tricranius Beast Power Fire Blasts Collection Pack & Shattered Glass Autobot Goldbug - Both bought from EB Games.
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Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!

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Clay wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 11:57 pmCan I quote y'all on that? I'm... working on a thing, and that's a pretty succinct summary of part of it.
For sure. Hopefully it's not for the purposes of pointing and laughing at us for being old and out of touch! :)
Clay wrote: Fri Jan 07, 2022 11:57 pmAnyway, I found a Studio Soundwave (2018 Bumbebee iteration) today. He turns into a slightly squatter version of WFC Brawl's hover tank mode. I like it, but he's lonely without the complementary Ravage.
I felt the same way about Siege Soundwave and TR Blaster -- neat figures on their own and I like them both, but they both felt half-done without someone living in their chest. Hopefully it'll be easier to get that SS Ravage than it was to get any of the Siege tapes!
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Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!

Post by StoneCold Skywarp »

Recently picked up Deformation Space's take on Thundercracker and Fans toys Robot Paradise's Soundwave

I was unsure about Acoustic Wave right up to the point of having it in hand, then it really shone on display compared to mp13. Painted the inside of the cassette deck window for a bit of cartoon appearance, I think it's super effective.

Thundercracker is a marvel, as Starscream was. A masterpiece seeker with a waist swivel AND an ab crunch. Should have their Skywarp by the end of the week hopefully too.

Image
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Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!

Post by Clay »

Denyer wrote: Sat Jan 08, 2022 11:18 pm Go for it. I think it's a fair point that the pandemic has given a late boost to lines like Transformers and MOTU, and some of those folks will stick around -- although I think some of it is visibility of new posters rather than necessarily huge numbers.
Warcry wrote: Sun Jan 09, 2022 4:36 am For sure. Hopefully it's not for the purposes of pointing and laughing at us for being old and out of touch! :)
Well, a little. The topic of the ICFA this year is fan communities, so duh, I'm going to talk about Transformers. Here's the abstract: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vxl ... FzL08/edit

Short version is that the transformers brand is itself a kind of transformer, meaning it has multiple different interpretations that it shows different audiences. A character like Cyclonus has two "modes" that have nothing to do with a space jet or robot, but rather how the character is developed in different mediums/continuities/demographics/etc. That, and the idea that the brand can offer contrasting and disparate interpretations of itself to wildly different social groups without coming off as short-sighted pandering is really weird and wonderful.

Obviously, the community research I need to do is weighted toward the younger fans because, well... I already know what old dinosaurs like us think. :swirly:

As for me buying toys, I had three parts (Onslaught, Brawl, Blastoff) of the MMC all-built-in Bruticus arrive last week, with hopefully the other two (Swindle, Vortex) arriving later this week or early next week. Absolute black magic/sorcery level stuff. Very pricey set altogether, but initial impression is that it's totally worth it (to the point that I'm even considering the G2 set!).
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Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!

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Clay wrote: Mon Jan 17, 2022 10:57 pmWell, a little. The topic of the ICFA this year is fan communities, so duh, I'm going to talk about Transformers. Here's the abstract: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vxl ... FzL08/edit
I think it's interesting that your interpretation of the franchise is very bluntly at odds with what Hasbro obviously wants -- which is to boil everything down to a simplistic set of "evergreen" archetypes that they can recycle ad nauseam with minimal effort for the next few decades. What you're describing is what Transformers used to be, and what I think it should be, but if it's going to continue to be that it'll be because of community effort, not official output. :(

Oh, bonus points for citing "Splinter of the Mind's Eye"!

I found a Vintage Beast Wars Tigatron today! The mold isn't new to me but I've never owned a Tigatron before, since the original cream-coloured deco didn't appeal to me. The reissue is a super sharp, bright white like the 90s Japanese version, and it is absolutely gorgeous. Sadly, the robot head is a bit misassembled...the faceplate is slightly cockeyed and the eyes must be loose inside because they visibly move around. If I can figure out a way to get the glued head pieces apart non-destructively (any ideas on that front, Clay?), I'll take it apart and fix it. I've already gone to work on the beast head hinge to make it fold into the robot chest a bit more tightly (as I did with my 10th anniversary Cheetor a while ago).

But even with the imperfection, I'm super happy that I found one! And I feel like this might be the last BW reissue I have an easy time finding, because after the Christmas rush my store still has about 10 each of Cheetor and Rattrap, three or four Megatrons and a baffling 25ish Primals. It seems like this is the state of Walmart's toy section all over, and it's freaking baffling...I feel like they've actually stocked more cases of BW reissues than the actual main-line figures and I have no idea what their purchasing department was thinking. Now don't get me wrong, I love seeing shelves full of vintage Beast Wars packaging...but when all of it is the same four toys, that's a bit nuts.
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Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!

Post by Denyer »

Clay wrote:occurs in IDW Publishing's comic series continuity, under various names, since 2005.
Putting aside the likelihood IDW and most of the concepts therein have been packed back into a box -- not unlike Mystery Incorporated giving way to other light entertainment variations on Scooby Doo, with occasional fan service like Curse of the 13th Ghost -- Roberts, Scott, etc are a fairly small subset of what IDW put out. And Hasbro isn't monolithic, and there's a definite sense that comics became incidental after DW crashed and burned. IDW had to shut up and swallow directions on movie comics, Hasbroverse crossovers etc but was heavily left to its own devices and quality control with a lot of other material.
Clay wrote:in the original titular cartoon series from the 1980s (referred to colloquially as Generation One), the robots are all sentient, shape-shifting, mechanical aliens with no sex or gender explicitly assigned
It's far easier to make that case for the early US comic. In the cartoon if you look like you're a cat, you're a cat. Girl Who Loves Powerglide, etc.

There's still been very little exploration in the fiction of TFs deliberately mimicking aspects of organics and cultures out of curiosity and anthropological interest, and what processing information at speed and functional immortality mean when not being handled by hack writers. It's lazy to go with looks-like-therefore-is or, to cut and paste organic concepts, or to throw mechanical transformation out because nanites and liquid metal can be pulled out of the special effects workshop's arse.
Warcry wrote:what Hasbro obviously wants
Again, it's not monolithic. There are factions in Hasbro that want/like different things and as long as it's earning and not bringing the company into disrepute the "company" doesn't really care.

The same way it can put out corporate brochures about inclusively and then green light licenced product for people who get non-metaphorical erections over model kits.

"Hasbro" wants the lucrative visibility of Bumblebees and Prime being in every home several times over and it wants collectors' money. The sheer amount of tooling budget the latter gets suggests it's a good earner for them too. Not sure how else the non-Prime entries at Leader/Commander/Titan class even get consideration.
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Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!

Post by Clay »

Denyer wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 9:07 pm
Putting aside the likelihood IDW and most of the concepts therein have been packed back into a box -- not unlike Mystery Incorporated giving way to other light entertainment variations on Scooby Doo, with occasional fan service like Curse of the 13th Ghost -- Roberts, Scott, etc are a fairly small subset of what IDW put out. And Hasbro isn't monolithic, and there's a definite sense that comics became incidental after DW crashed and burned. IDW had to shut up and swallow directions on movie comics, Hasbroverse crossovers etc but was heavily left to its own devices and quality control with a lot of other material.
Warcry wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 5:44 am I think it's interesting that your interpretation of the franchise is very bluntly at odds with what Hasbro obviously wants -- which is to boil everything down to a simplistic set of "evergreen" archetypes that they can recycle ad nauseam with minimal effort for the next few decades. What you're describing is what Transformers used to be, and what I think it should be, but if it's going to continue to be that it'll be because of community effort, not official output. :(
It's not about parity of output though, but just that different major iterations are all equally canon even though many/most contradict each other. One person buys Blast Off and Onslaught figures to make a Bruticus, whereas another may buy them because, as it was explained to me, in IDW they're a "tragic gaslight couple." The toys/merchandise are the same, but fans in various niches have dramatically different concepts on who/what the characters are. And those different characterizations can be understood as different "modes" depending on who's looking at them. It's... more of a conceptual transformation than a literal one.

It'll make more sense when I get it all put together. I'll probe you two for more opinions as I go, though.
Oh, bonus points for citing "Splinter of the Mind's Eye"!
:)
If I can figure out a way to get the glued head pieces apart non-destructively (any ideas on that front, Clay?), I'll take it apart and fix it.
I'll have to look at the mold tomorrow and see how's put together. I got my covid booster shot yesterday and am still walloped. I don't have a sacrificial junker of the kitty figure, though.

Honestly, I didn't know Tigatron was part of the reissues! If it's the crisp white version, I'll probably get one even though I still have the Takara one. It had some slight sun damage a few years ago, but I fixed it with the hydrogen peroxide bath. Of course, that made the metal screws corroded.
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Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!

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Denyer wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 9:07 pm Again, it's not monolithic. There are factions in Hasbro that want/like different things and as long as it's earning and not bringing the company into disrepute the "company" doesn't really care.
I don't want to try and speak for what everyone in the company individually wants, obviously, just the state of their current output. But I do think that the current approach was a deliberate shift that came down from the highest levels of the company. Hasbro's last CEO was pretty vocal about wanting to be an IP company, not a toy company. From that angle it makes a lot of sense that they shifted from "make awesome toys that people will love" to "sell memorabilia of characters people already love". And that fiction that doesn't really fit into the new paradigm (like the 2015 RiD cartoon and the old IDW) are being retired and replaced with twenty different flavours of "evergreen" legacy characters and concepts.

Assuming they're making money off of this brand strategy (and you'd have to assume they are?) I don't see it changing any time soon.
Clay wrote: Thu Jan 20, 2022 5:30 am It's not about parity of output though, but just that different major iterations are all equally canon even though many/most contradict each other.
After 20-odd years in the fandom I sometimes forget that this must seem really weird to people who follow other franchises. The utter rage I see from a subset of Star Trek or Star Wars fans when newer works come out and "invalidate" some novel or another from twenty years ago that they liked...as if they just won't be able to enjoy it anymore because it's not "canon" to the newest stuff.

Even with all your TRUKK NOT MUNKYs and RIRFIBs and Sunbow-uber-alles folks and more recently the people who were violently opposed to shipping/gays/gay shipping in their robot comics...a big reason the Transformers fandom and franchise are so enjoyable is because it's so easy to just enjoy the parts that you like and ignore the stuff you don't.
Clay wrote: Thu Jan 20, 2022 5:30 amHonestly, I didn't know Tigatron was part of the reissues! If it's the crisp white version, I'll probably get one even though I still have the Takara one. It had some slight sun damage a few years ago, but I fixed it with the hydrogen peroxide bath. Of course, that made the metal screws corroded.
The figure is probably the brightest white of any Transformer I own! MP Prowl is the only one in the room right now that comes close. I'm actually not sure what to do with Tigatron, because when I put him beside my vintage BW figures it just makes me notice the (otherwise practically invisible) yellowing or browning that they've picked up since the 90s.
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Re: POST YOUR NEWEST ACQUISITIONS!

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Warcry wrote: Tue Jan 18, 2022 5:44 am If I can figure out a way to get the glued head pieces apart non-destructively (any ideas on that front, Clay?), I'll take it apart and fix it.
The head actually pops off easily: https://imgur.com/ZTKRrdQ

I'd start with an X-acto knife in the peg holes and start trying to gently pry it apart from there. You could try heating the head in hot water first to help weaken the glue, but not water so hot as to deform the plastic.

What does the beast head look like when modded to fold up more compactly and looking down? I've noticed that it has the space to do so, but that little piece on the backside of the eye piece prevents it from doing so.
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