by rpetras » Mon Dec 01, 2014 12:22 pm
- Motto: "Know your enemy, then crush them."
- Weapon: Gatling Cannon
I always find competition to be a good thing, so I find the entire 3P "movement" as a boon to the hobby. Others have mentioned that Hasbro and Takara have really "stepped up the game" referencing things like Combiner Wars, the more rapid releases of MP stuff, filling in gaps in Classics collections, and putting out interesting characters we NEVER thought we would get, like Metroplex. All true. While I don't KNOW if this is the result of 3P, I highly suspect that it played a part in the direction the hobby is going. If we are willing to spend the kind of money we do on the 3P stuff, Hasbro has GOT to be taking notice of it.
If it wasn't for Hercules I probably would have dropped TF collecting years ago, and the whole 3P scene is where most of my attention is focused these days. However, I still buy official products, so I still contribute to HasTak's bottom line as well. I'm sure I'm not alone, so in that sense it is a boon to the hobby all around as collectors that were getting bored were re-energized. If it wasn't for 3P keeping me interested Hasbro would make NOTHING from me as far as the Transformers brand.
As far as KOs go, there is a wide range of KOs out there, so it is tough to lump them together. You have the true cheap knock offs, which I do not support, because they are just junk.
You have the reproductions, which many see as a good thing when they recreate out of print figures, and I agree.
You also have reproductions of current figures, that are rescales or recolors. Personally I like these too as they can give me a chance to own a figure I might not otherwise have a place for. Faith Leader, for example, has been my "Classics" Optimus for years, since I never really liked the normal classics Op. While I have several versions of MP-01, Faith Leader does what those can't and fits with my classics quite nicely. There have been TONS of KO Alternators in different decos that are great too. These serve to expand out the cast in ways you couldn't with the official releases, and because they tended to be cheaper, were great for customizers.
Then you have the true reproductions of current products exactly as they are. I tend not to support these because I'd rather have the original, but if I can get a figure for a significant cost savings, I don't hold a deep moral objection to these either. As an example, KO Classics Counterpunch is 1/4 the price of his legit counterpart, I can't justify that difference in price for a chunk of plastic that will sit on a shelf.
For Sale:
Classics Magnus/Skywarp 2 pack MIB
Classics Devastator MIP
HA Sideswipe K-Mart exclusive color Loose
Currently looking for:
ROTF Target exclusive Sideswipe from the 2-pack
TFCC Punch/Counterpunch
Alternity Primes, silver & white versions
(opened is OK, to be used for customs)
PM If interested