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Why is Masterpiece Megatron so Worthless?

PostPosted: Sat Nov 10, 2012 5:57 pm
by Bonecrusher27
Dear all,

In an effort to clear space I decided it was time to let go some MISBs so I went to ebay to have a look to see what a fair pricing for some of my figures would be.

As expected most of my figures were worth more than I paid for them, but when it came to the Masterpieces I had a bit of a shock for Megatron. The price is exactly the same as I paid for him years ago, and in fact many sellers were pricing him cheaper (even for MISBs).

I know he was reissued a few times, but so was Optimus Prime, and that guy's price has just shot up. I am wondering why that is. The flimsy nature of the figure, the ridiculous and distinctly torturous and unenjoyable transformation?

Other surprises were Masterpiece Grimlock and Hot Toys Christoper Reeve Superman. Prices online are about the same as what they were when I bought them.

I don't buy with intention to sell for a profit, so I don't know (and usually don't care) what makes figure prices rise, but this sure surprised me.

Re: Why is Masterpiece Megatron so Worthless?

PostPosted: Sat Nov 10, 2012 7:08 pm
by Mightymegs
He is (IMO) an ugly figure. And I love Megatron. His gun mode is too big, his feet have a rusting issue... but the biggest problem is probably the fact he's not in the new MP scale. I sold mine a while back, and haven't regretted it since.

Re: Why is Masterpiece Megatron so Worthless?

PostPosted: Sat Nov 10, 2012 7:23 pm
by Nutimus Prime
For me I think hes too inaccurate to the G1 cartoon. Those legs are annoying. His Masterpiece scale was also abandoned so I dont think that helped either. I want one simply because I just started collecting Masterpieces lol.

Feel free to PM me about Megatron and Grimlock. Xmas is coming up lol.

Re: Why is Masterpiece Megatron so Worthless?

PostPosted: Sat Nov 10, 2012 7:29 pm
by Doubledealer93
this is what i heard, he is a very fragile toy. if him and MP prime were to fall off your shelf prime would live whilst megatron would be in pieces.

Re: Why is Masterpiece Megatron so Worthless?

PostPosted: Sat Nov 10, 2012 7:51 pm
by fenrir72
Megatron is impossible to recreate "anime accurate". Given such a situation, Takara did a stellar job for its time, same with old Grimlock.

Given how the world economy is in a rut, for those looking for a cheap version, then its good but for those selling for a steep profit? Better luck for now that is.........

Btw,to add a bit of salt to the wound, conceptual designs for MP-05 Megatron had a chest compartment for the "heart of cybertron" ala Prime's Matrix chamber. Now, wouldn't that have been awesome?

And what if they also included that secret compartment in his boot where he hid the laser dagger he used to injure Prime in a so called "mano y mano" duel of theirs.....really sneaky of the slagger ain't he?

Re: Why is Masterpiece Megatron so Worthless?

PostPosted: Sat Nov 10, 2012 7:53 pm
by gavinfuzzy
Someone local offered me one for $48 (taken out of box for display). Still not getting it. It seems too big to fit in with the new MPs, and the legs are pretty ugly.

Re: Why is Masterpiece Megatron so Worthless?

PostPosted: Sat Nov 10, 2012 7:58 pm
by fenrir72
My advice for those who own one, Megatron that is, if you purchased him as an "investment". I recall a bendable stretchy toy in the 70s (not very sure if it reached the 80s) Stretch Armstrong(?). One of the figures of the line, a green monster or something, it was said to have bombed with the kids and released in lesser stocks.......it now commands top cash for collectors today.

So imagine MP-05 20 years from now......

Re: Why is Masterpiece Megatron so Worthless?

PostPosted: Sat Nov 10, 2012 8:08 pm
by Diem
Yeah, the problems are pretty clear. It's a very flawed figure, between easily breakable tabs, the cosmic rust and the insane transformation. Add to that Hegemon, the fact that there are decent odds of an MP Megatron in the new scale coming out in future, the fact that it got a solid rerelease (It was all over shelves in Japan when I was there a couple of years ago) and that's a recipe for no value.

I got mine for 3000 yen (roughly $34 at the time) without a box or lightsaber and I was still uncertain about getting him.

Re: Why is Masterpiece Megatron so Worthless?

PostPosted: Sat Nov 10, 2012 8:30 pm
by NTESHFT
Other than the oxidation problem with the feet, I do like my Megatron. I wished i would have waited on buying him, since i bought it at the original price, with the add on kit to boot. I'm not gonna get rid of mine even if they do come out with a version 2. I'll just transform him into gun mode and hang him on the wall....

Re: Why is Masterpiece Megatron so Worthless?

PostPosted: Sat Nov 10, 2012 8:38 pm
by RK_Striker_JK_5
As others have said, he's fragile, insane to transform, more of a display piece than a toy. I don't regret buying him, but if given the choice nowadays I'd have passed.

Re: Why is Masterpiece Megatron so Worthless?

PostPosted: Sat Nov 10, 2012 9:42 pm
by xyl360
I considered buying him many times and even had a preorder for the longest time originally. Then I saw the reviews, and while his fragility was a small concern, that's not why I ultimately cancelled the preorder and still have not purchased one. In my opinion, he just looks like crap in robot mode. He looks like an upscaled and slightly improved version of the original G1 toy. I expected much more from anything in the MP line. Even MP-01 with all of its flaws was way better than this.

I'm waiting for a new MP Megatron, and I expect that if it's handled anything like MP-10 was, it's going to blow the original MP Megs out of the water.

If it can be done, I believe Takara will do it, and I believe it can be done after seeing efforts like Hegemon.

Re: Why is Masterpiece Megatron so Worthless?

PostPosted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 1:35 am
by Autobot032
Own Hegemon and you'll quickly see why Masterpiece Megatron doesn't even come close. Hegemon gets so much right, while the Masterpiece doesn't. That being said, the kibble on Hegemon doesn't hide as well as it does on Masterpiece. I will give TakaraTomy their dues on that.

Re: Why is Masterpiece Megatron so Worthless?

PostPosted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 3:49 am
by Bonecrusher27
Wow guys thanks a lot for your replies! Sure explains a lot.

I didn't buy it as an investment, so I'm not really upset about it, but pretty surprised. I just need to get rid of some toys to make more room.

As a quick thought: I've never really gotten into buying toys to sell. Sure the prices go up on eBay, but that's you and a hundred other sellers all trying to sell the same figure. Meanwhile you're holding stock, and there's the SPACE issue, which more often than not becomes the GIRLFRIEND/ WIFE issue :lol:

Re: Why is Masterpiece Megatron so Worthless?

PostPosted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 4:01 am
by gavinfuzzy
fenrir72 wrote:My advice for those who own one, Megatron that is, if you purchased him as an "investment". I recall a bendable stretchy toy in the 70s (not very sure if it reached the 80s) Stretch Armstrong(?). One of the figures of the line, a green monster or something, it was said to have bombed with the kids and released in lesser stocks.......it now commands top cash for collectors today.

So imagine MP-05 20 years from now......


There must be hope for PRID Bumblbee too! :lol:

Just went to google that line of stretchy toys. Made by Kener back in the days, but now apparently owned by Hasbro. There is a 2014 movie about Stretch in production now under Hasbro's license. And I thought Hasbro movies could not be worse after Battleship. :BANG_HEAD:

Re: Why is Masterpiece Megatron so Worthless?

PostPosted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 9:36 am
by alternator77
truthfully to me hes easily worth the 150 i paid for him before the re-release.
and to this day he is my favorite figure by far.
as far as a new mold its entirely possible but given the alt mode we will never see it stateside not to mention many other places for that matter. i hear hegemon get some love but the truth is for the cost id prefer a hunderd dollars go toward a masterpiece thats a foot tall rather than a voyager fig. that and whenever theres a 3rd party option available at the same time as a decent official version i always go official.
hegemon is great for classics but hes no MP not by a longshot. >:oP

Re: Why is Masterpiece Megatron so Worthless?

PostPosted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 11:58 am
by Counterpunch
Worthless?

I just sold mine for $150 via auction. Complete, opened, undamaged.

I think he was only $100 at release. Not sure how that's worthless...

Re: Why is Masterpiece Megatron so Worthless?

PostPosted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 4:36 pm
by xyl360
Counterpunch wrote:Worthless?

I just sold mine for $150 via auction. Complete, opened, undamaged.

I think he was only $100 at release. Not sure how that's worthless...

I'm pretty sure he was at least $150, though I may be remembering the BBTS price which may have been higher than actual Japanese retail.

Re: Why is Masterpiece Megatron so Worthless?

PostPosted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 6:07 pm
by Mightymegs
fenrir72 wrote:My advice for those who own one, Megatron that is, if you purchased him as an "investment". I recall a bendable stretchy toy in the 70s (not very sure if it reached the 80s) Stretch Armstrong(?). One of the figures of the line, a green monster or something, it was said to have bombed with the kids and released in lesser stocks.......it now commands top cash for collectors today.

So imagine MP-05 20 years from now......

The reason Stretch Monster (and other 'stretch' toys) command such a high price, is that very few managed to survive all these years. Most exploded is a sticky mess of corn syrup goo.

Re: Why is Masterpiece Megatron so Worthless?

PostPosted: Mon Nov 12, 2012 4:01 am
by fenrir72
Mightymegs wrote:
fenrir72 wrote:My advice for those who own one, Megatron that is, if you purchased him as an "investment". I recall a bendable stretchy toy in the 70s (not very sure if it reached the 80s) Stretch Armstrong(?). One of the figures of the line, a green monster or something, it was said to have bombed with the kids and released in lesser stocks.......it now commands top cash for collectors today.

So imagine MP-05 20 years from now......

The reason Stretch Monster (and other 'stretch' toys) command such a high price, is that very few managed to survive all these years. Most exploded is a sticky mess of corn syrup goo.


And the green guy was a bomb..........hence the most unwanted of the releases.

Re: Why is Masterpiece Megatron so Worthless?

PostPosted: Mon Nov 12, 2012 4:18 am
by Mykltron
Maybe you should try selling him in separate parts. check this out!

BTW I paid about £45 for mine and he looks great next to my old scale MP OP.

Re: Why is Masterpiece Megatron so Worthless?

PostPosted: Mon Nov 12, 2012 10:29 pm
by Gauntlet101010
Until recently my old MP Prime and Megs stood behind my regular Classics TFs as a sort of "movie poster" type of setup. Where some peopel are out of scale to signify spiritual signifigance? Yeah, that's what I did.

I paid the original $150 at a con. Never broke him and transformed him quite a few times. But I'm very careful with him.

Re: Why is Masterpiece Megatron so Worthless?

PostPosted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 4:23 am
by Ravage XK
While MP Megs isn't my number 1 MP figure I think Takara did an incredible job in creating such a detailed and complex figure from a handgun form. His feet rust, his head isn't right and his arm cannon is far too big and heavy for his frail body to cope with but I wouldn't be without him in my MP lineup.

He cost me less than £60 if I remember correctly so I cannot complain. I also sprung for the 3rd party add on kit.

Re: Why is Masterpiece Megatron so Worthless?

PostPosted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 2:39 pm
by vectorA3
I like MP05. I'm going to hate doing it, but I will buy a newer version of him if they make one. As long as it's not super expensive. Got mine from BBTS for $85 and don't regret it at all. You need a big Megatron to display with MP Prime og. He's just a superb&*&*% to transform & there is a lot of plastic & he is fragile. Only downsides to me. Should or will Takara make MP Galvatron first or a new Megatron??

Re: Why is Masterpiece Megatron so Worthless?

PostPosted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 3:25 pm
by RodimalToyota
Why?

Because he's crap, there I said it.
I know he's the best Takara did AT that time, but..

Losers always whine about their best, winners go home and make a proper g1 Megatron toy.



look at that, I spat on MP Megs, and raped a movie quote.. Booya Grandma!

Re: Why is Masterpiece Megatron so Worthless?

PostPosted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 9:08 pm
by Blasphemous Prime
if you compare mp1 to mp10, the mp5 makes a hell of a first draft for a megatron v2. Sure he has his issues, but I'm sure most of us would have a hard to engineering him to transform into a rather large p-38. the only thing I really worry about is that megs v2 may end up being that dreaded tank (ughh!) I hope to hell that what ever the alt mode ends up being, at least have his bot mode look like his G1 self.