Takara Tomy Transformers Masterpiece MP-11NR Ramjet Back Online with Pre Order Details

Japan only BS. These things are gonna get scalped by TFSource and BBTS japanese contacts and e-bay sellers. 60-70% of them will end up on american collectors shelves. Takara is beating a dead horse with these exclusive releases thinking theyre doing their own a favor. Its time for them to let it go and expand sales to their primary customer base.

Asia, japan, same crap with slightly different paint apps. Every takara "japan only" release has been made available through online retailers. Every millions publishing, e-hobby, winterfest, takara mall, Bape, etc. just like that that new drift repaint? My point is this mold will be available for US retail if you are willing to pay the "I gotta have it" price. Personally, Im disgusted with the word "exclusive" because it has no meaning other than how much youre willing to pay. Thats my point.

Rated X wrote: My point is this mold will be available for US retail if you are willing to pay the "I gotta have it" price. Personally, Im disgusted with the word "exclusive" because it has no meaning other than how much youre willing to pay. Thats my point.

And I cant fault your point at all, expressed this way. I just wanted to point out to people reading what is going on behind this figure. It is exclusive, yes, and we must pay a high premium for it, also yes. But the premium is because you are stuck ordering the overpriced asia edition (which has no different paint apps, the only difference is that it comes with a coin) and not because it is actually limited. Which makes me even angrier than you as a collector.

I mean think about it, people will pay a higher price for an item that isnt even limited in any way. Isnt that a bit backwards of them? There are a limited 2000 that are about 130$ while the non limited ones will be 200$. And the only reason that this ramjet will be about 200$ from hasbro asia is because that is the price they have determined collectors would be willing to pay (demand based pricing, not cost based unlike Hasbro or Takara). That wrecks me from the inside.

What I mean to say is that I wasnt correcting you to disagree with your perspective but because the details behind it all make it even worse. Knowing these details has propelled me from ever buying those items at the Hasbro asia price. And I think most people would like to know what they are paying for (or maybe not, who knows).

Also I preffer aiming the blame at the right people.

william-james88 wrote:

Rated X wrote: My point is this mold will be available for US retail if you are willing to pay the "I gotta have it" price. Personally, Im disgusted with the word "exclusive" because it has no meaning other than how much youre willing to pay. Thats my point.

And I cant fault your point at all, expressed this way. I just wanted to point out to people reading what is going on behind this figure. It is exclusive, yes, and we must pay a high premium for it, also yes. But the premium is because you are stuck ordering the overpriced asia edition (which has no different paint apps, the only difference is that it comes with a coin) and not because it is actually limited. Which makes me even angrier than you as a collector.

I mean think about it, people will pay a higher price for an item that isnt even limited in any way. Isnt that a bit backwards of them? There are a limited 2000 that are about 130$ while the non limited ones will be 200$. And the only reason that this ramjet will be about 200$ from hasbro asia is because that is the price they have determined collectors would be willing to pay (demand based pricing, not cost based unlike Hasbro or Takara). That wrecks me from the inside.

What I mean to say is that I wasnt correcting you to disagree with your perspective but because the details behind it all make it even worse. Knowing these details has propelled me from ever buying those items at the Hasbro asia price. And I think most people would like to know what they are paying for (or maybe not, who knows).

Also I preffer aiming the blame at the right people.

And haven't anyone noticed that aside from TFs, in anime PVC figs for instance, sure there are certain popular lines that when sold "non exclusive", is kind of touch and go. Some sell out leaving no inventory while others don't leaving stores with a lot of inventory hence relegated to 50% off bargain bins?

So it might also be a sales strategy to release solicitations that require immediate payment so as the manufacturers only produced certified sold items leaving them with no inventory? And laugh all the way to the bank?

ZenPrime wrote:MP-11NR Masterpiece Ramjet pre-order up @ BBTS & TFS for $179.99

http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=TAK12274&mode=retail

http://tfsource.com/masterpiece/mp-11nr-ramjet/

I saw the email from BBTS this morning, and am sorely tempted... If this was Thrust, I probably would have bitten. And I might be interested in a G2 version of Ramjet, because it just looks so cool! (And I have the original G2 version...)

Wolfman Jake wrote:Hmmm...It's very hard to balk at a $180 price tag, given that we (Hasbro territory consumers) usually end up paying between $200 to $230 for Takara releases of the MP-11 mold. So, what does that have to say about these pan-Asian/Chinese price hikes on Transformers? Maybe BBTS and TFSource are buying directly from TakaraTomy Mall for MP Ramjet?

No, they say so in the listing on TFSource (http://tfsource.com/masterpiece/mp-11nr-ramjet/):

This is the Asian market release of this product

TT is contractually not allowed to distribute their products anywhere other than Japan and thus no american retailer can ever get a direct account with them. The only reason why the price is lower (its still a 50$ mark up from the japan edition which is more limited while this one isnt) is because Hasbro Asia chose to sell it for less this time, probably because they didnt sell out their previous seekers as quickly as they wanted.

Since they are two different companies, markets and pricing strategies, the Hasbro Asia Price and Takara Tomy price are not related (I know you didnt ask, but I just wanted to put that out there since I find it interesting and also annoying).

More pix at: http://transformersasia.com/exclusive/e ... tail/3/255

I might be alone in this but it sucks that there's no indication that you can swap the head and nosecone out for a G1 toy accurate (e.g. non-conehead) head. I loved the packaging art for Dirge et al back in G1 and I hated that that ridiculous-looking mis-transformation became so widespread.

Hmm, those pics use Hasbro's Starscream, which is a bit odd considering he wasnt a Hasbro Asia release but whatevs.

One thing does suck though and I only realized it now, Ramjet is not show accurate from the back in the least. For one, his conehead is only black on one side, which means that when you pose him, whenever you walk into a room to look at him, unless you are dead on his eyes, his bullet head will appear to be black and white. Thats because the back of his head is all white.

And thats obviously not show accurate at all, as this amazing gif shows:

Amelie wrote:

Diem wrote:I might be alone in this but it sucks that there's no indication that you can swap the head and nosecone out for a G1 toy accurate (e.g. non-conehead) head. I loved the packaging art for Dirge et al back in G1 and I hated that that ridiculous-looking mis-transformation became so widespread.

You're not alone in this. I always displayed all my Decepticon jets with the proper transformation. What worked in the cartoon - does not work on the toy.

A growing minority, we are. I was just never in to the "party hat" look.