The Energon Pub

william-james88 wrote:I thought there was a change between Prime First Edition toys and the RID version of the Prime line. Was that not the case?

As far as public knowledge goes, no. We only know of this being the line where toys designed by Eric Siebehnaler (probably misspelled his last name!) were no longer present, with Prime FE Vehicon supposedly being his last. That's one designer and not a whole team, which seemed to be a more gradual process with folks like Lombardo, Alvarez, and Archer going different ways gradually.

I never wanted to know all that :/ I just like cool toys!

ScottyP wrote:

william-james88 wrote:I thought there was a change between Prime First Edition toys and the RID version of the Prime line. Was that not the case?

As far as public knowledge goes, no. We only know of this being the line where toys designed by Eric Siebehnaler (probably misspelled his last name!) were no longer present, with Prime FE Vehicon supposedly being his last. That's one designer and not a whole team, which seemed to be a more gradual process with folks like Lombardo, Alvarez, and Archer going different ways gradually.

I never wanted to know all that :/ I just like cool toys!

I like cool toys too. But I dont mind knowing this. Like knowing that Hasui was behind the 3 step RID Grimlock. It can add another layer. Like how a director has certain touches you can notie in a film.
And thanks for the precision, I had remembered you saying that something had changed in the design team with the RID Prime toys but I wasnt sure if it was one designer or the whole team.

william-james88 wrote:And Emerge, cool your jets its just a very odd autocorrect. Writing from my phone a lot these days.

Oh, my jets are cool. I assumed it was an auto correct issue (nobody misspells my screen name as much as you do, it's torture on auto correct! ) I just thought it was amusing.

Emerje

Emerje wrote:Hey, am I the only one that has never seen a Platinum G1 reissue in stores? Even when people claimed the Insecticons were collecting dust at Kmart I never saw them once. Anyone else?

Emerje

I see them whenever I pay my TRU a visit

Call an exterminator, I dare say your TRU is infested with Insecticons!

(And I remain jealous.)

Emerje

Those Designer Desk videos on the "Transformers" Youtube channel are unintentionally hilarious to me.

I'm reserving Judgement on if Hasbro is functioning properly yet until after the Last Knight comes out - as I think that is a sink or swim time for me.

I'm already a little sceptical about some of their choices as it is...
Platinum sets in terms of what is in them and the outlandish price points are an especial eybrow raiser as it is.

I can only presume they are very low production runs and made with the intention of being super-clearanced after making a small portion of their money from the impatient at the fantasy price points.

I get a bit worried when MP Soundwave was starting to look like some sort of value for Money compared to the fruit loop pricing on some of these sets.

But the current price of a Western MP Bumblebee is also comedy gold to me too and to think I used to think Alternity Gt was overpriced.

RAR wrote:Those Designer Desk videos on the "Transformers" Youtube channel are unintentionally hilarious to me.

I'm reserving Judgement on if Hasbro is functioning properly yet until after the Last Knight comes out - as I think that is a sink or swim time for me.

I'm already a little sceptical about some of their choices as it is...
Platinum sets in terms of what is in them and the outlandish price points are an especial eybrow raiser as it is.

I can only presume they are very low production runs and made with the intention of being super-clearanced after making a small portion of their money from the impatient at the fantasy price points.

I get a bit worried when MP Soundwave was starting to look like some sort of value for Money compared to the fruit loop pricing on some of these sets.

But the current price of a Western MP Bumblebee is also comedy gold to me too and to think I used to think Alternity Gt was overpriced.

I do wonder what they're thinking is with the platinum sets. The fact that so many end up on the secondary market for far below msrp can't be good for hasbro. I imagine the costs are low for them as they're reissues. But why take that reputational hit?

nycPrime wrote:

RAR wrote:Those Designer Desk videos on the "Transformers" Youtube channel are unintentionally hilarious to me.

I'm reserving Judgement on if Hasbro is functioning properly yet until after the Last Knight comes out - as I think that is a sink or swim time for me.

I'm already a little sceptical about some of their choices as it is...
Platinum sets in terms of what is in them and the outlandish price points are an especial eybrow raiser as it is.

I can only presume they are very low production runs and made with the intention of being super-clearanced after making a small portion of their money from the impatient at the fantasy price points.

I get a bit worried when MP Soundwave was starting to look like some sort of value for Money compared to the fruit loop pricing on some of these sets.

But the current price of a Western MP Bumblebee is also comedy gold to me too and to think I used to think Alternity Gt was overpriced.

I do wonder what they're thinking is with the platinum sets. The fact that so many end up on the secondary market for far below msrp can't be good for hasbro. I imagine the costs are low for them as they're reissues. But why take that reputational hit?

They don't take a hit at all. Hasbro makes it's money from retailers buying their stock initially. They could care less about what the store sells it for.

steals_your_goats wrote:

nycPrime wrote:

RAR wrote:Those Designer Desk videos on the "Transformers" Youtube channel are unintentionally hilarious to me.

I'm reserving Judgement on if Hasbro is functioning properly yet until after the Last Knight comes out - as I think that is a sink or swim time for me.

I'm already a little sceptical about some of their choices as it is...
Platinum sets in terms of what is in them and the outlandish price points are an especial eybrow raiser as it is.

I can only presume they are very low production runs and made with the intention of being super-clearanced after making a small portion of their money from the impatient at the fantasy price points.

I get a bit worried when MP Soundwave was starting to look like some sort of value for Money compared to the fruit loop pricing on some of these sets.

But the current price of a Western MP Bumblebee is also comedy gold to me too and to think I used to think Alternity Gt was overpriced.

I do wonder what they're thinking is with the platinum sets. The fact that so many end up on the secondary market for far below msrp can't be good for hasbro. I imagine the costs are low for them as they're reissues. But why take that reputational hit?

They don't take a hit at all. Hasbro makes it's money from retailers buying their stock initially. They could care less about what the store sells it for.

I agree that Hasbro is likely making good money off these platinum sets. What I'm saying is that reputationally, it can't be good for them to have these platinum sets priced so high, just to have the sets available a few months to a year down the road at significantly below MSRP. The obvious example is a consumer paying the high initial price and getting upset when the set is widely available at a much lower price down the road. Also, the availability of these sets at a much lower price also diminishes the perceived value of the item. I'm sure there are other negative consequences, and the business model just puzzles me.

william-james88 wrote:I see them whenever I pay my TRU a visit

Ermahgerd, dinobot and unsecticon set boxes???? For those prices??? Aaaaaaahhhhhrrrghhhhhhhh!!!

nycPrime wrote:

RAR wrote:Those Designer Desk videos on the "Transformers" Youtube channel are unintentionally hilarious to me.

I'm reserving Judgement on if Hasbro is functioning properly yet until after the Last Knight comes out - as I think that is a sink or swim time for me.

I'm already a little sceptical about some of their choices as it is...
Platinum sets in terms of what is in them and the outlandish price points are an especial eybrow raiser as it is.

I can only presume they are very low production runs and made with the intention of being super-clearanced after making a small portion of their money from the impatient at the fantasy price points.

I get a bit worried when MP Soundwave was starting to look like some sort of value for Money compared to the fruit loop pricing on some of these sets.

But the current price of a Western MP Bumblebee is also comedy gold to me too and to think I used to think Alternity Gt was overpriced.

I do wonder what they're thinking is with the platinum sets. The fact that so many end up on the secondary market for far below msrp can't be good for hasbro. I imagine the costs are low for them as they're reissues. But why take that reputational hit?

I think its because for them the platinums and the MP line are really not seen in anyway as a priority or anything important. They arent handled by the actual transformers design team (aside from Liokaiser since thats not a reissue) and those guys seem totally unaware of what is going on with the Platinum line. So it seems to be handled by another department entirely (probably not even american based since we know that at least some of the platinums come from Hasbro Asia) and with Robot Kingdom always getting them first and at the lowest price for their domestic market it leads me to think that they are made predominantly for the growing Asian Market which has a growing amount of fans, which now have more disposable income, that werent around for many of these toys the first time.
And since those platinums are already out there for that maket, Hasbro just brings them over here as simply more product for collectors.

You maybe weent around but there was a line of reissues with new colours that was just available for asia (look up Transformers GDO when you have a chance) and while it was just the same toys in different colours and new headsculpts made for the Asian market fans in North America cried out at the injustice. So Hasbro said "fine, have them too!" and distributed them in northamerica eventually. I feel this is the same thing and Hasbro would rather have more products for collectors to ignore than hear them bitch that they arent getting them.

Also, while e-bay is usually a secondary market place, many of those asian sellers are getting them directly from the factory/Hasbro, hence why they can sell them so low. So those e-bay stores are actually the primary market. You can still get Trypticon for a very nice price, along with Blaster and Peceptor which is aother set with tons of bang for your buck

Sjeng wrote:

william-james88 wrote:I see them whenever I pay my TRU a visit

Ermahgerd, dinobot and unsecticon set boxes???? For those prices??? Aaaaaaahhhhhrrrghhhhhhhh!!!

Not far from the prices you will find online once you include taxes:

Insecticons: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hasbro-Transfor ... Swf-VWZ~Is

Dinobots: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Transformers-Pl ... SwYHxWFhD0

And remember that those Taiwan e-bay stores are primary retailers.

Emerje wrote:Call an exterminator, I dare say your TRU is infested with Insecticons!

(And I remain jealous.)

Emerje

SillySpringer wrote:

Emerje

Oh I just bought the Platinum Blaster / Perceptor set - not opened it yet - but anything I need to know before I do so >>>?

Oh and Re Daleks :

RAR wrote:Oh I just bought the Platinum Blaster / Perceptor set - not opened it yet - but anything I need to know before I do so >>>?

I was just thinking about getting one of those sets!! Where'd you pick it up?

Nothing to know, just enjoy it. And if you wonder how to use the new acessories, just look at the instructions

Emerje wrote:

SillySpringer wrote:

Emerje

All hail the Daleks! Actually speaking of Daleks, about two nights ago I had a brlliant idea for a Headmaster Davros.

RAR wrote:Oh I just bought the Platinum Blaster / Perceptor set - not opened it yet - but anything I need to know before I do so >>>?

1. Perceptor has actual slides now with neat stuff you can view using him in microscope mode, plus a crate to carry them in. The crate can attach to his back/butt somewhere iirc. Unsure if this is in the instructions (it may be.)

2. When you look at Eject and think there's something wrong with it - there is! Eject has Ratbat's tape tampo in this set and they're all like that.

As a casual variant collector I welcomed it, but YMMV.

If I can get the Platinum Insecticons at some point, I'll probably apply some of the necessary stickers, but not the ones like on the inside of Bombshell's feet. I don't want those stickers to come off during transformation. These guys just look so much better with stickers though. Especially Kickback.

I generally don't like applying stickers, but the insecticons do look better with them. There are a few offers on ebay for MISB for around $45-50.... just can't seem to pull the trigger.

I like doing the stickers sometimes. Metroplex was just a pain in the butt

D-Maximus_Primal wrote:I like doing the stickers sometimes. Metroplex was just a pain in the butt

Good thing Fort Max at least has LESS stickers I think.

nycPrime wrote:I generally don't like applying stickers, but the insecticons do look better with them. There are a few offers on ebay for MISB for around $45-50.... just can't seem to pull the trigger.

At that price, I pulled the trigger. more than worth is when your average complete insecticon goes for 20$ on e-bay second hand. These are nice minty fresh g1 toys with exclusive accessories for less than 20$ a piece, a great deal by any standard.

william-james88 wrote:Nothing to know, just enjoy it. And if you wonder how to use the new acessories, just look at the instructions

I think the Ratbat stickers constitute an appropriate answer to my question.

SillySpringer wrote:

D-Maximus_Primal wrote:I like doing the stickers sometimes. Metroplex was just a pain in the butt

Good thing Fort Max at least has LESS stickers I think.

Yeah the Instructions were not terribly clear I'm sure I put a couple of stickers in the wrong place.

The SDCC Fort Max has all the stickers pre-applied (as well as the sword and minor colour differences - like the chest) and a new face for the Titanmaster.

itscramtastic wrote:

RAR wrote:Oh I just bought the Platinum Blaster / Perceptor set - not opened it yet - but anything I need to know before I do so >>>?

I was just thinking about getting one of those sets!! Where'd you pick it up?

A1-Toys in their recent sale I think it was £35.00

ScottyP wrote:

RAR wrote:Oh I just bought the Platinum Blaster / Perceptor set - not opened it yet - but anything I need to know before I do so >>>?

1. Perceptor has actual slides now with neat stuff you can view using him in microscope mode, plus a crate to carry them in. The crate can attach to his back/butt somewhere iirc. Unsure if this is in the instructions (it may be.)

2. When you look at Eject and think there's something wrong with it - there is! Eject has Ratbat's tape tampo in this set and they're all like that.

As a casual variant collector I welcomed it, but YMMV.

That is useful to know about the stickers - one of the main reason I wanted the set was actually two reasons really 1) for the New parts with Perceptor and 2) for a Tampographed Steel Jaw - It always bugged me that Ravage was always tampographed and Steel Jaw hard ever was (most version being stickers).

Yeah I think I saw the same image with them attached to his back - I do own Magnificus so I do have some idea what he's like - and I also have Twincast - so it's only taken me 30 year after they came out to Get Blaster & Perceptor - next on the list Trypticon & the Encore set with Ratbat in it.
I probably ought to get a G1 Shockwave sometime too.

Not finished with Blaster Buying though just yet - I still need to get a Titans Returns one and a KFC & a Mega Steel one sometime.

Thanks for all the replies