Transformers and More @ The Seibertron Store














Details subject to change. See listing for latest price and availability.
Oh, very fair to point out and my argument is lop-sided in that regard to illustrate a pointGauntlet101010 wrote:As a counterpoint to "all the holes are filled", it begs to ask if they're filled well enough for nobody to want another version ever again. If all the options are only so-so, there's still room for growth. Although it'll take a few years for people to get sick of what they already have.
Delta Magnus wrote:Classics will not be complete until someone (HasTak or 3P) brings out Seacons.
ScottyP wrote:I actually think the entire third party market is in decline. Peak was probably 12-24 months ago at some not yet discernible point. You've definitely pointed out three major factors, and I can comment on those and add a fourth (though it's related to your third factor, but not quite the same).
1 - This is very much a thing, but the reason I find this to be a bellweather for the entire market to be declining (remember, not "on the way out", just declining from a peak) is that the size of the Masterpiece collector market is a fraction of the size of the Classics collector market. The success these companies experienced at their outset was aided in a big way by collectors already having a big group of other things to put this stuff in with. Third parties offered enhancements to existing figures, then all new figures that filled holes in pretty thorough and comprehensive collections. This somewhat comprehensive nature (not as much so now, but in retrospect) was fueled initially by mainline figures with a low cost of entry. The Masterpiece figures, even Hasbro releases, don't offer that accessibility, so the market potential is just not as great. Recent events such as Fans Toys' hesitation to re-release Quakewave and MP Hound rumors highlight another greater risk here that doesn't hold true in the "Classics"-verse: generally, even very dedicated third party collectors will choose an official Masterpiece toy over a third party alternative. With Classics, the line is pretty clear cut, and the third party option is typically an objectively better toy. With Masterpiece, this line is not only blurred, but the sides are almost reversed (though to a lesser degree of separation). I think of last night, when I opened up Tesla. Really nice, and I quite enjoy it, but something in the back of my head said "Takara could do this better and it would have cost less". Not really a thought I had often, if ever, with third party Classics toys.
2 - This can't be said enough. So much now could be upgraded, but what holes really exist to still be filled by either official product or third party in one form or another in Classics? Sure, there's some crap out there ('sup Perfect Effect?) but we'll take any reasonable representation to be a filled spot, as well as upcoming figures like Sky Lynx, FP Highbrow, etc. Let's consider G1 toys from '84 to '87 and make a list:Now, yes, this could keep going to hit '88, maybe '89 and that would be reasonable, but as you can see from even this list things start to get quite obscure quite quickly at that point. Counterpunch's example of Quickswitch also shows this isn't always a good plan, and on top of that, the few truly popular characters from late run G1 Marvel comics (Bludgeon, Thunderwing, etc) have been done already.
- Omnibots
- Powerdashers
- Venom
- Grotusque
- Doublecross
- Repugnus
- Sureshot
- Pointblank
- Crosshairs
- Flywheels
- Triggerhappy
- Slugslinger Energon one seemed too much of a stretch
- Misfire
- Apeface
- Trypticon
Put another way, the above list is probably just above the minimum of what a Classics collector would still lack, and with just a couple exceptions that list isn't going to tear it up from a sales perspective.
3 - I somewhat agree with you here, but there are most definitely third party buyers that have been removed from the equation due to this. While a good majority of folks getting third party toys are what you'd really call third party collectors getting a few items a month, there's also a pretty significant amount of folks that get one or two third party toys a year that are likely to be much more hesitant to get them - especially if a decent option exists officially.
4 - Overall collector dollar strain. Say you're an unfocused, completionist a-hole. Put another way, you're me. Fan of the brand, has/buys nearly everything official that comes out (in this country), including online and store exclusives. There's just not as much fun money to go around. Good luck keeping up with Platinum Edition, Masterpiece, Generations, RiD 2015, and third party. That requires liquidity that's not only well beyond the means of most, it's well beyond the reasonable cash/cash equivalent expense level that most would throw out there even with those means.
I could ramble on longer, but I'll save at least a bit for replies and such.
william-james88 wrote:Also be weary of hope in this hobby. Hope is just undiscovered disappointment.
Agamemnon, barebacked rider of flying robo-dragon, and not often constipated either...My nephew wrote:Bacon is meat candy.
Return to Unlicensed and KO Transformers Toys
Registered users: Bing [Bot], Bumblevivisector, figureguy, Glyph, Google [Bot], Google Adsense [Bot], Google Feedfetcher, MSN [Bot], sprockitz, Zordon