The Energon Pub

News Credits: 3 · Sun Feb 10, 2013 12:31 am

I've encountered this time and time again at my local TRU stores. What will become of all these masterpieces? If this continues, won't Masterpiece prices continue to rise? smh

News Credits: 1 · Sun Feb 10, 2013 5:21 am

Do you think someone is pinching them, or missing from the factory? Did you notice if they had been re-sealed etc?

Sun Feb 10, 2013 5:32 am

How odd. Those packages don't look like they've been tampered with .

News Credits: 1 · Sun Feb 10, 2013 5:58 am

I've seen loads of Weaponiser BBs with the head rolling about the bottom of the box.
Anything rattling about inside TCs box lol?

On closer inspection the tape looks broken on the 2nd pic at the M of masterpiece.

Sun Feb 10, 2013 6:19 am

Plastic head fetishists strike again. Either that or an angry MP 07 owner, take your pick

Sun Feb 10, 2013 9:53 am

hey can i get a little head over here?

News Credits: 3 · Sun Feb 10, 2013 10:08 am

Sorry my pictures don't translate well. These Masterpieces I'm coming across are clearly busted wide open and the heads swiped. You can't tell from the picture but that package is wide open.

News Credits: 1 · Sun Feb 10, 2013 10:46 am

How dumb of whoever did this. Is it all of the MP Thundercracker or just one? If it is all of them I'm wondering if whoever did it is perhaps waiting to see if they seriously lower the price of them on a clearance shelf and snag them greatly discounted.

News Credits: 3 · Sun Feb 10, 2013 11:50 am

No, just one or two from each of the 3 toys r us I frequent.

News Credits: 12 · Mon Feb 11, 2013 1:14 pm

I've only spotted one MP Optimus at TRU, and someone had opened it and stolen the driver.

$10 products come packaged in plastic clamshell packaging that requires industrial bolt cutters to open, but Hasbro packs $100 toys in boxes that are "sealed" with a piece of Scotch tape. I don't get it.

News Credits: 3 · Mon Feb 11, 2013 1:33 pm

GuyIncognito wrote:I've only spotted one MP Optimus at TRU, and someone had opened it and stolen the driver.

$10 products come packaged in plastic clamshell packaging that requires industrial bolt cutters to open, but Hasbro packs $100 toys in boxes that are "sealed" with a piece of Scotch tape. I don't get it.

Very good point. I gues they think the smaller items are easily stollen and a Masterpiece is so large they wouldn't be targeted. They have no idea these swipers are stripping the Masterpieces.

Fri Feb 15, 2013 12:20 am

Sad to see this, but I can only think of two reasons: people working on customs or wanting to upgrade their previous MP seekers to have the new head. Regardless of the scenario, this is very sad.

Fri Feb 15, 2013 9:30 am

the only thing hasbro can do is change the pakaging and charge us more. honestly though this is also a store level security issue, if this is going on in a store and they become aware of it, they should find a way to better monitor their assets.

News Credits: 12 · Fri Feb 15, 2013 11:34 am

VioMeTriX wrote:the only thing hasbro can do is change the pakaging and charge us more. honestly though this is also a store level security issue, if this is going on in a store and they become aware of it, they should find a way to better monitor their assets.

I don't think they need to radically change the packaging; it could be as simple as just sealing the entire opening with tape, instead of one little piece of tape. It would only cost a few more cents, and you don't need to make the packaging impenetrable. It just needs to be inconvenient enough that a thief can't open it quickly and inconspicuously.

Or go a step further, maybe shrink wrap the whole package or put it inside a 2nd box that's sealed with glue. It's worth an extra dollar or two to protect a product that costs $80 or $100 or more.

But really, it's not Hasbro's problem, it's the retailer's problem. The stores are the ones losing money because they're getting stuck with expensive merch that they can't sell. The retailers need to complain to Hasbro, otherwise Hasbro won't care.

Fri Feb 15, 2013 2:22 pm

necr0blivion wrote:Sad to see this, but I can only think of two reasons: people working on customs or wanting to upgrade their previous MP seekers to have the new head. Regardless of the scenario, this is very sad.

...or what about something like using the head, painting it white a large Macross figure and make a Skyfire out of it maybe?

Fri Feb 15, 2013 7:03 pm

GuyIncognito wrote:I've only spotted one MP Optimus at TRU, and someone had opened it and stolen the driver.

$10 products come packaged in plastic clamshell packaging that requires industrial bolt cutters to open, but Hasbro packs $100 toys in boxes that are "sealed" with a piece of Scotch tape. I don't get it.

So true. It takes me 45 mins to free a deluxe figure from its plastic tomb and untie the seven or so cardboard ties.
I wonder, Do they put the masterpieces in the easy to open boxes thinking maybe that collectors may want to open them up for awhile without destroying the box that they might display the figure in again later?
I Wish I could happen upon a few M.P. figures. I have never even seen one before.

Sat Feb 23, 2013 3:06 pm

lol, like there are any Masterpiece Thundercrackers at any of my local TRU's.

The only Masterpiece I've ever seen there was Grimlock a few years ago, shelves full of them for months. I think they shelfwarmed for so long that the stores here must not have decided to get any MP's since.

News Credits: 3 · Sat Feb 23, 2013 3:48 pm

Optimum Supreme wrote:lol, like there are any Masterpiece Thundercrackers at any of my local TRU's.

The only Masterpiece I've ever seen there was Grimlock a few years ago, shelves full of them for months. I think they shelfwarmed for so long that the stores here must not have decided to get any MP's since.

And to think that they are all worth tripple TRU asking price now.