The Energon Pub

Oh well, could be true. No big deal. I am familiar with the economics of collections. I do understand how collectable prices wax and wane through time. I realise this because I have had almost 20 years experiance in the antiques and collectable markets.

But, anyway. I am glad to see that those who want one can get one now. I got one for me and Thunderscream through my sister in law in japan. SO it won't cost me too much more than cost + shipping. Which won't be much as she often sends us stuff from japan anyway.

Unfortunately, I can't get anymore of these from her.

You all want some Thundercracker truth?

Here is is.

1,500 from Botcon

Estimates for Henkei Thundercracker should be about...Let's say 6,000. Just to be WAY conservative, let's say that there are 10,000 production unit Thundercrackers (There won't be.).

Now, let's compare this to another important character with a limited release: Energon Ultra Magnus. E Ultra Magnus had a retail value of $25. E Ultra Magnus had a production run of approximately 10-12 thousand units.

Energon Ultra Magnus sells easily for five times his value. People are happy to pay $125 for the toy.

Both releases of Thundercracker will be frighteningly expensive, BotCon and Henkei alike. Expect both releases to be in the $250 range.

However, be sure that the BotCon version will command a premium. He is terribly rare for a popular character.

Sunstar was right about one thing that was pretty important. A lot of people buying TC this time for Henkei were never financially in the market for the BotCon version. We'll see a ripple effect in the short run where TC's BotCon price drops.

This is only because people are cashing out while the think they can. The market will flood for a time, but in the end, like every exclusive, they will disappear and that market will return in full force.

So, with all that in mind: why are some people acting like the sky is falling?

80 dollars bit of a ripoff think i can cheaper with out using ebay, or amazon without paying that much 80$ for master pice figure i can understand but heinke figures are not that big and they selling them for the same price as master piece figures to much for me for deluxe class figure.

ill shop around first before i purcahse the set

Sledge wrote:So, with all that in mind: why are some people acting like the sky is falling?

No idea.

dragons wrote:80$ for master pice figure i can understand but heinke figures are not that big and they selling them for the same price as master piece figures to much for me for deluxe class figure.

ill shop around first before i purcahse the set

Just try to play Devil's Advocate and explain why exclusive toys, in low production numbers, shipped from Japn cost more than retail.

Liege Evilmus wrote:

Nekoman wrote:After shipping Rinkya would be cheaper. And I’m in no rush since now we’ve confirmed there is no limit.

That was confirmed, I though it was only going to be made by the number of preorders.

Also, you found a cheaper source? I have a couple people looking, but nothing solid yet.

Oh and just cause I'm not selfish in my online hunting, one of the people I tipped off was Thomas Lee, of the Ebay favorite ToyArena. He's normaly real good at underselling BBTS, and, he's greatful for the lead

Actually I didn’t find it, Tekka did. It’s a deputy service and according to him it only costs seventy-five dollars there rather than the eighty here.

And yeah, they’ll be making as many as they get preorders for, so you have till the twentieth of June to order yours. Confirmation came from the Ganbo site on the Thundercracker page.

74 bucks is still too much.

Counterpunch and sledge, thank you very much.

to counterpunch:

As you said, those who are getting henkei were not financally able to before. Speaking from personal experiance, saying saving the money to get the botcon set is all good, but it can be easier said than done. Trust me when I say I have had to go a day or two without until pay day.

As for dragons:

Understand the highish price at BBTS is because of this

Toystore sells to a picker. This picker is in japan and uses his money etc, to secure X number of toys. He buys them at say 30 dollars each. Since this might be his sort of job or side job, he sells the toys to bbts at say about 35 dollars each. Making say about 5 bucks on each toy I am not going to figure in how much it cost to ship to him. What he makes off it is not much if anything.

BBTS has to Ship the load of toys to the USA, they may have a bulk shipment every now and again that helps level out the cost. However BBTS is a business which is wanting to make money.

BBTS has overhead. Staff, website hosting, warehouse, electricity, water...etc. It is a typical practice to double the price of an item to make some profit and cover overhead.

BBTS is not a primary seller, nor are they really secondary. they are the third seller to get the item to sell to you, the 4th person.

Yes it's expensive, but it will be as it is coming from japan and they don't ship directly to us poor saps in North America who want it. It has to do a song and dance before it gets into our hot hands.

omega666 wrote:74 bucks is still too much.

Well it’s a pittance compared to three hundred dollars and I will gladly pay seventy for it.

Counterpunch wrote:You all want some Thundercracker truth?

Here is is.

1,500 from Botcon

Estimates for Henkei Thundercracker should be about...Let's say 6,000. Just to be WAY conservative, let's say that there are 10,000 production unit Thundercrackers (There won't be.).

Now, let's compare this to another important character with a limited release: Energon Ultra Magnus. E Ultra Magnus had a retail value of $25. E Ultra Magnus had a production run of approximately 10-12 thousand units.

Energon Ultra Magnus sells easily for five times his value. People are happy to pay $125 for the toy.

Both releases of Thundercracker will be frighteningly expensive, BotCon and Henkei alike. Expect both releases to be in the $250 range.

However, be sure that the BotCon version will command a premium. He is terribly rare for a popular character.

Sunstar was right about one thing that was pretty important. A lot of people buying TC this time for Henkei were never financially in the market for the BotCon version. We'll see a ripple effect in the short run where TC's BotCon price drops.

This is only because people are cashing out while the think they can. The market will flood for a time, but in the end, like every exclusive, they will disappear and that market will return in full force.

I would counter that argument and say that much of the Energon Ultra Manguses were absorbed by the regular consumer market. So while the quantity produced is fairly high, what is available to the collector market is less than produced.

A good example is in the link below...which quantity produced is most likely going to be similar to BotCon Thundercracker and this figure was available via a similar means to Henkei Thundercracker.

Yes, Star Convoy for $11.

http://page4.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/d83284772

74 bucks is still too much.

Don't buy it then. But also don't complain in six months time when you decide you DO want a Thundercracker, but they're all back up to present Botcon TC prices on ebay.

You know what? I hope the people who have Botcon TC are happy with him. I hope the people who get Henkei TC (myself included) are happy with him. I hope everyone who wants a TC picks up one version or the other. And I hope that all the people moaning he's still too expensive get devoured by Unicron.

Sledge wrote:

74 bucks is still too much.

Don't buy it then. But also don't complain in six months time when you decide you DO want a Thundercracker, but they're all back up to present Botcon TC prices on ebay.

You know what? I hope the people who have Botcon TC are happy with him. I hope the people who get Henkei TC (myself included) are happy with him. I hope everyone who wants a TC picks up one version or the other. And I hope that all the people moaning he's still too expensive get devoured by Unicron.

I am looking forward to my henkei, brother airwolf fan. But I do hope everyone is happy all around. That's the true value of a toy. To bring a smile to a face.

Word to that, homie. Now to wait for Takara to remould Evac into a Bell 222.

What? I can dream.

Sledge wrote:Word to that, homie. Now to wait for Takara to remould Evac into a Bell 222.

What? I can dream.

Primus yeah. When I was little I had a dinky airwolf set. Had santini air helecoptor, jeep and the lady herself. Also I had a model airwolf kit tooo. I wanted the rc helicopter but I couldn't get that.

If they make a bell 222 helicpter tf, OH boy that's getting repainted. Into the Airwolf or my fan chopper Airlynx. (wrote a fan fic when I was 14 about that chopper... I still have it, its embarassing to read... grammar, spelling... ugh.

Now back to your regular schedualed henkei tc talk.

I've heard a rumour this is already sold out on BBTS, is this true?

Sledge wrote:So, with all that in mind: why are some people acting like the sky is falling?

Falling sky? No, but it feels like the era of the Botcon exclusive is ending... I KNOW these two TCs are different, but different enough to convince me that my Botcon TC is somehow worth more? Idunno.... It'll just be hard to take Botcon exclusivity seriously from now on...the magic has died a little.

Happy for those who can now get their TC; saddened for those of us who thought we had something...

Sunstar wrote:I've heard a rumour this is already sold out on BBTS, is this true?

Yup...just checked

SOLD OUT!!!!

dragons wrote:80 dollars bit of a ripoff think i can cheaper with out using ebay, or amazon without paying that much 80$ for master pice figure i can understand but heinke figures are not that big and they selling them for the same price as master piece figures to much for me for deluxe class figure.

ill shop around first before i purcahse the set

Fan to Fan is asking $45 USD per figure plus shipping.

kirbenvost wrote:Fan to Fan is asking $45 USD per figure plus shipping.

Out of curiosity, what is their shipping like anyway?

Story updated to reflect the pre-orders no longer being available.

Sunstar wrote:

kirbenvost wrote:Fan to Fan is asking $45 USD per figure plus shipping.

Out of curiosity, what is their shipping like anyway?

He quoted:

"EMS, fastest air with online tracking, US$23.34

SAL, low priority air with registration number, US$16.50"

But that is an estimate based the amount for Henkei Starscream. The final shipping cost may be more if the packaging ends up being bigger/heavier.

Wow, those sold out like hotcakes. There has been talk about whether or not these will be limited. According to Ganbo-store.com website, only 9999 Thundercrackers will be produced. Ganbo-store.com, like ther other online retailers are not limiting the number of figures that you are permitted to preorder. However, like BBTS, once they're gone, they're gone.

Sledge wrote:

74 bucks is still too much.

Don't buy it then. But also don't complain in six months time when you decide you DO want a Thundercracker, but they're all back up to present Botcon TC prices on ebay.

You know what? I hope the people who have Botcon TC are happy with him. I hope the people who get Henkei TC (myself included) are happy with him. I hope everyone who wants a TC picks up one version or the other. And I hope that all the people moaning he's still too expensive get devoured by Unicron.

Did I say that I was going to buy it? If I don't want to buy it for $74, what makes you think I would buy later for more? Why wouldn't anyone that has already bought Thundercracker for any price be happy with their purchase. I hope your TC gets lost in the mail.

Well, with the Botcon Thundercracker I spent $220+shipping on having arrived just 3 DAYS AGO, I felt a little screwed over but preordered the Henkei Thundercracker/Skywarp set anyway. Glad I did now! And the best part is, I have Pile of Loot on so it'll be shipped with my Ultra Magnus Upgrade Set. Now all I need is a good deal on that Cliffjumper Upgrade somewhere and I'm all set!

omega666 wrote:I hope your TC gets lost in the mail.

That's a little harsh.