The Energon Pub

When I talked to Johnny it did sound like Transformers will hold a smaller role in the new store, but it sounded more due to the loss of Spencer's contacts for the oversees stuff. They may still carry North american if they can bring in the US releases before TRU can get them but we'll have to see after Friday when the revamped/named store opens. I'll be going but no idea what time yet. I'm hoping to talk to johnny about expanding the in store gaming beyond Magic CCG's if he's interested.

Zellers is getting better atleast in these points but I'm disappoint that I have scene a number of Rescue Ratchets but no clear Lockdowns.

I have scene Ultra Magnus once. Saddly it was at the Lougheed Walmart, and when they were on sale, however I was shopping with my GF and her mode that day was not condusive to TF buying.

Darn, that sucks! Although my girlfriend's often the same way. TF buying is better when she's not around, at least for the more expensive ones.

Well Spencer's Japanese suppliers were not very good, so I suppose it's all for the best. I do hope they still stock some Transformers. Imports would be nice, but I guess I have to buy them online or in Richmond.

I hear you...

Atleast the Canada Line when it opens will make getting to Aberdeen/Parker Place/J-Hobby easier. And don't forget that there are a couple places in Crystal near Metrotown that sometimes has imports.

kirbenvost wrote:So anyone spotted Cyclonus in Canada yet?

I did, at Golden Age Collectables, along with two Screamers and Cheetor. The Cheetor and Screamers are still there as of yesterday morning. Cyclonus, as I suspected, and more or less expected, isn't.

kirbenvost wrote:A3U had some newer stuff months ago and now they're gone of course, I hear the replacement store probably won't be stocking much in the way of Transformers as it's hard to compete with TRU.

That's stupid. TRU never stocks Universe figures (except for that time when they ran that $10 figure sale; that's how I got Sideswipe), and it takes them an age and a half (pardon the pun) to get new Animated figures (they always showed up at A3AU first before anywhere else, except Animated Wave 4 Deluxe, which I first saw at a London Drugs, for some reason...)

Anyway, it looks like they might have somenew TF stuff, because when I went there yesterday, they had two Universe Bruticus', a couple of Blazing Lockdowns and an Animated Skywarp. (TRU, by contrast, seems to have the same stale stuff that doesn't look like it's going to be going anywhere anytime soon.)

Damn Bruticus wasn't there when I stepped in.

Johnny's reaction to how the stuff had sold when talked to him seamed to show that he realizes he'll need to keep stocking stuff so I don't think we need to worry much, however there is no way that he'll bring as much stuff as Spencer did, which most likely will be a good thing over the longer haul.

Dang, sucks that I haven't been to Metro since they opened yet.

Still on the lookout for Sideswipe, Silverstreak and Animated Ultra Magnus... TRU's still got nothing new.

Also if anyone's looking to get rid of a single Universe Springer, let me know. I saw a few of the packs in the store, Ratbat had no hand, what the heck? Are they all like that? Well I only want Springer anyway.

A3U's replacement store just received a mondo shipment of new TF Universe and Animated stuff. We're talking a lot of figs. However the price isn't that pretty due to the dropping dollar.

Deluxes are 22 dollars and I didn't stick around to see how much the largers figs cost.

Damn I knew I should have stopped there today.

Editor wrote:Damn I knew I should have stopped there today.

They get their shipments every Wednesday, usually by 3pm so plan trips accordingly.

Still nothing new on the South Shore of Montreal...

Hmm, definitely not the best price but what can you do...

Mkall, did they get newer waves, possibly including Sideswipe & Silverstreak? Damn, I need to stop by there. Maybe next Wednesday or sometime this weekend.

kirbenvost wrote:Hmm, definitely not the best price but what can you do...

Mkall, did they get newer waves, possibly including Sideswipe & Silverstreak? Damn, I need to stop by there. Maybe next Wednesday or sometime this weekend.

From what I saw they got Hound, Cyclonus, Dinobot, Smokescreen, Cheetor and Starscream.

Nothing older than that.

Has anyone found the Universe wave 4, Cyclonus and company, at regular retail yet? Cybertron.ca said they were found in a Zellers in Quebec.

UltraPrimal wrote:Has anyone found the Universe wave 4, Cyclonus and company, at regular retail yet? Cybertron.ca said they were found in a Zellers in Quebec.

They might be at a Zellers in Quebec city, but I've yet to see them at general retail in the Montreal area.

Mkall wrote:

kirbenvost wrote:Hmm, definitely not the best price but what can you do...

Mkall, did they get newer waves, possibly including Sideswipe & Silverstreak? Damn, I need to stop by there. Maybe next Wednesday or sometime this weekend.

From what I saw they got Hound, Cyclonus, Dinobot, Smokescreen, Cheetor and Starscream.

Nothing older than that.

Thanks Mkall. I went by and the Hounds, Cyclonus & Dinobots were gone I think. Lots of Smokescreens if anyone wants em...

It's good that they're still stocking stuff though, and it looks like Spencer left all the loose figs in the case.

Man, I am really regretting not getting Sideswipe & Silverstreak when I had the chance. I hope TRU starts stocking Universe stuff soon...

The remaining contents of the cases were sold over to Johnny and during the time he was preping for the crange over he bought a few collections to fill out the case.

Kir, If you can make your way over to the Wal-Mart at Lougheed, they had a couple of the the Bros in stock and they still have Animated UM in you need him.

I have still yet to see the new Universe Dinobot. I hope it shows up soon because I'm really looking forward to it!

BluePhirePB wrote:I have still yet to see the new Universe Dinobot. I hope it shows up soon because I'm really looking forward to it!

I've yet to see the previous wave at retail...
Can't wait for Dinobot. Sucks that I'm going to have to mod him once he's out of the package, but still.

Mkall wrote:A3U's replacement store just received a mondo shipment of new TF Universe and Animated stuff. We're talking a lot of figs. However the price isn't that pretty due to the dropping dollar.

Deluxes are 22 dollars and I didn't stick around to see how much the largers figs cost.

So they're basically the same price they are at Golden Age Collectables? Hmm. I don't think I like that, considering most other places I know (TRU, Wal-Mart) still sell the Deluxes for $15.

I might have to stop by there over the weekend and see if they have an extra Cyclonus.

I'm going to assume that seeing Johnny is receiving Transformers shipment on Wednesday that he is getting them from Diamond, and needing to pay higher costs for them. So the fact the prices are matching Golden seems about right.

Also in talking with him earlier, it seems that Spencer was ordering larger amounts than a store his size would normally carry, selling at as slim a mark up as possible in order to compete against TRU and is still sitting on unsold stock that he'll be ebaying off over time because of this. I'm not critizing his style, but the fact he lost enough money to be in his current position, seems to show he didn't make the best decision for long term sucess.

The prices are pretty much what I expect from a comic store which is what Johnny store is now.

Editor wrote:I'm going to assume that seeing Johnny is receiving Transformers shipment on Wednesday that he is getting them from Diamond, and needing to pay higher costs for them. So the fact the prices are matching Golden seems about right.

Also in talking with him earlier, it seems that Spencer was ordering larger amounts than a store his size would normally carry, selling at as slim a mark up as possible in order to compete against TRU and is still sitting on unsold stock that he'll be ebaying off over time because of this. I'm not critizing his style, but the fact he lost enough money to be in his current position, seems to show he didn't make the best decision for long term sucess.

The prices are pretty much what I expect from a comic store which is what Johnny store is now.

I guess that kinda makes sense, and I do understand. At the same time, it still doesn't mean I have to like it, considering for the amount of time and effort it would take for me to go down there, I can try to convince Trevor (the guy who runs the local store I go to) to ship them up here. I mean, if I have to pay the same sort of price either way, I'd rather take the chance of getting them on the day instead of waiting till the weekend to go and then possibly missing out, know what I mean?

Oh I completely understand where you are coming from. For me I have been on both sides of the counter so I can see hard it can be for stores not to stock items they know can sell, but not at a price they can match bigger retailers on. It's an issue of case size. The current assortments are about 8 to 12 blister cards to a case so if your local feels that they can sell all of them (keep in mind that is likely to be short-packs and 5 of one figure in a 12 pack) then it makes sense for them to bring it in.

But that is also part of the reason Golden Age only brings one or two cases in at a time, and they have all the downtown traffic.

Editor wrote:The remaining contents of the cases were sold over to Johnny and during the time he was preping for the crange over he bought a few collections to fill out the case.

Kir, If you can make your way over to the Wal-Mart at Lougheed, they had a couple of the the Bros in stock and they still have Animated UM in you need him.

Thanks for the tip! Hah, but now I'm out of money. I decided to order a Henkei Skywarp while they still cost under $100, so that ate up my TF budget for awhile. Oh well, Silverstreak & Sideswipe are pretty cheap on eBay and hopefully I'll be able to grab a UM sometime.

I paid about $120 (after conversion) for both Skywarp and Thundercracker including shipping direct from Japan.

I paid about the same for the Thrust & Dirge, hopefully they'll be on their way soon.

Yeah I preordered Thundercracker off the bat but I expected to be satisfied with my Classics Skywarp. Next to Henkei TC, not so much, so I'm just getting around to getting the Henkei version now. Probably would've saved $30 if I'd got him originally. lol, oh well.