The Energon Pub

Wed Sep 19, 2007 3:24 pm

Devastator was always my fav as a kid, and sadly one that I could never get. Now that I'm collecting again I really want to get my personal 'grail' of TF's, Devastator. However while searching through ePay I notice there are alot of Devastators, Devastator knockoffs, the G2 ones, Grey ones, Orange ones, "Mini" ones, and out of the hundred or so I see the only one that really jumps out at me is one that's labeled as a reissue and claims it's the same size as the original. It ships from China so it's very possible that it's a knockoff right? However to my eyes he looks exactly like I remember Devastator looking, with the exception that instead of Green/Purple, he's Green/Black.

My question to the guys here who really know all the nitty gritty of TF toy collecting is: "Is this the closeset I can get to owning an original? Without spending over $700. to actually get an original?"

It's really the only one that appears right to me, but I could use some advice. Maybe someone here has some of these different versions?

Also, is it even safe to order this stuff from China? I mean, ... if they dissappear with the money it's not like I can go to China and try to find them.

Thanks for any replies.

News Credits: 23 · Wed Sep 19, 2007 3:30 pm

DON'T GET THE KNOCK OFFS!!

I bought one and the thing barely holds itself together. I can't even us it as parts for an actual Devastator. Plastic is shoddy, and the head/faces are crap. Some of the faces just looks like they were melted. I say go for an original if you can find it. They really aren't to to expensive.

As for the mini devastator, I have one of those and he's pretty cool. Inexpensive and they should be official. But then again, I bough mine at TRU.

Wed Sep 19, 2007 3:37 pm

I didn't want to post any auction links, but I saved the pic of the one I was looking at.

is this a knockoff?

News Credits: 17 · Wed Sep 19, 2007 3:42 pm

Yup.

Wed Sep 19, 2007 3:50 pm

damnit. So much for being a "reissue" like the auction claims.

It's actually quite hard to tell the liars apart on ePay when it comes to some of these figs. There's over 100 listings for Devastator.

News Credits: 1 · Wed Sep 19, 2007 3:52 pm

The Devastator KO I bought a few years back was fairly decent quality. They must not all be created equal?

I threw some reprolabels on my KO and it looks great.

News Credits: 7 · Wed Sep 19, 2007 3:53 pm

Yes that's a KO. I don't have any experience with that particular one but I've got the Raiden that comes in the same style of packaging and the quality on that isn't too terrible aside from the stickers coming all wonky and mine having been packed with two right hands.

The best Devestator KO that I've had is the WST (World's Smallest Transformer) sized version. Goes together well and it's pretty sturdy, although I just took the labels off all together with that version.

Although it's not a G1 Devestator you could also look out for the Micromaster version that came out a couple of years ago. This was a recolour of Sixbuilder from the Japanese Operation Combination line and was packaged as a Universe toy in the US and Energon in Europe. Cheap, fun, official and with the addition of some reprolabels a nice G1 homage.

If you go for a KO just bear in mind that you never know quite what you're going to get until you have it in hand. Plastic quality will usually be substandard, there'll be no die-cast where there was on the originals in most cases and stickers will usually be of poor quality and badly applied. Plus quality control is a joke concept with KOs so even if somebody else has recommended a particular one you may still get a dodgy version.

There is supposed to be a G1 authentic devestator KO due to surface sometime soon in the same vein as the Dinobots, Mirages and Sunstreakers that have been seen recently. This one should have the die-cast parts and authentic looking stickers as well as coming in a G1 style box, but is likely to cost quite a bit more than the current crop of Devvy KOs.

News Credits: 1014 · Wed Sep 19, 2007 3:59 pm

I got two KO Devestators. One original G1 colors and one G2. The first I got I ordered off ebay from China and it sucked ass. The arms on the individual bots fell off and it wouldn't hold together. I literally snapped Long Haul in two joining the top and the bottom of Devestator. The are of Devestators little nub that locks it in broke, it was just horrible.

I got the G2 colored one and Mini one from Big Lots. Its seems to be a little better. But thats if you like a yellow Devestator. I had the original when I was a kid. I managed to break that one pretty easy too, so who knows.

But if you want a KO, PM me, I'll get one at cost from Big Lots or Dollar General for you so u dont pay ridiculous shipping fees.

Wed Sep 19, 2007 5:19 pm

I got one of those KO Yellow Devastator sets from Big Lots, and it's unbelievable how crappy it is compared to the original Constructicons. I actually have three Constructicons from when I was a kid, so I got that set to fill in the missing bits. The KO guys required all sorts of cutting, filing, and tweaking in order to get them to combine with the originals. The plastic on the KOs is really soft, the stickers are laughably applied, and the end result is a super rickety half-yellow, half-green monstrosity. But having said all that, it was worth $6.99 to finally have a Devastator after 22 years.

Wed Sep 19, 2007 5:39 pm

well, for 6.99 I'll glue it together and paint it proper, lol.

thanks guys for all the advice.

News Credits: 4 · Wed Sep 19, 2007 5:49 pm

You can find loose constructicons on ebay, and buy the parts seperately. That won't cost you $700. (UNless you are super concerned about things being in mint condition or something)

for me, I just want to display. i don't care if they are missing pieces. I am slowly getting a G1 devastator, but I am missing afew parts, mostly for individual bots, not the ones that make up devastator.

I recently bought a g1 bruticus. he is complete when it comes to all the parts for bruticus, but some of the bots are missing their individual weapons. Think I paid $80 USD, probably a bit much, but it was an impulse purchase

News Credits: 4 · Wed Sep 19, 2007 6:04 pm

Yeah Devistator is a bit tricky to try and hunt down due to its popularity, the many official releases/versions of him and of course all of the knock offs.

Pre Transformers:
Diaclone version similar in color scheme to this Chinese knock off. Diaclone was the Japanese toylines used in Transformers.

Transformers:
G1: Green & purple. The one you want to buy.
G2: Yellow & Purple and later Orange & Purple. Hasbro released these toys in day-glo colors because they were in style at the time.
Robots in Disguise: A rough homage of Devistator's Diaclone days with the creation of the Build team. This time 4 Autobots merge to become Landfill. This would later be repainted (green & purple) as a Target exclusive Devistator in the Universe toyline.
Energon Constructicon Maximus is a loose homage to Devistator with a 5 robot combiner similar to the other G1 gestalts (large main body/team leader and smaller limbs/subordinates). A Walmart store exclusive repaint was released in more "G1" accurate colors last year as Devistator as part of the Classics line. You might still find some at your local WM.
Universe: A Micromaster repaint was released as Devistator. Micromasters are tiny TF, about the size of Minicons or Micromachines. When Hasbro added them to the Universe line they painted them in Devistator Green & Purple. These started out as KB Toy exclusives. The original Japanese versions were colored similar to their Diaclone counterparts and were Autobots.

Knockoffs:
I don't know much about these since they aren't official. There are versions of the Diaclone and G1 versions and I think of the G2s but I am not 100% on that. They also made a Worlds Smallest Transformers version of the combiners, including Devistator. WST was a Japanese exclusive line of tiny transformable Transformers, smaller than Micromasters or Minicons. THey look great and are roughly in scale to the city TF Metroplex & Tripticon.

Best way to tell the originals from the knockoffs:
• Use sites like Seibertron's toy galleries, http://www.tfu.info, http://www.transformerland.com or http://www.cobraislandtoys.com to learn what the original toys look like.
• Use some sites like http://www.robotmonstertoys.com/ark/transformers.htm or http://zobovor.20megsfree.com/knockoffs_archive.html or http://www.geocities.com/futuristgroup/vdiaclone.html to look up varients and knock offs so you know what you are looking at on eBay.

Personally I am for getting the originals over the KO's just for better quality control (you get what you pay for) with the exception of extremely unique figs (The WST Devistator, and Superion look interesting though). Usually it is easy enough to tell if they are KO's by looking at the pics and compairing them to official releases but you still have to be careful because http://www.reprolabels.com makes Reprolabels of Devistator/Constructicons and you can't tell by stickers alone. You need to see more than just a pic of Devistiator alone to be sure (close up of parts, Copyright stamps, etc) it isn't a KO with G1 stickers.

Good luck and I hope this info helps...

Wed Sep 19, 2007 7:40 pm

I got my loose complete Devastator for $80 on ebay with minor sticker wears. Take your time searching and pay attention to the descriptions for authenticity. Ask the seller questions if you have concerns. Good luck!

Wed Sep 19, 2007 7:44 pm

I've got the yellow Big Lots Devastator, and he's not awful. Of the three combiners I got there, he's the middle-of-the-road. The KO Superion was much, much worse and the KO Defensor is a bit better, but the Caterpillar-colored Defensor is pretty decent. Holds together reasonably well, except for the left arm, the arm attachment comes off the post fairly easily, but if you press it in and don't mess with him much, it's OK.

Wed Sep 19, 2007 9:16 pm

i got a loose devastator g1 complete on ebay for 33 dont ask how i do it but as they say nothing like the originals

News Credits: 7 · Wed Sep 19, 2007 9:59 pm

Also try big bad toy store sometimes they have loose constructions are good prices.

Thu Sep 20, 2007 4:48 am

Thanks so much for all the info guys, especially SnapTrap and FirstGen.

This really is a great board to be a member of.

News Credits: 1 · Thu Sep 20, 2007 4:53 am

Just as a note: you can get an original Devastator for less than $700. He won't have any packaging but you'll get all the accessories. I bought mine off of Wheeljack's Lab for $100 a couple of years ago. I've noticed prices have gone up another $20 - $30 but that still beats the $700 price tag.

Thu Sep 20, 2007 5:28 am

I only said 700 because I'd seen one at that price.

Gotta admit though, the big purple G1 Giftbox w/ the 6 Constructicons in it is one bad ass looking piece of merchandise.

Thu Sep 20, 2007 9:41 am

I have gone through two KO Devastators in my time and they have been nothing but junk. I don't have a real Devastator and my KO experiences have kind of turned me off from trying to get a real one. That's just me though, if I got a real Devastator I'm sure that it wouldn't be as crummy as the knock offs. That being said, it's probably always better to go for the originals, because KOs are cheap by nature.

Sat Oct 24, 2009 10:17 pm

Malikon wrote:Devastator was always my fav as a kid, and sadly one that I could never get. Now that I'm collecting again I really want to get my personal 'grail' of TF's, Devastator. However while searching through ePay I notice there are alot of Devastators, Devastator knockoffs, the G2 ones, Grey ones, Orange ones, "Mini" ones, and out of the hundred or so I see the only one that really jumps out at me is one that's labeled as a reissue and claims it's the same size as the original. It ships from China so it's very possible that it's a knockoff right? However to my eyes he looks exactly like I remember Devastator looking, with the exception that instead of Green/Purple, he's Green/Black.

My question to the guys here who really know all the nitty gritty of TF toy collecting is: "Is this the closeset I can get to owning an original? Without spending over $700. to actually get an original?"

It's really the only one that appears right to me, but I could use some advice. Maybe someone here has some of these different versions?

Also, is it even safe to order this stuff from China? I mean, ... if they dissappear with the money it's not like I can go to China and try to find them.

Thanks for any replies.

Well I know about the new one, I just got him. not sure your talking about him tho