The Energon Pub

Mkall wrote:

Droptested Thrice wrote:Hasbro have gone after retailers if they're selling knockoffs which are branded as Transformers, with the character names, faction sigils and such. That's what happened to Ages 3 and Up a couple years ago.

Really? The way I heard it was A3U wasn't able to get several shipment from it's shippers and lost out big.

I think it may have been related. Hasbro sent them a cease and desist, and I think informed them they wouldn't receive any Hasbro product if they continued to sell those KOs.

Droptested Thrice wrote:Hasbro have gone after retailers if they're selling knockoffs which are branded as Transformers, with the character names, faction sigils and such. That's what happened to Ages 3 and Up a couple years ago.

That may be, but KOs are a whole 'nother story. I wouldn't be surprised if Harbro or Takara takes some sort of action against mini MP Prime, nor would I blame them.

Mkall wrote:

Droptested Thrice wrote:Hasbro have gone after retailers if they're selling knockoffs which are branded as Transformers, with the character names, faction sigils and such. That's what happened to Ages 3 and Up a couple years ago.

Really? The way I heard it was A3U wasn't able to get several shipment from it's shippers and lost out big.

You are correct, they had a supplier/s who took their money and ran leaving them holding the bag and unable for fill pre-orders that had already been paid. They and other online retailers that sold both Hasbro/Takara products and KO's did receive a letter from Has/Tak advising them to chill with the KO's or else. I believe it was right around the time the KO Encore Metroplex was being promoted and some people who actually ordered the real Encore Metro ended up recieving the KO.

Droptested Thrice wrote:

Mkall wrote:

Droptested Thrice wrote:Hasbro have gone after retailers if they're selling knockoffs which are branded as Transformers, with the character names, faction sigils and such. That's what happened to Ages 3 and Up a couple years ago.

Really? The way I heard it was A3U wasn't able to get several shipment from it's shippers and lost out big.

I think it may have been related. Hasbro sent them a cease and desist, and I think informed them they wouldn't receive any Hasbro product if they continued to sell those KOs.

Nope, they got screwed over by their Japanese suppliers and never received the already sold products it had nothing to do with KOs.

But it is true that online stores got a note about the selling of the so called "high quality" KOs, you know the ones that are actually made to look like the real deal, but that was way before A3&Up died and thus unrelated to their demise.

El Duque wrote:

Mkall wrote:

Droptested Thrice wrote:Hasbro have gone after retailers if they're selling knockoffs which are branded as Transformers, with the character names, faction sigils and such. That's what happened to Ages 3 and Up a couple years ago.

Really? The way I heard it was A3U wasn't able to get several shipment from it's shippers and lost out big.

You are correct, they had a supplier/s who took their money and ran leaving them holding the bag and unable for fill pre-orders that had already been paid. They and other online retailers that sold both Hasbro/Takara products and KO's did receive a letter from Has/Tak advising them to chill with the KO's or else. I believe it was right around the time the KO Encore Metroplex was being promoted and some people who actually ordered the real Encore Metro ended up recieving the KO.

As far as the Metros goes, I do know that Spencer ordered and received what was suppose to be Takara Encore, which after receiving notice that there were issues, realized that he had been screwed over with the entire shipment being knockoffs.

He took a complete bath on that transaction. Both financially and to A3U's reputation. Despite this I do know he tried to correct the matter but wasn't able to fix every transaction before closing the retail side of A3U and selling off the web side of the business.

Mkall wrote:

Droptested Thrice wrote:Hasbro have gone after retailers if they're selling knockoffs which are branded as Transformers, with the character names, faction sigils and such. That's what happened to Ages 3 and Up a couple years ago.

Really? The way I heard it was A3U wasn't able to get several shipment from it's shippers and lost out big.

You're both right. Hasbro asked A3U to stop stocking KOs, A3U complied AND then the owner decided to close shop after having problems with stock in a completely unrelated event.

Hasbro hardly came down on them. I suspect all they did was have a lawyer draft a letter requesting they no longer sell the KOs.

I just wish people would stop asking Hasbro directly at Botcon about 3rd party groups. It gets Greg Lombardo all worked up and angry like and makes me veeery nervous. That and I happen to love what most 3rd parties are up to these days. Especially fansproject.

Flux Convoy wrote:I just wish people would stop asking Hasbro directly at Botcon about 3rd party groups. It gets Greg Lombardo all worked up and angry like and makes me veeery nervous. That and I happen to love what most 3rd parties are up to these days. Especially fansproject.

If someone does that this year, I promise to stand up with the next question and ask him directly, "Yo, you mad?"

Counterpunch wrote:If someone does that this year, I promise to stand up with the next question and ask him directly, "Yo, you mad?"

That is awesome.

SJ21 wrote:

Counterpunch wrote:If someone does that this year, I promise to stand up with the next question and ask him directly, "Yo, you mad?"

That is awesome.

I would pay good money to see CP cause a riot at BotCon.

Razorclaw0000 wrote:

SJ21 wrote:

Counterpunch wrote:If someone does that this year, I promise to stand up with the next question and ask him directly, "Yo, you mad?"

That is awesome.

I would pay good money to see CP cause a riot at BotCon.

Seconded.

It Is Him wrote:Hasbro hardly came down on them. I suspect all they did was have a lawyer draft a letter requesting they no longer sell the KOs.

News to me, and I've had multiple conversations with the original owner, the guy who took over his retail and the guy who bought the online business. these talks did contain some aspects of what happened that are personal and won't be gone into to much detail here, but the 5 main reasons not including Hasbro are:

1) Personal conflicts between people involved
2) The failed launch of their 2nd retail store
3) Suppliers in good standing failing to supply product/supplied wrong product
4) Mall politics. The mall the main A3U location was in, forced them to move twice while the Mall stated renovating sections of the mall. The spot it spent the last year in (and that Metropolis took over before being moved outside of the mall this month) had poor viability and visibility, attracting a bare minimum of impulse shoppers heading to either Toys R Us or Games Workshop.
5) Spencer undercutting his own bottom line to compete with TRU Canada as his store was now 2 doors away from them

Suffice to say, that with everything that happened to Spencer (former owner of the Ages 3 and Up website and 2 retail locations) Johnny (formerly ran the comic side of A3U, current owner of Metropolis Comics and Games, took over the retail space) and the new owners of A3U's web business (name is escaping me, also runs the Urban Samurai retail store) while any communication from Hasbro might have been sent and received, it had a very small (if any) part of the closing of A3U, and considering that right up to has closing he was receiving product from Hasbro (new star wars, TF Animated) and KO's (Metroplex's are still in stock at Urban Samurai retail) any threats Hasbro may have thought about making they hadn't followed up with.

Fun Fact! Spencer actually approached me in 2006 to ask if I was interested in being a manager for the A3U retail store. I turned it down. In 2007 I regreted not going for it. in 2009, I was glad I didn't.

Mkall wrote:

Droptested Thrice wrote:Hasbro have gone after retailers if they're selling knockoffs which are branded as Transformers, with the character names, faction sigils and such. That's what happened to Ages 3 and Up a couple years ago.

Really? The way I heard it was A3U wasn't able to get several shipment from it's shippers and lost out big.

You're both right, sort of... they did get in trouble with Hasbro, however they promptly stopped selling the KOs in their online store, and that wasn't the reason they shut down. As Mkall said, they had a problem with their Japanese supplier not sending them any....

...and I just read the rest of the thread and realized all this has already been said.

CP, I support your decision to beat down whomever brings Fansproject to Hasbro's attention.

kirbenvost wrote:CP, I support your decision to beat down whomever brings Fansproject to Hasbro's attention.

That was someone else, I don't start fights.

Counterpunch wrote:

kirbenvost wrote:CP, I support your decision to beat down whomever brings Fansproject to Hasbro's attention.

That was someone else, I don't start fights.

Counterpunch wrote:

kirbenvost wrote:CP, I support your decision to beat down verbally question the judgement and overall sanity of whomever brings Fansproject to Hasbro's attention. To their face.

That was someone else, I don't start fights.

Sorry, fixed.

Counterpunch wrote:

kirbenvost wrote:CP, I support your decision to beat down whomever brings Fansproject to Hasbro's attention.

That was someone else, I don't start fights. I FINISH them!!!

Fixed

Counterpunch wrote:

kirbenvost wrote:CP, I support your decision to beat down whomever brings Fansproject to Hasbro's attention.

That was someone else, I don't start fights.

You gotta get that whole thing with Punch sorted.

--B-- wrote:

Counterpunch wrote:

kirbenvost wrote:CP, I support your decision to beat down whomever brings Fansproject to Hasbro's attention.

That was someone else, I don't start fights. I FINISH them!!!

Fixed

Random supporting fact: I hold yudansha rank in two distinct martial arts.

Editor wrote:

It Is Him wrote:Hasbro hardly came down on them. I suspect all they did was have a lawyer draft a letter requesting they no longer sell the KOs.

News to me, and I've had multiple conversations with the original owner, the guy who took over his retail and the guy who bought the online business. these talks did contain some aspects of what happened that are personal and won't be gone into to much detail here, but the 5 main reasons not including Hasbro are...

Thanks for clearing that up!

Counterpunch wrote:

--B-- wrote:

Counterpunch wrote:

kirbenvost wrote:CP, I support your decision to beat down whomever brings Fansproject to Hasbro's attention.

That was someone else, I don't start fights. I FINISH them!!!

Fixed

Random supporting fact: I hold yudansha rank in two distinct martial arts.

Moderately related to Botcon: I don't plan on picking up Tatsunoko vs Capcom + 2 arcade sticks before Botcon. But I may download Eternal Champions for the Virtual Console, and we can duke it out on Gamecube controllers.

(Kidding about Eternal Champions)

Counterpunch wrote:

--B-- wrote:

Counterpunch wrote:

kirbenvost wrote:CP, I support your decision to beat down whomever brings Fansproject to Hasbro's attention.

That was someone else, I don't start fights. I FINISH them!!!

Fixed

Random supporting fact: I hold yudansha rank in two distinct martial arts.

This is why we love you. Or is it Punch? Or... hell I don't even know who I'm talking to half the time.

Blurrz wrote:I'd give my right nut for a FP G1 Blurr.

What is it with you giving away your nuts? You've said it again on the Glyph post.

Stockade wrote:

Blurrz wrote:I'd give my right nut for a FP G1 Blurr.

What is it with you giving away your nuts? You've said it again on the Glyph post.

He's a squirrel, he collects them and thus can affoard to give a couple away without starving.

Mkall wrote:

Stockade wrote:

Blurrz wrote:I'd give my right nut for a FP G1 Blurr.

What is it with you giving away your nuts? You've said it again on the Glyph post.

He's a squirrel, he collects them and thus can affoard to give a couple away without starving.

Most squirrels are horders and keep everything they get, but I guess Blurrz is an exception? or a really generous squirrel?

Stockade wrote:

Mkall wrote:

Stockade wrote:

Blurrz wrote:I'd give my right nut for a FP G1 Blurr.

What is it with you giving away your nuts? You've said it again on the Glyph post.

He's a squirrel, he collects them and thus can affoard to give a couple away without starving.

Most squirrels are horders and keep everything they get, but I guess Blurrz is an exception? or a really generous squirrel?

He will compromise only for Transformers and Erica Campbell