The Energon Pub

Every few days we'll be bringing you some cool Transformers eBay auctions that are worth taking a look at. If you have eBay Transformers auctions, please post them here in our Carbombya Buy/Sell/Trade forum. We'll take a look there first to see if you've got something cool posted that should be featured on Seibertron.com. Check back in 2 to 3 days for some more featured Transformers items from eBay.

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Featured Auction #1

Transformers RID Car Robots D-005 Sky-Byte Figure NEW

Since Sky-Byte is making an odd appearance in this year's upcoming BotCon 2010 set, perhaps now would be a great time to add him to your collection! Check out this auction of everyone's favorite RID Predacon from site sponsor ToyArena.com. This appears to be the Korean version of Sky-Byte. And while you're at it, check out the other items ToyArena.com has available on eBay.



Don't forget to check out Seibertron.com's gallery of RID Sky-Byte!


Featured Auction #2

TRANSMETAL MEGATRON MIB Beast Wars 100% complete unused

This auction from Seibertron.com is for a TRANSMETAL MEGATRON from Beast Wars, which was released in 1997. This item was MISB until I opened it to do pictures for this auction. I noticed that this item had two pieces of tape on one end so I was weary that it was not a MISB item. I carefully pulled back the tape so that I could verify the contents of this item. As you can see from the pictures in this auction, the item has never been used before, is in BEAUTIFUL perfect 100% complete condition, and was indeed sealed until I took these pictures. Better safe than sorry! The tape was placed back in its original position and still looks like the item is MISB.

View all of Seibertron.com's items here




Featured Auction #3

TRANSMETAL OPTIMUS PRIMAL MIB Beast Wars 100% comp new

This auction from Seibertron.com is for a TRANSMETAL OPTIMUS PRIMAL from Beast Wars, which was released in 1997. This item was MISB until I opened it to do pictures for this auction. I noticed that this item had two pieces of tape on one end which caused me to be weary that it was not a MISB item. I carefully pulled back the tape so that I could verify the contents of this item. As you can see from the pictures in this auction, the item has never been used before, is in BEAUTIFUL perfect 100% complete condition, and was indeed sealed until I took these pictures. Better safe than sorry ... I just wanted to make sure that his weapons were in the package! The tape was placed back in its original position and still looks like the item is MISB.

View all of Seibertron.com's items here




Featured Auction #4

Custom Transformers Doubledealer - powermaster

This auction is for an incredible custom Doubledealer that fellow Seibertronian toyphilia posted in the Carbombya Buy/Sell/Trade forum here on Seibertron.com.Here's what toyphilia has to say about this one-of-a-kind item:

CUSTOM TRANSFORMERS POWERMASTER/TRIPLECHANGER DOUBLEDEALER with Knok & Skar

CUSTOMIZERS NOTE: Heres my first powermaster custom as well as a triple changer custom. Double Dealer is a badass, he is both an autobot (robot mode) and a decepticon (falcon mode) and does not care about what these factions stand for except for his own personal interest. Used the following parts

- Voyager Heavy Load as the base figure
- Inferno's head
- Mudflaps arms
- some parts from zoids buster eagle
- and KO double dealer parts for the weapons and powermasters

If you like to express yourself by making your own customs, please stop by and say hello in the Transtopia forums where you can share your kitbashes, customs, artwork and fan-fiction.

This item was MISB until I opened it to do pictures for this auction.

.....

Also, TM Cybershark >> Sky-byte

Chaoslock wrote:

This item was MISB until I opened it to do pictures for this auction.

.....

I had to make sure since the sides were double taped. Better safe than sorry. Sucks that I had to open them to verify but I'd rather do that than sell them and them not be complete. Can anyone explain the double taped ends?

Seibertron wrote:I had to make sure since the sides were double taped. Better safe than sorry. Sucks that I had to open them to verify but I'd rather do that than sell them and them not be complete. Can anyone explain the double taped ends?

Most obvious is of course the first owner who checks the contents of a true sealed box: perhaps to take it out and play with for for a bit, and then reseals it for resale.
However, double taping can happen in the factory: routine quality controls after packaging may lead to double taping. It seems to also happen during some customs checks.
I've also heard from someone who collect Japanese TF's that lots of shopkeepers there tend to demonstrate their products to customers by taking them out of the box. He's told me that its a reason why it's quite hard to find true Japanese MISB TF's and other toys. This might also lead to double taping.

No disrespect to anybody but I think "MISB" collecting is kind of geeky. Toys just look cooler when they are posed out of the box. It's ok to have a few favorites sealed for keepsakes (I got five sealed on cards) but to have a whole wall or even room full of sealed boxes is silly. Just my opinion.

Rated X wrote:No disrespect to anybody but I think "MISB" collecting is kind of geeky. Toys just look cooler when they are posed out of the box. It's ok to have a few favorites sealed for keepsakes (I got five sealed on cards) but to have a whole wall or even room full of sealed boxes is silly. Just my opinion.

I'm sure this is not the thread for THAT discussion.

However, in this case MISB or MIB is very much relevant due to the fact that it's about transferring a product from one owner to the next and being able to guarantee the quality of that product.
Lots of people would much rather have a toy that's guaranteed complete and in an undamaged state than a toy which has been messed about with, with possibly missing pieces or damaged parts. Buying something MISB is practically a guarantee that the figure is all there in a pristine state (unless you're buying Black Zarak or any other GPS toy). That guarantee has a value attached to it. When a box gets opened, however, that guarantee (and that value) is lost forever.
Toy grading and then sealing a box in another plastic hard box is nothing more than enforcing the guarantee that the toy is pristine and untouched since it was packaged in the factory.

Rated X wrote:No disrespect to anybody but I think "MISB" collecting is kind of geeky. Toys just look cooler when they are posed out of the box. It's ok to have a few favorites sealed for keepsakes (I got five sealed on cards) but to have a whole wall or even room full of sealed boxes is silly. Just my opinion.

About 45% of my collection is sealed. I've got nearly 1300 figures ranging from Beast Wars up to ROTF with figures from both Hasbro and TakaraTomy. When you are on you eight or ninth copy of Movie Bumblebee, there is no magic in opening and displaying it. I do, however, want them all, so the duplicates (which are often the rarer version) stay MISB to keep their value up.

Cybertron Galvatron MISB easily sells for $250 these days, but loose sells for around $50-$75. I've already seem nearly all there is to see with that figure in Cybertron Megatron, so there's no real reason to open it.

Probably the only really good thing about a totally loose collection is the sheer volume you save by not having packaging. But that's dubious at best.

Getting us back on topic here, I much prefer the Beast Wars Transmetal 2 Cybershark to the RID Skybite. Also: That custom Doubledealer is awesome! It's got a bit of a weak point with the head being right there in his vulture mode, but it's still very nice. I would love to see a Classics/Universe version of Doubledealer.

Razorclaw0000 wrote:

Rated X wrote:No disrespect to anybody but I think "MISB" collecting is kind of geeky. Toys just look cooler when they are posed out of the box. It's ok to have a few favorites sealed for keepsakes (I got five sealed on cards) but to have a whole wall or even room full of sealed boxes is silly. Just my opinion.

About 45% of my collection is sealed. I've got nearly 1300 figures ranging from Beast Wars up to ROTF with figures from both Hasbro and TakaraTomy. When you are on you eight or ninth copy of Movie Bumblebee, there is no magic in opening and displaying it. I do, however, want them all, so the duplicates (which are often the rarer version) stay MISB to keep their value up.

Cybertron Galvatron MISB easily sells for $250 these days, but loose sells for around $50-$75. I've already seem nearly all there is to see with that figure in Cybertron Megatron, so there's no real reason to open it.

Probably the only really good thing about a totally loose collection is the sheer volume you save by not having packaging. But that's dubious at best.

We should take this 'outside' [i.e., in another thread] as it's getting way off track. I'm going to derail further, though.

If you find someone who will buy a MISB Cybertron Galvatron for $250, I say sell now. No way that should go for that much. Even on eBay, $100 is asking a lot. In fact, one just sold for $50 + shipping. I recently purchased the rarer eHobby version Gd-1D Master Galvatron and that set me back $130 + shipping. I KNOW I way overpaid for it

As far as your other points. I too would like to keep up the value of my collection, but not at the expense of at least transforming them from time to time and putting them up on display. Our meaning of 'enjoyment' differs, though. Nothing wrong with either. However, I say put you money in the bank instead of buying 10 copies of Bumblebee; you're make more money in the long run. Not as much fun, I grant you, but if the primary reason for buying these isn't too enjoy them, there's numerous alternatives that can net you more cash.

I guess I'm not much of a MISB collector. I do keep all packaging, and inserts, though. I mean, if you obtained a hand cut box sample that was factory taped (like some of Curt from TFsource' collection), I could understand the reason to keep it sealed. You could get a Targetmaster Hot Rod to mess around with anywhere, but the samples he has in hand cut boxes that are AFA'd are one of a kind items.

No disrespect to you or others like you

HighPrime wrote:

Razorclaw0000 wrote:

Rated X wrote:No disrespect to anybody but I think "MISB" collecting is kind of geeky. Toys just look cooler when they are posed out of the box. It's ok to have a few favorites sealed for keepsakes (I got five sealed on cards) but to have a whole wall or even room full of sealed boxes is silly. Just my opinion.

About 45% of my collection is sealed. I've got nearly 1300 figures ranging from Beast Wars up to ROTF with figures from both Hasbro and TakaraTomy. When you are on you eight or ninth copy of Movie Bumblebee, there is no magic in opening and displaying it. I do, however, want them all, so the duplicates (which are often the rarer version) stay MISB to keep their value up.

Cybertron Galvatron MISB easily sells for $250 these days, but loose sells for around $50-$75. I've already seem nearly all there is to see with that figure in Cybertron Megatron, so there's no real reason to open it.

Probably the only really good thing about a totally loose collection is the sheer volume you save by not having packaging. But that's dubious at best.

We should take this 'outside' [i.e., in another thread] as it's getting way off track. I'm going to derail further, though.

If you find someone who will buy a MISB Cybertron Galvatron for $250, I say sell now. No way that should go for that much. Even on eBay, $100 is asking a lot. In fact, one just sold for $50 + shipping. I recently purchased the rarer eHobby version Gd-1D Master Galvatron and that set me back $130 + shipping. I KNOW I way overpaid for it

As far as your other points. I too would like to keep up the value of my collection, but not at the expense of at least transforming them from time to time and putting them up on display. Our meaning of 'enjoyment' differs, though. Nothing wrong with either. However, I say put you money in the bank instead of buying 10 copies of Bumblebee; you're make more money in the long run. Not as much fun, I grant you, but if the primary reason for buying these isn't too enjoy them, there's numerous alternatives that can net you more cash.

I guess I'm not much of a MISB collector. I do keep all packaging, and inserts, though. I mean, if you obtained a hand cut box sample that was factory taped (like some of Curt from TFsource' collection), I could understand the reason to keep it sealed. You could get a Targetmaster Hot Rod to mess around with anywhere, but the samples he has in hand cut boxes that are AFA'd are one of a kind items.

No disrespect to you or others like you

Hey I cant say too much except this:

If I was looking for an investment, I would go buy some land, stocks or something. If you really love something you wouldnt care about the money. You would do it for passion. Its just like baseball cards when I was a teen. Adult collectors came and ruined the hobby with their big spending and in the end the values all dropped and now you got a bunch of sealed packages with nobody interested in buying them.

This post ia a great way to drive up the prizes, thx for that.

Razorclaw0000 wrote:Probably the only really good thing about a totally loose collection is the sheer volume you save by not having packaging. But that's dubious at best.

Yay to my collection then! I really need to take a video of my basement for you guys to see. It's pretty crazy. I think I have 26 of the regular sized 14 gallon Rubbermaid tubs full of loose Transformers which are all organized by series and each figure placed in a Ziploc freezer bag. I have 14 of the 33 gallon clear tubs from the Container Store that contain all of my MIB and MISB figures. When I used to have a smaller collection, I would save all of my packages and keep those in boxes but with a collection this size (and since I don't own a mansion) I had to part with the idea of keeping the packages long ago. I do keep the card backs and flatten the boxes but I don't know how much longer I'll be able to do that for now either.

DMSL wrote:This post ia a great way to drive up the prizes, thx for that.

I'm not sure if your post is sarcasm or just being negative. One is a BIN, the other two had zero bids after being up for 5 days, and the other was a custom that should get high prices.

Rated X wrote:If I was looking for an investment, I would go buy some land, stocks or something. If you really love something you wouldnt care about the money. You would do it for passion. Its just like baseball cards when I was a teen. Adult collectors came and ruined the hobby with their big spending and in the end the values all dropped and now you got a bunch of sealed packages with nobody interested in buying them.

A lot of us, we are highly concerned about the value and condition of our items. I do it for passion, but I also do it for the long term value of all of this. One day, I might not collect Transformers. I might be 70 or 90 when that day comes, but damn will I be happy that I took really good care of all of these figures so that they would be worth top dollar one day. I also buy doubles from now and then with the intentional purpose of keeping them to resell later down the road. It's all about the passion. I promise! You just happen to show your passion differently than others do. It doesn't make what others do wrong or right, or less or more important.

Adult collectors didn't ruin baseball cards. Nor did they ruin comics. If there was a villain in all of this, I feel that the popularity of the Internet is the culprit. And perhaps artificial greed. it's my opinion that Adult collectors are currently what's keeping baseball cards, comics, and toys alive ... at least with what interests us. BotCon is a perfect example ... who do you think the majority of people are that attend?. Same with Comic-Con, or pretty much any hobby convention. I don't think toys suffered as much as the other two segments, at least value wise, because they're a much more expensive hobby to get into initially than buying comics or baseball cards.

I used to be a MISB collector of items I didn't care much for until I started doing the galleries on this site. Now I open everything so that I can share these items with all of you. A lot of fans had better hope that I never get my hands on an ATB Megatron, the G2 Stunticons or the G2 Protectobots because I want pictures dammit!

That Doubledealer..........

Seibertron wrote:

Rated X wrote:If I was looking for an investment, I would go buy some land, stocks or something. If you really love something you wouldnt care about the money. You would do it for passion. Its just like baseball cards when I was a teen. Adult collectors came and ruined the hobby with their big spending and in the end the values all dropped and now you got a bunch of sealed packages with nobody interested in buying them.

A lot of us, we are highly concerned about the value and condition of our items. I do it for passion, but I also do it for the long term value of all of this. One day, I might not collect Transformers. I might be 70 or 90 when that day comes, but damn will I be happy that I took really good care of all of these figures so that they would be worth top dollar one day. I also buy doubles from now and then with the intentional purpose of keeping them to resell later down the road. It's all about the passion. I promise! You just happen to show your passion differently than others do. It doesn't make what others do wrong or right, or less or more important.

Adult collectors didn't ruin baseball cards. Nor did they ruin comics. If there was a villain in all of this, I feel that the popularity of the Internet is the culprit. And perhaps artificial greed. it's my opinion that Adult collectors are currently what's keeping baseball cards, comics, and toys alive ... at least with what interests us. BotCon is a perfect example ... who do you think the majority of people are that attend?. Same with Comic-Con, or pretty much any hobby convention. I don't think toys suffered as much as the other two segments, at least value wise, because they're a much more expensive hobby to get into initially than buying comics or baseball cards.

I used to be a MISB collector of items I didn't care much for until I started doing the galleries on this site. Now I open everything so that I can share these items with all of you. A lot of fans had better hope that I never get my hands on an ATB Megatron, the G2 Stunticons or the G2 Protectobots because I want pictures dammit!

I get what youre saying my friend. I never meant to upset anybody who likes collecting MISB. I just like to display my collection in a display case so when people walk into my crib for the first tim theyre like DAMNNN !!! Its like a blast from the past for many people. I really couldnt see that happening with the boxes. I have saved about 20 boxes to seekers and other favorites from 2007-2009 just in case the price ever sky rockets but I just love handling them (with care) and changing the poses and color combinations of my display. Anyways I love your galleries and always look at them on my breaks at work. You are a great photographer homie...peace

don't know how to multi-quote on here, but a few things been said here I want to chip in on:

I agree with Sky Byte not being as nice as Cybershark. I like the minty green colours. Byteyboy is a show character though, so I guess he's more in-demand. Cool to see the "original" toy now that the character is getting his Botcon comeback.

Doubledealer isn't a bad custom, but I'm not too sad at not having the money to own it. Love the paintwork, but that robot head on the falcon mode and the parts-forming nature aren't doing it for me.

I like taking things out of boxes. If I could go to Botcon, and afford it, I'd enjoy buying MISB toys and taking them out to play with them. Don't really get the whole keeping them in a box forever idea. Fair enough if that's what your into, and it's cool to keep your things in good condition, but there's very few TFs I've put back into the packaging after getting them. TRU Reissue Soundwave is the only one I can think of ATM, and that's only because the box is so nice, and he's right on my shelf. I'm not keeping any toys (or any comics, of which I've loads more than my toys) for their monetary value. Of course, if I'd thought my Armada Prime would have ended up going for so much I might have bought a spare to keep sealed. :p