The Energon Pub

by **ADAPPJ28** » Wed Sep 16, 2015 7:48 pm

Thats odd Cobotron,you got me on that one.But thanks for the info about the plastic,there was a guy on the Sideshow forum that was saying the plastic felt very cheap,but it sounds like he either got a bad one,or doesnt know what he's talking about.

News Credits: 174 · by **Hellscream9999** » Wed Sep 16, 2015 7:53 pm

ADAPPJ28 wrote:Thats odd Cobotron,you got me on that one.But thanks for the info about the plastic,there was a guy on the Sideshow forum that was saying the plastic felt very cheap,but it sounds like he either got a bad one,or doesnt know what he's talking about.

He probably doesn't know what he's talking about, or, at least, wants to say that, as it does seem to be a 'thing' nowadays, to say every tf feels cheap, just to rag on hasbro, when the plastic is the same as TT's (comparing runabout to blackjack) >:oP

by **ADAPPJ28** » Wed Sep 16, 2015 9:36 pm

Here is the direct quote,i think he's being a bit over-dramatic about it.

Idk. Your mileage might vary, I guess. I guess I was expecting Takara quality for $60 and my expectations were just not met. Yes, the TT version is almost $200 but I don't think previous Hasbro MP's have suffered from low quality plastic, which this obviously has.

Or maybe, I just happened to grab the crappiest Starscream ever made by any factory, ever.

Maybe you'll all like it, but I just can't.

News Credits: 4838 · by **william-james88** » Wed Sep 16, 2015 10:51 pm

First time I hear this. Maybe the mold flash really pissed him off, I could understand that. It isnt present on the TT version.

by **ADAPPJ28** » Thu Sep 17, 2015 4:31 am

Yeah i dont think its that bad esp. for $60,much better price than the $200 TT one he's talking about.

by **peaces** » Thu Sep 17, 2015 5:36 am

this is how they can afford to offer him for $60 which is great imo. little imperfections are worth the cheap price. if you want to pay more for better QC, by all means buy takara.

News Credits: 41 · by **Cobotron** » Thu Sep 17, 2015 8:46 am

I'm with peaces on this one. Plus, I just don't think this figure is all that bad. I think the flashing is just indicative to red plastic. My Hasbro Asia release MP-10 has the same thing and it doesn't bother me a bit.
Glad you were able to scope Screamer up peaces.

I asked about those shoulder tabs a few posts ago. After studying the MP-11 gallery, I think they were to hold the coronation shoulder armor.

News Credits: 12 · by **nycPrime** » Thu Sep 17, 2015 10:32 am

I finally scored a MP SS! The hunt was long but thankfully successful. I got it from the Times Square flagship. There were 2 on the shelf and I seriously thought about taking both in case 1 had a defect. Decided against it, and the last one was gone before I even left the store. They jacked it up $10, but I had them price match it to their website price.

Thanks to everyone on this forum for their valuable insight on TRU's inventory system. I was at my local TRU yesterday, struck out, but had a good conversation with a sympathetic manager who basically echoed most of what was already said by some of you. He also told me the flagship store had 8 in the back and not on the floor, which is why I even bothered trying again today. Apparently they get shipments almost daily so they may get more real soon.

Also of interest, I've been checking the mobile website and as of this morning, it's available again for store pickup. The difference is I saw at least 4 stores somewhat near me that had stock, though none of my local ones. So for those in NJ or LI, you may be able to get it that way.

News Credits: 41 · by **Cobotron** » Thu Sep 17, 2015 11:09 am

Congrats nycP! Glad your hunt was fruitful! You gonna mount that trophy buck on the wall? :lol:

News Credits: 16 · by **It Is Him** » Thu Sep 17, 2015 8:37 pm

Ordered a Starscream through the store pick-up option. Got a notification e-mail saying my order was canceled. How does that work? All I can think is that someone walked out of the store with it before someone pulled it off the shelf.

by **peaces** » Thu Sep 17, 2015 8:38 pm

or an employee took it for himself or his friends

News Credits: 16 · by **It Is Him** » Thu Sep 17, 2015 8:42 pm

Didn't think of that. Man, now I'm all irritated again. At this point it's going to be tough avoiding buying one on ebay.

by **peaces** » Thu Sep 17, 2015 8:43 pm

ebay prices aren't that bad

News Credits: 12 · by **nycPrime** » Thu Sep 17, 2015 8:43 pm

Not sure how accurate their system is. A TRU employee told me the system is usually off by 1. Maybe online it showed 1, but when they tried to fill the order, they realized there was none.

by **peaces** » Thu Sep 17, 2015 8:44 pm

off by the 1's he skims off the top

News Credits: 4838 · by **william-james88** » Thu Sep 17, 2015 9:05 pm

It Is Him wrote:Didn't think of that. Man, now I'm all irritated again. At this point it's going to be tough avoiding buying one on ebay.

I dont think so. My TRU still has TONS of Bluestreak. Sure, he isnt nearly as close as popular but it's still an MP and it gives me an idea of the stock they have planned and its a lot. He is surely planned to be on shelves for at least a month past the preorder date. I know Optimus was in stores before his preorder date but was he impossible to find once the shelves were supposed to be stocked? What About Soundwave? What about Grimlock? If all these toys were always gone right away and were never found past 2 weeks of release then there might be cause to worry, but from my understanding, these were made available and the shortage only occured for those were late to want them. Let me know if I am wrong about any of this.

by **futonboy8** » Thu Sep 17, 2015 9:15 pm

It Is Him wrote:Didn't think of that. Man, now I'm all irritated again. At this point it's going to be tough avoiding buying one on ebay.

That method to check stock online on TRU is available again. I think you can get one if you find out when the trucks are coming in.
I went to 2 TRU today cause online it says you can pick on up within the hour. So I went, saw NONE, talked to an employee and she looked it up and tells me, thats weird, we should have 5 here. Then she goes and says, must be on the second truck cause there is a lots of expensive sh!t missing here. So don't give in to ebay just yet!

News Credits: 12 · by **nycPrime** » Thu Sep 17, 2015 10:39 pm

Futon, did you go to the one on Old Country Road? A couple different stores told me that location had 5. If I couldn't score one from Times Square today, I probably would've tried the store pickup option there, though it would've been a hike.

by **futonboy8** » Thu Sep 17, 2015 10:49 pm

nycPrime wrote:Futon, did you go to the one on Old Country Road? A couple different stores told me that location had 5. If I couldn't score one from Times Square today, I probably would've tried the store pickup option there, though it would've been a hike.

I went to the little neck and whitestone and called the rest. But i am banking on getting one at the little neck tru. I was going to take a short trip out to old country road this weekend if i can get them to hold one for me...we'll see!!

News Credits: 16 · by **It Is Him** » Thu Sep 17, 2015 10:50 pm

william-james88 wrote:
It Is Him wrote:Didn't think of that. Man, now I'm all irritated again. At this point it's going to be tough avoiding buying one on ebay.

I dont think so. My TRU still has TONS of Bluestreak. Sure, he isnt nearly as close as popular but it's still an MP and it gives me an idea of the stock they have planned and its a lot. He is surely planned to be on shelves for at least a month past the preorder date. I know Optimus was in stores before his preorder date but was he impossible to find once the shelves were supposed to be stocked? What About Soundwave? What about Grimlock? If all these toys were always gone right away and were never found past 2 weeks of release then there might be cause to worry, but from my understanding, these were made available and the shortage only occured for those were late to want them. Let me know if I am wrong about any of this.

Oh I'm sure TRU will try to stock him until the holidays. Buying any hot exclusives through TRU is usually a major headache, regardless of of whether it's an MP. Hunting Animated Arcee nearly drove me to quit collecting, so I'm pretty bitter about that one. MP Soundwave and Prime weren't fun either (Soundwave would sell out online in minutes). At this point, it's too early to say whether he'll be easy to find or not. I just want the toy without dealing with the emotional rollercoaster baggage that goes with getting store exclusives.

nycPrime wrote:Not sure how accurate their system is. A TRU employee told me the system is usually off by 1. Maybe online it showed 1, but when they tried to fill the order, they realized there was none.

I'm calling beryllium baloney on that. No company would accept that their order management system is always off by one. TRU is no exception. Mistakes do happen though, so I could understand it happening here. I used the find in store option to score MP Soundwave a while ago, so it's not fundamentally broken.

News Credits: 331 · by **chuckdawg1999** » Thu Sep 17, 2015 11:05 pm

I think the closer it gets to the holidays the harder these will be to find. I still remember a couple of "blessed" gentlemen buying a case of Rodimus Primes years ago.

News Credits: 12 · by **nycPrime** » Thu Sep 17, 2015 11:39 pm

Definitely not impressed by the TRU inventory system at all. I don't think the employees have too much faith either. I was on the phone yesterday with a worker and he basically told me he didn't think any of the stores near me had any stock since the system mostly only showed 1 or 2 for most stores. His store showed 1, but when he went to check there were none.

Later that night I was at my local store and the rep said the only store he had any confidence in was the flagship given the high number (8) and that it should be in the back and not on the floor. He also liked a store with 5 but it's like over an hour away. Another store that supposedly had 2 had none.

News Credits: 1 · by **Deathsaurus1** » Fri Sep 18, 2015 6:22 am

Recently bought a Mp-7 starscream.
And had this issue.
The turbines on my copy seem to angle towards the cockpit more.
Although an issue. It fixes, and tightens the chest assembly. I can raise both arms, and even tug on them and it won't come loose

by **futonboy8** » Fri Sep 18, 2015 10:42 am

Ok tri-state hunters.. There is one starscream left in the old country road tru...damn box is mint...i took one and leaving the last one for whomever willing to trek out there to get it...

News Credits: 41 · by **Cobotron** » Fri Sep 18, 2015 10:12 pm

Deathsaurus1 wrote: The turbines on my copy seem to angle towards the cockpit more.
Although an issue. It fixes, and tightens the chest assembly. I can raise both arms, and even tug on them and it won't come loose

Mine has the same issue, and it DOES totally help to hold him together.

After consulting one of our resident MP aficionados, I think I have discovered another puzzle piece that is relatively unknown. Or maybe I'm the only one who didn't notice. :lol:

It's certainly not in the instructions.

In the back, if you lift up the panel and the nose cone you'll see a tab on the torso slider. On the bottom of the the cock pit seat is a slot meant to receive that tab.

Tab received!

It totally helps keep him from sliding apart. Tried it on Sunstorm too. Works wonders for him. He is super loosey and all kinds of goosey!

Was this in the Takara instructions?
And, can somebody tell me what that extra little grey clip is for? The round one with the 5 mil peg.