by xyl360 » Tue Jun 04, 2013 3:05 pm
I think this is simply a matter of Takara relying on international collectors/sales somewhat, in addition to whatever the hardcore TF collector community is like in Japan, much like with the MP line and several other releases they've been doing lately. This piece (and the entire TG line in general in my opinion, along with the MPs) are geared just as much towards international collectors/sales as they are towards local sales. They have far less competition outside of their own area (with the exception of Hasbro of course), so doing exclusives like this allows them to recoup some of their lackluster profits when going head to head with the likes of Bandai in Japan methinks, though I could be completely off (this is just theory, which is all we're talking here anyway after all).
It's the same reason I think Takara goes the extra mile with the paint apps and such. I think they're counting on collectors like me who aren't willing to settle for the cheaper, less accurate/less awesome Hasbro versions. The constant sellouts of so many of their figures in the online shops seems to back this theory up too.
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