The Energon Pub

News Credits: 3 · Mon Mar 07, 2011 12:48 pm

Recently I have been trying to re-complete my classics collection. When scouring eBay and other site the '06/07 classics are going up in price. Also when trying to find classics Ratchet, I saw he went for astronomical prices and it's barely 2 years old.

Now looking around and Classics/2008 Universe is rising in value. Why? I'm curious because this isn't like the other time during the A/E/C.

I think the re-imagaing of G1 is the best HasTak has ever done. This gives a new face the he original G1 toys and characters.

Your thoughts anyone....

Mon Mar 07, 2011 12:55 pm

A combination of the "New G1" concept, but also likely because of the popularity of the Movies. People got back into collecting, didn't want the A/E/C figs because they had no memories attached to the characters, but the Classics / etc hit them right where the Nostalgia is.

At least, that's my take on it.

News Credits: 3 · Mon Mar 07, 2011 1:08 pm

Valandar wrote:A combination of the "New G1" concept, but also likely because of the popularity of the Movies. People got back into collecting, didn't want the A/E/C figs because they had no memories attached to the characters, but the Classics / etc hit them right where the Nostalgia is.

At least, that's my take on it.

I agree too.

You know what, when I saw he classics I originally thought they would be the movie toys. I saw Classics Prime previewed on Remy's site in '06, then I bought every one of them from Walmart and Target. There was a little confusion on my part but I had lots of fun looking and waiting for the Classics.

Mon Mar 07, 2011 5:05 pm

Oh yeah. Try looking for Classics Starscream or any seeker for that matter. I can't even find Gen Thrust in the stores anymore.

Mon Mar 07, 2011 6:13 pm

its funny that you ask that as i was feeling the same way. i think for alot of new collectors out there the movies are the first tf's theyre getting and for them movie 1, rotf, and dotm will in 10-20 yrs be their g1. but yeah for me the reimagining of my childhood favorites has been the main impetus behind my collecting.

Mon Mar 07, 2011 7:28 pm

Definitely. Neo-G1 is hitting all the right buttons for fans both young and old.

News Credits: 15 · Mon Mar 07, 2011 8:30 pm

Maybe. I still believe G1 is still a good series, but maybe. If it's for astronimical prices, I may join the shots and sell mine for such prices. MAYBE! I'm still off about paying to sell my stuff >_<

News Credits: 7 · Tue Mar 08, 2011 4:18 am

Yep, like others have said, I do see neo-G1 has some potential for becoming the next G1, and it is indeed due to them hitting the nostalgia sweet-spot: good toys for the young, but also good toys AND incredible updates for the older fans who were kids back in the '80s.
It's this nostalgia which will keep this line pretty desirable, even if the prices for neo-G1 most likely won't hit the heights of true G1 Transformers (no guarantees given), due to hoarding, increasing reuse of molds and the increasing availability of (high quality) knock-offs.
Anyhow, for me neo-G1 was suddenly getting fully articulated figures of the G1 bricks you once only had your imagination available to get them into an action pose!

News Credits: 3 · Tue Mar 08, 2011 11:54 am

Whilst there will always be demand for G1 original reissues, I think that the Classics Neo-G1 stuff that we are getting is more than enough for a lot of people due to the superb molds and posability as opposed to the G1 toys. G1 originals are still great toys in their own right but we're getting the characters we want and in most cases we're getting the best ever toy versions of those characters.

The number of G1 reissues has dried up since the end of the Encore line and I (hope not but) could see them limiting those types of releases to only one/two a year as we've seen in the last 12 months or so in which we've only had the Seacons reissue and Predaking both of which don't seem to have sold as well as HasTak might have hoped.

I suppose the issue is if they can find a way to make a profit whilst giving us characters we want and haven't got then they'll keep doing it but we certainly don't need another reissue G1 Optimus Prime, Megatron or Starscream and so many of the characters that we're most interested in like Devastator or the Dinobots don't seem to be possible.
Some people may disagree but I would say that lower than expected sales for those 2 toys would have a negative effect on our chances of getting other larger G1 toys such as Scorponok, Trypticon or other combiners and with Neo-G1 figures selling so well it would seem that we're much more likely to see new versions of our favourites than their original toys being reissued now.

So you've raised a good point, based on the popularity and increase in value of so many of the Ne0=G1 figures in many cases to obscene amounts, I agree.

News Credits: 3 · Tue Mar 08, 2011 1:00 pm

not too many KO's on the market, well for the most part it goes to the seekers due to what HasTak decided not to release.

It is a viable market, and a sudden demand for these has risen. I did have one of each figure from the classics line, and I remember getting $210 for all the loose figures. And that was in april of 2007, so many of the figures have held or increased their value since 2007.

However I see a split betweenClassics/Universe/Generation vs. Henkei/United

Like Henkei Red Alert and Rodimus are examples of how much their worth is compared to their Classics counterparts . Though at times the Classics Rodimus can fetch for almost as much as Henkei.

United to me is not Henkei. Henkei sort-of corrected what paint jobs Hasbro did not want to do, not that the first Classics were bad, but Henkei gave it through the paint apps an even more G1 look. Also another reason why Henkei versions may go up higher in value .

United is hit or miss, and Hasbro is pretty much on the ball so Generations, I see these toys completing the NeoG1 when put together with some of their Henkei counterparts.

Sun Mar 13, 2011 5:33 pm

not even.

News Credits: 1452 · Sun Mar 13, 2011 5:44 pm

It already is. Neo-G1 constantly gets released while G1 stopped 20 years ago.

Sun Mar 13, 2011 5:49 pm

absolutely LOVE Classics,Generations and RTS.Im also very glad I collected them steadily seeing the prices they go for now.

News Credits: 3 · Sun Mar 13, 2011 6:19 pm

I know there will be loads of people who will totally disagree with this comment but after getting the fantastic Generations Wheeljack which is to be honest a pretty much perfect figure of G1 Wheeljack I don't feel that I'm desperate for a G1 release anymore.
I wouldn't feel the same way about all characters that haven't made it to classics/have bad classics toys or haven't gotten G1 reissues lately but the fact that's how I feel shows that Neo-G1 is certainly, IMO, doing the job of satisfying our G1 needs.

Sun Mar 13, 2011 7:24 pm

It doesn't replace G1 for me but it definitely compliments them excellently.

I display all my G1's with their new classic incarnations right behind them but my G1 is always in the foreground with the classics right behind them.

The main reason 84 G1 is still the best is because it had the balls to make big ass figures like Trypticon and Scorponok. That doesn't happen today and to be very honest with few exceptions like Unicron, ultimate BB and the MP line, we won't see figures of that scale anymore in the Classics line. Hasbro just won't do it even though they are fully capable. I sure hope to be proved wrong real soon. NOTE TO HASBRO- please make a massive Trypticon now!! please.

So with that being said. Classics most certainly kicks ass, it'll really never replace G1 completely for me but i really appreciate it's existence. I'd not be collecting new figures if it wasn't for Classics.

Sun Mar 13, 2011 8:13 pm

I'm loving the neo-G1 figs. It gives me a chance to own several of the charactes that I really, really wanted but never got when I was young, and to boot, they are a heck of a lot more poseable!

As much as the new movies, Prime, and WFC all appeal to me, I grew up watching G1 and those incarnations of the characters will always be my favorites to collect, pose, and display!

News Credits: 4 · Sun Mar 13, 2011 9:03 pm

let me see, would I rather a quite basic figure, made in the mid-late 80s, or one designed 20 years later? hmmm.....

yes, I'd prefer modern versions. Not that they always hit the mark. I'll be buying the Live Action Michale BAYZ FTW DOTMZ WTFZ Powerglide because I had no interest in paying multiple times ti figure's worth on the chat character#s first appearance in the movie line.

News Credits: 150 · Sun Mar 13, 2011 11:03 pm

The classics are awesome. If there was a TV show to go with them, this would be unstoppable.

News Credits: 3 · Sun Mar 13, 2011 11:27 pm

Wasn't there a comic that went with it? I forgot but I'm sure there was a panel dedicated to it.

News Credits: 33 · Mon Mar 14, 2011 8:30 am

80's figures while still appealing suck compared to all these neo g1 in every way,

While some say that universe ironhide and ratchet failed WHAT the hell was going on with the 80's originals? and even worse megaton imo he was one the worst looking 80's transformer in robot mode.

An even better well my personal favorite comparison is Windcharger i hope they make the rest like brawn, gears and huffer because scout class is so perfect for them, me/kids in the 80's would of cut a finger off to have what we have now.

Even though i own several G1 toys that i bought loose i cant see my self buying re issues or anymore at that i would sooner buy GEN RTS and the likes and have toys that actually look like the orignal cartoon i do know it was based off the toys but i want the ones on the show and now we can .

News Credits: 62 · Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:22 am

Messiah Complex wrote:80's figures while still appealing suck compared to all these neo g1 in every way,

While some say that universe ironhide and ratchet failed WHAT the hell was going on with the 80's originals? and even worse megaton imo he was one the worst looking 80's transformer in robot mode.

An even better well my personal favorite comparison is Windcharger i hope they make the rest like brawn, gears and huffer because scout class is so perfect for them, me/kids in the 80's would of cut a finger off to have what we have now.

Even though i own several G1 toys that i bought loose i cant see my self buying re issues or anymore at that i would sooner buy GEN RTS and the likes and have toys that actually look like the orignal cartoon i do know it was based off the toys but i want the ones on the show and now we can .

Amen to that brother.

I was going to get into collecting G1 figures again and even started my collection off with a 25th Anniversary Optimus Prime. But after looking in the toy section a few times at the current generations stuff it really peaked my interest. These figures can do things the old ones cannot. And while the older figures are easy to transform. The newer ones are like Adult Rubix Cubes! Also I love how cartoon accurate the Robot modes are. More so then any other line before it.

I look forward to having a complete MOSC Classics/Universe/Generations/RTS collection one day.

News Credits: 3 · Mon Mar 14, 2011 1:40 pm

I never really got back into G1 collecting. Beast Wars and TF200 did it for me and the articulation was what made look at G1 like its just not the same. G1 was all we had back then so we did not realize we were suffering with great car molds and robot statues.

Yes Ironhide and Ratchet are an issue, but the toy molds were out way before the 80's Cartoon, so yes we got shafted. Overall the G1 line was a mishmash of other toylines, so toy molds and colors differ from what the cartoon was (is).

now with the Classics/Universe/Generatios these molds are new and not a rehash of other molds---well Universe used a lot of Cybertron, but you et the point. The re-imaging of G1 is awesome, and it's cheaper with better articulation but be forewarned you need to purchase what you want quickly or else you'll be paying though the nose.

universe or Henkei Ratchet anyone?

News Credits: 3 · Mon Mar 14, 2011 2:23 pm

all I know is I'm glad I jumped on the classics bandwagon and made it my primary focus when I did. This thread made me look up the earlier figures and I cant believe how much they shot up! Ratchet has me baffled but I can see Ramjet and Screamer as people wanna complete the seeker set.

not that I'm concerned with current value as these figures are priceless to me, but I can see it really expensive to get into this line at this point in time.

Ratchet? really? :???:

News Credits: 3 · Mon Mar 14, 2011 4:19 pm

Fistful of Energon wrote:all I know is I'm glad I jumped on the classics bandwagon and made it my primary focus when I did. This thread made me look up the earlier figures and I cant believe how much they shot up! Ratchet has me baffled but I can see Ramjet and Screamer as people wanna complete the seeker set.

not that I'm concerned with current value as these figures are priceless to me, but I can see it really expensive to get into this line at this point in time.

Ratchet? really?

I know....

and I'm not touting this thread as a value thread, but I swear I got Henkei Ratchet last year for about $30 shipped. I just want people to know if you see the figure you want buy it or else because if you wait you have to pay more.

Another example is United Jazz. I got him from japan for $24.99...now he's going for no less than $40. I suspect that some of these sellers are trying to make a quick penny off of us, but I got mine plus one more coming.