The Energon Pub

Quaternion wrote:I may be travelling to Japan in November and I was planning on picking up an unaltered MP-05 there. Will I have trouble getting it back into the States or does the law just prevent stores from importing it to sell it?

What if I just took it out of the box? I mean, I was going to do that anyway.

I think if you had him transformed and kept him in your checked baggage, then you won't have a problem.

The real irony: if a teenager waves a MP Megatron at a police officer (even if it has an orange tip), he still likely be shot. And the company that sold the toy gun to the teenager could still be liable for a lawsuit.

All this orange cap crap makes me a sad panda.

has anybody asked these bozos that why was it not a problem for the reissue megatron one that is in gun mode in box and is more relistic
in size to be ordered to the USA (i know because i have one, got it with no problem).Somebody seriously find the right person and ask this simple question.

Ultra Markus wrote:has anybody asked these bozos that why was it not a problem for the reissue megatron one that is in gun mode in box and is more relistic
in size to be ordered to the USA (i know because i have one, got it with no problem).Somebody seriously find the right person and ask this simple question.

We have been. Lots of people have been asked and we've been given lots of different answers. I know from being close to the business that this scares the hell out of online stores and local novelty toy/comic shops. It's they're ass on the line if anything were to happen. Weather it be confiscated at customs or the hard to believe scinario of someone being shot or arrested because someone has said toy gun in an unacceptable environment.

I have no clue why it was so easy to get the second reissue into the country and hopefully that is a reflection of how it will be to get an uncapped MP Megatron in as well. Also depends on who the "right person" is. Is it a customs officer? Is it Takara Tomy? Is it on line sellers? I for one have no clue where to even begin asking. But then again, don't take my words to heart. Just my opinions.

thunder-clubhouse wrote:Here's your solution to this dilema: Get a couple thousand of un-orangified megs and sell them at gun shows. Or even better at, wal-mart in the rifle department...y'know this country is okay for the most part but dammit, it's really, really, really, really, really f-ing stupid sometimes.

LMAO.
Hi, I'd like to register my toy gun.
Excuse me, sir. You want to do what?
I want to register my toy gun so I don't have to put a fuducking ugly orange plug on it.

Omega-1 wrote:

thunder-clubhouse wrote:Here's your solution to this dilema: Get a couple thousand of un-orangified megs and sell them at gun shows. Or even better at, wal-mart in the rifle department...y'know this country is okay for the most part but dammit, it's really, really, really, really, really f-ing stupid sometimes.

LMAO.
Hi, I'd like to register my toy gun.
Excuse me, sir. You want to do what?
I want to register my toy gun so I don't have to put a fuducking ugly orange plug on it.

Hahahaha, that's awsome. I would like to see the look on someones face if you tried to do that. They'd prolly tell you to grow up and show you the door

Well, I guess that all depends on what you think is more stupid, owning a toy gun or owning a real gun.

That's hilarious.

The main problem I have with someone at customs opening these up, and affixing the cap (no matter which manner), is they don't give a crap how much we paid for them, or how gentile & fragile we handle them. They're not going to wash their hands, or be careful. We're all going to be spending over $100 for something that may very well have grease or paint on it, and/or pieces loosened or broken. Why should they care what happens to it? Their job is to only put the cap on.

Also, if you get it in Japan, and try to bring it back over here, make sure the luggage doesn't need to be opened (even though he'd be in Robot mode), and if you plan on keeping the box (I like to), fold it inside out, so the picture can't be seen.

Now, the only country bashing I hear is anti-gun bashing. I'm not political. (So, before you jump down my throat for offending you:) I hate both sides. But, if the conservative gun-nutjobs got their way, we wouldn't be getting orange caps. It's the liberal peaceniks that're causing this.

And, again, like I said in another thread here: Who's stupid enough to take a "toy" gun outside of their house!?

A very good point was brought up: this isn't a "toy". These cost near $100 before shipping. That should automatically make it exempt from the toy laws.

Looks like I'm going on eBay, and praying to God Magnus to deliver me one of these for under $200...

If it's a Botcon exculsive, you're looking at paying more than $300 - just to get the toys (for some reason, you can only buy a pack of the exclusives, not any of them individually), and that doesn't even include airfare, hotel, admission to the Con, food, etc...

Even if it were a Collector's Club Exclusive, you'd still have to add on $45 (if you go the cheapest route) for the membership, if you're not already in it.

It's expensive enough, we don't need it getting worse...

At this point I think I'll go buy the real P-38 at the firearms shop about five minutes from me.

You should use the real one to hold, like, a bank hostage - your only demand would be an un-modded MP Megatron!!



WHY!?

kary wrote:LOL you suck JRS Toyworld. The thing is a damn toy... just import the thing...

Thank god i live in Canada, no stupid pussy US toy gun laws here.

I find it funny how the States loves to give everyone guns to "protect" themselves. But when it comes to a toy gun they start putting stupid rules up. Lame

Watch it. Bill Eigerstaffer is one of the best damned professionals I've ever had the chance to deal with. His store, his policies, his prices, and he himself, are all top notch.

You might disagree with his actions taken, in this matter, but to personally disparage him and his business? Pathetic. Why don't you quit worrying about it and import it yourself, and enjoy it.

And then shut up.

One more thing (for those of you who complained about BBTS), blaming BBTS over this issue will get you nowhere. You're just pissed off that you can't control (or break the law, eventhough you're willing to do so) so you'll just throw a bitchfit over something BBTS cannot control. They're trying to save their own hides, yes, but they're also saving you trouble.

For the sake of say, let's say they sold it unmodified, and customs grabs it, confiscates it, and you've just lost $100.00....wouldn't you be more pissed off about the loss of a third of a car payment, or that you might have to go somewhere else to buy the item? Not to mention, no matter where you go, you'll still need to pry the orange cap off.

I just don't understand people's rationalities in this issue. It is how it is, if you can't deal with it, then perhaps you're in the wrong fandom. Toys that turn into visual, non functional representations of potentially dangerous items always stand a chance of being blacklisted or commented about in a bad light. If that bothers you, then there's the door. Trekkies and Lucasites will welcome you with open arms, with a lot more geekdom to spare.

I'm so damned sick and tired of hearing people complain about this...we're getting it, isn't that enough? What more do you want? What do you think you're owed? I can tell you. NOTHING! Takara-Tomy, and Hasbro owe you NOTHING. Once you get that through your heads, perhaps the law issue will slowly trickle in as well.

Yeah, some places can sell toy guns, etc. Perhaps they just haven't gotten caught yet. Ever think of that? No? I thought not.

Ultra Markus wrote:has anybody asked these bozos that why was it not a problem for the reissue megatron one that is in gun mode in box and is more relistic
in size to be ordered to the USA (i know because i have one, got it with no problem).Somebody seriously find the right person and ask this simple question.

I asked this same question a few pages back. When I ordered the #6 Megatron reissue that had no orange tip and he came through U.S. customs just fine. And that one certainly looked a whooooole hell of a lot more realistic (in terms of size)

Perhaps angry fans ought to call their Representatives and get this toy law changed.

Autobot032 wrote:...we're getting it, isn't that enough?

You're asking others to respect this guy & website I've never heard of, yet you're insulting and snapping at them.

As for your quote above, what I'm reading in this thread are potential issues that we might not get him. Obviously, I'd take the orange tip over nothing at all, but if we're being threatened with not getting him period, we should be able to gripe a little.

'Sides, not like a bunch of nerds on a website that, from what I can tell, has no affiliation with Hasbro or Takara, will make any changes with our complaining.

Calm down. No one will even consider what you have to say, or your point of view if you're screaming obscenities at them.

Trust me. I know from experience.

You know, it's really these triggerhappy cops' faults. I heard in Japan, if someone shames himself in the eyes of the community, he either must leave the country or kill himself. Fair policy if you ask me. If we had a system like that in place all this corruption BS would halt.

You know, Robocop doesn't sound like a bad idea.

Oooo the forums are getting spicey again

Meh, I'm probably just going to buy him from BBTS, and then either remove the tip or paint over it. I can leave my Star Wars figures MISB, buy I can't resist opening up my transformers. Even as an adult they're fun to transform back and forth, and having Megatron sit in a box that doesn't even have a plastic screen that lets you see him feels like a terrible waste of a good toy.

Even if I do get it with an orange cap, I'm sure as hell not getting it from BBTS. As far as I'm concerned this is all his fault. I may not have the choice to get one unaltered thanks to him, but I can choose not to give him anymore of my money. In the end, whatever happens, he's lost a customer, and that's the only response these business people understand.

Powermaster Jazz wrote:Even if I do get it with an orange cap, I'm sure as hell not getting it from BBTS. As far as I'm concerned this is all his fault. I may not have the choice to get one unaltered thanks to him, but I can choose not to give him anymore of my money. In the end, whatever happens, he's lost a customer, and that's the only response these business people understand.

Wait, why are you hatin' on BBTS again? I've never bought anything from them so I don't know what their service is like. Also in your last post you said it was "trigger happy cops" what were the problem. I wouldn't say it's either really. If anyone it's Takara Tomy that people should be upset with. It's there choice that they cap some of the MP-05s for sale to online toy companies. I'm pretty sure TT would have thought about this long before BBTS even knew MP-05 was on the table.

Down_Shift wrote:

Powermaster Jazz wrote:Even if I do get it with an orange cap, I'm sure as hell not getting it from BBTS. As far as I'm concerned this is all his fault. I may not have the choice to get one unaltered thanks to him, but I can choose not to give him anymore of my money. In the end, whatever happens, he's lost a customer, and that's the only response these business people understand.

Wait, why are you hatin' on BBTS again? I've never bought anything from them so I don't know what their service is like. Also in your last post you said it was "trigger happy cops" what were the problem. I wouldn't say it's either really. If anyone it's Takara Tomy that people should be upset with. It's there choice that they cap some of the MP-05s for sale to online toy companies. I'm pretty sure TT would have thought about this long before BBTS even knew MP-05 was on the table.

if you read on about page 2, my rant, and then the follow up to it (1 person quoted me, asked what bbts had anythign to do with this, and then someone quoted that guy and explained what I meant).

Back before there were even pictures of him and we were told he was gonna be a gun, bbts said they wouldn't carry him. then pics came out, and then they get the wise idea, hey lets break our last stance, and just say, comply with the laws and cover our own ass? So they came up with the idea for putting the orange cap. Then shortly after, it all began to domino with other stores either not carrying mp-5, or modding it like bbts. Their "scare" tactics even scared takara to consider releasing a "us friendly" version.

don't get me wrong, I've had nothing but positive experiences from them, but I can't agree with what they're doing, considering they sell other toy guns that have no rediculous caps or mods on them. (hellboy gun replica, basically a real looking revolver, but alittle bigger than normal, and looks more real than mp-5 as far as size goes.) Meh, either way I've been using tfsource as long as I have been bbts, and with the promos that tfsource runs like the holiday stockign stuff campaigns, I've been buying more from them anyway. (plus the guys who run tfsource are really nice, they helped me complete some of my gestaults, even just from requests I had sent them to look out for me.)

Head Shot wrote: if you read on about page 2, my rant, and then the follow up to it (1 person quoted me, asked what bbts had anythign to do with this, and then someone quoted that guy and explained what I meant).

Back before there were even pictures of him and we were told he was gonna be a gun, bbts said they wouldn't carry him. then pics came out, and then they get the wise idea, hey lets break our last stance, and just say, comply with the laws and cover our own ass? So they came up with the idea for putting the orange cap. Then shortly after, it all began to domino with other stores either not carrying mp-5, or modding it like bbts. Their "scare" tactics even scared takara to consider releasing a "us friendly" version.

don't get me wrong, I've had nothing but positive experiences from them, but I can't agree with what they're doing, considering they sell other toy guns that have no rediculous caps or mods on them. (hellboy gun replica, basically a real looking revolver, but alittle bigger than normal, and looks more real than mp-5 as far as size goes.) Meh, either way I've been using tfsource as long as I have been bbts, and with the promos that tfsource runs like the holiday stockign stuff campaigns, I've been buying more from them anyway. (plus the guys who run tfsource are really nice, they helped me complete some of my gestaults, even just from requests I had sent them to look out for me.)

Well you make a solid statement. I for one honestly don't see it being a big issue and sometime in April the boards will be flooded with threads like "I GOT MP-05 WITH NO CAP!!!! YEAH!!!" or "MINE CAME WITH TEH CAP...SYKE!"

I'll be very happy when it's all said and done. I just want MP-05 because it's a character I loved. If it has an orange cap on it, I'm sure I'll love to see another day and another buck dropped on TFs. Perhaps in the future I'll give TFsource a go just to see what they are like.

Powermaster Jazz wrote:You know, it's really these triggerhappy cops' faults. I heard in Japan, if someone shames himself in the eyes of the community, he either must leave the country or kill himself. Fair policy if you ask me. If we had a system like that in place all this corruption BS would halt.

Yes, they had to do that when there used to be Samurai's. But the new generation of Japanese could care less. Very little honor is left.

Down_Shift wrote:

Head Shot wrote: if you read on about page 2, my rant, and then the follow up to it (1 person quoted me, asked what bbts had anythign to do with this, and then someone quoted that guy and explained what I meant).

Back before there were even pictures of him and we were told he was gonna be a gun, bbts said they wouldn't carry him. then pics came out, and then they get the wise idea, hey lets break our last stance, and just say, comply with the laws and cover our own ass? So they came up with the idea for putting the orange cap. Then shortly after, it all began to domino with other stores either not carrying mp-5, or modding it like bbts. Their "scare" tactics even scared takara to consider releasing a "us friendly" version.

don't get me wrong, I've had nothing but positive experiences from them, but I can't agree with what they're doing, considering they sell other toy guns that have no rediculous caps or mods on them. (hellboy gun replica, basically a real looking revolver, but alittle bigger than normal, and looks more real than mp-5 as far as size goes.) Meh, either way I've been using tfsource as long as I have been bbts, and with the promos that tfsource runs like the holiday stockign stuff campaigns, I've been buying more from them anyway. (plus the guys who run tfsource are really nice, they helped me complete some of my gestaults, even just from requests I had sent them to look out for me.)

Well you make a solid statement. I for one honestly don't see it being a big issue and sometime in April the boards will be flooded with threads like "I GOT MP-05 WITH NO CAP!!!! YEAH!!!" or "MINE CAME WITH TEH CAP...SYKE!"

I'll be very happy when it's all said and done. I just want MP-05 because it's a character I loved. If it has an orange cap on it, I'm sure I'll love to see another day and another buck dropped on TFs. Perhaps in the future I'll give TFsource a go just to see what they are like.

While it's starting to stray from topic, I have to agree with really liking TFsource.com. I recently purchased the Takara Re-issue Megatron (with no orange cap by the way) and Binaltech Grimlock and the shipping was superfast and got it in a matter of days.

When I went to open it, you would have thought they had packed away the most fragile holy relic in the world. They had packing peanuts in the box and then bubble wrap. Under the generous layer of bubble wrap there was a thick layer of plastic wrap and then cardboard supporting the boxes to prevent dings and bends. Once I got through that they had wrapped the whole thing in tissue paper. There were fewer obstacles to go through for Tom Cruise to get the NOC list in Mission: Impossible, but it was that kind of thoughtfulness in being so careful with my stuff that I want to shop with them more often.

I noticed they also have pretty competitive prices. I could have easily paid a lot more at some of these other online retailers and they have some harder to find stuff. TFsource is definitely worth giving a try.

My brother knows a takara guy and I think he might be able to put a word in saying make the plug removeable just so it will pass inspection.