The Energon Pub

by **SN95 Cobra R** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 5:15 pm

Question...Does a third party make these or are people taking them off of some pre-existing toy and using them for Prime? If I don't have to, I'd rather not pay 12 dollars for 4 inches of plastic.

by **Badassimus Prime** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 5:22 pm

I got mine's off of Ebay about five years ago. Paid just about the same amount you're not trying to. Only thing was, the smokestacks were made out of metal not plastic. I'm not sure if they still make them that way anymore.

News Credits: 60 · by **fenrir72** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 5:41 pm

Check ebay. I also got one for my re-issue UM. Made of die-cast steel in fact.

News Credits: 226 · by **Burn** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 6:13 pm

I've got a vague memory that the company making them went out of business.

Could also be thinking of someone else too.

by **zonkers** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 6:38 pm

i purchased mine a couple months ago from site http://www.agesthreeandup.com

$13 + 4 s/h, chromed plastic, sorry... i don't know why the box says metal parts... but they're still much better than the hasbro standard stubbies....

News Credits: 60 · by **fenrir72** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 6:43 pm

@zonkers, so the MP stacks are plain chromed plastic? Either that or the company is engaging in misrepresenting advertisements huh? So it came in a box? The one for the re-issue G1 UM didn't come in one.

Anyway here's the ebay link

http://cgi.ebay.com/Masterpiece-Optimus ... 35aea310f9

costs US$10.00

by **zonkers** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 6:49 pm

i think this is an issue where someone has bought up leftover stock from a company that has gone under, like burn mentioned before... god only know what happened as things changed hands.... i make no claim to knowledge, & this site doesn't make any claim to metal manufacturing either

http://www.agesthreeandup.com/index.php ... nt+Stacks+

News Credits: 60 · by **fenrir72** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 7:52 pm

Ahh, ok. Btw concerning its metallic content, is it possible for you to test yours with a magnet or something? I don't know, just for knowledges sake so we can inform the others out there on the veracity of their claims of using die-cast or metal parts. That's plain wrong for such vendors.

Thanks for the link btw.

by **zonkers** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 10:06 pm

fenrir72 wrote:Ahh, ok. Btw concerning its metallic content, is it possible for you to test yours with a magnet or something? I don't know, just for knowledges sake so we can inform the others out there on the veracity of their claims of using die-cast or metal parts. That's plain wrong for such vendors.

Thanks for the link btw.

hadn't thought of trying a magnet.. pulled out a rare earth magnet i had stashed away, but it doesn't even stick to parts i know are diecast.. i believe most diecast is a zinc-alloy... i usually rely on touch to determine when a part is diecast... they're usually much cooler to the touch.. sometimes if a part still seems tough to tell a temperature difference, i just take the same test to the next level, (preparing for silly faces here

) & use a more sensitive part of my body (no not THAT!)-- my lips.. yes you can laugh now

it may look odd 'kissing' prime but i can always be sure of the coolness of diecast with my lips when my fingertips aren't sure... smaller parts always seem tougher to tell... no, i don't leave any disgusting drool or prints on my toys when i do this, & they haven't complained yet :lol:

i'm fairly confident these stacks are plastic.. i suppose someone could always crack one open

i don't think this is any deliberate misdirection on the part of the vendro, but probably more on the manufacturer... i'm just guessing here, but i'd wager they're chinese made, & although i would hate to come off as bashing chinese manufacturers, i wouldn't rule it out that they exaggerated when they made the parts...

News Credits: 9 · by **Editor** » Mon Dec 13, 2010 10:34 pm

The company making them was Ages3&up. The company closed their retail store and changed hands about 2 years ago, The have reopened online and last I saw they were still online.

I picked up my stacks years ago but damn I'm glad I did, It makes an instant and dramatic change to the piece.

News Credits: 6 · by **City Commander** » Tue Dec 14, 2010 2:06 am

zonkers wrote:i purchased mine a couple months ago from site http://www.agesthreeandup.com

$13 + 4 s/h, chromed plastic, sorry... i don't know why the box says metal parts... but they're still much better than the hasbro standard stubbies....

mp-prime-stacks.jpg

I have that set! Fantastic quality, five years on or so and the vacuum chrome still holds nicely. Definitely worth the £10 shipped I paid for mine.

I don't think any die cast toy would contain ferrous metal. The constant handling would make your figure rust!

News Credits: 5 · by **--B--** » Tue Dec 14, 2010 9:42 am

Whatever ones you buy, just do it, as it has been said, it makes a huge difference!

Website · by **Flux Convoy** » Wed Dec 15, 2010 5:37 am

Editor wrote:The company making them was Ages3&up. The company closed their retail store and changed hands about 2 years ago, The have reopened online and last I saw they were still online.

I picked up my stacks years ago but damn I'm glad I did, It makes an instant and dramatic change to the piece.

Thanks for the info, I bought stacks from them a few years back and they were pretty darn good. Glad to hear the store is still around, at least in some fashion. I wondered what had happened to them since I enjoyed my previous business with them.

News Credits: 9 · by **Editor** » Wed Dec 15, 2010 9:12 am

Flux Convoy wrote: I wondered what had happened to them since I enjoyed my previous business with them.

Spencer and A3U's long story short.
-opened website
-opened retail store in Vancouver BC area. (at Metropolis at Metrotown)
-Store moved and expanded. Added partner for comics. Branched into other areas.
-Due to a request from Mall management to redevelop the section of the mall, store moved 2nd time to even larger space. Further branched into different areas. problems occurred as new location was 2 doors down from Toys'r'us with only a Games Workshop location between the two of them.
-Opened 2nd retail store in promising location. (Oakridge Centre)
-Due to high rent and bad economy, closed 2nd location.
-Issues with suppliers occurred, some Takara stock wasn't shipped or came in smaller quantities. Large order of Reissue Metroplexs arrived, later found to be KO, due to dodgy supplier.
-Dissolved partnership, closed store. (Same location re-opened by former partner as Metropolis Comic and Games.) Sold website.
-New owner running website and reopened retail inside of a different store. (Urban Samurai, Located at Lougheed Centre)

Both Metropolis (now across the road from the mall) and Urban Samurai are currently active and between the two of them fulfill most of the retail aspects A3U once had, neither are quite the same and most of the ideas I once heard being tossed around regarding Transformer stuff seem to have been lost with the closing of the original store/website.