The Energon Pub

News Credits: 19 · by **blackeyedprime** » Wed Oct 12, 2022 11:26 am

Amazon Uk has beaten them a few times on pricing. Cattra breifly dropped down to £23 so I mangaged to get one, meanwhile Origins whiplash I got from there for £18 is now over £30.

Weird potatoes.

**Backing has opened for Eternia, lets hope it funds quicker than a haslab

News Credits: 6 · by **AllNewSuperRobot** » Wed Oct 12, 2022 11:34 am

Does anyone beat Amazon on pricing?

That's why I mention C&C as a stockist. Considering I have a few that I use regularly online, to source various things. No one else really seems to acknowledge that MOTU exists, except them (and Amazon).

News Credits: 19 · by **blackeyedprime** » Wed Oct 12, 2022 11:40 am

Nearly every one beats amazon on price, they are usually crap for the things I want anyways.

Amazon usually has the deluxes up for preorder at RRP but it didnt happen with Snoutspout and Leach

I think mattels had issues supplying UK so it has put off Indemand and Kapow a little bit. Having said that they both even had delays with the S7 as seen on tv retros but that's part and parcel for S7 I guess. Smyths was pretty good with the standard figures 9they never got deluxes

) and the vehicles/creatures so hopefully that will continue now they are restocking MOTU (if and when Mattel deliver).

News Credits: 19 · by **blackeyedprime** » Wed Oct 12, 2022 4:38 pm

Wasnt expecting Eternia to be £800, thought it was £600 :/

so the only thing left to decide is £800 (international prices shown in local currency include duties, taxes AND the shipping surcharge)

or back at $550 pay surcharge and then $120+ in customs and whatever delivery is -figuring it still has to be cheaper doing it this way.

Waiting until payday just means missing out on a figure I dont want so that wouldnt be too bad.

MyFigureCollection.net collection · by **Emerje** » Wed Oct 12, 2022 7:40 pm

This hurt.

So much for $50 shipping, not that an extra $7 is going to kill this. I might have this paid off by the time it ships in nearly two years. :lol:

Already over half funded, seems promising.

I'm watching the fan event presentation from the other day on Pixel Dan's channel right now. Looks like at some point in the design they intended to include bridges leading from the towers to Grayskull and Snake Mountain, I wonder how much extra they'll be charging us for those later on?

Emerje

News Credits: 19 · by **blackeyedprime** » Thu Oct 13, 2022 11:20 am

Got my 40ths, now that is how exclusive packaging is done dang it - even if it was (really reaaaally really) factored into the hefty price tag.

It really is gonna put a bit of a downer on the next parcel from Mattel containing something brown and furry

*the 40ths weapons feel really fragile, it might have been a better idea to have two sets included. I kind of chickened out placing the shield on 200Xs arm. Og doesn't have an axe or shield so it could have been nice to include a punching fist as an option. Og and NA don't have any plastic bands holding them in the package but the other two do but the packaging is easy to slide open/place the figures back.

News Credits: 100 · by **-Kanrabat-** » Thu Oct 13, 2022 4:25 pm

Buzzoff at 13$can and the two recent deluxes He-Man and Skeletor at 20$can each.
Thank you, Amazon.ca!

MyFigureCollection.net collection · by **Emerje** » Thu Oct 13, 2022 8:53 pm

Eternia is almost there, already 67%. Seems really promising, but I can't help but think both Hasbro and Mattel would have better luck with crowd funds if they did them in the spring, far away from holidays and winter home heating costs.

Emerje

News Credits: 100 · by **-Kanrabat-** » Thu Oct 13, 2022 9:13 pm

Emerje wrote:Eternia is almost there, already 67%. Seems really promising, but I can't help but think both Hasbro and Mattel would have better luck with crowd funds if they did them in the spring, far away from holidays and winter home heating costs.

Emerje

Wait wait wait.

Mattel is going "HASLAB" now?

News Credits: 6 · by **AllNewSuperRobot** » Fri Oct 14, 2022 2:01 am

blackeyedprime wrote:Wasnt expecting Eternia to be £800, thought it was £600 :/

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:Non-US fans, expect to be fleeced to an even greater degree as usual (before customs, of course).

AHEM

-Kanrabat- wrote:Wait wait wait.

Mattel is going "HASLAB" now?

Naturally. All those that blindly threw money at HasLab opened the floodgates to everyone getting involved.

News Credits: 100 · by **-Kanrabat-** » Fri Oct 14, 2022 4:11 am

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:
blackeyedprime wrote:Wasnt expecting Eternia to be £800, thought it was £600 :/

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:Non-US fans, expect to be fleeced to an even greater degree as usual (before customs, of course).

AHEM

-Kanrabat- wrote:Wait wait wait.

Mattel is going "HASLAB" now?

Naturally. All those that blindly threw money at HasLab opened the floodgates to everyone getting involved.

Well, why not? But holy crap, that price. The thing is open to Canada but that's a whopping 1070$CAN!
Nope nope nope nope.

But still, I do hope the fan will unlock all the tiers. I want to see that in action.

Also, just pointing out to AllNewSuperRobot that if the campaing is open to your country, you'll have to pay the taxes as normal so no customs. But that shipping might be... not so bad all things considered. Mattel is huge and must have those corporate shipping deals.

News Credits: 6 · by **AllNewSuperRobot** » Fri Oct 14, 2022 4:17 am

So we're back to things costing a month's rent (dependent on where you live). Granted sourcing an original Eternia playset is more than that. But that is due to rarity, not pricing out of the gate.

As far as no customs. I dunno, most things I've bought internationally. In spite of what the seller states. UK Inland Revenue usually find a way to slap customs on there, if they want to.

News Credits: 100 · by **-Kanrabat-** » Fri Oct 14, 2022 4:45 am

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:As far as no customs. I dunno, most things I've bought internationally. In spite of what the seller states. UK Inland Revenue usually find a way to slap customs on there, if they want to.

I don't know how shrewd UK are regarding imports, but normally if the taxes are paid upfront when you purchase the thing, no custom fees should be applied.
Before, that made me angry to pay taxes when buying something from the USA or Japan, but then I finally noticed that I avoided paying the 10/20$CAN in "handling fees" by doing so.

That's how it works in Canada at the very least.

As for the price of the thing, It's perfectly fine and normal due to how huge the thing will be and how LIMITED the quantities would be.
Imagine how Castle Grayskull would have cost if the numbers were limited to just 5K instead of a hundred thousand or maybe even a million units as it is. Seriously, how overproduced was it? It's still available everywhere and often at a discount for less than a leader class Transformers.

If Mattel ever remake Snake Mountain, I expect it to be made at around half the number of the Castle and it's price double. :-?

News Credits: 6 · by **AllNewSuperRobot** » Fri Oct 14, 2022 4:54 am

I just can't look at the prices of these things without seeing greed over objective value. This playset for example, at £800. Being £200 more expensive than Super7's Thundertank. Just makes the latter demonstrate how overpriced it is, for what's on offer.

News Credits: 100 · by **-Kanrabat-** » Fri Oct 14, 2022 5:16 am

AllNewSuperRobot wrote:I just can't look at the prices of these things without seeing greed over objective value. This playset for example, at £800. Being £200 more expensive than Super7's Thundertank. Just makes the latter demonstrate how overpriced it is, for what's on offer.

"Overpriced" is relative though. If it's the only place you can buy the specific thing and people are still buying it that that given price, then it's the "right price". Even if it's a paper plane with a smiley face sold for a million dollar.

Only when the thing can be found everywhere else for much cheaper can a thing be "overpriced". Best example, regular release Transformers at Canadian Toys R Us. Overpriced by 10 or even 25% more expensive than the competition for some baffling reasons.
Second example, things scalped on eBay when you can still find them in store at normal price.

News Credits: 6 · by **AllNewSuperRobot** » Fri Oct 14, 2022 5:41 am

-Kanrabat- wrote:
AllNewSuperRobot wrote:I just can't look at the prices of these things without seeing greed over objective value. This playset for example, at £800. Being £200 more expensive than Super7's Thundertank. Just makes the latter demonstrate how overpriced it is, for what's on offer.

"Overpriced" is relative though. If it's the only place you can buy the specific thing and people are still buying it that that given price, then it's the "right price". Even if it's a paper plane with a smiley face sold for a million dollar.

Normally, yes. In this specific instance, I'd disagree.

The specs of the Eternia Playset @£800:

+ stretch goals for upto three extra figures.

Alternatively, eBay currently has a single vintage Eternia playset on sale for £1,299 (incomplete).

Super7 Thundertank @£600:

This New Thundertank holds 6 Super 7 Ultimate Thundercats figures
That's it. Just the vehicle. No electronics. No extra figures, included or otherwise. There is this other line of flavour text, which is really supposed to sell it, too:

it’s 4 times the size of the original LGN 80’s Thundertank toys with much better quality and design.

IE Don't buy the old one just because it is ridiculously cheaper :roll:

On the flipside of that. You can simply buy the original Thundertank, which will fit the same Super7 figures, on the secondary market. Prices based on condition, range from £30 to £250 for the boxed and completed version. Just under half the price for a mint vintage original.

Pricing all comes down to context. Supply and demand etc, etc But sometimes, greed is greed. No matter how you look at it.

News Credits: 19 · by **blackeyedprime** » Fri Oct 14, 2022 6:34 am

I didn't get customs on the 40th set so I lucked out, it's whether to chance paying in dollars and potentially save £120 on them or at least pay them later when it arrives or the full 800and not have anything to pay later.

MyFigureCollection.net collection · by **Emerje** » Fri Oct 14, 2022 6:39 am

The way I see it, a playset that dwarfs Unicron at roughly the same price is a playset worth owning.

And Snake Mountain was revealed last weekend.

Emerje

News Credits: 6 · by **AllNewSuperRobot** » Sat Oct 15, 2022 3:10 pm

(As soon as I saw this, I had to show it with the following quote, for context)

-Kanrabat- wrote:"Overpriced" is relative though.

These are two upcoming releases from Super7. A new wave of Ultimates! Thundercats.

The evil Mongor and the pet (?) Snarf. Snarf is in scale, to match the rest of the line. Regarding our earlier pricing discussions. You might (or might not) be surprised to learn, they are the exact same price - $54.99

This is the upcoming wave in it's entirety. To emphasise the size disparity. As I said, sometimes greed is greed.

News Credits: 100 · by **-Kanrabat-** » Sat Oct 15, 2022 4:04 pm

"Greed" is just your opinion. You can't put yourself in the minds of other.
Also, a corporation is there to MAKE MONEY. That is all.

As for the "little one", he make up for the cost disparity with the number of accessories.
You should know by now that "size" is not the only factor that determine the price of a toy. Especially as a Transformers fan.

News Credits: 100 · by **-Kanrabat-** » Sat Oct 15, 2022 4:54 pm

In my MOTU Origin display, one He-Man and one Skeletor is enough. So their gimmicky versions remains sealed. I think this looks pretty swell.

I wonder if we will get another pair of gimmicky He-Man and Skeletor for '23?

News Credits: 6 · by **AllNewSuperRobot** » Sun Oct 16, 2022 11:03 am

-Kanrabat- wrote:"Greed" is just your opinion. You can't put yourself in the minds of other.
Also, a corporation is there to MAKE MONEY. That is all.

1. Greed is an objective assessment based on value judgement. Just as value is assigned based on the perception of worth.

2. Super7 is an independent studio, not a corporation. They ain't Hasbro or Amazon. Different ethos, different values. Not everyone who produces merchandise is a faceless conglomerate, out there solely to fleece every coin from the consumer. That is all.

-Kanrabat- wrote:As for the "little one", he make up for the cost disparity with the number of accessories.
You should know by now that "size" is not the only factor that determine the price of a toy. Especially as a Transformers fan.

Except he doesn't make up that disparity with the number of accessories. Each wave mate has roughly got the same amount. Alongside more articulated 7" figures.

He is in himself, considered an accessory. On Super7's social media page, following this waves announcement. 97% of every response decried Snarf being considered of equal value to the others. Most renounce his sole release, as "he should have been sold with Lion-O and/or Wily Kit and Wily Kat". One of the best quotes being:
"He should have been included for free with the Thundertank, as an apology."

He is the equivalent of a Headmaster (or Wheelie), being considered the same price as a regular Transformer. If you think a lone Headmaster would be of equal value to Scourge or Hound. Or if Orko is the same value as Battlecat. I'm sure the guaranteed return from a pyramid scheme or cryptocurrency is keen for your participation. >:oP

News Credits: 100 · by **-Kanrabat-** » Sun Oct 16, 2022 11:26 am

Well, easy. If you don't think the price is right for a thing, don't buy it.
But calling this "greed" is a stretch and extremely suggestive, especially for things that are at MSRP (no matter what the price is.) I do not care how many hairs you want to split to "proves your point."

If you want GENUINE "greed", look no further than the eBay scalpers or those bizarre Walmart.com, Amazon.com, or any other sites that allows independent sellers to sell things at 10 times the original price. Who actually buy those at those prices anyway?

From the Canadian Walmart.ca as an example:

Now THAT, you can call it "greed."

News Credits: 6 · by **AllNewSuperRobot** » Sun Oct 16, 2022 11:42 am

It's not about "well don't buy it." Because that is dismissive of the actual issue. It's about recognising when you are being conned and calling out for it. Not just bending over and accepting it.

Take Captain Crackers here. Comes with Polly the Parrot. Polly has articulation and even another set of wings. A pet accessory. Inclusive with a larger character. Just as Ma-Mutt comes with Mumm-Ra. They have no problem doing so within the line, historically. They are testing here if they can get away with not doing it.

The delusional on the secondary market are what they are. I pointed out that 20K HasLab Unicron after all.
But knowingly marking up a figure that isn't on par, in one way or another, with the rest of your line is greed. That's not personal interpretation. But logistical fact.