Transformers and More @ The Seibertron Store
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Rated X wrote:Same pinkish-red color and as the original the arms are supposed to be grey. Wal-Mart version is G1 accurate. Everybody who wasted their money on the Henkei version please stop knitpicking and hating. And rumor has it these Henkei "imports" are selling for the same prices on the streets of Japan, making the price not an "import price", just hihghway robbery
zodconvoy wrote:As cool as the A-10 Thunderbolt is they could've updated him to a Predator reconnaissance drone and kept him in scale. As it stands, I have the first Universe release of the mold and no desire to spend any more money on it.
Rated X wrote:Hey Counterpunch:
I got the upmost respect for you because I seen the video of your collection. Dont know your source of income but you get much credit for owning every figure in existance. But I gotta ask you a question buddy...Ever been to a Dollar general or 99 cents store ???
Where do you think all that junk comes from ??? Made in Taiwan (China) where there is no juristiction on copyright laws and no labor laws. All this stuff gets "imported" and sold for pennies in the USA so spare me the "Import costs" excuse. Its not the price to ship...Its just plain greed. Im from Miami where the embargo drives the price of smuggled Cuban cigars up 10 times higher than the price of Dominican cigars. Why ??? Because they can. Shipping and handling covers all company expenses. They are just pulling your leg about "import costs." Sugarcoating the truth at its finest.
I always keep it real so here is the pic from my camera to prove the wal-mart version and the G1 version are the same color. I wouldnt cast such an opinion without actually owning both figures. And you already know I dont own the Henkei version because Im the advocate for change on "Import" prices.
Much respect and I admire youre collection....
Rated X
Counterpunch wrote:Universe Inferno
Razorclaw0000 wrote:Counterpunch wrote:Universe Inferno
Did you have problems with Inferno? Mine is a really solid plastic with a rich burgundy color. It's nothing like the cheap, thin, clown-shoe red plastic on Ironhide.
Rated X wrote:I guess I have to see a Japenese version up close to appreciate the difference. And honestly I never have. I must admit though most Hasbro red figures could use a little more gloss. As far as the import issue, If the cost is true and not fabricated, I honestly wonder why companies arent shipping them into the USA in the same fashion that they are shipping in other collectibles. Lets use Jada "Dub City" Diecast model cars as an example which are made in China. Is there really a division of government saying "let the cars go, but red flag all transformers for import costs ?" The cars (also collectibles) always seem to find their way from USA Store shelves for under 20 bucks. What is the difference ??? One dude on this site once stated that if you visit Japan, you will pay the same amount in Yen at a toy store as you would through mail order because thats just the set price the company charges and they arent marketing them as "kids toys" like in the USA. Anyone know if this is true ???
Blurrz wrote:It's $75 Canadian... frigging stupid. I think it's priced in the States at $60
Rated X wrote:Hey Mkall:
Thanks for clarifing that import thing. So if Im interpreting this correctly you are saying shipping things in mass quantity (such as Hasbro figures or Jada diecast cars) brings down the price because the huge corparation absorbs the cost ??? However with the small companies, somebody with alot less money is traveling to Japen and buying maybe 500 of these Henkei figures and is paying the import fees themselves ??? Obviously this explains the high price.
But nobody seems to know the actual street retail value of Henkai figures. If I take a vacation to Japan and stop by a toy store, am I gonna pay $69.99 in yen or $12.99 in yen since I am not importing it but buying it as a walk in customer ??? What is the real price Japanese kids pay for these things ???
And here comes the big question:
If Hasbro has so much money that they can ship in millions, Obviously the company they are doing business with has the mold. So why not pay them off to repaint all the seekers ??? Doesnt money talk ???
If they really wanted to, they could give us:
Classics Skywarp
Classics Thundercracker
Classics Thrust
Classics Dirge
Classics Sunstorm
Classics Hydrostorm (sombody's really cool take on the 3rd rainmaker)
Classics Ghost Starscream
A pink seeker with purple polka-dots just to let everybody know they got the mold and money talks
Razorclaw0000 wrote:Ghost Starscream is a peculiar beast. The Henkei version is a mail away using a card from the Generations 2009 Volume 02. So you must buy the book, clip the card, mail it in, wait (it's only open to Japanese residents). So in order for us to get it, we need proxies which live in Japan and do the leg work of getting the figure. I don't think Hasbro will do a version which will diminish the value and rarity of the Henkei version. Plus, there isn't a huge draw for clear figures in the US.
Rated X wrote:But nobody seems to know the actual street retail value of Henkai figures. If I take a vacation to Japan and stop by a toy store, am I gonna pay $69.99 in yen or $12.99 in yen since I am not importing it but buying it as a walk in customer ??? What is the real price Japanese kids pay for these things ???
RodimusConvoy13 wrote:Razorclaw0000 wrote:Ghost Starscream is a peculiar beast. The Henkei version is a mail away using a card from the Generations 2009 Volume 02. So you must buy the book, clip the card, mail it in, wait (it's only open to Japanese residents). So in order for us to get it, we need proxies which live in Japan and do the leg work of getting the figure. I don't think Hasbro will do a version which will diminish the value and rarity of the Henkei version. Plus, there isn't a huge draw for clear figures in the US.
Actually, you can order the Ghost Starscream from BBTS or TFSource, so you don't need to know anyone in Japan.
I always figured we'd get that figure as a Botcon exclusive. Acid Storm seemed to sell alright, so I think there is probably still a market for a US Sunstorm.
Counterpunch wrote:Rated X wrote:But nobody seems to know the actual street retail value of Henkai figures. If I take a vacation to Japan and stop by a toy store, am I gonna pay $69.99 in yen or $12.99 in yen since I am not importing it but buying it as a walk in customer ??? What is the real price Japanese kids pay for these things ???
Your numbers aren't fair...
and we DO know the Japanese retail cost.
Deluxe figures are between $12-16 US
Voyager figures are between $20-24 US
The USA Edition Powerglide, Silverbolt, and Onslaught were right at $30 if I remember correctly.
You can almost always bet that in order to purchase the figure and have it get to you in the US from overseas that you'll pay between 1.8 and 1.9 times the Japanese retail release cost.
Exclusive special editions are another story all together where you're looking at $80-100 flat charges because these toys require significant effort to obtain and then to get to you.
Nekoman wrote:By the way, am I the only one who actually didn't mind white Powerglide?
Dread_Wing wrote:Nekoman wrote:By the way, am I the only one who actually didn't mind white Powerglide?
I like his arms and hips,:mrgreen:
Rated X wrote:If I was a Japanese kid living in Japan and I walked in a toy store, how much would I pay to buy a Henkei deluxe figure over the counter in yen ???
Nekoman wrote:Rated X wrote:If I was a Japanese kid living in Japan and I walked in a toy store, how much would I pay to buy a Henkei deluxe figure over the counter in yen ???
Sunstreaker for example would cost you exactly 2,310 yen (around $24)
http://www.takaratomy.co.jp/products/TF/products/henkei/lineup/c07.html
That's a lot of money, but don't think just toys are expensive in Japan. A Japanese DVD will run you around $60 (in Japan), that's because a lot of stuff is different in Japan too. Like for example, their taxes, I believe Japan has higher, and more taxes than we do in the United States. This makes Takara have to charge more, to make a profit.
Rated X wrote:As far as Thrust and Dirge being Botcon 2007 Exclusives and pissing alot of collecters off, I dont think anything only 2 years old should be monopolized as a collector's item. If you collect baseball cards or comic books, you know that reprints of famous issues are made all the time so that collectors can have a piece of history in their hands. Why not transformers too ??? Oh yeah...cause unless they stamp a big "RE-ISSUE" on Thrust's forehead, a few rich guys are gonna get pissed off that the the general public actually has a chance to enjoy their favorite characters too. Horrors...
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