The Energon Pub

i really love these guys. way more than ramjet even. i just wish i didn't have to pay ebay prices or even worse botcon prices. these were 2 of my favorites as a kid. why? oh, why must i be tormented this way?! i guess i'll have to enjoy from afar.

Tripredacus agent wrote:I thought botcons were only allowed to be repaints of older molds, surely Thrust counts as a new figure? Either way I feel cheated by hasbro.

Nope, Thrust counts as a retool, which is a slightly higher category than just repaint. So it doesn't count as a new figure. Mind you, convention retools have been done only recently, since 2003.

Counterpunch wrote:

reanimate28 wrote:**** you botcon ...**** rip off douche bags

Someone woke up on the wrong side of $280...

Counterpunch, I love you! (in an entirely platonic, hetero way man )

Somebody on the Club forums started looking at some old bills and paperwork and found his receipt from the 2003 Botcon. Here is his cost breakdown.

Reg - $40
Toy 1 (1st at reduced price) - $30 (Sideswipe)
Toy 1 (2nd at regular price) - $36
Toy 2 (1st at reduced price) - $60 (Two pack Roulette and Shadow Striker)
Toy 2 (2nd at regular price) - $65
Tshirt - $18
Dinner - $70
------------
Total $319

So even if he jsut bought one of each figure he would have spent

Reg - $40
Toy 1 (1st at reduced price) - $30 (Sideswipe a deluxe)
Toy 2 (1st at reduced price) - $60 (Two pack Roulette and Shadow Striker two deluxes)
Tshirt - $18
Dinner - $70
------------
Total $218

Now the current Botcon breakdown.

Primus Package
Registration
Five Figures (four deluxes and one voyager)
Bonus figure if attending the con (probably a basic but not know yet)
Dinner
-----------
$279

Now you don't get a T-Shirt, but your getting more figures then 2003, and its only 60 dollars more. So its not like they made some massive price hike when they moved to Fun Pub. In fact the price per figure is actually cheaper since you've got a voyager mold involved.

And if you want to go nonmember price, then its only ten dollars more for it then what he spent to get six figures, two of each. So your still getting a better deal with the current Botcon

Of course some people are still going to complain about the price, and I can understand that, but lets be honest people, these are exclusive small run figures. Where Hasbro runs probably ten to twenty thousand of each figure probably more, Funpup is running around a fifteen hundred. Their cost is higher, so your cost is higher.

They aren't doing this to screw the fans, but they are a business and they do have to make a profit. I think the price is high as well, but I went ahead and ordered my box set and an extra bagged set because I decided that high as the cost is, it was worth it to me.

Only thing I'm regretting is not buying a bagged set to pitch on ebay...

Any Chance they might break down like SDCC did with Rodimus and have Hasbro offer these online?

COME ON, MAYBE IF WE ALL CLICK OUR HEELS AND BITCH ENOUGH...

Thrust sure is nice looking.

Im kinda peeved that 2 of them are Botcon exclusives, the retooling was done very well.

Liege Evilmus wrote:Any Chance they might break down like SDCC did with Rodimus and have Hasbro offer these online?

COME ON, MAYBE IF WE ALL CLICK OUR HEELS AND BITCH ENOUGH...

If they do, they'll still be overpriced. Hopefully, though, Hasbro will realize what kind of business they did with the Classics line and do a mass market release - which will probably be about the same time that wild horses fly out of your arse...

These molds are so awesome its a shame only those who can afford conventions can get them. ;_; And I guess I am a G1-freak because no matter how cool other lines are (trying hard to be open-minded), Classic designs will always win my interest.

Damn it, this just reminds me how much I hate hasbro sometimes. They did this with Star Wars making some of the super cool one of a kind concept figures convention exclusives, and the others really hard to find retail release. I've quit Star Wars for good, not joke. I've already passed on a bunch of rarer figures that I wanted, and it only gets easier from there.

Transformers I just like too much. I find it a shame that Hasbro created them because they're such a douchebag company these days. I hope the flubber they have buried underneath their parking lot comes alive and kills them all. (I'M KIDDING)

Seriously, I'll continue with Transformers but I'm really going to limit my purchases. I want to support TFs, and even Hasbro, but I don't want to send them the message that doing convention exclusives is a good thing. I did my part and didn't buy into it, even though I did have the cash to buy a set. It's to bad no one else had restraint. **** botcon.

man this sucks! I so wanted to collect the complete seekers from classics and now here we go... Dirge, Thrust, & Thundercracker only available through botcon 2007! argh damn you HASBLOW!

I've never jumped on the hasblow bandwagon. Okay they gave Prime small shortstacks, that's grasping at straws. The figure was and still is completely awesome at $40 less.

BUT this Botcon thing has made me a believer. I just realised what they did too. You buy into the line, sink about $200+ into it, and then to complete it they rape you. It's like they take your money, and then they make the final pieces exclusives, and give you the finger and say we didn't need you at all, but this is all after we paid for the retail line.

Hasbro is a **** douche bag company and I'm not going to retract that statement until the jets are at retail. I quit Star Wars, but at least those concept figures were sucky anyway. These jets, just seeing them reopened this wound. I'm so freaking pissed!

I hear ya, taco. I hear ya loud and clear.

Someone start a petetion to get them to release the seekers to the general public and not those fortunate enough to pre-register to attend a convention! this is so GAY! is Takara releasing the classics line? I'll buy em from them if I have to.

tentagil wrote:Somebody on the Club forums started looking at some old bills and paperwork and found his receipt from the 2003 Botcon. Here is his cost breakdown.

Reg - $40
Toy 1 (1st at reduced price) - $30 (Sideswipe)
Toy 1 (2nd at regular price) - $36
Toy 2 (1st at reduced price) - $60 (Two pack Roulette and Shadow Striker)
Toy 2 (2nd at regular price) - $65
Tshirt - $18
Dinner - $70
------------
Total $319

So even if he jsut bought one of each figure he would have spent

Reg - $40
Toy 1 (1st at reduced price) - $30 (Sideswipe a deluxe)
Toy 2 (1st at reduced price) - $60 (Two pack Roulette and Shadow Striker two deluxes)
Tshirt - $18
Dinner - $70
------------
Total $218

Now the current Botcon breakdown.

Primus Package
Registration
Five Figures (four deluxes and one voyager)
Bonus figure if attending the con (probably a basic but not know yet)
Dinner
-----------
$279

Now you don't get a T-Shirt, but your getting more figures then 2003, and its only 60 dollars more. So its not like they made some massive price hike when they moved to Fun Pub. In fact the price per figure is actually cheaper since you've got a voyager mold involved.

And if you want to go nonmember price, then its only ten dollars more for it then what he spent to get six figures, two of each. So your still getting a better deal with the current Botcon

Of course some people are still going to complain about the price, and I can understand that, but lets be honest people, these are exclusive small run figures. Where Hasbro runs probably ten to twenty thousand of each figure probably more, Funpup is running around a fifteen hundred. Their cost is higher, so your cost is higher.

They aren't doing this to screw the fans, but they are a business and they do have to make a profit. I think the price is high as well, but I went ahead and ordered my box set and an extra bagged set because I decided that high as the cost is, it was worth it to me.

Just wanted to help you out...because somehow, it seems this was missed.

How is hasbro justified by doing this? Botcon could have made a profit without the figure exclusives, but hell I don't really blame them. Hasbro could have released this figures just fine. Don't try to give me any crap like they didn't want to take a risk putting them at retail, because going to Wal-Mart I see a bunch of **** that probably shouldn't have even been made. Fast Action Battlers, cyber slammers, robot heroes, plush toys, etc...

They don't seem to have a problem putting out g1 stuff with the movie... I don't see why classics couldn't continue, or at the least just have been delayed but still released at retail.

tacogrande wrote:How is hasbro justified by doing this?

Seriously dude.



I'm going to ask Hasbro personally while I am at BotCon, just why they decided to screw you over.

Answers pending.

[RANT]
Y'know, this fandom is really a buncha whiney retarded prisses.
Everyone's all "Wah wah wah! **** Hasbro!", and still I hear "Wah wah wah! The movie designs are gay!" and "Wah wah wah! Things are too expensive".

Hasbro made a business decision to not push classics once the movie line had hit production. It's a smart move. Merchandising for movies is an insanely profitable venue. There's no sense in funneling any of your allocated brand resources in to line b when there's movie merchandise to be made.

Classics is a DEAD line.
The only way you were going to get it would be to wait for a new cartoon that uses old toy molds (like RiD, BWII etc.), for them to do another line like Universe (which kinda bombed more-or-less) or to get them as exclusives.

The next cartoon will definitely be using new toys, especially considering that the designs will be taken on in likely a radically different way than we're used to.

Universe 2 I don't see happening...ever really.

Exclusives thusly become the only option.

Yes, BotCon is expensive.
I'm a student. I don't have a huge income. I don't buy everything I want. I buy bits and pieces here and there. I love the classics line, I thought it was awesome and rather well executed and I only have three figures (Hot Rod, Skywarp and Ultra Magnus). I knew I wanted to go to BotCon cause of the movie premiere and the Hasbro tour (which I'm not on), and I knew I wanted the BotCon exclusives. I didn't even know what they were when I started scrimping, saving and planning this trip. Exclusives are part of the experience...and never before have I heard anyone bitch this much about an exclusive set.

The only reason you folks are bitching, is because the exclusives complete the line. Could be worse, y'know, they could be Lucky Draw exclusives limited to 20 a piece.

And, if you're american, count yourselves lucky with your KB Toys, K-Marts and Targets and all the exclusives you get that othe people worldwide have to shell out double retail price to own.

If you really can't do without having these in your collection man up, wipe the tears from your eyes and the spittle from your mouth, save up some money and buy them on **** eBay you bitches.

And, y'know, Hasbro personally hates each and every one of you, rawr!
[/END RANT]

Counterpunch I don't think it was missed, just ignored. As the people posting so recently before me show, some people just have this belief that if Hasbro doesn't sell the toys they want at the price they want that they are obviously trying to screw them.

The fact that Funpub is producing these figures and not Hasbro seems to be lost on them for one. Hasbro didn't make these guys, they didn't design, they didn't have anything to do with them other then designing the original molds for Starscream and Ramjet. Funpub through their license does the repaint and retool designs and has them produced by Takara specifically for them.

So first of all stop cursing at Hasbro. And understand that not buying these figures has no effect what so ever on Hasbro. It effects Funpub and Botcon only. And considering they sold out completely this year obviously they don't need your business to survive.

Also remember that Hasbro is a toy company, making toys for kids, the fact that adults collect them is a bonus, but when it really comes down to it children are the target market, designs, the majority of paint schemes, and gimmicks, are all meant for kids. Every adult collector on the planet could stop buying them right now and Hasbro might see a slight drop in sales, but really we don't make up that large a percentage of their sales numbers.

They give us Botcon because its a good marketing and PR event that really costs them nothing since they don't really pay for it. In fact FunPub has to pay them to get the license to put it on.

And Funpub didn't have to make these figures, but they decided that with Hasbro not making them they'd go ahead and do it since they new it would be a big seller, they produced more figures this year then any other year, and still they sold them all. And I'm sure they are making a killing in the profit area. And I'm happy, because I'm a club member, and better profits means better things for us in the future.

So you go ahead and boycot, petition, and bitch till your blue in the face. I'm going to enjoy my exclusive toys when they arrive and be a very happy camper.

Ah who is worse, those who bitch about toys or those who bitch about people who bitch about toys.

Fact is, these DO complete the line. A line hasbro made that I spent a lot of money on, that lots of people did. How does it make me feel when the classic jets could be completed very easily for $30, but instead I'd have to shell out $300, more than what I paid for the entire 3 waves of classics?

So far the only ones who don't have a problem with this is the people that already bought them, or that had little to no interest in them in the first place.

If these aren't for fans why are the movie toys so complex and the fast action battlers even made? Why was classics even made, it obviously wasn't marketed to adults who grew up with the characters, they just wanted kids with little to no recognition with the characters to enjoy a filler line. Get real. Collectors are buying more than ever, and kids are buying less toys than ever. They realize this, or they wouldn't be making most of the toys we get like alternators and such.

By the way, tentagil I appreciate your response. It's well thought out, I'm still pissed at Hasbro (they're the ones that gave this the okay afterall), but man Nuclearconvoy you got issues. These toys are a big deal to us all or we wouldn't be here, so it's not like this is a non-issue.

I have issues?
I'm not the one bitching and moaning in every single post.
I've spoken out all of once about the idiocy of this fandom and how much it complains when it really has nothing to complain about.
Be happy they respect collectors enough to have made classics at all.

This set looks great! Can't wait for Botcon this year!

Collectors are going apeshit for both this figure. Sucks this should have been on retail.

Considering what those assholes are charging I think it's rather dissapointing that Dirge is just a straight repaint on Ramjet, he should have retooled wings and canards.

Thrust looks brilliant though, it nails the character beautifully... except for the fact he should have yellow eyes not red.

I get alittle sad looking over at Ramjet, alone on my shelf, a hapless minion doomed never to get any backup and thus get the **** kicked out of him when ever battle scenes get posed.

Awesome, I can't wait for Botcon!!!!

P.S. I am stunned that people are still dumping in any threads that mention these figures. I understand if you can't afford these at the moment, but hasn't this been argued out already? All the bitching is accomplishing now is leaving a bad taste in the mouth whenever some fun new pics surface.

Besides, don't you have any aspirations in life? Theres always the future. I have a long list of stuff I cannot afford and plan on buying at some point.

Points to note: Hasbro let Funpub go ahead as they had already determined that Hasbro was NOT going to make these. It was NEVER happenning. This means, Hasbro figured the line was NOT a moneymaker.

Simple concept to understand here. Hasbro = Public Company. Their goal = to make money. They have decades of marketing data that you do NOT have access to. If the line was to be hugely proofitable, they would have made it themselves, trust me on this one.....

If not for fun pub, the rest of the seekers would exist in the same place as the Ramjet and Thrust Reissues: in our dreams.

So take a second, and let this theory sink in before you start typing your retaliatory post. It makes sense doesn't it. I do not have money pouring out of my ass. I would have loved for these to be 10 bucks. But you gotta just see the reality of the situation, save up some cash and be patient. If you really want something, you'll get it. It's just going to take a little more time and effort. And MAYBE, just maybe, you will appreciate these figures all the more in the end.

And I for one have become a HUGE Hasbro fan over the last few months. IMO they are finally getting their act together. A G1 accurate MP-03, DVD Prime, Battle Damged Prime, the Alternaters, the Classics. Excuding the QC issues, and the fact that I am not a huge fan of the Movie figs, they do seem to be well executed from what I have seen of them.

P.P.S. I just realized that this post was a waste of 5 minutes. I think at thispoint, if the above points haven't been accepted by certain posters, they never will be.