by Convotron » Sat Jul 02, 2011 4:02 pm
- Motto: "When in doubt, transform and roll out!"
- Weapon: Saber Blade
Sure, we may see another Devastator by Hasbro/TakaraTomy some day but how long will that be? Will it be the ideal incarnation that hardcore fans like us wish for? How many compromises will be made in its design? I like the Energon combiners and I like the PCC figures(well, some of them) but they aren't platforms for providing fan-centric versions of characters we desire. We basically need add-on sets or completely new figures to provide that.
If the Exgraver figure delivers what TFClub promises then I think the price tag is par for the course. In the current 3rd party product market where relatively basic add-ons like a replacement head sculpt or weapons are $15 or more, a price tag of $90-$100 for a Deluxe/Voyager sized figure of good quality materials and functional design makes sense to me.
$100 plus import/shipping fees makes this figure a prohibitively expensive purchase, especially because its quality and design are unknown at this time. It also will be a purchase that leads to further investment since it's a combiner figure and it's unlikely that anyone would want a single figure or just a partial set of figures rather than a complete combiner set. By the time Hercules is completed, one would have to spend over $600.
To me, the choice of whether or not one should purchase this figure and the rest of its combiner family is fairly easy. If you are a fan of Devastator, if you have the financial means to purchase the figures with funds you can set aside that aren't meant to be spent on your regular expenses, and if you are prepared for issues that can arise in non-mass produced figures, then you are probably the type of person that is ideal for buying the Hercules combiner figures.
It just comes down to this: You've got to pay to play. If you want to get in on products that are unlikely to be made by Hasbro or TakaraTomy, then expect to pay higher prices for these products. Products designed for niche markets, which are made by small organizations that have limited funding, will not be cheap. If you really want to look at some high pricing for non-official products, take a gander at garage model kits. Even licensed garage kits such as those by B-Club can be quite expensive.