The Energon Pub

News Credits: 905 · Mon Aug 03, 2009 9:40 pm

From Hobby Search website, seems like Tomy Takara is planning to reissue TF Encore 372 Star Convoy as part of next encore. This is confirm as Hobby Search put up the listing, however no date has been confirmed for release (no image and purely description in Japanese)

http://www.1999.co.jp/10095881

Hobby search also listed the reissue (again) for the encore Skylink & Omega Supreme:

http://www.1999.co.jp/10095885
http://www.1999.co.jp/10095886

News Credits: 60 · Mon Aug 03, 2009 9:51 pm

And hopefully Grandus and Skygarry will follow (and not muck up the molds as Bruticus........)

Mon Aug 03, 2009 10:12 pm

Again?

I'll be a bit peeved if it's cheaper than the last release.

News Credits: 150 · Mon Aug 03, 2009 10:16 pm

Kenny28 wrote:Again?

I'll be a bit peeved if it's cheaper than the last release.

How can it be any cheaper? I bought one for $17 MISB.

Mon Aug 03, 2009 10:22 pm

Augh. I feel ripped-off for preordering the last reissue...I love it but... #-o

News Credits: 1452 · Mon Aug 03, 2009 10:45 pm

It appears that Takara Tomy's next Encore reissue will be Star Convoy. The Hobby Search website have put up this listing, however no date has been confirmed for release. There is no image, and the description is purely in Japanese. Whatever is to happen to the rumoured Encore Devastator is unsure, as only time will tell whether Star Convoy and Devastator will show up.

For those interested in the Star Convoy figure, you can check out it's gallery here on Seibertron.com! Hobby Search has also put up another batch of listings for the previous Encore #7 Sky Lynx and Encore #9 Omega Supreme.

Stay tuned to Seibertron.com for your latest news and updates!

News Credits: 905 · Mon Aug 03, 2009 10:48 pm

Blurrz, Delicon going to kill you for posting this. :lol:

News Credits: 129 · Mon Aug 03, 2009 10:50 pm

Why would they do this?

The last Star Convoy reissue sold so poorly...

News Credits: 1 · Mon Aug 03, 2009 11:02 pm

Geez, it wasn't even re-released all that long ago, was it? Did it do really well in Japan?

After so many years of KO Devestators, I was thinking seeing a real one around would be nice. Maybe even getting one. And it'd tie into the movie too ... sort of. Smells like a bait-and-switch to me...

News Credits: 32 · Mon Aug 03, 2009 11:21 pm

Didn't they reissue Star Convoy not too long ago? In fact, wasn't it the last reissue they did before the "Encore" reissues?

News Credits: 905 · Mon Aug 03, 2009 11:33 pm

Using google translate to translate the title:
トランスフォーマーアンコール 372 サイバトロン/総司令官スターコンボイ復刻版 (完成品)

Result:
"Transformers Encore 372 SAIBATORON / CINC SUTAKONBOI facsimile edition (complete)"

News Credits: 7 · Mon Aug 03, 2009 11:35 pm

Counterpunch wrote:Why would they do this?

The last Star Convoy reissue sold so poorly...

This

Mon Aug 03, 2009 11:52 pm

Yeah, I'll make him fight aginst Animated Megatron and pretend he is Super Megatron (add him more spikes and you got Ultra Megatron).

News Credits: 60 · Tue Aug 04, 2009 1:15 am

@ Counterpunch, Bro' do you buy a fig because it sells or because you want one?

If indeed Starconvoy sold purely, I hazard to guess was due to:

1.No animation support (except the TVMagazine whatchamacalit)
2.Only hard core fans were familiar with him
3.No follow-up from Takara for his extended parts (as in Grandus and Skygarry)
4. Takara was having financial problems back then so not much PR

A second release after the massive sucess of the two Movies and hopefully a better quality mold plus eventual release of Grandus and Skygarry and you'll see him flying off the shelves.

News Credits: 8 · Tue Aug 04, 2009 1:32 am

That thing is kinda... OOgly...

News Credits: 129 · Tue Aug 04, 2009 7:30 am

fenrir72 wrote:@ Counterpunch, Bro' do you buy a fig because it sells or because you want one?

If indeed Starconvoy sold purely, I hazard to guess was due to:

1.No animation support (except the TVMagazine whatchamacalit)
2.Only hard core fans were familiar with him
3.No follow-up from Takara for his extended parts (as in Grandus and Skygarry)
4. Takara was having financial problems back then so not much PR

A second release after the massive sucess of the two Movies and hopefully a better quality mold plus eventual release of Grandus and Skygarry and you'll see him flying off the shelves.

1. I purchase toys because when I get up in the morning and roll off the giant pile of money that I sleep on, I need something else to do besides making sweet sweet love to the beautiful woman at my side.

2. Maybe I'm being iritable this morning, but where do you come off with this 'IF' it sold poorly stuff? That figure went on clearance like you wouldn't believe. BBTS had him for $30 at one point, other places cheaper. GetterDragon isn't exaggerating when he says he got one for $17. I'm telling you this, other people have stated it in the thread, and it's kind of established history on the matter. (For the record, everything I have heard about the Japanese collector market indicates that they really are not into the Nihon exclusive character types perhaps with the exception of Star Sabre. Deathsaurus, Black Zarak, Star Covoy, Grandus, et al are all figures we crave outside of Japan, but they don't carry much weight at all in Japan)

Why are they reissuing this? Very likely because the mold is available, the mark-up is quite high, and the materials cost is low. Takara might be able to pull a decent profit off the thing, but the vendors and merchants end up getting screwed. In the end, that's bad business.

Again, I'm being pissy, but you act like I don't want these reissues or that I haven't bought them. In regards to Star Convoy not selling the first time around, dress it up however you like, it was a fact.

EDIT: Reports are coming in that the UPC on this order is the very same as the original...which would mean it is MORE of the vast overstock from 4 years ago. L O L

News Credits: 553 · Tue Aug 04, 2009 8:22 am

I checked out the website listing for the Star Convoy reissue. There's a lot of suggest that this isn't a new/upcoming product. The listing refers to it as Encore 372 (rather than Encore 20).

It shares the same UPC code as the original Star Convoy reissue, which makes me think this is just a website restock of the old figure.

I guess it's possible that TakaraTomy will be re-releasing unsold stock of the original reissue, perhaps with an "Encore Special Edition" sticker on the package (similar to the USA Edition" stickers found on some items).

The supposed retail price is not consistent with Encore pricing. The website lists it at a similar price as Omega Supreme.

Of course, I could be wrong and TakaraTomy might just be doing something very strange with this.

Tue Aug 04, 2009 8:40 am

That reminds me Counterpunch, I REALLY want them to reissue Dezasaurus. I've wanted one for years but I refuse to pay 1000 bucks on Ebay for one figure. Why are they reissuing this Prime mold when it was already reissued 4 years ago?

News Credits: 60 · Tue Aug 04, 2009 8:56 am

@ CP. Chill. Being "pissy" doesn't help. Either it sold poorly or there's the Godginrai syndrome of overstock.In the first place, by the tone of your post, you opinned

" Why would they do this?
The last Star Convoy reissue sold so poorly..."

Was I wrong to interpret it otherwise? Maybe if you posted, "great choice of a mold, another chance to introduce it to new fans..." or something like "another Convoy mold? Has Takara lost gone lazy blah blah blah."

The report is more or less likely "unconfirmed" or by some of the latest inputs, selling the "overstock"(?) of 2005 so technically then it ain't Encore.

Oh about lying down on a bed of money with a warm woman beside me, well that's too much info I'm not that interested in..........I just talk Transformers stuff, 'nuff said.

Vector Sigma........."I'm starting to sound like Bluestreak" hehehe

Tue Aug 04, 2009 9:01 am

On the one hand, its cool that others get to experience rare figures that were not released in the US back in the day. On the other hand, every time they re-release this item, my vintage Star Convoy seems a little less special. I have a core group of 13 vintage Japanese-only TFs that I spent a lot of time and money obtaining over the years, and they have always been sort of a pinnacle of my collection because of their rarity. Am I making sense?
I know that one can always say "oh, that's the vintage, not the re-release" to a guest, but the initial awe that should come with these pieces (OMG! YOU have a STAR CONVOY!?) diminishes if there are a great big bunch of replicas floating around out there. That's the trouble with the re-release stuff. Its good, yet at the same time bad.
If they pull this with Lio Kaiser, Deszranus, Road Caesar, or Overlord, I shall be most upset indeed!

News Credits: 129 · Tue Aug 04, 2009 9:09 am

Cobalt Prime wrote:That's the trouble with the re-release stuff. Its good, yet at the same time bad.
If they pull this with Lio Kaiser, Deszranus, Road Caesar, or Overlord, I shall be most upset indeed!

Reissues are always good. These weren't toys that were originally created to be 'exclusive'. These were toys that were meant to be widely available and only because of the Pacific Ocean and Saturday morning cartoon slots were they not.

I'm all about exclusives and maintaing the premise they were issued on. As to foreign toys that weren't equally available? Have at it. I have several Master, Victory, Battlestars series toys. I want to see those awesome figures available to everyone.

Victory Leo is too cool for school. Collectors should be able to get one without playing $300. It doesn't dimininsh my collection any.

It's a difference of opinion of course, but holding back on key characters from series when those toys were widely available just to maintain the status of 'Have' vs 'Have Not' is distasteful to me.

(I'm not budging one bit on BotCon exclusives though, you get your asses to the convention like everyone else to get those toys.)

News Credits: 767 · Tue Aug 04, 2009 9:21 am

Ugh that looks horrid. But I've seen the base-mode and that's not too bad so once this goes on clearance I'll get one and keep him in base-mode forever and ever!

News Credits: 8 · Tue Aug 04, 2009 9:41 am

I got my Star Convoy when he was first reissued and paid fullprice for him and still don't mind that he went on clearance because, to me,he was worth 100$ and he was always on my list as a pinnacle of what I wanted in my collection. I'm just bummed we haven't seen Grandus and Sky Garry get re-released as well.

Also, I'm with Counterpunch on the way the "Japanese Exclusive" issue should be treated. These toys were not exactly created with the intent of limiting their availability, it was just circumstance that caused that. Re-issuing them is good for everyone.

BotCon stuff etc. was created in a limited run on purpose, that is what an exclusive really is.