The Energon Pub

@ Autobot32

From what I can gauge from your info:

1.Hasbro should have focused on a line that has multimedia support. The fiasco of Universe 2.0 attests to this right? Heck I always was at a loss why stupid Hasbro created Ultra class figs for not so popular bots like Powerglide but gave Jetfire a wee Voyager size

2.Them repaints were attempts to recover their loses over the molds but lost even big time. That's why I really hate repaints, a double edge sword.

3.The movie line was very successful(?) I may probably be a minority in this but hey, if the sales figures say otherwise.

In the end, hopefully the world economy recovers so Hasbro can earn a profit and bring out more Transformers (and G1 re-issues please )

im all for hasbro opening up factories in the US to make any or all of thier toy lines for us

Uhh... NO. im collecting, on a budget. A delux is already $22 USD since i live in asia, and thats counting shipping from china/vietnam! I would not like paying twice the price for the same thing i take out and play with

robofreak wrote:Let's try to keep the politics out of this as much as possible. I don't want an argument to ensue here.

Too late >_<

deathy wrote:
(1) in the 2010 thru 2011 TF toy year hasbro didn't cut back & release less bigger sized toy.

The PCC 5-pack gestalts & $29.99 HA toys were clearly considered bigger sized TF toys. and count towards the tally number of bigger TF toys released in 2010 thru 2011.


(2)I highly doubt Hasbro/takara has cancelled future plans to release decepticons toys in the leader size classes.

(3)I see no evidence of hasbro making the Dotm toys smaller than previous years. (1)basics size classs range in robot height from 3 1/3 to 4.5 inches. (2)deluxes size class range in robot height from 4 3/4 inches to 6 inches. (3)voyagers size class range in height from 5 3/4 inches to 7 1/4 inches in height.

(1)Yes they count as "bigger" but they are not voyagers as you tried to put it. However they were mostly Deluxes (See RTS and Generations)

(2)Well we do not know that yet, but so far for DOTM Waves we haven't seen any Decepticon Leaders.

(3)Eh that's slightly right.


Just thought I'd point out some stuff. Gyrotron want no part in this arguement. You can do it in PM and stop spamming up this thread and completely drift from what robofreak's original thought was.

deathy wrote:

MagnusPrimal wrote:I say go for it. Even if the price goes up a few dollars. The US economy really needs some manufacturing jobs to return to this country.

What if the higher prices force hasbro to get rid of the bigger scaled TF toys like leaders,supreme & ultra's.

What if the higher prices force Hasbro to limit the number of new mold TF toys made per year or get rid of the sub lines?

would you still be for it?

Yes.

I did not take the UK into account for this, but after thinking about it for a while, I may have a solution.

The UK branch will still handle production however it deems fit whether they continue to produce in China or not, that is to future speculation.

The US market is the main one being affected here since production of the US versions will now be in the US.

Takara will still do it's own thing with how their makes their stuff.

The big things that will change now is that more molds will be produced. 1 set will be owned by Takara and the other will be owned by Hasbro for the US factories.

This might also bring costs down for the UK because they won't see higher prices from US made transformers being imported, Hasbro would not have to do much to drive costs down in the US and with product now made for the UK, they would be able to produce it accordingly in order to price things out for the UK market better.

I don't know if I made sense with that, but I tried.

Even with the move out of China for production, Hasbro and Takara would still work together to create all the shows and characters, toys, etc.

robofreak wrote:I did not take the UK into account for this, but after thinking about it for a while, I may have a solution.

Did you take ANY other markets into account at all?

Burn wrote:

robofreak wrote:I did not take the UK into account for this, but after thinking about it for a while, I may have a solution.

Did you take ANY other markets into account at all?

At the time no. I only really though of Takara continuing to do their own thing. I didn't think about the UK or Australia and how distribution would be affected.

My thought was around seeing what would happen in TF production came to the US. I still need to think about prodcution and distribution on the worldwide scale.

This thread is helping with that. I'm learning stuff I hadn't thought of before.

robofreak wrote:I did not take the UK into account for this, but after thinking about it for a while, I may have a solution.

The UK branch will still handle production however it deems fit whether they continue to produce in China or not, that is to future speculation.

The US market is the main one being affected here since production of the US versions will now be in the US.

Takara will still do it's own thing with how their makes their stuff.

The big things that will change now is that more molds will be produced. 1 set will be owned by Takara and the other will be owned by Hasbro for the US factories.

This might also bring costs down for the UK because they won't see higher prices from US made transformers being imported, Hasbro would not have to do much to drive costs down in the US and with product now made for the UK, they would be able to produce it accordingly in order to price things out for the UK market better.

I don't know if I made sense with that, but I tried.

Even with the move out of China for production, Hasbro and Takara would still work together to create all the shows and characters, toys, etc.

JUST like to add another element to this thread discussion.

I was wondering how this would AFFECT the master molds. are these things easy & cheap to create?


I'd imagine If their were various production assembly TF facories in various countries like America,China & elsewhere. Their would have to be master molds created for various factories.

I'd imagine it wouldn't be a good idea for one assembly factory to take turns using the master molds. as they'd need to get transported/shipped over seas & the risk of them getting damaged or lost/stolen in transit is risky.

Why does everyone think there's master molds?

There's no such thing as a master mold. Only a master prototype that is used to make the mold. It could be a computer generated image or a grey resin test shot. The master is used to make the molds.

If that's the case then why do we hear about molds reaching a point they can no longer be used?

If it's a computer generated image then surely they'd be able to remake the mold and keep churning out older figures yeah?

Burn wrote:If that's the case then why do we hear about molds reaching a point they can no longer be used?

If it's a computer generated image then surely they'd be able to remake the mold and keep churning out older figures yeah?

They could make a new mold after one dies, but it's a cost decision.

it's like $10,000 just to make one set of molds for a figure.Then to have it be cost effective, they need to get at least 4 repaints out if it.

robofreak wrote:

Burn wrote:If that's the case then why do we hear about molds reaching a point they can no longer be used?

If it's a computer generated image then surely they'd be able to remake the mold and keep churning out older figures yeah?

They could make a new mold after one dies, but it's a cost decision.

it's like $10,000 just to make one set of molds for a figure.Then to have it be cost effective, they need to get at least 4 repaints out if it.

At various botcons & those official on-line Q & A's both hasbro & takara refer/call them master molds.

The term Master refers to the set of molds used to create one full TF toy.

Obviously their isn't just one mold,their are a whole bunch. as the average TF toy is a solid brick of plastic.

Takara/Hasbro said these master molds were made out of some type of strong metal.

Most assume the master molds process to create transformers is similar to using a cookie tray full of shapes to create different designed cookies in the oven.

From my understanding,plastic in it's fluid/liquid form gets poured into the various set of master molds to create all the shapes needed that a TF toy has on it's toy body. once the parts get made,then they get assembled by either automated machines or by human workers.

I HONESTLY don't think were their yet in technology to have a image from a computer getting scanned & made into a set of toy parts without using molds to form the parts needed to create a full TF toy.

From my understanding from reading the internet for over 15+ years. from reading all those takara/hasbro interviews from boncon & from on-line. The set of master molds used to create a full transformer toy. CAN BE PUT INTO STORAGE & USED MONTHS/YEARS/DAYS LATER. The more use the set of master molds get,the more they degrade & break.

Yes,NEWER sets of TF master molds can be created when the previous ones break. This was already done numberous times for Transformers.
Example: Reissue soundwave's set of original master molds were partially damaged. so Takara had to take the actual toy & use it to create partial master molds from it. Takara chose not to create a entire new set of master molds for reissue soundwave. takara only chose to create the master molds parts that were degraded like maybe the cassette door or head.

Takara/Hasbro said these master molds were made out of some type of strong metal.

Most assume the master molds process to create transformers is similar to using a cookie tray full of shapes to create different designed cookies in the oven.

From my understanding,plastic in it's fluid/liquid form gets poured into the various set of master molds to create all the shapes needed that a TF toy has on it's toy body. once the parts get made,then they get assembled by either automated machines or by human workers.

I HONESTLY don't think were their yet in technology to have a image from a computer getting scanned & made into a set of toy parts without using molds to form the parts needed to create a full TF toy.

From my understanding from reading the internet for over 15+ years. from reading all those takara/hasbro interviews from boncon & from on-line. The set of master molds used to create a full transformer toy. CAN BE PUT INTO STORAGE & USED MONTHS/YEARS/DAYS LATER. The more use the set of master molds get,the more they degrade & break.

Yes,NEWER sets of TF master molds can be created when the previous ones break. This was already done numberous times for Transformers.
Example: Reissue soundwave's set of original master molds were partially damaged. so Takara had to take the actual toy & use it to create partial master molds from it. Takara chose not to create a entire new set of master molds for reissue soundwave. takara only chose to create the master molds parts that were degraded like maybe the cassette door or head.[/quote]


yet a few posts ago you ask about master molds and if they are hard/easy to make.if you already know the answer or made up your mind why pose the question? also what online sources are you referring to? from 15 years that is.

I want these sources too because this is throwing everything I know about injection molding into question and seeing the process firsthand tells me there is no such thing as a master mold.

A mold is simply a mold that a created from a Master copy of whaever it is they want to make. And yes, it can be a computer generated image. Ask Hoosierdaddy. We had this conversation a while ago and if I could remember the thread, I would point you to it.

Also, if you are so knowledgeable about molds then you would know that molds aren't just made of some typoe of strong metal. They are steel.

Anyways, let's go back to the topic at hand please.

robofreak wrote:I want these sources too because this is throwing everything I know about injection molding into question and seeing the process firsthand tells me there is no such thing as a master mold.

A mold is simply a mold that a created from a Master copy of whaever it is they want to make. And yes, it can be a computer generated image. Ask Hoosierdaddy. We had this conversation a while ago and if I could remember the thread, I would point you to it.

Also, if you are so knowledgeable about molds then you would know that molds aren't just made of some typoe of strong metal. They are steel.

Anyways, let's go back to the topic at hand please.

Sorry I don't have any of the Takara/Hasbro link from 10 to 15+years ago. years ago takara & hasbro explained at various botcons & on-line the master molds process. when various TF fans inquired about why certain G-1 toys like the combiners & dinobots weren't getting re-issues. both companies explained a bit about the master molds process. followed by saying some of the G-1 original master molds either degraded over time,got lost or were stolen.it was also explained that their was some type of Assembly plant relocation that caused some G-1 master molds to be Missing.

HOWEVER,I did do a quick search on the internet & found a interesting article about the MASTER MOLDS toy making process.
ODDLY ENOUGH the Article mentions Hasbro & their various action figures getting made from step one to the last step.

here below is the link:
http://www.enotes.com/how-products-ency ... ion-figure

It would be awesome for any company to bring back the factories to America. Our economy may be better than a year ago but that does not necessarily contribute to the increase of real jobs (no, not minimum jobs, I mean jobs that you actually make a living off of w/out having to get a second one). It's been my opinion that companies reap the benefits of reduces labor costs in other countries and just pocket the difference if they had the product made in the States. They don't really charge less at retail. Companies are looking to Mexico for their factory work as it becomes cheaper than production in China. Yes, that is an actual report that I read.

*facepalm* deathy let's just drop it...
Again, I say yay and nay for the idea. Still a thought to think about though. I'll get back 2 u on this.

Feedback remark, to go back to a time for a full Made in USA product. Correct me if I'm wrong but the early GI Joe vehicles like the Gen Flagg carrier and Sky Stryker were made in the US right? Those bygone years I truely miss. If it could be done then.........