The Energon Pub

I'm a adult TF fan who prefer my TF toys to look more adult designed &
aimed for a higher age buying level. that's why I love the masterpiece
TF toy line is my favorite TF toy line ever. If I had my way,all
takara/hasbro would release is 8 to 10 new mold masterpiece TF toys
per year & that it. in the ultra/leader 8 to 9.5 size level. I'd
rather buy 8 to 10 superp perfection toys than 30 awful/short cuts/
inferior TF toys. FOR ME IT'S ALL ABOUT QUALITY & NOT QUANITY WHEN I BUY TF TOYS.

Lets all pretend/dis-regard the fact stores won't carry 8 to 10 MP TF toys per year. due to shelf space,price tags,no media promoting the toys & the fact the high price makes e'm move a bit slower on the store shelves.

Before you say,YEA or nay,Here's a top 20 list of Masterpiece Transformers toys you would be able to buy in stores within a 2 year time frame period.

(1) Galvatron,based off the 1986 cartoon/movie designs. with a laser canon alt mode. Around the same robot height 9.4 inches tall to be in scale with MP Rodimus.

(2) Soundwave, looks like the 1984 toy in both modes. 8 inches tall in robot mode,to be similar height to the MP seekers. comes with some cassetes & all his weapons/batteries.

(3) Star saber,voyager or ultra sized

(4) victorleo,voyager or ultra sized,combines with starsabre in both robot & super sonic jet mode

(5) Shockwave,in size scale with MP Grimlock in robot mode,since both were rivals in the comics. looks like the 1985 shockwave toy/cartoon characters in both modes.

(6) Masterforce overlord,2 voyager sized tank+stealt long jet that form a super robot known as overlord. comes with accessories & power masters.

(7) Masterpiece Sixshot,some realistic styled alt modes,around 9.5 inches in robot height. can get recolored/remolded into other characters like Rid megatron,greatshot brave shadowmaru.

(8) 1986 Predacons,5 deluxe sized MP toys,eithe released as a gift set or all sold seperatly. or sold both ways

(9) 1984 Devestator,six deluxe or basic sized toys,released as a gift set or sold seperatly or sold both ways.

(10) Masterpiece Blitzwing,2 realistic army tank & jet modes. 8 inches tall in height.

(11) Quickswitch,some realitic alt modes. 8 inches tall in robot mode.

(12) Masterpiece Cyclonus,uiltra 8 to 8.5 inches tall in robot height. looks exactly like the 1986 cartoon/movie cyclonus in both modes & color.

(13) Masterpiece fortress maximus,around 14 inches in robot height. double headmaster toy with accessories.

(14) Masterpiece Blaster,a realistic boom box,around 7 to 7.5 inches tall in robot mode.

(15) G-1 styled megatron,the entire riffle gun with extensions that transforms into a robot mode megatron. like the 1986 cartoon/movie showed. around 8 to 8.5 inches tall in robot mode.

(16) Masterpiece Metroplex,around 11 inches tall in robot mode. instead of a rolling aircraft carrier on wheels,I prefer a water based aircraft carrier alt mode similar in design to armada tidalwave.

(17) Masterpiece Generation 2 big breen 1993 Megatron toy. around 8.5 to 9 inches tall in robot mode.

(18) Masterpiece PMOP/Super ginrai. No it won't be in scale thus biggger than MP-01 Convoy. getting a almost 2 foot toy isn't my cup of tea. This PMOP MP toys would stand around 10 inches tall in combined mode. the smaller/regular cab/bot would be voyager size. the trailer would be a suit of armor. the smaller cab/bot would look more like 1984 optimus toy than that god/awful turn around robot mode the PMOP toy came it.

(19) Masterpiece Ultra magnus,that looks & feels like the Titanium 6 inch G-1 new mold toy. around 8 to 9 inches tall in robot mode. no trailer armor,I want a one piece transformtion like the cartoon/movie showed.

(20) Masterpiece Diatulas,8 Inches tall in robot mode.

(21) Masterpiece Deathsauras. around 8.5 to 9 inches tall in robot mode.

ahhh ... no. I don't think many of us have that sort of disposable income.

They might be cool, but I wouldn't be interested in them.

I like to have variety of class sizes and masterpiece detail in large quantities is a little too much. I'll let them stick with doing one of those a year.

Besides, if there were only Masterpiece figures, the line would die out pretty fast. No kids will buy them.

Besides, we as kids helped make the franchise what it is today. Without kid interest, they won't last long.

Too much on that list is an easy pass for me. I could stomach maybe 4-6 releases per year if that's all we were getting. Of course collecting would be pretty damn boring then. I like the diversity of the brand despite not having an interest in roughly 60% or more of what hits shelves.

Burn wrote:ahhh ... no. I don't think many of us have that sort of disposable income.

If one is buying from Takara the $10 per year MP TF toys per year would cost around $1,300.

If one is buying the 10 per year MP TF toys from Hasbro,depending on the size of the toy. a 8 inch MP seeker only cost $49.99. MP Grimlock only cost $59.99. 20TH/25 Optimus prime cost $70 because he was 12 inches tall. so on average if one was to buy 10 MP TF toys from Hasbro per year they'd cost no more than $60 each & all 10 would cost no more than $700 for the year. THIS IS NOT A LOT OF MONEY TO SPEND CONSIDERING WERE ALL NOT 10 YEARS OLD. THE MAJORITY OF US OLDER FANS ARE OVER 26 YEARS OF AGE.

Well various TF fans find the EXTRA/HIGH income/money to spend buy all those Botcon toys per year,that easily totals to around $500. NOTE that $500 Price is if you buy all the botcon toys first hand. if your buying the box set,souvenir add-on & freebiw wihich cost $70 to $125+ from second hand scouces than that could easily around more more than $900+ dollars.

Lets not forget about all those 3rd party TF toys that various fans buy. depending on how many different ones you buy per year. that could easily total anywhere from $200 up to $2,000

Various TF fans buy up all those takara store exclusive repaints for over $100 each. various TF fans paying tripple price+shipping fees for all those better colored/more detailed hasbro version toys sold by takara like animated,classics,movie verse,etc....

If someomne/various TF fans were to be a COMPLETIST & buy a entire year worth of Hasbro Transformers from america. getting every single toy,from every single different TF banner brand released that year.
that could easily total more than $800 dollars per year.

Nope. These days I can barely afford the occasional Voyager, let alone a masterpiece. I would've loved to grab one of the MP Grimlocks that were gathering dust at the local TRU a few months back, but for the $70 it cost I could buy 5-6 Deluxes instead

From a personal perspective, with a mortgage and other living expenses, on average $120/month is a lot to spend on TF's.

So yes, I can see many others being in the same boat as me and not having that sort of disposable income.

Burn wrote:From a personal perspective, with a mortgage and other living expenses, on average $120/month is a lot to spend on TF's.

So yes, I can see many others being in the same boat as me and not having that sort of disposable income.

If your buying the Hasbro MP TF version. then it doesn't cost $120 per month for one Hasbro version MP TF toy.

Hasbro has never charged that much $120 for a MP TF toy. the hasbro MP TF seekers cost $49.99 at full price. Hasbro MP TF TRU grimlock cost $59.99. Hasbro 20th/25th MP TF optimus prime cost around $65

deathy wrote:

Burn wrote:From a personal perspective, with a mortgage and other living expenses, on average $120/month is a lot to spend on TF's.

So yes, I can see many others being in the same boat as me and not having that sort of disposable income.

If your buying the Hasbro MP TF version. then it doesn't cost $120 per month for one Hasbro version MP TF toy.

Hasbro has never charged that much $120 for a MP TF toy. the hasbro MP TF seekers cost $49.99 at full price. Hasbro MP TF TRU grimlock cost $59.99. Hasbro 20th/25th MP TF optimus prime cost around $65

You're argument is still flawed. The situation you are dreaming of involves wanting nothing but premium grade stuff that fetches a high price tag.

The entire hobby boils down to kids. The dominant buying force are kids and parents. Main sellers are Scout and Deluxe sizes. Voyagers and leaders for kids that have been really good or scrounging their allowance.

Heck, I only own 3 MP figures. Often times I can't justify the cost. I want an MP Rodimus and Grimlock, but for that cost, I'll be able to buy other stuff.

Yes, US Hasbro releases might be cheaper, but I'll buy 6 deluxes before I drop $60 on an MP and may even skip the MP altogether.

deathy wrote:If your buying the Hasbro MP TF version. then it doesn't cost $120 per month for one Hasbro version MP TF toy.

Hasbro has never charged that much $120 for a MP TF toy. the hasbro MP TF seekers cost $49.99 at full price. Hasbro MP TF TRU grimlock cost $59.99. Hasbro 20th/25th MP TF optimus prime cost around $65

Yes yes, you can run the numbers.

Allow me to run some numbers for you.

Hasbro's Masterpieces are only released in Australia via TRU. MP Starscream? Yeah, he's sitting on the shelf at around $200AU.

Takara's Masterpiece Magnus which was released in Australia as a Target exclusive retailed for over $100AU.

Just remember, not everyone is from America and sometimes importing from Japan is actually the cheaper option for them even if they are still over $150.

I don't know about the proposed lineup of hypothetical MPs, but I could probably go either way. I love MP figs, but I also love Classics. As impressive as the Classics figs have been the last few years, I'd probably actually rather have like 10+ Classics figs over what one MP runs. But I'd rather one MP over 10 movie figs and the like.

With the current price of a Masterpiece figure, no, I can't afford that. Also, I want good movie figures. I love the aesthetic of the animation and love it when the toys get it right. I'm also looking forward to getting some TF:P toys.

You shouldn't want that, actually. It would be a sign that the line is dying. Why?

1.) Not every figure deserves Masterpiece treatment, so they'll run out of options, fast.
2.) Not every Masterpiece figure sells, some are horrible shelfwarmers.
3.) 10 figures per year is not only expensive, but it limits what you can buy and what you can get.
4.) Not everyone is into Masterpieces.

Even TakaraTomy, as collector oriented as they are, they don't focus solely on Masterpiece figures. They're currently working on Animated, United, and they'll be producing DOTM figures, plus working on Masterpieces. As much as they strive for quality over quantity, even they know Masterpiece only would be a bad move.

You know what their next Masterpiece is? A smaller, fully redesigned Optimus coming with a trailer and Roller, plus all of his accessories. Price tag? $275.00

No one will sign up to buy 10 of those a year. No.

I sold all my MP's and saved MP Convoy. Why? Because I consider them inferior. Yes, they're detailed and complex, but QC is horrible, stessmarks appear when you even look at them, RUST YES RUST and have we mentioned the prices and the complete lack of creativity? Classics are superior. Why? Cheap, playable and fun. I can give them to my daughter to play with and they would come back okay. Try that with Skywarp. Hell, he broke right out of the box.
If we'd only ever get MP's, we'd only ever get characters we already know. So much for the toyline.

Burn wrote:

deathy wrote:If your buying the Hasbro MP TF version. then it doesn't cost $120 per month for one Hasbro version MP TF toy.

Hasbro has never charged that much $120 for a MP TF toy. the hasbro MP TF seekers cost $49.99 at full price. Hasbro MP TF TRU grimlock cost $59.99. Hasbro 20th/25th MP TF optimus prime cost around $65

Yes yes, you can run the numbers.

Allow me to run some numbers for you.

Hasbro's Masterpieces are only released in Australia via TRU. MP Starscream? Yeah, he's sitting on the shelf at around $200AU.

Takara's Masterpiece Magnus which was released in Australia as a Target exclusive retailed for over $100AU.

Just remember, not everyone is from America and sometimes importing from Japan is actually the cheaper option for them even if they are still over $150.

Totally!

Where I am in Australia, we had Skywarp MP for $150 at Toy World, but I bought him on clearance for $50. Grimlock was at $150 as was Starscream at TRU. Ghost Starscream is currently $250 (for real) at my local TRUs.
At my hobby store, Starscream (Hasbro), Megatron, Optimus (Last Shot), Skywarp and Thundercracker (Takara) and Ghost Starscream are $170, Grimlock is $190, Hot Rod is $270 while Optimus (Complete Edition) is going for $350.
Unfortunately I wasn't a Transformers fan in time for Magnus though...

Austrailia doesn't only have exspensive MP TF toys. austraila has exspensive EVERYTHING transformers toys.

robofreak wrote:

deathy wrote:

Burn wrote:From a personal perspective, with a mortgage and other living expenses, on average $120/month is a lot to spend on TF's.

So yes, I can see many others being in the same boat as me and not having that sort of disposable income.

If your buying the Hasbro MP TF version. then it doesn't cost $120 per month for one Hasbro version MP TF toy.

Hasbro has never charged that much $120 for a MP TF toy. the hasbro MP TF seekers cost $49.99 at full price. Hasbro MP TF TRU grimlock cost $59.99. Hasbro 20th/25th MP TF optimus prime cost around $65

You're argument is still flawed. The situation you are dreaming of involves wanting nothing but premium grade stuff that fetches a high price tag.

The entire hobby boils down to kids. The dominant buying force are kids and parents. Main sellers are Scout and Deluxe sizes. Voyagers and leaders for kids that have been really good or scrounging their allowance.

Heck, I only own 3 MP figures. Often times I can't justify the cost. I want an MP Rodimus and Grimlock, but for that cost, I'll be able to buy other stuff.

Yes, US Hasbro releases might be cheaper, but I'll buy 6 deluxes before I drop $60 on an MP and may even skip the MP altogether.

Sorry,I prefer quality over quanity.

buying stuff because it's dirt cheap in price & getting inferior stuff full of short cuts,low quality & cheap engineering JUST IS MY STYLE/CUP OF TEA.

I don't need to own 20 basics or 40 legends. I'd rather just own one amazing MP TF toy instead.

You didn't get robofreak's point. I also don't think you understand the real costs of things all over the world. Also, you are assuming that everyone in the fandom shares your opinion that MP figures are superior. That is just an opinion, not fact. I absolutely love MP figures, but many other figures in several lines mean as much or more to me. Also, quality is not a MP strong point. To look at, yes. To actually handle on a consistent basis.....well, they are a joke. They are very close to being little more than display pieces. Finally, producing only MP figures will alienate the kids and the parents who are going to drop this much money on one figure. Even if a parent is willing to buy one for their kid, they will not go back and buy more because the thing will fall apart as soon as the kid actually PLAYS with it.

Without the standard lines, MP figures would never make it. And shouldn't.

i got one of these guys on ebay not too long ago, ive got him displayed next to my masterpiece figures, hes as tall as the MP seekers and comes with all the accessories as the original. he also has a giant lazerbeak and giant ravage with their accessories. http://cgi.ebay.com/TF-KO-Remake-Oversi ... 3cb77ca4c6

Masterpiece Transformers are superior to everything else,that's not opinion that's well documented facts by both takara & Hasbro.

Masterpiece Transformers are treated as labors of love by Takara. they really try their hardest to create something special & unigue with these MP TF toys. more man power,more resources & higher grade materials gets used for these MP TF toys. each time a MP TF toy is created the limits of toy engineering,sculpt & poseabilty are raised thru the roof & newer toy technolgy is created just for these MP TF toys.

Masterpiece Transformers have the highest & most adult sculpt out of all the transformers toys ever created in existance.

the toy engineering in these masterpiece transformers are far superior to any transformers ever created. it's extremly clear the MP TF toy engineering is so advanced & state of the art,it's ahead of it time.

the amount of super poseable joints & articulations is more than other REGULAR/NON-MP transformers have.

While other/non-MP transformers have short cuts everywhere from sculpt,engineering,poseability,paint apps. these MP TF toys are short cut free.

Sorry quanity is not what I go for when I buy transformers old/new mold toys. Personally I'd rather buy 20 new mold MP TF toys & i'd be done buying anything else. rather than buying inferior TF new mold toys every week/month/years.

For a franchise with hundreds of characters (and many with several different interpretations), only ten figures a year is woefully limited.

And quantity doesn't mean poor quality. We've gotten a LOT of real gems lately (even if they've gotten drowned out by the pegwarmers, but that's a distribution issue).

I find it odd/strange,that some complaining about the high price tags of these MP TF toys & say they can't afford them. are the same people who have ZERO problem spending over $600 for a years worth of Botcon toys. have zero problem paying tripple price for the takara versions because they have a shinny coat of paint on the toys. have zero problem buying all those japanese store exclusives toys for hundreds of dollars for a minicon/deluxe/whatever.

Do you know for FACT that those of us who are saying it would be unaffordable are in fact spending that amount of money on BotCon and other stuff? Do you?

This is absolutely ridiculous. I can't believe some of the crap I'm hearing.

EDITED comment out.

I need to clarify.

My statement was harsh, but it's still true.

I own Masterpiece Rodimus. I love it.
It's also imperfect with many flaws.

Reports of flaps snapping off, pegs snapping off, legs breaking at the knees, etc.

That is not perfect engineering. That is not perfect build quality or materials.

Your opinion is valid, but only as an opinion. You are stating it as fact, and therefore it is not valid.

You are wrong, sir. That's not an opinion, it's a fact. You do not have the facts or the truth on your side this time.

Starscream GaGa wrote:

Burn wrote:

deathy wrote:If your buying the Hasbro MP TF version. then it doesn't cost $120 per month for one Hasbro version MP TF toy.

Hasbro has never charged that much $120 for a MP TF toy. the hasbro MP TF seekers cost $49.99 at full price. Hasbro MP TF TRU grimlock cost $59.99. Hasbro 20th/25th MP TF optimus prime cost around $65

Yes yes, you can run the numbers.

Allow me to run some numbers for you.

Hasbro's Masterpieces are only released in Australia via TRU. MP Starscream? Yeah, he's sitting on the shelf at around $200AU.

Takara's Masterpiece Magnus which was released in Australia as a Target exclusive retailed for over $100AU.

Just remember, not everyone is from America and sometimes importing from Japan is actually the cheaper option for them even if they are still over $150.

Totally!

Where I am in Australia, we had Skywarp MP for $150 at Toy World, but I bought him on clearance for $50. Grimlock was at $150 as was Starscream at TRU. Ghost Starscream is currently $250 (for real) at my local TRUs.
At my hobby store, Starscream (Hasbro), Megatron, Optimus (Last Shot), Skywarp and Thundercracker (Takara) and Ghost Starscream are $170, Grimlock is $190, Hot Rod is $270 while Optimus (Complete Edition) is going for $350.
Unfortunately I wasn't a Transformers fan in time for Magnus though...

The high prices for toys in Austraila is neither Hasbro nor Takara's problem.

These high toy prices in Austraila is a goverment's problem.

Stuff is cheap to buy in america due to the Minium working wage being under $6.25 per hour.

Stuff cost more in Austrailia & Japan because the working minium wage is way higher than $6.25 per hour.

on average,people who live in Austrailia & Japan get paid more for the labor/work they do. so ofcause stuff to buy will be higher in price to buy. this is called evening out the scales.

In america,we have what most call a "Illegial imigration" & out-sourcing work Problems. because of this most companies refuse to raise the work/labor minium wage level. we've had the same exact minium wage level for 30+years now. because the average person gets paid less,the stuff to buy cost less. it's called balancing out the scales.

Years ago their were talks about raising the American work/labor minium wage level by $2 to 3 dollars per hour. the out cry from the companies & retails store chains were as follows: to make up for paying workers more in america,we will have to raise prices on food,clothes,toys,electronics,taxes & anything else one can think of. it's called balancing out the scales.

the Austrailan government has put a penalty tax/price on luxury stuff like toys. Again this isn't a hasbro/Takara problem,this is a goverment problem. if anyone in austraia wants solutions then write the govement & state officials & try to change the law.