The Energon Pub

ok so in what 5 years, judging by the state of inflation, the Botcon sets are going to be like what a Grand!!!!


On ebay the 2007 Botcon set, bid starting at $520.00!!!!! Loose Bagged version.. not even the real boxed set!!!!

Screw that f-ing Shite!! What a f-ing ripp off, see this kinda F-ing Shite is why i can't stand crap like this!!!!
http://cgi.ebay.com/BotCon-2007-Transfo ... dZViewItem

Defend it all you like Counterpunch, I still say the Botcon exclusives are too freakin Expensive, and should have been made for all fans.. this bites!!!!!


What a sham!!!

Rip offs like this on ebay really piss me off.. and not only that its what a sign of the times nowadays!!!! I hope this crap brings the franchise to its knees and causes serious changes to occur, like with what happened in the comics industry when in the 1990s there were too many exclusive covers and such and it became a hobby that was tiring and expensive and not worth it anymore, thats another reason i quit comics, and this stupid Botcon stuff is sending me that way with this hobby..!!!


Defend this crap all you like, it still doesn't negate the fact that there are like a Bazillion exclusives being released this year and on top of that the Hot Rodimus alternators figure also became an exclusive for the SDCC comic con, and sells on eBay for like 55.00 MISB.. what a rip off considering it'll be available to order from Hasbro's own toyshop!!!...

F.... this crap!!!!!!


Forget the Disgruntled Brits, what about us disgruntled Non-Botcon Attendees??

its not my fault I can't go this year, and get stuff at a cheap rate just by being there.. I have a company to run..most of us have to work or are just unable to afford to go.. then they charge over 200.00 for the repaint sets, and expect us to just abide by it, because of production costs?? how much does Paint cost these days!!!!???

At least with the Masterpiece line up i can get a decent and pretty detailed figure at like what 88.00 to 100.00... While a repaint box set that includes figure originally sold in US stores for like 10.00 a piece, which have been repainted are now 50.00 a piece!!!


This is stupid!!! I really wanted those Botcon sets, and yeah i didn't jump at the chances to buy one because of the price.. you know not all us fans out here in the world have the money to save up to buy stuff like that!!!!!

I'd rather shop around and forget Botcon exclusives even exist!!! but it does bite though because the stories and expanded content are cool..

but too damn rich for my Blood, I'll Pass!!!!!!!

my rant is over!!! Don't like what I just wrote, sorry..and if you feel my pain, then feel free to rant as well!!!

Well, it seems that not only does Botcon/Hasbro overcharge for these things, so do ebay scalpers. I can't stand them.

Thundercracker should be $10
Thrust should be $10
Dirge should be $10
Bugbite should be $10
Evil Jetfire should be $20

That totals to $60.00

Even if you triple the prices of each, they are still under $200 ($180) for all of them. But instead, each one is well OVER $100 each, conservatively.

Talk about finding a great way to exploit fans who will buy this stuff, and screw the majority who want these, but not for those prices. Oh well. I guess I'll have to find a Starscream to customize. I'll probably screw it up. Painting isn't something I am good at.

Those things should be made out of gold for those high BotCon prices...

Plus I hate Exclusives, because they are exclusive

what would be damned decent of Hasbro would be to release the Botcon sets at a fair and reasonable price, one per month, available from their website with a wide release, so everyone could get them!!!!

That way those of us who can only muster enough cash from paycheck to paycheck after our bills are paid can afford to get those sets one at a time, instead of flooding the stupid cons with exclusives and expecting everyone to have saved their tax return money to buy all that crap up!!! its insane, ridiculous, and greedy!!!!

its not fair to the fan community, and is completely and utterly Capitalistic to a fault!!!

this is not a way to build a loyal fanbase, and certainly bolsters animosity for those sets and exclusives!!!There are those of us, who may never be able to afford to attend a Botcon, or afford to get these stupid sets!!! thats the reality of the situation...


With all the merchandise that is being released, and the previous toys that we have to hunt down, plus the Botcon exclusives, SDCC exclusives, ect,, ect,, its a wonder why any of us are still here collecting!!!!

its not my fault I can't go this year, and get stuff at a cheap rate just by being there.. I have a company to run..most of us have to work or are just unable to afford to go.. then they charge over 200.00 for the repaint sets, and expect us to just abide by it, because of production costs?? how much does Paint cost these days!!!!???

Ya, I mean its not like the guy in the sweat shop in china who is air brushing them makes a ton of money.

Well, it isn't just unfair for those who can not afford them, it's also an insult to those who can. I can buy them off of ebay at their prices. I can also buy them direct from Botcon if I wanted to. But I won't because that is just too much for small plastic toys. Way too much.

Starscreams bad comedy wrote:

its not my fault I can't go this year, and get stuff at a cheap rate just by being there.. I have a company to run..most of us have to work or are just unable to afford to go.. then they charge over 200.00 for the repaint sets, and expect us to just abide by it, because of production costs?? how much does Paint cost these days!!!!???

Ya, I mean its not like the guy in the sweat shop in china who is air brushing them makes a ton of money.

Be careful there. In our standards, they don't. But over there, it's a great gig. If it weren't, they wouldn't be doing it otherwise.

Not so long ago (maybe a couple of months ago), there was a news story about jobs going overseas. A lot of the workers are thrilled since they can now afford a lot more things in their country because of those "sweat shops". What we percieve is different than what they percieve. I personally wish none of our products were made in other countries, but that's simply not going to happen.

Shrug. I agree with you they are over priced but I wanted a set so I did the Iacon package. It's pretty common in just about every avenue of collecting to have things that are much more rare and valueable than others.

It's also an issue of supply and demand.

Yeah, it sucks. I would have much rathered paid $10 each for those figures. Hell I would rather pay $10 for the clear Mirage I'll end up spending a bunch of money for on eBay but I'm willing to do it because I want it.

It's not just in collectables though it's everywhere. Some people drive Fords because they can't afford or don't think a BMW is worth the money. Some people cook and eat at home instead of going out. It's pretty much the same thing.

Sportimus Prime wrote:

Starscreams bad comedy wrote:

its not my fault I can't go this year, and get stuff at a cheap rate just by being there.. I have a company to run..most of us have to work or are just unable to afford to go.. then they charge over 200.00 for the repaint sets, and expect us to just abide by it, because of production costs?? how much does Paint cost these days!!!!???

Ya, I mean its not like the guy in the sweat shop in china who is air brushing them makes a ton of money.

Be careful there. In our standards, they don't. But over there, it's a great gig. If it weren't, they wouldn't be doing it otherwise.

Not so long ago (maybe a couple of months ago), there was a news story about jobs going overseas. A lot of the workers are thrilled since they can now afford a lot more things in their country because of those "sweat shops". What we percieve is different than what they percieve. I personally wish none of our products were made in other countries, but that's simply not going to happen.

I agree... and there are those who perceive these Botcon sets as great and worth the price to refinance their house or whatever it costs to get them, but they need to realize that not all of the fandom can afford or wants to pay out those stupid prices for those repainted figures..

I can't paint them myself, and I would want them to be official, so from my perspective and how I see it, we are being grossly neglected and over charged for exclusives, and on top of that there are the 2nd market scalpers who should just sit on their inventory and stop showcasing expensive crap, that is simply not worth it..

I really wanted the Batman Begins figure form Takara, BUT HE SELLS FOR LIKE 400.00 ONLINE in the secondary market.. i have to pass on him, though it kills me...i can't afford that. and out of sheer spite I wouldn't pay that price either!!!

even Hasbro's fan site has Botcon sets on order for like 299.00 if your not a member thats almost close to the scalpers price.. and both are not including shipping costs!!!

Sportimus Prime wrote:

Starscreams bad comedy wrote:

its not my fault I can't go this year, and get stuff at a cheap rate just by being there.. I have a company to run..most of us have to work or are just unable to afford to go.. then they charge over 200.00 for the repaint sets, and expect us to just abide by it, because of production costs?? how much does Paint cost these days!!!!???

Ya, I mean its not like the guy in the sweat shop in china who is air brushing them makes a ton of money.

Be careful there. In our standards, they don't. But over there, it's a great gig. If it weren't, they wouldn't be doing it otherwise.

Not so long ago (maybe a couple of months ago), there was a news story about jobs going overseas. A lot of the workers are thrilled since they can now afford a lot more things in their country because of those "sweat shops". What we percieve is different than what they percieve. I personally wish none of our products were made in other countries, but that's simply not going to happen.

I was speaking realtive to the cost of production. Im not opposed to "sweat shop" labor for the reasons that you mentioned.

Starscreams bad comedy wrote:I was speaking realtive to the cost of production. Im not opposed to "sweat shop" labor for the reasons that you mentioned.

Ah, I see now. Okay.

I'm not so much mad at the opening prices for those auctions, its the morons willing to pay that much that makes everyone think they are going to be worth that much.

Greed on the auctioneers plain and simple.

Maldroth wrote:I'm not so much mad at the opening prices for those auctions, its the morons willing to pay that much that makes everyone think they are going to be worth that much.

As crude as this is it is true.
It is a supply demand thing in the end.
There is a short supply and a huge demand which drives higher prices.

It sucks big time unfortunately that is how things are with supply and demand.

Hasbro could have made more for a "semi mass online release" but they did not so the supply is limited.

well as you see now more folks are starting auctions and they are reasonable, we will have to see how the bidding ends.

Mirage I'd expect to be about 50, its Alpha Trion I'm curious about, its the one I really want, well okay Huffer too. Perhpas some of our Seibertronian guys will make an offer in the trade forums.

Frankly I wouldn't care at all if they had picked charcters and designs that no one really cared about like previous Botcons. I went to Botcon 05 because it was like 20 minutes from my house. How could I not go?

But I didn't buy the figure set. I didn't really care they weren't anything I would have bought had they been $10 each on the store shelf. For those that like having that unique exclusive set more power to them. Last years was kind of neat, again nothing I cared about but an interesting concept.

This year though it seems they intentionally picked a set that they knew wouldn't go overwell with the fans that couldn't or wouldn't pay the high prices of the exclusives. Hasbro has to know nearly every fans has been salivating over the classics line. And what was the first thing EVERYONE said when Starscream was first revealed? Where are the seekers, give us the seekers. And so they do, but not in the way we wanted them. And now we have a case of the haves and the have nots. And if you have not there isn't much you can do about it. Even if you had the gumption to repaint them you would still never get Thrust.

This complaining makes me sick.

I like it. Because of the rants already posted on this thread, I've gotten alot of things off my chest and I haven't had to type a word of it. Good for me.

I know there are plenty of these threads, but this is the final straw, especially after seeing all the cool things going on at Botcon, I'm not really jealous, it just makes me sad to not be a part of it as a fan, and then if I want a souvenier or a Bot from the con, to feel as if I was a part of this event, I have to pay through the Nose??!!! I have to search for it through the secondary Market and pay gouging prices?? All because Hasbro won't increase supply for the demand??? its rediculous!! it slaps us fans in the face!!! It doesn't make me feel all that appreciated as a fan.. !! it kinda says, "yeah so you can't make it, but your gonna have to pay and pay alot to get what we offered, Deal with it!!"

Not a really great incentive to make me want to go..

I think its an honest situation of Hasbro not expecting classics to be liked so well by the older fans. I wouldn't be surprised to hear something like this said at a pannel there.

Maldroth wrote:I think its an honest situation of Hasbro not expecting classics to be liked so well by the older fans. I wouldn't be surprised to hear something like this said at a pannel there.

Since I can't be there, I seriously hope someone has the "Guts" to bring this up!!!

Speaking of refinancing your house for a Botcon set. I saw a guy at Botcon today with his wife and three kids. He picked up 4 sets with 4 bagged. Fun way to start a college fund.

skywarp-2 wrote:Defend it all you like Counterpunch

hrm?

me?

I don't have to defend anything. I have two sets.

Boxed! with all the exclusives! for the low, low price of $280 per box. I even got to go to the convention for free with that purchase.

I'm shocked, capital 'SHHH', that these are selling for more now.

It's inconceivable!

I got two of the souvenier sets too. I hope they go for more too, wouldn't that be a hoot?

Counterpunch wrote:

skywarp-2 wrote:Defend it all you like Counterpunch

hrm?

me?

I don't have to defend anything. I have two sets.

Boxed! with all the exclusives! for the low, low price of $280 per box. I even got to go to the convention for free with that purchase.

I'm shocked, capital 'SHHH', that these are selling for more now.

It's inconceivable!

I got two of the souvenier sets too. I hope they go for more too, wouldn't that be a hoot?

Actualy, I think the sets will go for the most since noone was able to get them by mail like the Iacon package.

Counterpunch wrote:

skywarp-2 wrote:Defend it all you like Counterpunch

hrm?

me?

I don't have to defend anything. I have two sets.

Boxed! with all the exclusives! for the low, low price of $280 per box. I even got to go to the convention for free with that purchase.

I'm shocked, capital 'SHHH', that these are selling for more now.

It's inconceivable!

I got two of the souvenier sets too. I hope they go for more too, wouldn't that be a hoot?

Must be nice!!!!

skywarp-2 wrote:

Maldroth wrote:I think its an honest situation of Hasbro not expecting classics to be liked so well by the older fans. I wouldn't be surprised to hear something like this said at a pannel there.

Since I can't be there, I seriously hope someone has the "Guts" to bring this up!!!

Wouldn't be the first time corporate america underestimated its consumer market, and we all know the only consideration given to collectors by Hasbro is the TFclub. That's not a dig its a fact. I think that Fun pub wasn't expecting the set to sell out before the con, that's a first, also thev've ordered the most this year compared to others.

Ratchet was a limited run of what 400-500? Alpha Trion and the others are 1400!

Honestly I'm waiting to see the prices fall when more auctions show up when folks get home from the con and want to sell there items. Not everyone can hope to get $100+ for the clear mirage.