The Energon Pub

Yotsuyasan wrote:

-Kanrabat- wrote:As for UM, this is what I got, brand new:
http://chimungmung.com/product_info.php ... ts_id=1966

Yup, definitely the Hasbro version there. Even says, "This toy is original by HASBRO" in the description. Hence why you have elongated missiles on that guy, too.

Oh yeah, Hasbro. Still, it may be Hasbro ASIA because I never see the thing announced in brick-n-mortar stores in North America.

Speaking of Magnus, I would like a "Optimus Prime" colored G1 Ultra Magnus, just to have Optimus Prime in his supposed first super mode armor.

I should maybe buy the Diaclone version for that purpose, but I kinda don't want to sell any organs right now.

-Kanrabat- wrote:Oh yeah, Hasbro. Still, it may be Hasbro ASIA because I never see the thing announced in brick-n-mortar stores in North America.

Well, it was released to Toys Я Us stores in 2002, as were all domestic G1 reissues except for Sideswipe, who ended up at KB Toys.

Aparently, according to the TF Wiki, Ultra Magnus also had a surprise reissue in 2012, and that one would have been to Hasbro Asia markets. And the way to tell that is to look at the trailer hitch. Is it solid? Or does it have a 5mm peg hole in it? If it is solid, then it is the 2002 reissue. If it has the peg hole, then it is the altered mold from when the G1 cab was sold in a two-pack with a Dark of the Moon Optimus Prime, As seen here in this image from this very article with a G1 Optimus Prime holding his gun in vehicle mode in a way no G1 Prime should be able to:



And that would be the 2012 reissue.

Yup, mine is defenitely the "suprise" 2012 reissue because the trailer hitch DOES have the 5mm hole in it. Heh, the more you know.

Of course, the previous links I gave from BBTS and Chimung are both selling the 2012 version as well.

Saw some discussion about Takara's Ultra Magnus reissue having long missiles, which it doesn't. Only the Hasbro version does. Full galleries of both can be found on Seibertron.com.

http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/new-galleries-g1-reissue-ultra-magnus-movie-preview-version-ultra-magnus-and-matrix-glow-magnus/31971/

Takara reissue gallery



Hasbro Commemorative reissue gallery

I rather like DotM Deluxe Optimus, not so much by his own merits but because he scales nicely with my Movie Cons.


I'm a Decepticon fan, so all my Optimus purchases are based on how well he looks with his enemies...



Also:

Who's the tiny tiny Prime at the bottom that looks like a truck grill?

Noideaforaname wrote:Who's the tiny tiny Prime at the bottom that looks like a truck grill?

That is a good question! He looks like he may have some sort of digital display like a watch or something, on him, too.

Yotsuyasan wrote:

Noideaforaname wrote:Who's the tiny tiny Prime at the bottom that looks like a truck grill?

That is a good question! He looks like he may have some sort of digital display like a watch or something, on him, too.

It's the DOTM watch. I got it as a random gift, but I keep it sealed.

Fun fact ... the DOTM Bumblebee and Optimus Prime watches were actually remolded into the Transformers Prime Bumblebee and Optimus Prime. I got them last year online from JC Penney.

griftimus prime wrote:the beast wars convoys are not optimus prime though.

Optimizzy wrote:but I haven't bought a Fire Convoy or a Big Convoy since I don't consider them versions of Prime.

Oh man, I cannot wait for us to discuss this. Firstly, while Convoy and Optimus Prime are interchangeable in certain fictions, they sometimes split off in others. Since Convoy was often the japanese version of Prime, I thought it was only fair to include Convoy here too (so these are the best toys of both Primes and Convoys). Optimus Prime is indeed the US version of Fire Convoy : http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Optimus_Prime_(RID)
So I am not sure why you dont consider him Optimus, let me know.

But for Big Convoy, it gets super interesting and I want to know your thoughts. While he may not be Optimus Prime, he surely isn't Optimus Primal/Beast Convoy. He seems to be a beast version of Convoy/Prime instead just like Fire Convoy or Galaxy Convoy is a version of Convoy/Optimus.

What seals the deal for me in terms of Big Convoy is that he was Nemesis Prime in the US. By definition, Nemsis Prime is an evil clone of Optimus right? Meaning that for every Nemesis Prime there should be an Optimus Prime, correct? So for that Nemesis Prime to exist, then there would have to be an Optimus Prime for him to be the counter to. And that Optimus Prime, while not released as a toy does have a Japanese counterpart in the form of Big Convoy. Thus Big Convoy is more part of the lineage of Primes/Convoys than Primals and Beast Convoys. That was my logic, let me know what you think. In the end, this toy makes more sense on this list than on a best Optimus Primal list, basically. What do you guys think?

Oh and kanrabat, I was looking at pics of Alternity Optimus. He seems to transform basically the same way as Megatron, right? Is there a significantly different step in the transformation or the way he comes together?

william-james88 wrote:Oh and kanrabat, I was looking at pics of Alternity Optimus. He seems to transform basically the same way as Megatron, right? Is there a significantly different step in the transformation or the way he comes together?

Alternity Optimus and Megatron are kinda like brothers. Both vehicles are similar but not the same. The chest and arms have a very similar transformation but there are some differences. The legs transform completely differently.

Anyway, if you don't have the mold, I would defenitely recommend you a Alternity Optimus. The original, or any character of the Super GT line. As usual, they are expensive as hell so you better do some digging to find one at clearance price.

Alternity Optimus is the BEST Alternity mold IMO.

Also, best spot to buy:
http://www.yahobby.com/advanced_search_ ... q0&x=0&y=0

william-james88 wrote:

griftimus prime wrote:the beast wars convoys are not optimus prime though.

Optimizzy wrote:but I haven't bought a Fire Convoy or a Big Convoy since I don't consider them versions of Prime.

So I am not sure why you dont consider him Optimus, let me know.

...

In the end, this toy makes more sense on this list than on a best Optimus Primal list, basically. What do you guys think?

I don't include Fire Convoy because, to me, the designers were not intending to create a version of Optimus. I mean, I may be mistaken and the intent was that this was the Car Robots version of Battle Convoy. I always thought Car Robots was supposed to exist in G1 and that Fire Convoy was a separate character.

Thus if a separate character, then Fire Convoy has a version in each of the other continuities that also have a Optimus Prime. This means, for me, there is a Fire Convoy for Animated, for Unicron Trilogy, for Prime/Aligned and for Movie.

And while I see your logic for Nemesis Prime, I'd just assume that he took a different form at some point and that he is not connected to Big Convoy.

And with Big Convoy, I always thought that he, (and Lio Convoy) were Optimus Prime until I discovered that they were supposed to be separate characters. I never could understand that considering how they LOOKED so much like OP.

I do think having them both as separate characters was a mistake and that they SHOULD have been Optimus Prime in beast mode. However, because they don't seem to be the same character I have avoided getting them.

I would entertain reasons why I should include them in my Optimus collection though. I like the idea of Big Convoy being a OP from pre-Hearts of Steel. Or really, just some media establishing him as Optimus.

Those are my reasons, but I am certainly open to debate them.

EDIT* Car Robots may not have been supposed to be G1. But was retconned to be so by Takara. So.... I R confused.

Optimizzy wrote:I don't include Fire Convoy because, to me, the designers were not intending to create a version of Optimus. I mean, I may be mistaken and the intent was that this was the Car Robots version of Battle Convoy. I always thought Car Robots was supposed to exist in G1 and that Fire Convoy was a separate character.

Thus if a separate character, then Fire Convoy has a version in each of the other continuities that also have a Optimus Prime. This means, for me, there is a Fire Convoy for Animated, for Unicron Trilogy, for Prime/Aligned and for Movie.

And while I see your logic for Nemesis Prime, I'd just assume that he took a different form at some point and that he is not connected to Big Convoy.

And with Big Convoy, I always thought that he, (and Lio Convoy) were Optimus Prime until I discovered that they were supposed to be separate characters. I never could understand that considering how they LOOKED so much like OP.

I do think having them both as separate characters was a mistake and that they SHOULD have been Optimus Prime in beast mode. However, because they don't seem to be the same character I have avoided getting them.

I would entertain reasons why I should include them in my Optimus collection though. I like the idea of Big Convoy being a OP from pre-Hearts of Steel. Or really, just some media establishing him as Optimus.

Those are my reasons, but I am certainly open to debate them.

EDIT* Car Robots may not have been supposed to be G1. But was retconned to be so by Takara. So.... I R confused.

I get confused too. And while some may not be the same characters, the same can be said for Galaxy Convoy too, who is a different character than the one found in Energon and Armada. Or for the west, movie Optimus is different than Alligned Optimus and Animated Optimus. And just look at Botcon 2015's DOTM Megatron who interacts in a world where Classics Megatron is also around.

And I am still not sure about Fire Convoy. Sure, the show may not have been intended for the US but the toys do require a Hasbro license to use the Transformers name. And Convoy is the japanese version of Prime. Also, if you wouldnt count a toy that wasnt made to be Optimus than technically G1 Optimus doesnt count since he was never intended to be part of a franchise called Transformers or be called Optimus Prime one day. He was Battle Convoy first and foremost, but we also see the Hasbro release as the seminal toy in an Optimus collection.

I think in the end, the main difference between this list and your collection is that this is looking at it at the toy level, not necessarily the fiction. Or else it would just have been Top G1 Prime toys. Hence why our views on Fire Convoy are different.

EDIT: I see now that I may have not answered totally in line with what you were talking about. But the last line still works. You are looking at it from a fiction stance while I am looking at it from a toy stance. Makes perfect sense. Also, I do not think Car Robots was initialy intended to be linked to any previous continuity.

Hmmm, I think I was hoping that you'd find awesome reasons why I should go out a buy Fire Convoy and Big Convoy and instead you were reasonable. How I am I supposed to spend money that way??

Yeah, I think I look at Prime as this: Is he supposed to be some take on the original concept of the red and blue vehicle that fights against Megatron and his decepticons.

That excludes most things and lets me rest easy when I decided what to go hunting for on ebay.

However, I'm always open to interpretations that allow me to the mental permission to buy some awesome figures

Optimizzy wrote:However, I'm always open to interpretations that allow me to the mental permission to buy some awesome figures

Well then how about this: Big Convoy is the only way to get the unreleased Optimus Prime whos body was cloned to make Nemesis prime:


Transformers Universe Nemesis Prime Gallery

Good enough reason?

You can buy him guilt free right here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Takara-Transformers-Beast-Wars-Neo-Big-Convoy-C-35-Optimus-Prime-Mammoth-figure-/120857574119?hash=item1c23ac3ae7

Anyone interested to have a no boxed but brand new Big Convoy, now's your chance. For the price of a voyager you can get locally with FREE shipping.

GO!
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Takara-Transform ... 1c23ac3ae7

dang I saw that. very tempted.

and....bought.

WJ and Kanrabat. how much you make on that commission?

-Kanrabat- wrote:Anyone interested to have a no boxed but brand new Big Convoy, now's your chance. For the price of a voyager you can get locally with FREE shipping.

GO!
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Takara-Transform ... 1c23ac3ae7

I find that auction a bit dubious... The seller has apparently already sold 829 of them... So someone just happened to have that many of them setting around to sell? Smells like bootleg to me...

Yotsuyasan wrote:

-Kanrabat- wrote:Anyone interested to have a no boxed but brand new Big Convoy, now's your chance. For the price of a voyager you can get locally with FREE shipping.

GO!
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Takara-Transform ... 1c23ac3ae7

I find that auction a bit dubious... The seller has apparently already sold 829 of them... So someone just happened to have that many of them setting around to sell? Smells like bootleg to me...

aw come on. don't tell me that now. dang it.

Optimizzy wrote:and....bought.

WJ and Kanrabat. how much you make on that commission?

Haha, nothing at all aside fro your happiness. Really, you can't go wrong with this guy. Just wait till you see all the work that goes into him. The sculpt is pretty nuts and his head is one of the best headsculpts ever.

Optimizzy wrote:

Yotsuyasan wrote:

-Kanrabat- wrote:Anyone interested to have a no boxed but brand new Big Convoy, now's your chance. For the price of a voyager you can get locally with FREE shipping.

GO!
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Takara-Transform ... 1c23ac3ae7

I find that auction a bit dubious... The seller has apparently already sold 829 of them... So someone just happened to have that many of them setting around to sell? Smells like bootleg to me...

aw come on. don't tell me that now. dang it.

Well, I could be wrong. Maybe there really is a random guy in South Korea with 833 totally legitimate copies of this not recent toy to sell. Stranger things have happened...

(Probably not, though... Sorry...)

Yotsuyasan wrote:

-Kanrabat- wrote:Anyone interested to have a no boxed but brand new Big Convoy, now's your chance. For the price of a voyager you can get locally with FREE shipping.

GO!
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Takara-Transform ... 1c23ac3ae7

I find that auction a bit dubious... The seller has apparently already sold 829 of them... So someone just happened to have that many of them setting around to sell? Smells like bootleg to me...

This is NO bootleg. This is the SONOKONG version, meaning the Korean re-issue. This is just some massive overstock that were never packaged in boxes. Still, this is the legitimate Takara stuff. He's so cheap because no box and massive offer. The great thing is, even if he now have less than 10 in stock, he didnt double or triple the price like so many online stores do.

I bought mine from him and you cant go wrong.

Optimizzy wrote:

Yotsuyasan wrote:

-Kanrabat- wrote:Anyone interested to have a no boxed but brand new Big Convoy, now's your chance. For the price of a voyager you can get locally with FREE shipping.

GO!
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Takara-Transform ... 1c23ac3ae7

I find that auction a bit dubious... The seller has apparently already sold 829 of them... So someone just happened to have that many of them setting around to sell? Smells like bootleg to me...

aw come on. don't tell me that now. dang it.

NO, these are not bootlegs, dont scare the man Yotsuyasan

I will explain: Takara reissued a few of their Beast Wars Neo toys for the Korean market. They came in these awesome boxes:



Instead of the takara clear boxes:



There was a major warehouse/factory find a few years ago full of this unsold stuff. Some were in boxes but some had never made it to that stage of production. That is what these are. This is the box he would have come with:



This toy is thus not rare and can still be purchased from primary sellers like BBTS: http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=TAK10143&mode=retail

Since you are getting one of the ones that were never boxed, you are getting it half price, which is fair market value.

Also the good news is that this reissue is more recent and apparently is better quality than the original. However, it is still a toy that is over 10 years old so there might be a but of rust on the screws due to oxidation.

I hope that explains stuff and leaves you at ease. This is no different than other times when there were major overstock, like this Korean version of Death Garry Gun that people were selling at 20$ a piece.

Yotsuyasan wrote:

Optimizzy wrote:

Yotsuyasan wrote:

-Kanrabat- wrote:Anyone interested to have a no boxed but brand new Big Convoy, now's your chance. For the price of a voyager you can get locally with FREE shipping.

GO!
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Takara-Transform ... 1c23ac3ae7

I find that auction a bit dubious... The seller has apparently already sold 829 of them... So someone just happened to have that many of them setting around to sell? Smells like bootleg to me...

aw come on. don't tell me that now. dang it.

Well, I could be wrong. Maybe there really is a random guy in South Korea with 833 totally legitimate copies of this not recent toy to sell. Stranger things have happened...

(Probably not, though... Sorry...)

well...maybe it will be a good KO and I wont notice. Not like I'm going to re-sell him.

william-james88 wrote:

Optimizzy wrote:

Yotsuyasan wrote:

-Kanrabat- wrote:Anyone interested to have a no boxed but brand new Big Convoy, now's your chance. For the price of a voyager you can get locally with FREE shipping.

GO!
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Takara-Transform ... 1c23ac3ae7

I find that auction a bit dubious... The seller has apparently already sold 829 of them... So someone just happened to have that many of them setting around to sell? Smells like bootleg to me...

aw come on. don't tell me that now. dang it.

NO, these are not bootlegs, dont scare the man Yotsuyasan

I will explain: Takara reissued a few of their Beast Wars Neo toys for the Korean market. They came in these awesome boxes:



Instead of the takara clear boxes:



There was a major warehouse/factory find a few years ago full of this unsold stuff. Some were in boxes but some had never made it to that stage of production. That is what these are. This is the box he would have come with:



This toy is thus not rare and can still be purchased from primary sellers like BBTS: http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=TAK10143&mode=retail

Since you are getting one of the ones that were never boxed, you are getting it half price, which is fair market value.

Also the good news is that this reissue is more recent and apparently is better quality than the original. However, it is still a toy that is over 10 years old so there might be a but of rust on the screws due to oxidation.

I hope that explains stuff and leaves you at ease.

huh...that's actually really interesting and makes it a little cooler. OK, I am happy again.