The Energon Pub

[ZeroWolf]

Those are really nice looking!

[Sabrblade]

Y'all remember that BotCon 2000 Apelinq I mention a local collectibles store having awhile back?

I got it.

[D-Maximal_Primal]

Y'all remember that BotCon 2000 Apelinq I mention a local collectibles store having awhile back?

I got it.

nice!

[Sabrblade]

After both Unicron and Apelinq, my bank accound could use a rest.

...Buuuuuuut, I can't help but keep an eye on two more Japanese Beast Wars role play toys on eBay.

[AllNewSuperRobot]

Y'all remember that BotCon 2000 Apelinq I mention a local collectibles store having awhile back?

I got it.

Awesome and Ouch..

Commiserations to your wallet

I considered Apelinq, among others, a while back. I wanted some physical displays for key scenes from my own writing/drawings. But some scenes would have required me to buy more or less the whole cast to re-enact. Looking up the prices for Apelinq, Shadow Panther, BW II Galvatron etc and I opted against it.

[o.supreme]

Y'all remember that BotCon 2000 Apelinq I mention a local collectibles store having awhile back?

I got it.

Just Curious, because I actually attended Botcon 2000. How much did Apelinq set you back? (you can PM if that is best). I prepaid for both Apelinq and Shokaract, got them at the door, and probably didn't have them for more than an hour or so. I was super excited for all things Car Robots at the time (the return to Vehicles was amazing to me, and I had no idea the show was going to receive a dub via Fox Kids). I was able to get 2 bootleg VHS of the first 8 episodes obviously in raw Japanese. Also I straight up traded Apelinq and Shockaract for JRX and Baldigus (The latter of which had Just been released). I have no regrets, and would probably do it again, although I'm sure MISB Botcon exclusives are worth more now almost 21 years later than Car Robots MISB. But different strokes for different folks and all that...

[AllNewSuperRobot]

RE: Botcon 2000 Shokaract and Apelinq, concerning their pricing today. A line from the Wiki:

He and Apelinq were limited to 1200 pieces.

To me that reads 'Expensive'. I saw one Apelinq on sale for about $280.

[o.supreme]

RE: Botcon 2000 Shokaract and Apelinq, concerning their pricing today. A line from the Wiki:

He and Apelinq were limited to 1200 pieces.

To me that reads 'Expensive'. I saw one Apelinq on sale for about $280.

Overall yes, and also in hindsight of 21 years, but that is DOUBLE the amount they produced from BC just 2 years earlier. I was at BC 98 also. I did not get Antagony or Vicegrip, but they only produced 600. Also as Botcon's became more and more lavish, they sold more exclusive toys at each show, but seemingly fewer of each. While the 2000-2001 exclusives are still worth a LOT, they are probably some of the single most highly produced ones. I may just be looking in the wrong place, but after 2001, I'm not sure if there are solid numbers of the # of produced toys for each Botcon, other than the Golden Ticket Flash Sentry from Botcon 2016 which was limited to 100.

[AllNewSuperRobot]

The pricing and availability of Botcon stuff is just insane. At one point, I was interested in collecting the mold variants of Car Robots Gigatron. The White "Galvatron" redeco isn't really an issue, relatively easy to source. The cost for BC '05 Deathsaurus and BC '16 Megatron made it not worthwhile.

[o.supreme]

The pricing and availability of Botcon stuff is just insane. At one point, I was interested in collecting the mold variants of Car Robots Gigatron. The White "Galvatron" redeco isn't really an issue, relatively easy to source. The cost for BC '05 Deathsaurus and BC '16 Megatron made it not worthwhile.

Yeah BC 16, not only being the last Botcon, but heavily CW themed has been rough. I managed to get the Dawn of Predacus (in Box), Terrorsaur, Tigatron & Unit-3, as well as the Reflector 3-Pack. sometime between 2017-2018. Flash Sentry is a pipe dream, but It's on my list, as are all 5 Ratchet Variants. 1 of which I now have, and 2 more are "in production" shall we say. I have the stickers for the last 2, just need to find unpainted Ratchet's as they come up on eBay and hope they dont get stupid expensive (yes I've paid more than $200 a piece for the 2 I have currently). .

[Sabrblade]

Just Curious, because I actually attended Botcon 2000. How much did Apelinq set you back? (you can PM if that is best). I prepaid for both Apelinq and Shokaract, got them at the door, and probably didn't have them for more than an hour or so. I was super excited for all things Car Robots at the time (the return to Vehicles was amazing to me, and I had no idea the show was going to receive a dub via Fox Kids). I was able to get 2 bootleg VHS of the first 8 episodes obviously in raw Japanese. Also I straight up traded Apelinq and Shockaract for JRX and Baldigus (The latter of which had Just been released). I have no regrets, and would probably do it again, although I'm sure MISB Botcon exclusives are worth more now almost 21 years later than Car Robots MISB. But different strokes for different folks and all that...

Yeah, I got my CR Baldigus giftset last year (replacing my old stolen one) mint in box for a mere $100, one-fifth the cost I paid for Apelinq earlier this week. Vintage Car Robots are nothing compared to pre-2002 3H BotCon exclusives nowadays, mainly since Car Robots was mass retail on both sides of the Atlantic.

Well, all except for Brave Maximus or other CR-only toys that never made it to RID. Those are still kinda pricy.

I saw one Apelinq on sale for about $280.

Man, that would have been a steal! I'd love to have found one for that price.

There's one on eBay right now for $299, but it's bidding only and that's just the starting bid. That auction's gonna skyrocket by the final date.

I may just be looking in the wrong place, but after 2001, I'm not sure if there are solid numbers of the # of produced toys for each Botcon, other than the Golden Ticket Flash Sentry from Botcon 2016 which was limited to 100.

Here you go.

The pricing and availability of Botcon stuff is just insane. At one point, I was interested in collecting the mold variants of Car Robots Gigatron. The White "Galvatron" redeco isn't really an issue, relatively easy to source. The cost for BC '05 Deathsaurus and BC '16 Megatron made it not worthwhile.

Yeah, I was able to get that Megatron when I was at BotCon 2016, but then when it was among the ones that were later stolen from me, I was lucky to have tracked down who it had been sold to and got it back. Phew! I did not wanna have to go through eBay to recover it.

Yeah BC 16, not only being the last Botcon, but heavily CW themed has been rough.

You can thank Hasbro for that one. They're the ones who told Fun Pub to use CW molds that year since they wanted Fun Pub's exclusive to better reflect what was being sold at mass retail at the time, for greater brand consistency.

And then they pulled the plug on BotCon.

(But it's coming back. )

Flash Sentry is a pipe dream, but It's on my list,

Test shot versions of Flash Sentry have been for sale at the previous three RoboCons (not counting last year since it was virtual), and didn't sell out last I recall. Maybe there'll be more later at this year's convention, if you wanna check it out.

[AllNewSuperRobot]

Every time I see CR Galvatron pop up on eBay, Transformerland etc I really have to resist the urge to buy him. He does look really good in the white deco. The problem is if I buy him, then I will have to track down BC '16 Megs and especially BC'05 Deathsaurus. Who only comes in a boxset called: Descent into Evil. The "cheapest" one I found was $500...

[D-Maximal_Primal]

Every time I see CR Galvatron pop up on eBay, Transformerland etc I really have to resist the urge to buy him. He does look really good in the white deco. The problem is if I buy him, then I will have to track down BC '16 Megs and especially BC'05 Deathsaurus. Who only comes in a boxset called: Descent into Evil. The "cheapest" one I found was $500...

I have Devil gigatron, and he is fantastic. I love that toy a ton!

[Sabrblade]

[Emerje]

Emerje

[Sabrblade]

Big Lots KO.



I own one and, aside from some slight remolding to remove certain joints and gimmicks, it's almost on par, quality wise, with the official version.

[Emerje]

Oh yeah, that's why that looked so familiar. I don't know why I never picked that one up, I got the Flash Lio Convoy, Heinrad and RID Megatron/Gigatron from that line or ones like it at Big Lots.

Emerje

[D-Maximal_Primal]

That is pretty dang neat looking!

[Sabrblade]

Just found a rare piece of Dan Khanna artwork that was nearly lost to the ravages of time, retrieved via WayBack Machine.



Drawn for a certain toy from 2001.

[AllNewSuperRobot]

I never understood the logic of the Cat Head for TM Tigatron. Obviously it made sense as the basis for the Ravage design (nice pun, BTW Sabr!). But aesthetically, TM Tigatron would have been much as he was before IE a bigger TM Cheetor. His Fang Blaster would have looked a lot cooler than Cheetor's too.

[Sabrblade]

I never understood the logic of the Cat Head for TM Tigatron. Obviously it made sense as the basis for the Ravage design (nice pun, BTW Sabr!). But aesthetically, TM Tigatron would have been much as he was before IE a bigger TM Cheetor. His Fang Blaster would have looked a lot cooler than Cheetor's too.

At the time, fans in the West were begging for Kenner, Hasbro, anybody to bring the elusive Metals Jaguar mold over to the US, so 3H fulfilled their request by using it for Transmetal Tigatron. Doing so also helped to distinguish Tigatron from Transmetal Cheetor, as Tigatron would have otherwise been a straight redeco of the Cheetor mold (this was in the days before head retools were really a thing).

In-story, it was explained that the Vok recreated Tigatron by having his spark take possession of Ravage's old body.

[AllNewSuperRobot]

Oh I see. Still, I would have liked to have seen the Transmetal redeco's of Tigatron and Blackarachnia. The latter would have needed a bit of a retool from TM Tarantulas.

Besides, Metals Jaguar was still wrong. Because Ravage didn't transform into a Cat...



^ That is one of the figures I'd love them to try in the BW Masterpiece line!

[Sabrblade]

That's more morphing than a Beast Machines Maximal!

[AllNewSuperRobot]

That's more morphing than a Beast Machines Maximal!

I like how both the original transformation sound effect and Mass Displacement made a return in this scene

[Sabrblade]

That's more morphing than a Beast Machines Maximal!

I like how both the original transformation sound effect and Mass Displacement made a return in this scene

Would've had the G1 theme song play too (dunno which version, though), but copyright issues prevented it.

Good thing, too, IMO. One less G1 thing to cram into Beast Wars.