The Energon Pub

With my current financial situation, its hard to get a bunch of transformers, but I have about a hundred or so dollars set aside for the next couple months. Here's the real question, I have the ability to get masterpiece Soundwave, but I am not sure if I should go with that, or all of these great generations figures coming out. I've mostly been a generations/classics collector, and have no other Masterpiece figures, so I am not sure if Soundwave is going to be out of place, so what do you other collectors think, is it better to go with quantity in generations, or quality with masterpiece Soundwave?

I'd say stick with your classics collection or buy the new metropolex. Now that I think about it buy metropolex, he is just awesomely huge.

njb902 wrote:I'd say stick with your classics collection or buy the new metropolex. Now that I think about it buy metropolex, he is just awesomely huge.

If I had room, maybe I would, but as you said, he's awesomely huge.

2 things here. First up, go Masterpiece - it's what I'm doing and I haven't looked back.

Secondly, there's a smart way to do it and a foolish way to do it. TRU releases are generally a good option, however if you're going to order Takara versions from BBTS, you might as well pull money out of your wallet and set it on fire.

Your best bet with Takara releases is going to be preordering from an online Japanese retailer like HLJ. To give you an example, BBTS wants $80 to preorder Prowl and I got him on a HLJ preorder for under $47.

Bowspearer wrote:2 things here. First up, go Masterpiece - it's what I'm doing and I haven't looked back.

Secondly, there's a smart way to do it and a foolish way to do it. TRU releases are generally a good option, however if you're going to order Takara versions from BBTS, you might as well pull money out of your wallet and set it on fire.

Your best bet with Takara releases is going to be preordering from an online Japanese retailer like HLJ. To give you an example, BBTS wants $80 to preorder Prowl and I got him on a HLJ preorder for under $47.

I wasn't going to go with more Masterpieces, just wondering if I should go with Masterpiece Soundwave from ToysRUs, or just save the money for all of the generations figures that are coming out. Soundwave is one of my top three transformers of all time, I have almost every version I could find up until this point.

ChrisRiss wrote:I wasn't going to go with more Masterpieces, just wondering if I should go with Masterpiece Soundwave from ToysRUs, or just save the money for all of the generations figures that are coming out. Soundwave is one of my top three transformers of all time, I have almost every version I could find up until this point.

He's definitely worth the money for the 6 TFs you're getting.

I say go with Soundwave. It's not likely that HasTak will be making many more G1-style cassette player Soundwaves (not including Soundblaster and/or Shattered Glass repaints) in the foreseeable future.

It really depends on how much you like the character in comparison to the other characters being featured as toys in the Generations line.

It's a tough call, but personally, I'd go with Soundwave. You won't likely see him as a G1 cassette player anytime soon again.

The great thing about Generations figures is that they are good quality AND affordable, so you don't really have to choose. With Generations, you get more for your money. MP figures are nice centerpieces for a collection, but they're overpriced. If you have disposable income, they're fun to splurge on, but if money is tight and you want to build a good collection, Generations is the way to go.

Another way to think about it: I get a lot more enjoyment out of $100 worth of Generations figures then I do from one MP figure.

GuyIncognito wrote:The great thing about Generations figures is that they are good quality AND affordable, so you don't really have to choose. With Generations, you get more for your money. MP figures are nice centerpieces for a collection, but they're overpriced. If you have disposable income, they're fun to splurge on, but if money is tight and you want to build a good collection, Generations is the way to go.

Another way to think about it: I get a lot more enjoyment out of $100 worth of Generations figures then I do from one MP figure.

THIS! And also don't count too much quality on MPs.

But still, go with what you want the most. 10 Generations figures whom I totally don't care can't compare to an expensive figure that I like so much. On the other hand, a "WHAT THE" moment for a bad expensive figure can't compare to 10 enjoy smaller guys.

I appreciate everyone's opinion and for helping me, though it's interesting that the responses seem as split as I still am on the issue.

ChrisRiss wrote:I wasn't going to go with more Masterpieces, just wondering if I should go with Masterpiece Soundwave from ToysRUs, or just save the money for all of the generations figures that are coming out. Soundwave is one of my top three transformers of all time, I have almost every version I could find up until this point.

Great question. I agree with lots of the points in the responses, on both sides of the discussion. Do remember that there is also excellent quality in the Generations line (sure there are some bad ones, but there are some real nice ones). Springer and Sandstorm for example among others, and they only cost about $20 bucks each.

Based on the original post I would say go for quantity. You are getting lots of fun and exciting characters with excellent quality. However, based on the above quote, you definitely should get MP Soundwave. You can’t pass on the best version of the toy of Soundwave, especially if you have almost every version, if that is your favorite character. I would rather have my favorite character (especially the best version) then ten characters that aren’t my favorite.

There is another reason, in a year or two, or whenever you get more funds, you can slowly get the Generations toys that you passed on. They may not increase in price, and if you get some that are loose but in excellent condition they will be fairly inexpensive. You could get one every few months or something like that. With Soundwave it would be a big expense all at once and that might not happen if you wait on him. So get Soundwave now and he Generations figures that you really want slowly over time. If Soundwave doesn’t fit scale wise or for some other issue then keep him in a different room. Your collection gets one room, and then Soundwave gets his own room all to himself, to be admired without distraction.

GuyIncognito wrote:MP figures are nice centerpieces for a collection, but they're overpriced.

How are they overpriced when if you buy them from an Asian online retailer, you're paying the price of a Voyager (for everyone but those living in the US) for a Voyager sized figure in the case of the US (in the case of the Autobot Cars for example)? Even in the case of the Cassettes, I didn't mind effectively paying $18 for a MP Cassette when that's what a Cyberverse Commander figure would cost me at retail.

A real quick side question here, do you think there is any possibility that they are going to re-release former masterpieces, maybe in a different style, like Takara is right now? Mainly just thinking about Starscream since they are re-releasing him, and I was never able to find the Wal-Mart one over here in the states. If I do get Soundwave, it would be nice to have both of my favorite characters together.

First of all, if MP Soundwave is a toy you would like to have because it's simply a toy you like the look of and the features it has, I think you should buy it first.

Right now, you have a cheaper alternative to the TakaraTomy release. The TRU version you're considering is cheaper and it has all the Cassete-cons. There's no guarantee of a re-issue of MP Soundwave and even if there is one, it may be a TT or Asia exclusive, which means it'll be more expensive than the TRU release.

Generations toys will be in circulation for a couple of years. You can gradually collect them throughout the next year or two. If you miss out on MP Soundwave during its initial production run, you'll risk being faced with inflated aftermarket pricing.

Convotron wrote:First of all, if MP Soundwave is a toy you would like to have because it's simply a toy you like the look of and the features it has, I think you should buy it first.

Right now, you have a cheaper alternative to the TakaraTomy release. The TRU version you're considering is cheaper and it has all the Cassete-cons. There's no guarantee of a re-issue of MP Soundwave and even if there is one, it may be a TT or Asia exclusive, which means it'll be more expensive than the TRU release.

Generations toys will be in circulation for a couple of years. You can gradually collect them throughout the next year or two. If you miss out on MP Soundwave during its initial production run, you'll risk being faced with inflated aftermarket pricing.

It looks like I may have to deal with that now, since I live an hour and a half each direction from the nearest toys r uses, and the one that said they were going to hold it for me today when I called, sold the one they got in. It really sucks to be so far away from everything sometimes, especially when people screw you over.

Hey all new here and chiming in. I havent bought any transformers since i was a kid but i seen Soundwave at Toysrus today and pulled the trigger. After getting him out of the box I knew i made a good choice. I havent stopped smiling since. I was on the hunt since I preordered Metroplex when I discovered him being rereleased 2 weeks ago. The only reason I went to toysrus was to get a Generations fig thinking I had no shot at getting MP Soundwave. I just wanted something to display alongside the big guy when he arrives. Soundwave was my favorite Transformer as a kid and after seeing the Masterpiece I knew I couldnt miss this one. I say get this one and buy the others later. Masterpiece prices are no joke on the resell market. Good luck and have fun with whatever you buy.

Sorry if I seem to ask so many questions, but I don't really have any collector friends to talk to. I know I have said my situation before, but I did not realize that Hasbro was releasing a reissue of G1 Soundwave with Laserbeak and Ravage. I was wondering if someone such as me would be better off considering that, since I do have some G1 from when I was a kid, and some reissues. Also, it seems to be over half the price at big bad right now. As someone who is budget conscious, is it a decent comparison?