The Energon Pub

News Credits: 9 · Mon Oct 15, 2007 8:57 pm

Fandom,

I have just been informed from my friend in HK that G1 Dinobot Slag and Sludge are the next in line to be reproduced using G1 US packaging and documentation hot on the heels of Mirage and Wheeljack and Swoop and OP earlier in the year and others in years past (cassettes and minibots).

Please be weary of all MISB auctions for G1 Us boxed Slag and Sludge in the near future on eBay. Please ask for images of the tape seals to confirm if it is a true G1 figure. The main difference will be possible yellowing of the tape on the true G1 box and the fact that the G1 tape was not as wide as the tape used on these repros to seal the flaps. Another possible difference might be a glossier look on the repro box vs the G1 box. Other than that these are very good quality repros that may fool you in an auction if it is not stated by the seller.

Possible example of one of these can be seen here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Transformers-G1-Din ... dZViewItem

Seller is known for selling repros:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Transformers-G1-Din ... dZViewItem

Regards

News Credits: 4 · Mon Oct 15, 2007 10:11 pm

If that truly is a KO, yikes. $380 bucks for something that's not even a legit transformer.

Thanks for the heads up.

News Credits: 2 · Mon Oct 15, 2007 10:26 pm

Getting harder and harder to navigate the G1 collectors market.

I cant believe Takara let this company get away with these molds.

Tue Oct 16, 2007 2:36 am

I imagine once these suckers hit, they'll be going for the usual $70 like Mirage and Swoop. Way too expensive for KOs.

News Credits: 2 · Tue Oct 16, 2007 2:40 am

Correct me if I am wrong, but arent these from the batch of molds takara let slip away when another company bought the factory they were made in?

I read that somewhere, but how could Takara let that happen?
and if that is the case, an argument could be made that these arent really KO's I guess.

Tue Oct 16, 2007 7:12 am

A true complete swoop cost so much that when i wanted to complete my dinobot collection and found the KO fo not much more than a POS parts swoop I bought it.

I have to say I was very impressed with the figure. It was not noticably different from the real g1 swoop my friend has, even in quality.

I know most kos use crap plastic and paint aps and such, but this one was done really well. If the others are done so well I may pick them up too, since my old Dinos are played with and a bit scruffy, and we know takara will never release redone dinos because they lost/damaged the molds.

Though how a ko company can produce such high quality KOs while takara can't is beyond me...

I think it is sorta crappy they are getting put in boxes and made to look vintage, because if you really think you are getting a vintage MISB transformer you will pay a lot more for it, than knowing you are getting a good KO.

I'm just happy to see new g1 dinos at all i guess and I had sense enough to realize the swoop I got was a fake and not pay a ton of money for it.

Tue Oct 16, 2007 7:27 am

Here's how I understand it.

Hasbro sold off one of their factories in China with many moulds still inside. Whoever bought the factory also bought the moulds. If this company then remakes the toys and sells them they are legal. However, they are not licensed to uses the Trademarked name and box style. So the Fig, is a G1 mould redone, however, the boxes and names are illegal KO's.

Weird huh, if only Has/Tak had the forsight to hold onto the moulds.

:DEVIL:

News Credits: 2 · Tue Oct 16, 2007 7:34 am

whats the quality of the KO Swoop? I always wanted one as a kid but damn parents always said no.

News Credits: 9 · Tue Oct 16, 2007 7:56 am

saintsfan1983 wrote:whats the quality of the KO Swoop? I always wanted one as a kid but damn parents always said no.

Overall I was pleased with the repro (KO) Swoop. One problem I had was that the launcher would not fit into the hole under one of the wing and the chrome work was not the best. It was nevertheless well done.

Tue Oct 16, 2007 7:57 am

I am very happy with mine. He has diecast metal as well as decent plastic. If you look at him next to a real g1 swoop the difference is marginal at best.

Two issues I had with it are that his head fits jsut a bit loose so if you are not paying attention and open his beak down to transform, then you may loose the head. I solved this with a microscopic ammount of super glue on the back post. The other issue is that the missle launcher's posts are a bit small to fit tight into the holes on the wings, but a bit of the sticker paper that came with the figure solved this too.

I personally am glad I got the one I did instead of a crappy beat up one for the same price.

News Credits: 2 · Tue Oct 16, 2007 6:17 pm

ConDrewfus wrote:Here's how I understand it.

Hasbro sold off one of their factories in China with many moulds still inside. Whoever bought the factory also bought the moulds. If this company then remakes the toys and sells them they are legal. However, they are not licensed to uses the Trademarked name and box style. So the Fig, is a G1 mould redone, however, the boxes and names are illegal KO's.

Weird huh, if only Has/Tak had the forsight to hold onto the moulds.

I cant believe they didnt, Hasbro and Takara routinely reissue G1 bots, so why allow inconic characters to slip away during the purchase of a factoy.

Boggles my mind.

News Credits: 5 · Tue Oct 16, 2007 6:25 pm

Because they sold the factory before reissuing G1 became big business?

News Credits: 972 · Tue Oct 16, 2007 7:05 pm

Front Paged and Credited. Thankyou very much for the info Zeds. Hope not too many people get burned by these figures thinking that they are true originals.

News Credits: 9 · Tue Oct 16, 2007 7:08 pm

i_amtrunks wrote:Front Paged and Credited. Thankyou very much for the info Zeds. Hope not too many people get burned by these figures thinking that they are true originals.

My pleasure as always to help the fandom. Some want these but most want them honestly and it described as a repro in the auction :grin:

Tue Oct 16, 2007 7:48 pm

saintsfan1983 wrote:whats the quality of the KO Swoop? I always wanted one as a kid but damn parents always said no.

The only really big difference is the beak, the KO has a clear plastic beak which looks a little naff close up but on display with the other dinobots he fits in nicely.

The other issue is the missile launcher not fitting in which seems to be universal.

Overall depends what your disposable income is, i was happy to waste my money on a KO as it looks nice and ill replace when i find a realy one in good condition.

Tue Oct 16, 2007 8:07 pm

with all this ko garbage coming out and such, does this mean that it's less and less likely we'll ever get a true takara reissue mirage, wheeljack, or the dinobots?

News Credits: 2 · Tue Oct 16, 2007 8:15 pm

Sledge wrote:Because they sold the factory before reissuing G1 became big business?

Perhaps, but to allow their molds to slip away still seems retarded.

As Kimmer mentioned, it is unfortunate that we can never look forward to an official reissue of Mirage, Wheeljack or the Dinobots.

Is there a list of all the molds lost through this sale?
Could Hasbro conceivably get these molds back?

News Credits: 7 · Tue Oct 16, 2007 8:21 pm

Too bad for them. I already got said Dinobots over two months ago.

Only Swoop evades my grasp and I know better than to go for the KO's. I'll settle for a 20 year-old one in good condition, even if it means forking over a little extra.

News Credits: 8 · Tue Oct 16, 2007 8:35 pm

It would be a pass anyway, and the price mark only confirms it!

News Credits: 4 · Tue Oct 16, 2007 9:00 pm

Kimmer wrote:with all this ko garbage coming out and such, does this mean that it's less and less likely we'll ever get a true takara reissue mirage, wheeljack, or the dinobots?

I would think so, especially given that they don't have the moulds.

I'd also like to see some authentic reissues of the various combiner gestalts, but given how widely knocked off they are, it seems unlikely.

Tue Oct 16, 2007 9:06 pm

If they're as expensive as Swoop was, I won't bother. What? Some KOs are decent quality, like Laserbeak & Frenzy. Other than that, I don't think these interest me much.......

News Credits: 8 · Wed Oct 17, 2007 12:57 am

The purchased factory stuff is nonsense. The knock-offs are being made from donor toys. A while ago we saw pictures of an original Wheeljack they were going to reproduce. And now he's coming out soon. They don't have original molds, all modes are "re-engineered".

The boxes are re-designed. That's why the Mirage K-O box is slightly different from the original, as the art doesn't fit the box entirely on the K-O version.

The quality of the knock-off Swoop is not good at all, he can't even stand up straight; he topples over. Let alone the missile carrier which doesn't fit. The only reason one could buy it is to keep it mint in sealed box, because apart from the tape size and quality of the box material (it's more "shiny") it looks like the real deal.

Kimmer wrote:with all this ko garbage coming out and such, does this mean that it's less and less likely we'll ever get a true takara reissue mirage, wheeljack, or the dinobots?

Mirage and Wheeljack were NEVER going to be re-released by Takara. Wheeljack is covered in Lancia and Alitalia stickers, to which Takara lost the rights ages ago. Mirage has big honkin' Citanes stickers everywhere, and it's even in his paint aps. on the side of the car.

Takara was willing to change some minor stickers on Jazz (Martini Porsche was replaced by Agent Meister) and Bluestreak (Fairlady Z was replaced by Streak) but they couldn't re-issue Wheeljack and Mirage because of all the licences on them. Same goes for the huge "Countach" sticker on Sunstreaker.

Obviously, the K-O guys couldn't be bothered by rights, so the molds Takara let us miss out on are the first the K-O guys ar going to release. Sunstreaker is next after Wheeljack.

The K-O cars are worth their money, btw. As long as you keep them mint in box, they certainly provide a sufficient "blast from the past".

News Credits: 1 · Wed Oct 17, 2007 2:28 am

Kimmer wrote:with all this ko garbage coming out and such, does this mean that it's less and less likely we'll ever get a true takara reissue mirage, wheeljack, or the dinobots?

I doubt we ever would have.Takara and Hasbro doesnt owen any molds for those figures that arent damaged beyond repair.These KO molds were found or remade by others and are now being used by these KO pro's.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Pepsimus · Wed Oct 17, 2007 9:11 am

In a way, should all just be happy that the mold does exist "somewhere" out there, even if it is the hands of KO makers. After all, not all companies save their toy molds... many toy molds are destroyed after a period of time has passed...

Wed Oct 17, 2007 10:23 am

I'm still confused about this "lost mold" thing. So they lost the Dinobot molds after G2? Isn't that a little weird- since the DInobot Reissues were so sought after?

And if the KO people can re-engineer molds, then why can't Takara/Hasbro?

And when will Trypticon get a re-release? (jk)