The Energon Pub

[Sabrblade]

Mass retail remolds get new numbers. Exclusive remolds don't. Ramjet is an exclusive.

Not true. Every single exclusive was a remold. That's why they all got suffixed releases. It has nothing to do with them being exclusives.

You missed the point. I said that remolds that are released at mass retail get new numbers, like Streak, Smokescreen, and Exhaust did. Remolds that are exclusives, however, do not, like Tigertrack and Bluestreak. Ramjet is an exclusive, so he doesn't get a new number.

[Wolfman Jake]

I'm hoping the ETA for MP Ramjet isn't at least until April 2016 or so. The next several months are packed with MP releases.

November 2015 - Tracks and Thundercracker
December 2015 - Road Rage and Clamp Down
January 2016 - Ironhide
February 2016 - Hot Rod and Ultra Magnus (second run)
March 2016 - Shockwave

Between Masterpiece and Unite Warriors, my wallet is getting pretty nervous.

[Cobotron]

You know Jake, there is always all this talk about allocating budget to the line, and cashing in on the Seeker mold to increase funding for new development, and things like that. Looking at your list above, it seem the MP line is officially "doing OK".
What was it before? Two to three new releases a year? That time seems to be behind us now, no?

[Wolfman Jake]

Indeed, Lobotron, it is really starting to take off now. So much so, that I am now re-evaluating my collecting priorities. I'm sorry to say, but my "Aligned" collection is on the bubble now. The live action movie collection is safe, for now. But if I had to be honest, Classics/Generations and Masterpiece are far and away the most consistently important collections to me.

[LOST Cybertronian]

I hate the face
So then what the heck is this?

That is an unofficial Ramjet made by Toy Factory

[ScottyP]

The numbers are chosen with as much discretion as I show at the beer store. Oh hey, this looks good, that'll work.

[empyre327]

Has there been any update on this?
It looks like the Takara Tomy Mall page took down the listing. This post said that it was going up on Monday but I didn't see in on Monday either.

[Robogeek1973]

I'm hoping the ETA for MP Ramjet isn't at least until April 2016 or so. The next several months are packed with MP releases.

November 2015 - Tracks and Thundercracker
December 2015 - Road Rage and Clamp Down
January 2016 - Ironhide
February 2016 - Hot Rod and Ultra Magnus (second run)
March 2016 - Shockwave

Between Masterpiece and Unite Warriors, my wallet is getting pretty nervous.

You forgot red Bumblebee in December.

[sol magnus]

I'll be getting one of these, due to my "slavish" devotion to a 30 year old cartoon/toyline.

[galvatron00]

This guy looks really good to me, but I'll have to wait until a potential re-release. I had Ramjet, Thrust and Skywarp as a kid (and still have them, minus one landing gear!) so Ramjet definitely has a place in my collection.

Cobs and Wolfman Jake: You are right, MP is doing REALLY well right now. Priorities have shifted for me, I'm finding it harder to keep things I thought of keeping! (Don't worry Cobs, Optimal Optimus and Energon Galvatron are SAFE).

[Cobotron]

(Don't worry Cobs, Optimal Optimus and Energon Galvatron are SAFE).

Wasn't worried for a second.

[Wolfman Jake]

I'm hoping the ETA for MP Ramjet isn't at least until April 2016 or so. The next several months are packed with MP releases.

November 2015 - Tracks and Thundercracker
December 2015 - Road Rage and Clamp Down
January 2016 - Ironhide
February 2016 - Hot Rod and Ultra Magnus (second run)
March 2016 - Shockwave

Between Masterpiece and Unite Warriors, my wallet is getting pretty nervous.

You forgot red Bumblebee in December.

I forgot about him, but frankly, Red Bumblebee is more of a curiosity than a serious "must have" for a Masterpiece collection. He's not Cliffjumper or even another character entirely, just a nod to a somewhat obscure Bumblebee variant from the first year of Transformers product. I consider Red Bumblebee even less "important" than the likes of G2 Sideswipe and G2 Bumblebee.

[padfoo]

Ramjet, looks great I can't wait for a general release

[Cyberpath]

He's back on the TakaraTomy Mall:

MP-11NR ラムジェット
￥15,984

It appears that the canopy piece wasn't fully tabbed during the photoshoot, so Takara Photoshopped the image to correct it. Looks better now.

They also changed the pilot.

[william-james88]

Fellow Seibertronian Cyberpath has reported to us that Masterpiece MP-11NR Ramjet is now back on Takaratomymall.com. He has noted a few changes to the photos. The listings confirms once again that he is limited to 2000 in Japan at the ￥15,984 price, meaning that anyone outside Japan will have to buy the pricier Asia release (which has yet to be announced) to obtain this toy. Any of our Japanese members however can reserve their copy from November 30th to December 8th 2015.

He's back on the TakaraTomy Mall:

MP-11NR ラムジェット
￥15,984

It appears that the canopy piece (which becomes the head) wasn't fully tabbed during the photoshoot, so Takara Photoshopped the image to correct it. Looks better now.




They also changed the pilot.

[Marcdachamp]

I had no idea they were making MP Coneheads! Make this guy in G2 colors, and I'm sold!

[Rated X]

Japan only BS. These things are gonna get scalped by TFSource and BBTS japanese contacts and e-bay sellers. 60-70% of them will end up on american collectors shelves. Takara is beating a dead horse with these exclusive releases thinking theyre doing their own a favor. Its time for them to let it go and expand sales to their primary customer base.

[william-james88]

Japan only BS. These things are gonna get scalped by TFSource and BBTS japanese contacts and e-bay sellers. 60-70% of them will end up on american collectors shelves. Takara is beating a dead horse with these exclusive releases thinking theyre doing their own a favor. Its time for them to let it go and expand sales to their primary customer base.

Come on man, thats not true, and I wrote it in the news, there will be an asia release that wont be exclusive for us to buy. BBTS and TFsource have never scalped any of he previous exclusive MPs and they wont on this one. Look at thundercracker for instance, they only have the asia release (and not the limited japan release which is cheaper): http://tfsource.com/masterpiece/mp-11t-thundercracker/

This is the Asian market release of this product

None of these 2000 will end up on American shelves, only the lesser limited asian ones.

[Rated X]

Asia, japan, same crap with slightly different paint apps. Every takara "japan only" release has been made available through online retailers. Every millions publishing, e-hobby, winterfest, takara mall, Bape, etc. just like that that new drift repaint? My point is this mold will be available for US retail if you are willing to pay the "I gotta have it" price. Personally, Im disgusted with the word "exclusive" because it has no meaning other than how much youre willing to pay. Thats my point.

[fenrir72]

Japan only BS. These things are gonna get scalped by TFSource and BBTS japanese contacts and e-bay sellers. 60-70% of them will end up on american collectors shelves. Takara is beating a dead horse with these exclusive releases thinking theyre doing their own a favor. Its time for them to let it go and expand sales to their primary customer base.

On the mark that TF isn't really that hot in Japan. And nope, most of the big spending collectors are from China.

As for the scalping, here you go again.

Step #1 You get only one source and at limited per household release (assuming those stores get their stocks direct from Japan ) or from Hasbro Asia. If the latter, maybe a little bit more.

Step #2 You are not sure how many stocks will be moved and you are required to pay in full. Don't tell me you are not gonna compute your profit margins with this business venture? You aren't running a charity btw

Step #3 Once it arrives at their Japan contact, you do have to package the item and travel to the post office too. That also lumps in extra costs

Step #4 The employees need to eat too right?

Step #5 There are other expenses as well

Step #6 Law of Supply and Demand. Low supply and high demand and you won't think of extra profits? Really? If there is NO demand, expect the prices to drop or at least wait 2 years for it to drop

Sometimes for a collector who purchases multiple versions of one character you despise just for the hahaha of it to make a point, now you are complaining of scalper prices? That's like a dime a dozen for you........

[william-james88]

My point is this mold will be available for US retail if you are willing to pay the "I gotta have it" price. Personally, Im disgusted with the word "exclusive" because it has no meaning other than how much youre willing to pay. Thats my point.

And I cant fault your point at all, expressed this way. I just wanted to point out to people reading what is going on behind this figure. It is exclusive, yes, and we must pay a high premium for it, also yes. But the premium is because you are stuck ordering the overpriced asia edition (which has no different paint apps, the only difference is that it comes with a coin) and not because it is actually limited. Which makes me even angrier than you as a collector.

I mean think about it, people will pay a higher price for an item that isnt even limited in any way. Isnt that a bit backwards of them? There are a limited 2000 that are about 130$ while the non limited ones will be 200$. And the only reason that this ramjet will be about 200$ from hasbro asia is because that is the price they have determined collectors would be willing to pay (demand based pricing, not cost based unlike Hasbro or Takara). That wrecks me from the inside.

What I mean to say is that I wasnt correcting you to disagree with your perspective but because the details behind it all make it even worse. Knowing these details has propelled me from ever buying those items at the Hasbro asia price. And I think most people would like to know what they are paying for (or maybe not, who knows).

Also I preffer aiming the blame at the right people.

[DedicatedGhostArt]

Interesting indeed...

[fenrir72]

My point is this mold will be available for US retail if you are willing to pay the "I gotta have it" price. Personally, Im disgusted with the word "exclusive" because it has no meaning other than how much youre willing to pay. Thats my point.

And I cant fault your point at all, expressed this way. I just wanted to point out to people reading what is going on behind this figure. It is exclusive, yes, and we must pay a high premium for it, also yes. But the premium is because you are stuck ordering the overpriced asia edition (which has no different paint apps, the only difference is that it comes with a coin) and not because it is actually limited. Which makes me even angrier than you as a collector.

I mean think about it, people will pay a higher price for an item that isnt even limited in any way. Isnt that a bit backwards of them? There are a limited 2000 that are about 130$ while the non limited ones will be 200$. And the only reason that this ramjet will be about 200$ from hasbro asia is because that is the price they have determined collectors would be willing to pay (demand based pricing, not cost based unlike Hasbro or Takara). That wrecks me from the inside.

What I mean to say is that I wasnt correcting you to disagree with your perspective but because the details behind it all make it even worse. Knowing these details has propelled me from ever buying those items at the Hasbro asia price. And I think most people would like to know what they are paying for (or maybe not, who knows).

Also I preffer aiming the blame at the right people.

And haven't anyone noticed that aside from TFs, in anime PVC figs for instance, sure there are certain popular lines that when sold "non exclusive", is kind of touch and go. Some sell out leaving no inventory while others don't leaving stores with a lot of inventory hence relegated to 50% off bargain bins?

So it might also be a sales strategy to release solicitations that require immediate payment so as the manufacturers only produced certified sold items leaving them with no inventory? And laugh all the way to the bank?

[ZenPrime]

MP-11NR Masterpiece Ramjet pre-order up @ BBTS & TFS for $179.99

http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=TAK12274&mode=retail

http://tfsource.com/masterpiece/mp-11nr-ramjet/

[Agamemnon]

MP-11NR Masterpiece Ramjet pre-order up @ BBTS & TFS for $179.99

http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=TAK12274&mode=retail

http://tfsource.com/masterpiece/mp-11nr-ramjet/

I saw the email from BBTS this morning, and am sorely tempted... If this was Thrust, I probably would have bitten. And I might be interested in a G2 version of Ramjet, because it just looks so cool! (And I have the original G2 version...)