The Energon Pub

News Credits: 17 · Tue Feb 23, 2021 7:38 pm

I am pretty sure this is not how this works. Retailers want to sell popular toys. Consider too that whenever Hasbro announces a retailer exclusive, they're marketing for these toys. I don't know how the contracts are structured or how incentives are offered, but this is a normal part of major toy brands. Retailers want exclusives, and Hasbro wants to use them to get product out there. The big guys like Mattel, Hasbro, Lego all do it, smaller guys like NECA and Funko do too. (Not sure Funko is still small, but whatevs.)

For the record there are also retailer-exclusive editions of Monopoly, plus Monopoly is a bigger brand for Hasbro than Transformers, but that's all an aside.

Wasn't Thrust a mainline Earthrise release and not Generations Selects? I mean, there's a whole wave of GS exclusive to Amazon, so it still applies, just not sure why this rant landed here.

News Credits: 462 · Tue Feb 23, 2021 7:40 pm

Whifflefire wrote:

Tue Feb 23, 2021 7:49 pm

Sabrblade wrote:

Skip SKIP SKIP

News Credits: 19 · Tue Feb 23, 2021 8:09 pm

The more I look at transmutate the more I like it. The back of the bots feet/dino knee joints don't work so well in the blue plastic. Not sure if I'd have wanted the dinos teeth blue but it's pretty cool to have three transmutate figures now, with this probably being the easiest one to get too.

*fifth image in zeros post of the wild/feral scream kinda pose reminds me of a wendigo from fallout.

News Credits: 1 · Tue Feb 23, 2021 8:20 pm

I liked her character, but I’m on the fence about getting her. Though along with the other Paleotrex retool, there can be a lot of riotous color fun.

News Credits: 51 · Tue Feb 23, 2021 8:47 pm

Yeah, sure, I preordered one of these. I already know it's a good mold from my Paleotrex, the colors are more vibrant than I was expecting and I like that, and I already found a robot mode configuration for her that I like better than any of those shown by just messing with my Paleotrex. Still weird that we're getting a new Transmutate before we've gotten all the Season 1 BW cast or even seen all the ones we are getting, but Selects is out here doing what Selects does and it's great.

Now if we could see Artfire next...

AcademyofDrX wrote:Wasn't Thrust a mainline Earthrise release and not Generations Selects? I mean, there's a whole wave of GS exclusive to Amazon, so it still applies, just not sure why this rant landed here.

Yes, Thrust was just a regular Earthrise figure that happened to be exclusive to Target like Skywarp and Thundercracker, not a Selects.

...wait a minute:

AcademyofDrX wrote:Wasn't Thrust a mainline Earthrise release and not Generations Selects? I mean, there's a whole wave of GS exclusive to Amazon, so it still applies, just not sure why this rant landed here.

...what does thi-are you talking about the Galactic Odyssey sets? Do people actually think the Galactic Odyssey sets are Selects, is that why the last page and a half or so before Transmutate showed up was completely off-topic? They're also just Earthrise store exclusives, just with their own subline name like the Target exclusives being labeled Cybertronian Villains.

News Credits: 5 · Tue Feb 23, 2021 9:06 pm

Changewinds wrote:I liked her character, but I’m on the fence about getting her. Though along with the other Paleotrex retool, there can be a lot of riotous color fun.

I know, I am really hoping we get more extreme colours in the future. Here's holding out for something to incorporate stuff like the classic LEGO neons.

*drools*

News Credits: 8 · Tue Feb 23, 2021 9:08 pm

Ibreally kinda wanted to give Transmutate a chance, given being a show character...

But seeing as how that thing is fugly looking ahmnd I have ZERO interest in the Fossilizers at all, I cannot pass on this one fast enough. Nope.

News Credits: 56 · Tue Feb 23, 2021 9:54 pm

Yeah all the Thrust talk needs to be moved to the main ER thread. It is odd that last August we got 5 weeks of consecutive reveals (TF Tuesday) spread across multiple retailers. EE may be getting Transmutate first, but all the others including Pulse are getting it.

It would be nice, even if not announced, if this was the first of several consecutive weeks of TF Tuesday Selects reveals.

News Credits: 462 · Tue Feb 23, 2021 10:11 pm

Here's something no one's brought up yet. Why is she BROWN? She's supposed to be a pale silvery cream color, not the color of MUD.

News Credits: 11 · Tue Feb 23, 2021 10:16 pm

Thanks for the heads up! I just placed my order.

News Credits: 51 · Tue Feb 23, 2021 10:22 pm

o.supreme wrote:It would be nice, even if not announced, if this was the first of several consecutive weeks of TF Tuesday Selects reveals.

I think I brought this up when they revealed Deep Cover with the same Transformers Tuesday label...and that was 3 weeks ago, so I'm currently a bit less hopeful for consecutive reveals, as nice as it would be.

Plus, the leaked Selects list we have that's been accurate so far has two figures on it (Road Rage & toy colors Galvatron) who's original mold counterparts have yet to be revealed, so those two at least are off the table until Hasbro gets around to revealing what would have been their Toy Fair reveals.

News Credits: 2 · Tue Feb 23, 2021 10:26 pm

...'nuff said! :VEHI:

News Credits: 174 · Tue Feb 23, 2021 10:35 pm

Transmutate looks genuinely beautiful and I never thought I'd hear that thought pop into my head, I don't know if it's the contrasting teal and brown, but all the details just seem to pop a little more with her

News Credits: 7 · Tue Feb 23, 2021 10:54 pm

*Happy Rampage noises*

This is definitely an step foward with SELECTS toys.

Day 419 of waiting for Transformers Armada Masterpiece news.

News Credits: 54 · Wed Feb 24, 2021 12:02 am

I adore this character, better written then 95 percent of other characters in the overall franchise and this was just in one episode.

A definite pick up for sure.

News Credits: 4877 · Wed Feb 24, 2021 1:14 am

Overcracker wrote:
AllNewSuperRobot wrote:Due to how botched Thrust's availability has been by Hasbro, I think sellers can charge as much as they like at this point.

Yeah, no. $40, $45, I could understand. $60 that's just trying to pull one over people that want a Thrust. Seriously, there's nothing that justifies double the MSRP.

I'm honestly surprised to hear that comment from you Overcracker, you're a smart guy.
I'd assume you knew the basic formula for retail costs, which in this case can easily justify double the MSRP. By definition, the MSRP for any store exclusive is only avaiable at the exclusive retailer because they are the only retailer who gets the Hasbro cost (which is about $15 per figure for voyagers now). Expecting anywhere near that from any other retailer makes no sense.
Retail markup is usually 100%. So if you are not getting the product from Hasbro and can only get it at the $30 cost per item, then yeah $60 makes sense.
TFSource and target will have the same % markup from their cost in the end.

News Credits: 14 · Wed Feb 24, 2021 9:23 am

william-james88 wrote:
Overcracker wrote:
AllNewSuperRobot wrote:Due to how botched Thrust's availability has been by Hasbro, I think sellers can charge as much as they like at this point.

Yeah, no. $40, $45, I could understand. $60 that's just trying to pull one over people that want a Thrust. Seriously, there's nothing that justifies double the MSRP.

I'm honestly surprised to hear that comment from you Overcracker, you're a smart guy.
I'd assume you knew the basic formula for retail costs, which in this case can easily justify double the MSRP. By definition, the MSRP for any store exclusive is only avaiable at the exclusive retailer because they are the only retailer who gets the Hasbro cost (which is about $15 per figure for voyagers now). Expecting anywhere near that from any other retailer makes no sense.
Retail markup is usually 100%. So if you are not getting the product from Hasbro and can only get it at the $30 cost per item, then yeah $60 makes sense.
TFSource and target will have the same % markup from their cost in the end.

No. You can justify it any way you want. $60 for a single seeker, when you can still find Thundercracker & Skywarp for much less than that is just ridiculous.
Heck, you can get Thrust for $45 on eBay right now + $4.85 shipping in the U.S.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Transformers-W ... Sw8Dxf9jLe

$60 is just TFsource jacking of the price because they can. You still have to add shipping to that.

I'll wait around and see if I can get it cheaper. I got TC and SW for $30 from a local department down here store with free shipping. So no, there's no way I'm paying $60 + international shipping for Thrust alone.

Point is Moot now though, since its out of stock already.

News Credits: 42 · Wed Feb 24, 2021 10:02 am

This is really nothing new for TF Source. Every Walgreens exclusive they were able to obtain through other means and offer at $40 when they were $20 at Walgreens. Basically if they have to go out and pay full retail somewhere, they are going to double that when they sell it.

Sure you can find one cheaper on eBay, but that seller on eBay doesn't have to support a business in the same way that TF Source does, and very likely won't be giving you the same level of customer service if there is an issue. The lower price on eBay comes with a bit more uncertainty on the seller.

News Credits: 23 · Wed Feb 24, 2021 10:04 am

TF-fan kev777 wrote:This is really nothing new for TF Source. Every Walgreens exclusive they were able to obtain through other means and offer at $40 when they were $20 at Walgreens. Basically if they have to go out and pay full retail somewhere, they are going to double that when they sell it.

Sure you can find one cheaper on eBay, but that seller on eBay doesn't have to support a business in the same way that TF Source does, and very likely won't be giving you the same level of customer service if there is an issue. The lower price on eBay comes with a bit more uncertainty on the seller.

Oh, so we are not just fighting scalpers but also vendors when it comes to stock? Cool. Cool, cool, cool.

Not cool at all.

News Credits: 42 · Wed Feb 24, 2021 10:18 am

aronjlove wrote:
TF-fan kev777 wrote:This is really nothing new for TF Source. Every Walgreens exclusive they were able to obtain through other means and offer at $40 when they were $20 at Walgreens. Basically if they have to go out and pay full retail somewhere, they are going to double that when they sell it.

Sure you can find one cheaper on eBay, but that seller on eBay doesn't have to support a business in the same way that TF Source does, and very likely won't be giving you the same level of customer service if there is an issue. The lower price on eBay comes with a bit more uncertainty on the seller.

Oh, so we are not just fighting scalpers but also vendors when it comes to stock? Cool. Cool, cool, cool.

Not cool at all.

Yes and No? I'm not sure on how TF Source got Thrust. In the case of TF Source and the walgreens exclusives, I'm pretty sure they might get theirs either from RobotKingdom or somewhere in SE Asia as they are always available for the marked up price at TF Source long before they hit Walgreens in the US. They also usually sold out before the items hit the US as well. So in this case, TF Source isn't competing for US stock, but they are possibly depleting stock from elsewhere.

News Credits: 17 · Wed Feb 24, 2021 11:17 am

Nemesis Primal wrote: ...what does thi-are you talking about the Galactic Odyssey sets? Do people actually think the Galactic Odyssey sets are Selects, is that why the last page and a half or so before Transmutate showed up was completely off-topic? They're also just Earthrise store exclusives, just with their own subline name like the Target exclusives being labeled Cybertronian Villains.

Oh yeah, I forgot they're not GS even though the packaging outside is GS-style plain cardboard. Technically I don't think they're Earthrise either, as all of the marketing has described them as part of the "War for Cybertron Trilogy," which included the Netflix line and the Quintesson Pit in particular. This is all debatable, the Wiki puts the Centurion Drone pack there even though it has an Earthrise number, but the GO sets under Earthrise even though they don't. I'll concede that they're not Selects any way you slice it.

I get why there are different threads for different topics but I'm not sure that enforcing these marketing divisions is particularly useful. None of this complaining is about a product line, but the phenomenon of retailer exclusives which exist across lines, so what're ya gonna do.

News Credits: 42 · Wed Feb 24, 2021 11:48 am

As for Selects, I'm just hoping for maybe 1 more reveal this week. My Pulse Premium membership runs out this month, so I wouldn't mind getting free shipping 1 more time before it does. No way I'm paying for a membership since Selects is just about the only thing I order from Pulse anymore. It was a nice 2 year run of having the free Pulse Premium just for making an initial purchase back in 2019, but in no way worth it for $50 a year.

News Credits: 23 · Wed Feb 24, 2021 11:55 am

TF-fan kev777 wrote:As for Selects, I'm just hoping for maybe 1 more reveal this week. My Pulse Premium membership runs out this month, so I wouldn't mind getting free shipping 1 more time before it does. No way I'm paying for a membership since Selects is just about the only thing I order from Pulse anymore. It was a nice 2 year run of having the free Pulse Premium just for making an initial purchase back in 2019, but in no way worth it for $50 a year.

Especially since you can just add an item to get free shipping then cancel the item moments after making the order. I try not to do that too often, but if the workaround exists, I'm gonna use it. Added Snaptrap to order Deep Cover last week, then yesterday I ordered Snaptrap, Deep Cover, and Transmutate then canceled the previous order. I got a couple of months to decide if I truly want Snaptrap or not. I wish at least one of the other two Seacons would come into stock again so I can sort of complete King Poseidon without paying extra.

News Credits: 51 · Wed Feb 24, 2021 12:49 pm

AcademyofDrX wrote:Oh yeah, I forgot they're not GS even though the packaging outside is GS-style plain cardboard. Technically I don't think they're Earthrise either, as all of the marketing has described them as part of the "War for Cybertron Trilogy," which included the Netflix line and the Quintesson Pit in particular. This is all debatable, the Wiki puts the Centurion Drone pack there even though it has an Earthrise number, but the GO sets under Earthrise even though they don't. I'll concede that they're not Selects any way you slice it.

I get why there are different threads for different topics but I'm not sure that enforcing these marketing divisions is particularly useful. None of this complaining is about a product line, but the phenomenon of retailer exclusives which exist across lines, so what're ya gonna do.

I count them as Earthrise because the instructions and the inside of the box for each set labels them as Earthrise despite the lack of numbering (at least according to Amazon's stock photos, the only one of those sets I want is the one that isn't out yet so I don't have any of them on-hand to confirm), and the Wiki counts them as well. I agree that complaining about the thread being off-topic is basically arguing semantics though, that combined with genuine confusion at what was happening was why I didn't comment on any of it until I came to make an on-topic post about the latest reveal.

So basically in conclusion, we're good. ;)^