The Energon Pub

by **ZeldaTheSwordsman** » Sat Apr 18, 2020 11:40 pm

Ahhhh, I see. So it's the kibble that's causing trouble.

Sadly, due to the size reduction and uneven engineering levels I don't think Studio Series could have done a better job compressing it. Oh well.

News Credits: 42 · by **TF-fan kev777** » Mon Apr 20, 2020 4:04 pm

Snagged this guy on Ebay.

News Credits: 101 · by **-Kanrabat-** » Mon Apr 20, 2020 4:29 pm

TF-fan kev777 wrote:Snagged this guy on Ebay.
20200418_160603.jpg

ON EBAY?!

One of most overwhelming shelfwarmer ever? That have been restocked again and again even when Studio Series was at Wave 2 or 3 (As it was the case at my local Toys R Us).

A sudden change of mind when it was finally too late to get it in store on clearance?

News Credits: 22 · by **Rodimus Prime** » Mon Apr 20, 2020 4:40 pm

-Kanrabat- wrote:
TF-fan kev777 wrote:Snagged this guy on Ebay.
20200418_160603.jpg

ON EBAY?!
One of most overwhelming shelfwarmer ever? That have been restocked again and again even when Studio Series was at Wave 2 or 3 (As it was the case at my local Toys R Us).

A sudden change of mind when it was finally too late to get it in store on clearance?

Not where I live. Here I saw Berserker only once and never again.

News Credits: 1642 · by **D-Maximal_Primal** » Mon Apr 20, 2020 4:46 pm

Rodimus Prime wrote:
-Kanrabat- wrote:
TF-fan kev777 wrote:Snagged this guy on Ebay.
20200418_160603.jpg

ON EBAY?!
One of most overwhelming shelfwarmer ever? That have been restocked again and again even when Studio Series was at Wave 2 or 3 (As it was the case at my local Toys R Us).

A sudden change of mind when it was finally too late to get it in store on clearance?
Not where I live. Here I saw Berserker only once and never again.

Funny thing, the dreads and their designs were pretty popular around me too. The cons were the ones who sold during TLK, and I only ever saw Crankcase once and Crowbar for the first few months of Studio Series.

they really didn't shelf warm anywhere near me

News Credits: 131 · by **no-one** » Mon Apr 20, 2020 4:50 pm

D-Maximal_Primal wrote:
Rodimus Prime wrote:
-Kanrabat- wrote:
TF-fan kev777 wrote:Snagged this guy on Ebay.
20200418_160603.jpg
ON EBAY?!
One of most overwhelming shelfwarmer ever? That have been restocked again and again even when Studio Series was at Wave 2 or 3 (As it was the case at my local Toys R Us).

A sudden change of mind when it was finally too late to get it in store on clearance?
Not where I live. Here I saw Berserker only once and never again.
Funny thing, the dreads and their designs were pretty popular around me too. The cons were the ones who sold during TLK, and I only ever saw Crankcase once and Crowbar for the first few months of Studio Series.

they really didn't shelf warm anywhere near me

Shelf warmed hard in my area, as did most of the remolds. I picked one up from a salvage store for next to nothing. It's a hot mess.

News Credits: 101 · by **-Kanrabat-** » Mon Apr 20, 2020 5:19 pm

As usual, distribution is a chaotic, schizophrenic beast.

News Credits: 42 · by **TF-fan kev777** » Tue Apr 21, 2020 12:04 pm

Being at home with 3 teenagers means going through an incredible amount of milk and cereal. I lucked out at Walmart and found Hotlink and Megatron and picked both up. Megatron was initially a pass for me when he was first revealed, but the deco spoke to me when I saw him in hand. Now onto Walmart.com to cancel my pre-ordered Hotlink.

News Credits: 101 · by **-Kanrabat-** » Tue Apr 21, 2020 6:49 pm

Forgive me for posting maybe too much pictures, but it's VINTAGE FESTIVAL today!

First, I once had a "body only " G1 Blurr. Those are common. But as an "extra" for 2/3 of the parts to go with Gobots Jeeper Creeper, I bought myself a Transformers G1 Blurr. appart a broken tab on the shield, he's 100% complete, have all the parts, the labels are in decent condition, and I can't perceive any yellowing. Even came with the Canadain instructions (in both English and French). He's a neat little guy but it's a bit baffling the designers never though about making it possible to combine the gun to the shield for vehicle mode.

Also, Jeeper only miss one windshield frame. I'll find another opportunity.

But this was only the first ebay package.

The second one...

Is a bit...

BIGGER:

At long last, the Gobots (good guys) Command Center!
It's only been around 30+ years since I wanted the thing but either I forgot about it, or it was incomplete / too expensive.

But here, it's 100% complete, even with the box and instructions, plus the condition is like BRAND NEW as if I time traveled back in the 1980's, went to a Woolko, hopped by a Steinberg for a snack, then came back here with my prize.

After assembly, I'm still blown away by the condition. No yellowing, no scratches, all labels are well applied and undamaged, everything that have to move move perfect.

Spaceship:

Epic transformation for walker mode!

But of course the real draw is the base mode:

All labels are both in English and French. However, some French is hilariously badly translated.

The battery is also included (how nice from the seller!) for LOUD alarm action!

Gobots action!

Damn, I'm so happy to have this! And that whole almost new Gobots Command Center was only 105$CAN shipped!

by **ZeldaTheSwordsman** » Tue Apr 21, 2020 7:37 pm

Awesome score! And I love the face on the base mode - pure vintage robot, that is!

News Credits: 9 · by **triKlops** » Tue Apr 21, 2020 7:55 pm

@-Kanrabat-; :APPLAUSE:

News Credits: 42 · by **TF-fan kev777** » Tue Apr 21, 2020 8:13 pm

OGM Kanra! Awesome score.

That Go-Bot Command Center was my confirmation as a youth that Santa wasn't real (at least in the little kid storybook way). I was suspicious by then but accidentally seeing my parents wrapping it while going to the bathroom on Christmas Eve was the nail in the coffin.

I totally played it cool and didn't let them see me and let them think the magic was still there the next morning. A few days later I told my dad that I saw them and really knew. He asked me why I didn't say anything that night. I told him that I wanted them to still see my surprise Christmas morning. He said thanks, but they could tell that I already knew the truth and were "wrapping" (beer/wine) that present for about an hour waiting for me to find them, just to make sure I could figure it out for myself. Yeah, my parents are awesome.

News Credits: 101 · by **-Kanrabat-** » Tue Apr 21, 2020 8:30 pm

That's one great memory with that toy!
But did it survived your childhood?

I saw American listings for a complete Gobots Command center and YEOUCH! Lowest price with shipping is around double of what I paid and if I want to include the box and manual, it's triple!

Still I can't believes I was able to buy it. There was at least 12 watchers for this buy-it-now item. Maybe the bad photos and the fact that it was a Canadian listing played in my favor.

Now, I'll bid my time for the villain's command center.

by **ZeldaTheSwordsman** » Tue Apr 21, 2020 9:55 pm

The photos and the Canadian location probably did play a role. Shipping between the US and Canada is annoying on both sides of the border, and bad photos tend to make people think the toy is in crap condition and/or that the seller doesn't know what they're doing

News Credits: 1642 · by **D-Maximal_Primal** » Tue Apr 21, 2020 10:10 pm

TF-fan kev777 wrote:That Go-Bot Command Center was my confirmation as a youth that Santa wasn't real (at least in the little kid storybook way). I was suspicious by then but accidentally seeing my parents wrapping it while going to the bathroom on Christmas Eve was the nail in the coffin.

Santa isn't real?.... :-(

News Credits: 101 · by **-Kanrabat-** » Wed Apr 22, 2020 12:47 am

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:The photos and the Canadian location probably did play a role. Shipping between the US and Canada is annoying on both sides of the border, and bad photos tend to make people think the toy is in crap condition and/or that the seller doesn't know what they're doing

The pictures weren't clear at all. Especially for how truly complete the thing was. So I asked the seller if he could mod his listing by adding the "missing" more detailed pictures. So the seller did responded and added clearer pictures... by sending them only to me instead of editing the listing for all to see!

So, despite the seller having only a feedback rating of only 13, I had a gut feeling that it was my chance.

Oh, and speaking of Canadian listings, I once bid and won a 100% complete G1 Jetfire, complete with box, foam inserts, red thing and manual, for 136$CAN shipped! But not every Canadian listings get ignored by people...
LIKE THIS ONE

by **ZeldaTheSwordsman** » Wed Apr 22, 2020 4:47 am

Yeah, well, that one was Optimus Freaking Prime. And a special variant thereof, too.

News Credits: 101 · by **-Kanrabat-** » Wed Apr 22, 2020 5:15 am

ZeldaTheSwordsman wrote:Yeah, well, that one was Optimus Freaking Prime. And a special variant thereof, too.

It was from a contest from way back then in 1986 or something. I remember it. My dad was a Pepsi drinker and it was always me who had to go to the convenience store to buy his Pepsi. The contest was a "look under the bottle cap" thing. You have to find both halves of the Optimus. Of course, the left side was common as hell, but the right side was limited to how many prizes available divided my who know how many millions of bottles.

Still, G1 Optimus is pretty common and have been reissued a zillion times. Yet, it seem there's something magical about the vintage original. Especially the Canadian version. Maybe because the Canadian version was one that was never reissued nor KO'ed.

News Credits: 8 · by **JoeIsNotCool** » Wed Apr 22, 2020 6:47 am

Some of my recent purchases, still have about 5 on the way to me. Very happy with them all, especially MPM Barricade who I got sealed at a bargain £40 on eBay! Now there is no turning back on getting all the Decepticon MPM's (would get the Autobots, but Optimus ruins it for me)

News Credits: 101 · by **-Kanrabat-** » Wed Apr 22, 2020 6:50 am

Let's hope your MPM Barricade is not a KO.

News Credits: 8 · by **JoeIsNotCool** » Wed Apr 22, 2020 6:56 am

-Kanrabat- wrote:Let's hope your MPM Barricade is not a KO.

I don't think it is, but then again I don't know how to find out. Was advertised as genuine so would like to think it is so!

News Credits: 4 · by **GeekyGamer Gal** » Wed Apr 22, 2020 7:55 am

LeAwesome1 wrote:
-Kanrabat- wrote:Let's hope your MPM Barricade is not a KO.

I don't think it is, but then again I don't know how to find out. Was advertised as genuine so would like to think it is so!

I remember one of the key things, at least during the initial release being where the one Police tampograph and molding was on the spoiler rather than the top of the trunk, or vice versa. Then a lot of the KO people started putting the tampograph in the correct place, but the molding was in the wrong place.

Then again he seems to always be on sale now. >:oP

Amazon has him listed for $50USD right now.

News Credits: 8 · by **JoeIsNotCool** » Wed Apr 22, 2020 7:59 am

GeekyGamer Gal wrote:
LeAwesome1 wrote:
-Kanrabat- wrote:Let's hope your MPM Barricade is not a KO.

I don't think it is, but then again I don't know how to find out. Was advertised as genuine so would like to think it is so!

I remember one of the key things, at least during the initial release being where the one Police tampograph and molding was on the spoiler rather than the top of the trunk, or vice versa. Then a lot of the KO people started putting the tampograph in the correct place, but the molding was in the wrong place.

Then again he seems to always be on sale now. Amazon has him listed for $50USD right now.

I feel like an idiot now, as I didn't check Amazon first and its £37 delivered :HEADHURTS:

I'm pretty sure it's genuine anyway, but even if it isn't it does the job right, which is okay in my books!

News Credits: 1642 · by **D-Maximal_Primal** » Wed Apr 22, 2020 10:49 am

LeAwesome1 wrote:
-Kanrabat- wrote:Let's hope your MPM Barricade is not a KO.

I don't think it is, but then again I don't know how to find out. Was advertised as genuine so would like to think it is so!

the one I got originally was advertised as genuine too, but then was the KO (could tell from the mentioned tampos on the trunk lid and spoiler areas). it also had much weaker shoulder joints than my official one.

Hopefully you got the real thing though!

News Credits: 8 · by **JoeIsNotCool** » Wed Apr 22, 2020 10:51 am

D-Maximal_Primal wrote:
LeAwesome1 wrote:
-Kanrabat- wrote:Let's hope your MPM Barricade is not a KO.

I don't think it is, but then again I don't know how to find out. Was advertised as genuine so would like to think it is so!

the one I got originally was advertised as genuine too, but then was the KO (could tell from the mentioned tampos on the trunk lid and spoiler areas). it also had much weaker shoulder joints than my official one.

Hopefully you got the real thing though!

Mine has POLICE written on the spoiler but it isn't moulded on there, but there isn't any moulding for it anywhere else either just the paint. Shoulders are a little weak but nothing terrible. Seems alright to me, so as I say even if it turns out to be a KO it works well enough for me!