The Energon Pub

Dear Seibertronians:
I am satisfied with the paint apps of my current transformers combiner wars.
I'm having trouble understanding and accepting the lack of paint apps.
How much paint should a transformers toys have?

As painted as Hasbro's budget allows them to be?

Paint apps are always appreciated imo. I think it varies figure to figure. I have to admit, I tend to prefer more is better.

Generally speaking Takara usually comes through on paint apps vs a Hasbro. There are exceptions however: Ex. CW Hotspot vs. UW Hotspot. The CW or Hasbro version of Hotspot has more paint apps than the TT counterpart.

Takara is only able to improve on the paint job because they release their figures after Hasbro. If you look at a figure Hasbro releases that was originally Takara like Jetwing Optimus, they made better paint jobs too

LegendaryAntiHero wrote:Takara is only able to improve on the paint job because they release their figures after Hasbro. If you look at a figure Hasbro releases that was originally Takara like Jetwing Optimus, they made better paint jobs too

This I did not know. You truly are legendary my friend. Thanks.

"More than they are" is the only answer to that question. It's a rare Hasbro TF that couldn't use some sort of extra paint ap. That's not to say Takara always hits it out of the park, sometimes they make some odd choices in paint, IMO. So it's not just always more paint, but more paint that's thought out well.

BTW, I'm not saying Takara's always bad with their paint like that, just once in a while.

Towline wrote:Dear Seibertronians:
I am satisfied with the paint apps of my current transformers combiner wars.
I'm having trouble understanding and accepting the lack of paint apps.
How much paint should a transformers toys have?

More than they do at the moment - especially when a panel line stops half-way along like it does on a couple of the Stunticons. or they don't bother painting the rear windows on a toy much of the time - again the example being the Stunticons.

Hardly ever bothering to paint the wheel hubs looks cheap too.

As for Takara's Hotspot they did paint the wheels and the base of the ladder so those application missing else where are slightly compensated for.

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If however we step outside the example of Combiner Wars an ideal example of Missing paint is Transformers Prime Knockout - as boy is he sure missing a lot - and so are the RescueBot Dinosaurs - so much the case with them it's sort of "Insulting" as I have mentioned before Blades has at least 26 Paint application more shown on the back of the packet than the actual toy in the packet has on it.

RAR wrote:

Towline wrote:Dear Seibertronians:
I am satisfied with the paint apps of my current transformers combiner wars.
I'm having trouble understanding and accepting the lack of paint apps.
How much paint should a transformers toys have?

More than they do at the moment - especially when a panel line stops half-way along like it does on a couple of the Stunticons. or they don't bother painting the rear windows on a toy much of the time - again the example being the Stunticons.

Hardly ever bothering to paint the wheel hubs looks cheap too.

As for Takara's Hotspot they did paint the wheels and the base of the ladder so those application missing else where are slightly compensated for.

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If however we step outside the example of Combiner Wars an ideal example of Missing paint is Transformers Prime Knockout - as boy is he sure missing a lot - and so are the RescueBot Dinosaurs - so much the case with them it's sort of "Insulting" as I have mentioned before Blades has at least 26 Paint application more shown on the back of the packet than the actual toy in the packet has on it.

Oh man, did they drop the ball on Knockout, even his biggest standout feature (IMO), the gold hubcaps, completely missing and left unpainted. And IIRC, the Takara isn't any better, if anything maybe worse, since they were doing that weird cheap labels thing with Arms Micron and really cutting back paint apps.

Optimum Supreme wrote:

RAR wrote:
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If however we step outside the example of Combiner Wars an ideal example of Missing paint is Transformers Prime Knockout - as boy is he sure missing a lot.

Oh man, did they drop the ball on Knockout, even his biggest stand out feature (IMO), the gold hubcaps, completely missing and left unpainted. And IIRC, the Takara isn't any better, if anything maybe worse, since they were doing that weird cheap labels thing with Arms Micron and really cutting back paint apps.

Yeah he's the poster boy for missing paint in my view.



But the lack of paint on Combiner Wars Optimus' Vehicle mode is rather detrimental too -



I still can't imagine why even Takara didn't properly paint the front-side windows on their versions (like Grand Scourge) either. even if Scourge is a significant improvement in other ways even he is missing a few key paint applications as well (like the sun visor ends and front-side windows).

I think that that side window panel on CW Prime above is unpainted because that plastic is unpaintable. It's a more flexible plastic that I assume was used for function. That kind of plastic can't hold paint.

As to why Takara is usually more liberal with their paint apps has nothing to do with what Hasbro did first. Hasbro is slave to retailers. Western retailers demand all products meet pre-determined price points. So Hasbro is constantly having to make cuts here or there to offset the production costs, so that everyone can profit. Paint is usually the first to go.
In Japan, Takara is not beholden to the all mighty price point. You will notice that deluxe class figures very in price, even with in the same line. So Takara can set the price of each toy based on it's production cost.

We are definitely knee deep in an era of little to no paint apps. I see it most in the RID line. Something has happened that has raised production cost. Some think it's the price of the materials, I have a feeling it's a rise in labor costs in the East. China's economy is drastically changing. for the better, from the people's perspective.

I'd personally like to see a little more paint on the current toys. especially because of the recent over all price increase. they are still making good toys though. I don't have a ton of complaints with Combiner Wars.

Depends on our fellow collectors preference

1. Some like to customize/kitbash= Hb style
2. Sometimes the Hb version is anime/show accurate sometimes the opposite and collectors prefer either presentation
3. On how accurate to the show a figure is again as mentioned, depends on how much Hb is willing to price the product
4. Sometimes TT bling makes a good looking mold even better.
5. More on #3

Hasbro sometimes exaggerate the lack of ability for plastic to hold paint - that is why they put a micro texture on the surface sometimes to compensate for that.

They also said that about the front Bumper on SuperCon Optimus Prime - and I painted that just fine and it's not chipped once.

I did around the whole windows of CW Optimus and it did take a couple of coats to look good but it's not chipped either.

That may be the reason they give for not painting the grey but in practice it's not like the paint just falls off goes a funny texture or sticky like it does on Universe/Classics Prowl's doors. or on Universe Ironhides roof.

Besides that is no excuse on Knock out for his rear window not being painted when they could have used the same silver he has on the sides of the car to do it.

So them not painting the part is much more likely the same reason he has no paint on the wheels or a stripe on the side "It's not in Budget" (or to put in in fan terms Hasbro are cheap).

I guess something had to give despite record low Oil Prices - what with a 30% increase in labour costs in China - but I just regret that we got the 'perfect storm'.

The toys remain small (on average)
The have less paint
They have less joints (i.e. Warrior class)
The reuse moulds and design to a degree previously unheard of
The price has nearly doubled for on average $12.99 to $19.99 (this year) and Leaders are smaller have way to little paint and yet cost $50.00 for some mysterious reason.

Ultra Magnus isn't worth $50.00 of anyone's money in my view (even more so £50.00).

So Yeah I'm vexed by having to put up with all that and pressure tabbed on wheels at the same time.

One of them even two you can put up with - but the whole lot at once in the space of less than 2 years was just to much for me to stay quiet and happy about it.

That said I can happily still love Knockout - but he's a special case as he cost me £6.50 (came in new at that price that isn't a old stock reduction price) not the £14.99 a Warrior Class or the £16.99+ a Deluxe costs these days in the UK.

if I'd be deranged enough to pay £16.99 for a Hasbro Knockout I wouldn't be very happy - Heck even the Arms Micron one was only £11.99 cost to me.

So I guess I'll continue grumbling about this and look more an more closely at other places to buy robot toys or wait for sales.

In an ideal world, it should have lots of paint. Loads of paint. ALL the paint.

I love paint.

Sadly this is not an ideal world- this is the world where quality continues to fall whilst retail prices continue to rise. I'd love to see a return to ROTF/HFTD engineering and Beast Wars/RID2001 level paintjobs but that's not happening any time soon, at least with Hasbro products.

How painted should American Transformers toys be? Red, white and blue, that's how! 'MURICA!!! Imagine if every Transformer ever was painted the color scheme of G1 Optimus? (chest and arms, white thighs, legs)

I think its all about colour distrbution. We shouldnt feel something is underpainted.

For example, Combiner Wars Dragstrip has a nice mix of yellow and purple and doesnt feel lacking in paint detail.

But Combiner Wars Wheeljack has that all white in robot mode and the lack of paint is glaring. There should be some paint to break it up and the fake windshield should be painted on the chest.

Opinions will vary as to what they find aggregious, but there should be enough paint so that we arent distracted by paint lacking. So no large expanses of the same plastic colour.

Paint?

Takara Superior, Hasbro Inferior.

Oberon22 wrote:Paint?

Takara Superior, Hasbro Inferior.

Baha, not always, and now less and less.

Can you tell which is the Hasbro version?



And does this mean you will be getting the Takara TL BB




Instead of the Hasbro one?



Also I just noticed how disturbing the title for this thread is. Does the original poster not know that there are other countries out there aside from the US?

Touche', cause I can't tell the difference between the Grooves.

william-james88 wrote:
Also I just noticed how disturbing the title for this thread is. Does the original poster not know that there are other countries out there aside from the US?

I did consider being 'that Person' and pointing that out and though it is generally more polite to place the distinction on the Manufacturer.

In this case I think it may be kinda appropriate to say "American Transformers" ( I do say that myself more than I should anyway if only as it seem the appropriate counter to "Japanese Transformers". and few people point out that they are also released in other parts of Asia too. (often by Hasbro amusingly).

Anyway the reason I think saying 'American Transformers' in this case isn't inappropriate or rude is that paint operations, packaging an general cost is based on the American price points and profit margins not the UK, Canada, South America, parts of Asia or the rest of Europe etc... (basically other markets Hasbro sells too).

So the reason (to return to an earlier example) Knockout is missing so much paint is he's made down to that American price point.

I hope that the use of retools and the like is one of the reasons why they have been able to put more paint and tampos back on the toys.

I do wonder though perhaps they can have a word in the ear of upper management and point out Snake Eyes as a way to save budget that worked in the early 1980's that could work again - i.e. use of a straight repaint or a toy with very minimal paint could be used to compensate for others in the same wave having much more paint.