The Energon Pub

Sowndwave76 wrote:Target may have random distribution, but since my last post about SS86 Starscream, at one point it went from 7 to 6.
But for almost a week now, it's up to 8.
I was just there roughly an hour ago.

Then that tells me you store has more than 8 of them and are only putting out 8 at a time. They likely are selling, but because they still have more than fit on the shelf at once, it will look like they aren't moving because the shelf is getting restocked from back. If they ever start dropping and not being restocked, then your store has likely run out of extra stock in the back. That is the point where you may be able to see how well he is moving.

He did finally show up at 3 of the Targets I check out regularly. 2 of them put out 8 at a time as well, the 3rd only put out 2 (or put out 8 and he did really well, not enough info to know either way).

I will say that compared to previous years, this is a little strange for the SS leaders. Last year around this time the stores would get and put out 1 or 2 cases at a time max. Seeing 8+ SS leaders at multiple stores outside of the Christmas season is almost unheard of.

TF-fan kev777 wrote:

Sowndwave76 wrote:

sol magnus wrote:

Sowndwave76 wrote:Target may have random distribution, but since my last post about SS86 Starscream, at one point it went from 7 to 6.
But for almost a week now, it's up to 8.
I was just there roughly an hour ago.

Anyway, does anyone have any idea as to when Sludge is going to be released/shipped?
I get it, right now Amazon has his release for date for End of July/early August.
But being wave 2, doesn't it have to be earlier than that?
At least by a month?

I didnt get Slag ubtil August '21. He came right on schedule (hard as that may be to believe.)

But wasn't Slag supposed to be released during the second half of the year?

Keep in mind, SS Leaders only come in 3 waves per year unlike WFC which had 4 waves at the leader class (granted with more repacks). So the second wave of SS leaders will typically be later than the second wave of WFC or Legacy.

Edit: I found my Slag on July 4th last year, so second half of the year was right on.

Isn't it only 2 waves per year?

Either way, I'm hoping that it's at least mid-July when Sludge starts showing-up/shipping.

If it is in fact only 2 SS leader figures per year, that has me more worried that Swoop is/will end up being voyager class... Even if Snarl is released with the mainline.
With RotB coming next summer, I'm going to assume at least 1 leader slot will be dedicated to a character from that movie, if not two.
I really don't see Hastak giving us an almost leader-sized (as in Dinobot leader-sized) figure at the voyager price point. Seems like that is impossible, even if prices go up again.

And holy hell, if only 1 of the last 2 Dinobots is released for all of next year... FFS, relatively speaking, I'm going to be extremely annoyed.

Yes, it will most likely be worth it if the wait means Swoop is legit Dinobot-leader class scale...
And it's not like the drawn-out releases of these 5 is equal to dragging out the releases of 5 figures that form a combiner over 3-4 years...
I also get that IF the last Dinobot is released at the very beginning of 2024 (feels weird just typing that), that's better than having to wait until Oct./Nov. of that year, then in-turn, makes the wait between these last two substantially less.

I'm really not meaning to complain about this stuff... Especially in the grand scheme of life...
I think this is part of me being very ready to retire from collecting, and at the same time wanting a handful of characters before the outro.

william-james88 wrote:Isn't it only 2 waves per year?

I should have said 2-3 waves per year. We are supposed to be getting 3 waves this year, and I thought at least 1 previous year had 3 waves, but that might be my memory playing tricks on me.

Sowndwave76 wrote:And holy hell, if only 1 of the last 2 Dinobots is released for all of next year... FFS, relatively speaking, I'm going to be extremely annoyed.

I really do promise that I am trying not to be an a-hole here by saying this, but please calm down about the release date. The first AOE Studio Series Dinobot came out in Wave 1 of the line in April 2018, 4 years ago now. WE haven't even had a RUMOR that a 2nd one is coming. I think you should be very grateful that you are currently getting 1-2 leader Dinobots a year. Live Action movie fans have 1 less dinobot to get to complete the set, and it will be at bare minimum 5 years between the first and second one, and the line was live action primarily first.

Again, I really am not trying to be rude here, but currently, in this line, you are getting far more far quicker with regards to leader Dinobots.

On a different note, I think we are close to Wreck Gar, Sweep, Kup, and to a lesser extent Blurr, being classified as shelfwarmers. All but SS86 are over 4 months old and are still here, and yes they are the same ones. And based on when I tweeted this originally, groups of 2-12 Sweeps shelfwarming together for months are common, and apparently so is the very easy to locate Wreck Gar, which that one sort of surprises me.

@D_Max,

No worries.
I add “relatively speaking” to a lot of my posts to try & help emphasize that I do have perspective in all of this…
These are toys.
And while I know I’m a “collector”, I would not say this is one of my hobbies…
Painting, drumming, & up to about 3 yrs ago, playing soccer.
Those are/were my legit hobbies.

So as my motto states, there’s really nothing anyone here can say that is going to hurt my feelings.
Call me a Gee-wunner… Tell me my opinions suck & are stupid…
No offense to anyone here… While I think I’d actually be able to have legit friendships with at least a few who post, in the grand scheme, I’m by no means trying to impress anyone. That’s not to suggest I think anyone else is.

Having said that, I hope you have some perspective that there are people like me who have been waiting since either the original G1 toys, and/or roughly 2007 when Classics Grimlock was released for figures like the SS86 Dinobots.
I know they have been versions since ‘07.
And I’m sure some loved them & maybe still do.
For me, those were a tease, and even more so, a huge letdown.
Because Classics only released Grimlock, & that one itself was a mehhhh,
I think it’s fair to say people have been waiting since the 80’s for well-done Dinobots.

Voicing frustration, especially in a typed response doesn’t mean someone isn’t calm.

I just bought Spike on Amazon.com

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09H1 ... UTF8&psc=1

sol magnus wrote:I just bought Spike on Amazon.com

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09H1 ... UTF8&psc=1

Hey man, I'm here, what's up?

william-james88 wrote:

sol magnus wrote:I just bought Spike on Amazon.com

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09H1 ... UTF8&psc=1

Hey man, I'm here, what's up?

I wasn't sure if the community knew about Spike being available and didn't want to derail.

sol magnus wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

sol magnus wrote:I just bought Spike on Amazon.com

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09H1 ... UTF8&psc=1

Hey man, I'm here, what's up?

I wasn't sure if the community knew about Spike being available and didn't want to derail.

Sadly he sold out before I had a chance to news it. But yeah, it would have been a great story to front page.

william-james88 wrote:

sol magnus wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

sol magnus wrote:I just bought Spike on Amazon.com

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09H1 ... UTF8&psc=1

Hey man, I'm here, what's up?

I wasn't sure if the community knew about Spike being available and didn't want to derail.

Sadly he sold out before I had a chance to news it. But yeah, it would have been a great story to front page.

It's popping in and out of stock. It's also available on Cmdstore.com for those interested. Here's a poor man's video review that I humbly lay before all of you, naked and bare to the world.

Looks like there are lots of fans wanting that Exosuit Spike from the Studio Series 86 line. Fans have been able to get him on Amazon.com since the week-end but the availability has been sporadic. One moment it's available and the other it isn't. But we still wanted to let you know and give you the link so you can check it when you want and have it at your side.

Also, we have a review from fellow Seibertronian Chuckdawg in case you wanted to get a good idea at what you were getting.

Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09H1 ... UTF8&psc=1

Review:

Man thank yall for this because I've been looking up this guy on Amazon every single day with no luck, not even finding the item as out of stock just to add to the wishlist

He is flagged as #1 new release... in Mens Fashion Sneakers.

Immortal Starscream wrote:He is flagged as #1 new release... in Mens Fashion Sneakers.

Yup. There he is:


https://www.amazon.com/gp/new-releases/fashion/679312011/ref=zg_b_hnr_679312011_1

In other words, this is a substitute for a Sports Label Spike Witwicky.

... people want Spike? meh. Saw it in store over a month ago and it just did not interest me one bit.

Burn wrote:... people want Spike? meh. Saw it in store over a month ago and it just did not interest me one bit.

Okay?

sol magnus wrote:

Burn wrote:... people want Spike? meh. Saw it in store over a month ago and it just did not interest me one bit.

Okay?

Sorry, forgot expressing one's opinion on this place was taboo. Call it an old age brain fart, I'll try to keep such thoughts to myself.

Burn wrote:... people want Spike? meh. Saw it in store over a month ago and it just did not interest me one bit.

Yup, lots on interest in him, fir now. While he's been out in a few parts if the world for months, he is still very new in the US and that's all that's needed for him to be popular/wanted.

william-james88 wrote:

Burn wrote:... people want Spike? meh. Saw it in store over a month ago and it just did not interest me one bit.

Yup, lots on interest in him, fir now. While he's been out in a few parts if the world for months, he is still very new in the US and that's all that's needed for him to be popular/wanted.

When he was announced I was interested, but once I saw him in store, at the price point he was at, I simply couldn't justify a toy that essentially lays down*. Had it been a few dollars cheaper? Not a problem. But I suspect there will be a few people who end up thinking like I do when they finally see him in hand.
*Unless it's a citybot.

Burn wrote:... people want Spike? meh. Saw it in store over a month ago and it just did not interest me one bit.

I don't get the appeal either, but we all have our preferences. I think for some it's great that the character is finally represented, for others like myself he would be a pick up mainly to complete the cast of the animated movie, and there are others like you who just don't care.

Burn wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Burn wrote:... people want Spike? meh. Saw it in store over a month ago and it just did not interest me one bit.

Yup, lots on interest in him, fir now. While he's been out in a few parts if the world for months, he is still very new in the US and that's all that's needed for him to be popular/wanted.

When he was announced I was interested, but once I saw him in store, at the price point he was at, I simply couldn't justify a toy that essentially lays down*. Had it been a few dollars cheaper? Not a problem. But I suspect there will be a few people who end up thinking like I do when they finally see him in hand.
*Unless it's a citybot.

I'm already thinking like you and I didn't see the toy first had yet

Rodimus Prime wrote:

Burn wrote:... people want Spike? meh. Saw it in store over a month ago and it just did not interest me one bit.

I don't get the appeal either, but we all have our preferences. I think for some it's great that the character is finally represented, for others like myself he would be a pick up mainly to complete the cast of the animated movie, and there are others like you who just don't care.

I have the Spike that come with the OG MP Bee, the one with SS86 Slug/Slag, and the one that came with the small BWBB 2-pack. Might as well complete the set by getting the core one, if I ever find it in store.

I wonder if Core Spike is compatible with dinobots riding?

-Kanrabat- wrote:

Rodimus Prime wrote:

Burn wrote:... people want Spike? meh. Saw it in store over a month ago and it just did not interest me one bit.

I don't get the appeal either, but we all have our preferences. I think for some it's great that the character is finally represented, for others like myself he would be a pick up mainly to complete the cast of the animated movie, and there are others like you who just don't care.

I have the Spike that come with the OG MP Bee, the one with SS86 Slug/Slag, and the one that came with the small BWBB 2-pack. Might as well complete the set by getting the core one, if I ever find it in store.

I wonder if Core Spike is compatible with dinobots riding?

I'm sure he is, he's a bit bigger and actually somewhat articulated.

And that reminds me, we did get a "Spike" with Slag. So now I have 0 need for the core class figure.