The Energon Pub

Over the past few weeks we have seen a lot of images of G1 knock offs. Today images of another G1 knock off has surfaced. The latest figure to get the knock off treatment is G1 Wheeljack. Yamaotto of TFW2005 has posted a link to the image. Click here to go to the link.

Wow, if this keeps up that'll mean the past 20yrs of me collecting, hunting, and saving these will be time wasted.

Hey K.O. makers, stop proving my family right!

Wheeljack was always one of my favorite G1 TF's, although I never had a complete one. Now I may, as long as it's not $150 like the recently mentioned Mirage KO.

so how do these guys come across these molds? From what I've seen, these molds are very accurate reproductions. Are they created based on the figures themselves? Or do they obtain them through other means? I thought molds such as Wheeljack and Mirage were lost to the ravages of time.

I'd better get an original G1 Wheeljack before this garbage hits the market.

For those of you taking score at home thats:

KO Swoop, Mirage, Devastator, Wheeljack at nearly $150 each

Takara/Hasbro - 0

As long as there are certain differences between this KO version and the original I have no problem with it. Im sure tehre will be, for example I'm willing to bet that the KO Wheeljack will have next to no Metal in him, so he will be much lighter.

As long as he is reasonably priced I wouldnt mind getting one to stand next to my half dead Wheeljack.

As for all these Ko's getting pumped out, now is the time to do it, with interest in the movie growing, and lots of people will get a nopstalgia kick.

with every knockoff, every reissue, the originals get lost in the void beyond recognition

Say goodbye to a real reissue now.

jprime69 wrote:so how do these guys come across these molds? From what I've seen, these molds are very accurate reproductions. Are they created based on the figures themselves? Or do they obtain them through other means? I thought molds such as Wheeljack and Mirage were lost to the ravages of time.

I'm in the same boat. How can these guys do it and not the big 2? Hastakomy has the funds to reverse mold the "supposed lost or damaged molds". I'll hold off on buying these but if for some chance that Hastakomy might try to beat them at the punch, i'll go for the originals.

it looks like there is also some ultra magnus parts in that picture too. maybe they will do that one too and charge an arm and a leg for that one

grrr. i agree with the sentament. wheeljack and mirage were supposed to be 2 molds damaged beyond repair, and here is a nice looking ko of it.

DAMN!!!

I don't see how a Magnus can sell, given that the reissue can be purchased MISB for around $100 or so.

Immortal Starscream wrote:grrr. i agree with the sentament. wheeljack and mirage were supposed to be 2 molds damaged beyond repair, and here is a nice looking ko of it.

DAMN!!!

I have a feeling that "damaged beyond repair" actually means "we lost those molds at a factory that we did business with" or "we lost those molds when a factory was sold or went out of business".

Supposedly there was a major factory that was recently purchased in Asia (Macau?) that had a lot of these molds, including the sticker sheets for a lot of the figures which is where eBay has recently become flooded with high quality stickers of old school figures ... which has made me a very happy camper so that I can replace stickers on my figures that are pretty much the same quality as they were back in the 80s instead of using reproduction stickers.

This is the last email exchange that I had with an eBay seller regarding the recent Fortress Maxmius sticker sheet that I purchased for about $50. I had asked him a few questions about the quality of the stickers and where they came from.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... L:RTQ:US:1

Hi,

It is nice to get your reply.
To me the stickers are the same and I have compared it with my original sticker. I didn't found any difference.
So, I want to know anyone else can find sth between it. You know I have only one original sticker. It is limited in some way.

How and where do they make it? I am not sure.
But I was told, one Krean toy company bought a old factory in Macau and find some old mould which used to make transformers 20 years ago.
Then they started to make the reissue like Swoops and Ratbat. I think all the stickers is also from there.

I bought some sticker from reprolabels.com and the qulity is totally different from the one I get right now, no matter the color or paper.
So I beleive the Fortress Maximus stickers is from some old pattern or some left.
I am not sure right now. But I think later or sooner we can found out

Thank you

What next? What other TF's have broken molds or are in high demand? Devastator surprises me though, there are already so many KO's of him it's getting sad..........Wheeljack doesn't though........

I heard somehwere that the Chinese company that origionally made these toys just never threw away the molds and never gave 'em back. Hence the good quality on them.

Originals will always be worth more than a KO, so I wouldn't be sweating it. Grated, it probably does drive down the value though. As long as some part of them is inferior to the origionals (I hear Cyclonus breaks apart easily) then it seems good to me. Although, I gotta say one thing .....

Takara: these guys are beating you at your own game. Take a lesson from the bootleggers ..... remake the molds you lost. Gotta be able to buy a Devestator to reverse-engeneer.....

edit: Seibs pretty much covered it. Shows me for skimming posts rather than reading them.

I am not sure if Wheeljack is on the way or not. There are also Magnus and Metroplex pieces so maybe it is a company that does parts like transrepro did.

I have 2 original wheeljacks. If I collected for value I wouldn't be collecting, the more reissues the better. However I do not endorse bootlegging.
I'd definitely buy a legit reissue wheeljack. Though personally I'd much rather have a MP or Classics figure than a reissue.

I despise these people making these things...

Counterpunch wrote:I despise these people making these things...

I knew there was a reason for liking you. Other than your collection of scantily clad women.

Id really like to beleive that hasbro/takara wont take this sitting down and remold the originals... but i cant

I've always asked 'How many wheels could Wheeljack 'jack if Wheeljack could 'jack wheels?' I guess this is the answer: some KO company is jacking HIS wheels...

Burn wrote:

Counterpunch wrote:I despise these people making these things...

I knew there was a reason for liking you. Other than your collection of scantily clad women.

You know...I actually have a harem story.

Those were the days...

i just got an original a few days ago. this guy has got to stop making g1 ko.

i'm getting sick of seeing these...pretty soon buying any g1 figure is gonna be like trying to buy frenzy and rumble...5million KO's on ebay with 95% claiming to be originals.

I want pictures of wheeljack!!! I could not get any off that website just comments!!! Someone help!!! Is this the classics line or not!!!