The Energon Pub

Today I walked into my local Big Lots! store just to browse around. I wound up in the toys aisle that usually has a bunch of bootlegs of Transformers and other robot toys from long ago and far away.

But as I walked down the aisle I spotted something I did not expect to find: five boxes of the Transformers Classics Optimus Prime Vs. Megatron: The Ultimate Battle set! What's more is that it didn't have the Classics logo, but instead it had the Transformers Universe logo... from the 2003-2007 Universe toyline! But alas, there was no DVD included in any of the sets.

I checked all over the boxes to see if they were official, and they were! Not only did they have the Hasbro logo and legal info, but there was something else that surprised me. The distribution information on the bottom of the box said that this item is "Distributed in Australia by Hasbro Australia Ltd." So what I found was an Australian release of this 2-pack in a U.S. Big Lots! in Tampa, FL.

Here's some images for evidence (sorry about the flash in some of them).

Great find. Not much of a deal. That pack was $20 to begin with.

That's about 18.99 more than that set is worth, IMHO.

The point is, if one Australian-exclusive TF item showed up at a Big Lots!, who knows what other foreign items may show up at a later date.

I know that these two have been released in the States before, but not this version (universe 2003 logo, no DVD, etc.).

--B-- wrote:That's about 18.99 more than that set is worth, IMHO.

NO WAY! Those two are so poseable! And Prime looks great in robot mode.

someone please correct me if i'm wrong, but didn't hasbro rerelease this set in universe packaging just like that for stores such as dollar general and family dollar and the like? truly the first "universe classics" series lol.

good thing you took so many pics...

--B-- wrote:That's about 18.99 more than that set is worth, IMHO.

C'mon, I know the Prime's really bad, but the Megatron is pretty decent.

Sabrblade wrote:The point is, if one Australian-exclusive TF item showed up at a Big Lots!, who knows what other foreign items may show up at a later date.

I know that these two have been released in the States before, but not this version (universe 2003 logo, no DVD, etc.).

True. Over here in my corner of the world there seems to have been an overnight rain of MP-02s. Every "specialty shop" (read = glass stand in the market area) and their sister has a couple. They're going for real cheap too, about $60.

I saw those the other day. Didn't get them, but I thought it was interesting. FIgured it made up for a few of hte boots.

Sabrblade wrote:The point is, if one Australian-exclusive TF item showed up at a Big Lots!, who knows what other foreign items may show up at a later date.

I know that these two have been released in the States before, but not this version (universe 2003 logo, no DVD, etc.).

Same set in the same packaging is available at KB toys, for now, that is.

--B-- wrote:

Sabrblade wrote:The point is, if one Australian-exclusive TF item showed up at a Big Lots!, who knows what other foreign items may show up at a later date.

I know that these two have been released in the States before, but not this version (universe 2003 logo, no DVD, etc.).

Same set in the same packaging is available at KB toys, for now, that is.

Not in my KB Toys. It's still loaded with Energon and Cybertron figures in Universe 2003 packaging.

The Big lots in my area have been selling this one for over a year.

As a matter of fact I started a thread a year ago about it when I found them.

They are selling for $15.bucks now a days.

They're selling those at my local Genaurdi's grocery store. Hasbro must have made like a billion of them.