The Energon Pub

[Dead Metal]

KOToys has posted two images of an upcoming KO set of the Generation 1 Stunticons. What is interesting about this set is the fact that it comes with Deadend and Wildride which are usually replaced with two Technobots in all of the KO Menasor releases, making this set here closer to the original and thus harder to distinguish from it.





To view the original post over at KOtoys just click here.

Stay tuned to seibertron.com for all your Transformers related news!

[steve2275]

thats damn good lookin rip off

[Relic Dinobot]

It still amazes me to no end that Hasbro and Takara aren't jumping onto these "re-issues" with all the recent combiner love we're getting from various sources like the PCCs, Movie Devastator, Superion and Bruticus. Sure they'd probably need to reverse engineer a couple older degraded molds but still... And they'd get the chance to secure 6 names (7 with the Constructicons) at once. Combiners are great play value and have great potential as reissue/repaint fodder, too. Just look at RiD Ruination.

[Rated X]

This is great !! I want one !!! I only have Dead End, Wildrider, and Breakdown from my childhood G1 collection. I could care less about the value. Heck, it wouldnt bother me if the stamped "knock off" where "Hasbro" used to be. It's not like my collection is going to be inspected by my visitors. I have it for display purposes, and nothing attracts attention better than something "retro".

[Rated X]

I almost forgot to ask...whats the going price on a set like this ???

[Flux Convoy]

Come to poppa!

[steve2275]

It still amazes me to no end that Hasbro and Takara aren't jumping onto these "re-issues" with all the recent combiner love we're getting from various sources like the PCCs, Movie Devastator, Superion and Bruticus. Sure they'd probably need to reverse engineer a couple older degraded molds but still... And they'd get the chance to secure 6 names (7 with the Constructicons) at once. Combiners are great play value and have great potential as reissue/repaint fodder, too. Just look at RiD Ruination.

they'd rather make ugly ass bayverse toys

[No One]

MINE

[Jelze Bunnycat]

If it has the launcher, he's so mine. I'd turn him into an Autobot for Metroplex...that is, if I had the repainting skills.

[Zeds]

I have been considering expanding my KO collection as more are being released. Reasons:

1. Obviously cheaper than the originals.
2. I keep them MISB to display.
3. It will be less money to insure them.
4. I don't care if people touch them or something happens to them.

The only con would be supporting the KO marketplace which I would blame Hasbro for for not giving fans what they want in the first place.

[Scaleface]

That common KO set not only has 2 Technobots, it's all plastic, and the rub symbols are fake (the are just solid black squares of sticker! they don't have heat-sensitive material!). Some early versions had normal Decepticon and Autobot symbols, but later versions changed it to been weird generic faction labels (I think the actually wanted to move away from using copywritten symbols!) It has all Motormaster's assessories, but none of the accessories for the other robots. It does feature a working launcher for Motormaster. Also, the box for the common KO is EASILY not a real Hasbro/Takara item.

As you can see here, the earlier Chinese release has better stickers with real factions. Later version for US release had faction symbols changed or remove.





They also made a mini-version of that KO, where the combined size is about that of a large Deluxe, and the individual robots are a bit bigger than a WST toy:

[craggy]

nice to see the other 2 Stunticons make a return.

[Sid Burn]

The only con would be supporting the KO marketplace

thats the BIG CON, supporting the KO marketplace is asking to get burned the next time you want to purchase an authentic hasbro or takara G1 mold.

every serious collector knows what a pain in the ass it is to buy a cyclonus, mirage, any of the dinobots or devastator (to name a few) because they have been reproduced outside of hasbro at lesser quality. I hate that I am well versed in how to spot the fakes, but it is almost essential if you want a full G1 collection.

KO manufacturers should NOT be supported. Everyone cries foul over scalpers (remember movie bb?) but its cool to make KOs? To me, a transformer display with KOs as cheap stand ins is not a transformers display.

[krayziejones]

ko toys suck and should be shut down. i cant believe you guys wanna support that crap. get a job and buy the real stuff so you can be proud when you look at your collection. instead your looking at your collection thinking, i have a shelf full of crap. if you guys wanna pretend to have a quality collection, go ahead cause i cant stop you.

[Jelze Bunnycat]

ko toys suck and should be shut down. i cant believe you guys wanna support that crap. get a job and buy the real stuff so you can be proud when you look at your collection. instead your looking at your collection thinking, i have a shelf full of crap. if you guys wanna pretend to have a quality collection, go ahead cause i cant stop you.

If it makes you feel better, to me KO's are good for only one thing: kitbashing.

[Scaleface]

I use them to get accessories, kitbashes, to get toys in sized they were never released (WST Dirge and Ramjet! GIANT Mini-Cons) or to get colors never released.

I also might consider them on the rare occasion that the original toy just isn't available for any reasonable price - like my Sky Garry or Galaxy Shuttle KOs.

[Flux Convoy]

Newsflash, I have a job and I do what I damn well please with my money. Or you can keep crying a river over things that won't change and be completely ineffectual in the process.

[Gauntlet101010]

Is there any site that has an ongoing article on how to spot the KO TFs? I know there used to be forum posts, but the ones I checked recently had a lot of broken images.

[craggy]

I personally see plenty of reasons someone might buy a KO instead of the real thing. Fair enough if you don't want to, but if the option is there its good, IMO.

As to a G1 collection of 100% authentic toys being "better" than one full of Knock-offs? Really? You're discussing how much "better" you are than someone else because you've paid a hell of a lot more for slightly higher quality plastic (and occassionally metal) toys?

People might be buying KOs to give to their kids to play with, and can't/won't spend hundreds of dollars for something that's not unlikely to get broken regardless of how high the standards are. People might have jobs, but have other expenditure that takes precedence over buying back childhood memories. The KOs might be for kitbashes. What people do with their money might not be all that important to someone who's so clearly "better" than them?

edit: I don't think it's all that difficult to tell the KOs from the real thing either. Certainly there's a few examples that prove otherwise, but most packaged examples are quite different. If Hasbro/Takara want to stop these guys, then that's their right, as its those companies the KO sellers are theoretically stealing money from.

[Jelze Bunnycat]

Is there any site that has an ongoing article on how to spot the KO TFs? I know there used to be forum posts, but the ones I checked recently had a lot of broken images.

HighEndTF's.com has an article on Counterfeit figures.

[krayziejones]

look, do what you wanna do with your money. you're right, i shouldn't worry about it. me personally, i will never buy knock offs because i like quality. im not trying to come across like i'm better than anyone cause i spend money on originals. i do think i was a little harsh in my last comment but i still think ko toys suck.

[Gauntlet101010]

The only really bad thing I can see about KOs like this is that they pollute the market for G1 collectors. Either out of ignorance or malicious intent, they can be passed off too easily as the real deal. Especially when out of the package. So a site like HighEndTFs is great. It should really be posted more prominently here.

Can't really blame anyone for wanting to buy an official-looking KO. It has the same appeal as the old reissues: it's a shiny new old TF. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your perspective), from what I understand, the quality is still KO.

Still, there's some neat items. Like the small combiners. Or even the KO Star Saber, which is good to get some of those missing accessories.

[dragons]

ko toys suck and should be shut down. i cant believe you guys wanna support that crap. get a job and buy the real stuff so you can be proud when you look at your collection. instead your looking at your collection thinking, i have a shelf full of crap. if you guys wanna pretend to have a quality collection, go ahead cause i cant stop you.

1 for some poeple who have disgreminated by bosess, fired, layed off can you blame them

2 if you dont have or want to spend 400 or more for complete combiner when ko is cheaper go for it there chouice i have few ko combiners 1 original cbominer with 1 or 2 ko combiner limbs attached to it but im satisfied i did not have to pay 500 or more weapons cheaper than the acual figure itself loose on ebay unless you have orignal predaiking that would cost you 600 or more almost same as fortress maximus

[Sid Burn]

I personally see plenty of reasons someone might buy a KO instead of the real thing. Fair enough if you don't want to, but if the option is there its good, IMO.

I don't think it's all that difficult to tell the KOs from the real thing either. Certainly there's a few examples that prove otherwise, but most packaged examples are quite different. If Hasbro/Takara want to stop these guys, then that's their right, as its those companies the KO sellers are theoretically stealing money from.

you clearly havent done your research on G1 KOs, I dont think anyone against KOs is talking about the dimestore obvious knockoffs, we are talking about the KOs that are DESIGNED to fool collector's into overpaying for cheap copies.

mirage, sunstreaker, dinobots, scourge, cyclonus, devastator, gnaw, wheeljack, reflector, the insecticons, prowl, optimus prime as well as all the minibots have been KO'ed with the intent to mislead collector's into paying for something of lesser quality. That is more that a "few"

please do some research before you spout off.

The only really bad thing I can see about KOs like this is that they pollute the market for G1 collectors. Either out of ignorance or malicious intent, they can be passed off too easily as the real deal. Especially when out of the package.

exactly, the problem here is that they are being manufactured with the INTENT of screwing people over, why did EBAY remove KOs? for this very reason, sellers trying to fleece people out of their money.

[Sid Burn]

1 for some poeple who have disgreminated by bosess, fired, layed off can you blame them

maybe people who are layed off from their jobs dont need to be expanding a transformer collection. Collecting is a hobby where pay to play rules apply. No one is forcing you to buy transformers.

by creating a demand for KOs, you expand the market and insure more KOs in the future. Maybe in the future you WILL want a legit complete combiner... maybe other tf collector's don't want to sift through the crap produced by Zhong Jin and other KO manufacturers.

Either way I think collectors who purchase these items are doing a disservice to the tf community.