The Energon Pub

Quick question for those 'in the know' - do Hasbro have plans to release their version of Masterpiece Thundercracker?

Question seconded! I would love to complete my Masterpiece seekers. Picked up a Hasbro MP Skywarp on clearance this weekend for 17 bucks!

If he does get a release I sure hope his intake boobs aren't backwards!

Dread_Wing wrote:Picked up a Hasbro MP Skywarp on clearance this weekend for 17 bucks!

I would like to know why the Takara MP retain their MSRP while the Hasbro versions get clearanced out at ridiculous prices.
Is the quality really that different?

Jimmy Drift wrote:Quick question for those 'in the know' - do Hasbro have plans to release their version of Masterpiece Thundercracker?

I should hope so! It's preferable to paying aftermarket prices for Takara's version.

DISCHARGE wrote:

Dread_Wing wrote:Picked up a Hasbro MP Skywarp on clearance this weekend for 17 bucks!

I would like to know why the Takara MP retain their MSRP while the Hasbro versions get clearanced out at ridiculous prices.
Is the quality really that different?

I own both versions now and there has definitely been some mold deterioration since the Takara version was made. None of the parts fit as neatly and cleanly as they do in the Takara version, I had to shave off flash all over the place, some of the joints are very floppy and others are scarily tight. That being said, the Hasbro version has a much nicer colour scheme and you cannot argue with the price!

I also have the white Starscream, and while the quality is better than the Walmart Skywarp I snapped the wings clean off the first time I transformed it as I was used to the nicely fitting parts on my Takara Skywarp and the double hinge for the wings was so tight and so brittle it snapped with barely any pressure.

StarfireX bought one of the 17 dollar Skywarps at the same time as me, and her one has the same mold deterioration issues as mine, which we have largely fixed now and are thrilled with our Skywarps.

Dread_Wing wrote:

DISCHARGE wrote:

Dread_Wing wrote:Picked up a Hasbro MP Skywarp on clearance this weekend for 17 bucks!

I would like to know why the Takara MP retain their MSRP while the Hasbro versions get clearanced out at ridiculous prices.
Is the quality really that different?

I own both versions now and there has definitely been some mold deterioration since the Takara version was made. None of the parts fit as neatly and cleanly as they do in the Takara version, I had to shave off flash all over the place, some of the joints are very floppy and others are scarily tight. That being said, the Hasbro version has a much nicer colour scheme and you cannot argue with the price!

I also have the white Starscream, and while the quality is better than the Walmart Skywarp I snapped the wings clean off the first time I transformed it as I was used to the nicely fitting parts on my Takara Skywarp and the double hinge for the wings was so tight and so brittle it snapped with barely any pressure.

StarfireX bought one of the 17 dollar Skywarps at the same time as me, and her one has the same mold deterioration issues as mine, which we have largely fixed now and are thrilled with our Skywarps.

Man, I hadn't realized there were so many problems w/ the toy. I have Walmart MP Skywarp , but had no plans to open it, this just convinces me to keep it sealed, thanks.

Dread_Wing wrote:

DISCHARGE wrote:I own both versions now and there has definitely been some mold deterioration since the Takara version was made. None of the parts fit as neatly and cleanly as they do in the Takara version, I had to shave off flash all over the place, some of the joints are very floppy and others are scarily tight. That being said, the Hasbro version has a much nicer colour scheme and you cannot argue with the price!

I like Takara's colors better. Want more G1? Apply the stickers. Don't much care for Hasbro's flat finish and I hate that the Con symbols on Skywarp face the opposite way of G1 deco Starscream's.

DISCHARGE wrote:

Dread_Wing wrote:

DISCHARGE wrote:

Dread_Wing wrote:Picked up a Hasbro MP Skywarp on clearance this weekend for 17 bucks!

I would like to know why the Takara MP retain their MSRP while the Hasbro versions get clearanced out at ridiculous prices.
Is the quality really that different?

I own both versions now and there has definitely been some mold deterioration since the Takara version was made. None of the parts fit as neatly and cleanly as they do in the Takara version, I had to shave off flash all over the place, some of the joints are very floppy and others are scarily tight. That being said, the Hasbro version has a much nicer colour scheme and you cannot argue with the price!

I also have the white Starscream, and while the quality is better than the Walmart Skywarp I snapped the wings clean off the first time I transformed it as I was used to the nicely fitting parts on my Takara Skywarp and the double hinge for the wings was so tight and so brittle it snapped with barely any pressure.

StarfireX bought one of the 17 dollar Skywarps at the same time as me, and her one has the same mold deterioration issues as mine, which we have largely fixed now and are thrilled with our Skywarps.

Man, I hadn't realized there were so many problems w/ the toy. I have Walmart MP Skywarp , but had no plans to open it, this just convinces me to keep it sealed, thanks.

That is your decision certainly. I do not think the issues we had with the figures are catastrophic by any means, they are just not as perfect as the earlier releases. With a little care and patience they are just fine, I have transformed mine half a dozen times now with no problems as long as I am very careful with the crazy tight wing hinge. I personally can never keep my transformers locked in their plastic and cardboard prisons! lol.

Regarding the colour scheme and con symbols, I have added paint apps that Hasbro forgot, and removed the tampo symbols to replace them with Reprolabels. It is pretty simple using the hard pink rubber erasers from the ends of pencils.

Kibble wrote:

Dread_Wing wrote:

DISCHARGE wrote:I own both versions now and there has definitely been some mold deterioration since the Takara version was made. None of the parts fit as neatly and cleanly as they do in the Takara version, I had to shave off flash all over the place, some of the joints are very floppy and others are scarily tight. That being said, the Hasbro version has a much nicer colour scheme and you cannot argue with the price!

I like Takara's colors better. Want more G1? Apply the stickers. Don't much care for Hasbro's flat finish and I hate that the Con symbols on Skywarp face the opposite way of G1 deco Starscream's.

i have to agree i love the high gloss finish on both skywarp and thundercracker from takara.truth be told the only reason i passed on takara's mp-3 was the paint. ss to me should not be green or even "greenish". but for everyone out there i hope they do release him next year.seeing as thundercracker is getting ridicolous to purchase any where else.

This would be a good time to wish that a petition would work. I like Takara's versions, but I dig the G1 color schemes of Hasbro. I would really love a G1 colored Thundercracker......

headsortails wrote:This would be a good time to wish that a petition would work. I like Takara's versions, but I dig the G1 color schemes of Hasbro. I would really love a G1 colored Thundercracker......

Me too - in a kind of darker sky blue. I hate the boring dark metallic blue that TT used and Hasbro used on the Generations one.

DISCHARGE wrote:

Dread_Wing wrote:Picked up a Hasbro MP Skywarp on clearance this weekend for 17 bucks!

I would like to know why the Takara MP retain their MSRP while the Hasbro versions get clearanced out at ridiculous prices.
Is the quality really that different?

I think it's that the demand is generally higher in Japan for these types of collector's figures.
The American market is made up of a higher percentage of kids whereas in Japan adults are a much bigger segment of the market so these figures are much more in demand so retain their price.
I always see people on the message boards saying that the Hasbro ones seem to end up with clearance prices most of the time which I've only seen with Masterpiece Skywarp here in Japan.
All of the others including Grimlock (who is still available at my local TRU) still go for $120 or more, especially Optimus Prime who's price doubles on any figure in any line a year or so after release.

I would be surprised if Hasbro released Thundercracker. The Walmarts in my area had SHELVES of Skywarp sitting around for months. Then the TjMaxx got a bunch of them for like $15 and those sat around for a while.

I could have bought a whole fleet of them for the price I paid for one Takara MP Skywarp.

If Hasbro does MP 'Cracker, they need to fix his boobs.