The Energon Pub

[Delicon]

There are a lot of ways to go with this, but basically I'm looking for your thoughts on what the most overpriced Transformers ever are, especially in relation to their "cool factor."

I have to think BotCon Nightracer is right up there. Pretty much every other version of the mold can be found for $10 or less (sometimes even carded depending on the fig) while Nightracer goes for hundreds of bucks. Other than being a fembot (figure-wise I think this was a first) it was an exclusive made back before Transfans even collected exclusives.

While that was the first one that came to mind, I know there are a lot more out there.

[Erailea]

A piece Transformer merchandise in general or are you looking specifically for toys?

'cause there was that Optimus Prime statue/maquette thing that was selling for over 1k a year or two ago... wondering if it's coming back out becasue of BBTS's listing date, not that I'd ever buy it. Seen it in person though (at NYCC), it's pretty cool.

this thingy: http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=SSC10954&mode=retail

[Delicon]

A piece Transformer merchandise in general or are you looking specifically for toys?

'cause there was that Optimus Prime statue/maquette thing that was selling for over 1k a year or two ago... wondering if it's coming back out becasue of BBTS's listing date, not that I'd ever buy it. Seen it in person though (at NYCC), it's pretty cool.

this thingy: http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=SSC10954&mode=retail

I meant toys but thanks for bringing this up. Yikes!

[fenrir72]

G1 Grandus.

[donnie_707]

anything botcon! they just repaint an existing mold, change the name and sell for 100x more! ripp offs!

[BeastProwl]

G1 Grandus.

He's only $400.00 on ebay right now.
However, a MIB Car Robots Brave Maximus is $850.00
100% Complete Fortress Maximus is going for $1,399.99 loose.
MIB Black Zarack is going for, wait for it...
$3,699.99!!!
So, G1 Grandus suddenly doesn't look so hot. These figure's prices Def. Vary from product to product, but for one thats 100% Complete? Your gonna pay out the ass. BTW, not a transformer, but the USS Flagg is worth an honerable mention. $899.00.
Not as much as this other stuff, but it's a really nice toy, and it's MASSIVE, you'll know once you see one in person, it's like a navy decorated coffee table!

[Nemesis Destron]

G1 Liokaiser. In or out of a box always over $1200.

[Chaoslock]

G2 Stunticons and Protectobots.

[Diem]

I recall having an argument with Counterpunch about this when I was still fresh and new...I said Botcon exclusives were overpriced, he said that a huge amount of work went into producing a limited run figure like that, I said that regardless of the work, the customer is still paying $50-$400 dollars for something that, in different colours, is available on the shelf for $10 and so on.

That said, Darkside Megatron commands a hell of a lot of money for a retool of a mediocre voyager.

[Delicon]

BTW, not a transformer, but the USS Flagg is worth an honerable mention. $899.00.

Actually, that's not a bad at all price for a conmplete Flagg...and considering that sucker is over 7 feet long, I don't consider that expensive at all. For reference, what is Fort Max, 2 and a half feet tall?

[Nemesis Destron]

Darkside Megatron commands a hell of a lot of money for a retool of a mediocre voyager.

Gundam you are so right, you look at it and you simply question all logic!

[videriant]

Yeah, it all depends on what you consider overpriced.

To me, Botcon exclusives are priced fairly because it cost a lot more per unit to make 1,000 toys then to make 100,000 toys due to economies of scale.

For the people who think it's just a $10 toy, they can go out and buy the $10 toy and be happy.
For the people who consider it more then a $10 toy, they can pay the Botcon price and be happy.

Do the people who call the Botcon toys $10 toys say the same thing about United and Henkei figures? That's even less of a repaint then the Botcon stuff.

*shrug*

We also have to talk about retail price versus market price. Botcon Megatron was less than $100 when he was sold. His price now is crazy. That's just supply and demand.

To me, an overpriced toy was that movie Devastator they released that didn't even transform. WTH?

[fenrir72]

G1 Grandus is just a glorified box.US$ 400 is way over priced for such a simple design.........okay, maybe due to his perceived rarity but still overpriced.

[donnie_707]

ok....if you dont think 500 bucks for some repainted animated figures(2011 botcon stunticons, im lookin at you) is overpriced....then i dont know what is. i guess it just depends on how deep some ppls pockets are. i dont think id pay 100 bucks for those figures! let alone 500! and this is coming from someone that bought the tfc herc set!

[RhA]

BTW, not a transformer, but the USS Flagg is worth an honerable mention. $899.00.

Actually, that's not a bad at all price for a conmplete Flagg...and considering that sucker is over 7 feet long, I don't consider that expensive at all. For reference, what is Fort Max, 2 and a half feet tall?

7 feet? Damn.

I feel targetmaster Scourge is overpriced. And everything AFA. Everything.

I imagine the AFA looking like a room full of comicbookguys from the Simpsons going 'Yes. The estimated value of this particalur piece is... 36200 dollars and THAT my 'friend' is a steal.'

[zodconvoy]

Chevy Aveo Swerve. While I love the figure (hell, I used to own 3 of them!) Due to some initial confusion when it first came out the only way to get one was to buy a Chevy Aveo. And they start at $12,000. So there's that.

[Mkall]

I'm going to say this. I'm going to say this and most aren't going to like it and I'm going catch a lot of flak for it (probably anysays) but here goes.

The most overpriced figures from a collector's point of view is...

3rd Party Products.

Told you that you wouldn't like it but hear me out.

I've yet to see a figure producd by a 3PP that I didn't think Hasbro could've done better had they decided to do it.

City Commander is a simple partsformer, and the parts that don't go on the robot simply folds into an excuse of a cannon. It's magnificent to be sure standing on the shelf, but I can't but think that something better could've come of it.

Protector is very similar to City Commander, but the parts that don't go on the robot form a large cannon base. Imposing, yes. Homaging the original, yes. Design cop-out, IMO yes.

Perfect Effect. Neat little figures, tons of playability and accessories but they're SMALL and PRICEY.

Impossible Toys... do I really need to say anything here?

Hercules is straight forward and very simple, also the QA that plagued the early figures but TFC was kind enough to provide replacement parts.

Battle Tanker - Imposing but horifically finicky.

Delicate Warrior (iGear Arcee) - Decent quality, but devilly simple.

BUT we buy them anyways, usually at whatever price is being asked of us. Now there are usually logical arguments to be made - low production runs, material quality, design, parts count, distribution etc and those are valid arguments. When it comes down to the pocketboook though, we usually pay easily 70% more for a 3PP figure than for a HasTak figure of roughly the same size.

We get them because they're the only game that makes these figures that we want. I've always stated, and now I feel vindicated by the recently-seen Bruticus, that if Hasbro decides that they're going to do a G1 reimage, they have the potential to do it much better than anything 3PPs can match. But due to marketting conditions, they often can't so we're stuck with what we're offered.

[joesaysso]

I'm going to say this. I'm going to say this and most aren't going to like it and I'm going catch a lot of flak for it (probably anysays) but here goes.

The most overpriced figures from a collector's point of view is...

3rd Party Products.

Told you that you wouldn't like it but hear me out.

I've yet to see a figure producd by a 3PP that I didn't think Hasbro could've done better had they decided to do it.

City Commander is a simple partsformer, and the parts that don't go on the robot simply folds into an excuse of a cannon. It's magnificent to be sure standing on the shelf, but I can't but think that something better could've come of it.

Protector is very similar to City Commander, but the parts that don't go on the robot form a large cannon base. Imposing, yes. Homaging the original, yes. Design cop-out, IMO yes.

Perfect Effect. Neat little figures, tons of playability and accessories but they're SMALL and PRICEY.

Impossible Toys... do I really need to say anything here?

Hercules is straight forward and very simple, also the QA that plagued the early figures but TFC was kind enough to provide replacement parts.

Battle Tanker - Imposing but horifically finicky.

Delicate Warrior (iGear Arcee) - Decent quality, but devilly simple.

BUT we buy them anyways, usually at whatever price is being asked of us. Now there are usually logical arguments to be made - low production runs, material quality, design, parts count, distribution etc and those are valid arguments. When it comes down to the pocketboook though, we usually pay easily 70% more for a 3PP figure than for a HasTak figure of roughly the same size.

We get them because they're the only game that makes these figures that we want. I've always stated, and now I feel vindicated by the recently-seen Bruticus, that if Hasbro decides that they're going to do a G1 reimage, they have the potential to do it much better than anything 3PPs can match. But due to marketting conditions, they often can't so we're stuck with what we're offered.

I'm glad somebody said it. Because if it didn't get said, I was going to. 3rd party prices are a joke. End of story. Except I don't buy them and flat out refuse to do so until I feel the worth of the product that I 'm getting is more inline with the price tag. Because quite frankly, most 3rd party products aren't that great and aren't worth the price tag attached to them. TFC Herc seems to be today's gold standard of 3rd party.

Sure, I won't deny that its a cool figure no question about it. However, I think its price point far exceeds it value. The individual robot modes are not at all accurate (and some are flat out hideous) and Hercules, while big and impressive, has minor color issues and quirks with him that annoy me. For $250, Herc is an awesome must have figure. For a mortgage payment, it better be perfect. Which, it surely isn't.

Sorry, no matter how you justify and rationalize, I can't get onboard the "paying $100 for a voyager sized figure" train.

[alldarker]

Sorry, no matter how you justify and rationalize, I can't get onboard the "paying $100 for a voyager sized figure" train.

You must mean MMC's Knight Morpher Commander

No, seriously, I know what you you are saying, and I have to agree. When the first third party products became available, I was properly impressed by the fact that there were people out there willing to risk their own time and budget on making the things they felt Hasbro and Takara had forgotten about. I was indeed willing to pay a premium on those products (mostly Fansproject stuff, IGear's Delicate Warrior and, yes, MMC's KM-01).

Nowadays, however, it seems third party producers no longer seem to want to actually answer fans' wishes for things that Hasbro and Takara have failed to produce. They just want to earn a quick buck, lifting on the marketing succes of previous third party products and massively over-asking for what are in fact inferior products (and I personally think TFC Hercules is VERY inferior considering its price).

[donnie_707]

tfc herc is very inferior compared to what? the price? he is arguably the best looking devy(let alone the best looking combiner) to date. no other combiner comes close, either from 3rd party or hasbro. to each their own i guess.....but i can say this after getting herc.....I will never need another devy.

[Mykltron]

I've yet to see a figure producd by a 3PP that I didn't think Hasbro could've done better had they decided to do it.

Compare Warbot Defender to any triple changer. Compare Herc to any combiner. Hasbro hasn't yet produced a decent example, but maybe that's because they haven't decided to! Yes, they COULD produce better but they don't. Yes, 3pp are insanely expensive.

As for 'official' Transformers, I'd say Botcon are the most overpriced. Yes, limited edition figures cost more, but not if the mold already exists.

[Banjo-Tron]

For G1, Overlord is craaaazy expensive. I remember seeing it in the shops and being very unimpressed. Kind of wish I had picked one up now though. Hindsight and all that.

Third party, pound for pound, it has to be Perfect Effect's Night ops edition of Reflector. But they are awesome so I don't regret the outlay. Much!

[Mkall]

I've yet to see a figure producd by a 3PP that I didn't think Hasbro could've done better had they decided to do it.

Compare Warbot Defender to any triple changer. Compare Herc to any combiner. Hasbro hasn't yet produced a decent example, but maybe that's because they haven't decided to! Yes, they COULD produce better but they don't. Yes, 3pp are insanely expensive.

Yup, precisely my point.

In terms of Overpriced TFs, right now it's almost anything First Edition Animated on eBay, but I suspect they'll trail off once the main line gets going.

[Delicon]

I'm going to say this. I'm going to say this and most aren't going to like it and I'm going catch a lot of flak for it (probably anysays) but here goes.

The most overpriced figures from a collector's point of view is...

3rd Party Products.

Told you that you wouldn't like it but hear me out.

I've yet to see a figure producd by a 3PP that I didn't think Hasbro could've done better had they decided to do it.

City Commander is a simple partsformer, and the parts that don't go on the robot simply folds into an excuse of a cannon. It's magnificent to be sure standing on the shelf, but I can't but think that something better could've come of it.

Protector is very similar to City Commander, but the parts that don't go on the robot form a large cannon base. Imposing, yes. Homaging the original, yes. Design cop-out, IMO yes.

Perfect Effect. Neat little figures, tons of playability and accessories but they're SMALL and PRICEY.

Impossible Toys... do I really need to say anything here?

Hercules is straight forward and very simple, also the QA that plagued the early figures but TFC was kind enough to provide replacement parts.

Battle Tanker - Imposing but horifically finicky.

Delicate Warrior (iGear Arcee) - Decent quality, but devilly simple.

BUT we buy them anyways, usually at whatever price is being asked of us. Now there are usually logical arguments to be made - low production runs, material quality, design, parts count, distribution etc and those are valid arguments. When it comes down to the pocketboook though, we usually pay easily 70% more for a 3PP figure than for a HasTak figure of roughly the same size.

We get them because they're the only game that makes these figures that we want. I've always stated, and now I feel vindicated by the recently-seen Bruticus, that if Hasbro decides that they're going to do a G1 reimage, they have the potential to do it much better than anything 3PPs can match. But due to marketting conditions, they often can't so we're stuck with what we're offered.

I think it depends on what it is. The WST figs are actually quite reasonable and some of the others really aren't that bad.

Hercules? An incredible rip-off, to be sure.

[donnie_707]

how exactly is hercules a rip off? he stands 12.5 inches. looks bad a$$. each robot is a triple changer that is fully poseable. just because some companies choose to jack the price up(no names here but you know who you are) doesnt discredit TFC for making THE baddest combiner to date