The Energon Pub

Target sure does want people to check out their Transformers selection! End cap displays that carry the visage of the Predacon leader Predaking have been popping up in stores, and carries a barrage of various Transformers on its pegs. The toys present are of Target's exclusive Predacons Rising subline of the Beast Hunters line, the Beast Hunters line itself, the Construct-Bots, Rescue Bots, and Generations. They also have all three live-action films for you to purchase if you so choose. The display pictured below came from site owner Seibertron at a Target in Lafayette, Indiana.

Found these at two of my local Target stores today. I picked up a Cryofire Predaking and an Air Vehicon as well. I'm a happy wolfman

I've yet to actually see these in-person myself, actually. I haven't been to my local Target for what seems like months.

I saw one very similar at my Target, but they had Cryofire Predaking instead of his bigger cousin in display.

Haven't seen the endcap yet, but their exclusives have been at my local Targets for over a month now.

Something about seeing them all keeps giving me flashbacks to when I'd just started college in '97, looking through all the Beast Wars stuff in the Mt. Pleasant Michigan Target as Halloween approached. I'm not entirely sure why, since the whole TF franchise seemed in danger of dropping dead at any moment back then, whereas Predacons Rising is proof that TF has an even more solid and stable presence now than in the mid '80s. Must just be the Predacon aesthetics.

I think the only deal on their exclusives right now is saving $5 on the exclusive Predaking or his Dragon-Ring Op counterpart if you buy a bunch of batteries at the same time, so I'm just gonna' bide my time and wait for an actual sale before jumping on in-scale Predaking. Glad I got the Abominus giftset though, since that's their only exclusive I've seen routinely sell out so far.

There're plenty of Targets in my area with plenty of Predacons Rising stuff.
But no Cryotek. Yet they have Shockwave and Bombshock.

Looks pretty generic to me. I hate how they're pushing basically 3-4 exclusives. I mean, those are pegs of repeats. That's NOT exciting. Whatever happened to shuffling through the pegs for a hard-to-find gem?!? Lame-o. I can glance at the display and see there's nothing worthwhile there, and that's just sad.

Bumblevivisector wrote:...whereas Predacons Rising is proof that TF has an even more solid and stable presence now than in the mid '80s. Must just be the Predacon aesthetics.

I have no idea what possesses you to make such a bold statement. If anything, you should say the MOVIES are cementing the franchise, not the Predacon Rising crap - I've hardly seen anyone care or notice, in-store.
Well, I guess I should advise you that a large marketing ad or display is hardly "proof" that something is doing well. Look at the original Xbox, for example - that thing hemorrhaged money like you would not believe, were you to judge it by adverts and displays only.

Bumblevivisector wrote:Glad I got the Abominus giftset though, since that's their only exclusive I've seen routinely sell out so far.

I've seen them pile up over where I live. Like I said, no one really seems to care. I returned my set after I opened my individual Abominus figs (and noticed how horribly made they are), and I expected the return to fly off the shelves, but... still there. I could probably marker it and keep tabs, but meh.

This stuff is gonna clearance like mad one day. I'm hoping to nab a giant Predaking at half price or less!

I haven't been to Target in about a year. I hope I'm able to find the Ultimtae Predaking figure.

Saw the same display at the Augusta, ME store today, but it was pretty much empty aside from a few of the first batch of exclusives, and some Legends on the front. The actual aisle was fairly full of everything, even saw BH Arcee for the first time, but I'm waiting for the second wave of Predacons Rising figures.

Emerje

The target here in Erie I swear has no employees on the floor. You go in there at night or on the weekends and they only have people working the registers. Also ever since they did their remodel at the beginning of the year they have issues getting product to the floor. It's awfully hard to buy crap that's in the back room, add that to hard to find customer service and it's just frustrating. I don't know if other Targets are like this, but mine is and it sucks.

End rant.

I snagged the exclusives on Target.com. Cryo Scourge Cryofire Predaking is pretty . Skylinx is decent and the Cyberverse (or whatever the hell they call the tiny size now) purple Predaking is nifty as is the little green and blue Optimus. Abominus was sold out, but I've got the original so I'm not too concerned about picking up the repaints (it ain't FoC Bruticus after all ).

I think Target skipped over the Wave 3 BH Deluxes completely when they put the Preds Rising stuff out. All I ever see of the BH Deluxes at my stores are Waves 1, 2, and 4.

Sabrblade wrote:I think Target skipped over the Wave 3 BH Deluxes completely when they put the Preds Rising stuff out. All I ever see of the BH Deluxes at my stores are Waves 1, 2, and 4.

Not all Targets. Mine had a pair of Dreadwings shelfwarming for the past few weeks.

Sabrblade wrote:I think Target skipped over the Wave 3 BH Deluxes completely when they put the Preds Rising stuff out. All I ever see of the BH Deluxes at my stores are Waves 1, 2, and 4.

I get the same feeling: Target must have spent a pretty penny on securing exclusives, so much so that they seem to be hardcore pushing the exclusives and putting the rest in a dark corner.

I just don't think the exclusives are all that great. I miss exclusives like Ultra Magnus Vs. Skywarp! I really should have bought 10 when I saw they were on clearance, but back then, it didn't seem like it would be the last time we'd see some great classic G1 figs.

Anyway, I just want to say you should go to WAL-MART. If they can stock their shelves, I've found rarer figs there, and sooner than Target (which seems to be a dinosaur when it comes to putting up new stuff).

Yeah, I found the Wave 3 Deluxes at Wally World, but that's as far as they've gotten, it seems. No Wave 4 or beyond.

Thankfully, it's only the Wave 5 Deluxes I'm still looking for.

Though, I did manage to score a Generations Hoist from a Walmart today (despite that store having not gotten the first wave with Bee/Prime/Megs/Trailcutter beforehand, which can be found at Target).

It's like Target and Walmart are crisscrossing with each wave:

• BH Deluxe Wave 3 - Walmart
• BH Deluxe Wave 4 - Target
• Gen Thrilling 30 Deluxes Wave 1 - Target
• Gen Thrilling 30 Deluxes Wave 2 - Walmart

Sabrblade wrote:Though, I did manage to score a Generations Hoist from a Walmart today (despite that store having not gotten the first wave with Bee/Prime/Megs/Trailcutter beforehand, which can be found at Target).

I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE!

Seeing this big end display is a very good and promising sign for Transformers in general. Let the displays and everything to do with Transformers get bigger and better. Can you see it? Can you just imagine going into your local store and there is a whole entire Transformers aisle, with all the bells and wistles of those over-the-top display decorations stuff. With a huge selection of quality figures. Long Live Transformers

EagleTron wrote:Seeing this big end display is a very good and promising sign for Transformers in general. Let the displays and everything to do with Transformers get bigger and better. Can you see it? Can you just imagine going into your local store and there is a whole entire Transformers aisle, with all the bells and wistles of those over-the-top display decorations stuff. With a huge selection of quality figures. Long Live Transformers

You are the man. Well said.