The Energon Pub

[Maximum Burn]

Here are my movie toy dilemmas:

1) Bag an Ironhide online (no auctions cause I am bad at it). The lowest I found (with shipment cost) was $38. even if the price is low, the shippig cost is a good $10 or more. That's almost double of the retail price, but it's near impossible to find near my area. I feel that I don't want to waste anymore time and money searching and calling around when there's a very high chance of no payoff. But I still go though, hoping for one. It's...addicting. I don't want to wait for the blue recolor; seems off. Should I continue the gamble, especially the holidays coming up? Or buy high and quit. In short, which way is cheaper and more gratifying?

2) G1 recolor of Starscream and Jazz is out the question (elusive exclusives make many boys cry at night). Well, except G1 Jazz...somehow he doesn't sell that high (might nab one form the web for that repainted weapon and joint fix). I don't have a starscream mold at all. I am going to try getting the Sam's Club exclusive three-pack (hopefully, starscream is not battle-damaged). However, I do want that remold head...so I am opting towards a thundercracker. I just want to know which figure is better in terms of color scheme with each other and what you guys think my approach should be.

3) Is Blackout worth it? I saw MANY desert attack packs. I might nab one, but I don't know. The $25+ price tag what's keeping me at bay. I don't have scorpion deluxe fig. either, but I am neutral about it. Any input on the figures themselves and should I get the pack?

4) Rescue Ratchet? I got the Best Buy version (although I don't want to open it; keeping in glorious casing seems like a good display). I am just wondering...since I want upcoming figures and don't want to spend so much (especially on exclusives).

Your input is greatly appreciated. I am an impulse buyer and don't do my research. That's why I usually question myself and ask others.

[bran10]

1. Wait... key word patience, he'll come up....

2. YOUR OPINION

3. not a bad deal for the 2 pack, but alot of people don't like him cus hes small and fragile

4. YOUR OPINION.... I mean, if you're not gonna open up best buy one. might as well gt a rescue ratchet.... alot of these questions is something only you can answer

why do you have alot of the same figures in your picture?

[Railspike]

4 08 BB's!

[Bumblebee-otch]

Here are my movie toy dilemmas:

1) Bag an Ironhide online (no auctions cause I am bad at it). The lowest I found (with shipment cost) was $38. even if the price is low, the shippig cost is a good $10 or more. That's almost double of the retail price, but it's near impossible to find near my area. I feel that I don't want to waste anymore time and money searching and calling around when there's a very high chance of no payoff. But I still go though, hoping for one. It's...addicting. I don't want to wait for the blue recolor; seems off. Should I continue the gamble, especially the holidays coming up? Or buy high and quit. In short, which way is cheaper and more gratifying?

*wait. the holidays are just around the corner. you are definitely going to see tons of ALL the figures.

2) G1 recolor of Starscream and Jazz is out the question (elusive exclusives make many boys cry at night). Well, except G1 Jazz...somehow he doesn't sell that high (might nab one form the web for that repainted weapon and joint fix). I don't have a starscream mold at all. I am going to try getting the Sam's Club exclusive three-pack (hopefully, starscream is not battle-damaged). However, I do want that remold head...so I am opting towards a thundercracker. I just want to know which figure is better in terms of color scheme with each other and what you guys think my approach should be.

*thundercracker is the better of the "new seeker heads" IMO. but i suggest you take another trip to targets because it looks like there clearing out the left-overs for christmas. just today i got G1 SS even though i never saw him once there, and i go about everyday. i also saw a few G1 jazzs. don't give up hope, yet!

3) Is Blackout worth it? I saw MANY desert attack packs. I might nab one, but I don't know. The $25+ price tag what's keeping me at bay. I don't have scorpion deluxe fig. either, but I am neutral about it. Any input on the figures themselves and should I get the pack?

*neither blackout or skorpinok are anything to write home about. unless you are a completionist (like me), don't bother getting it.

4) Rescue Ratchet? I got the Best Buy version (although I don't want to open it; keeping in glorious casing seems like a good display). I am just wondering...since I want upcoming figures and don't want to spend so much (especially on exclusives).

*the ratchet you have is the best of them all, IMO, i have the other two. with the exception of the face, RR really does look nice, though. i suggest you get him if you are going to keep the BB one in-box. he is a great mold.

[Battlewagon]

1-i'd wait on the ironhide. i was about to go the ebay route as well and happend to stop by target tonight and they had just put out some new voyagers...and i found 1 ironhide.

2-i'd go woth thundercracker. i am surprised how much i like him. i had actually stopped to pick him up when i saw ironhide.

3-i picked up the blackout/scorpinok desert pack. i didn't have either but i wanted blackout. it saved me getting one off ebay + shipping, etc.

4-i like the movie and bb versions better. the repaint just looks so blah to me in bot mode thought i do like the red/white rescue hummer look.

[Glitcher]

4 08 BB's!

My thoughts exactly. You're asking us how to spend your money when you can afford four of the same toy? There's something with you...

[Cascadia]

I only see 3 Camero Concept BB's unless you are counting the one in the set.

in terms of your shopping dilemma, patience goes a long way.

[Deadpool.]

4 08 BB's!

SCALPER ALERT!

[ThunderZap]

4 08 BB's!

SCALPER ALERT!

[Maximum Burn]

Not all the toys I buy are for me. I got 12 aunts and uncles on my mom's side ALONE. Thankfully, most of their kids are around toddler ages so I don't have get them anything and hitch on my parents gift for them. My dad side of the family is across the nation (it's a small size since some died or stuck in the old country). Plus, all this time looking, usually a two or three hour ride all across North Chicago and the nearby suburbs, and wasting gas like 1/3 of the tank of the time, which cost about $2-3 a gallon, for a possible $5 profit for bumblebee? You must be joking. Sure, I would try selling them when the things first came out ($100+ for one!). Ebay (shipping not including) buyers are spending $15 max, nothing more. The days close to holidays might press online buyers to go crazy, but not as high as summer sell time and we all have work to do (school + family are hectic nearby). I got them late (since I assumed the toys would come during the dvd release), when the restocks are coming and the movies were being released. So I started my hunt of theses guys after the crazed summer. I even overdrew my checking account and had to settle with them (WAMU are bastards; they said it would be a small charge...not charges! Charged me $32 four times in the same day).

Bumblebee is my all time favorite. Two are for me: one to play, one to display. The other one, I admit was going to go sell online, but I change my mind (wanted to sell for a $20 profit to cover the expenses of the other two). The fate of that toy is being determined but I might keep it as a backup of sorts. The two-pack is staying locked cause the battle-damage only appears in car mode. Even bought the old Camaro version separately so I can play with it (I doubt we can buy the clear blue missiles separately; still, might be out there...).

I got two Barricade but I returned one cause the one I opened sucked. But I got a recon recolor. I don't know if I am going to open them or not.

Two Jazz cause one if for me and one is for my cousin (12 year old). I got a final battle cause of the gun (assuming it can fit on the old jazz mold too). I want the G1 recolor too, since you know...recolors are nice looking.

I also bought two leader class optimus prime. One for me, one for the 14 year old cousin. And a voyager class one, since I am banking on the Sam's club three pack for starscream (I might open this one). I also got an arcee too. Depends on which starscream mold I get first.

I am planning on getting landmine (for that spazzy grenade launcher and the S7 fightout with >), stockade (nemsis working under S7! no weapons though...), and cliffjumper (I don't like red that much; still...a bumbleebee is a bumbleebee). One of the leader class Brawl, I saw the recolor and I can get him last since he's everywhere and the price tag is high (definitely does not want to overdraw again).

I am just asking for your opinions. I can't really prove I am scammer or not, so think whatever you want.

[Glitcher]

I am just asking for your opinions. I can't really prove I am scammer or not, so think whatever you want.

I don't think you're a scammer, I just think it's silly to be picky about your spendings when you obviously have enough to buy multiple copies of the same Transformer. Why not just sell your doubles (and triples and quadruples) two afford the toys you're missing?

[Decatron]

1. I had the same problem, but got lucky one day after a local WalMart restocked on the older waves of Voyagers, thus scored an Ironhide. This was like a week ago.

2. I have the movie SS which is blandtastic, but IMO not worth getting any other of this mold. Other people swear that they are good, but I cant get myself to get more.

3. I hate Blackout. I got him in the 2pack at TRU early on, like July. Not recommended. Im not hating him by size, but that he is flimsy and not as solid as Ratchet

4. Ratchet is a great figure, again I have the movie green one. I'd get RR or the green so you can keep the metallic MISB, thats a good option.

[SnapTrap]

1. It depends on where you live. If you are in a small town with only one Wal-Mart in a 50 mile radius, then it might be better to buy it online. If you live in a larger city, you may have a good chance of getting one. It is very likely that he will be available in the stores for Christmas but it isn't 100% guaranteed.

2. Personally I hate the Starscream mold and all of the repaints. I did buy a Thundercracker because I thought I might like the remolded head but I was wrong. Go for the three pack since you also get Prime and Arcee. And Starscream is undamaged (as far as we know); only Prime and Arcee are supposed to be battledamaged. If you can't find a three pack then either G1 SS or TC would be fine since both have the same retooled head.

3. For $25 that is pretty good since Blackout costs $19.99 and Skorponok costs $9.99. Personally I feel that Skorponok is a pretty crappy figure and if money is an issue, stay with the $19.99 version. Only get the $25 set if you want the deluxe Skorponok for your collection.

4. Do you open any of your figures? If you just buy ones you think will be valuable, then the one you have will probably be it. If you do open them, then get the one you like the most or the one that is easiest to find. This one is really personal preference.

Good luck.

[Maximum Burn]

I am just asking for your opinions. I can't really prove I am scammer or not, so think whatever you want.

I don't think you're a scammer, I just think it's silly to be picky about your spendings when you obviously have enough to buy multiple copies of the same Transformer. Why not just sell your doubles (and triples and quadruples) two afford the toys you're missing?

Learn my folly the hard way, so I have to be picky now (bank is very mean). It's not a question of if I can afford it or not, but how should I spend my money smart.

Again, most of them are doubles, which are going to other people. The only one I got that is tripled of is bumblebee, but if you want to include the exclusive and the '70 camaro: six.

I could return them for the cash back, but I don't want too since I spent all that time gathering them up. I could sell them online, but I don't know how it works (seriously) and the profit could be high but it's a risk. I am not some adventurous seller; I am not scouring to make a profit (although sometimes I think about it but it fades). I just like transformers. I am a kid (at heart).

[Maximum Burn]

1)VICTORY! I got Ironhide at Walmart. The boxes was pretty beaten up. Walmart have some of the oddest stocking pattern, but it probably save me some $20 due to their incompetence. I called up my cousin if he wanted the other one. I bought a starscream too. Only oldie left is another starscream among the other voyager classes. The journey is finally over! No MP starscream though. anyways, mad props to mosh. I had an inkling what he said was true to a degree.

2) I am going to get a thundercracker for the remold head and rescue ratchet for the extra figure to play with.

3) I might get desert attack combo. Still the price tag is high for me, since the general jist of the figures were negative.

4) I opened a bumblebee and pretty much gave up on the starscream and jazz exclusive and plan to use that cash to go to future releases.