The Energon Pub

News Credits: 3 · by **Bartrim** » Thu May 10, 2007 8:28 pm

Just found this news story

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=266557

News Credits: 1 · by **spiritofcat** » Thu May 10, 2007 8:49 pm

Such replica weapons are a breach of Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956 if imported without the approval of state or territory police, Customs' Acting National Manager Trade Policy and Regulation Jon Potter said.

"It is important that collectors obtain permission before purchasing the Megatron Transformer as failure to do so could result in seizure and people could lose their money," Mr Potter said in a statement.

Well at least they aren't banned outright.
Looks like we just need to go ask the cops for permission before we buy one... :-?

News Credits: 127 · by **Counterpunch** » Thu May 10, 2007 9:30 pm

and such is born a story/legend that will be mis-told years from now...

News Credits: 553 · by **Professor Smooth** » Thu May 10, 2007 9:49 pm

Frontpaged and credited.

News Credits: 1 · by **Silverbolt** » Thu May 10, 2007 9:51 pm

You know what I find most insulting that I can go out and buy a legitimate hand gun with less trouble then I can a unmodified toy that is meant for collectors. Heck I can probably find one for cheaper at that even.

News Credits: 23 · by **1337W422102** » Thu May 10, 2007 9:55 pm

Silverbolt wrote:You know what I find most insulting that I can go out and buy a legitimate hand gun with less trouble then I can a unmodified toy that is meant for collectors.

Nicely put!

News Credits: 7 · by **Geekee1** » Thu May 10, 2007 9:58 pm

Yes, and remember criminals always get their weaponry from legitimate sources. :wink:

News Credits: 5 · by **Gutsman Heavy** » Thu May 10, 2007 10:04 pm

oh bloody hell

News Credits: 1 · by **Fang Wolf** » Thu May 10, 2007 10:11 pm

Oddly enough, the one pictured is CAPPED. Lol, so, do I have to go down to the coppers now to get permission to buy my Semi Automatic toy gun that shoots, air?

News Credits: 3 · by **Emperor Galvatron** » Thu May 10, 2007 10:16 pm

Silverbolt wrote:You know what I find most insulting that I can go out and buy a legitimate hand gun with less trouble then I can a unmodified toy that is meant for collectors. Heck I can probably find one for cheaper at that even.

Where? Have you ever tried to buy a handgun? If you walk into a store that has an MP-5, you can buy it instantly with no fuss by handing money to a register jockey. If you buy it on the internet, you have to wait for it to be shipped to you. And, God forbid, you MIGHT just have to suffer the thought that someone besides the hundreds of people at the factory might touch your figure to apply an easily removed orange cap.

To buy a legitimate handgun, you need to fill out an application; wait three to seven days (depending on the state law, all the while allowing hundreds of government workers (and we all know if anyone hires the most honest, best and brightest employees, it's our government)) before you can even pick up the item, IF you can get it; apply for a concealed carry permit to take it in your car with you; buy trigger locks and a gun safe so that your idiot kid* doesn't kill little Timmy when he comes over to play.

But yeah, it's so much easier to get a legitimate real gun than a toy one. 8-}

*Idiot kid is an expression and does not directly desribe the offspring of anyone on this or any other website.

by **allisonaxe** » Thu May 10, 2007 10:21 pm

why does it say that the movie is coming out june 28th in australia?

News Credits: 5 · by **Gutsman Heavy** » Thu May 10, 2007 10:24 pm

^ 'cos it is

by **Anubiz** » Thu May 10, 2007 10:25 pm

That's weird I had no problem getting mine.

by **Dclone Soundwave** » Thu May 10, 2007 10:32 pm

Good thing I don't live in Australia. I do however, live in the US. No prob though, I easily owned that stupid cap.

by **Ddave** » Thu May 10, 2007 10:33 pm

I hope those weren't any of the Megatrons that 'TransfigureToys' ordered. I am still waiting for mine to arrive with not much luck in getting a helpful response from Transfig. Did anyone else order from TransfigureToys.com? I was expecting to get it 6 weeks ago,... They said they had all the paper work, so lets hope it wasn't their Megatron's that were confiscated. Anyone got any light of the situation?

by **Emperor Primacron the 1st** » Thu May 10, 2007 10:35 pm

Jon Potter needs to lay off the Foster's

News Credits: 409 · by **Stormrider** » Thu May 10, 2007 10:35 pm

I feel sorry the people living in Australia. It seems like a lot of work to get permission from the State police. It probably means documents, weeks of waiting, and so on.

News Credits: 1 · by **D-340** » Thu May 10, 2007 10:42 pm

And yet, criminals get their hands on automatic weapons easier than collectors get their hands on a toy. Oh the irony.

If I could go back to the 80's when that kid aimed a Megatron at the cops, I'd punch him in the face before he could do it.

by **Roboto750** » Thu May 10, 2007 10:55 pm

Glad I got mine from BBTS, seeing all of the problems that are starting to come up (eBay, etc.). Plus, the cap came out easily. Of course, I don't exactly live in Austrailia...

News Credits: 226 · by **Burn** » Thu May 10, 2007 10:57 pm

And yet Transfigure Toys had no problems getting their shipment through and then forwarding one on to me in another state.

Simple fact is this. Customs seems to be doing different things from state to state. Some are seizing, some aren't.

News Credits: 1 · by **Optimist_Prime** » Thu May 10, 2007 10:58 pm

I love the "comparison" photo they have. MP-05 is so much bigger than a real P-38, I have a hard time believing any cop would confuse two. :-?

by **autobot_goldbug** » Thu May 10, 2007 11:00 pm

Also they did a good photoshop on that article making it look like they were the same size. :roll:

Kids still point toy guns at cops. http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_3401319&cid=0

News Credits: 1 · by **jgilkinson** » Thu May 10, 2007 11:10 pm

and here i was betting the first seizer would be in the us

News Credits: 972 · by **i_amtrunks** » Thu May 10, 2007 11:10 pm

Actually Silverbolt, in Australia it is much harder to go out and get a real gun than it is in the US, it takes literally weeks, and you need to fill out a multitude of forms for different areas of government, you need to have it registerd, and own a license, and pay up to thousands of dollars before you can legally get one. This is because of a Shooting Rampage in Tasmania that occurred just over 11 years ago. Guns laws were severely tightened, as a direct result.

Anyone else notice at how they have shrunk the image of MP Megatron down so it looks comparable in size to the actual Handgun? I expect no less but this kind of dodgy reporting from NineMSN.

by **Midnightplatypus** » Thu May 10, 2007 11:14 pm

First off, when a cop sees a weapon brandished, they're instinct is "gun!" and shoot, not "Is that really a p-38?"

Second are the people complaining about the Aussie customs laws Aussies themselves? While I think access to firearms may be a bit easier in Austrailia than Europe, I don't think they have the relative ease of obtaining a firearm you have in most U.S. states. Sorry this is a drag to our action figure hobby, but in the big picture, not as sore a deal as some folks are weezing about it.