The Energon Pub

[Va'al]

Thanks to Seibertron.com user ScottyP, we've been alerted to the appearance of the first Toys'R'Us adverts for Black Friday offers. Check out the images below, mirrored from bfads.net, revealing the three offers avaialable so far: DotM Jetwing Optimus Prime for $49.99, Prime:RID BOGOF and 50% off Kre-O Transformers Ultimate Vehicle Pack!

[GuyIncognito]

If we hold out a little while longer, do you think Hasbro will PAY US to take their unsold KRE-O figures?

[Doubledealer93]

well. i need that jetwing prime.

[Manterax Prime]

Hasbro, why did you do that to Jetwing Prime?

[chuckdawg1999]

And here we have the eternal struggle. Do you buy figures when they're released to support the brand or do you wait for deals like this to save some money?

[TheCyclonus]

Jetwing Prime? I know I'm a noob on Takara stuff, even more of a noob on Movie Takara stuff, but I thought the states didn't get that? Is it coming out for Black Friday? If it is... I'll be there at 5 PM.

[Dr. Caelus]

And here we have the eternal struggle. Do you buy figures when they're released to support the brand or do you wait for deals like this to save some money?

Both - BOGO means twice as many TFs to put in the Toys-for-Tots bin!

[Midnight_Fox]

Jetwing Prime? I know I'm a noob on Takara stuff, even more of a noob on Movie Takara stuff, but I thought the states didn't get that? Is it coming out for Black Friday? If it is... I'll be there at 5 PM.

The States got it as an Amazon exclusive. In fact, this looks to have the same deco as the Amazon version. The advertised price is about right for 50% off the original Amazon price, too.

So, it's probably a retail release of the Amazon one.

Also, most TRU's are doing Thursday night openings instead of early Black Friday ones, so check with your store before planning.

[megatronus]

Thursday at 5:00 pm? Seriously?

I hate the continued encroachment on my Thanksgiving family time.

[megatronus]

Jetwing Prime? I know I'm a noob on Takara stuff, even more of a noob on Movie Takara stuff, but I thought the states didn't get that? Is it coming out for Black Friday? If it is... I'll be there at 5 PM.

The States got it as an Amazon exclusive. In fact, this looks to have the same deco as the Amazon version. The advertised price is about right for 50% off the original Amazon price, too.

So, it's probably a retail release of the Amazon one.

Also, most TRU's are doing Thursday night openings instead of early Black Friday ones, so check with your store before planning.

I wonder if Hasbro produced more just for TRU, or if Amazon didn't buy enough of them in the first place.

I sold my Takara one last year to fund the purchase of my Asia Premium Series Striker Prime, but I may just have to pick up this version again. $50 aint a bad deal at all.

[Erailea]

And here we have the eternal struggle. Do you buy figures when they're released to support the brand or do you wait for deals like this to save some money?

Both - BOGO means twice as many TFs to put in the Toys-for-Tots bin!

Nah. I got my Toys-for-Tots TF figures at Olly's and Five Below for $5 a pop



As for them opening at 5pm on Thanksgiving.... You won't catch me there. Or at any store for that matter. I'll be with family, stuffing myself. There isn't a deal out there worth my wasting a family gathering over.

[chuckdawg1999]

And here we have the eternal struggle. Do you buy figures when they're released to support the brand or do you wait for deals like this to save some money?

Both - BOGO means twice as many TFs to put in the Toys-for-Tots bin!

You have an excellent point and one that should be mentioned over as often as possible this time of the year.

[Dr. Caelus]

And here we have the eternal struggle. Do you buy figures when they're released to support the brand or do you wait for deals like this to save some money?

Both - BOGO means twice as many TFs to put in the Toys-for-Tots bin!

Nah. I got my Toys-for-Tots TF figures at Olly's and Five Below for $5 a pop

Also a great idea - I will have to remember to skim through TJMaxx and Marshall's for more TFPrime 1st Edition figures. I wish I'd been thinking about it last weekend when I saw that Starscream for $5.

[Janitor]

Thursday at 5:00 pm? Seriously?

I hate the continued encroachment on my Thanksgiving family time.

Yeah, that's what football's for!

[LOST Cybertronian]

Thursday at 5:00 pm? Seriously?

I hate the continued encroachment on my Thanksgiving family time.

I don't see how it is an encroachment on your Thanksgiving family time as nobody is making you leave your family to go shopping.

[megatronus]

Thursday at 5:00 pm? Seriously?

I hate the continued encroachment on my Thanksgiving family time.

I don't see how it is an encroachment on your Thanksgiving family time as nobody is making you leave your family to go shopping.

Nobody is making me leave my family, but I do have a problem with stores opening earlier and earlier each year to accommodate Black Friday craziness. I find it obnoxious, and that's my right.

[T-Macksimus]

Thursday at 5:00 pm? Seriously?

I hate the continued encroachment on my Thanksgiving family time.

I don't see how it is an encroachment on your Thanksgiving family time as nobody is making you leave your family to go shopping.

Nobody is making me leave my family, but I do have a problem with stores opening earlier and earlier each year to accommodate Black Friday craziness. I find it obnoxious, and that's my right.

I will second that whole-heartedly. It's on par with taking something that is sacred/respected and totally trivializing it, belittling it and straight-up sh***ing all over it for the sake of making a quick buck. It's immoral, it's offensive and the worst part is, entirely too much of the population is partaking in it which lends even further to my opinion that the human species is one of the lowest, degenerate forms of life on this planet.

That's just my opinion, many of you wont like it or understand why I'm so adamant about it but then a lot of you would sell out your own families for pieces of "plastic crack".

Back to the ad though... there's not a darn thing on there worth venturing out in the mindless cluster-**** that is Black Friday shopping. I've got enough Primes, I don't need another one that badly and TRU's selection of Generations figures has been sucking lately and I don't see them doing anything but peddling TF:Prime shelf-warmers up until the week before Christmas. It could be "buy 1, get 3 free" and I'd STILL pass on everything they have in stock. It's not worth risking an assault charge just for some toys.

[Kibble]

That's a nice price for Jetwing Prime...too bad the US release has a lame deco.

[Dr. Caelus]

It's on par with taking something that is sacred/respected and totally trivializing it, belittling it and straight-up sh***ing all over it for the sake of making a quick buck. It's immoral, it's offensive and the worst part is, entirely too much of the population is partaking in it which lends even further to my opinion that the human species is one of the lowest, degenerate forms of life on this planet.

That's just my opinion, many of you wont like it or understand why I'm so adamant about it but then a lot of you would sell out your own families for pieces of "plastic crack".

Actually, that raises some questions that have long bothered me about Black Friday sales:

1. What portion of Black Friday shoppers are buying items for themselves, as opposed to others, or for their families as a whole?

2. What portion of Black Friday shoppers are able to take off a day outside of a holiday weekend, to go Christmas shopping?

3. What portion of Black Friday shoppers are in an economic bracket where they feel they can afford to pass up the deals offered on Black Friday?

I've long had some concern that the door-buster Friday-only Black Friday sales are coercive/exploitative of the upper-lower to lower-middle SES classes, which is deplorable, but if I'm right in thinking that most BF shoppers are not privileged individuals, then the blame is not something that should be shuffled onto the consumers. I do not know if that's the case though, which actually has me wanting to rush a survey to the IRB now.

Oh, and there's two other relevant questions that bug me:

4. What portion of Black Friday shoppers recognize Thanksgiving as a 'true' holiday?

5. Among those who do observe Thanksgiving, how many have something better to do on Friday?


That this post initially turned into what could be a good page or two of a research proposal tells me that it's a complicated scenario that I think has a lot to tell us about American culture and society.

[Turbobungle]

Wonder if we'll get this deal in the UK... Bwahahahahhaaa

[GuyIncognito]

I'm kinda tired of people complaining about stores encroaching on the "sacred" holiday of Thanksgiving.

A) Thanksgiving is a secular holiday; there's nothing sacred about it. We eat our Butterball turkeys and our canned cranberry sauce and watch NFL football.

B) For many families, Thanksgiving dinner is eaten early, and then everyone passes out while watching football. Going shopping for a couple hours in the evening isn't taking away from any meaningful family time.

C) Shopping can be a fun family activity. Maybe the women take the kids shopping while the husbands bond at home over football. Or maybe my brother-in-law and I take the kids toy shopping. Some families get a big kick out of waiting in line together for the stores to open. Those can be great bonding moments, just as good as anything you'd be doing at home.

D) Some of us would LOVE an excuse to get out of the house and away from the family, even if just for an hour. We all love our families, but c'mon. There are limits.

E) The original Thanksgiving was supposedly a celebration of their bountiful harvest. They weren't celebrating all the family they had, they were celebrating all the FOOD they had. In a way, Thanksgiving is a holiday where we celebrate CONSUMPTION, in all its forms. Maybe going shopping and spending our hard-earned money on a bounty of goods is perfectly appropriate!

[megatronus]

I'm kinda tired of people complaining about stores encroaching on the "sacred" holiday of Thanksgiving.

A) Thanksgiving is a secular holiday; there's nothing sacred about it. We eat our Butterball turkeys and our canned cranberry sauce and watch NFL football.

I haven't seen the word "sacred" bandied about here, so I'm not sure why you're inserting it into the conversation if you're so tired of it.

B) For many families, Thanksgiving dinner is eaten early, and then everyone passes out while watching football. Going shopping for a couple hours in the evening isn't taking away from any meaningful family time.

C) Shopping can be a fun family activity. Maybe the women take the kids shopping while the husbands bond at home over football. Or maybe my brother-in-law and I take the kids toy shopping. Some families get a big kick out of waiting in line together for the stores to open. Those can be great bonding moments, just as good as anything you'd be doing at home.

D) Some of us would LOVE an excuse to get out of the house and away from the family, even if just for an hour. We all love our families, but c'mon. There are limits.

No one said shopping can't be fun or an enriching/family experience. Or that the occasional break from the family can't be a good thing.

E) The original Thanksgiving was supposedly a celebration of their bountiful harvest. They weren't celebrating all the family they had, they were celebrating all the FOOD they had. In a way, Thanksgiving is a holiday where we celebrate CONSUMPTION, in all its forms. Maybe going shopping and spending our hard-earned money on a bounty of goods is perfectly appropriate!

Though the consumption argument you make makes some sense, my objection comes from the nature and context of that consumption.

I suppose I'm pivoting from my original family time argument, but when it comes down to it, I think my concern is the deeper commercialization of what I normally consider a tranquil time. I understand that not everyone sees it that way. I like going Black Friday shopping, but soon, we're going to have Black Week, not Black Friday. And that sort of makes me sad.

Take it or leave it.

[Va'al]

Confirming what we reported a while back, TRU.com have listed Dark of the Moon Leader Jetwing Optimus Prime at the whooping price of $49.99! As a reminder, the deal (which also qualifies for free shipping) opens on Thursday 28th at 5pm, until Saturday or as long as stock lasts. Happy hunting!

[Jelze Bunnycat]

So close, yet so far... I actually want to be there at Toys 'R Us for Black Friday, just for the Power Rangers Transformers combo deal. I want my Squid and Dino!

[Doubledealer93]

i already put one on layway for 100 bucks. i will probably keep it there too because i doubt i will be able to get one in time.