Seibertron.com Energon Pub Forums

[Sabrblade]

Y'all know how some Walmarts are starting to clearance out the Soundwave and Cassette 2-packs? Well, the Walmart nearest to me still has a bunch of each but has not clearanced any of them.

Meanwhile, I just took a trip over to the second-closest Walmart to see what they have, and they were sold out of all Soundwaves and Cassette sets. While they did not lower the price on the cassettes, they did for Soundwave, and you guys will never believe how much that store lowered its price for Soundwave.

It's a price so unbelievably low that tried to take a picture of the price tag as proof, but my phone is an older model (one with a slide-out keyboard, no less) since I only ever use it just for calls and texting (I prefer an actual computer for web browsing). When I tried to use my phone's camera, it apparently wouldn't let me save the photo since I don't have an online data plan for my phone (like I said, I don't use it for the Internet, so I have no use for a data plan).

In short, I don't have photographic evidence to back this up, but man, I have GOT to tell you guys this clearance price. It's just that ridiculous:

$3.50 USD

Yes. Three dollars and fifty cents You-Ess-Dee!

That. Is. INSANE!!

[Wolfman Jake]

Walmart makes no sense. Why do they keep begging Hasbro for exclusive Transformers stuff when they can't keep anything in stock and their distribution is so lopsided? Then they clearance out the overpriced stuff they begged for at a huge discount. How much do they pay Hasbro for these G1 reissues? Is the mark-up THAT much on Walmart's end that they can afford to pull these kinds of stunts? Where is all of this money coming from?

[no-one]

Walmart can be pretty rando at times. I think a lot of it is just the employees. I bumped into a couple employees on the clearance isle and "talked" them into marking Rodimus Unicronus down to $20. As of the last time I checked, two of the closest to me WMs still had Soundwave at full price. Then Astrotrain basically comes in stock on clearance. I'll take your word, but if you really wanted to prove the price, just screen cap brickseek.com

[bovinefromspace]

Walmart can be pretty rando at times. I think a lot of it is just the employees. I bumped into a couple employees on the clearance isle and "talked" them into marking Rodimus Unicronus down to $20. As of the last time I checked, two of the closest to me WMs still had Soundwave at full price. Then Astrotrain basically comes in stock on clearance. I'll take your word, but if you really wanted to prove the price, just screen cap brickseek.com

Well, he wasn't joking:

https://brickseek.com/walmart-inventory ... =453478696

[Sabrblade]

Walmart can be pretty rando at times. I think a lot of it is just the employees. I bumped into a couple employees on the clearance isle and "talked" them into marking Rodimus Unicronus down to $20. As of the last time I checked, two of the closest to me WMs still had Soundwave at full price. Then Astrotrain basically comes in stock on clearance. I'll take your word, but if you really wanted to prove the price, just screen cap brickseek.com

Well, he wasn't joking:

https://brickseek.com/walmart-inventory ... =453478696

Ask and ye shall receive:

[Rodimus Prime]

Walmart makes no sense. Why do they keep begging Hasbro for exclusive Transformers stuff when they can't keep anything in stock and their distribution is so lopsided? Then they clearance out the overpriced stuff they begged for at a huge discount. How much do they pay Hasbro for these G1 reissues? Is the mark-up THAT much on Walmart's end that they can afford to pull these kinds of stunts? Where is all of this money coming from?

Well, as an employee with access to some of that info, I can tell you that Prime and Starscream both cost $35/each, so the markup is $15 at full price. I never checked Soundwave, but I assume it's the same.

[Ravage2031]

Has anyone else noticed on the cassettes how much the cardboard bends? I bought 2 of each keeping one set sealed but the cardboard has bent so much the cassettes fell out.

[bovinefromspace]

Has anyone else noticed on the cassettes how much the cardboard bends? I bought 2 of each keeping one set sealed but the cardboard has bent so much the cassettes fell out.

I didn't notice on my cassettes yet, but the first set of Minicons I had were horrible and started curling up.

[Jelze Bunnycat]

Has anyone else noticed on the cassettes how much the cardboard bends? I bought 2 of each keeping one set sealed but the cardboard has bent so much the cassettes fell out.

Any idea of what could be causing the bending? Humidity? Temperature?

[no-one]

Has anyone else noticed on the cassettes how much the cardboard bends? I bought 2 of each keeping one set sealed but the cardboard has bent so much the cassettes fell out.

I didn't notice on my cassettes yet, but the first set of Minicons I had were horrible and started curling up.

Mine hasn't but the plastic has been cut open and I haven't noticed any at the store doing it. I'm more curious to what's causing this? Humidity?

EDIT: Ha, ninja'd by Jelze

[Rodimus Prime]

I finally found Astrotrain at my Walmart and got him last night. Unlike the other figures released so far, he has cardboard inserts instead of a plastic bubble inside.

[Jelze Bunnycat]

I finally found Astrotrain at my Walmart and got him last night. Unlike the other figures released so far, he has cardboard inserts instead of a plastic bubble inside.

So how is he? Is he worth having alongside other versions?

[Rodimus Prime]

I finally found Astrotrain at my Walmart and got him last night. Unlike the other figures released so far, he has cardboard inserts instead of a plastic bubble inside.

So how is he? Is he worth having alongside other versions?

I like him. His paint looks good, and not having held a G1 Astrotrain in about 20 years, he is fun. Looks good next to the other reissues. Pick him up if you're a fan of the character, don't have any other versions, or collect the reissues. He's not spectacular, but nothing wrong with him either. The flimsy insert is the only negative for me, but it's a minor gripe, I'm over it.

[o.supreme]

ok, so one of my local Walmart's did a toy reset in the last week. What was odd is I was just there a few days ago and they had 4 or 5 Astrotrains, now there are none. I find it unlikely that someone would by them all since they've been sitting there for months, but I digress....

We know a Blaster reissue is coming soon, but I saw this and thought it very odd...Has there been any news about a Sounblaster reissue? I mean I know Walmart had the Siege Soundblaster for the 35th anniversary line, but this specifically says "G1"...so I didn't know what to make of it?

[Sabrblade]

ok, so one of my local Walmart's did a toy reset in the last week. What was odd is I was just there a few days ago and they had 4 or 5 Astrotrains, now there are none. I find it unlikely that someone would by them all since they've been sitting there for months, but I digress....

We know a Blaster reissue is coming soon, but I saw this and thought it very odd...Has there been any news about a Sounblaster reissue? I mean I know Walmart had the Siege Soundblaster for the 35th anniversary line, but this specifically says "G1"...so I didn't know what to make of it?

Apparently it's just the upcoming reissue of Autobot boombox Blaster.

[william-james88]

The surprisingly affordable G1 reissue of Blaster was found at a US Walmart earlier this week. It was previously found in Singapore. This G1 reissue is only $29.84 USD and does not come with any cassette. The particular sighting below is from Arizona at the Scottsdale Walmart and was posted by Shin-Gouki on the TFW2005 boards.

If you find this toy, please let other Transformers fans know in our forum.

[chuckdawg1999]

Just a thought, maybe Blaster doesn't come with tapes because, if I remember correctly, there were only four Autobot tapes originally. This way they can do two, two packs.

[Sabrblade]

Just a thought, maybe Blaster doesn't come with tapes because, if I remember correctly, there were only four Autobot tapes originally. This way they can do two, two packs.

It's because Blaster was only ever sold by himself in 1985-1986. This line recreates the original G1 packaging (sans the new packaging created for Optimus Prime, but which was still heavily based on his original box).

[william-james88]

Just a thought, maybe Blaster doesn't come with tapes because, if I remember correctly, there were only four Autobot tapes originally. This way they can do two, two packs.

It's because they are replicating how he was released initially.

[chuckdawg1999]

Just a thought, maybe Blaster doesn't come with tapes because, if I remember correctly, there were only four Autobot tapes originally. This way they can do two, two packs.

It's because they are replicating how he was released initially.

I wonder why the original toy didn't come with a tape. Perhaps it was due to size or as I mentioned initially, there were going to be fewer Autobot cassettes. Fascinating.

[Sabrblade]

I wonder why the original toy didn't come with a tape.

Because all of the preexisting Micro Change cassette toys had already been used as Decepticons. The Autobot cassettes were new molds that didn't see release until 1986, where Blaster was an existing Micro Change mold who first got released a year earlier in 1985. When Blaster's toy first came into existence in the Transformers toyline, there were no Autobot cassettes that existed (yet).

[Rodimus Knight]

I wonder what the point of Preordering anything from WalMart is when they show up in the stores before they ship the preorders.

[D-Maximal_Primal]

I wonder what the point of Preordering anything from WalMart is when they show up in the stores before they ship the preorders.

Pretty much this. I know people on Twitter still waiting on their Netflix Megatron pre-order when he's been in stores for months

[Ultra Markus]

i hope they reissue his tapes as well

[chuckdawg1999]

I wonder why the original toy didn't come with a tape.

Because all of the preexisting Micro Change cassette toys had already been used as Decepticons. The Autobot cassettes were new molds that didn't see release until 1986, where Blaster was an existing Micro Change mold who first got released a year earlier in 1985. When Blaster's toy first came into existence in the Transformers toyline, there were no Autobot cassettes that existed (yet).

So basically you were supposed to use and swap cassettes if you were a Micro Change fan.