Video Review - Transformers Titans Return Titan Master Crashbash

A photo gallery for Crashbash will come up later today.

If there are any questions regarding Crashbash, feel free to ask

Autobotssuck wrote:Yep, unfortunately, the prices for Transformers toys in Europe have become insane lately, Austrian Toysrus has increased their prices for Combiner Wars deluxes to 29.99€ recently.
So whenever you guys in America feel bad because of a price increase, think of us, European Transformers fans, and just be glad you can get those at much cheaper prices
I'm really thinking about not supporting Hasbro anymore, I'm fed up with those insane prices for less and less plastic.
/rant

I have a question for all you europeans with these expensive retail toys.At those prices, why not just import the takara toys? And if you are worried about import fees, just stick to Anime Export who know how to deal with that well. Thats what I do when a toy isnt distributed in canada and i am stuck paying stupid prices from people who import Hasbro toys from the states.

Most of my Transformers figures, I buy at a german online shop, which receives them most of the times earlier and cheaper than our local stores.
For example, I preordered TR Optimus and Blaster for around 50€ each. Thats more than 20€ less than at Toysrus in Germany.

william-james88 wrote:

Autobotssuck wrote:Yep, unfortunately, the prices for Transformers toys in Europe have become insane lately, Austrian Toysrus has increased their prices for Combiner Wars deluxes to 29.99€ recently.
So whenever you guys in America feel bad because of a price increase, think of us, European Transformers fans, and just be glad you can get those at much cheaper prices
I'm really thinking about not supporting Hasbro anymore, I'm fed up with those insane prices for less and less plastic.
/rant

I have a question for all you europeans with these expensive retail toys.At those prices, why not just import the takara toys? And if you are worried about import fees, just stick to Anime Export who know how to deal with that well. Thats what I do when a toy isnt distributed in canada and i am stuck paying stupid prices from people who import Hasbro toys from the states.

At least for me, the import prices are still higher on the import websites I've visited. For instance, a normal deluxe here costs around £16-18; but importing Takara Super Mode Armada Starscream set me back £23. Only reason I bought Takara Arcee - which I still regret because I really can't bring myself to enjoy the paintjob - was because she was on sale down to normal retail price. So it still works out more expensive; unless you're a huge stickler for Takara loyalty or whatever and you have money to burn, it's not worth doing regularly.

Because although the price was getting closer, it was still cheaper (and easier) to go Hasbro.


But at these prices, the gap is almost non existent, given what Kapow is selling them for, so I might actually go Takara for them now. Except Lavendertron. And Brainstorm because he needs his faceplate.

william-james88 wrote:

Autobotssuck wrote:Yep, unfortunately, the prices for Transformers toys in Europe have become insane lately, Austrian Toysrus has increased their prices for Combiner Wars deluxes to 29.99€ recently.
So whenever you guys in America feel bad because of a price increase, think of us, European Transformers fans, and just be glad you can get those at much cheaper prices
I'm really thinking about not supporting Hasbro anymore, I'm fed up with those insane prices for less and less plastic.
/rant

I have a question for all you europeans with these expensive retail toys.At those prices, why not just import the takara toys? And if you are worried about import fees, just stick to Anime Export who know how to deal with that well. Thats what I do when a toy isnt distributed in canada and i am stuck paying stupid prices from people who import Hasbro toys from the states.

Because (for me anyways)importing stuff would be more expensive when shipping is included, also given the exchange rates, even excluding shipping, I would probably save about €3. Also those prices are ridiculous and so much for Ireland being one of the most expensive EU countries to live in.

leokearon wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Autobotssuck wrote:Yep, unfortunately, the prices for Transformers toys in Europe have become insane lately, Austrian Toysrus has increased their prices for Combiner Wars deluxes to 29.99€ recently.
So whenever you guys in America feel bad because of a price increase, think of us, European Transformers fans, and just be glad you can get those at much cheaper prices
I'm really thinking about not supporting Hasbro anymore, I'm fed up with those insane prices for less and less plastic.
/rant

I have a question for all you europeans with these expensive retail toys.At those prices, why not just import the takara toys? And if you are worried about import fees, just stick to Anime Export who know how to deal with that well. Thats what I do when a toy isnt distributed in canada and i am stuck paying stupid prices from people who import Hasbro toys from the states.

Because (for me anyways)importing stuff would be more expensive when shipping is included, also given the exchange rates, even excluding shipping, I would probably save about €3. Also those prices are ridiculous and so much for Ireland being one of the most expensive EU countries to live in.

The prices and distribution in Ireland is a complete piss take. Not great either with scalpers about I've never seen vortex.

Prowl4 wrote:

leokearon wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Autobotssuck wrote:Yep, unfortunately, the prices for Transformers toys in Europe have become insane lately, Austrian Toysrus has increased their prices for Combiner Wars deluxes to 29.99€ recently.
So whenever you guys in America feel bad because of a price increase, think of us, European Transformers fans, and just be glad you can get those at much cheaper prices
I'm really thinking about not supporting Hasbro anymore, I'm fed up with those insane prices for less and less plastic.
/rant

I have a question for all you europeans with these expensive retail toys.At those prices, why not just import the takara toys? And if you are worried about import fees, just stick to Anime Export who know how to deal with that well. Thats what I do when a toy isnt distributed in canada and i am stuck paying stupid prices from people who import Hasbro toys from the states.

Because (for me anyways)importing stuff would be more expensive when shipping is included, also given the exchange rates, even excluding shipping, I would probably save about €3. Also those prices are ridiculous and so much for Ireland being one of the most expensive EU countries to live in.

The prices and distribution in Ireland is a complete piss take. Not great either with scalpers about I've never seen vortex.

I've seen him in SMYTHS in Waterford, Also at least the sale on makes buying Combiner Wars Toys easier.

So this is where I am coming from guys, here is what it costs to ship a Unite warrior set to america or europe:

Transformers Unite Warriors UW02 Menasor
Unit price 11,240 JPY x 1 unit(s) = 11,240 JPY


Subtotal: 11,240 JPY
Shipping: 4,195 JPY
Grand total: 15,435 JPY

Shipping method: SAL Parcel

15,435 JPY is the same as 104,29£ and 131,87 €, for 4 deluxes and a voyager. Isnt that a better deal then what you guys fnd locally? This is faaaaaaaar from the 29.99 I was reading about so I really wonder why people who only have the 29.99€ fo deluxe option dont just go with japan. And as I said, anime export is very good at helping you deal with customs. Have any of you euopeans used that site?

leokearon wrote:

Prowl4 wrote:

leokearon wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Autobotssuck wrote:Yep, unfortunately, the prices for Transformers toys in Europe have become insane lately, Austrian Toysrus has increased their prices for Combiner Wars deluxes to 29.99€ recently.
So whenever you guys in America feel bad because of a price increase, think of us, European Transformers fans, and just be glad you can get those at much cheaper prices
I'm really thinking about not supporting Hasbro anymore, I'm fed up with those insane prices for less and less plastic.
/rant

I have a question for all you europeans with these expensive retail toys.At those prices, why not just import the takara toys? And if you are worried about import fees, just stick to Anime Export who know how to deal with that well. Thats what I do when a toy isnt distributed in canada and i am stuck paying stupid prices from people who import Hasbro toys from the states.

Because (for me anyways)importing stuff would be more expensive when shipping is included, also given the exchange rates, even excluding shipping, I would probably save about €3. Also those prices are ridiculous and so much for Ireland being one of the most expensive EU countries to live in.

The prices and distribution in Ireland is a complete piss take. Not great either with scalpers about I've never seen vortex.

I've seen him in SMYTHS in Waterford, Also at least the sale on makes buying Combiner Wars Toys easier.

Are vortex and brawl still available? I'm based in Dublin myself.

william-james88 wrote:So this is where I am coming from guys, here is what it costs to ship a Unite warrior set to america or europe:

Transformers Unite Warriors UW02 Menasor
Unit price 11,240 JPY x 1 unit(s) = 11,240 JPY


Subtotal: 11,240 JPY
Shipping: 4,195 JPY
Grand total: 15,435 JPY

Shipping method: SAL Parcel

15,435 JPY is the same as 104,29£ and 131,87 €, for 4 deluxes and a voyager. Isnt that a better deal then what you guys fnd locally? This is faaaaaaaar from the 29.99 I was reading about so I really wonder why people who only have the 29.99€ fo deluxe option dont just go with japan. And as I said, anime export is very good at helping you deal with customs. Have any of you euopeans used that site?

You remembering to factor in the 30-50 quid import tax we get stung with as well?

Also I'm very hesitant about buying from Japan. I bought an MP Wheeljack preorder from HLJ and it never turned up. They never responded to any of my emails. I decided I would only ever buy from UK shops from then on.


Saying that, I did recently buy the Sentinel Re:edit War Machine from Anime Export via their ebay shop. So I'd possibly do so rarely, but generally I'd prefer to get it from a domestic shop for the reason stated above. Money isn't always the sole factor in a decision.

Insurgent wrote:
You remembering to factor in the 30-50 quid import tax we get stung with as well?

But isnt that tax dependent on the declared value? As I said, Anime Export will help with that if you contact them. Canada has those same importing fees but you can work with the dealers to make the best of it I did. Unite Warriors Devastator cost me nothing in terms of import fees. However, I dealt with Amiami for Shockwave and that was pricey in terms of importing, so I am sticking with anime export now.

That's why I gave a price range. It does vary, but I've found it's generally between 30 and 50 quid. And I was wrong, I used Amiami, and they clearly state they have to mark the full price of the item on the form by law.

And as I said, I'm hesitant to buy from Japan direct regularly, due to being screwed over before. You asked why not, that's why not.


Although I do have a mate who sometimes orders in from one of the japanese stores, as he's a bit of a private trader, so if I'm early enough, he lets me in on his order and we share import fees. That's how I got Takara Dev for £145 total. It's also what I'm doing with UW Computron, Bruticus, MP Primal and have done with a couple others in the past. Ends up being a few pounds cheaper than hasbro. But like I say, I have to be early enough to say I want it for when he puts the pre-order in.

Insurgent wrote:That's why I gave a price range. It does vary, but I've found it's generally between 30 and 50 quid. And I was wrong, I used Amiami, and they clearly state they have to mark the full price of the item on the form by law.
And as I said, I'm hesitant to buy from Japan direct regularly, due to being screwed over before. You asked why not, that's why not.
Although I do have a mate who sometimes orders in from one of the japanese stores, as he's a bit of a private trader, so if I'm early enough, he lets me in on his order and we share import fees. That's how I got Takara Dev for £145 total. It's also what I'm doing with UW Computron, Bruticus, MP Primal and have done with a couple others in the past. Ends up being a few pounds cheaper than hasbro. But like I say, I have to be early enough to say I want it for when he puts the pre-order in.

Oh for sure. Same thing with anime export. You have to be early and you have to pay in advance for something that may take months to come out.So tis a trade off. But the way I see it, since I would be paying that price eventually anyway, might as well pay it now and save.

Thanks for humouring me with this. I really feel that anyone who doesnt want to pay those insane Hasbro prices doesnt have to inorder to get the toys and I was just proposing options. And yes, Amiami will always declare everything so thats why I was recomending someone else.

To be honest, the only reason I'm getting UW Bruticus and Computron is because they are the same price as the hasbro ones going through me mate, otherwise I'd have skipped them. Well, maybe not Computron, but certainly Bruticus would have been skipped. But that Onslought just looks soo mmmmmmmm in that blue. Or purple. I'm not sure, the curse of being colourblind, but whatever it is, it's deep, it's rich, and I wish the Galvatron/Cycllonus/Scourge always used that shade instead of the lavender.


But yeah, if you can afford the pre-order, and you know you want it, and you can find someone who ends up being roughly the same price as Hasbro once all the shipping/import fees etc are factored in, which tbh is getting to be close to Hasbro's price these days, then it's a lot easier to simply choose the one with the deco you like more, rather than hasbro for the sake of it being cheaper.

william-james88 wrote:So this is where I am coming from guys, here is what it costs to ship a Unite warrior set to america or europe:

Transformers Unite Warriors UW02 Menasor
Unit price 11,240 JPY x 1 unit(s) = 11,240 JPY


Subtotal: 11,240 JPY
Shipping: 4,195 JPY
Grand total: 15,435 JPY

Shipping method: SAL Parcel

15,435 JPY is the same as 104,29£ and 131,87 €, for 4 deluxes and a voyager. Isnt that a better deal then what you guys fnd locally? This is faaaaaaaar from the 29.99 I was reading about so I really wonder why people who only have the 29.99€ fo deluxe option dont just go with japan. And as I said, anime export is very good at helping you deal with customs. Have any of you euopeans used that site?

Thankfully here in Ireland we don't have €30 deluxes (unless you are mad enough to go to Argos), generally deluxes are roughly €22/23 so importing is actually more expensive. The only time I import is if it is for something I know I can't get like G2 Menasor and Unite Computron.

I can now peacefully sleep tonight, Fortress Maximus is in my reach. He is currently in laybuy on a $100 sale and will soon be in my possession.

william-james88 wrote:

Insurgent wrote:
You remembering to factor in the 30-50 quid import tax we get stung with as well?

But isnt that tax dependent on the declared value? As I said, Anime Export will help with that if you contact them. Canada has those same importing fees but you can work with the dealers to make the best of it I did. Unite Warriors Devastator cost me nothing in terms of import fees. However, I dealt with Amiami for Shockwave and that was pricey in terms of importing, so I am sticking with anime export now.

I've imported before, and I'll be doing that in the future, too. Not going to pay those insane prices, I've had enough.
But the problem with our customs is that they are highly suspicious of packages arriving from Asia. They caught wind that the packages are often marked as a gift and are declared a lower price, so they open the package and request a bill from buyers anyway. That's why it won't get through the customs most of the time without import taxes, which sucks big-time.

Autobotssuck wrote:

william-james88 wrote:

Insurgent wrote:
You remembering to factor in the 30-50 quid import tax we get stung with as well?

But isnt that tax dependent on the declared value? As I said, Anime Export will help with that if you contact them. Canada has those same importing fees but you can work with the dealers to make the best of it I did. Unite Warriors Devastator cost me nothing in terms of import fees. However, I dealt with Amiami for Shockwave and that was pricey in terms of importing, so I am sticking with anime export now.

I've imported before, and I'll be doing that in the future, too. Not going to pay those insane prices, I've had enough.
But the problem with our customs is that they are highly suspicious of packages arriving from Asia. They caught wind that the packages are often marked as a gift and are declared a lower price, so they open the package and request a bill from buyers anyway. That's why it won't get through the customs most of the time without import taxes, which sucks big-time.

Thanks, I was unaware of this newer tactic. That's pretty intense.

Does anyone know if Titans Returns products have been spotted in Malaysia yet? I have a business trip there in 2 weeks and was wondering if it was worth it to try and hunt some down and whether the price would be similar or better than in the US.