Seibertron.com Energon Pub Forums

[fenrir72]

I know there is as much paint on the hasbro version, but you guys have no idea how much a difference it is that Takara chose to paint the foot made by Mixmaster. It just gives it that extra G1 flare in Combined mode and makes up for the alt mode being different than G1.

Oh and while I have you all here, I wanted to show you why I get fired up a bit about being clear about what causes a difference in how much takara will cost an westerner over a local Hasbro product. This is from an actual article published on the TFSource blog discussing if Takara is better than Hasbro and tell me if you have any credibility for it:

Takara toys cost more, so you would expect them to be ‘better’. Hasbro product is cheaper because it’s priced cheaper.

it’s not so much ‘Takara is better’, but more along the lines of ‘you get what you pay for'

Takara versions are regularly better than Hasbro ones because they tend to have a greater number and detail in paint applications. If that weren’t the case, it’d be rather difficult to justify the comparatively higher price.

Randomhero, it is articles like these that propagate the misinformation, which all refer to a higher price associated to the quality (or supposed quaity) rather than the simple fact that they arent distributed here. And these excerpts are from supposed references who turn out to, as we have learnt today, not know what they are talking about. The only reason TFSource charges more for Takara product than a Hasbro product is because of importing (they cant even buy directly from Takara), no other reason. None of it is linked to an actual difference in the product's quality or appearance.

Hah! I remember that controversial article by Maz very well.The so called "collectors cum experts" sources who were interviewed by Maz.

They're just about an expert in the field of astronomy as I am in the field of paleontology. ( I'm in the field of medicine fyi so you'll get my drift )

But being in the field of medicine doesn't blind me to the nuances of economics 101 which I passed despite the strong symptoms of narcolepsy that pervaded the course.

Extra accessory=extra expediture

Shipping=extra expenditure

Foreign exchange fluctuation= extar or less expediture

Customs fees=extra costs

Though in this instance, all the 'extra' stuff was supposed to be 'standard'; hasbro just chose to rip us off instead

Technically, Hasbro "ripping us" is kind of "harsh" They put out an order/investment/R & D for the molds to TT. That's money spent, then pay for the shipping from China back to North America at the lowest cost possible (hence we get the non enhanced domestic versions) at Hasbros biggest bottom line profit.. That's world wide distribution kimosabe (and most of the time, their distribution does suck I'fd give you that)

In TT's case, shipping from China to Japan won't be that high. It's only us gaijin who just hunger for their plastic crack which in turn has spawned the import figure market.

Another thing, concerning the pricing of two online shops we are speaking off and the prices quoted by seibertron's Japanese resident/contact, it was only recently that hlj's prices more or matched amiami's/hs. So most of the time back then, their prices were higher. maybe due to the competition (eco 101) that forced all online shops to put their prices at parity.

Plus you also have to contend on the recent economic policies implemented in Japan where Abe increased their taxes and devalued their Yen........and Japan still dropped into economic recession. Makes you head spin eh? So the parity in pricing may also be an offsoot of the Japanese government's economic policies as well.

[Hellscream9999]

I know there is as much paint on the hasbro version, but you guys have no idea how much a difference it is that Takara chose to paint the foot made by Mixmaster. It just gives it that extra G1 flare in Combined mode and makes up for the alt mode being different than G1.

Oh and while I have you all here, I wanted to show you why I get fired up a bit about being clear about what causes a difference in how much takara will cost an westerner over a local Hasbro product. This is from an actual article published on the TFSource blog discussing if Takara is better than Hasbro and tell me if you have any credibility for it:

Takara toys cost more, so you would expect them to be ‘better’. Hasbro product is cheaper because it’s priced cheaper.

it’s not so much ‘Takara is better’, but more along the lines of ‘you get what you pay for'

Takara versions are regularly better than Hasbro ones because they tend to have a greater number and detail in paint applications. If that weren’t the case, it’d be rather difficult to justify the comparatively higher price.

Randomhero, it is articles like these that propagate the misinformation, which all refer to a higher price associated to the quality (or supposed quaity) rather than the simple fact that they arent distributed here. And these excerpts are from supposed references who turn out to, as we have learnt today, not know what they are talking about. The only reason TFSource charges more for Takara product than a Hasbro product is because of importing (they cant even buy directly from Takara), no other reason. None of it is linked to an actual difference in the product's quality or appearance.

Hah! I remember that controversial article by Maz very well.The so called "collectors cum experts" sources who were interviewed by Maz.

They're just about an expert in the field of astronomy as I am in the field of paleontology. ( I'm in the field of medicine fyi so you'll get my drift )

But being in the field of medicine doesn't blind me to the nuances of economics 101 which I passed despite the strong symptoms of narcolepsy that pervaded the course.

Extra accessory=extra expediture

Shipping=extra expenditure

Foreign exchange fluctuation= extar or less expediture

Customs fees=extra costs

Though in this instance, all the 'extra' stuff was supposed to be 'standard'; hasbro just chose to rip us off instead

Technically, Hasbro "ripping us" is kind of "harsh" They put out an order/investment/R & D for the molds to TT. That's money spent, then pay for the shipping from China back to North America at the lowest cost possible (hence we get the non enhanced domestic versions) at Hasbros biggest bottom line profit.. That's world wide distribution kimosabe (and most of the time, their distribution does suck I'fd give you that)

In TT's case, shipping from China to Japan won't be that high. It's only us gaijin who just hunger for their plastic crack which in turn has spawned the import figure market.

Another thing, concerning the pricing of two online shops we are speaking off and the prices quoted by seibertron's Japanese resident/contact, it was only recently that hlj's prices more or matched amiami's/hs. So most of the time back then, their prices were higher. maybe due to the competition (eco 101) that forced all online shops to put their prices at parity.

Plus you also have to contend on the recent economic policies implemented in Japan where Abe increased their taxes and devalued their Yen........and Japan still dropped into economic recession. Makes you head spin eh? So the parity in pricing may also be an offsoot of the Japanese government's economic policies as well.

Yeah, higher shipping costs I can buy... but I can't escape the feeling that hasbro is making more of a profit than you're letting on

[william-james88]

Yeah, higher shipping costs I can buy... but I can't escape the feeling that hasbro is making more of a profit than you're letting on

Now I am wondering if its advertising, since that is done locally and they are forced to pay in US$ currency, which is a bigger nominal expense than what japan would pay in their currency. And that expense goes into the toys' price as well. For sure the idea is that there is a difference in cost allocation, we just dont know what.

And thanks Fenrir for all that you are sharing. I am curious though, that MAZ article had controversy? Tell me more. I just found it when doing research for a list and couldnt believe the amount of dumb I was reading from so called experts. Every moment made me cringe and the sad part was that I realized this was just further propagating misinformation which I feel the need to keep correcting for some dumb reason (while fearing I become annoying about it).

Also, medicine is an awesome field, thanks for saving lives out there!

[Hellscream9999]

Yeah, higher shipping costs I can buy... but I can't escape the feeling that hasbro is making more of a profit than you're letting on

Now I am wondering if its advertising, since that is done locally and they are forced to pay in US$ currency, which is a bigger nominal expense than what japan would pay in their currency. And that expense goes into the toys' price as well. For sure the idea is that there is a difference in cost allocation, we just dont know what.

And thanks Fenrir for all that you are sharing. I am curious though, that MAZ article had controversy? Tell me more. I just found it when doing research for a list and couldnt believe the amount of dumb I was reading from so called experts. Every moment made me cringe and the sad part was that I realized this was just further propagating misinformation which I feel the need to keep correcting for some dumb reason (while fearing I become annoying about it).

Also, medicine is an awesome field, thanks for saving lives out there!

What advertising? I haven't seen a tf toy commercial in years, nor any other advertising for the brand

[william-james88]

Yeah, higher shipping costs I can buy... but I can't escape the feeling that hasbro is making more of a profit than you're letting on

Now I am wondering if its advertising, since that is done locally and they are forced to pay in US$ currency, which is a bigger nominal expense than what japan would pay in their currency. And that expense goes into the toys' price as well. For sure the idea is that there is a difference in cost allocation, we just dont know what.

And thanks Fenrir for all that you are sharing. I am curious though, that MAZ article had controversy? Tell me more. I just found it when doing research for a list and couldnt believe the amount of dumb I was reading from so called experts. Every moment made me cringe and the sad part was that I realized this was just further propagating misinformation which I feel the need to keep correcting for some dumb reason (while fearing I become annoying about it).

Also, medicine is an awesome field, thanks for saving lives out there!

What advertising? I haven't seen a tf toy commercial in years, nor any other advertising for the brand

We newsed a bunch, ads are no longer just on tv. And i saw quite a few jurrasic park toy ads on tv last summer.

[Hellscream9999]

Yeah, higher shipping costs I can buy... but I can't escape the feeling that hasbro is making more of a profit than you're letting on

Now I am wondering if its advertising, since that is done locally and they are forced to pay in US$ currency, which is a bigger nominal expense than what japan would pay in their currency. And that expense goes into the toys' price as well. For sure the idea is that there is a difference in cost allocation, we just dont know what.

And thanks Fenrir for all that you are sharing. I am curious though, that MAZ article had controversy? Tell me more. I just found it when doing research for a list and couldnt believe the amount of dumb I was reading from so called experts. Every moment made me cringe and the sad part was that I realized this was just further propagating misinformation which I feel the need to keep correcting for some dumb reason (while fearing I become annoying about it).

Also, medicine is an awesome field, thanks for saving lives out there!

What advertising? I haven't seen a tf toy commercial in years, nor any other advertising for the brand

We newsed a bunch, ads are no longer just on tv. And i saw quite a few jurrasic park toy ads on tv last summer.

But jurassic park =/= tf's... Well, whatever, it's getting late, and I'm not getting these guys anyways. I'm sure there's a reason hasbro's charging us more money for less toy, probably has something to do with profit margins in the end, I dunno

[fenrir72]

Yeah, higher shipping costs I can buy... but I can't escape the feeling that hasbro is making more of a profit than you're letting on

Now I am wondering if its advertising, since that is done locally and they are forced to pay in US$ currency, which is a bigger nominal expense than what japan would pay in their currency. And that expense goes into the toys' price as well. For sure the idea is that there is a difference in cost allocation, we just dont know what.

And thanks Fenrir for all that you are sharing. I am curious though, that MAZ article had controversy? Tell me more. I just found it when doing research for a list and couldnt believe the amount of dumb I was reading from so called experts. Every moment made me cringe and the sad part was that I realized this was just further propagating misinformation which I feel the need to keep correcting for some dumb reason (while fearing I become annoying about it).

Also, medicine is an awesome field, thanks for saving lives out there!

What advertising? I haven't seen a tf toy commercial in years, nor any other advertising for the brand

Controversy as in me and Scottywolf iirc commented on that piece. Maz always puts up awesome Diaclone factoids but in that blog, he's sources were kind of off the mark.

You can even make an analogy on all consumer products the world over with regards to pricing practice. As for the medical field, yup, it's TF and some nasty hobbies I got that keeps me head screwed tightly on after everyday session of saving and losing lives. That and my family of course.

Appreciate the kind words wj88.

Okay, back to business. Whether we like it or not, the corporate slugs do run the world. Their bottomline is the bottomline. heck, I'm seething with righteous indignation when we keep on getting hollowed out figs compared to the previous years. Same with the medical supplies I'm also procuring for the A and E. Aside from saving lives, I also a consultant/manager with logistics as an added specialty so i know how to crunch numbers too.

Costs tacked in. R/D. Materials. Packaging. Advertising.Costs projected and the actual ones. Foreign currency fluctuations. We all have to deal with it.But our hobbies ain't what you would term "necessities" like water and food. So those "slugs' can virtually do anything they want (maybe I have to correct that as in oil/petrol is also a necessity and they still screw us up in the pump)

It's good that the free market allows us a "choice" when purchasing our plastic crack. TT, different plastic color, more for the "adult" fans. Hb, mass release. Are they shafting us dry? Maybe but I have the choice not to buy all their garbage

[Hellscream9999]

Yeah, higher shipping costs I can buy... but I can't escape the feeling that hasbro is making more of a profit than you're letting on

Now I am wondering if its advertising, since that is done locally and they are forced to pay in US$ currency, which is a bigger nominal expense than what japan would pay in their currency. And that expense goes into the toys' price as well. For sure the idea is that there is a difference in cost allocation, we just dont know what.

And thanks Fenrir for all that you are sharing. I am curious though, that MAZ article had controversy? Tell me more. I just found it when doing research for a list and couldnt believe the amount of dumb I was reading from so called experts. Every moment made me cringe and the sad part was that I realized this was just further propagating misinformation which I feel the need to keep correcting for some dumb reason (while fearing I become annoying about it).

Also, medicine is an awesome field, thanks for saving lives out there!

What advertising? I haven't seen a tf toy commercial in years, nor any other advertising for the brand

Controversy as in me and Scottywolf iirc commented on that piece. Maz always puts up awesome Diaclone factoids but in that blog, he's sources were kind of off the mark.

You can even make an analogy on all consumer products the world over with regards to pricing practice. As for the medical field, yup, it's TF and some nasty hobbies I got that keeps me head screwed tightly on after everyday session of saving and losing lives. That and my family of course.

Appreciate the kind words wj88.

Okay, back to business. Whether we like it or not, the corporate slugs do run the world. Their bottomline is the bottomline. heck, I'm seething with righteous indignation when we keep on getting hollowed out figs compared to the previous years. Same with the medical supplies I'm also procuring for the A and E. Aside from saving lives, I also a consultant/manager with logistics as an added specialty so i know how to crunch numbers too.

Costs tacked in. R/D. Materials. Packaging. Advertising.Costs projected and the actual ones. Foreign currency fluctuations. We all have to deal with it.But our hobbies ain't what you would term "necessities" like water and food. So those "slugs' can virtually do anything they want (maybe I have to correct that as in oil/petrol is also a necessity and they still screw us up in the pump)

It's good that the free market allows us a "choice" when purchasing our plastic crack. TT, different plastic color, more for the "adult" fans. Hb, mass release. Are they shafting us dry? Maybe but I have the choice not to buy all their garbage

I still maintain that the combiners need to be hollow to stand up, and be as poseable as they are. Most of the limbs still have a decent heft to them - and cover up the hollowness, and as most of that mass gets stuck to the shoulder, it radically alters the combiners center of gravity, Superion being the exception with the jets being very, naturally minimalistic. All the non-combinersin the line, are the issue...

All of this just leads to my mind being completely blown that despite all the work that goes into making these, among two design teams, no less, that brawl has as big an issue as he does, it just floors me

Think maybe the wrong/outdated designs were sent out for having the molds made

...and speaking of thin garbage, that magnus

[chuckdawg1999]

I think we need to remember that the Japanese TF market skews more toward the adult collector and thus a little more razamataz is needed.

[Cyberpath]

Source: http://hobby.dengeki.com/news/128190/

[Cyberpath]

[MemphisR56]

Regarding the continuing discussion of 'worth' in this thread, the only person who can determine if something is worth the money or not is the buyer.

The whole back and forth here over whether or not paying extra for it is justified ultimately boils down to a difference pf whether you personally feel like you'd put out that money for the item, and in the end, it'll be one of those "my opinion is better than yours!" "Stop liking what I don't like!" discussions.

[Counterpunch]

in the end, it'll be one of those "my opinion is better than yours!" "Stop liking what I don't like!" discussions.

I'd never do that.

Everyone knows that my stance on this matter is that my opinion is the best.

[william-james88]

Fellow Seibertronian Cyberpath has brought some nice new Devylicious pictures to our attention. These new pictures of UW04 Devastator were all found on Dengeki Hobby and features the following new images:

- Each constructicon in robot mode holding their weapons and in vehicle mode with weapon attached for storage.

- The two possible looks for Devastator's head

- The Box (and Cyberpath even shows a comparison picture to the Hasbro box which was slightly altered for this release)

Devastator is to be released at the middle of next month.

[Bounti76]

What's up with Scavenger having two different shades of purple on his treads?

[o.supreme]

Well I was mostly right . When the question was asked about the Box art, I assumed they would use the same as CW Dev. I do like how they altered the colors/stickers etc... to reflect the UW toy accuracy. Also some of the other non-toy characters have been removed, but this is pretty minor. I am really liking the look of UW Dev.

[Nemesis Maximo]

I know this guy is getting his fair share of flak due to hollowness, some instability issues and poseability of the individual Constructicons, but I am excited as all hell to finally get my hands on one of my most wanted toys ever.

Seriously, I've wanted a new Devy since I read War Within for the first time back in 2010. And to be so close...

[MemphisR56]

What's up with Scavenger having two different shades of purple on his treads?

I'm guessing it's either a different plastic for the sake of different resistances needed on each part and the colours didnt quite come out the same, or that it's pretty hard to match purple paint to the purple plastic.

Could even be a trick of the light, I dunno. I'm actually partially colourblind.

[AutobotAlvaron]

I'm so looking forward to finally owning my own Titan Devastator/Constructicon team. Though it's great-looking, there isn't really any added paint, only paint re-arrangements, and it's not perfect. Though I appreciate the silver-painted wheels, I miss many of Habro's bot-mode paint details like Bonecrusher's silver chest, and Long Haul's silver hips, though the painted black square behind his head is a quirky G1-cartoon reference. The new Devastator head with the retractable visor is very cool, but I miss Hasbro's brighter silver for the face as well as Scrapper's. Overall, my gripes are minor, and the added individual black pistols and improved articulation make this set more worthwhile to me.

The SDCC one seems to have the most details, whether by decal or tampos, but I'm honestly not enamored of the pinkish-purple chrome. The gunmetal of the treads on that version is the best of the three Devastators and most uniform. The SDCC box is the most attractive of the three, while Takara's is the plainest, though colored correctly. I wish that Has/Tak had at least used the plastic tray inserts in both their sets instead of the cheap-looking cardboard.

The $600.00 price for 3P not-Devastators is beyond me, so this Takara one is my best option for a cartoon-accurate, better-articulated , 6-in-one, king of the gestalts. We need more YouTube reviews of this version, but I'm already sold!

[william-james88]

We need more YouTube reviews of this version, but I'm already sold!

As far as I know, Takara doesnt send out review copies and unlike Hasbro, they run a really tight ship for release dates. Everyone gets their devastators at the same time, so those who preordered it might get it before there are full reviews of him.

[MemphisR56]

We need more YouTube reviews of this version, but I'm already sold!

As far as I know, Takara doesnt send out review copies and unlike Hasbro, they run a really tight ship for release dates. Everyone gets their devastators at the same time, so those who preordered it might get it before there are full reviews of him.

Dengeki Hobby put up a video review (which was horrible, the hamhanded lady snapped the leg off of bonecrusher and couldn't transform thr damn thing with the instructions right in front of her) do you think that means he's ready to drop? I could be getting my preorder filled any day now?

[fenrir72]

More or less, expect this in Japan and HK/China mid December. There's no word yet for Guardian's release which was supposedly last week of October and we are like in the last week of November already.

[william-james88]

We need more YouTube reviews of this version, but I'm already sold!

As far as I know, Takara doesnt send out review copies and unlike Hasbro, they run a really tight ship for release dates. Everyone gets their devastators at the same time, so those who preordered it might get it before there are full reviews of him.

Dengeki Hobby put up a video review (which was horrible, the hamhanded lady snapped the leg off of bonecrusher and couldn't transform thr damn thing with the instructions right in front of her) do you think that means he's ready to drop? I could be getting my preorder filled any day now?

I was referring to english reviews. Or reviews coming from westerners. I dont think Takara has sent any reiew copies to people like Optibotimus or Emgo. But they surely sent it to Dengeki Hobby (maybe as an exclusive). So sorry if I was not clear. I dont think our preorders will be filled before mid december.

[fenrir72]

Gome if I said this before but Long Haul is kinda adorable......like the Stay Puff Marshmallow man.

[william-james88]

And just as deadly.