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Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia

Monday, November 9th, 2015 3:59PM CST

Categories: Toy News, Reviews
Posted by: Va'al   Views: 23,431

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We have seen in-hand images of the recently released Takara Tomy Transformers Legends Blackarachnia - which retools slightly the Animated toy to fit the Beast Wars aesthetic - but thanks to fellow Seibertronian grimdragon2001, we also have a video review, mirrored below for your viewing pleasure! Take a look, and see what you think of this new version of the character.

Credit(s): grimdragon2001

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Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740314)
Posted by RAR on November 9th, 2015 @ 7:30pm CST
I've always had trouble getting many a Brainstorm toy to come out looking correct they often got to blue or to green when photographed.

And some things that are blue go purple. it happens on all my cameras to one degree or another and I have plenty of cameras (as I keep tripping over them at Carboot sales for next to nothing so I seem to be accidentally collecting them).

That said the Fuji I got recently is more accurate the the Olympus I was using previously it's slightly older but was more expensive when new but despite some quirks with the flash it seems better. I've used it mainly inside though - I'll try it outside see if the blue refraction of the sky causes any oddities in colour or not.

Anyway way regarding Springer - yes I'd be interested in the upper image if he looks like that in person the latest images are pretty frightening looking however. If I was a retailer I'd alter them in a image manipulation program before using them they are that bad.

if the colours are better in person I do actually like the layout more than the previous one in some ways - the pale green is nicer than the silver-grey to me.
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740316)
Posted by fenrir72 on November 9th, 2015 @ 7:45pm CST
RAR wrote:I've always had trouble getting many a Brainstorm toy to come out looking correct they often got to blue or to green when photographed.

And some things that are blue go purple. it happens on all my cameras to one degree or another and I have plenty of cameras (as I keep tripping over them at Carboot sales for next to nothing so I seem to be accidentally collecting them).

That said the Fuji I got recently is more accurate the the Olympus I was using previously it's slightly older but was more expensive when new but despite some quirks with the flash it seems better. I've used it mainly inside though - I'll try it outside see if the blue refraction of the sky causes any oddities in colour or not.

Anyway way regarding Springer - yes I'd be interested in the upper image if he looks like that in person the latest images are pretty frightening looking however. If I was a retailer I'd alter them in a image manipulation program before using them they are that bad.

if the colours are better in person I do actually like the layout more than the previous one in some ways - the pale green is nicer than the silver-grey to me.


Same with the original UM and the Legends. That blue plastic of his looks different from the real thing compared to the images posted.
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740341)
Posted by Abejorro1997 on November 9th, 2015 @ 9:43pm CST
Va'al wrote:We have seen in-hand images of the recently released Takara Tomy Transformers Legends Blackarachnia - which retools slightly the Animated toy to fit the Beast Wars aesthetic - but thanks to fellow Seibertronian grimdragon2001, we also have a video review, mirrored below for your viewing pleasure! Take a look, and see what you think of this new version of the character.



:???: There were already at least nine reviews of this figure on Youtube that came out before this one (excluding one in Spanish). The first was by tfrWLDNAS on October 30. There were also videos by major reviewers TJOmega, Emgo316, & Optibotimus on November 4, 5 & 6 respectively. Why publicize this review that came out so late in the game? There are also 4 reviews of Nightbird and 7 reviews of Slipstream.
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740344)
Posted by Sabrblade on November 9th, 2015 @ 9:54pm CST
Abejorro1997 wrote:
Va'al wrote:We have seen in-hand images of the recently released Takara Tomy Transformers Legends Blackarachnia - which retools slightly the Animated toy to fit the Beast Wars aesthetic - but thanks to fellow Seibertronian grimdragon2001, we also have a video review, mirrored below for your viewing pleasure! Take a look, and see what you think of this new version of the character.



:???: There were already at least nine reviews of this figure on Youtube that came out before this one (excluding one in Spanish). The first was by tfrWLDNAS on October 30. There were also videos by major reviewers TJOmega, Emgo316, & Optibotimus on November 4, 5 & 6 respectively. Why publicize this review that came out so late in the game? There are also 4 reviews of Nightbird and 7 reviews of Slipstream.
Were any of those reviews reported to the news staff?
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740365)
Posted by william-james88 on November 9th, 2015 @ 11:54pm CST
Sabrblade wrote:
Abejorro1997 wrote:
Va'al wrote:We have seen in-hand images of the recently released Takara Tomy Transformers Legends Blackarachnia - which retools slightly the Animated toy to fit the Beast Wars aesthetic - but thanks to fellow Seibertronian grimdragon2001, we also have a video review, mirrored below for your viewing pleasure! Take a look, and see what you think of this new version of the character.


:???: There were already at least nine reviews of this figure on Youtube that came out before this one (excluding one in Spanish). The first was by tfrWLDNAS on October 30. There were also videos by major reviewers TJOmega, Emgo316, & Optibotimus on November 4, 5 & 6 respectively. Why publicize this review that came out so late in the game? There are also 4 reviews of Nightbird and 7 reviews of Slipstream.
Were any of those reviews reported to the news staff?


Yeah, we can only news what we know so if ever you come across a review on youtube for a new figure that hasnt been newsed yet, Abejorro1997, please contact us and send us a link of the video. We will even give you a news credit if its good :) You can click the link in my signature to get to the contact page
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740476)
Posted by Va'al on November 10th, 2015 @ 1:25pm CST
Adding to the review of Takara Tomy Transformers Legends Blackarachnia video review from earlier this week, we also have - via Decepticon Sunstorm - a look at wave mate Slipstream, which uses the Windblade mold, with retooling (including new head) and a new paint scheme. Check it out below, courtesy of YouTuber emgo316.

Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740521)
Posted by william-james88 on November 10th, 2015 @ 5:20pm CST
Quite a few fans were let down by Transformers Legends (LG-17) Blackarachnia because of one thing, a chest gap. Every reviewer has been quite adamant about pointing it out, here is a sample of screencaps from reviews all around from TJ Omega to honoured friends of ours on these boards.

Image

Image

Image

They actually happen to be all transformed incorrectly. This toy should have no gap and when this figure was first introduced to us, Takara themselves had properly transformed it.

Image

While the instructions don't specify just how far you have to push the chest piece up, it turns out you can push it until there is no gap. The new tooling allows the chest to extend upwards beyond markings.

Almost everyone is lifting it to here:

Image

But you can keep pushing it up and it actually keeps sliding and then locks into place leaving no gap:

Image

This was actually found in Emgo's review of the figure.

So there are a few lessons to learn from this. One being that there can never be too many reviews or reviewers and secondly that we should have more faith in Takara. I now feel foolish for having doubted them but my love for this figure and them has only grown because of this. I hope you will all better enjoy your figure as I do.
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740537)
Posted by Wolfman Jake on November 10th, 2015 @ 7:23pm CST
william-james88 wrote:Not sure if this should be front paged or not since the instructions don't show it but the Blackarachnia toy is designed so that there is no gap on the chest. The new tooling allows the chest to extend upwards beyond markings.

The instructions indicate that you should lift it to here:

Image

But you can keep pushing it up and it actually keeps sliding and then locks into place leaving no gap:

Image

Let me know if this is known or if it should be newsed. The images were taken from Emgo's review.


YES! YES! A THOUSAND TIMES, YES! Billy-J, you just saved this figure for me! I thought something was really off about that gap. Glad to know Takara's engineering didn't let us down after all! :)
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740538)
Posted by william-james88 on November 10th, 2015 @ 7:28pm CST
Wolfman Jake wrote:
YES! YES! A THOUSAND TIMES, YES! Billy-J, you just saved this figure for me! I thought something was really off about that gap. Glad to know Takara's engineering didn't let us down after all! :)


Haha, it made a world of difference, I will touch up my post and make some news of it. It seems almost every reviewer is blasting this figure for something that isnt true.
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740542)
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on November 10th, 2015 @ 7:48pm CST
william-james88 wrote:
Wolfman Jake wrote:
YES! YES! A THOUSAND TIMES, YES! Billy-J, you just saved this figure for me! I thought something was really off about that gap. Glad to know Takara's engineering didn't let us down after all! :)


Haha, it made a world of difference, I will touch up my post and make some news of it. It seems almost every reviewer is blasting this figure for something that isnt true.

Reason's why Emgo is a great reviewer and one of my favs! :BOT:
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740543)
Posted by Burn on November 10th, 2015 @ 7:57pm CST
People couldn't work that out?

Seriously ... even without reading the instructions I saw the gap, and just pushed the chest higher.
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740547)
Posted by padfoo on November 10th, 2015 @ 8:13pm CST
Burn wrote:People couldn't work that out?

Seriously ... even without reading the instructions I saw the gap, and just pushed the chest higher.


I don't usually jump on the bandwagon, but this was obvious to me too.
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740551)
Posted by william-james88 on November 10th, 2015 @ 8:22pm CST
padfoo wrote:
Burn wrote:People couldn't work that out?

Seriously ... even without reading the instructions I saw the gap, and just pushed the chest higher.


I don't usually jump on the bandwagon, but this was obvious to me too.


I totally agree that something was obviously wrong. But I really didnt know what to do to get it right since the amount of force needed was quite big. As the article shows, I did my research to see what was the right way to do it, I didnt just accept the figure as it was. But still, I can understand how some people gave up. Collectors dont want to break their figures and can thus be more hesitant about exerting too much force.
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740552)
Posted by Whifflefire on November 10th, 2015 @ 8:22pm CST
That's funny, I was just watching Emgo's review of this toy today. Kudos, Emgo.
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740560)
Posted by Randomhero on November 10th, 2015 @ 8:58pm CST
william-james88 wrote:
padfoo wrote:
Burn wrote:People couldn't work that out?

Seriously ... even without reading the instructions I saw the gap, and just pushed the chest higher.


I don't usually jump on the bandwagon, but this was obvious to me too.


I totally agree that something was obviously wrong. But I really didnt know what to do to get it right since the amount of force needed was quite big. As the article shows, I did my research to see what was the right way to do it, I didnt just accept the figure as it was. But still, I can understand how some people gave up. Collectors dont want to break their figures and can thus be more hesitant about exerting too much force.


Same. I haven't own the animated mold for years and the first I transformed BW blackarachnia I saw the gap and said "this looks...off...wait doesn't her chest push up?" Boom. Total difference. It is a little scary however because those boobs are clear plastic and I was worried about cracking but if you just raise them down and apply pressure to the spider head you push it as far as needed.
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740563)
Posted by Mkall on November 10th, 2015 @ 9:15pm CST
Congratulations, just when I thought I was done fondling her, I had to do it some more. This girl requires some force...
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740564)
Posted by megatronus on November 10th, 2015 @ 9:17pm CST
Mkall wrote:Congratulations, just when I thought I was done fondling her, I had to do it some more. This girl requires some force...

This is likely the most disturbing and/or eyebrow-raising thing I've ever read on these boards.
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740567)
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on November 10th, 2015 @ 9:26pm CST
Mkall wrote:Congratulations, just when I thought I was done fondling her, I had to do it some more. This girl requires some force...

:shock: :BANG_HEAD: :HEADHURTS: :lol: :BOT:
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740568)
Posted by william-james88 on November 10th, 2015 @ 9:28pm CST
Mkall wrote: This girl requires some force...


Said the man an hour before he was taken in by the authorities.
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740572)
Posted by Rainmaker on November 10th, 2015 @ 10:36pm CST
Yay, Emgo is my favourite but he seems underrated. :(
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740600)
Posted by Wolfman Jake on November 11th, 2015 @ 1:29am CST
Well, after having the time to try the proper chest transformation myself, I can say it improves the gap, but doesn't eliminate it. You can still see it from any angle that isn't straight on, like if you look from above. Plus, there is now a small gap in her abdominal area as well. So, you can either have a big gap up top, or two much smaller gaps above her chest and below it. Still, it definitely saved this Blackarachnia figure for me.

Note: My figure's chest doesn't really "lock" into place when pushed up all the way. In fact, it's a very squishy stop, if you know what I mean. I pushed hard as hell to get it just a bit further up, but it's a no go. Sometimes, after trying to pose my figure or fiddle with the spider legs in the bag, the chest will kind of sag back down again, requiring another "lift."
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740608)
Posted by Evil Eye on November 11th, 2015 @ 4:02am CST
Mkall wrote:Congratulations, just when I thought I was done fondling her, I had to do it some more. This girl requires some force...

Image
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740615)
Posted by deathdrive on November 11th, 2015 @ 6:27am CST
The gap isnt the real problem with this figure though.. the damn plastic choices are. The soft plastic is even worst off than the original animated mold. The ones on the shins especially omfg they will tear off some day i swear. The whole place faith in takara thing because they are millions of times better than hasbro thing is idiotic. Both companies make mistakes but takara is always more expensive and sometimes that extra expense is just not worth it.
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740619)
Posted by grimdragon2001 on November 11th, 2015 @ 6:53am CST
i tried this chest fix for black arachnia, it dosnt work for me. everytime i push up, the chest pushes back. infact i worry about breaking her everytime i try, those chest pieces are translucent plastic after all and for this fix, you have to apply a lot of force directly to them very close to the ball sockets.

i do have a much simpler and safer alternative though. Black Arachnia's transformation joints bless her with a very nice ab crunch, and you can use that joint to arch her back a bit more and hide the gap in her chest. true the gap is still there, but it wont be as easily noticed and you dont need to put excessive force on the toy
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740627)
Posted by william-james88 on November 11th, 2015 @ 7:10am CST
deathdrive wrote:The gap isnt the real problem with this figure though.. the damn plastic choices are. The soft plastic is even worst off than the original animated mold. The ones on the shins especially omfg they will tear off some day i swear. The whole place faith in takara thing because they are millions of times better than hasbro thing is idiotic. Both companies make mistakes but takara is always more expensive and sometimes that extra expense is just not worth it.


No, thats a myth, Takara is the same price as Hasbro in Japan, it just costs more for some peole because they need to import it and shipping costs depend on where you live. That has NOTHING to do with how much Takara is charging, they are charging the same or less.

Hasbro Devastator Toysrus: $ 169.99

Takara Devastator Amiami: $ 152.10

Oh wait, Hasbro's is more expensive here my bad.

So think about it, if Takara is charging the same amount but always giving you more paint apps or extras, then Hasbro is the company that is actually more expensive since you are paying the same price for a product which has less. You just take the abuse blindly because your other choise is to import.

grimdragon2001 wrote:i tried this chest fix for black arachnia, it dosnt work for me. everytime i push up, the chest pushes back. infact i worry about breaking her everytime i try, those chest pieces are translucent plastic after all and for this fix, you have to apply a lot of force directly to them very close to the ball sockets.


It can be done, just just have to push the chest up while using her back as support (like your fingers are giving the figure a huf). Watch EMGO's video for help, it really works.
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740651)
Posted by Rodimus Knight on November 11th, 2015 @ 9:44am CST
I didn't realize this was an issue. I didn't bother to look at the instructions, I transformed her since I had the Animated one, saw the gap and figured something must move up to fill it.
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740692)
Posted by grimdragon2001 on November 11th, 2015 @ 12:36pm CST
william-james88 wrote:
deathdrive wrote:The gap isnt the real problem with this figure though.. the damn plastic choices are. The soft plastic is even worst off than the original animated mold. The ones on the shins especially omfg they will tear off some day i swear. The whole place faith in takara thing because they are millions of times better than hasbro thing is idiotic. Both companies make mistakes but takara is always more expensive and sometimes that extra expense is just not worth it.


No, thats a myth, Takara is the same price as Hasbro in Japan, it just costs more for some peole because they need to import it and shipping costs depend on where you live. That has NOTHING to do with how much Takara is charging, they are charging the same or less.

Hasbro Devastator Toysrus: $ 169.99

Takara Devastator Amiami: $ 152.10

Oh wait, Hasbro's is more expensive here my bad.

So think about it, if Takara is charging the same amount but always giving you more paint apps or extras, then Hasbro is the company that is actually more expensive since you are paying the same price for a product which has less. You just take the abuse blindly because your other choise is to import.

grimdragon2001 wrote:i tried this chest fix for black arachnia, it dosnt work for me. everytime i push up, the chest pushes back. infact i worry about breaking her everytime i try, those chest pieces are translucent plastic after all and for this fix, you have to apply a lot of force directly to them very close to the ball sockets.


It can be done, just just have to push the chest up while using her back as support (like your fingers are giving the figure a huf). Watch EMGO's video for help, it really works.


ok, think i may have managed to get it up, after way too much work, and i dont like it. the gap in her neck is cut in half, but there is also a gap below the bust now, noticed it on Emgo's video too. i think ill stick with arching the back, less stress and still looks good
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740704)
Posted by Short Circuit on November 11th, 2015 @ 1:19pm CST
TJ Ortega? Pretty sure it's TJ Omega, were you thinking about nachos William? :lol:
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740706)
Posted by william-james88 on November 11th, 2015 @ 1:31pm CST
Protecticus Maximus wrote:TJ Ortega? Pretty sure it's TJ Omega, were you thinking about nachos William? :lol:


:lol: :lol: :lol: Wow, I will go fix that now, pretty hilarious though.
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740745)
Posted by Tego00124 on November 11th, 2015 @ 4:10pm CST
This issue is caused by a misassembley.

The Inner abodomen part is facing the wrong way around, It's been assembled wrong which is leading to this issue. You will also notice the spider mode does not clip in over the shoulders properly...which is also a result of the misassembled part.

Forcing the part up isn't a fix for the issue, it's just forcing it in to place passed the point where resistance is being hit due to the improper assembled parts

Unfortunately to correct this it requires you remove a rivet...
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740749)
Posted by ubertenorman on November 11th, 2015 @ 4:22pm CST
So I actually cracked the chestplate on mine trying to push it up, so everyone's fears have been justified. When I took it apart I suspected that maybe it was misassembled but this is my first experience with the mold so it's hard for me to tell.

You can fix the pressure on the chestplate by loosening the screws that hold the black piece on. There's two screws that you can access without disassembly if I recall correctly. Loosen just enough so the the black piece kinda flaps around a little bit when you touch it--doesn't need to be much. The pressure in robot mode will hold it tight and in beast mode you can hardly tell.
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740779)
Posted by shadow panther on November 11th, 2015 @ 7:23pm CST
um do you guys know that this toy is factory misassembled?

when comparing this to the Animated I noticed the rear of the spider was not locking over the robots shoulders in spider mode. upon comparing it with Animated I noticed the screw hole on the robot body was on the opposite side. apparently the pieces with the ball joints for the robot arms are on backwards. I took it apart and heated the rivet inside the waist pieces until they came apart. I swapped the upper body pieces and re-riveted the pieces. after re-assembleing her, the rear of the spider now locks over the robot shoulders when in spider mode. the chest also easily slides up and locks into place with ease. its not a easy fix, I was cringing the whole time but now she is solid in both modes
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740786)
Posted by william-james88 on November 11th, 2015 @ 7:47pm CST
shadow panther wrote:um do you guys know that this toy is factory misassembled?

when comparing this to the Animated I noticed the rear of the spider was not locking over the robots shoulders in spider mode. upon comparing it with Animated I noticed the screw hole on the robot body was on the opposite side. apparently the pieces with the ball joints for the robot arms are on backwards. I took it apart and heated the rivet inside the waist pieces until they came apart. I swapped the upper body pieces and re-riveted the pieces. after re-assembleing her, the rear of the spider now locks over the robot shoulders when in spider mode. the chest also easily slides up and locks into place with ease. its not a easy fix, I was cringing the whole time but now she is solid in both modes


Thanks! But I have to admit, I was cringing just reading it. Might be a bit too daunting for me.

The part I highlighted is the part I dont get. How did you re-rivet them?
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740787)
Posted by shadow panther on November 11th, 2015 @ 7:50pm CST
just be careful trying to force that chest piece into place, because of the misassembly the body is on backward so the arch of the body is different
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740794)
Posted by william-james88 on November 11th, 2015 @ 8:13pm CST
shadow panther wrote:just be careful trying to force that chest piece into place, because of the misassembly the body is on backward so the arch of the body is different


Doing the fix now. I unscrewed the 3 screws, but I dont know how to swap the spider legs, they are stuck, how do I undo them and swap them?
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740797)
Posted by shadow panther on November 11th, 2015 @ 8:19pm CST
you have to heat the head of the rivits that hold the whole 3 pieces together. spider legs/body/waist once the whole assembly is apart you swap the body pieces only, the spider legs and waist piece are on correctly
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740798)
Posted by william-james88 on November 11th, 2015 @ 8:20pm CST
shadow panther wrote:you have to heat the head of the rivits that hold the whole 3 pieces together. once the whole assembly is apart you swap the body pieces only, the spider legs and waist piece are on correctly


How do you just heat the head? And how do you rivit them back together after?
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740799)
Posted by shadow panther on November 11th, 2015 @ 8:22pm CST
william-james88 wrote:
shadow panther wrote:you have to heat the head of the rivits that hold the whole 3 pieces together. once the whole assembly is apart you swap the body pieces only, the spider legs and waist piece are on correctly


How do you just heat the head? And how do you rivit them back together after?


I touched the head of the rivet with a soldering iron until the plastic softened enough to pull it apart
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740808)
Posted by Gunmetal on November 11th, 2015 @ 8:55pm CST
william-james88 wrote:No, thats a myth, Takara is the same price as Hasbro in Japan, it just costs more for some peole because they need to import it and shipping costs depend on where you live. That has NOTHING to do with how much Takara is charging, they are charging the same or less.

Hasbro Devastator Toysrus: $ 169.99

Takara Devastator Amiami: $ 152.10

Oh wait, Hasbro's is more expensive here my bad.

So think about it, if Takara is charging the same amount but always giving you more paint apps or extras, then Hasbro is the company that is actually more expensive since you are paying the same price for a product which has less. You just take the abuse blindly because your other choise is to import.


Whoa, hold up a minute.

I usually respect and agree with your board posts, but your point here on price isn’t honest. You’re comparing a discounted Japanese price website to TRU, who are infamous for demand-based markup and are probably the most expensive place to buy at American retail.

Here’s some more data. I used Google for yen/dollar conversions. List prices and discounts are as given by the store websites.

  • UW Devastator, AmiAmi: $152.36, discounted 30% from $219.64 list price
  • CW Devastator, Amazon: $143.00, discounted 5% from $149.99 list price
  • CW Devastator, BBTS: $139.99, discounted $10 from $149.99 list price
  • CW Devastator, TFSource: $139.99, discounted $10 from $149.99 list price
  • CW Devastator, TRU: $169.99, no MSRP/list price given

I’ll concede that AmiAmi is giving a much more generous discount, but that’s still greater than the un-discounted American list price.

I've always considered you the voice of reason WJ; please let me know what I'm missing...
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740815)
Posted by william-james88 on November 11th, 2015 @ 9:29pm CST
Randomus wrote:
I’ll concede that AmiAmi is giving a much more generous discount, but that’s still greater than the un-discounted American list price.

I've always considered you the voice of reason WJ; please let me know what I'm missing...


I am truly grateful for your vote of confidence and while I should have used a bbts listing for devastator rather than TRU, I do stand by my prices for Takara and here is why: in Japan at retail the price you pay is not the MSRP you see. That MSRP exists because of the heavy importing of these products. A wholesale price is usually around 50% of the MSRP (I used to work in a collectables shop) so in an international trade, the MSRP is marked up so that the wholesale price is also marked up. However, in Japan in retail stores the MSRP is not the price Japanese fans buy their toys (hence why I compared to TRU, I wanted to compare stores you could actually visit). Retail stores in Japan actually price their TFs at the Amiami or HLJ price, and we know because we have a japan correspondent who buys his TFs in japan at retail and you can click this link to see that the prices are exactly the same (or cheaper) as if you bought them at a Toysrus in the states. Hence why Amiami or HLJ is not a preorder discount. It is a year round discount from the MSRP (read, the actual price of these TFs in Japan) but since us fans dont want to miss out, they always sell out before the order is in stock. Its not always the case, Legends Arcee came back in stock and I was able to buy her at the same "discount".

Better example: Legends Magnus is still at the same 30% discount even if he is out proving this is not just for preorders but a default discount of the MSRP made to mirror what these cost at reatil in japan (just as BBTS mirrors the price you would expect to pay for a Hasbro product at retail is the states).

I dont know why alot of the fandom is not aware of the price parity but I am happy to explain it. All fans should know because its pretty nuts when you think about it; for the same price you can buy the same TF in Japan or the US but the Japan TF has a greater cost. It sometimes really makes me feel like Hasbro is skimping by comparison and I am not getting the same value for my money.

So the long and short of it:

1. Buying a Takara TF in Japan costs the same amount as buying a Hasbro TF in the US and here is the proof: http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/ ... ail/33333/

2. Amiami and other Japan online stores mirror that retail price to compete with retail Japan stores, and for us it appears as a discount on the MSRP (it is not really a discount).

3. Said apparent discount is not just special for the preorder but because it is the cheapest option for fans, it often sells out before coming in stock, hence the confusion. But the price would be the same if the product was in stock, and here is the proof (available 2015/11/11 for 45.96 $ US): http://www.amiami.com/top/detail/detail ... agecnt%3D1

I hope that redeems my previous post. Cheers!
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740820)
Posted by william-james88 on November 11th, 2015 @ 9:44pm CST
shadow panther wrote:
william-james88 wrote:
shadow panther wrote:you have to heat the head of the rivits that hold the whole 3 pieces together. once the whole assembly is apart you swap the body pieces only, the spider legs and waist piece are on correctly


How do you just heat the head? And how do you rivit them back together after?


I touched the head of the rivet with a soldering iron until the plastic softened enough to pull it apart


Aint got one of those, guess I will revert it back to how it was and spend the rest of my evening screwing my blackarachnia's bosom.
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740825)
Posted by Gunmetal on November 11th, 2015 @ 10:09pm CST
william-james88 wrote:
Randomus wrote:
I’ll concede that AmiAmi is giving a much more generous discount, but that’s still greater than the un-discounted American list price.

I've always considered you the voice of reason WJ; please let me know what I'm missing...

[Good explanation, omitted here for length, but worth scrolling up for.]

Interesting; can't argue with that. :shock: I'm curious why that all is. I guess there's the old "evil-white-Americans-are-greedy" answer, but if you don't think business is business worldwide, let me know: I'll sell you the Rainbow Bridge for less than you'd pay for the one on Brooklyn! :ic$:

PS: Leave it to me to learn market economics in the middle of a discussion on modifying toy breasts. #-o
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740826)
Posted by fenrir72 on November 11th, 2015 @ 10:10pm CST
Randomus wrote:
william-james88 wrote:No, thats a myth, Takara is the same price as Hasbro in Japan, it just costs more for some peole because they need to import it and shipping costs depend on where you live. That has NOTHING to do with how much Takara is charging, they are charging the same or less.

Hasbro Devastator Toysrus: $ 169.99

Takara Devastator Amiami: $ 152.10

Oh wait, Hasbro's is more expensive here my bad.

So think about it, if Takara is charging the same amount but always giving you more paint apps or extras, then Hasbro is the company that is actually more expensive since you are paying the same price for a product which has less. You just take the abuse blindly because your other choise is to import.


Whoa, hold up a minute.

I usually respect and agree with your board posts, but your point here on price isn’t honest. You’re comparing a discounted Japanese price website to TRU, who are infamous for demand-based markup and are probably the most expensive place to buy at American retail.

Here’s some more data. I used Google for yen/dollar conversions. List prices and discounts are as given by the store websites.

  • UW Devastator, AmiAmi: $152.36, discounted 30% from $219.64 list price
  • CW Devastator, Amazon: $143.00, discounted 5% from $149.99 list price
  • CW Devastator, BBTS: $139.99, discounted $10 from $149.99 list price
  • CW Devastator, TFSource: $139.99, discounted $10 from $149.99 list price
  • CW Devastator, TRU: $169.99, no MSRP/list price given

I’ll concede that AmiAmi is giving a much more generous discount, but that’s still greater than the un-discounted American list price.

I've always considered you the voice of reason WJ; please let me know what I'm missing...


Not piling on you kimosabe as it might be misconstrued as endorsing a particular online store :WHISTLE: but YES, the prices are indeed cheaper. Only gets expensive when you tack in the shipping and your friendly neighborhood custom collector fees.

If you live in great Nippon, you'll see. If you live like in the UK,Europe and the USA, of course expect higher shipping costs.

You may not have to agree with wj88 (I don't :lol: ) but his position in this is sound.

May i also add, factor in your country's foreign exchange rate though at present, JP has recently devalued(well, during Abe's term) the Yen to make their products competitive (sorry about the boring economics 101 insert)
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740832)
Posted by william-james88 on November 11th, 2015 @ 10:32pm CST
Randomus wrote:Interesting; can't argue with that. :shock: I'm curious why that all is. I guess there's the old "evil-white-Americans-are-greedy"


Glad I was able to redeem myself. And to answer your question as to why we get more from japan for the same price, I truly believe that it is simply a difference in culture. While all companies have a goal of making money, Japan across the boards seems to have this sense that a corporation equals a clan/family and that there is a history and quality that should be honoured and respected through the products it produces. Cobotron was the one to postulate this and it actually makes sense. Nintendo is willing to go into major depth to try new things and unlike every other game developer, their games run day one. No need to patch things up later in order to actually play the game. In collectables, Takara and Bandai (especially Bandai) have this pride in their legacy and really feel the need to be the best they can be to their customers who are after all the reason they continue to survive as a corporation. Maybe Cobotron can help me flush this out better, but the main idea is that unlike the US, Japan collectible companies have a hardcoded sense of legacy they feel to own up to, even at the detriment of making lower margins than their American counterparts.
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740834)
Posted by Cobotron on November 11th, 2015 @ 10:46pm CST
Wow Will, don't think I could have put it any better.

And by their code of tradition, I'm sure Takara will be very upset when they find out that there was a mass mis-assembly issue with one of their products.
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740835)
Posted by SW's SilverHammer on November 11th, 2015 @ 10:48pm CST
Well the gang can get racist a little later, I finally got my gals from SAL. Well, two of them. I only bought Nightbird and slipstream, then immediately regretted not getting Black Widow.
Image
Image
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740838)
Posted by fenrir72 on November 11th, 2015 @ 10:59pm CST
SW's SilverHammer wrote:Well the gang can get racist a little later, I finally got my gals from SAL. Well, two of them. I only bought Nightbird and slipstream, then immediately regretted not getting Black Widow.
Image
Image


http://www.amiami.com/top/detail/detail ... agecnt%3D1

still available mi amigo!
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740844)
Posted by william-james88 on November 11th, 2015 @ 11:41pm CST
fenrir72 wrote:http://www.amiami.com/top/detail/detail ... agecnt%3D1

still available mi amigo!


In stock and still "discounted", this couldnt have come at a better time.

And while I do believe Takara would be displeased to know there has been a missasembly, I believe the existence of these three figures alone is a testament to their devotion to the fans.
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740853)
Posted by fenrir72 on November 12th, 2015 @ 1:11am CST
william-james88 wrote:
fenrir72 wrote:http://www.amiami.com/top/detail/detail ... agecnt%3D1

still available mi amigo!


In stock and still "discounted", this couldnt have come at a better time.

And while I do believe Takara would be displeased to know there has been a missasembly, I believe the existence of these three figures alone is a testament to their devotion to the fans.


And to the contents of our wallets :-P
Re: Video Review - Takara Tomy Transformers Legends LG17 Blackarachnia (1740855)
Posted by fenrir72 on November 12th, 2015 @ 1:17am CST
william-james88 wrote:
shadow panther wrote:um do you guys know that this toy is factory misassembled?

when comparing this to the Animated I noticed the rear of the spider was not locking over the robots shoulders in spider mode. upon comparing it with Animated I noticed the screw hole on the robot body was on the opposite side. apparently the pieces with the ball joints for the robot arms are on backwards. I took it apart and heated the rivet inside the waist pieces until they came apart. I swapped the upper body pieces and re-riveted the pieces. after re-assembleing her, the rear of the spider now locks over the robot shoulders when in spider mode. the chest also easily slides up and locks into place with ease. its not a easy fix, I was cringing the whole time but now she is solid in both modes


Thanks! But I have to admit, I was cringing just reading it. Might be a bit too daunting for me.

The part I highlighted is the part I dont get. How did you re-rivet them?


WJ......shouldn't this be headlined in the site or something? This IS breaking news. Seems like dejavu with that jet from TF-Go!

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