Transformers Prime First Edition, Come and gone and staying gone? Options

[NightViper]

I don't like the automatic substitution that they're doing. I know they're trying to make it easy for customers, making the assumption that people want the characters rather than the specific toys. But as evidenced by the replies in this thread, people don't. They'd rather have nothing.

Woe be onto those that miss this email and think that their FE pre-orders are proceeding as planned. Until they get a box full of TF Prime RiD figures.

I can kind of see it both ways. Yeah, it's kind of sketchy because they're not the same toys, or even the same characters in all cases, but this also lets people who preordered awhile back "keep their spot in line" just in case the demand is high.

If there was some doubt to the availability of the second batch of figures, I'd agree. But to substitute exclusives with the regular main line release... I don't know.

[ShinRa Inc]

Hey BBTS. F**K YOU. I'm taking my business elsewhere for a while.

...it's not really their fault. At all.

Indeed. Wanna blame Hasbro and the retailers who said "pass!", then go right ahead. But BBTS had absolutely nothing to do with this mess.

As I ranted a few pages back...BBTS tried making a big deal that they were the only way to get these toys. They convinced a lot of us to make preorders with them, and keep those preorders, even when product started showing up elsewhere.

So while I COULD have gotten Starscream at retail, and I COULD have gotten the rest from eBay or a Canadian before everything sold out, I'm now SOL.

That is on BBTS. Considering their big selling point is supposed to be their excellent Cusomer Service, the least they could do is offer to take a hit on Takara prices and fill our preorders with the molds we reserved. And explain WHY TRU Canada and various Asia markets got these, but they somehow can't.

As for these automatic RiD conversions...what are they, K-Mart? A toy is a toy is a toy?

[ZacWilliam1]

Hey BBTS. F**K YOU. I'm taking my business elsewhere for a while.

...it's not really their fault. At all.

Indeed. Wanna blame Hasbro and the retailers who said "pass!", then go right ahead. But BBTS had absolutely nothing to do with this mess.

They advertise as being the exclusive carrier for a line, they better damn well have a lock on the line before touting it.

Hasbro said we'll sell these through you.

They said ok and took preorders.

Then Hasbro said "Changed our minds you can't have them."

I really can't see how any of that is their fault.


-ZacWilliam, I can see being frustrated, but Hasbro makes all the calls here, not BBTS...

This post has been edited by ZacWilliam1: Jan 30 2012, 12:14 PM

[Jeremy]

If there was some doubt to the availability of the second batch of figures, I'd agree. But to substitute exclusives with the regular main line release... I don't know.

Oh, I totally agree, I just think this way seems a little more diplomatic than "welp, the toys were cancelled and we dropped your preorder, peace out!"

That is on BBTS. Considering their big selling point is supposed to be their excellent Cusomer Service, the least they could do is offer to take a hit on Takara prices and fill our preorders with the molds we reserved.

Which would be great, if there were enough Takara releases to go around, or they could have planned for it ahead of time.

[Powered Convoy]

So, was Zombie Cliffjumper part of the first edition waves or is it part of the RiD line?

Thing is, we here in Canada have allegedly gotten the whole PFE line, but I have never seen Zombie Cliff or the Vehicon at retail.

They weren't released. Zombie Cliffjumper is getting released in Takara's RID line, so maybe he'll show up in Hasbro's too.

That is on BBTS. Considering their big selling point is supposed to be their excellent Cusomer Service, the least they could do is offer to take a hit on Takara prices and fill our preorders with the molds we reserved. And explain WHY TRU Canada and various Asia markets got these, but they somehow can't.

That would be presuming there are any TakaraTomy ones left, which there aren't, and that BBTS is willing to take a hit on a figure they charge $35 to $40 and sell it for $15 to $20 - which I know if I were them I wouldn't. That'd be losing way too much money.

There is a chance that TakaraTomy's FE stuff may restock though, as I've seen some places indicate they may be receiving more.

Randy

[Magnus]

Good news and bad news. Some new FE Prime figures were put out today, bad news is that some scalper cleared out all of the Cliffjumpers and Bulkheads. I did grab two Voyager Primes however, so if anyone is interested in them feel free to PM me, otherwise I'll return them.

[Engledogg]

What would have been nice on BBTS's part, and I realize it's not probably feasible given the way things work (supply, timing, etc.), would have been a "we'll hold back a stock of TakaraTomy figure preorders to cover those that that had their Hasbro preorders canceled and they can pay half the difference between the Hasbro and TakaraTomy version" kind of deal.

If you preordered Hasbro Cliffjumper at $19.99 and the TakaraTomy CJ preorder is $37.99 (difference of $18), those that got their Hasbro preorders canceled could purchase the TakaraTomy version for $28.99. I wouldn't expect them to sell the $37.99 toy at $19.99, but half the difference seems fair.

Like I said, probably not doable, but it would have been nice.

MIKE
engledogg

This post has been edited by Engledogg: Jan 30 2012, 12:30 PM

[ShinRa Inc]

I kind of assume BBTS can place some more orders with Takara now, which may take time to fufill, but we know exists (I could be wrong). I'm also not saying they should match the Hasbro price for the Takara product, but some discount seems more in line with their Customer Service reputation than "Here, have stuff we know you don't want."

And again, I only say this because of the hype they tried to build about them being the only way to get these toys. BBTS did that, not Hasbro. Hell, they still have an entire banner ad dedicated to selling First Edition Prime toys at the top of this page.

[LV!]

I thought at Botcon they said the repaints of Wheeljack and Soundwave in DOTM will be in the RiD line

Umpteenth Bumblebee/White Ratchet/G1 Wheeljack/Black Soundwave are wave one of the new Movie Trilogy line, or they were as of BotCon.

[NightViper]

I thought at Botcon they said the repaints of Wheeljack and Soundwave in DOTM will be in the RiD line

Umpteenth Bumblebee/White Ratchet/G1 Wheeljack/Black Soundwave are wave one of the new Movie Trilogy line, or they were as of BotCon.

They were also "Movie Trilogy Line" during the slide show at NYCC.

[RCX]

Good news and bad news. Some new FE Prime figures were put out today, bad news is that some scalper cleared out all of the Cliffjumpers and Bulkheads. I did grab two Voyager Primes however, so if anyone is interested in them feel free to PM me, otherwise I'll return them.

PM sent!

[Daytonus]

I can't see why anyone would fault BBTS for hyping something they thought was true. It's like getting mad at somebody for inviting you to their wedding after they got stood up at the altar.

This post has been edited by Daytonus: Jan 30 2012, 12:51 PM

[Solarstorm]

Got my e-mail for the Voyagers and Deluxes and promptly deleted the orders. If I can't have the superior FE figs then I have absolutely no need for the RID ones because I just won't bother with the line now. If I can find the FE figs I want for a DECENT price, then I'll start buying RID.

Good news for the voyagers, at least.

We know the FE Voyager Prime mold will come back. There were pictures at a Japanese toy show of a darker colored FE Prime with a silver stripe on the shoulder, ala - G1. It was in the pics with the new mold minicon targetmasters.

Bulkhead is uncertain, but BBTS has a preorder up for next month. It's $50, but it's the Takara version and those are always a bit more.

[Robogeek1973]

Got my e-mail for the Voyagers and Deluxes and promptly deleted the orders. If I can't have the superior FE figs then I have absolutely no need for the RID ones because I just won't bother with the line now. If I can find the FE figs I want for a DECENT price, then I'll start buying RID.

Good news for the voyagers, at least.

We know the FE Voyager Prime mold will come back. There were pictures at a Japanese toy show of a darker colored FE Prime with a silver stripe on the shoulder, ala - G1. It was in the pics with the new mold minicon targetmasters.

Bulkhead is uncertain, but BBTS has a preorder up for next month. It's $50, but it's the Takara version and those are always a bit more.

I'd forgotten about that Prime so I'll hafta preorder him, but that Voyager Bulkhead will probably be the new mold with the same kind of gimmicks the RID Voyagers seem to have.

[Sprocket]

I can't imagine we won't see all the First Edition toys re-released over the next several years of Prime's lifespan eventually, either as general retail or store exclusives.

If they can re-deco the original movie Ratchet Voyager five times over four years, I think they can squeeze Optimus and Bulkhead in somewhere.

This post has been edited by Sprocket: Jan 30 2012, 01:04 PM

[G.B.Blackrock]

I can't imagine we won't see all the First Edition toys re-released over the next several years of Prime's lifespan eventually, either as general retail or store exclusives.

The molds, probably, but I fully expect that they'd have different deco.

[CORVUS]

I can't see why anyone would fault BBTS for hyping something they thought was true. It's like getting mad at somebody for inviting you to their wedding after they got stood up at the altar.

Indeed. While I'm annoyed about passing up stuff because I had pre-orders at BBTS and also agree they have mishandled this on their part to a degree, they didn't turn these toys down. They had the rug pulled out from under them via Hasbro.

[Phlis]

I can't imagine we won't see all the First Edition toys re-released over the next several years of Prime's lifespan eventually, either as general retail or store exclusives.

If they can re-deco the original movie Ratchet Voyager toy five times over four years, I think they can squeeze Optimus and Bulkhead in somewhere again.

I don't know. Rumble and Frenzy. Just throwing it out there. I hope they (R&F and the FE toys) see a release as two packs or something, but I just don't know.

Edit: If the Prime line is super popular like Armada, I could see it, but back then they made a lot fewer molds, and released toys slower in general. I somehow doubt toys are going to be clamoring for Prime product.

This post has been edited by Phlis: Jan 30 2012, 01:07 PM

[CORVUS]

There's still a shot we might see Rumble and Frenzy again at some point. It wasn't THAT long ago.

[Sprocket]

Rumble and Frenzy. Just throwing it out there

Retro characters with no substantial modern media presence in a dead size class?

Not really comparable, I'd think. Mostly for the last reason.

This post has been edited by Sprocket: Jan 30 2012, 01:14 PM