I would if they were, say, the Combaticons or Constructicons or somebody. Because owning the original versions of characters I know and enjoy is novelty in itself that trumps the actual limitations of 80's engineering.

I feel the same way, but still count that sort of behavior as more towards the "hardcore" camp.

The way I see it, there isn't just a casual/hardcore dichotomy. There's different levels to it.

I have a decent sized collection, including several Encore/Reissue figures, but I'm not a member of the TCC, and I haven't been to Bot Con. I've watched most of the TV series (Masterforce and Victory being exceptions), haven't read much Marvel, though I have read some Dreamwave and all of IDW.

I've looked longingly at the Amazon Unicron, and it's only a cost-and-space issue that prevented me from getting him. Basically, people one level above me ensured Unicron sold out fast. However, the Seacons appealed to people two levels above me, if this metaphor makes sense.

Unfortunately, the amount of fans at that level, the level that purchases G1 reissues of obscure characters that haven't had a modern fictional revival (i.e. Overlord) seems to have been to small to support the BBTS Seacons.

Edit: Relating it to the issue at hand, though, doing up the lost F.E. figures the same way might not be that bad of an idea, as they have a much broader appeal than the Seacons would.

Yeah, any of the original 4 Scramble City combiners or Devy had been reissued by Hasbro for the same price as the Seacons they would've sold out a long time ago.

I do like the Seacons though, they have a lot of character in their designs. I hope we do get more exclusives in that vein although I know it's unlikely.

Come to think of it, I think the only reason we got the Seacons as opposed to one of the other combiners is that the molds don't exist anymore/are too degraded, save for the Combaticons. And they probably didn't do the Combaticons because they'd just got/were getting an Encore reissue (I forget the timeline).

They may have just reissued the Constructicons, but there was a thread on here that determined that they were probably actually a new mold aping the original, which is expensive to do, and only works for guaranteed sellers (like when they patched up the degraded Jazz mold for the Encore version)

Wow, so they still have over 3000 Seacons sets available in their inventory. I'd be curious to know how many were in the production for this one store, compared to how many FE toys were made. I just think it might be interesting after Hasbro cancels the orders for the online retailers. It won't change anything, but I still think it would be interesting to find out. That is if we could ever find out. I've never understood why production numbers would matter enough to be treated so sacred by companies, but they are. I'm anxious to hear the questions we'll get for the Q&A after the Hasbro panels this year.

I'm considering getting the Seacons set now that they're only $35. I didn't have them originally because I hated the pastel colors. But now I'm considering a set to paint into God Neptune colors. That color scheme looks pretty good.

Love my small Prime Collection

Welp. I went ahead and overpaid for Japanese Bulkhead. He IS very pretty, so I'm okay with it. Still hoping someone will be able to pick me up a Prime.

Got a look at PRiD Bulkie, didn'tcha?

Yep.

Hasbro just proved me wrong. Doesn't sound like the FE's are anywhere on the horizon for the USDM.

Just got PRiD CJ, now I really want FE CJ. At least the Tailgate redeco might look fairly different.

He's not so good, is he? I haven't seen the pictures yet, and now I'm almost afraid to look...

Anyway, I just got Wheeljack in... this thing is so many layers of awesomeness wrapped into one. My favorite of the line, so far. That includes the FE figures, but I don't have the Takara Cliffjumper or Bulkhead in yet, so that may yet change. I just love the way he transforms! And the fact that he doesn't seem to have any fake bits going on... as far as I can tell everything folds out like it should, no fake wheels, no second windshields... well, there's the little black bit on his chest, but it's so minor, I hardly count it.

He doesn't look like total jive, but he's way less nice looking than the glorious FE.

Impressions from the toyfair floor sound like the prime toyline as a whole is heading for the backburner. The fourty Generations figs next year seems to support this.

I do not understand what is going on, and will again state, this is going to be an interesting botcon.

Meh. I got my FE Arcee today (she'd been in my pile of loot for ages at BBTS and I shipped her after I decided I'd look for FE CJ and BH else where) and guess what? She's misassembled!

The pinned part of her front wheel assemblage has been put on backwards; she can transform and stuff alright, it just prevents her handle bars and wheel kibble from going as low as it should be and is hugging annoying considering I can't replace her.

One of mine was like that. Nothing that some hot water, a tiny hammer and screwdriver, and a block of wood can't fix. Just heat it up, knock out the pin, and reassemble it correctly.

It's a good idea overall to be able to do small fixes like that.

Well for those that have heard the chatter at Toyfair would it be a good idea to do Takara pre-orders...like NOW? I've made few orders already but skipped on Breakdown and Starscream. though I'm a little paranoid after not ordering the Soundwaves and seeing how well that turned out.

Eee, sorry to hear about Arcee.

I have never had that good of luck with taking pins out of real Hasbro Transformers. It's annoying because I would really like to be able to rearrange the struts on Cybertron Ransack.

That one is pretty beginner-level. I just recently fixed mine after getting comfortable with working with pins in the past couple years, and not having had Ransack out for awhile. Just have to let it sit in the hot water for maybe 20 seconds, and then be able to tell which direction to hammer from to hit the rough end of the pin out first. Certain pins are much harder than others due to the position in the toy working against you, or what kind of pin they actually are though.

Anyway, not to drag the thread too far off-topic. How about that First Edition fiasco, are those not coming out? Can someone catch me up?

Yeah, I don't want risk it, last time I tried to correct a pin it didn't go so well . I'd normally be up for trying it again but it would be hard to replace her if I did screw it up.

She's a cool looking figure though, really makes me want to find FE Cliff for her.

Got Takara FE Cliffjumper and Bulkhead in from BBTS. They're pretty awesome... although the metallic color on Bulkhead is a bit... off-putting. I almost like the flat color on the Hasbro version better... but for the prices they're going, I was actually better off getting the Japanese release.

Although... strangely my FE Cliffjumper did not come with the advertized display base and appeared to have been resealed. Not that I care, the figure was complete an undamaged and the instructions were all there and everything, but it was just an odd thing none the less.

Also: Is it normal for the Japanese TF's to have English packaging with localized stickers covering the legal information? The few times I've gotten Japanese Transformers, they had unique packaging...

Edit: I mean 'undamaged' not 'unopened' oops.

Yeah, I wondered about that too. It says "Includes Display Stand!" (or similar) on the outside of the package, but inside there's no mention of it. I was expecting some instructions on how to cut and fold the box to make a crappy platform or something.

Huh... did yours have extra tape applied to the back as well? Mine had obviously been taped up on the back. I wonder if the displays were removed for some reason. Usually they're these sort of silly little cardboard boxes that are stored in the bottom of the package. You could even see where it would have been.

The display stand is the bottom of the packaging. If you're missing it, you're missing half of the package.

How so?

The cardboard "box" with "Transformers Prime" printed across it. The thing that fills half the window of the packaging.

You just kinda balance the figure on that.

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-...1_4195259_n.jpg

I bought three FE figures so far. Prime, Cliffjumper and Bulkhead. Both Bulkhead and Prime came with these little cardboard box things with 'Transformers Prime' on it and some other decoration. They were stuck in the bottom of the packaging, under the figure. Cliffjumper, on the other hand, had nothing under the figure except a huge empty space and a lot of extra tape on the back of the package, like he had been opened and then resealed.

The figure itself was in perfect shape... except, now to think about it, he had those plastic and wire twist-ties, not the paper ones that seem to have taken their place.

Bulkhead and Prime both had the paper ties and no extra tape. Evidence suggests that someone opened Cliffy and took out his display base. Again, not that I care... these guys sit on my shelves and I wasn't exactly looking forward to the display or anything. It's just odd.


Except for the front insert on the package. If my packaging weren't already in a tied up trash bag I'd take pictures to illustrate. Suffice to say I couldn't tell from the outside that there wasn't anything inside.

*blinks*

...

*puts two and two together and rummages through the trash*

You know... they had these things already assembled in the Voyager ones... XD

Oh wow... that... that's facepalm territory there...

Edit: Or no, no that wasn't what I thought it was... ok, so I was right, it's not there.

Hasbro said they're really going to try to get them released in America in late 2012. Take that as you will.


The First Edition Prime figures have the same packaging as their Hasbro counterparts due. Except they have some extra stickers covering some of the Hub labels and Japanese information on the bubble. They use the old plastic twisties and the bubbles are taped on all sides rather than glued in some areas.

Also the Deluxes (not the Voyagers) don't have the cardboard display stands the Hasbro ones do. Even though the package mentions them (my Cliffjumper and Vehicon didn't).

Randy

They're assembled for the Deluxe as well. Pretty much exactly the same set up as the Voyagers.

It's just cardboard filler.

Ah, ok, so this is a known thing. Seemed really weird for a bit there.

Odd that they should leave the display boxes out of the deluxe figures, though.

We're talking about the Japanese versions. I think Randy's right and no such thing is included.

There was nothing in my Takara Cliffjumper package that looked like it could be assembled as a stand for the figure. I suppose you could put the figure on a table in front of the logo, as in the Facebook photo you posted, but it sounds like the domestic versions contained something at least marginally more stand-like than that.

The First Editions were likely if not definitely made to promote the 5-Part Mini-Series, but with the Movie and other lines became a promotional line.

While it is more likely that Hasbro will bring at least the unreleased Deluxes back as two-packs and in general as exclusives, distribution of the toys in the U.S. makes sense IF the first couple of waves are either sold out or off the shelves.

The first couple of waves rely heavily on the core cast, so releasing the first edition versions would be a good way to make the main cast available once the shelves are packed with Waves 3 and Waves 4. I mean, Ratchet is the only one from the main cast of bots without a FE version. Plus, it may be more cost-effective to use already created molds then create another Deluxe Bumblebee.

The US isn't getting any two packs. The Bumblebee and Starscream one is Asia only.

Randy

Yeah, the Japanese Deluxes don't have the stands despite retailing the package call-out. I assume it's because the robot mode takes up too much space in the bubble, while they're packaged in vehicle mode for the Hasbro versions.

Funny thing is that, thanks to the shape of the packaging, the Voyager stands are smaller than the Deluxe ones.

And Canada!

Is there a friendly Canadian that would like to help me procure an FE Entertainment pack? I can give you a little extra $$$ for your trouble!

Interesting. I haven't seen anything to suggest that Canada is getting this set. Source?

I asked in the BST thread, but there's been no bites. I'm not sure if TRU Canada is still stocking or not.

I'd really like to get hooked up with one before BBTS fills my Takara Megatron preorder. I've heard Hasbro's deco is nicer, and comes with a bonus Prime and Miko. <_<

Need a Starscream, too. And maybe Voyager Prime.

They said at Toyfair it was an Asia and Canada exclusive. Movie Trilogy line is Asia exclusive.

The world's determination to not let these molds be released in the US is amazing.

I was there and I could have swore they said Asia (and didn't mention Canada). Are you sure?

I just checked with the other person I attended Toy Fair with, and he confirmed that Hasbro didn't say anything about the 2nd 2 pack being released in Canada in addition to Asia. Just Asia. So unless someone asked after the fact during the show then they didn't say it during the presentation.

People starting to make me doubt what I heard...

Randy

I'll check my local TRU to see if there are any Entertainment packs left tomorrow and let you guys know, although at this point I kind of doubt that there will be anything but Bumblebees and Arcees

BBTS actually just got in their second shipment of the US three FE figures, so if anyone still needs those, they're up.

The slide specifically said it was for Canadian and Asian markets only: I know for sure that's what I saw.

If true, then I was too busy looking at the toys and not the text. I was furiously tweeting news too.

Randy

Been comparing the Cliffjumpers since I got home today. My First Edition Cliffy is definitely getting my RID's battle hammer.

The difference in proportions on these guys comes mainly from the fact that they transform nearly back-to-front of each other. FE Cliffy's arms and shoulders come from the rear of the car, while RID Cliffy gets them from the front. Same with the legs.

RID Cliffy does have more accurate calves/shins and feet, but that's mainly because that's where FE Cliffy is sticking his car doors. It ends up being the same reason RID Cliffy has those elongated forearms.

For the most part, FE Cliffy feels like the more solid toy once everything's pegged where it should in robot mode. His limbs look complete from more angles than the RID figure, and though he's just as hollow in some ways, he hides it better, cheats less, and thus has less kibble hanging off of him. RID Cliffy loses a lot of his magic if viewed from the back.

I will say that RID Cliffy has a lot more articulation in his head/neck area, and can manage more interesting poses in at least that respect. He's also got a head reveal gimmick and I do understand that a lot of people like those.

Weirdly, both these figures have fake wheel details sculpted into the back of their thighs. It's a lot more prominent on the RID fig, but it's still present on the FE fig. Neither figure paints this detail, so it sticks out a little.

Again, you're a stand-up guy Magnus!

Indeed, appreciate the effort, regardless of result.

"While there was tons of exciting new stuff ahead that will please most fans, the question on most fans mind was "Why were First Edition Prime figures cancelled?" According to Hasbro, there was a distribution issue on their part where they could not deliver product. There is a light of hope, however, as they plan to issue those molds in some way in the fall of 2012. So all is not lost. If you must have the First Edition packaging, however, you know where to go spend your hard earned money. They spoke about the new Prime 'Robots in Disguise' figures, which will cover the whole market by March 1st. First wave covers Bumblebee, Wheeljack, Cliffjumper, and Soundwave."

http://collectiondx.com/article/nytf2012_hasbro_transformers