Oh, that's kinda cool. Are there sets for Jazz and Wheeljack too?
Damn...now I wish I'd bought a set...
Maybe Hasbro could give accessory sets another try, but throw a Core in the box instead of a Deluxe.
Right? he was the one out of the pack that I was absolutely going to get rid of. Wheeljack I was undecided on which version I wanted to keep, but Trailbreaker was already packing his bags. Then this thing happened and I'm out another 20 bucks.
Personally, I think some "Versus" packs would be the way to go; get an Autobot, Guardian, or Maximal vs a Decepticon, Renegade, Quintesson, or Predacon Core figures , throw in a couple accessories for a MacGuffin and maybe a cardboard diorama, and bring back the Battles in a Box!
I also tend to lean on retail (partly because I work in retail, and don't appreciate the whole "everything's cheaper/better/plentiful online" attitude), and I will say that while I have seen a couple of the Core Dinobots in stores, they have been pretty scarce. Target has been better than Walmart in my area. Walmart got those wave 1 Core assortments in for Christmas (after clearancing them out once for $3-5), and never really moved any after that.
Unfortunately, there's not a great solution here; but I agree, a lot of Hasbro's new Transformers have not been getting to shelves very well lately, particularly Core class.
Yeah, I think a lot of toymakers underestimate how much a kid and their parents enjoy being able to buy one package that contains everything you need to start an adventure.
I'd say that's less an attitude than it is the reality of the current retail climate.
If the rumours are true, Hasblo are back to their anti-consumer shenanigans by selling off core-class Ramhorn and Ratbat with an unwanted/irrelevant Perceptor.
Every time Hasblo does this, they leave my money on the table.
As for shopping preferences, I use online 100% now. It's just cheaper and with pre-orders at Amazon Japan, TT Mall (for the handful of exclusives) and/or ShowZ, I'm guaranteed availability. I gave up on even bothering to look for TFs at retail about 10-15 years ago in Japan after Toys R Us Japan stopped carrying them consistently.
Every time Hasblo does this, they leave my money on the table.
As for shopping preferences, I use online 100% now. It's just cheaper and with pre-orders at Amazon Japan, TT Mall (for the handful of exclusives) and/or ShowZ, I'm guaranteed availability. I gave up on even bothering to look for TFs at retail about 10-15 years ago in Japan after Toys R Us Japan stopped carrying them consistently.
With this recent M.A.S.K.-related interest, just casually throwing it out there that a new M.A.S.K. toy is coming here.
I don't really see this as Anti-Consumer in any way. If the Core Class is going away, they had to find something to pack it in with. These being Studio Series figures, they were going to be with someone from the movie. Blaster would make more sense, but since that's a voyager that would make for a more expensive set, and would be just as redundant. Perceptor is also in that scene, so he's the next most logical character to pack them in with.
If I had my druthers, they'd come with opaque Eject and Rewind as a 4-pack of cassettes, but since Eject/Rewind is built into the Blaster mold (I believe), I don't think that's an option.
I'd prefer to buy at retail, but distribution sucks. And I no longer work at Target, so I can't grab stuff right off the truck anymore. So I preorder online, and if I see it in person first, I cancel the order and pick it up; but if not, BBTS gets my money.
Same. I do miss "the hunt" as it was a fun way to get out of the office and kill time during my lunch hour back when that was a thing I had. Now I can't count on ever seeing any particular thing in stores. I'll always see SOMETHING, but you never know what will actually make it onto the shelves, so if there is something I HAVE to have, it gets pre-ordered.
When gas was cheaper and stores were closer it made sense. When gas is $3+ it doesn't take a long trip before not finding something equaled shipping, and many places have free shipping anyway.
And re: Instagram, I could see it ONCE on one computer before it locked it, and another I couldn't see anything, so clearly, mileage may vary.
And re: Instagram, I could see it ONCE on one computer before it locked it, and another I couldn't see anything, so clearly, mileage may vary.
Retail distribution’s gotten worse and the same toys are less expensive buying from online specialty stores around here. There is legitimately no reason to go retail as a collector aside from impulse buys.
There's something to be said to being able to see the figure before you buy it so you can avoid getting one with a bad paintjob or factory damage or whatever.
So people outside the gaming community misuse anti-consumer as well.
Packing figures with another figure that you personally do not care about is not what anti-consumer means.
