Heroic Decepticons, Evil Autobots!

[Eldar]

http://botcon.com/Botcon08/08figures.cfm

Gotta love the "Jetfire" version of Starscream and Optimus. 'Till all are gone:laugh:

What exactly is so heroic about the name "Decepticon"

Back before BW there was a considerable part of fandom that actually bought into the crap that the decepticons were the true heroes that were maligned by the Autobots.

 

[Mega Ranger]

No I will explain why you are wrong.

Last year's MAIN "Games of Decepticon" was around $350+.

Now said set consisted of 5 figures, four deluxes and one voyager. Now two of the Deluxes had their molds slightly altered and the Voyager got a new head sculpt.

Prices for those molds in stores were (going by KB which I believe is the most expensive store at the time) Deluxes were $15 and Voyagers were $25.

So you have 4 x $15 = $60
plus 1x $25 = $25
+----
$85. Plus tax makes it about $90.

In short Master Collector offered up a set that was almost four times their shelf value with very little changes done to said set. And in said set, Hasbro and Master Collector inserted the three remaining figures fans REALLY wanted in the Seekers.

So yes that was mass screwing of the fans by Hasbro and MC. To the point where fans EVERYWHERE (Seibertron, Tformers, TFW2005, All-Spark) universally BITCHED, complained and bashed the hell out of them for doing so.

Now as time passes, people might, emphasis on *MIGHT* let their anger cool on this subject but don't sit there for one minute and try to defend what Hasbro and MC did as not screwing the fans over. They did it and they know it and they know the vast majority of the fans still hate them for doing so.

That's why you've seen such a negative fan reaction to the exclusives since that fiasco. Alternaters Rodimus and Menasor are still both widely available and for very cheap prices as an indication as such.

and San Diego Comic con exclusives are produced BY hasbro to be sold BY hasbro, not with Botcon. it was only a few years ago Botcon even became the OFFICIAL convention over other transformers conventions. they still have to PAY hasbro for those figures and then in turn sell them to us. which is where the diffrence in price comes from. I would have liked to have gotten all 6 seekers too on market, but show me the last time that Hasbro did ALL 3 main seekers of the same mold all available on shelf at retailer..... oh thats right, it was in the 80's.

 

[Gryphman]

and San Diego Comic con exclusives are produced BY hasbro to be sold BY hasbro, not with Botcon. it was only a few years ago Botcon even became the OFFICIAL convention over other transformers conventions. they still have to PAY hasbro for those figures and then in turn sell them to us. which is where the diffrence in price comes from. I would have liked to have gotten all 6 seekers too on market, but show me the last time that Hasbro did ALL 3 main seekers of the same mold all available on shelf at retailer..... oh thats right, it was in the 80's.

Yeah, Fun Publications has to special order their exclusives. They're so expensive because they're all a limited run, and not anywhere near the amount that are made for retail. I'm talking like 2-3% tops. It costs a lot of money to mass produce Transformers. Hasbro will make millions of any given figure. As you make more of them, you can afford to charge less money. FP on the otherhand can only have a certain amount made. Usually in the hundreds to thousands area. Being such a tiny fraction of what is usually made of a toy, they cannot charge normal retail price. Otherwise they wouldn't be able to continue operations.

Actually, it was Armada. Though Skywarp was a slight remold.

Oh, and FYI JABR. It hasn't been even close to a majority of people bitching about it. Just the ones who couldn't get them, and don't understand how the whole process works.

Just because you REALLY wanted the remaining seekers, doesn't change the fact that they were never going to be made in the first place. FP didn't call dibs on them before Hasbro had the chance. FP picked them because Hasbro was not going to make them, at all.

Like I mentioned before, you can be as mad as you want about not being able to get them. That's fine. You just need to know what actually happened. Saying they screwed over the fans is just plain incorrect.

 

[Mega Ranger]

I thought Armada Skywarp was a store or convention exclusive?

 

[Gryphman]

I thought Armada Skywarp was a store or convention exclusive?

Nope.

 

[Skyknight]

Back before BW there was a considerable part of fandom that actually bought into the crap that the decepticons were the true heroes that were maligned by the Autobots.

Yep, I've read the articles on that.

Yipes.

I mean...YIPES

 

[Eldar]

They even get a mention by David Kaye in the DVD Commentaries for BW or BM. The lady with the snake that harassed him was the defacto head of that group.

 

[JustAnotherBlueRanger]

Yeah, Fun Publications has to special order their exclusives. They're so expensive because they're all a limited run, and not anywhere near the amount that are made for retail. I'm talking like 2-3% tops. It costs a lot of money to mass produce Transformers. Hasbro will make millions of any given figure. As you make more of them, you can afford to charge less money. FP on the otherhand can only have a certain amount made. Usually in the hundreds to thousands area. Being such a tiny fraction of what is usually made of a toy, they cannot charge normal retail price. Otherwise they wouldn't be able to continue operations.

Actually, it was Armada. Though Skywarp was a slight remold.

Oh, and FYI JABR. It hasn't been even close to a majority of people bitching about it. Just the ones who couldn't get them, and don't understand how the whole process works.

Just because you REALLY wanted the remaining seekers, doesn't change the fact that they were never going to be made in the first place. FP didn't call dibs on them before Hasbro had the chance. FP picked them because Hasbro was not going to make them, at all.

Like I mentioned before, you can be as mad as you want about not being able to get them. That's fine. You just need to know what actually happened. Saying they screwed over the fans is just plain incorrect.

Oh please, they hosed the fans. Don't try to spin as this as only those fans who couldn't get it them being upset. The outcry that occurred last year came even from longtime fans (line completists even) that had the money to buy said figures but refused to do so because the bs price gouging Hasbro and Master Collector pulled. People had been clamoring for a complete seeker set since G1 and the Classics line which was supposed to be filler and strictly FOR the fans was the PERFECT opportunity to give it to them. Instead Hasbro and Master Collector told the fans to bend over, grab their ankles if you the complete set. Which as already pointed out, was decidedly not worth the price tag.

And Hasbro even STATED that Thundercracker was coming before the toys hit shelves. So the line that Habro had not intention of making them all is BS. Hasbro likely was going to make them but got talked out of it by MC who convinced them that doing a convention set with the remaining seekers was a good idea.



For you two to sit there and try to argue otherwise doesn't pass the laugh test and lunacy. There isn't a soul alive who thinks paying close to four times the shelf value for those figures is either A)fair or B)a good business practice.

Let us not forget that Hasbro and Master Collector have a mixed bag with the convention exclusives dating back to the five repaints of Arcee we got one year.

I would not be surprised if this set also tanks, Hasbro and Master Collector seem more intent on pissing people off instead of offering up worthwhile convention exclusives. The Beast Wars set was nice, kind of screwy mold choices (ESPECIALLY the maximals) but this is 3 sets in the past few years that have not been worth the money.

 

[Mega Ranger]

Your opinion man. What Gryph said were Facts. If you wanted those seekers than you should have just paid for a non-attendee package like I did in 2006. I want this years Megatron with a Powerful Vengeance, and I'm gonna try to get him. but If I don't I'm not gonna go proclaiming that Hasbro and M.C. Screwed me over because they are wicked and Evil.

 

[Gryphman]

And Hasbro even STATED that Thundercracker was coming before the toys hit shelves. So the line that Habro had not intention of making them all is BS. Hasbro likely was going to make them but got talked out of it by MC who convinced them that doing a convention set with the remaining seekers was a good idea.



For you two to sit there and try to argue otherwise doesn't pass the laugh test and lunacy. There isn't a soul alive who thinks paying close to four times the shelf value for those figures is either A)fair or B)a good business practice.

Let us not forget that Hasbro and Master Collector have a mixed bag with the convention exclusives dating back to the five repaints of Arcee we got one year.

I would not be surprised if this set also tanks, Hasbro and Master Collector seem more intent on pissing people off instead of offering up worthwhile convention exclusives. The Beast Wars set was nice, kind of screwy mold choices (ESPECIALLY the maximals) but this is 3 sets in the past few years that have not been worth the money.

Hasbro never said anything about making a Thundercracker. You must have missread something. If you can find the statement, then I'll believe you. I'm certain I'm right, though.

They're convention exclusives. They've always been more expensive. No convention organizer in their right mind would sell any kind of convention exclusive for retail. They'd go bankrupt. Most people have no problem paying the extra money for exclusives. Like me, for instance.

That one year also happened to be FP's very first year doing Botcon. Since then, their selections have been great. The vast majority of people have loved them.

You seem to have a strange definition of "tank." The only set that hasn't been successful was the first one. Every single set since has sold out completely. Including this year. Regardless of your opinion of the sets themselves, they have been highly successful. There is no doubt whatsoever of that fact.

I don't know why you keep getting so angry. I keep telling you it's perfectly fine to be mad about not being able to get them. You just need to get your facts straight, is all.