Transformers: Energon & Beyond

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08-18-2010
JediTricks

Quote:

Originally Posted by figrin bran

A friend up in WA got TFA Rodimus for me so I don't have to search everywhere for him like I did for TFA Arcee.

Congrats on Rodimus. Have you gotten it yet, and if so, how is it?

If you find another, could you stash or pick it up for me? I'll stash you an MP Grimlock if I see it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Chuxter

A couple of years ago, and not in the US. The new laws that cover toy guns prevented him from being sold unless someone (individual or small vendor) had it shipped from Japan. As I understand it, any that were actually shipped directly from Japan had to be opened and have part of the figure painted orange so as to never be confused with a giant Walther P-38. The one I got at Comic-Con, well, I never asked how the guy got a few of them here unaltered.

That's not accurate, it's not a part of him that had to be painted orange, it was a permanently-affixed blaze-orange plug set in the barrel. If sold as a replica or for stage use, it's not regulated as a toy. If imported, it's not heavily regulated either. It's just that the imports got so common that it started to get noticed - it's a toy after all. So then shipments started getting held up at customs after a while, and then Takara released the blaze-orange plugs which were removable, which worked for a while, but now those aren't acceptable once they got wind that the plugs just come right back out.

Last year I was on the hunt for the sub-$100 Megatron at Comic-Con, only found them at Botcon, SDCC wanted more, but this year just wandering I saw less and they were all pushing $200. I honestly don't even care $100, just wanted it for Prime, but it's just not as good so I gave up and don't mind.
08-18-2010
El Chuxter

You just live to correct me when I'm wrong, even in the slightest detail, don't you? ;)

The guy I got mine from has been in the same place the last few years. He was a row or two from the far north side of the convention, and had some amazing deals alongside some major ripoffs. I got Megatron for $90, IIRC, but he also had GIJoe comic packs for $25 and up which were easily found at retail for $10. I don't believe he's had any Megatrons for the past two years, though.
08-18-2010
JediTricks

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Chuxter

You just live to correct me when I'm wrong, even in the slightest detail, don't you? ;)

I can't help that you're wrong THAT MUCH. :p If you didn't post in the same threads as me, it wouldn't come up as often. :D

Quote:

The guy I got mine from has been in the same place the last few years. He was a row or two from the far north side of the convention, and had some amazing deals alongside some major ripoffs. I got Megatron for $90, IIRC, but he also had GIJoe comic packs for $25 and up which were easily found at retail for $10. I don't believe he's had any Megatrons for the past two years, though.

I think I spotted one in '08 for that price, and when I came back a few hours later, it was sold. That happens A LOT to me on Sundays, I try not to sweat it. Convention sellers drive me nuts when they have really awful prices on 90% of their stuff and then have fantastic pricing on something else, I spent YEARS dealing with that crap at the regular Frank & Son semi-weekly shows out here before I realized I had to stop feeding the scalpers.
08-18-2010
El Chuxter

Well, if it helps, what I said before about Megs and orange paint was exactly how it was relayed to me a few years ago.
08-18-2010
figrin bran

Quote:

Originally Posted by JediTricks

Congrats on Rodimus. Have you gotten it yet, and if so, how is it?

If you find another, could you stash or pick it up for me? I'll stash you an MP Grimlock if I see it.

Of course, JT. And no, I haven't received it yet. I didn't think TFA Ironhide would be tough to come by so I didn't ask him to get one. Hopefully I'm right on that one!
08-18-2010
JediTricks

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Chuxter

Well, if it helps, what I said before about Megs and orange paint was exactly how it was relayed to me a few years ago.

The law does allow blaze-orange paint to be applied to the tip as long as it's over an inch from the barrel (the barrel plug itself can be recessed slightly too), but that regulation isn't holding up so well when the paint is applied on top of an existing paintjob because it can be taken back off. Plus, nobody was going to buy a Megatron figure that had an inch of paint on it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by figrin bran

Of course, JT. And no, I haven't received it yet. I didn't think TFA Ironhide would be tough to come by so I didn't ask him to get one. Hopefully I'm right on that one!

Considering how weak TFA Cybertron Ratchet did at market, I'm surprised they even tried. I bet Ironhide will be harder to get just by the merit of being a new character though with a new head. But I don't predict Arcee-level difficulties.
08-18-2010
JediTricks

I forgot to mention, I picked up SWTF Republic Fighter Tank / Clone Gunner and Seaspray last week.

The Fighter Tank isn't too bad, though it's a big shell and the underside is partly hollow. The robot mode is super boxy to the point of looking a bit silly, and the hip joints are a little frustrating because of sag. The paint in bot mode is SUPER lazy. Overall, it's not terrible, but it's got the stink of mediocrity this line so often suffers from.

Seaspray is a bit too small, that bothers me right out of the gate. The detailing on him reeks of Classics, not the movie line he's in, except for his digitigrade chicken legs below the knee. The vehicle mode is pretty tepid, simplistic and a bit disappointing, and again, too small. Bot mode is better, a lot of aquatic themes, decent articulation, and enough articulation that it can do swimming poses. The bot head has no eyes, it's a clear light-piped scuba mask that has no detail inside, that's disappointing. This doesn't feel like a mainline figure for the movie line, but as an addition to Classics it's not terrible, just not great.
08-18-2010
El Chuxter

As (apparently) the only person on Earth who saw more than one Arcee on more than one occasion, y'all want me to watch for Animated Ironhide and Hot Rodimus?
08-18-2010
JediTricks

Quote:

Originally Posted by El Chuxter

As (apparently) the only person on Earth who saw more than one Arcee on more than one occasion, y'all want me to watch for Animated Ironhide and Hot Rodimus?

Sure, that'd be awesome, thanks! The funny thing is, once Arcee was stashed for me, I saw her in the wild twice more (lucky since the first time after I had to buy so I could confidently return the original one that had a defect).
08-18-2010
El Chuxter

Oh, and since you reminded me of Seaspray....

I kind of like him. He's not my favorite, and I totally agree he seems more Classics than Movie. I transformed him once, then put him back into robot mode; I wasn't particularly impressed with hovercraft mode, either. I noticed there were a few mistransformations on him in the package; I prefer the legs mistransformed the way he was packaged, but he doesn't stand up well. Pretty good--sort of like Powerglide, a decent, oversized update to a classic figure.