Transformers: Energon & Beyond

[El Chuxter]

I'm just worried that parents will be looking for the movie trash and the only two characters will be the $80 Bumblebee and the $50 Masterpiece Starscream, and they'll pick the cheaper one.

I hope and pray that isn't the case. I want that Starscream. That is the only toy I would not give up to a kid if there were only one left on the peg and he wanted it. I'd just laugh at him and call him a puny fleshling. I mean, I like kids, but this is Starscream we're talking about. He's just slightly less cool than Grimlock or Bludgeon (which puts him on par with, say, Flint or Zartan). And we know what the chances of seeing a Masterpiece Bludgeon would be.

[Tycho]

I'll also try and find Starscream for you Chuxter. You found my Optimus Prime MP so long ago now, and it's still likely my favorite toy (I'm saying that with my SSC Jabba the Hutt 12" diorama next to me, knowing Prime is cooler and "does more.")

My stores have not received ANY as of yet. But right now, while I'm not planning on even getting one for myself (my Takara import is just fine), I might be responsible for buying 4 on sight to go to

Chux
Navtek
JediTricks
one other friend who doesn't post here - he's all into high-end, not Hasbro's reg stuff

2 of the above are in-town San Diegans who'll have to get first picks because they can pay me back and pick 'em up right away. Hometown loyalty thing. But I don't regularly count on the LA group to get me anything or I'd ask for 5 Starkillers - though I might be able to pick those up myself. Chux deserves my long-term delivery payback for Optimus though, so I might be able to coordinate bringing Starscream up to Temecula area for him.

If these turn out to be rare enough, then it's worthwhile.

[Adam]

Jeez, I sure hope he isn't hard to find.. I just hope I can afford him if I ever see him.

[JediTricks]

Call your local WM's and ask to check on an item by UPC: 065 356 927 551. They'll put you on hold for a few minutes (the computer that checks their "Perpetual Inventory" is not their normal one, it's in customer service and it requires a bunch of typing, but it works extremely well) then ask you for the number, they'll be able to tell how many they have in stock and how many are in stock in nearby area stores (if they don't offer that option, ask for it, it's a simple keystroke from the screen they were just on). I found out just now that Screamer in my area is only in Chino and Upland stores right now, which are too far for me.


As for Ultimate BB, I've seen the same thing more than once, parents grumbling about how pricey it is and that it's the thing their kid wants. To be honest, if this thing were $50, I suspect most kids WOULD want it since it moves and interacts and transforms.

[Tycho]

I read on TFW that Takara-Tomy is moving their production out of China and over to Vietnam amongst other countries. Their concerns include product safety and labor costs.

"Made in Vietnam" may start to become our toy lable.

This will also free China from more obligations so that it may be "the bad guy" in WWIII if necessary.

[JediTricks]

I suspect they're going to be disappointed, Vietnamese manufacturing isn't generally to the quality of Chinese or Korean manufacturing for technology. I find it odd that the cheaper labor somehow is the safer labor - I bet that's going to bite them down the road when they find out other corners are cut to get there.

[El Chuxter]

That is a racist remark, JT, and I am offended. I can't believe you said that! Today it's insulting the Vietnamese, what, tomorrow, burning crosses in yards and attending Klan rallies?

I'm ashamed of you and expect an apology to be sent to each and every inhabitant of the fine country of Vietnam.



(Just kidding. My wife is Vietnamese, and I've seen enough Vietnamese-made products to know your assessment is pretty spot-on. Great food, lousy consumer goods.)

[JediTricks]

Man, for a second I thought we were gonna be having a prob, you took that all the way.

Nike seems to be pretty attached to Vietnam and I haven't seen their quality diminish, but they may be paying enough to make it all work. That's the key anywhere though - China, Mexico, wherever - if you pay a reasonable amount for management, labor, and oversight, you're not going to have bad products. But "reasonable amount" means nearly what you'd pay in the US which isn't generally cost-effective for these companies, they go to these countries for labor at 3rd-world prices.

[plasticfetish]

The article said "Thailand and Vietnam."

For years Takara shifted production between Japan and Malaysia, so it's not such a weird thing to see them looking elsewhere yet again. Though... their best toys were always made in Japan, and I wish they'd shift back that way a lot more now.

[gambitguru]

so mp ss is hitting california. seen on ebay one from chino hills and alta loma. there is a bunch from texas and mid west. also saw on amazon couple sellers from cali.