Don't forget we recently had a BW Terrorsaur repaint in the AOE line, though that mold was used in the WalMart Dinobots line (that was in Armada-esque packaging).
I almost mentioned that one, myself, but decided I could get into a long list if I started, and would still probably leave something out.
Not to pick too many nits (since I agree with your intent), but I'm not sure essential is correct at the moment. I think the Prime Wars trilogy is keeping people attentive and interested (which is not to say the Club wouldn't be providing plenty of added value). But if a post PotP subline is shockingly mediocre, that's when the utility of the Club would really sky rocket as a means of keeping people engaged and/or keeping collectors spending their money. I mean, that would be reason enough for me to keep the Club around, but whatever. I find this baffling.
Kinda like G.I. Joe? I'm surprised they wouldn't let Brian hold onto that license through the next movie year since that'll be the next time that franchise sees a retail presence. It's sad seeing that franchise die. But while I have my problems with Titans Return, it seems most folks have enjoyed it, and if those leaks for POTP are true, then yeah I'd say there would still be collector interest in mainline retail. But it's ridiculous to get rid of a club/convention that still saw solid numbers and was a great outlet for brand awareness. Like the club & Botcon was the only reason I stuck to official stuff, and now that they're gone I get to catch up on 3rd party offerings I missed or was really looking forward to, that initially I thought I wasn't going to be able to add to my diet lol Haven't bought very many mainline toys at all this year. And the next TR figure I'm getting is from Takara. Probably won't buy anymore until POTP Dinobots and Rodders come out in wave one lol
In regards to the club, honestly I don't think it really contributed to brand awareness, hasbro didn't really promote it, I wouldn't even really say fun pub promoted it very well. If it was meant to promote brand awareness hasbro would need to do more than put a URL on the back of the boxes, idk put an insert in the packageing, something on the instructions, something more idk promotional
Not meaning any offense to botcon or funpub or anything, it's just that as someone who only joined the club for a year (and only to get the finale to the wreckers storyline) I never really felt like I was missing much and if it weren't for this site I would have been entirely unaware of the club
Every time the Hall of Fame came around, there was always that big social media blast from Hasbro. And honestly FunPub did a pretty good job at promoting in the areas they were holding their conventions. I mean I've always thought their online marketing was done very well. They stayed relevant like all year long, as soon as the boil dropped to a simmer, boom they'd release another little nugget. But the local promoting was good too. Hasbro could have promoted the club more, no doubt. But the club still kept people engaged when mainline retail didn't.
Fair enough, like I said I didn't really pay much attention to it except the years where they finished off the 3h wreckers storyline and when they did the allspark addendum. The only other club I was ever a part of was the Lego club back in the 90s and I feel like that club had much more brand support since every lego set came with redeemable points, an ad for the club and club membership got you a monthly magazine that also showed off many new upcoming sets on a consistent basis. I don't feel like hasbro really supported the transformers club in a comparable capacity
Molds do get lost, or destroyed, or they degrade... but that doesn't mean they're lost forever. I used to collect Zoids and I know Tomy recreated molds of some of their older Zoids that they wanted to rerelease. I'm assuming the process involves molding a production copy, but it can be done.
The only reason they got an extension for the Joe license was that the Joe brand manager and his boss went to bat for the Club with Hasbro, and plead their case to keep it. But honestly, and this is only my opinion, this smacks of some Hasbro marketing guy looking to expand his own little fiefdom, by pulling in full control of the brand(s) and their exclusives in-house. It just smells like corporate chicanery to me, and there's never been a straightforward answer on why the Club/Con needed to end. They've just admitted that there are (still) no plans yet for the Fan Club (although the recent Arcee image names give some hope.) The Joe managers plead the case for the extension for the Joe Club on the argument that Hasbro had zero plans in place for GI Joe for the next several years.
I was just thinking... You know what a big missed opportunity is for the exclusives? Anyone remember the sub cover variants for the Revolution books? They were all the D covers. Had the action figures inside little Revolution packages as the covers. Would have been perfect. Already getting Arcee, so toss in the modern Snake Eyes v2 and drop the Magnus TM, reuse Rom from the SDCC Box set with General Colton and an extra Dire Wraith head, Matt Trakker from the box set and 2 of the Micronauts from the box set, I'm sure they have enough Joe parts to make a decent Miles Mayhem, and Karza (I think he's in the box set?), And reuse their favorite Classics voyager Prime (let's be honest MP-10 would be too much) with a modern Scarlett. Five separate exclusives all tying together what Hascon is supposed to be about. Hell each package could include Revolution 1-5 respectively. And they'd get some reuse out of those new molds from the box set.
this is a great idea. as for Prime, they could always use the classics deluxe, Robot Masters mold, or the Hybrid style Convoy.
For sure! I was just thinking as a pricing guide you'd pay $125 for a set of 5, pack in each respective issue of Revolution to go with the corresponding package and you'd have a sweet novelty convention piece. Bonus points if the boxes are resealable. Extra credit if they all come within a bigger box with that really nice spread of everyone fighting from issue 4 or 5 (can't remember which, I just remember staring at that image forever when I saw it).
Not sure if I'm digging that Arcee or not. I think the body is too masculine especially for Arcee. The face sculpt isn't that great either. I tend to think the T30 verson is better. Who am I kidding? I'll end up getting it eventually.
Has there been any word if the Hascon early release "exclusives" will have a sticker on the packaging showing them as a Hascon early release? A friend of mine asked that if I go to pick him up a few of the SW Black Captain Rex figures and just wondering because a package variant is up his alley as a MISB collector.
I'm curious about this, too. While I wouldn't do it for just a sticker, a packaging variant could force me to reconsider my reasons for not including Arcee as a HasCon exclusive on my data pages.
