If Entertainment Earth wanted it, they'd have it. Remember, it's not that Hasbro doesn't want to sell them, it's that they can't find a willing vendor who's willing and able to buy the entire production run and sell them at a price that everyone would make a profit on. For whatever reason, the logistics aren't there. Back to the topic, Takara's Animated Blackout is amazing. I sprang for it for a few reasons including that it has the more accurate paint deco (that yellow Decepticon Heavy Brigade emblem really bugged me on the Hasbro version while I couldn't care less about the eyes) and that it was actually released.
He looks great, but with all the other stuff i'll be snagging this christmas, I doubt i could justify $50+ for one voyager... I think i'll get a reissue seacon set instead. He'd be a must-have at the $20 hasbro retail price but that will most likely never happen.
I picked him up for standard voyager price the other day. I was underwhelmed to say the least. Not a figure that's worth trying really hard to get, you can tell from the lazy engineering that it was one of the last ones they designed and were running out of steam by that time.
Oh yeah! I love collecting this series. Only series I almost have every figure for. Just need a hand full more of them. I might still pick him up, just gotta find the best price. My fiance loves getting me the hard to find ones. So I told her about Blackout. I hoped they would of kept up with some more TRU exclusive, considering all the other animated figures they showed on the bottom of the packaging from the other exclusives. Like fugitive wasp, and the redeco's of swindle, blurr and so on! It seem to me twords the end of animated they found out about 4 or 5 episodes before the series ended that it was infact cancelled. Seemed very rushed and left me hanging thats for damn sure!! I miss that series, both for the story line and toy line. Kind of like BW ended leaving you like "damn it!" Then they brought out BM which, for me I did not really care to much for that series. kind of getting the same feeling about this Transformers: Prime, but just like Animated, i'll try it before I start hating on it. Where? and How? lol!
He does have a simple transformation, but really what you're paying for is the exquisite amount of character in the mold. He looks so grumpy about diabeetus and facial hair.
There's a collectors fair here every few months mainly attended by people trying to flog their old toys, but there's always a table for a guy that runs an online toy store (figuresdirect). He had it MISB on his table for $50AUD (standard voyager pricing here).
Threads like these will be the death of me... now I've gone & ordered Blackout off BBTS. My wallet curses your very enticing opinions & recommendations.
Thats why you need to get a badass fiance like I do who loves to buy me super cool hard to find ones!!! This is us at our favorite brewery!! God I love this girl!!
Hah, congrats man! My wife tolerates my hobby... glazes over if I talk TFs or sports too much, but she did pick up the Shout Factory G1 DVD boxed set for me last Christmas. Back on topic: Yep, I ordered Blackout... should be coming next week from BBTS.