[citation needed]

Just because you type up something doesn't make it absolute fact. If that were the case, the PS3 would have no gaems, Chuck Norris would be going around do flying roundhouse kicks to open beer bottles, and Arcee and Jack would be a legitimate romantic relationship. (Sorry Aaron and Lumpy.   )

 

^This.  

Besides as a Canadian I've paid 15 bucks for Deluxes and never once feel ripped off.

 

man, i don't know why.. but i get this weird feeling about transformers collecting.

i'm still going to collect mostly all of the characters that are in each show/movie, and the main video game characters. but there's not as much excitement for doing so as there was in the more recent past (recent as in, when the prime figures were first coming out). pointless repaints, made up characters, and characters that aren't in the show are pretty much out of the question for my collection at this point (with one or two exceptions)

.. my sensibilities are starting to turn towards higher quality toys. toys that are expensive, but can be easily justified in my mind for getting them... like Hot Toys Loki, Hot Toys Iron Man Mark VII, the new DX02 Joker, and the upcoming masterpiece releases.

i'm afraid that in a few years, i'll just be completely done searching retail for new toys and just going for masterpiece transformers and select hot toys items.

i'm just sick of all of the mistakes, missteps, and bad decision making on hasbro's part. .. there's no accountability (other than one apology).. there's never a solution, and they continually make the same type of mistakes, there's no growth.

the RTS non release happened, which left us scouring discount stores.

we have the whole first edition fiasco.. there was an apology.. just no solution.

there's the fact that we haven't heard a single thing about a voyager breakdown, a main character that had it's own storyline in the show.

besides MP10, we haven't heard a single thing about future masterpiece releases.. if they told us that we were getting soundwave, red alert, and sideswipe.. i bet hasbro would sell much more of them to us rather than waiting 'til after the takara release when we (those of us who don't want to wait blindly) buy them.

the vehicon debacle.. there are hundreds of deluxe bumblebees warming the pegs all across the United States. .. yet they only give us 1 vehicon per case in wave 3. some people can't seem to find it, others have bought a bunch of them and enjoy flaunting them, which then turns the fandom in on itself. sure in the revision wave 4 they'll have two per case, but with the amount of shelfwarming bumblebees and cliffjumpers, how long will it take to get there, and how long will it take to actually put enough of them out for everyone to get what they want.

and now we have bruticus.. what a true pole in the ass. we HAVE to buy the EXCLUSIVE version in order to get a bruticus that looks the way it's SUPPOSED to. it's insane. G2 colored bruticus should be the exclusive, not the actual game version. i just don't get it man. cant we catch a break at some point?

and lastly, the fact that they have to put so much emphasis on gimmicks and ridiculous looking weaponry. i'm certain that there is enough gimmickry throughout the brand that deluxe and voyager class figures don't need it. it's annoying. and hey.. now they really want to screw the collectors with the FoC figures. these things don't have ridiculous gimmicky weapons, but alas.. they're still sized even smaller. that coupled with the price hike is just too much. it'd be nice if hasbros CEO could cancel his five star vacation and give us reasonably prices collectors toys for a month or two.

sorry for the rambling. but i had a lot to get off my chest.

 

This, so totally fucking this.

Again, this thread proves how spoiled and self entitled US fans are.

 

*AHEM*

 

Missed that one.

 

100% of that is opinion and not based on factual numbers.

Math done.

It's possible that the collector market accounts for more than what Hasbro officially states, but unlikely that it's 50%. I should note the second part of my statement that you quoted was meant as sarcasm.  

Approximately about 3000 Collectors attend Botcon every year and I'd estimate another 3000 don't. You could even speculate the casual collectors that may buy one or two figures a year bump the total up to about 10,000.

There are still several MILLION children in the US.

Point I was trying to make is that for somebody to tell me to, "Not whine when a toyline get's discontinued" for waiting on clearance pricing is ludicrous.

I was a completionist and bought EVERYTHING at retail from 2003 to 2007. Even me, the all important collector, buying every Alternator at Retail Price was not enough to save that line. Titanium Series, bought every figure at retail. Same fate.

Meanwhile, I waited for clearance sales on ROTF, DOTM and Kreo. Especially Kreo, I did the math of what I paid on clearance compared to what each figure originally retailed for. I spent only about 1/3 of what it would have cost to buy at retail. Helps when you get $40 Sentinel Prime for only $10 off Walmart.com. Guess what? We're getting more Kreo's.

Guess what else? I'll be waiting for the next wave of Kreo's, especially Devastator, to go on clearance too.

 

Euro G1/G2 was a full TWENTY years ago. Things change obviously. Europe doesn't get hardly the product that the US and Japan does, and certainly nothing exclusive. You'll also find that I said, that Asia was also important. And let me direct you to...

So, in other words pal, chill.

 

I know its been said before but I can't justify spending $105 on the shitastic version when the AWESOME version will be cheaper then that. I'll just take my chances on getting SDCC version on HTS and if it sells out then maybe I'll try to pick this up at Target or Wal-Mart. In NO way I'm I going to spend $105 on the retail version.

 

Toy Wiz has the set of 5 for $95 but the 8 figure case for $150. Doesn't make much sense to me, but Bruticus is cheaper there. They are $20 individually.

 

and - Wiktionary

 

I'm sorta glad I just have to hunt down Shocky this summer, and can wait till October (or whenever it hits the east coast) for the G2 color scheme Bruticus. I feel like the downgrade in complexity and quality for deluxes is just a symptom of the economy. When (if) it turns around in 3-4 years, we may be able to get the old deluxe size/complexity as sales increase. Hasbro was coming off of the ridiculous profits from the first two live action movies when they were able to do Universe/Generations; we can just hope that TF4's toyline (even if it sucks) sells well enough.

On the happier side, it looks like Powerizers are gonna suck less in the future. Yay.

 

Assuming you have a job better than a fishwife, do yourself a favor and start with a currency convertor.

http://www.xe.com/ucc/

Then compare whatever salary you make to the equivalent salary for the same job in say Denver, Colorado...then get to back to me with the snide ass remarks.

In fact, i will do you one better, try this out.

http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/colaCalc.cfm

Multiply this by two, so $906 USD. This is what a mid-grade military person is paid a MONTH in addition to their regular salary to not go broke living off the economy in your country. You pay more for toys, you pay more for EVERYTHING, but you also MAKE MORE. Why this fallacy is perpuated here is beyond me. I have been to london, so you are not pullling wool over my eyes.

 

If and when takara releases these bruticus molds, I can only imagine the total amount you'd be spending for a complete set. Probably twice as much as this.

 

I for one am not surprised w/ the price increases....surprised it hasn't happened sooner. I too was a completionist, but w/ the economy the way it is, I've followed Hasbro's model and adjusted. I buy what I like first, and come back to buy what I missed before when I can. Toys have become something I buy last after I buy what I need/want. It is a shame that the figs are smaller, but if you look around the retail/grocery store, things have shrunk(so to speak). Products by volume/size have shrunk, but the prices are the same they were a couple of years ago. Check out Walmart and their products. Prices for the most part are the same a couple of years ago....but check out the weight or size of the product.
As for the Bruticus figs....I'm gonna hunt around like the rest of the world....I'm just praying that they get released as the kids are getting ready to go back to school. The toy sections are usually left alone while most of their money is geared to getting school supplies/clothes.

 

I love people going at each other's throats like this. Europeans say their prices are shitty, Americans want to look cool so they defend Europe, other Americans go hog-wild defending their way of life, Japan sits back and eats popcorn.

 

50 percent of dissatisfied collectors lie through their teeth to discredit Hasbro and make themselves feel better. It's been documented.

 

With this price increase I won't be able to afford any new figures unless they start filtering down to discount stores, like Ollies, Marshall's, or TJ Maxx. That was the only way I could afford getting classics Kup, and paying $8.99 plus tax was pushing my budget.

 

this may come as a shock to those who know me but if you cant afford this hobbie then its time to work on your self and come back there will be still collectors selling stuff on ebay go study better your self then come and collect for me i am doing both collecting and bettering myself ( much needed bettering as well lol )