Would they be cheaper though? Sure there's no painting and a lot less assembly (and thus less assembling staff required) during production, but these kits will feature sprues to hold the parts which will have to be factored into the cost of the figure even though they're not part of the final figure. How would that balance out in terms of cost?
It's also going to need not only transformation instructions designed but also assembly instructions, which would be an extra initial cost. And could also require a separate sheet of printed paper if those instructions are too big to be printed on the back of the transfomation sheet or printed inside the box like with the Kabaya kits. Depends how complicated we're talking for these model kit figures.
I'm assuming the actual boxes will just be -well - actual boxes though, so that might work out cheaper because of being simpler. Unless they went flashy with a window to show the parts inside.

I dunno... I just doubt being model kits would translate to being cheaper than a normal TF figure of a similar size. I look at Kre-O and some of it is pretty costly compared to a regular TF figure, especially when there are quite a few standard parts in them.

Plus this is Hasbro we're talking about here. I'm sure they'd set it at a price point that nets them a nice chunk of profit on each one rather than at a lower price even if it should be cheaper once it's all calculated. And probably model kits would be a good excuse for them to use even cheaper plastics than they already are. And if something warps or breaks then that's just the fault of the customer that put the figure together wrong after buying it.

 

The Munnies were nice because the vinyl, while very durable, could be easily drilled, sawed, and cut. There's an entire community dedicated to Munny customs.

 

I am aware. I was a little surprised that the muggs didn't do better as a result, but I guess they were marketed in a completely different way, and their materials weren't as... versatile, I guess?

 

Probably. I never saw blank Muggs at retail, plus the material probably isn't as malleable.

 

sprues are a side effect of being injection moulded plastic even your run of the mill toy would have been cast from a sprue so really the only issue with the sprue would be making it fit into a box so some uniformity would be needed.

As for costs I agree the instructions would be bigger but right now they are printed on huge glossy paper and folded for a model cheap black and white paper and no folding would be needed.

When it comes to Kreo they still need to be removed from a sprue and bagged so their is still a production cost to it. I'd actually like to know what the profit margin is on Kreo I'm guessing its just priced to match lego but it could very well be higher.

I think the biggest saving will be labour China's labour cost is rising so by cutting out assembly it just leaves packaging and QC (QC being just a visual inspection)

As for demand from the 99% of buyers I agree it will be low but in Asia it might work.

 

Well, if for no other reason than that's ALWAYS been the logic with Toylines that have a supplimental kit options. Diaclone/Microman/Transformers in japan worked that way. The Gobots worked that way. Medabots worked that way. DBZ worked that way. Hell, even Zoids, which more had a toy-line-that-supplimented-the-Model-line you got a lot more for your money in their model kits than you did in the toy-versions.

But also for the very reason you mentioned:

No labor cost for finishing.
Simple packaging (We've heard at times that those fancy bubbles that the toys are sold in cost nearly as much as the toy themselves!)

Your concerns about the plastic sprues and additional instructions aren't valid, they're already tossing those sprues in the garbage along the assembly line anyway (they MIGHT be getting a little back by selling them as recycleable material, but I'm sure it's still a loss), and undoubtedly they are already drawing up an assembly plan for each toy already, so formatting it differently and including it among the other paperwork is a trivial cost.

Kreo is a different animal. Lego-style toys are ALWAYS expensive, all those little pieces actually take up lot more mass than an hollow injection molded part in a similar shape. Plus the marketing/pricing model for building-toys is just different than toy-toys or models.

Yes, Hasbro will try to make a profit, but that's true on all their products, the margins on these would be better for them, allowing them to offer them more cheaply as the perceived "extra value" of a less-expensive spend and all the fun of DIY is the value proposition they'd have here.

But..sadly, it ain't going to happen, so it's a moot point.

 

I'd be into a "gundam" kit quality Transformers toy line. It would make customization a dream. Im really big into the Danball Senki (Little Battlers) model kits right now, and would love some similar quality/style transformers kits. Dare I say, you could also make them into a proper scale with each other in kit form.

 

Yep. Im sitting on a MG MSA 0011 S-Gundam kit I bought off ebay for $40 and I have not built it yet just because im waiting for myself to to something worth that reward. That big S-Gundam kit is phenominal...and it was cheap. They go for alot now, because they are out of production but back then, you got the finest kit made for a really good price.

 

I think something like the Arms Micron kits might be a good experimental testbed for seeing if DIY TF toys could fly in the US. Unfortunately model-building is mostly the domain of older people who built kits as a kid in this country nowadays. I loved to build 1/72 scale aircraft models way back (won a prize when I was 12), and would like to get back into it, if only to recreate completed models lost to time or accidents, but can't find the time and motivation together at the same time. On the upside, the experience of my youth has given me the skills to modify or fix toys when I need to.

 

Put the screws and pins in a baggie, put the plastic parts still on the sprues in another baggie, toss in a few plain black and white paper instructions for transformation/assembly, a sticker sheet and throw it all in a box. Done.

Cuts out part removal, painting and production times completely

I would like to see them do this with some Cyberverse and Deluxe figures and see how it goes

 

Their is no market for model kits at American retail stores. this was tried a long time ago and it failed.

Lego type kits are the new fad these days.

 

You are mistaken. Gundam kits are never really discontinued. Only the LM line and exclusives will not be available at Japanese retail. Bandai even still produce most of their 1979 kits. There is no such thing as a 'rare' production kit. It's just that it might be harder to get in the western world.

iDD