Me too. I basically paid $25 more (than what I'd pay for US version IF released) for this version so my toy would have a moustache.
I knew this. I was just boiling it down into a simple concept. It would have looked much less interesting if I had written. "If Takara Blackout sells really well then Hasbro can use this as evidence to back up the popularity of the figure and its ability to sell to the collector's AND children's market to the US retailers which while not making as much money as the rest of the Animated line at the height of it's popularity is still sufficient to bring in the desired margin that said retailers require to make a decision to carry the exclusive or not. . ."
That's really not how these things work at all. The collector base is but a drop in the bucket for big box retailers.
I know, I know. . .sorry, but it's been a while since I wrote that comment. One more try. The comment was aimed at us collectors not Hasbro. About the decisions we have to make. Take Movie 1 Premium Prime. When he 1st came out a bunch of people were complaining that if they knew Hasbro was going to make a Premium version they would have held off on buying the 1st release version. But as we found out the only reason that Hasbro was able to make the Premium version was that the 1st version sold so well. Of course, the 1st version selling so well was mainly due to the movie and children market and had nothing to do with the small percentage that was the collectors market. Whether we bought the 1st release or not has no bearing on whether Premium would have been released. Regardless, it's still frustrating to know we spent $40 on a figure when a better $40 of the figure was coming out budget-wise you can't justify buying the new version. For Blackout we have two choices. Buy or not buy but the decisions results in four possible outcomes. Two good, two bad. 1) Don't buy Takara version for $40, feel screwed if US version never comes out. 2) Don't buy Takara version for $40, celebrate savings when US version comes out. 3) Buy Takara version for $40, feel screwed if US version comes out. 4) Buy Takara version for $40, celebrate foresight to buy figure when it was available when US version does not come out. It's a flip of the coin. Mentally, we know that the release of the US version is independent of the how well the Takara version sells but emotionally we can't help but feel getting screwed if we make the wrong choice.
With Animated no longer being a supported toy line in the US, the chances of Blackout getting a release seem slim to none. Of the two lines he could be in; Generations and Hunt for the Decepticons, Generations does not do Voyagers and HftD clearly is still movie based (even with marvels such as Seaspray), so no Animated there. Although with the release of the Henkei Thrust toolings* (previously Japan-only) under the Generations line, who knows what will happen with Blackout. (*I'm not counting Generations Red Alert because while it's the same character, the lightbar and color layout are significantly different from the Henkei)
I have the Takara version. I love it. I think they should produce some and sell it through the Transformers Collectors Club. The main people wanting it are the collectors and hardcore Transformer lovers. This way they wouldn't need to find a retailer to carry it and the fans would be able to get it. Problem solved.
I got mine last week in Singapore and I love it. It's defo a buy on sight! Couldn't find an Arcee though.
Boy's my friend in Japan just hooked me up with a case 6. I got them in my hand! If interested I am selling em for just $45 + shipping. http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/items-sale-trade/307323-hand-misb-animated-blackout-50-shipping.html Ignore the title, its $45 not $50
TFsource just got their new shipment of blackouts in today. pre-orders start going out tomorrow. They still have some stock left. Japanese Transformers Animated - TA20 Blackout
I like BBTS and TFSource, but they're always days behind some of the other online stores--and their prices are higher. Mine shipped last Friday from Toy Arena; and I paid less than you BBTS/TFSource loving suckers.
I wish I knew that a week ago. If you would've had one shipped to me in PA for less than $50--damnit. Edit: I just looked at your sales thread. I wish I checked it sooner. I would've taken Blackout, Ravage, and Infiltration Soundwave off of your hands. And it probably would've costed me almost the same as what I'm getting just Blackout for. Damnit.
amen, brudda. i paid upfront and hope they didn't oversell or something. it is starting to look like i won't see BO* till July. *well, in the South B.O. comes around late April....P.U., lol*
Are you being facetious? It's $45 at Toy Arena, the same as TFSource. BBTS is $50 but with POL shipping is only $2.
Toy Arena = $44.99 TFSource = $44.95 I don't know what kinda math you're using but it sure looks like I just saved four cents
