If there's a market, you can be sure someone will take notice. If TT doesn't keep moving on with the series, someone else will do it. The 3P and KO market is proof that there is a demand.

 

I'd replace each seeker as each is announced. I know I stand to lose a little money, but I have money to lose, and a shelf to adore.

 

I agree and yet disagree. You make some good observations.

As far as Gundam, I don’t know what it sells for and it sounds like you aren’t sure either. That’s not a diss, by the way. Maybe it’s also over priced? Also, it’s not Transformers or a subline. It’s a cousin, of sorts, but I think it’s risky to compare two products and companies. It’s not quite Xbox vs ps4, I mean.

I totally agree on the notion of it being cheaper at the source. But again, I usually order from AE or NY, and the prices suddenly jumped. Takara also started throwing bigger guys out there left and right with ironhide, ratchet, inferno, grapple, Megatron. Yet ironhide and ratchet were reasonably priced. I cringed at inferno, but justified it. He’s bigger, okay. Optimus Primal was way too much, but okay... then megatron, and how can you say no?

But then Sunstreaker. Higher cost than the vans. Close to a Shockwave who had electronics and die cast. He was 104 us for me. Why would primal be so much more? Now Dinobot. My cost was 189. The price increase (at a Japan retailer and Amazon Japan) is alarming. People were appalled at SS and more were upset at Dinobot. This is an ongoing trend.

I have no idea what the reason is for the slow down. If I had to guess, I’d say the MPM line is standing in for many releases. Filling the coffers to fund less popular releases. Movie studios similarly bank indie films from blockbusters this way. Could be no reason at all. All the rumours could be wrong. I REALLY want Hound. I really want all the S1 characters! But I also want to afford my mortgage. My suggestion, if Takara is losing money/sales, would be to look at pricing and pace. I love the MP line and I’m really eager to see what’s next!

Granted, Hasbro is 50/50 with them on MPM, but those toys are better priced (for now) with barricade preordered for $67. I just want the prices to drop back to ‘sane’ so I can enjoy my hobby without feeling bad about the cost.

 

If Takara decided to go all-in on the MP11 mold, I highly doubt they plan on a new seeker mold within the next decade.

 

I honestly wouldn't consider what they did with MP 11 as all in. That was more of "ok, well.. here's what we should've don'to start with" considering the original idea for MP 03 was basically what 11 was, with minor surface details being different.

 

^Chiming in on Gundam: it depends, it has a large share of the market but it also operates very differently. The majority of Gundam product is gunpla, or Gundam plastic model kits, which range in price from super cheap (sub $10) items, all the way up to stuff like Perfect Grade and Metal Build which easily break $100-150 on average and in some cases more, depending on the unit in question. There's SIGNIFICANTLY more history there than Transformers, given the sheer volume of designs available and Gundam's overall influence on the culture, but Bandai doesn't shy away from throwing the random and weird units in. For stuff closer to Transformers, they have things like the Robot Damashii line, which is prepainted articulated figures as opposed to kits, which are typically ~6" figure style, nonscale (some try for relative scale) and have a ton of accessories. These usually run approximately $35-60, depending on complexity and size, and also have Metal Build variants. This is fairly on par with similar sized figure lines, such as figma.

With regard to price jumping and increases for the Masterpiece line, I sometimes am unsure what to think. Megatron, Dinobot, and Sunstreaker have a ludicrously high parts count for all of them relative to their older and less advanced brethren. Then you have things like electronics for some of our more recent ones (which I could do without - these are more collector pieces than they are toys, after all, as the price tag would indicate). I can't imagine the cost for the actual product is the bulk of the price tag, but in fact the R&D and mold development costs, especially given how molds themselves have always been said to be difficult to produce on short notice and ideally reused as much as possible to lower the total overhead on it. But then again, you look at the fact that Megatron was more or less guaranteed to sell, so it's possible they didn't fuss at all with cost. Dinobot and Sunstreaker are the odd ones, as far as being less popular than someone like a main G1 character in terms of prominence, and their cost still being pretty high.

I think the next major release will be telling. Considering the + and MPM releases are not massively increased with a few exceptions over their similarly sized brethren, I think we can call "omg price increase" if the next G1 figure is pricier than the predecessors by a significant margin.

 

Thanks for that!

I’m with you.

 

Slow down is likely due to attempting to secure licensing of remaining diaclone based car bots......Jazz is actually more likely to happen than Mirage since VW is already on team Transformers so not a big leap to think it will happen since Porsche is part of the VW family......Mirage is a different story. Mirage's alt mode caused a legal battle over the use of the design all the way back to the 1980's with the original designer of the formula one racer.....he may be off limits as a result. Also, they are trying to get Sunstreaker level articulation into all the MP's going forward, and that takes time and cost to engineer. Also, costs are going up for factory production as cost of materials and quality/cost of living improves/goes up in countries where the factories that make the actual toy exist....that is why they keep moving production. Really would not worry to much, the missing bots and cons are coming, MP line is not leaving. We will probably see Blaster + cassette late this year, and either Trailbreaker or Hoist....and possibly a Grimlock repaint of BW Dinobot at end of year/early next year. NEXT YEAR is the big one for G1 MP's most likely, since it will be 35th anniversary of the G1. Would not be surprised to see six new molds next year for G1 NOT INCLUDING the new Optimus that has been "leaked" to be in the works. Seekers are done and do not expect any more any time soon. Hound, Skids, Jazz, Hoist (assuming Trailbreaker is released first and this year) are all likely. We are also due to see some more Decepticons so maybe an Insecticon or the set of three next year. Galvatron and Rodimus Prime 2.0 are not likely till 2020 at earliest in my opinion as TakaraTomy has not shown any recent interest in going beyond Season 1/2 characters since Ultra Magnus and Hot Rod....we got a "eh" repaint of MP28 for MP40....not promising for Season 3 characters. This line sells well and many of the characters have sold out, even second runs being done. I have faith it will still be going strong through 2020.

 

I meant them doing all the seekers and coneheads. If they were planning on making a new seeker mold, I doubt they would have poured so much resources into making all the coneheads to finish the set.

 

Srry if I came off as animal-unfriendly, I’ve just had a lot of dogs in my lifetime (English Mastiffs, my breed of choice, are very lucky to make it to double digits)

 

If Hound and a Trailbreaker are easy licenses to obtain I'd prefer they are moved up the production schedule, rather than a slow down.

 

Have you factored in the exchange rate for the increase in price?

 

If they're as easy to make as we all assume, I'm puzzled as to what the hold up is. Maybe the drought is to give everyone a chance to save up before they hit us with several new molds in 2019?

 

Plus, if you have a drought Takara can release a less popular character and have people go nuts over it- like Trailbreaker.

 

Gundam has a recognition in Japan that Transformers just doesnt have. I met a woman and when I mentioned I collected Transforners she had no idea what I was talking about. I mention Gundams and its "Oh, even I know gundam". Gundam is literally the top of the pecking order in Japan. The MP lines has to contends with that and the SOC, Figuarts, whatever other adult collectible lines.
All the changes weve seen accuracy, extra accessories, full paint jobs, action figure articulation are to make the line competitive, which eventually leads to an increase in price.

Whatever price they set still has to be competitive enough to allow it to compete with other lines, a problem Transformers really doesnt have here. Could they continue to make $50-60 carbots with limited articulation, lack of accessories, or little to no paint,they sure could. Would it translate to more sells in Japan, most likely not, if your competitors are doing extra , it gives them an edge in a crowded market. The point I was trying to make about pricing, at where they rank in the market, theres a limit to how much they can charge with so many other options available.Nobody likes the price increases, but I understand why. The line has been constantly evolving as the need to do more becomes apparent with each new release. Its simply the nature of the Japanese market.
I complain about the pace as much as anybody, but once you start going over there enough you kind of appreciate the uphill battle they have. The best transformers section was at a TRU and it was tiny compared to the worst gundam section Ive ever seen in Japan right next to it, which was still better than any transformers section here.


But on to more fun stuff, Would it be safe to say we could see Optimus at Wonderfest. I planned on being on the other side of Japan this time, but actually being at a show where there might be a presentation for the new Prime, I don't think I want to miss that.

 

No, I didn't take it that way at all. I think in life we experience things differently and to a different degree. Who am I to say or anyone else what holds more value to you.

Hope I didn't offend you either or come off sounding insensitive towards you. If I did I apologize.

 

Because I'm basically buying season one characters only, my purchases have slowed to about one a year. So if the line DID just stop, I'd pretty much be OK with it. I'd say "Oh man. I really wanted to finish the Ark crew. Oh well."

I look at my shelf with Megatron, Soundwave, Stascream, UW Devastator looming behind them, Optimus, Bumblebee, Prowl, Ironhide, Wheeljack, Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, and even Hot Rod and Rodimus Prime and a few Diaclones thrown in, and I'm pretty damn satisfied, to be honest. Of course I want more, but if this is all we get, I'm OK with that too. Even if the line were to continue for another 15 years, there's really only a handful left on my want list anyway. I was never a completist.

I won't resort to buying stuff just for the sake of buying stuff. I don't do that now. With Transformers or any other toyline I collect, I only get what I really want and pass on anything that doesn't knock my socks off. I didn't buy Transformers toys from 1989 or so until about 2001, so I can easily go back to not buying them. I doubt I'd ever be compelled to buy a 3P either. Certainly will never buy a KO.

 

Just sat here waiting for a new G1 MP figure.

Anytime now...

Soon...

 

So I'm thinking maybe we'll see police Sunstreaker as a TTMall exclusive Decepticon in November, with Hound in December. If we're lucky we'll even get Blaster in October. Around Dinobot's release we might get a tease for Rattrap, with a February 2019 release, before the big V3P in April or May.

 

I would guess Hound and Blaster would be reversed. Blaster gives them a character repaint they could put out with ease in the beginning of 2019