Didnt know they existed until I learned about them on this site... Never EVER saw one in stores...When did they 1st start coming out? They're still in production right??? Are they online only/japan only or what??? Im looking to get a WS Soundwave with that lil biddy ass Ravage in the near future... PS - Whats the average price on these??? Thanks. -n
Japan only. SW is one of the most sought after. Look at spending $20-30+ on ebay if you can find him.
All I know about them is that they aren't sold in a normal (brick & mortor) store, and that they cost a pretty penny (in my opinion anyways). I first learned about them shortley after I joined this sight over a year ago. I too would get the Soundwave one, but, knowing my luck with small collectables, it would get lost within the first week of me owning it, lol.
I think they started up 2(?) years ago. The last series that came out was 2.5 last year. I'm sure if Takara/Tomy was planning more it would have been in the news here. You can find the commons on ebay for $5-$15, depending on the seller, not included shipping. Uncommons, like soundwave for for the prices Sy-Rein mentioned, $20-$30, chases go from $30-$70. Skywarp and thundercracker are at the upper echelon of those numbers. There are also several non Takara/Tomy WSTF transformers out there. A bunch of Gestalts (think of the regular sized knock-offs, but smaller). Different colored Primes/Trailers, clear seekers and the famous Dinobots. Most of these would be at the knock-off level off quality, save for the Dinobots they are awesomeness on a stick. ~X
Man, I had these years ago when they first came out and they were much cheaper. I was able to buy cases for about 70 to 80 bucks. Had tons of soundwaves and just about everyone, but sold em two years back when I was sure they weren't doin any more. I kept magnus, silverstreak, jazz and chase guys though and when I put them all up for a BIN at 70 bucks this past spring and they went in under an hour, I realized the demand had grown. I was like, "yay?...aw, dammit!" hehe If they did a whole G1 line, they'd be great, but instead, it just became another incomplete TF thing from japan like myclone, the scf pvcs, the mega scfs the 8 SDs...
Damn, well, thanks for the news... 2 YEARs!!! Sucks that you have to constantly visits these site to know about the latest TF news... It seems like Hasbro ignores TV adverts (Dont even remember any Movie toy comms), and relies on great sites like this and the individual Transfanatic to spead the news for free... (I guess it works for them...) Until coming to these TF sites recently, Ive ALWAY been 2 years behind (Alternators - AGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!, found out bout these SOOO late) I aint tripping though, I love these sites and everyone on 'em are coo mofo's... Thanks again for the 411.
They actually started up in 2003. Yeah 'cause I got them at the first OTFCC. The latest series(with Hot Rod boxes) came out in Spring or Fall '05. YOu can still get 'em on eBay or in the Junkion exchange.
Never came out in states. Great little figures. Wish they made more of them. The next wave was going to have Tracks and skids(there were protos) but they canned the line. They would have sold better if you actually knew what you were getting. Takara sold them as mystery figures, you bought a box and you had no idea which figures you were getting. So many people bough cases so they would have a chance of getting all of them. They also made some characters like Hot Rod chases which meant buying 4 cases or spending upwards of $100 at the time just to get a Skywarp the size of a quarter.
Yeah, I hate blind box packaging. It makes sense for CCGs and the like, but for a toy line? No thanks. My wife gave me a bunch of them for Valentines one year. I got 6 Megatrons, a Prime and a Prowl. That was the end of the blind box game for me. ~X
The thing is, that type of marketing works very well in Japan. There are so many toys there that are done this way, One Coin figure, Gashapon, Crane Machines and so on. A lot of their toy buying is done this way. It is only here in the US and Canada that people can't seem to deal with the I don't know what is inside syndrome. I have always wondered why there is such a difference in ideals when it comes to candy toys. Spencer.
It still pains me that the line was cut short before Tracks and Skids were released... Transformers of unusual size are one of my things and I'm lucky enough to have a good number of chase figures from the line. Last time I saw a Skywarp on eBay he came with a custom box and went for $142... I don't even want to imagine what I'll be paying to get a Thundercracker for my set.
They call it 'pot luck' lines. And it peeves off the customer alot there too. They're not all "yay, I have that one!". But it doesn't stop them from buying another cause its made clear that its either the toys this way or not at all, and I'd take the pot luck waves over nothing. I do it when I have no choice, but we Americans wanna know what were buyin'. U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! Edit: yeah, I didn't know they had a Tracks coming. I was a little disappointed. Now I'm real disappointed.
They did the micromasters combiner reissues this way too didnt they? Except these ones had holes in the box... Not quite as lucky dip.
yeah, I had gotten every piece of sixwing as decepticons, then bam, stupid white autobot chase for the chest. If I had the whole white guy, that'd be great, but... I never bothered to get more packs. I figured I was fortunate enough to have him complete.
I got a complete wave 1 and 2 (minus chase figures) set from jetBrawn here for 60 bucks back when they were new. damn good thing I did, too!
I was lucky to order a box of Wave 2.5 figures, $57 and I got the whole normal wave plus Hot Rod. Sold off the extras just a few months back but probably for way less than I should have looking at the prices they're at now... You can still get some pretty cheap, Smallest Thrust is a great one but he's still at a few online shops dirt cheap
The line died before it needed to. This line and Ths' are ones I wish would make a comeback.Mini formers rule.
They came out in 2004, not 05. About 3 years ago. I was still in Japan and would buy one on my lunch break every few days.