Hello everyone,
I recently bought a Encore Takara G1 re issue from a well known TF collector in the Netherlands.

It's MIB, sticker unapplied, it has the Autobot logo's printed on the cab as befits a Encore version, grey roller, etc.

BUT Prime has a non painted faceplate. It's blue instead of silver. The emblem on his forehead IS grey.
I can't find similar ones on Google, so I think its time to ask the experts...

I checked box markings with pictures online, it all adds up, it's just the damn faceplate that's missing paint.

 

Well, you could start by showing pics to see your figure  

 

So I just recently bought this MP-26 road rage used from my local resale toy shop for 35$, and I am unsure of its legit or not...

It seems to have all the safety stamps on it, and everything seems to be spelled fine, however I just have that feeling that it was too cheap to be true...

 

Not sure, but I don't think the prices of Road Rage are doing so great. I've seen several official for around that price. Actually, with Tracks the KO is more in demand and more expensive because of better tolerances and the rubber tires, but not sure if the same goes for Road Rage.


Youtube reviewer Bots and Bits has done several comparison videos between KO's and officials and how to tell them apart. Sadly not for Road Rage, but perhaps any of the others can be informative.

 

Its said on YouTube that the stickers on chinese KO Dinobots are bad quality but good stickers are easy to order online.
Any advice where to get good Dinobot stickers? (Snarl & Grimlock)
Are the ones on tfkingdom any good?

 

How to recognize ko Grimlock box...

 

DO NOT order from TF Kingdom. The transaction will go through but they will not send anything or reply to e-mails. I bought a set of Jetfire repro stickers from them a couple of years ago and after waiting for months with no reply, Paypal had to step in and refund me.

Regarding your Dinobot sticker question: I purchased a complete set of all 5 on e-bay a few years ago, and the stickers were of decent quality but not fantastic. They aren't peeling or anything after being applied for a few years and the print quality and die cuts were decent. There have been many, many runs of these KO's ( probably from more than one factory) so your mileage may vary.

The only problem with my set was that some were missing their factory applied decals out of the box and they weren't included with the sticker sheets, specifically Sludge's back shell decals and Slag's circular rear leg decals behind the smoke plastic overlays. I had to buy repro labels from Toyhax to finish their look, which is the only current reliable source for G1 repro labels. They're overly expensive and the print quality/die cutting is hit or miss, but they're the only game in town so to speak.

 

Thnx for your reply!!
Ive ordered the toyhax ones.

 

I ordered a KO Devastator about 12 years ago.l still have it today and l do not remember the name of the seller, but there was controversial between him and members of this board. Anyway when it arrived, the box was beat to hell, but l did not care when the figures were KOs. But l do remember on two of the figures the lime green color started to fade. Is yours like that about the color fading?

 

It’s not unusual for official releases to miss a paint application here and there. I have an Armada Hotshot that has zero paint on his face. Eyes are painted. Nothing else is.

I would assume the KOs are based on the original G1 releases, so while I don’t have a KO, I do have an original to compare it to.

Encore Convoy has very smooth shoulder ratchet joints that give a little click sound.

Pre-rubsign original had shoulder ratchets that made a much louder snap sound and gave a lot more resistance. The shoulders only stop at a very limited number of set degrees. The Encore does not. You can stop the rotation anywhere, even between clicks with no effort.

Encore Convoy has a slight metallic sheen to its blue parts that give it away.



the metallic flake can be seen in direct light.

Also, the color difference next to anything mimicking the original G1 colors is obvious with the blue. Here’s Encore next to a pre-rub 84 release.



Also of note, Encore Convoy’s feet do NOT sit flat. If you press down on his left foot, he will tilt sideways to the left.

Roller shouldn’t be gray, he should be painted silver.

One final giveaway, the KO molds were made from an original G1 cab. But once Ultra Magnus came out, Hasbro and Takara used that mold for every future release. The Magnus cab, and thus all reissues have the pegs on the front wheels. The KOs don’t.

 

I am thinking that this is a knockoff? If memory serves, the real e-Hobby box looked different than this, didn't it?
TRANSFORMERS G1 Reissue CE Triple Changer Astrotrain Brand New Free Shipping | eBay
I am tempted, as even at over $100, that seems like a decent price compared to what a real e-Hobby version would go for, these days.

 

Definate Knockoff as the source is China & in quantity. Another tell - the seller says to contact him if you don't see something meaning a factory-sourced seller.

 

That is a *definite* knockoff. The purple plastic used is too bright, unless this is supposed to be some sort of exclusive or lighter color version (which it does not appear to be).

You can also see how the wheels don't quite line up correctly on the bottom of the shuttle mode (final picture in robot mode). The plastic looks kind of cheap and shoddy from the pictures, although in hand it might feel a little different. Cheap plastic knockoffs tend to break after a couple of transformations. I once bought a KO MISP G1 Sunstreaker from China, which I removed from its box. The plastic was so crappy that it broke on the first transformation. I ended up buying a junker authentic G1 Sunstreaker for parts and made an unholy fusion of the two.

I now have a really nice G1 Sunstreaker in a great looking box, but because of what was done, it's worthless.

Typically, when an item is available, brand new in box in relatively large quantities out of China, it is a knockoff.

If your goal is to enjoy it in the box, it may be a good purchase, however if you want to take it out of the box, go with an authentic one.

 

So after searching it here in this thread I found no one talking specifically about Encore Hoist. That's a figure I'd reeeeaaaaallllllyyyyy like to own, but have absolutely NO IDEA what to look for on it just incase it's a KO. Are there any signs I should be on the lookout for?

 

I just purchased a Road Rage from another collector that showed proof they were the original owner of the toys and my Road Rage box looks just like yours. Also I only paid $40 for my Road Rage I agree with what was said above her price and Tracks' are going down.

 

I got this sideswipe from EBay. He’s supposed to have blue eyes right? So this is fake?

It says Takara Japan 1980-1982 but then it wouldnt have the rub sign right?

 

here’s mine. Eyes also unpainted. Almost certain yours is authentic original.

 

The most recent genuine re-issues should have the Takara Japanese packaging, like this:



I believe that BBTS was even selling this encore version until recently. KO's will have the standard English "Transformers" logo. Another dead giveaway that's it not an authentic re-issue is that the factory applied stickers are not on the figure in box, like this:



There's also the 2003 Commemorative re-issue, which is still fairly plentiful. It looks like this:



No matter which re-issue you get, expect to pay anywhere between $50 to $70 in box (currently) although if you are patient you can find one for a better deal. Hoist is not a particularly rare or sought after re-issue so there are some deals to be had. Hilariously, the KO's from China are also selling for around $50 to $60 currently.

 

If you're looking for an authentically 1985-styled Hoist, you're probably better off looking for the Commemorative Edition one since the Encore release has some color changes (such as making the eyes cartoon-accurate blue instead of toy-accurate yellow).

 

This looks legit. I was skeptical because of all the aliexpress listings for bumblejumper on Cliffjumper cards out there. The printing on the tech looks clean and in the correct font. Target sticker may be faked, but it also looks good. What do you all think?

Vintage Transformers Car - shopgoodwill.com