Mega Optimus out at UK retail: in stock on Entertainer's website

http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/trans...gdom-transformers-sightings-post12875718.html

 

So. Uh.

How should I treat Legion Class Night Ops Bumblebee?

Clarification:

Legion Class wave 4 is currently out in Asia and Europe, but still AWOL in the US.

Legion Class wave 5 is out in Asia and the US.

Wave 4 debuts Night Ops Bumblebee and Alpine Strike Sideswipe.

Wave 5 debuts Ultra Magnus and Patrol Mode Strongarm, but also contains Night Ops Bumblebee.

So technically wave 5 constitutes Night Ops Bumblebee's US release, whereas in Asia and Europe, it was wave 4.

So essentially half of wave 4 is out in the US (as part of wave 5) whereas the other half is not.

Unless someone spots Alpine Strike Sideswipe at US retail very soon, I'm gonna have to think of a creative way to untangle this mess.

 

UK Blaster & Perceptor sighting, now with pics added.

UK Sightings Post 40334

This is a significant UK release as Blaster & Perceptor weren't sold here in 1985 and, to the best of my knowledge, their previous reissues have never made it to UK shores. Ramhorn, Steeljaw & Eject were available here but only through the early 90s grey imports from China and have never had an official release

 

I've encountered another mindscrew when trying to trim down the archives.

Basically, "exclusive" figures that were also available via online retailers.

If a figure that is available at Walmart stores in the US with a big "ONLY AT WALMART" sticker gets stocked by ToyWiz or BBTS, do I count that? On the one hand, it's a legitimate store that offers the figure; on the other hand, Hasbro have made it very clear with said sticker that they consider Walmart the "official" venue.

No matter how you may think about this issue, it has major repercussions:

AOE One-Step Changer Stinger was officially a Walmart exclusive, but was also sighted at numerous Target stores (including the "ONLY AT WALMART" sticker). Again, Hasbro have made their intent clear, but the toy WAS available at Target.

Combiner Wars Quickslinger and Brake-Neck were officially "online exclusives" in the US (plus comic stores supplied by Diamond, those also counted as an official venue as per Hasbro), but were found at multiple Target, Walmart and Toys"R"Us stores. Yes, those were likely flukes (returns, unwanted "store pick-up" online orders or simply managers not caring about the "official policy" regarding these products), but then again, so was Stinger.

Some of the Platinum Editions were available from multiple online retailers. They started out with only BBTS and Amazon early on, but eventually ToyWiz joined the fray, which also keeps stocking other figures that are very definitely Walmart (AOE Mega 1-Step Bumblebee with bonus Stinger), Target (RID One-Step Changer Collection 6-Pack) or TRU (RID Clash of the Transformers figures) exclusives, followed later by TFSource. And then the AOE and Generations Platinum Editions were also stocked by various Asian online retailers... and yet Hasbro alternatively considers Kmart, Toys"R"Us, Target, Hasbro Toy Shop or Amazon the "official" venue. Sometimes a Platinum figure or set is found at a single TRU or Target store (usually the TRU store in NYC Times Square) but is otherwise only available online... yet BBTS also stocks the figure and GAH!!!!! You know what I mean? What counts as an "official" venue? Should I even make such distinctions?

The only possible solution that would drive me absolutely nuts would be an "available at TRU (store/online), available at Target (store/online)" etc. list for every goddamn figure or wave, and then also internationally 8because the UK and Germany also have major chains) and GAH MY BRAIN HURRRRRTS

 

Haha, yeah. Especially when (as you posted before) one case assortment shows up in Europe months before it shows up in the US, but one figure is only in the revision, etc.

I'd say for the platinum and store exclusives, count their "official" release as whenever Walmart/Target/TRU gets them in the states, then have a line below that says 'also available from various Asian webstores and/or BBTS/TFSource/etc'

Those stores typically get their stock from Asian sources anyway, and Hasbro really intended them to be for Target/TRU/Walmart so...

And it doesn't help when Target is supposed to be exclusive for that Blaster set (for example) but they dont' have it yet AND its been available from Asia for 2-3 months.

 

And as far as the online exclusives showing up in retail stores that are clearly returns or accidents (or with TRU times square, just because they're the biggest TRU) I'd say ignore them. If Target is calling that Seeker set an online exclusive and 1 in 20 stores gets some on accident, its still an accident. If the purpose of your thread is to tell people when something is released you can't really count "accidental mis-ships" or returned product since it won't be available in every Target (in this example)

 

I need that Combiner Wars Sunstreaker! And a Sideswipe to go with him!

 

Raaaagh.

"Year of the Goat" Optimus Prime and Soundwave... available via TRU online, out at the NYC Times Square store... also available via Hasbro Toy Shop. And BBTS.

Where do I draw the line?

Currently in stock at Amazon as FBA items... were they ever available from Amazon directly?

 

Generations Leader Class Ultra Magnus - Wave 3

I'm not seeing this listed anywhere on your front page. I know it hasn't been released at US retail but has been released on Hasbro Toy Shop but, it's always sold out.

 

You mean this?

Has been archived over a month ago, actually.

 

Just a heads up: Combiner Wars Voyager Class Battle Core Optimus Prime and Robots in Disguise One-Step Changers Gold Armor Grimlock and Patrol Mode Strongarm have yet to be found at US retail, despite already being available online.

 

Going to implement the new reveals from NYCC later.

For now, here's the breakdown:

RID Warrior Class Blizzard Strike Optimus Prime, Night Strike Bumblebee, Megatronus (non-exclusive version), Thunderhoof, Fracture, Quillfire
RID Legion Class Ratchet

Titan Wars Legends Class Rewind and Stripes
Titan Wars Deluxe Class Hardhead and Scullcruncher
Titan Wars Voyager or Leader Class Galvatron
Titan Wars Leader Class Blaster

 

All NYCC reveals added!

 

Titans Return Sentinel Prime and Fortress Maximus line-art from BotCon and Powermaster Optimus Prime listing from Walmart added.

Anything else I'm missing?

 

I think I implemented all the new ToyWiz, BBTS and whatever else preorder listings and stock photos.

 

Anyone else notice that the head remold on the teased First Aid seen in the instructions is actually pretty much TFCC SG Checkpoint?

 

New stuff from the RID mobile app update added.

 

generation dinobots out in singapore

 

Added today's new reveals.

 

There's a few more Mini-Cons from the app that didn't get stock photos today:

Slipstream (weapon)

Stealth Slipstream

Stealth Bashbreaker (who is inexplicably an Autobot)

Stealth Hammer

Stealth Anvil