Buyer Beware: Transformers Animated Toys Now Being Knocked-Off

http://cgi.ebay.com/OPTIMUS-PRIME-AN...QQcmdZViewItem

That didn't take long...

whats the betting they're made in the same factory on the night shift

Wow, REALLY fast...

Well, just bought it! I am a sucker for animated, and I am curious to the plastic quality.

I'll do a review when I get it in.

Is it just me, or is it kinda sad that there is a cheap ko out before the actual toy hits mass retail?

Already? Next we'll be seeing a KO Universe Prowl or Sunstreaker.

That doesn't look like good quality. There is dulling of the corners and warping from what I can see. This is what it would look like if I tried to cast a figure at home using rubber molding.

Wow, the knockoff of Voyager Prime came out 3 months before the real thing...

Very, very sad indeed.

Far too much humor (or pathos) at the possibility that one might find a knockoff in some store before the same toy is available at regular retail.

Lol.............

Hasbro REALLY needs to install that door on their factory

Ok... this is not cool. It's rarely a good sign when a figure gets a KO before the mass retail release.

God I hope not. Oh well, will be interesting.

Man, how incredibly shitty that would be to walk into Wal-Mart or Target and see something like this on the shelves when they wouldn't allow the real deal yet.

Wow, this Optimus looks like he's got a beard to rival Animated Mixmaster's...

Mixmaster doesn't have a beard, he has a mustache. A GIGANTIC MUSTACHE!!!

Well, there's ignorance for ya. I've never cultivated any sort of facial hair before...

Ewww. That's kinda disturbing.

I doubt these will be carried at retail here in the states, which is where I plan to be getting my Animated toys, so I'm pretty much unaffected by this.

Haha hasbro reall needs to crack down on these KO's

N what amazes me s people buying the KO when the real thing will be cheaper. At least from this seller.

And why would you do that? It's quite ugly and will never see a reason good enough to warrant spending $30 for shipping

Terrible.

For the same reason folks pay double or triple (or more) for these animated toys on ebay just a few months before their mass release. Its ridiculous, but they do it because they can... and then there's the curiosity factor with all sorts of these KOs

More sad that there are suckers here who would buy them and support the degradation of our hobby, meanwhile spending more than the toy would cost at retail. Just IMHO.

Wouldn't be a first. The Roadbots (most of which are clearly copied from Alternators with the surface detailing altered on the parts, and the SUV is copied from Energon Ironhide) had their fully finished Ford GT up and going before we'd seen anything other than the grey resin proto of Mirage publicly.

Ok this is funny, they having even come out in the states yet, and there already knock offs , lol way to go hasbro

I love KO's. Generally a sucker for ones with goofy colors and alterations. If I wasn't in a current financial bind, I'd be all over this auction despite the shipping costs.

Yeah, I'm shocked Animated isn't on the shelf yet. The show's entering its third season. Holding the toys off this long is totally bizzare, and something came to fill the void.

I understand not pushing the movie toys off the shelf when they're selling like hotcakes, but I really think it's time. By the same token, is Animated going to get any chance to sell? The movie has cut into the shelf time of like 4 or 5 waves of Animated toys. I can't see Hasbro holding whatever comes after Animated back from the shelves so I'm guessing that Animated won't be able to make up all of this missed time.

This toy looks like crap.

Kinda doubt that would happen. Places like Big Lots, drug stores, or flea markets are another story though.

Heh, well everyone wants to make a buck.

Well that was speedy work

Hasbros fault for delaying the launch, probably to shift the huge surplus of unwanted movie dross

I thought Hasbro was supposed to be cracking down on stuff like this?

What a total embarasment for them that an unreleased toy from one of their flagship toylines has already been counterfieted, and is already easily availible to consumers.

Quality issues aside in it's manufacturing, the implications of knockoff like this for something that hasn't even dropped mass retail to the American market is a little disturbing.

This is why I'm waiting for them to hit retail.
1.So I don't grab a fake
2. So I can get them a lot cheaper.

thats not right, hasbro really has to do something abt this, its practically unprecedented

I guess this is what happens when you go for the cheapest factory and pay them peanuts.

the axe looks cool though

Ergh, that looks terrible. The paint apps look bad, too.

I'm just gonna go ahead and say it and not worry about how it makes me look:

Too bad the earthquakes didn't hit these people.

haha

Cool, i'm gonna open my eyes for these KOs.

People didn't seem sympathetic when this happened to G1 toys so i'm going to support KO's of new toys as much as I can.







kidding. But it is ironic.

For all we know, the ones responsible for churning out this shit are employees at Hasbro's factories, who presumably don't live too far away from the production lines. If you take that into consideration, it's probably a good thing that the quakes didn't.

A). Because I wanted to...
B). Why do you care what I do with my money? It could possibly end up being a cool KO, which I may not be able to find later.

Bingo. Some people like KOs, especially when you can find one with decent quality. Not normally one to spend double or triple cost, but I am curious.

Sucker? Seriously? See above reasons. I am sure you have made purchases before that others would not, but that doesn't make you a sucker. And the KO is a "degradation of our hobby" BS is played out. Get a clue, bud, and quit whining over a freakin' plastic toy.

Did anyone notice that this same seller has some sweet alternators/binaltech KO's too? He has a yellow subaru, which I've never seen before and the white jeep hound that's so hard to find!

Oh yeah hurray for KO's to be available before the real deal! Seems like Hasbro wants to so badly put the kibosh on these things but in the mean time they are being made quicker than ever before

Hello everyone,
Thanks for sharing my pictures and link for the new Knock-off Animated V class OP. I just wanted to add this picture and I will add some more picture of the movable faceplate in the next day or 2. .. my gf just forgot to take pics of the face plate when its down.

My Quick REVIEW

The KO Animated Prime is not as high plastic quality as the real issue (obviously) and the legs and arms can be a little bit loose. Careful when you join the legs together in truck mode - do not press on the tires. Other than that he looks kind of cool, and its a nice KO.

They KO'd him before he really hit the market in the rest of the world... pretty good job getting it out so fast. They were not so fast with the movie figures.

Just to let everyone know, all the KO I have are clearly marked as KO's and anything that is not marked as a KO in the description is the authentic real thing. (I dont try to pass off any Rodimus ALT KO's as the real thing).

If there are recent Chinese KO's that you are interested in just let me know and I can probably get them for you... I just don't do the ones sold by the guy who does the dinos, cars and insects.. he was a bit of a dink to me when he found out that I was not Chinese... kind of racist.

Also if you need any new figs or protos just let me know and I can see what I can do.

I'll be on here once in a while to check out some discussions so you might see me posting more myself from now on.



Regarding the Binaltechs and Alts, I will probably be getting more you have never seen in the next month.

Might get some more real Animated figs soon...

BTW, you could delete my post in toy discussion... I didn't see the link to this discussion before posting there. thnx

"I guess this is what happens when you go for the cheapest factory and pay them peanuts."

Damn right, when you pay these people slave wages they are going to break out as much as possible.

Nice to think they probably don't think the same about you. As far as Im concerned about me, I am just trying to get people stuff they want.. don't want it, don't get it.. pretty easy philosophy.

Also 99% of parents here can not afford a real V class OP for their kids, yet their kids get to watch the new animated show on tv and fall in love with the characters. Its only fair that they can get a cheap KO which they can afford so that their imagination can have as much fun as rich kids. It's only good for the hobby in the long run as it attracts more children who might one day end up collecting real transformers 15+ years down the road.... so don't dis the guys who make these cheap KO's because you're disillusioned and think these were made for you... they were not made for Transformers fans outside of china.. these are made for chinese kids who cant afford the real deal. Atleast give the kids a break and let them have some f'in fun. If you had a heart at all you should send me some money for earthquake releif and I will buy some cases of these toys to send them to the kids who have nothing now (not that many of them had much to start).

Some KO's are really cool, look at the Classics Megs with light and sound or the Meantime that really tells time.. how come Hasbro or Takara can't make toys as well as some KO's?

Hey thanks for posting GenZhao. Glad to hear there are more KO Binaltechs with new colors coming out. I'd love to see more RX-8's and Ford GT's with new colors.

What's the quality like on the Yellow Subaru "Bumblebee?"