Care to share how to rotate the wheels? The lower arm piece blocks it and when I tried... it felt like it might brake.

 

Pic request, please!

Anybody got Smokey and one of the 3p versions of Mirage?

 

Some folks in here talking about Spoiler’s transformation. I have to admit, Spoiler was my first FT figure, and I kept thinking to myself as I transformed him “Takara MPs don’t have sketchy clearances and confusing-ass rotations/folding that don’t match the instructions (and missed steps can be critical!)

still, after getting him into car mode, he sat there on my nightstand for a while just taunting me. So I gave him a proper return to bot mode, and seeing that car expand back into that imposing robot reminded me why I enjoy complex, challenging transformations. While it certainly isn’t the sort of challenge I would say is fully enjoyable, it requires patience and steady hands, and in its own way is fully satisfying when going between both modes. I’ve transformed him several times, and feel confident Enough in my technique that I don’t feel I’m ever putting him in any danger.

best of luck, though, to anyone who hasn’t transformed Spoiler before - good technique or not, it’s still a bit dodgy at times.

-A.S.

 

I had mine nearly a year before transforming him for the first time. Was definitely nerve-wracking just for the amount of paint on him.

Those little hip pieces did scare me.

 

Unfortunately I have mine in combined mode   but watch this video starting from minute 13:00. He is doing transformation back to vehicle mode, but you'll see that there's another hinge.

 

View attachment 28972099
Hey there lil buddy.

 

Good shot. Which version is that?

 

It's hard to explain, but the flap on his bicep needs to be open, and you need to rotate the wheels while turning the bicep to get the clearance.

 

If you want another reference, here he is with TE's version.

 

This one is MMC Sphinx. I’m really practicing restraint not getting the TE version and waiting for the FT one. Sphinx will become alt mode. It’s so haaaaard.

 

Selling all four stunticons
Various transformers and parts for sale

 

Sorry to see you get out pal.

 

Me too

 

If I sell mine I'll message you first.

Depending on how my taxes go this year, it might happen

 

For those looking for Smokey, RoboToyBase has some in stock, for $179,90.

 

Still really disappointed in the price shenanigans. That even retailers (and well-known ones, at that) are taking the piss by scalping is truly ridiculous. But they're allowed to do that and will keep doing it as long as people keep paying these stupidly inflated prices... Guess I won't be having any Stunticons any time soon. Between this and XTB's own shenanigans, the only readily available option to me is DX9's set... which I don't like. FansToys still has the best-looking set overall to my eye, and I especially want that Ox/toy combiner (no, I'm not going near the XTB toy version because it's still a rip-off).

The chance of anyone else making a Stunticon set at this point is also low, but I refuse to pay twice as much as the MSRP just because I didn't get one of the stupidly limited pre-orders, despite plenty of stock still being available (albeit at scalper prices, but the point is, it really puts the "limited supply" thing into perspective when even the likes of BBTS and TFSource are selling these figures at scalper prices).

Ah, too bad you're only selling them as a set and without boxes. I might have bought one or two off of you otherwise.

 

still have them all?
if so shoot a pm man

 

If you will sell the set let me know....

 

For those late to the party on this set, I feel for you. I think I ended up really lucky - Spoiler and Road King had both been released by the time I picked up Spoiler, and I somehow got him at retail, just in time for the Road King re-release. I’ve managed to secure a preorder for everyone after that, and so have paid reasonable, retail prices. I think timing is everything, and watching the prices go up and up after a release proves that point. Gotta be fast and vigilant to secure a 3rd party offering like this at retail, sadly.

-A.S.

 

Even saying "late to the party" is a misnomer though. I couldn't get a pre-order for Dragstrip a year ago, same goes for Dead End. I have to go with the Chinese retailers because it costs significantly more for shipping from the US to New Zealand, so I'd only end up paying the same $200+ if I went that route. Not that you can often get pre-orders anyway. I missed out on the Astrotrain pre-orders too. Was happy to pay the obviously inflated price because Astrotrain. I posted in that thread at the very beginning - I was going to have him. But I don't, because he's now going for $300+ which is nuts.

The other problem is people acting fast. The prices are going up because people are panicking and trying to grab the "last" copies, but that just pushes the prices up more because the sellers and retailers know people want them and don't want to miss out, and that fear of missing out is what drives these crazy prices. Look at Dragstrip - he's still available from a lot of places. Does that look like a supply problem? No, it's a demand problem. No price is too high for some people, and that's why Dragstrip is happily selling at $200 now. Hell, he was up to $180 in, if I remember correctly, a matter of days (less than a week) after release. That's just nonsense. I wish people would just... calm down.

I'm doubly frustrated though that there is very little to actually buy right now. I'd love to add some more figures to my shelf, especially combiners, but there's not a lot being (openly) worked on, not a lot being reissued, and the most communication seems to be coming from FansToys and X-Transbots (and maybe MMC), which feels pretty ass-backwards if you ask me.