I can understand the first three, but not the low availability. I started collecting Masterpieces seriously since MP-10, and never ever have I witnessed low availability of any Masterpiece. All of them were easily obtainable.

 

Maybe it’s because I hardly paid attention to Masterpieces, but I do notice that Movie Masterpiece Ironhide and Jazz and pretty hard to find in retail. And so are some G1 characters.

 

Out of curiosity, if you can't find it at retail, why not just order it online?

 

For me, it's the price hikes and lowering QC plaguing the line since they changed designers. It's one thing for the each new figure to have a handful of issues, but when it's the same issues from figure to figure... (clearance issues, low tolerances, brittle plastic..) It makes you wonder why the designer hasn't been replaced yet.

I also say "low availability", because I'm used to being able to go into a brick and mortar (TRU or Walmart) and be able to handle something tangible. I liked being able to hold onto it while deciding, or returning it quickly if there's an issue. I, personally, don't care for ordering online, just to sit back and wait to see how much the shipping company ruins the packaging before it gets to me.

 

I only order online when there is no other options. I prefer to buy from retail because it is cheaper and easier in case if something went wrong. Such as QC problems.

Besides, I don’t collect Masterpieces, so I don’t look them up online.

 

Plus, some of the sites have a history of "accidently" sending the wrong item

 

Well, I don’t have site sent the wrong item (yet). However, I do have mailman send my item to wrong address once. Good thing that nice resident returned it to me.

 

Too expensive for my taste. I only have one masterpiece figure (Skywarp) that I got years ago on clearance. I would like to have a few others though.

 

biggest reason is price. Why pay 100 or more bucks whatever the price is now for a figure I can pay 20 bucks on that's a different brand like Studio Series 86 Grilock

 

Honestly, the prices are just too high for many MPs. I still have my MP-01 and don't feel any great need to upgrade him to a more recent MP Optimus.

The only other MP I ever bought was the Universe version of Skywarp, which I sold on earlier this year.

A few other MP figures might be nice to have, like Soundwave and Bumblebee, but I don't NEED to have them.

 

I can not relate to this. I live in metropolitan centre. To order something online means taking five minutes to click my mouse a few times and type a little bit. I can't think of any easier way to get a thing I want other than someone having telepathy and just knowing what I want to sending it.

And it's almost as easy as returning it if there are any QC problems. If one is willing to physically move their body to a store to purchase a thing then they are probably willing to do the same thing to ship it back. Any reputable online store is easy to deal with over *legit* QC problems.

As for being cheaper, ehhhhhhh that's going to highly location specific.

And for those that say they like to see the toy in hand before buying, um, what exactly are you seeing in hand with a full enclosed boxed masterpiece figure? You can't actually see the thing in the package.

You said
"If the line is supposed to be for "serious" collectors, and to represent the vehicles with as much fidelity as possible to the real things"

The line is not supposed to be the vehicle with as much fidelity as possible. That's a thing that you personally feel but is not supported by ANYTHING from Hasbro or Takara-Tomy.

The Masterpiece line has never been one thing. It's not meant to be as slavishly adherent to the animation models. It's not meant to be slavishly adherent to the original toys. It's not meant to be a hybrid of the two.

Because Hasbro/Tak-Tom have literally never said what the Masterpiece line is supposed to be, and they have demonstrably released figures since the beginning of the line that are pretty much all over the map in terms of aesthetics, inspiration, fidelity to any particular medium or appearance, it is literally impossible for fans to say what the masterpiece line is supposed to be because it has no unifying there.

Currently the theme is looking like the Sunbow cartoon. That could change with their next release.

The only unifying theme the line has ever really had was that they are higher end figures than the main line. And even that is highly debateable when one considers the brutal QC issues.

 

I chose scale but it’s really more like I am already invested too much in chug scale to change. Especially for a line that will never be completed.

 

Quality control problems and the prices for them. Not worth the investment, IMO.

 

Pricing has pretty much always been the deal-breaker for me. I'm sure this isn't a popular opinion, but I've purchased more MP KO's than official releases and feel that those are in a more appropriate price range for what's been delivered.

The more toon-centric approach that's been taken in recent years has also turned me off from the newer releases.

 

I sort of collect MPs, but it is more so just ones I find particularly interesting. I wouldn't mind having a whole G1 cast of MP bots and cons, but the price makes that a pretty tall order. I will likely be getting more, just being picky and getting ones that really jump out or of characters I really like and have an attachment to.

 

My ideal shelf has mostly 87 and beyond on it. Masterpiece just isn't hitting those characters. I am not a fan of the 100% g1 toon aesthetic either.

 

Strangely enough, since this thread started I've actually somewhat come back to (official) MP. Reboost and Nightbird in particular. I really do love to see more obscure stuff get some love and for Diaclone stuff to get canonized into TF. I'm going to wait out more reveals before jumping on the Trainbots, but they definitely have my attention, even if the preview of Raiden isn't looking the best so far. I could totally be happy with 6 cool toys who are good on their own. Cliffjumper is also looking so much better than Bee to me, so I may end up with that or one of the many, many potential redecos/retools.

 

TOO expensive and Not enough characters being made. For the price of one I can buy the whole wave and have some money left over.

 

Except for special ones like Toys R Us Grimlock so many years ago, the original MP1 Optimus, the first MP Starscream, and not the latest Bumblebee, I've not bought any others. From what I've seen the quality / detail has steadily downgraded as well as the size for the price. That said, I don't have room for a bunch of really large pieces.

Additionally said, since I have MP Grim, I see no reason to buy Studio 86 Grim for $52, then buy the DNA design kit for an additional $50 to complete him properly.... So, in that sense, it is one of the few instances that the MP was worth it.

 

I was thinking of starting a thread on comparing mp-52 seekers versus earlier ops and mp7 mold. I am not a fan of how the mp 52s are too enjolden to the anime. Thundercracker is too light of a blue.

I think the mp7 and kos look a lot better than the mp52s and perusing threads here have less quality issues. I am thinking of getting grapple.

I am glad I bought shockwave, soundwa e and receiving mp 36 + when I did bc they are now unavailable except at astronomical prices. I would like sun streaker to of with Prowl, Sideswipe and Wheeljack. Would also like a decent optimis prime without the trailer to display him in robot mode. Would also like a hound more reminiscent of the toy without the horror stories in QC.