Right on the Robotmasters Seekers... though that was a Japanese-only line, and not done by Hasbro.

I tend not to count the side lines (like Revoltech... being both Japan only, non-Has/Tak, and most importantly, non-transforming).

Tracking down exclusives online is besides the point... when it comes to a definitive set of matching original-style Seekers released in a mass-market line, Has/Tak has disappointed on an ongoing basis, always quitting before there are all 3 accounted for (to say nothing of all 6). Armada is about the only exception I can think of... though if one counts Japanese lines, I guess Robotmasters is also a legitimate exception.

I disagree. I think it's pretty much inarguable that the vast majority of TF fans do not own Botcon Seekers... for obvious reasons.

As for the Skywarp/Magnus sets, you're making me cry. Here in Canada, we NEVER see those kinds of clearance prices... and in the case of those exclusive sets, they were never released here anyway. I had to pull in a few favours from some US friends to get Skywarps for myself and a couple of friends. At full price, that is.  

Damn, if I had access to prices that low, I would have stocked up on Skywarps to do my own repaints for the other Seekers. Heh, obviously discounts that large kind of erase the old complaint "I don't want to have to pay for a white Prime repaint just to get a Skywarp" don't they?

zmog

 

i may get acid storm if i see him, the camo deco is a little off putting, if it had just been the green that he's already sporting, they'd be question, buy him in a heart beat.

nice to see blades being done, but they've just used the exact same mold to do a springer as well, so it's a case of which one do i prefer, as well as do i hold out for a triple changer springer, or try and get my hands on a '07 springer!?

 

I intend to get Springer and Blades AND the 07 Springer. Although the only reason I'm getting the Evac-Springer is because he comes with Ratbat.


Of course, whether I can afford it all is another question.

 

I agree. I purposefully buy all the 'multi-packs' every year when they hit clearance so the kids at the homeless shelter get a huge haul at Christmas time. Cybertron 3-packs, LoC Movie 6 packs, Classic 2 packs, all for dirt cheap on clearance.

I am also too lazy to eBay them, so I am sure some 'collectors' are mortified that needy kids are playing with expensive exclusives.

Now with UM armor kit, that 2-pack is gonna go nowhere but up in price.

 

Actually RM cracker and skywarp were e-hobby repaints..... So i dont know how that throws it......

but i think Armada is the only one with actual straight repaint seeker trio. Obviously we got all 3 characters across 2 molds in cybertron, but If you dont wanna count exclusives, i would say e hobby was one of sorts for the RM seekers.......... Which i still think could beat the classics mold if they had some damn knees.....

 

Were they E-Hobby? I honestly don't remember...I don't remember them being any more expensive than buying 2 RM Starscreams though...in fact it may have been cheaper  

Seriously though, while I DO think FP could have made more sets, and that would have certainly helped matters, I'd say another 600-800 and the value would come down to where they would be affordable...not cheap mind you, but affordable. I seriously do think that is about the right number of people who would actually buy them...rather than the people who demand Supreme class figures, then demand that they go on clearance   Any import Henkei exclusive figure of Thundercracker or Skywarp will probably be just about what the FP seekers were before the value skyrocketted.

 

Ah, but Skywarp was retooled.  

 

I don't think they where Ehobby exclusives.
When I was in Japan a couple years back they had them at most TRU's, so I reckon they where just a regular release (albeit in a handsome G1ish box).

 

They were regular releases, HLJ carried them. HLJ never carried the E Hobby sets from around the same time. The two were just put in a G1 box for maximum homage value. Classics Seekers are a cooler mold, though.

 

i've been looking over the pics of the new springer figure, and i've got to admit it does look good in robot mode, but his vehicle mode just screams 'Sandstorm' at me! i am definatly tempted by ratbat though!

 

I prefer the Botcon one. I don't like the gray and green on the new one as much, and I think he needs a little more yellow on the chest. Still cool though.

 

He screams Rotorstorm, Whirl, or Crossblades to me ;By that I mean I wish we had got a blue one to match the Legends Whirl.

But the green one is I think much better decorated than the 'Blades' red on is, Which personally feel has a bit to little white on it to really look like Blades - to me it is more like Energon Quickstrike. I also couldn't help but notice that Movie Voyager Inferno is very red and so is Universe Ironhide, So I can't help but think a little more white would have been nice to see.

Isn't there red Coast Guard Helicopters that are like Hasbro's choice - I suppose as many people have mentioned lately, it is a case of to much realism harming the robot modes colors.... perhaps a little more white on the robot could have been sorted though.

So for that reason I much prefer the Springer version - not to mention that its nicely militaristic / It complements the Botcon toy & also it's cheaper to buy.

 

Wahey!!! the seeker mold is being abused just as it should be!!!! I will collect any seeker repaint they put out  

 

Well they actually are doing the Mirage to Crasher repaint so who knows what's to come.

Myself I'd actually like to see a Cy-kill for some reason.


And on the Thundercracker note, I'm one of those people who are still silently but royally pissed off about what Hasbro did. I loved Thundercracker as a kid, still love the character, and for god's sake all I want is to complete the basic seeker trio for my classics, and now I have to settle for a shitty self-repaint or suffer hundreds from my wallet?! Hasbro has too many mental defects to name. And that's my piece for now. I'll still buy that Acid Storm to paint, though by NO MEANS is it any kind of grounds for forgiveness.

 

I've always thought of Cyb Ransack as a Cy-Kill inspired design, even if it might not be directly. I could potentially see them making one.

Although, I kinda find this cheapens the characters the molds were originally made for. While I didnt like the Cyb cartoon, I liked the ideas it had, like the concept of each planet having their own Convoy, and Evac being one of them. This made me feel like using Evac as a new character in my Classicsverse who's tasked with protecting Earth, and could potentially use the Matrix in an emergency. But now, I'm getting the mold as a real Classics character, and its Blades, a guy who means nothing to me.

Ratbat to Noisemaze is another one. I actually can use Ratbat as a good character, but I liked the mysterious look that Noisemaze had. And now I just have to shuffle him out.

On the other hand, taking Hot Shot and turning him into Springer, Roadbuster, and Getaway actually makes for 3 characters better than the original. That I can live with.

 

Yeah, found out about Crasher after posting that one.   I'm happy... now if we could only get Small Foot, Leader One, Pathfinder, Turbo & Copter I'd be set.

Cy-Kill I think would be cool out of Cybertron Ransack and the Classics Seeker mold could easily do a Leader-One repaint. I've thought about the others, but I've never been too sure on them.

 

Ramjet would make a great Fi-Tor  

 

If we got Pathfinder, maybe we might actually be able to get a COSMOS... !  

zmog

 

yeah ransack for Cy-Kill would be good, or this guy, G2 Road Rocket (aka RID Sideways):

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y139/BB_Shockwave/Trades/G2RoadRocket1.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Sidewaysrid.jpg