Check eBay completed auctions and you'll see this is simply NOT true. Compare preshipping prices to BBTS's original preshipping prices, for auctions only (not Buy It Now):

-Munitioner alone went for 38% above original price (1 auction only)
-no Explorer was sold alone
-both sold together for 37% above original price (average of two auctions: one was 15% high, the other 59% high)

I don't know how much the others originally cost, so someone else can report those.

 

With TF collecting in general, it's important to stay current, because if you miss a release of a good toy, then need to pick it up on the secondary market, most of the time you will be paying more than the original asking price. How much more depends on a lot of factors: ie. how many were originally available, how high the original price was, is it an army builder, etc. A good example is the 2006-2008 Classics stuff, a lot of that retailed for around $10 at the time, and goes for about $30 or more (Mirage, Starscream, Ratchet, Ironhide, etc.), so that typically tripled in value.

I think it is this fear/awareness that is driving many people to pick up the Hercules set. It was definitely a factor in my decision. $600 is very very expensive, no doubt. Is a toy worth $600? Well, in reality, anything is worth what someone is willing to pay for it. A toy could easily be worth $600 in the same way that World Series tickets, or an autographed football from a favorite player could be worth a high price.

In asking whether $600 is too much, you need to look at the market value. A complete Fort Max MIB routinely goes for $1500 on ebay. Here are a few relevant factors:

1. Devastator is a very popular character.
2. Devy has never received the Masterpiece treatment
3. This would be the largest Devy to be widely released
4. Thus far, the quality appears to be fairly good, despite some reported issues

If this Devy/Hercules set comes out very well, I could see it going for more than the original $600 asking price. Once the thing sells out, and we are 2-3 years down the road, it would not surprise me to see its asking price increase by 10-20%, if not more.

 

The thing about this is just how subjective "worth" and "value" can be. You couldn't pay me enough to take my Energon!Scorponok 'cause I've had it since I was a kid and it was a gift from a relative. I was willing to pay a fair bit for a MISB Clawjaw that I would open because he was my first ever transformer when I was younger, but I wouldn't buy a MISB G1 toy when I could get it cheaper opened, because G1 toys mean little to me.

Anyway, yes I do think Hercules will be worth it. I'm not just buying it for combined mode; I'm buying a team of six kickass construction vehicles who also form a kickass giant robot that I can play with, so I'd say I'm getting alot more "value" out of it than those who just want combined mode, will leave it in combined mode, and will leave it on display.

Plus, this is probably the cheapest this thing will ever be. I'd rather buy it now for $600, instead of looking at it in a few years and thinking "$600 would be a steal for that, what it's going for on ebay!" If I decide I don't want it before it's completed, I figure I can find someone who would buy it for retail/just under.

 

If this thing ever going to be worth much, it will be a long time. I believe a small 3rd party company like this will need a lot of boost to get rolling. They will sell out fast, then reissue a few more runs. Then when those are gone. They will reissue a few in different colors or change a few very minor things to milk the mold to earn more off it. Then finally a few more reissues until it's all milk out. They will finally issue a complete full set maybe with a new head, weapon, whatever to keep the set going. By then the ko will then come out in mass for such a high price item that a lot of people will buy this like me who do not want to pay 600.00 plus for toy, when I can get the same for half or less. The ko will come in many forms and colors. To me and some others, I could care less if it's real or not. If I can get the exact same toy for less I will. To me it's only a cool toy to remind me of g1. So it's never going to be very rare for at least years and years ahead. By then who's knows. Anything could happen. I could be wrong and these could sell out in 3 months and they can sky rocket to 2-3 times the value and the ko makers could decide never to ko this 600plus toy because they would feel terrible for the people who spent 600.00 on a official 3rd party toy. You never know.  

 

a supposed announcement regarding the last two bots.