We are living in Bizzaro World...

It doesn't seem like that long ago that we loved 3rd party because every Hasbro release was 'hey, look at our new Optimus Prime, Megatron, Decepticon jets and the same 3-4 Autobot cars' year after year. We needed 3rd party for the variety. This year we suddenly got Combiners, Headmasters, Fortress Maximus...all those characters we turned to 3rd parties for in the first place. Meanwhile, with so many 3rd party companies all doing the same thing it feels like a million 3rd party announcements of 'hey, look at our Optimus Prime, Megatron, seekers, Dinobots, triple changers and the same 3-4 Autobot cars...'

 

Fanstoys is becoming takara's main competition, I think I'd sell my takara stuff for all of fanstoys's stuff.

 

We keep getting the same shit over and over again because the GeeWunners keep begging for it.

How many times in every single thread do we still see "but is it G1/MP scale tho?"

We have the same G1-ized shit pouring out of every orifice of this site and from pretty much all 3P companies.

We're FINALLY seeing some alternations, original stuff and IDW stuff.

I think times are changing. Fucking finally. Only took 30 years.

 

MMC is certainly turning out repaints, minor remolds, etc Hasbro style.
Fanstoys too with the Dinobots and their Shockwave.

I am getting bored of this hobby.

 

I'm still waiting for my 3P G1 Menasor, so keep the G1 coming.

 

This is why Planet X, Iron Factory and Perfect Effects still have my respect and my money. They are just doing their own stuff and not following the masses (Yet...).

The funny thing is everyone just produces the SAME characters over and over again. Trying to please the G1 masses is one thing but I am pretty sure the G1 line up had more than 10 characters to choose from!!!

Somebody grow some balls and produce something a bit more obscure. I'm still waiting for a decent looking Alpha Trion  

 

The IDW shit doesn't sell. They keep making G1 stuff because it does sell.

 

Lol.

Tarn sold out instantly.

MMC had to reissue one of their DJD bots so far.

MMC Overlord is an outstanding success.

 

MMC must have missed your memo with their Reformatted line... You better go tell them to scrap that line cause they are only selling to Honesty (apparently)  

 

This is simple economics. 3rd parties are reacting to demand and the current demand seems to be iterations of beloved G1 characters. Those are the ones people with deeper pockets seem to want and are sure bets to be sellers. Remember it's not cheap to design, build, and gear up factory to produce a character. We've seen what happens when they go outside of the box and spend money on characters that few people want (Sandstorm anyone?). They are not financially successful and many 3rd parties have closed because of niche character production or other practices.

 

Far be it from me to be the voice of reason..... but we got a LOT of choice right now, bushels and bags even. TT (much to my bitching) and the Third Parties are putting out the most diverse and character deep, quality transformer product ever. And if you disagree I'm going to go ahead and say you just ain't been doing this collecting thing too long. No offense intended and shit could always be better but this is a "compared to the last 25 years scenario."

Official classics Weirdwolf, 3rd Patty classics Weirdwolf, 3rd Party MP Weirdwolf, 3rd Party Legends Weirdwolf, and I rest my 'fing case.

Wait, wait, wait did I mention Offical MP BeastWars and Third Party too, I may have forgot. Or and toon and toy accurate I forgot that too.

 

"Doesn't sell" was admittedly a wrong choice of words on my part.

My point is there is obviously a bigger market for G1 since it has dominated they 3P landscape for so long.

 

Everyone calm the FUCK down, jesus, okay, mmc is doing really well with idw, and planet x is with foc, I'd be more than happy to buy all of them because they look so god awesome, but I'm more happy to be with masterpiece sunbow g1, because of how great the g1 cartoon is. This hobby is great, we have differences, like with idw vs. subow g1, but we're all transformers fans in the end, and I like mtmte when I read it, but I've never read it again, and I don't want to buy characters I know I'm not going to enjoy (except rodimus). We need everything g1 because we haven't had these thing's in 100% cartoon characters come to live in 32 years, and some people remember their childhood memories be brought back to live with mp, same goes with marvel and idw comics. People express more love with g1, because it's their childhood still livin' today, and would come to tears with fanstoys omega supreme and with idw comics becoming more recent, fans flock to 3rd parties and takara legends figures, because they love the characters the same as we do. I know my avatars mtmte cyclonus, but I'm reminded of myself of him, tall, silent, and remembering the good ol' days.

 

Well, there's an opening market for Movie figures and that pleases me. If I see something that looks nifty, like Tarn, I'll buy it, but it has no value to me at all.

In fact, none of my toys do. Rule of cool is all I go by.

EDIT: Gee, thanks Auto-Correct! XD

 

I just joined the hobby in the last 3 years and I gotta say, even I can tell we are all enjoying some pretty fantastic figures these days.

I started by picking up some older 3p stuff and comparing those figures to what is coming out today and the sheer volume and variety and quality, it pretty much is out of this world.

I'm so happy with all the choices. Sure, it is kind of lame that the companies all release the same character at the same time rather than diff companies focusing on different characters at different times (good for you unique toys blurr!). But if the alternative is no figures, I'll take what I can get.

It's a great time to be a collector.

In terms of the idw stuff or more original ideas. I'm assuming they do sell, but I'd be surprised if they sell as well as G1 character. I think it's just that more buyers care about G1 characters than idw or other original ideas, so there is more money in the G1 figures which translates to more profits for the figures that sell more, regardless if there are fans of the non G1 stuff.

I've not yet had my fill of G1 so I'm glad to see all the releases. That doesn't mean I don't dable in other lines when I see something cool, but that's like 1/10 figures I buy.

Just my personal buying habits..

 

Just yankin your chain. I know G1 is a massive market and I don't have an issue with that.

My issue is that the same characters get recycled constantly. As I stated earlier G1 had a larger lineup than 10 characters (Obviously an exaggeration but it feels like I look at the same 10 characters everyday in these threads).

 

Yeah. We're not idiots. The reason why we keep getting the same shit over and over again is BECAUSE it sells. So I definitely agree with that part.

IDW is becoming more and more known - the figures are also getting more and more popular. I am VERY thankful for that because quite frankly I am over and just about done with G1/MP. My nostalgia is content.

Because of this also, we are getting more and more IDW/comic/other reveals. I honestly really shouldn't complain at all. I am, again, very thankful for this.

Never thought I'd be seeing the entire DJD, Overlord and Megatron.

Excite.

 

Weeeeeelllll... maybe not idiots, but what's the definition of insanity again?  

 

I honestly want a voyager G1 Optimus with trailer and roller...a proper update. While we're at it, I want voyager sized G1 Seekers too...I don't wan IDW inspired designs either.