I used to wait on pins and needles for the next transformer to hit the shelf from Hasbro. I love several lines, classics, animated, the movie figures, encore, alternators etc...but in the last 2 years I have really lost the drive to hunt at the stores for the latest figure, knowing that they will be flooding the shelves if not today, within the next couple of months.

What has really focused my attention and interest has been the third party accessories and figures.

I have the CC trailer, the upgrade kit for him, PE Shadow warrior, battle rollar, the Classics OP Trailer by FP, the Superion upgrade set, the DIA trailer for Classics OP, and I am sure others that I am skipping. I find myself really waiting for the upgrade figures for the Bruticus combiner and for FP's Defender figure. The new ROTF scouts and deluxes look good and are starting to hit shelves but when I would normally be hunting for them, I find my interest at a "meh" level and am fine waiting for saturation.

Have you become more interested in third party figures as well?

I've also spent a pretty good amount on Yamato 1/60 scale fighters from Macross, WELL WORTH THE MONEY and I am not even into Macross shows.

 

Nope.

 

its a roller coaster. CC armor raised the bar for 3rd party kits but they kind of rode that wave too long and the hasbro releases started getting better but now 3rd parties are coming out with some nice stuff and hasbro's starting to stale again.

 

I think my anticipation for 3rd party developers goes up with each new item that's introduced. They continue to get better and better. Unfortunately, I can't buy up everything as I'm on a stricter budget than I was in the past (currently have the FP superion kit). I'm a kitbasher, so I have to support the guys that make things Hasbro/Takara can't and won't .

 

Why the hate for little ole' Rollar, I got the same one and I'm quite pleased, I just wish the LED light in the Prime rifle wasn't on such a hair trigger in regards to staying lit.

 

I can't afford the 3rd party stuff, but I've got to admit it's some really great looking stuff. Really exciting to see what some of the little companies can come up with.

Hasbro, yea I've got to admit it's getting hard to get excited. Not that Hasbro doesn't make good stuff it's just that I feel like if I get liking something Hasbro is just going to ax it. I liked Classics and it got the ax. While I liked the look of Animated I was always afraid it would get the ax before all the characters could get covered or the line could break out to characters not seen in the cartoon. Then Hasbro axed the Robot Heroes line I liked as well.

Just hard to get too excited when you are waiting for the ax to fall on what you like just as it's starting to get into some really good stuff.

 

No I still prefer the Hasbro/Takara figures for 3 reasons:

1. Im properly supporting the franchise.

2. Budget----Most of the 3rd party stuff is expensive for its size and materials compare to Hasbro/Takara products. No denying it and the reasons for it are clear and undeniable. Their cost per unit is much higher than the Toy Juggernauts that are Hasbro and Takara so there prices are much higher and normally out of my price range.

3. In some cases they cause shortages/Higher prices for a figure than would exist if they were not made. The Classic Voyager prime mold would be sought after even with out the Commander Armors. Energon/ROTF Superion not so much as its not that great a combiner with out the upgrade, Bruticus if decent as is but will be better with the upgrades. for both the going rate for them is about doubled already ( The ROTF sets) and the Bruticus set is very hard to find.

I do appreciate what the 3rd party guys are doing with the accessories
they make buy for those reasons i won't but from them.

 

No.

The only 3rd Party product I own so far is the City Commander kit. Don't get me wrong, it's great. But I find most other 3rd Party products are vastly overpriced ($50 add-on for a $30 toy), and certainly not worth the money for what it is you actually get (read every review on the Shadow Warrior).

I think the 3rd Party Add-On/Upgrade thing is more hype than anything. Spending a shit ton of money on sub-par products that don't have to go by industry regulations. You get some gems, but that's only every so often.

At least with HasTak I can somewhat expect what kind of quality is coming with the money I pay out.

 

Because his was f*cked up the ass with bad QC.

 

Not here; no third party stuff will ever be a part of my collection. While I have to admit the CC armor is pretty neat, nothing else since has been all that impressive, to me.

 

I mostly want FP defender, but I am now waiting on the new classics figures this year.

 

N:

Not really. I like what I've seen, but I haven't bought any of the 3rd party Transformer stuff. The Quints were probably the most interesting to me as Transformer-universe characters, but I still didn't buy any.

I have nothing at all against garage kits and fan products. I just haven't found them to be sufficiently interesting to shell out the cash. I have to admit, Robobuz is tempting...but still too much.  

I *have* gotten more into the movie stuff lately. The ROTF line seemed a little lackluster to me, at first, with a few standouts, but it's gotten a lot better. The Legends have gotten particularly good, and the upcoming stuff from Toy Fair looks really cool.

Basically, while some people have been getting bored with ROTF, I'm just starting to get into it.  

 

I don't feel that way at all. I still have that anticipation for Hasbro products, and I'm always taking the opportunity to stop at stores to look for new figures. I have absolutely no interest in third party Transformers products, despite how cool or awesome some of them have looked.

The only third party product I own is the Unicron.com Animated pack with the stasis cuffs, which I will admit I love. Someday I may end up going for the Golden Discs/BW Megatron pack, but I don't see myself buying any other third party stuff.

 

^ This.

I know some people might find it pointless to be strictly loyal to a toy company, but hey, I have no interest in politics or sports, so I have to put my misguided passion somewhere!

And I also quoted what Autobus said about the movie stuff cos that's fairly true. I didn't care about the movie itself, and most of the toys made for it (aside from Leader Prime, the Ice Cream Twins, and the Human Alliance stuff) were lame. But Bludgeon, Lockdown, Brawn, Mindwipe, Skystalker, and the majority of the Scouts, have all been really awesome.

 

No I support the franchise. I will buy add ons, but 3rd party figures a way overpriced for what you get no matter how nice it is.

 

The only third party stuff I have/will get (out of what I know exists) is City Commander, G3 Trailer, and Protector. I think that's all I will ever get (unless FP comes out with their own versions of ROTF Scrapper, Hightower, and Overload, which I'm not sure is very likely)

 

I wouldn't say I anticipate the 3rd party stuff more, but I have been extremely impressed overall with what add on sets have been released thus far and I'm interested in seeing what they do next but honestly for every 3rd party set I buy I'll be buying fifty times that in Hasbro products.

 

Your Loyalty is misguided lol. How does buying an add on kit destroy Hasbro's Product when they have no intention of giving us what we want.
Most of the older fans want accurate toys of our favorite G1 Characters. However, Hasbro has moved on and rightfully so.

G1 was 20 something years ago now and most of the fan base has moved on. However for the few of us that are still searching for that Screen Accurate Bruticus, Devastator, Springer... etc, these Third party manufacturers take care of us.

Look at Hasbro's new Bruticus and compare it to FP's Energon/ROTF Bruticus upgrade. Hasbro has for the most part moved away from the G1 designs and I can't blame them because that time has passed.

It isn't 1984 anymore, its 2010 and they have a new generation of kids to sell to. That is who Hasbro cares about, the kids. Nothing is wrong with that but don't knock the companies that are out there trying to satisfy the needs of us 20 somethings that want these toys and are willing to pay for it.


Hasbro was never going to give us this! easily the best looking Bruticus toy to date. Besides, the ROTF Bruticus was a shelf warmer and eventually was clearanced out at really low prices. If FP would have released this update around the time that set was released, I doubt they would of hit the 10 dollar clearance racks.

I would understand if Fansproject or other Third party companies went after the newer toys hasbro releases. For instance, if they started to make Animated toys that would be in direct competition with hasbro. Hasbro against FP Bulkhead for instance... that would be bad and I probably wouldn't support FP. However, these upgrades are just that, upgrades to toys Hasbro has already made.

Just my 2 cents. I support these custom add on kits. I love Powered Commander, Maiden Japan's R/F Pile Drivers and can't want for the FP Bruticus, Springer toys.

 

I'm a huge fan of most 3rd party products. I don't think I look forward to them more than any Hasbro release, I'm just a big fan of anything that appeals to me.