With MP Soundwave landing in American TRUs, figured I'd give a heads up to our Hong Kong peeps (or anyone with connects/potentially visiting there). The Hong Kong Toys R Us page is showing info for Hasbro MP Soundwave and MP Acid Storm. For both, it's stated "Star Card Members Only: Arriving August 1st! Pre-order now and get an extra 500 star points!; Exclusive to Toys R Us". Guess that means Star Card members (their loyalty program) get to pre-order(?). Transformers movie toys - Hong Kong TOYS"Я"US Prices: Soundwave: $1399.9 HKD [approx $180 USD] SKN# 832157 Acid Storm: $799.9 HKD [approx $103 USD] SKN# 832149 While those prices do seem kind of crazy (and backwards considering it's Asia), keep in mind MP-10 Optimus Prime last year cost $1099.9 hkd = $141 usd. And it friggin' shelfwarmed. This was the scene @ HK TRUs November last year (while collectors in North America were scrambling to get even one, and scalpers were raking it in): Mods pls move or delete if required
Yet another magnificent job by TRU. I will admit that I like the idea of a preorder for card member (a service not offered in Canada) the idea that a GIANT toy selling monster like TRU that has been around for decades cannot figure out how many units to order and where they would be best allocated is really depressing especially on item that they go out of their way to make sure no one else can sell. I no longer want to a toys r us kid.
Just curious... are they still shelfwarming there? or are they all gone? I wonder if China as a whole is the same...
Those Hong Kong prices seem pretty much the same as UK prices. Either way, Hasbro charges us a little more than US buyers :/
Yes, it took months for all the Optimus Prime figures to filter out of the TRU where I'm at. Understand that they stock walls of these things when they get them though. Asian TRU are more like what us 80's kids were used to back in the day. They don't just get a couple of something. They get a pallet. The first Wall o' Prime I saw was probably 12 feet high. Tamashii, Ultraman, and Gundam fans would shit their pants at my local TRU. I don't like Optimus Prime but seeing him month after month while everyone else was feeling hopeless, I figured I'd get one maybe to sell later. Everything is more expensive though.
Damn, I can't drive to a TRU for $23... It shipping wouldn't kill the deal, I'd almost pay someone in China to get me one.
I actually posted about maybe getting some Primes for folks but when I told them they were going for over $150 here so with Shipping it might push the price close to $190 people guffawed like that was a rip-off (things like "haw haw, I got mine for $90"). So i was like "ohhh man, the China price really sucks" and didn't offer it again. I was new to the boards so I was quick to cave to those haters. I don't know what I'll do with Soundwave. He's considerably more expensive than Prime was. I know by the time he hits secondary market again the TRU price will feel like a good deal.
Wow....kinda backwards that you guys get a glut of pallets, drowning you in shelfwarmers. While we can barely get a box to show up at TRUs here in the US, and end up making some sell their dignity just to get a figure.
all those Primes, and I still don't have one. I'd pay that higher price at retail, but I'm not paying the inflated price he is going for now
They actually do sell them all eventually. Like I said, it's more like old school 80s era toy stores were in the West. They actually get enough of something that you don't feel like you're never going to see it again if you don't buy it now now now.
Yup, "no good deed goes unpunished" as they say. You were just trying to help people out, not making a single cent and get chided by some ignorant a-holes. Good luck to anyone trying to get MP-10 for $190 shipped in today's secondary market. Back on topic: if I strike out here in Canada over the next few weeks, may just bite the bullet and get it at HK retail. My brother lives in HK and is coming over end of Sept, so I got some time. Sidenote: will edit my OP to emphasize the pics are old
I'd love to get my hands on one. My uncle visits his parents annually... I'd like to ask him to check out a TRU for me while there, but I'm starting to think it would be a bother. Oh well.