Damn. I’m really surprised to be getting this same response from so many people. Getting Sunstreaker and Runamuck around here wasn’t too much trouble, but trying to get Runabout was way too expensive to even consider... Same with Thrust.

 

I would agree with you had prices not been creeping up for the better part of a decade. Let’s also emphasize that we’ve gotten two price hikes in less than 12 months. Rationalizations as to why those price hikes happen aside, at the end of the day these figures are costing a noticeable amount more than they were less than a year ago. When you compound that over multiple purchases, that’s a lot of extra money leaking out of my pocket

A deluxe costs twice as much as they had in 2012. I for one just don’t see twice the value compared to back then. I just don’t. An improvement? Absolutely, but not worth doubling the price. I’m at the point where I’m having trouble rationalizing these price point ls long-term, especially if the economic kerfuffle we’re in now will last more than just a few more months.

In the before times, I would have happily shelled out $16.99 or $19.99 for an obscure character or trying out a Gen Selects figure just because it caught my fancy. Or I would buy a repaint that was slightly more accurate. With these new price hikes? Forget it. Even some main line stuff may start to get nixed off my purchase list

 

Heck, you can even go back to CW where it was still around $15. The jump in quality from then to now is massive

 

I had the exact same first thought as @Robogeek28. Why not repack Earthrise Trailbreaker or Sunstreaker instead of Wheeljack for a 4th time? Especially Trailbreaker.

As a completely separate sidenote, why the hell does every TFW2005 thread devolve into a debate on the rising costs of the figures?

The cost of these figures is what it is. Either accept it or don't. If you don't accept it, then maybe it's time to stop buying if the cost is uncomfortable for you. But for the love of God, PLEASE stop bitching and arguing. At the end of the day, these items are a luxury. A fun distraction. A hobby. And if the cost is making you unhappy, then it might be time to reevaluate.

 

Another Wheeljack???

 

I've been skimming this thread so apologies if it's already been mentioned but could it be that Hasbro is going to give Legacy Wheeljack the SS86BB treatment? As we all now know, they are listening to fan feedback  

 

It's been said before here, but I'd absolutely have a laugh if they give this Wheeljack a pair of swords and say he's from the Prime universe 

 

Dollar value increases are always going to freak people out. If you went back in time and told yourself deluxes would be nearing $30, I feel like you would freak. Not to mention, i feel that targetting the game tie in toys is a bit of a bad comparison. Most people, I’d imagine, are thinking more along the lines of a standard Universe/Classics figure. Thrilling 30s was kind of the start of the trajectory people didn’t like, and the video game toys laid the bricks.


Ultimately, I do understand the perspective that sees these price hikes as necessary. Toys like Blaster here also show that concessions are being made for the customer to some degree. Going back to what I said before, you’d probably freak if you told your past self you’d be getting a good Blaster. It’s just getting really surreal to pay 4x to 5x the cost to maintain the level of collecting I do.

 

If they were going to give us the same ER Wheeljack release so many times couldn't they have at least given him a car mode more like what his Authentics figure got and made him a proper white color?

 

Maybe an extra '0' found its way in there when they placed the order for the weird off-white plastic he's made of and they're trying to use it all up?

 

I have to really disagree here; if you're comparing the WFC era to now those things were larger, more solid, and still as well articulated and detailed as the stuff coming out now (can't vouch for Soundwave but Cliff/Bee, Optimus, and even Megatron all hold up today). I'd go farther and say the majority of Generations 2010-2011 and RTS hold up to todays standards with easily more bang for the buck. If we were comparing to 2012 or MAYBE even DOTM as an overall line I'd agree, but that 2010-2011 era still remains one of the strongest eras we've gotten (ignoring subjective preferences of slavish accuracy vs modernized updates).

 

Regardless of the quality, I still want all the cassettes, regular plastic would be nice thou.

 

Then again, there's still that Armada Prime prototype that Takara made years ago. Last time we heard, they haven't scrapped it; just waiting for the right moment.

 

The articulation compared to that era is better, undoubtedly, but the toys now feel less solid and practically every other figure has a big issue that either brings it down significantly or will just downright break your figure. And to be honest, the articulation increases just aren't super impactful. Outside of cases where it severely hurt the figure, before Siege I don't think I'd ever been upset a figure doesn't have ankle rockers, and rotating wrists are a nice thing to have but not mandatory. The use of paint is better, but when it comes to figures with a big piece of translucent plastic, so much of that paint budget goes towards covering them so that the top of a car actually looks like a car.

 

Leakers have said that version of Prime has been scrapped. They couldn't find a good price point for it.

 

Haslab tho

 

just quoting this post where someone calls a guy a dumbass for not being able to get an exclusive, but also because i rebuked him and accused him
of working for hasbro or a retailer because of his pattern for only making similar posts, my post got deleted for being insulting. just so we're all clear you can only be a jerk if you're defending bad business practices against consumers.

 

Could happen, although there are no plans for it. It was from the same leakers that leaked Victory Saber, so it might be they just don't have a next HasLab planned out yet.

 

Meaning what? A minuscule addition that would be ever so slightly more cartoon accurate?

Nahhhh

 

Maybe they made to many Wheeljacks....?