So just a quick update- figured I'd test the water and throw out a trade thread with a MISB RTS windcharger for an alternator and had a bunch of offers. Which one should I go for as my first? -Grimlock -Hot Rod -Tracks -Jazz (with reprolabels) -silverstreak -Smokescreen -Hound
Jazz Grimlock Hot Rod Might as well get the high value ones first. I put Hot Rod third since there's the slim but real chance of the KO being out there.
I would start with a or both of the Subarus, this was the mould that kicked off the line and is a good indication of what to expect from the others. There are better moulds, and there are worse moulds, but I don't think you'll be disappointed with either Smokescreen or Silverstreak.
I'd say Hot Rod. He was a SDCC exclusive and is therefore probably going to be the hardest to get hold of, also he's one of the best Alternator toys. As for the others: Grimlock was hard to find, at least in my area. In fact I don't recall ever seeing him in stores. But he has a very fiddly transformation and is not the best choice as someone's first Alternator. Tracks and Jazz were both reissued toward the end of the line so they should be pretty affordable and easy to find. And they're both great figures, so I don't think you'll be disappointed if you went with one of them. Silverstreak and Smokescreen are great homage figures and have decent transformations. But they should be even cheaper and easier to find than Tracks and Jazz on account of being legendary shelfwarmers, especially Smokescreen. Your sealed Windcharger is probably worth both of them. Hound is also a great figure. You wouldn't go wrong choosing him. But I'd still give the edge to Hot Rod, just on the basis of his limited availability and greater secondary market value.
The Rodimus/Mirage mold is probably one my favorites from the line. And if you end up getting either version of Rodimus, keep in mind that the exhaust pipes from Cybertron Clocker pop right off and fit perfectly on Roddy's arms. I think the Clocker exhausts look better than the fishing pole version that came with KP Rodimus (IMO).
Yeah, that's a valid point Sure, for some, cost is a large determining factor. For others (especially if this is about all one is collecting), cost is less of a determining factor. Also, it depends on personal taste, as my original post concisely notes that there are differences to the KP HR that I'd think are worth it. If one can't escape the G1 cage of having to have every detail from a G1 design applied to a figure that doesn't necessarily need those details (such as the flame hood that would never be on a production Ford GT40 or the Reprolabels "Martini Racing" details for a vehicle (RX-8) the Martinis never raced), then the Alt is for them. If another likes both a good robot mode and an accurate alt mode (which was one of the selling points of the line), there are other options.
binaltech is better. - you'll notice colour differences between certain parts in alternators while binaltech has a more unified shades of the colour. since alternators have painted areas and others have the plastic moulded with that colour, you'll notice different shades. really crappy especially on alt mode and in this line alt mode is what this line is all about. - colour degradation or sometimes even the sheen degradation is less apparent on binaltech - the diecast parts make the toy feel more... expensive. alternators feel kinda cheap compared to BTs. - the colour scheme and the colours themselves stand out more in binaltechs. - binaltechs do not have the license plates that have US state names on it. to me anyway, that's a plus on the binaltech side. the same appeal the alt license plates has on US peeps has the opposite effect on me. its cheesey looking. - cons: the diecast parts are more prone to chipping during transformation and since it weighs more it affects posability in most moulds. i'll also add that reprolabels on either alt or bt kinda makes em' look cheap and it takes away from the intended look in alt mode and the alt mode is what this line is all about. i like em' stock. no cheap stickers or decals on mine. unless maybe its a custom or doubles, its makes the toy look cheap. Alternator Tracks with its different shades of blue. LOL
But we aren't collecting true to life racing cars which need correct details are we. Some of us are wanting to collect characters from our childhood that are bigger with better articulation. That means having the robots with correct decals is more important than whether Martini raced RX-8's or whether GT40's have flame hoods..... I would imagine most of us have our figures displayed in robot form too meaning it's even less important to have a correct looking 'real' car. Especially if your looking for G1 homage.
Yes, some of us are. In fact, this is one of the things I really like about my G1 84-85 class, as they were accurate to real world vehicles for the most part. While Alt/BT homages G1, it's not a straight 1:1 rip. However, this is just my opinion. People are gonna do what they're gonna do.
