I feel that the decline started to happen after the dark of the moon toy line because when I go to pick up my henkei/classics optimus it feels solid but when I pick up a last knight optimus it feels cheap.

 

Honestly as early as 1986, when Hasbro substituted die cast and rubber tires for plastic in series 3 toys. Its been slow and gradual process ever since.

 

I started noticing a difference during the Animated line 10 years ago. Certain figures felt lighter and the plastic had a weird texture. I didn’t notice it again until the Prime line came out. And then it started to become more commonplace.

 

I agree with that. But it seems like there has been a very noticeable decrease in figure feel and quality control over the past 10 years. I left collecting and the fandom entirely in 2007 and returned to it in December 2017. I honestly didn't touch a new TF for over 10 years. The first new figure I purchased was TR Blurr. I immediately noticed a difference in the feel and weight of the toy compared to the TFs of the past as well as floppier joints and a more pronounced use of tabs and slots to keep parts in place after transforming. A lot of the new stuff I've gotten is starting to feel closer to those KO Aerialbots I used to see at Big Lots back in the day as opposed to TFs of the 2007 era. I know the toy companies need to cut costs in order to turn a profit, but i hope the quality doesn't go downhill much further. The flimsier look and feel I can deal with...but I hate the idea of having to fix and fine tune a toy out of the box just to get it to do what it is supposed to do in the first place.

 

I didn't really start noticing a decline in quality until the Fall of Cybertron toyline came out. Everyone from that line felt light and cheap. It also gave us that godawful Bruticus combiner and the amazing FOC Seeker mold.

 

While Im not as aghast as most folks, to me, the FOC line in 2012 started the decline in subtle ways.

Smaller figures than normal there (FOC)
Legends in CW/TR dont have any weapons like T30 legends
T30 /CW/TR have a lot more hollow forearms and shins.
Less of classic "gimmicks" like spring loaded missiles/ parts, lights and sounds only on Metroplex/Fort Max.
Using stickers on larger than deluxe figures. (strange how more expensive figures get them but not cheaper deluxes?)

 

Sounds right on point. lol

 

Another thread that, if I'm not mistaken, was started literally earlier today. For real guys, how many times can Transformers get ruined forever in less than 12 hours.

 

While I strongly disagree that the toys are getting worse, even I'll agree that the FOC line was pretty bad.

But the darkness was soon broken by the dawn. AKA Generations Springer.

 

I'm not a whiny 3rd Party worshiper so this question doesn't compute lmao


FOC was pretty bad tho

 

It happened over 6 years ago, plateaued, and has been clearly and obviously climbing since

 

Yeah, I'd say the Great Encheapening started with the FOC figures, as well.

The designs/engineering themselves have stayed great, and I'd argue have even improved in a lot of ways, but the simple build-quality issues started to decline noticeably around that line for me. That's when the plastic started to get thinner, wheels got attached with pegs instead of pins, more hollow spaces appeared, etc. Or at least that's when I saw the transition start.

 

I'm beginning to turn around on this idea that things have declined. I think they've mostly changed focus.

(That being said, I still think Legends toys declined when they started using more rubbery plastics for Seeker feet after originally using harder plastics...)

 

Another Hasbro is cheap thread. I believe this makes 37556 posts on the subject

 

People seem to forget that there was a huge oil crisis(which is used in plastic) that caused the prices to skyrocket at that time. Thats why the FOC line was so poor. It wasn’t because Hasbro cheapened out, it was all they could do. At that time those figures cost as much to make as those before. And after it was over and things settled a bit, we went back to regular figures in the T30 line like Springer and Blitzwing. Even immedietly before that during the last wave of FOC figures, they repainted all of the Combaticons as the Wreckers all with new heads and they all included additional larger gimmicky weapons, because prices dropped and they afford to put that much plastic back into a single figure.

 

It started going down when they stopped making them completely out of metal and started using plastic.

Also leg articulation is over-rated

 

1985.

 

Oh good. Someone took the evening shift. Was worried we'd have to wait until tomorrow morning.

 

...they were never completely made out of metal and always used plastic parts