G1 Characters in the Uk

Figures, collectables, customs and collecting.
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Thefallenone
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G1 Characters in the Uk

Post by Thefallenone »

i have only seen Jazz, Starscream, Ultramagnus and powermaster Prime in the UK will more G1 characters be coming out to the Uk?
also will more deceptercons be released (Like Soundwave or the Constructicons)??:eyebrow:
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shanewils
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Post by shanewils »

Don't bet on it

Apart form the one's you've mentioned Hot Rod and Optimus Prime have also been re-issued in the uk. They’re all part of the Hasbro G1 Reissue line which is on series 8 now i believe and a Toys R Us exclusive.

http://tfarchive.com/toys/checklists/ha ... issues.php

The reason we won't see anymore is because toys r us ordered way too many of the one's they got now and because the reissues are aimed at 20 something’s, there not going to appeal to younger kids without a cartoon to support them currently on air. This means that every toy's are us in the UK has a shelf full of Jazz and Starscream. The Toys R Us Big Bosses see this and think "those Transformers aren’t selling very well so we won't bother ordering the rest of them".

In short if you wan any of the others you'll have to get them from t'internet

Hasbro has said that there not planning to reissue Soundwave at present although he is available in the Japanese Takara reissue line.

As far as i know nothings been said about constructicons.
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Post by Denyer »

This isn't news. Please read the news forum rules before posting in there again.
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Post by Cliffjumper »

Peronally, I don't think the problem came from TRU over-ordering, more from the fact that aside from Hot Rod and Op, the reissues themselves were of poor characters.

It probably also didn't help that places like Forbidden Planet and Epic Heroes had the Japanese ones in months ahead, and rather competitively priced.
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Post by Pun-3X »

It REALLY didn't help that they were priced so high to begin with. They are, in my opinion, overpriced out here as it is, so I can only imagine the same would cost in the U.K. Every Japanese reissue I'd gotten were for under $35, save God Ginrai. That's even after shipping. I've only ever gotten two of the E-Hobby exclusives, Black Starscream and "Anime" Streak, which I still paid around $40 or so each.

The TRU reissues price at about $30 and up, with the modifications. Though in some instances the Hasbro ones were better (Starscream molds had tight arms where the Takara ones were loose) it was like paying the same for a safety-modified toy. If I, the fan, wasn't going to buy them for that much domestically, what do you think general or non-collectors were going to pay?
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Post by Denyer »

Originally posted by Cliffjumper
Forbidden Planet [...] competitively priced.
Mmm... anyway, the fact they had them available undoubtedly didn't help TRU, though. People prepared to spend £20-25 quid on a small, fragile display piece are usually prepared to spend a little extra to get something first.
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Post by Cliffjumper »

Originally posted by Denyer
Mmm... anyway, the fact they had them available undoubtedly didn't help TRU, though. People prepared to spend £20-25 quid on a small, fragile display piece are usually prepared to spend a little extra to get something first.


I guess you're arguing with Forbidden Planet having them ompetitively priced, yeh? Well, it's not particularly true of Optimus I suppose, who was generally 2-3 times as much, but for Jazz and Starscream, in FPs I visited, we're talking a difference of £5 for largely unchanged toys in far superior packaging - the the "book" reissue packages really are worth that extra bit, IMHO. Op's always going to be collectable, and most TRUs sold out of him fairly quickly, and considering the amount internet scalpers were marking the TRU reissue up to, the #0 reissue didn't go for much more in FPs and the like...

UK prices... sadly, we get a bit stiffed. Our Transformers are pretty much sold at an equivalent of $1 = £1 - Rodimus Major was sold at £9.99, Autobot Jazz at £29.99 etc.

The prices were cut a few months back, but the problem again stood with competition, and the desirability of the reissues in question... for Series II, by the time Starscream had been cut back to £14.99 [I think he was recently dropped right back to £9.99], the Takara 'anime' Collection release had been out in places like FP and Epic Heroes for £29.99. By the time Apex Op even got here, most people had cleaned up via the huge price cuts on God Ginrai at HLJ; factor into this that PM Op isn't a hugely popular figure [I still maintain it was a very bad choice by Hasbro in the first place, despite being thankful for the fforts to bring something 'new' out] and that the "plain" version [enough for a lot of fans - a polished turd is justa shiny lump of crap :)] is one of the cheapest large Transformers to find, and we have a shelf-warmer. And finally for Jazz, FPs had even started reducing the Takara edition before the TRU version hit the shelves... Also, everything came out a fair while after it had even in the States [Josh Maki sent me a Rodimus Major a fair while before it hit shelves over here].

Part of the problem is that everything over here costs so damn much. I think I got Rodimus as part of a trade, best I can remember, but even if I'd given Josh money and a bit extra for shipping, it probably would have worked out a bit cheaper than the UK release. Granted, that's not the best example, but apply that TFs cost about a third more over here to something a bit pricer [say, Starscream], and you'll see why a lot of UK fans import this sort of thing, be it the Takara or Hasbro versions.

Out of interest, in the US do you get comic/collectable stores importing the Takara editions fairly close to their release? Or is it all mail-order, like BBTS and the like?
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Post by Ultimate Weapon »

Originally posted by Cliffjumper
Out of interest, in the US do you get comic/collectable stores importing the Takara editions fairly close to their release? Or is it all mail-order, like BBTS and the like?


Well it depends on the store. I know that my old import store I used to go to had at least up until #13 Hot Rod on X-mas day. Plus the other ones could have been bought already. Binaltech was available with Grimlock and Swindle as the newest releases. Yet the comic store in the mall only has #8, and BT Sideswipe. Problem with Japanese merchandise is the import tax. So you end up paying $80 for a binaltech, and $50 for a reissue. But at the conventions it's better because the dealers I use have the items for less, like $50 for BT, and $30 for the reissue.
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Post by inflatable dalek »

I don't know what it's like nation wide,but my nearest Forbiden Planet (in Brum) stoped stocking TF's a while ago now...
REVIISITATION: THE HOLE TRUTH
STARSCREAM GOES TO PIECES IN MY LOOK AT INFILTRATION #6!
PLUS: BUY THE BOOKS!
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Post by Thefallenone »

thanks you guys for your help, will the TF cybertron range come with a comic as dreamwave did the last seasons comics ,armada and Energon?? sorry about posting in the wrong section im a new spawn only just activated!

i just heard Predaking is available wahts the suggestion for getting him in the Uk (EBAYS NOT AN OPTION):)
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Post by Denyer »

http://www.hlj.com or http://www.bidbadtoystore.com — or, failing that, you could see if a comics store such as Forbidden Planet would order you one in, but it'd probably cost more than dealing online.

I think there will be a Cybertron comic, but Hasbro are currently trying to resolve the situation with Dreamwave (the company who produced the recent TF comics) having closed.
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Post by Skystream »

Originally posted by Cliffjumper
It probably also didn't help that places like Forbidden Planet and Epic Heroes had the Japanese ones in months ahead, and rather competitively priced.


:eyebrow: Are you sure? I don't know what the FB store is like where you are, but the nearest one to me over-prices just about everything it sells. :glance: In fact, it's quite infamous for being rather expensive. For example, most of the DVDs they sell can be bought for cheaper at Borders or HMV.
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Post by Jdwals »

Hi All. This is my first ever post on this site! What's the expression - long time lurker, first time poster.
Anyway, I'm living in Ireland and to cheer up anyone who thinks they are paying over the odds on the G1 re-issues, this should cheer you lot up!
The only store one store in Ireland that I am aware of the stocks Takara G1 re-issues is the Irish branch of FP. For each standard size reissue (eg - Hot Rod, Hound and such) they are charging a massive 75 euro per figure. At todays exchange rate that is 51 pounds sterling per figure. Considering these guys can be had for as little as 25 euro in the states, that is some price to charge. I have not seen anywhere that stocks the Hasbro reissues as there is no toys'r'us store here and thanks to amazon not selling these outside the US, the only place to get them is online or to fly over there yourself.
The iceing on the cake as far as I am concerned and this might help to explain why G1 does not really interest kids is that our FP also put a sign up on the shelf for their reissues saying that "These are collectors items only. Not for sale to those under 14 years of age". And I kid you not. Maybe trying to justify their high prices.
I can tell you all one thing for sure - if Hasbro had not been silly and handed out an exclusive to toys'r'us, spring loaded missiles or not, their reissues would have flown off the shelves!
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Post by Denyer »

Originally posted by Jdwals
Maybe trying to justify their high prices.
Undoubtedly, although the Japanese reissues also haven't passed US and UK safety law checks so it is partly accurate.

Nevermind that we were swallowing missiles left, right 'n' center as kids... I think it's healthy, personally. Natural selection in action.

Welcome to posting! :)
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Post by Cliffjumper »

I love the way people make up excuses as to why kids don't buy G1. RiD Prowl or Energon Starscream having discernable legs is most likely a factor...

Oh, and TRU were the only ones who wanted the line. This is generally the deal with exclusives. Hasbro don't generally just decide to sell less of a figuer because they hate money. With an assortment like the reissues, they'll see who's interested, and sell it to whoever. If TRU are the only ones who want it, it therefore is a TRU exclusive. While it's slightly reprehensible rhetoric [similar to producing, say, a limited edition CD where the limited edition is roughly the amount you expect to sell anyway - terms like Limited Edition and Exclusive suck like that], it's a fiar business practice. It's not like bloody wolies were begging for the things. They didn't want them because they wouldn't generally appeal to their demographic. TRU can afford to stock a few shelves with slower moving collectables. Woolies just want stock to be gone ASAP, all of it, due to less shelf space.

And please no-one say they have a kid/kid bother/guy in their road who's 5 and plays with a G1 figure, because then you'll have missed the point.
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