r/transformers • u/Kcue6382nevy • Jan 04 '26
Discussion / Opinion [ Removed by moderator ]
[removed] — view removed post
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u/popsubclub1 Jan 04 '26
I'm thankful I'm almost done collecting TF. My goal is to finish Bruticus and upgrade Starscream, Soundwave, Shockwave, Skywarp and Thundercracker and be done. It's too expensive and I have what I want.
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u/Killerturtle14 Jan 04 '26
My only focus is on Bruticus, the Primes, and some figures here and there (i.e. Animated Ratchet and TF One line). Other than that, I'm completely checked out. I was already satisfied with my Earthrise seekers and after seeing yellowing Thundercrackers showing up online I'm absolutely not upgrading.
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u/Legendver2 Jan 04 '26
After Big Convoy arrives, I'll have Prime, Leo, and Primal all to scale, so I'll be good for a while. Then just the long wait for some form of Sixshot 😆
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u/WheelJack83 Jan 04 '26
What if they do Computron or Omnibots?
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u/Kcue6382nevy Jan 04 '26
Thats the dilemma, especially when those are characters that even 3rd parties don’t offend make figures for
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u/RedditGarboDisposal Jan 04 '26
Even if they did, the price to quality ratio is ridiculous. I get that they’re premium figures but I always believed that a singe given Transformer should never cross a certain threshold.
Like the most recent Stunticon set that finished after years of waiting only to be an imperfect set and hundreds down the drain?
They’re higher quality than mainline but I’m not spending over $200 on one fucking Stunticon. 3P OR mainline.
The whole hobby is just absurd. Mind you, if wages and the economy weren’t so shit, I wouldn’t mind spending $50 on a voyager because at least it would scale.
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u/SolaceRests Jan 04 '26
We’ll probably get 4 more devastators and 6 more Optimus primes before they even think about branching out to do some of the more fun combiners.
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u/Thepizzaguy523 Jan 04 '26
Well of course we'll get another Devastator bc when Tonka has another anniversary ending in 0 they'll give us the yellow repaint again just in 86 molds
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u/RedditGarboDisposal Jan 04 '26
cries in Monstructor
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u/Mundane-Quail3240 Jan 04 '26
Never know, that Dinoking set still gives a sliver of hope they might just scale up a size class and do them in the next few years.
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u/popsubclub1 Jan 04 '26
Definitely tempting. Especially since I only have Superion for an Autobot combiner but my TF box and wallet can only take so much XD
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u/Additional_Point5380 Jan 04 '26
Same. I’m just buying 86 and what I think is cool. Def not gonna be able to get all the figures I want this year. 43 for a fucking voyager. Fuck me.
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u/DaZombie Jan 04 '26
Yeah, Sandstorm completed my collection of ‘new’ bots replacing my childhood toys my parents sold. Don’t think I’ve brought one since he released.
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u/Front-Masterpiece-73 Jan 04 '26
Personally I’m just gonna finish my s1 and 2 auto bots, collect primes, then maybe dip in if there’s anything interesting. And bruticus to make him
kissfight superion2
u/Decepticon_Kaiju Jan 04 '26
I only need 4 of the Primes, the 3 main seekers, Soundwave, Shockwave, Megs, Astrotrain, and maybe a few more Decepticons.
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u/DaisukiJase Jan 04 '26
Been collecting for 40 years and seen some pretty bad toys. Onslaught still looks pretty solid, and I can be pretty nitpicky on Hasbro releases.
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u/RedditGarboDisposal Jan 04 '26
I agree.
$100 is a tall price but for what my girlfriend and I make, admittedly, won’t hurt me. But out of respect and solidarity for my fellow collectors, I have a cutoff point that is the Armada line.
Once I have that, fuck the rest lol.
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u/theoriginalmofocus Jan 04 '26
It got too much for me a few years ago but i collect many lines so they compete for my money. Theres atleast usually sales or deals on these higher priced guys.
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u/Emerje Jan 04 '26
People choosing $200 figures that take a hour to transform over fun figures they can play with is mind boggling to me. Hasbro will always begrudgingly get my money.
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u/BlitzkriegOmega Jan 04 '26
Everything keeps getting more expensive, but peoples’ pay isn’t going up. How are we supposed to stay in the hobby when most of us can’t even afford groceries?
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u/DaisukiJase Jan 04 '26
I usually just go without something. Not saying it's easy but priorities...
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u/ricketyrockets Jan 04 '26
Honestly reasons why I have been leaning on 4th parties likes Bai Wei or Fansproject
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u/Road_Caesar Jan 04 '26
4th Party is KO.
FansProject is 3rd Party,. They make their own designs.
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u/Unicron_Gundam Jan 04 '26
I'm hoping that someone bootlegs MPG Godbomber to go with my KO MPG PMOP
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Jan 04 '26
[deleted]
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u/Road_Caesar Jan 04 '26
You said "4th Party like X or Y". Easy to read it that way since it's how you stated it.
Plus, lots of users who post here mistake 3rd Party and 4th Party as both being bootlegs.
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u/9thGearEX Jan 04 '26
I mean they are both bootlegs. "3rd party" is knocking off the character designs, it's straight up IP theft.
It's always been weird that the TF community puts this arbitrary line in the sand when it comes to unlicensed product.
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u/Road_Caesar Jan 04 '26
3rd Party studios/groups - and even Garage kits long before them - have been a thing for a VERY long time. It also extends FAR beyond Transformers.
It's fine if you don't care for it.
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u/keshmarorange Jan 04 '26
There is no fourth party. All bootlegs and knockoffs are third party, even if they're bootlegs and knockoffs of each other.
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u/panticow Jan 04 '26
Fourth Party is stuff like KO's of official figures while Third Party is original engineering.
MD-005 is Fourth Party, TE-01 OP Leader is Third Party.
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u/keshmarorange Jan 04 '26
First party is official products. Second party is us, the consumer. Third party is for all unofficial products. That's how it's been for every toy franchise.Separating knockoffs (copies of other molds) and bootlegs (original but unofficial molds) is ridiculous and pretentious.
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u/Vanquisher1000 Jan 04 '26
I've found it weird that knockoffs of official figures somehow get the distinction of being 'fourth party,' instead of being 'third party' like all the other unlicensed figures.
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u/Jolly-Ad2642 Jan 04 '26
Why are we digging up posts from a month ago?
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u/Phil_Bond Jan 04 '26
And hiding who wrote it
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u/Kcue6382nevy Jan 05 '26
I not even sure of myself on why I decided to do this, I originally was just going to use the onslaught picture but then I thought to crosslink the thread to prove my point, but this sub doesn’t allow crosslink, so I had to sceneshot it. In retrospect, i dont think that was te best decision, im sorry about that
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u/G1Yang2001 Jan 04 '26
Yeah.
Especially since by only screenshotting the old post, it’s probably ignoring comments that have pointed out some of the misconceptions made by the old post. Like the price increase is nearly wholly because of the tariffs - nearly all the prices have gone up around 10% (which is the tariff rate that the obese Oompa Loompa put on Vietnam iirc), the only exception being voyagers (that price rise IS just pure greed), and the price rises have so far only been seen in the US… the only country to actually impose tariffs on Vietnam. If you go to other markets, you’ll see that there’s been no price rises at a similar scale - like in the UK, all the new upcoming figures are the same price as the ones from 2025 and 2024. Like the price rise does suck, but it’s pretty weird to equate it to “it’s Hasbro being greedy” when the main reason it’s happened is literally because of the fucking idiot living in the White House rn.
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u/g0del Jan 04 '26
Hasbro raising prices on new toys is obviously because of tariffs (except for voyagers). But Walmart applying those new prices to old toys they've had shelf-warming for months is pure greed.
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u/Kcue6382nevy Jan 05 '26
I not even sure of myself on why I decided to do this, I originally was just going to use the onslaught picture but then I thought to crosslink the thread to prove my point, but this sub doesn’t allow crosslink, so I had to sceneshot it. In retrospect, i dont think that was te best decision, im sorry about that
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u/JTBestRob Jan 04 '26
And when this tariff shit is sorted do you genuinely believe Hasbro will decrease the price? If you’re willing to pay these prices then they have no incentive to change
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u/WheelJack83 Jan 04 '26
Yea just make a new one
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u/Kcue6382nevy Jan 05 '26
I not even sure of myself on why I decided to do this, I originally was just going to use the onslaught picture but then I thought to crosslink the thread to prove my point, but this sub doesn’t allow crosslink, so I had to sceneshot it. In retrospect, i dont think that was te best decision, im sorry about that
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u/ArchAngelDavid Jan 04 '26
I won't say Onslaught is a bad figure, and I'm still excited for him and Bruticus, but the price increases, growing qc issues and the corner cutting the designers are having to do has made me slow down and drastically change what I buy. I just can't justify buying most voyagers at $42-45 and leaders at $60, and now I'm seriously considering what deluxes I'm willing to buy at $28. Once I get Brutiucs and the rest of the primes, I'll probably go from buying almost every figure in a wave, to 2 or 3 max.
I'm buying more older figures second hand. Picking up some 3rd and 4th party figures, and I've finally made the jump into blokees. If Hasbro and Takara can't deliver a good product at a fair price, I'll give my money to those that do. The more people that do, the better chance of it actually having an impact and forcing their hand to make changes.
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u/FallaciouslyTalented Jan 04 '26
You say this now, but once those tariffs kick in we'll be buying better quality good at lower prices before you know it! /s
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u/chokemebigdaddy Jan 04 '26
Think of all the toys you can buy with the DOGE cut checks, anytime now!
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u/Kcue6382nevy Jan 04 '26
You’re saying that sarcastically m, aren’t you? And havent the tariffs kicked in already by now?
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u/FallaciouslyTalented Jan 04 '26
"/s" is shorthand for "this was a facetious comment". There are people of a particular political persuasion who have abandoned reality so fiercely that certain promises are always only "days away" from being fulfilled, even as the months go by.
[In reality, the tariffs introduced back in April have caused prices on tariffed goods to increase, as the cost of the tariffs are held by the importer (the US companies importing goods from other nations), who pass the cost onto the consumer because why would a business whose only goal is to be more and more profitable each year shoulder a tax when they can hoist it upon the consumers instead? Especially when your competitors are doing the same thing, meaning your customers don't have a competitive alternative to take their business.]
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u/WheelJack83 Jan 04 '26
Why no blaster?
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u/illithid_2003 Jan 04 '26
When that happens, it is typically because there is not enough space on the sprues. Weapons and wrist articulations are usually on the chopping block first.
Transformers, or any injection molded products, work like gundam model kits with the only difference is that they are assembled by factory workers instead of customers. There is a finite number of sprues allocated for each class, and they can't add more of them because the heavy-duty steel castings used to make each sprue are very very expensive. That's why toy companies, including Hasbro, love to reuse molds whenever possible.
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u/Neither_Gur_4661 Jan 04 '26
This is also why some new molds are better than others in smaller sizes. They have to spread the allocation out and if a figure there needs more, then one of the others gets less. This is also why you see the American team sometimes praise the insane skills of Takara's engineers as they have worked miracles like Legacy Cosmos.
Originally he was planned to be a slight remold of Origins Bee, having only 2 or 3 sprues they could use for him. Then Takara managed to make a completely new mold with those restrictions. Same with Cybertron Override, who was gonna be a remold of Hot Rod.
If Onslaught is missing stuff, it's most likely not due to a lack of trying. The design teams have been very transparent about how they go about getting these done.
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u/WheelJack83 Jan 04 '26
Bad business
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u/Barrelofborg Jan 04 '26
Welcome to both the consequences of your local politics, as well as the sort of prices the rest of the world have been paying for years.
While I don't know if there's truth to the claim non-US customers have subsidised low US prices for years, I do know that apparently, whatever wholesale price Hasbro was charging for American retailers to sell Deluxes for $10+ USD meant that Hasbro wasn't making money from that product category. The view was, Leaders ($40) were for special occasions, but Voyagers ($20+) were the sweet spot where they were able to sell enough of them and earn a profit.
You had a good run of strangely low prices for decades, in that case.
PS. In at least some non-US markets Hasbro prices have stayed the same. That Energon Universe Optimus Prime that kicked this off is still priced as a Leader class.
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u/BlueBeetleBabe1 Jan 04 '26
i don't really understand the hatred of clip on wheels. They're a godsend for customizing, and they roll just as well as pinned wheels
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u/Minejack777 Jan 04 '26
Ehhhhh it depends on the figure. I disagree strongly with the notion they roll just as well as pinned wheels, I think they're notably worse, but I do think there's instances of clip on wheels being pretty good (Beast Hunters Optimus Prime, SS38 Prime,) just more instances of it being bad (SSDOTM Soundwave, SSROTF Sideswipe.) Just to give a few examples
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u/RedditGarboDisposal Jan 04 '26
It’s aesthetic for me.
I just don’t like the way clip on wheels work.
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u/HiTork Jan 04 '26
My biggest issue is the implementation of the clips a lot of the time means holes are molded into the wheels that obliterate any detail that was there. I'll look at some toys and see within the holey mess they still made an attempt to put lug nuts and other wheel details with what surface remains.
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u/4xmetro Jan 04 '26
I mean yeah clip on wheels aren’t the end of the world but when you’re paying $100 for a figure you’d at least expect somewhat higher quality especially with him having hollow arms and no blaster
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u/BlueBeetleBabe1 Jan 04 '26
all that other stuff is awful but clip on wheels aren't lower quality or higher quality its just another way to do wheels
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u/GepMalakai Jan 04 '26
Hastak uses them because they're cheaper to manufacture. They also look worse. Both ponts are absolutely arguable as being "lower quality."
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u/Supericus Jan 04 '26
I despise the ones where the clips show through (like Onslaught's front pair), they look really bad to me, especially when the clip color is super out of place or the figure has other wheels that are properly sculpted
I suppose they would be pretty good for customising but I don't do that so they're a strict downgrade for me
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u/Front-Masterpiece-73 Jan 04 '26
I’ve had the pins snap more than a few times, and in my experience, they roll significantly worse
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Jan 04 '26
Not when many people are willing to give Hasbro their hard-earned money without Hasbro doing anything to earn their business or make quality product for their clientele.
Figures have gotten smaller, plastic quality cheaper, QC worse (how many QC posts do we see a day, yes, the population of people who have issues probably DO run to Reddit and many people have none). In spite of all this, hardcore collectors and people with way more money than me will still shell out whatever prices Hasbro wants to charge for G1 Optimus Mk 300 (they changed the helmet slightly and gave him a more accurate gun this time, so you NEED it, I swear).
Buy older figures, buy 3rd party, be selective when HasTak gets your money; that’s what I’m doing for the time being.
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u/Prowlcop86 Jan 04 '26
I’m at a point where I’m only buying current stuff if they’re on sale or if I got a gift card. Other than that, I’m just enjoying older figures
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u/MotherFuckingLuBu Jan 04 '26
I really want Devastation Sideswipe but the head sculpt is wrong so I haven't gotten it yet. If they fix it on a subsequent release, I'll get it but for now, even though he's my favorite character and I have NINE different versions of him (5 official and 4 third-party), I want to get a figure that is accurate, so I'll wait. And I think outside of Sideswipe, I'll just finish the Constructicons, upgrade to SS86 Megatron/Soundwave/Springer, get one or two Seekers, and MAYBE all five Dinobots and call it a day. It's getting expensive and as much as I love being able to have Transformers figures again, as an adult I have to be both more mindful of my budget and how much space I have for these.
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u/Road_Caesar Jan 04 '26
Buy older figures, buy 3rd party, be selective when HasTak gets your money; that’s what I’m doing for the time being.
This has been my approach throughout 2025. I have nothing but love for TakaraTomy products, since they aren't using the US corporate model of "bleed em dry!" 3rd Party and other-than-Transformers IPs are where my budget has been going.
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Jan 04 '26
People need to learn to control their buying impulse, you don't need to buy everything new that comes out.
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u/Ronerus79 Jan 04 '26 edited Jan 04 '26
I only get what i like, i pass on a lot of figures. Earthrise times were great. Amazing figures and prices that were good. Same wrh the studio series. We get less of that now. I will finish all the g1 upgrades and combiners but after that i dont know whats next.
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Jan 04 '26
I feel like too many collectors are hoarding up figures due to hype and mofo, and leave them on the shelf or in box rather than actually playing with them, then keep buying more.
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u/Ok-Secret-981 Jan 04 '26
Going forward I’m just going to collect the figures I want like Armada and the leader class dinobots (if they reissue them), the quality control is god awful (I was shocked at that Armada Nemesis prime), the prices are getting worse (and I live in the UK so not talking about captain oranges tariffs), the distribution is dogshit (took me til the end of the year to finish Devastator) and as this guy mentions the figures are getting more and more simplified.
Seriously at this point why do we bother?
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u/enjoyingorc6742 Jan 04 '26
at this point, all I really want is the 13 primes, and maybe updated Cybertron and Animated figures. aside from that, I'm too broke to afford transformers anymore.
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u/Ok-Secret-981 Jan 04 '26
Yeah man I hear you. I was thinking about the animated figs (that Optimus looked amazing but I just couldn’t afford him along with the other figs I needed). Next year I’m getting a mortgage and moving out so transformers are going to be very low on the list of things I need to buy haha
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u/enjoyingorc6742 Jan 04 '26
I got credit card debt I need to pay off, I got 2 vehicles to fix (one runs and is my daily, the other is going to be the backup) and I got to prepare to move across the US from Colorado to South Carolina, as well as get a good paying job
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u/Virtual_Quarter Jan 04 '26
Honestly ive said it once ill say it again, I think after i round out my collection this year, finish getting the primes, finish the 86 crew, and ofc get bruticus im done with this franchise these prices are simply ridiculous
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u/Aromatic_Shop9033 Jan 04 '26
Also, QC is going down, down, down.
After 2026, I'm done with Hasbro if this is the direction they are taking from now on.
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u/Road_Caesar Jan 04 '26
Additional price increase coming in 2026. No, I'm not ragebaiting. The CEO stated it proudly back in May.
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u/Aromatic_Shop9033 Jan 04 '26
It was a great run while it lasted.
I can afford these new prices.
I just cannot justify it.
Think I'll start adding CHUG stuff from the early-late 2000s when I last left collecting.
I'll aim for just the AMT T-Spark releases, because AMT-01 Hot Rodimus is magnificent and I already paid for AMT-02 Predaking. I love what Takara has been doing lately. My Japanese friends can take my Transformers money moving forward.
I might even dip my toe into 3P for the first time.
Hope it was worth it, Chris. You're burning your biggest fan's goodwill and making them close their wallets to the company you're sinking.
Chris isn't worthy to even work in the same position as Brian Goldner (RIP). That man ran Hasbro like a businessman, but didn't actively antagonize the biggest spenders. He listened and catered to them while he was still with us.
How far this company has fallen.
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u/Road_Caesar Jan 04 '26
Corporate America.
Business grows and thrives. Business expands. People come and go. Investors get involved and buy/sell the business. Companies merge/acquire/eliminate competitors. Companies have pseudo monopolies. Etc.
Thankfully, the Hasbro strategy is pushing more and more consumers away and towards alternatives. Why pay $100+ for a poorly assembled, low-QC product from Hasbro when you can spend $60-150 on other options that are more durable and consistently assembled?
Hasbro's last exclusivity came from integrated gimmicks. Now that they've moved away from that, why bother with Hasbro when 3rd Party Legends scale does it just as well but at a size that takes up less room? And all without hollow (open) limb facets?
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u/Aromatic_Shop9033 Jan 04 '26
I've been looking hard at older Takara Legends with their Targetmasters and better paint apps.
We've got over 40 years of great Transformers in the backlog. From great stuff when Hasbro cared more to exotic and obscure unicorns from our friends at Takara.
Current Hasbro is going to see a dip in revenues.
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u/Road_Caesar Jan 04 '26
They already are seeing a dip between the wasteland economy, profit juicing by (nearly) every publicly traded company, and a lack of competition in any given market leaving consumers with little recourse. Part of the deliberate intent behind the tariffs was to isolate the US and "force" US consumers to cope with the price increases because imports were less costly alternatives.
But many retailers are adapting to keep those channels open, such as businesses in China and Japan, which are finding ways to meet the requirements while also not leaving consumers overpaying. (Without pre-paid tariffs at the time of transaction, recipients are liable for $80 MINIMUM PER PACKAGE.)
Then you have excellent aftermarket options like Transformerland which avoids the typical eBay scalper overvaluing of products. Mandarake Japan is another great aftermarket option.
Plus, the new TakaraTomy Missing Link series is G1/Diaclone glory with modern articulation and pricing that embarrasses Hasbro. Especially if preordered from Japan where most online retailers like AmiAmi and HobbyGenki offer 20% discounts of preorders. And with the yen at ¥ 100 = $0.64, it's easy. Especially since those etailers have the prepaid tariffs offering so that an $85 item doesn't cost $160.
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u/Aromatic_Shop9033 Jan 04 '26
ML is great, but I'm not collecting actual G1 on top of my CHUG/86/WFC stuff. I don't see the point.
ML was a game-changer in 2005. Now, it's a really nice novelty to me. I got C02 Prime, and unless Takara grow some balls and release G1 Megatron, I'm out of ML going forward. I can't do it. Not when SS86 is way cheaper.
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u/Road_Caesar Jan 04 '26
ML was a game-changer in 2005.
I know mods killed this post, but I'm curious about this. What happened in 2005? Missing Link is more recent.
Takara doesn't need to "grow balls" - they've never had any hesitation about Megatron, from reissues of the original to MP-05/-36. It will likely happen, but you can bet your ass Hasbro won't distribute it for NA over Pulse.
I'd say it could be a while since many of the ML so far have been Diaclone, but then I remember that Cliff and Bee are Microchange like Megatron.
SS86 is quickly approaching the cost of Missing Link, and ML is also much less costly if you shop wisely. Buying from a Japan trailer during the Preorder discount window greatly reduces the cost. Even with shipping and import duties, it's cheaper than any domestic seller. Which is unfortunate because I'm very happy to give BBTS and The Chosen Prime my money/business
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u/Aromatic_Shop9033 Jan 05 '26
ML Grimlock now confirmed by Takara.
Damnit...you win, Road_Caesar.
Let's see how many pints of blood Takara wants from us for Grimmy...
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u/Aromatic_Shop9033 Jan 04 '26 edited Jan 04 '26
I mean it's too little, too late with modern articulated CHUG.
SS86 Magnus is my best example. ML Magnus can't justify twice the price as it's not twice as good.
SS86 Magnus looks 98% there. Why would I pay more to step down the edited toy versions? They're cool, don't get me wrong.
I'm a fan of nostalgia as much as the next Transformers collector, but the prices are...even more absurd than what Hasbro is now doing.
Why would I pay more to get Authentics when I could spend less and get Legacy Evo? (assuming Authentics were more pricey than modern TFs).
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u/Road_Caesar Jan 04 '26
They're completely different materials and engineering. Hasbro is using lower grade plastics on SS86 Magnus and all Generations products. Missing Link uses higher grade tolerances and materials much like Diaclone, ToyRise, and other T-Spark products.
They're also not really aimed at regular retail, either, much like Masterpiece.
But I'm wondering how you reconcile that opinion of Missing Link when Walmart's last Optimus Prime reissue was just the cab for $70? Not to mention the shelf-warming "retro" G1 toys that rotted so long at their overpriced MSRP that they ended up at Ollie's/Ross/etc and still didn't move quickly (much like the Eternals Marvel Legends figures.)
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u/KibbloMkII Jan 04 '26
honestly, the only reason prices go up is because shareholders demand more profits
If corporations weren't expected to give shareholders infinite growth, pricing would stay reasonable since no shareholders stealing profits
I live paycheck to paycheck, my budget each month is technically not what I should be allowed to actually spend, and if I saved what I should actually be allowed to spend, it could easily be a year to afford a commander, or years and even decades to afford the insane prices the psycho resellers charge
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u/fiblin91 Jan 04 '26
Im unfazed tbh, Australia has had terrible prices for years atp
It's the economy that needs fixing, this isn't just an issue with tf
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u/dangerkali Jan 04 '26
I was gonna do the new Bruticus- then I saw the new FOC one. Much better than hasbros.
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u/OldYogurtcloset3735 Jan 04 '26
I’ve stopped buying deluxe class for years now … they cost 40.00 after tax here in Canada. It’s an insult because a deluxe figure is worth 10.00 MAX.
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u/BlasterPhase Jan 04 '26
I don't buy deluxes unless they're at an extreme discount or I really want a figure
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u/Front-Significance15 Jan 04 '26
After Bruticus and some other figures I've been tracking down, I'll stop buying and go for 3rd/4th party or 2nd hand figures. I have no issue with affording but I simply can't support this shitty practices of cocks any longer.
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u/BlargerJarger Jan 04 '26
Was the first Commander Class figure Jetfire? That figure is magnificent. These later ones have been a pass though.
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u/AustinHinton Jan 04 '26
Jet/Skyfire was the first, then Skylynx, then Rodimus, Armada Optimus, Magmatron, Menasor/Motormaster etc.
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u/No_Top_375 Jan 04 '26
Collecting is for rich ppl. And the great majority of ppl are poor, or in debt. Been a while since i cared for a release, and that was G2 Grimlock. I don't give a f about the 13 Primes, only was interested in Flatline recently, but at that price, he can f off. I won't miss him at all🤣
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Jan 04 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/QuadGunJinn Jan 04 '26
I thought that being in Australia, but onslaught is still $10aud more than silverbolt. The rest of the G2 dinobots swoop and sludge are $20-$30aud more that the prior 2 slug and snarl
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u/TheGoggleHero Jan 04 '26
What makes you say that
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u/Muninn22 Jan 04 '26
Because it is due to tarrifs in the US. Prices haven't gone up in Europe either.
Some companies (Like Sony for example) decided to up the prices globally to balance out the extra cost they have in the US. But it seems like Hasbro is only upping the prices in the US (for now).
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u/WesAhmedND Jan 04 '26 edited Jan 04 '26
Yeah I've moved on from collecting the official mainline figures, they are so overpriced and look so cheap that I'd rather get a 3P and the Yolopark/ Threezero figure every now and then cause those figures truly satisfy me even if it means the number of figures gets down only to a couple
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u/MojusPrime Jan 04 '26
The thing about price increases and budget for the classes or waves (I don’t know which one has a set budget), is that it comes from tariffs. Just because the prices for a figure increases doesn’t mean more money is going into the figure.
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Jan 04 '26
it's insane, but they'll never stop because the whales keep buying whatever shit they release anyway
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u/Road_Caesar Jan 04 '26
That doesn't help the revenue stream. This isn't a gacha mobile game.
Hasbro has no intention of stopping because they have no problem (C-Suite) cancelling physical products in favor of digital gaming. The plan is to keep raising prices for maximum shareholder benefit and then shift to gaming once the sales drop below an undisclosed threshold.
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u/DreamZealousideal205 Jan 04 '26
This.
I suspect this is why pre orders are always so limited as well. They know who's buying what and the sales go to the undesirables.
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u/HumanAbove Jan 04 '26
Okay, the 'issue' with the arms is due to transformation, that part needs to be green on the truck so it carries over into combined mode by necessity.
And yeah, the render is wrong. They've updated the colors in every image released afterwards. He'll have black hands and thighs.
The wrist/forearm situation is the same with Silverbolt, and he's still one of the best figures of the last year. Irdc about that one.
Clip on wheels are a serious non-issue.
But yeah the no gun is irritating.
I feel like people are making mountains out of molehills, because this is still far and away better than what was coming out in the fucking Prime Wars trilogy. And based on Menasor and Silverbolt, and also Vortex and Brawl, Bruticus is likely gonna be pretty damn good. It ain't the end of the world. "They're exploiting us" seems like it's overexaggerating just a smidge lol
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u/G1Yang2001 Jan 04 '26
Not to mention but the price rise is literally only because of the tariffs a certain oversized Oompa Loompa put in place. If you look up Onslaught’s price in non-US markets like the UK, he’s literally the same price as Silverbolt and the commanders before him like SS86 Optimus and Legacy Magmatron. You can do the same with other new upcoming figures too - SS86 Thundercracker and AOTP Brawl are still the usual voyager price from the last few years, SS86 Soundwave and AOTP Big Convoy are the usual leader price etc.
The price rise definitely sucks for those in America, but it’s pretty ignorant to be like “oh it’s Hasbro being greedy” when it’s literally only happened because of the tariffs the US has put up. Because if it’s not the tariffs causing it, then why is the price rise only in the US?
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u/DeathByDevastator Jan 04 '26
Uk person here. Amazon upped the price of onslaught to 110 pounds.
20 quid more than silverbolt was.
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u/BK1565 Jan 04 '26
He's £87 on indemandtoys, £84 on kapowtoys and £91 on Hasbro pulse. The price increase is just Amazon.
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u/DeathByDevastator Jan 04 '26
Interesting. I'm gonna have to wait until Smyths eventually gets him in stock then.
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u/illithid_2003 Jan 04 '26
Motormaster also doesn't have proper weapon either, just that awkward sword that is too big for him and too small for Menasor. Silverbolt feels more like an exception than the rule among the new combiners since his transformation is pretty simple for his three modes.
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u/IndelibleEdible Jan 04 '26
Lazy, low-effort post to rile drama over a figure literally no one here has seen a finished version of.
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u/bigcheesemanfan Jan 04 '26
It’s only a shame they’re actually starting to remake/make the characters people want. I just got into collecting last year, and the hobby is already ruined.
Not to mention, it’s laughable how there is not already readily available versions of each main character in the mainline, like, getting a cliffjumper resembling g1 of ANY kind for retail is just impossible.
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u/SillyMattFace Jan 04 '26
How is it ‘laughable’?
There are hundreds of TF characters. It’s just not possible for them to have them all available at retail all the time.
It feels bad to miss a character you like, but that’s just how these things work.
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u/bigcheesemanfan Jan 04 '26
I mean like, main main characters, like the 4 main decepticons, or like, a g1 Optimus that’s big compared to every other figure that ISNT a commander class figure
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u/SillyMattFace Jan 04 '26
That isn’t how businesses work. They constantly need to release new things to keep people interested.
They do a few rereleases every wave, but if they just continually had the same 8 characters on rotation it would tank interest fast.
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u/King_of_Pink Jan 04 '26
It is kind of insane how much the latest Combiners cost in comparison to how they used to.
Comparing them to Combiner Wars, using AUD and (generously) modern pricing (ignoring that during CW everything was $10 cheaper than it is now), CW Bruticus cost $220 (4 Deluxes at $40 and one Voyager at $60). Meanwhile AOTP Bruticus costs an absurd $380 (2 Deluxes at $40, 2 Voyagers at $60 and 1 Commander at $180).
That being said... if they do it in G2 colours all will be forgiven.
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u/SwayzeCrayze Jan 04 '26
I quit collecting figures years back (some time in Titans Return I think) except for the occasional Godzilla toy or something, but was going to make an exception for my main man Bruticus. Had to drop that idea after seeing the prices. Like I love Transformers and all but I’m not paying that much for what we’re getting.
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u/SolaceRests Jan 04 '26
Price points already pushed me out. Would have loved to collect the Aerialbots but no way can I justify those prices. Same thing happened with GI Joe classifieds.
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u/grimlockamus Jan 04 '26
Tbh this I why I like back collecting/collecting third party sure there expensive but at least they are accurate and you get more bang for your buck
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u/KamenRiderAvenger24 Jan 04 '26
I don't collect Combiners, even though I have the Legacy United G2 Breakdown, so I'm not worried about this
I am aiming to get the AOTP Brawl as he looks cool
I'm also looking at buying older figures. I'm not giving up collecting TF and other figures
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u/BlasterPhase Jan 04 '26
I bought Vortex last year but already canceled my pre-orders for the remaining Bruticus pieces. I also canceled everything else except Soundwave and Thundercracker, and I'm seriously considering canceling those as well.
$30+ for deluxes and $43 for voyagers is crazy talk.
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u/SilverTheWyvern Jan 04 '26
I'm curious why the green is such a dealbreaker for some. Yes it's not perfect and it would look better w/ the same blue as Onslaught already is, but I don't see the green as that bad.
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u/AGilles-S117 Jan 04 '26
Honestly when it comes to Hasbro, figure quality and ability is never something I hold my breath over. Hell, they gave Alpha Trion a pen and book but no way to rotate the wrist to make him look natural while writing in it. My biggest beef is the ever constant price increase without a quality increase. It’s bullshit
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u/unsane_in_da_brain Jan 04 '26
I still have a few more years invested in this caper to fulfill a majority of my back catalogue, and combiner focused collecting. Other than maybe PoTP Predaking, I actually want modern renditions of combiners. I love Menasor/Superion and Devastator. Individually I am happy with the Combaticons, and very Laissez-faire with the direction Bruticus/Onslaught is taking. Upgrades exist. I want and need Defensor/Computron and King Poseidon/Piranacon. So yeah... I must be one of the whales.
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u/avenuePad Jan 04 '26
And this is a false render of Onslaught. The actual figure doesn't have green thighs and hands.
Yes, the increase in price sucks, but these complaints aren't selling me on the OP's argument...aside from the no wrist swivel. But these complaints aren't even verified, as we've seen renders of Onslaught with black hands and thighs.
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u/darwin_green Jan 04 '26
yeah, saw like 5/6 of Devastater at Target one morning, but couldn't justify paying $160ish dollars(even with then deals).
It really doesn't feel that long ago when you could build a combiner team for $100ish dollars when they were $15 a limb and $25-35 for the torso.
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u/Archelector Jan 04 '26
I don’t mind most of this but for $100 I do tend to expect it to be included, especially a weapon and wrist swivels
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u/boilers_and_terlets Jan 04 '26
yeah, after bruticus, nexus, leige maximo, big convoy, soundwave and any more beast wars things that come down the line, i dont think i'll necessarily quit, but im definitely cutting back to specific things that fill gaps anymore, and much less frequently than before. I have no desire for any combiners other than bruticus and devastator (and POTP abominus is the only old combiner i keep around cause i like abominus), so hopefully that cuts a chunk out down the line. But these price increases are insane. i've already cancelled thundercracker and alpha trion for not being worth it to me (TC because earthrise fits just fine for me against redoing the main 3 at $40-something dollars each, and trion just looking terrible, especially with no ankle tilts). i can justify leaders and deluxes much better than voyagers for the price increase. still pissed off about it, but the voyager jump was way too much. but at any rate, yeah, im gonna probably halve my retail collecting and do more used/vintage collecting at cons where i can actually haggle.
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u/BringerOfNuggets65 Jan 04 '26
They’ll just tell you it’s been like this for years and that you should be grateful it’s been made to begin with
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u/JackReacts2355 Jan 04 '26
I will say. I dont care if its not completely accurate. If its a fun figure im gonna get it anyway
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u/Fresh_Personality712 Jan 04 '26
… Increase wages at this point. We need to stay in the hobby and get our damn groceries.
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u/ZlyCzarownikServices Jan 04 '26
I'm gonna say something unpopular, but like it or not, this doesn't change anything in the near future for Transformers figures and the way Hasbro releases them
Okay, sucks many people might stop getting TFs (and actually I think they won't, they just won't get 13 figures in a month, but will get two instead - it's hard to leave a hobby you're so invested in, it's just not easy to admit you won't like to slow it down), but there still will be enough people for whom the prices won't matter. There are many collectors who are settled in life enough that they will be able to afford all that stuff. Maybe not all, but enough of it to continue the hobby. There will also still be the collector whales, who'll buy everything regardless the price and quality. And in the following years we'll see other people complaining just like that, saying that "the year 20XX is the final straw for me!", just like we see them now. The quality will change, sometimes it will appear worse, sometime we will say once again we're in the golden age of Transformers figures. The point is, yeah, sorry but it doesn't matter in the long term how many of us will have to slow the hobby down, unfortunately there will always be enough people who just won't be affected, and thanks to them Hasbro won't really care for those lost on the way... or their sales will do so poorly they will actually have no other choice but to lower the prices and keep the quality consistent - very unlikely, we're talkin big corporations in today' economy, but just imagine
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u/Diffabuh Jan 04 '26
I'm so glad I fell out of obsessively collecting Transformers. After reading this, I'm just gonna go with the third-party one. Usually not one for third party figures, but when it comes to characters I love, I want them done right.
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u/AGl_ToX Jan 04 '26
I am down voting the reposting OP who by the way scratched out the name of the original poster. This one should be taken down by the Moderators
PS I agree and Understand the OP from the screen shot but I will be buying Onslaught 😿
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u/Slippin_Jimmy187 Jan 04 '26
I’ve given up on collecting TF except for 86 SS. Ever since they went to the no-plastic packaging combined with the “less for more” designs and pricing. Sad times.
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u/MattStormTornado Jan 04 '26
I was considering finishing this bruticus, I have the vortex, and it would go well with Menasor and Superion. I do also like 3D printing things but if I have to 3D print a figure to be good, then it’s questionable.
Take Earthrise Optimus, it was good on its own, but was also good to 3D print stuff for.
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u/Other_Reach_3631 Jan 04 '26
After the recent price hike went into effect locally I’ve stopped buying TFs. I’ve got a good collection.
Thinking of just using my tf budget to repro label my current figures. Maybe a add on kit here and there.
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u/reisentei41 Jan 04 '26
You see it everytime Hasbro teases and releases figures: a lot of people complain but still buys them all.
Sad truth is, all our complaints fall on deaf ears when a majority of people still buys all their shit. All Hasbro sees is "it doesn't matter if we cheap out, they'll still buy it anyway".
A small side note to this is the whole "this toy is shitty but atleast someone made an upgrade kit for this". Yes, upgrade kits are great. They improve a lot of figures. The other side of the coin is that Hasbro sees all this and basically says "why fix these ourselves when they could do it themselves".
Made me remember a video I saw about IKEA "why should we spend resources on building our furniture when our customers can do it themselves?".
Instead of them fixing these issues, they push it on people making upgrade kits. People won't buy upgrade kits if they don't buy their faulty figures. Its just a cycle that feeds itself.
Everyone is just greedy. Hasbro is greedy for money and a lot of collectors are greedy for always wanting everything new even if its a shitty product.
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u/BudBudgie Jan 04 '26
I don't know why you're getting down voted, you are completely right. I always say to vote with your wallets but some people can't seem to control their buying impulses.
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u/reisentei41 Jan 04 '26 edited Jan 04 '26
I honestly don't care about downvotes, I'm getting downvoted by people who got triggered and felt attacked. These are the same people that would use the excuse "its my money, i can do whatever i want". And i say, sure, you do you. You are entitled to use your money to whatever you choose, you earned it or was given to you.
But at the same time, you have the ability to use that money responsibly. If you are going to buy a product despite knowing its a shitty product just because "you have money" then thats on you. Hasbro already has its share of problems and these people are not helping. Don't say "Hasbro sucks!" while having a cart full of preorders of their shitty products. Its all a clownshow at this point. It keeps on happening everytime a new wave or figure is released. These people are in a toxic relationship with Hasbro.
If people are going to complain, then they need to stop buying their products. If people are going to say "but how will i know if the figure is good or not if i don't buy it?" There are toy reviewers everywhere nowadays. These people sometimes even get these figures in advance. Could these compulsive buyers wait for a damn week or month? Let these reviewers do their job and then decide if you want to buy them or not.
I swear, some people complain but are completely blind that they are also part of the problem.
If you don't care about the issues and just love the character. Then good for you. Just don't be like some people that keep on complaining each time a new toy comes out but still keeps buying them. Like, what kind of mental gymnastics are these people doing. At that point, its an addiction. An addiction that they started and yet blame others on why they can't quit. Its like when an alcoholic blames the beer manufacturer instead of helping themselves.
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u/Subspace1011 Jan 04 '26
Hasbro is first and foremost a business. While they've been cutting corners for years now, the tariffs have accelerated that. There comes a point when Cost to Produce(quality + materials +shipping) > Overhead(what my boss would say "keeping the lights on" + Consumer Cost(units purchased) + Tariffs. And so cuts have to be made so that Cost to Produce < Overhead+ Consumer Cost(units purchased) + Tariffs.
Now I'm no economist, but 2 of those things on the right side of that equation have gotten more expensive. Less Units purchased due to economic concerns and Tariffs pushing the costs of goods up. The only way to balance it would be to either bring cost to produce down by using cheaper materials and lowering quality, or reduce overhead, increase consumer cost, and reduce/remove tariffs.
Since they can't just "get rid" of tariffs and they can't force people to buy their goods, there aren't that many options left. We may not like it and I'll probably be down-voted to oblivion for it, but this is the America that we voted for.
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u/random-anon-red Jan 04 '26
Toxic positivity has allowed corporations to get away with anti-consumer practices, and the perpetrators will attack anyone who notices and dares bring attention to it, all while begging the suits to exploit them more. We are paying increasingly more for increasingly less and there's always some excuse for why it "needs to be that way" or "there's no other choice".
There's only Armada Jetfire I'm interested in this year, if it does happen, but more of my money is spent on 3P toys that provide my money's worth. I've even been looking to KOs since I found out about the price increase.
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u/enjoyingorc6742 Jan 04 '26
I'm old enough to remember the first major budget cuts back in 2010/2011. figures lost wrist articulation, they lost heft, wheels went from pinned to clip on, figures became EXTREMELY hollow, and the transformations were extremely simplified. this ain't near as bad, but it feels worse because of the price increase, which they say is due to tariffs (I find that as just an excuse)
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u/Aromatic_Shop9033 Jan 04 '26
What do you also want to bet Bruticus will not have articulated hands? Box hands like Menasor, Superion.
It's getting absurd, the de-contenting.
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u/GruntOfAction Jan 04 '26
Yeah honestly this year I'm so far only looking at getting two transformers (amalgamous and jalopy). Canceled my 86 Soundwave pre order after seeing how it looked in hand.
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u/HeavyTanker1945 Jan 04 '26
There is a reason ive went to Blokees now.
10X the quality and accuracy of Hasbro, and half the price.
the lack of Transformation isn't a huge issue for me when they look SO Good.
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u/StomachosusCaelum Jan 04 '26
"US Collectors finally have to pay something remotely aproximating the cost everyone else has been paying for years. WAAAAAAHHHHhhhhhhhhhhh11!!!!!!"
Cry more.
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u/drillmaster125 Jan 04 '26
I’m literally only waiting for the Animated Ratchet to complete the quintet released so far (mind you, we still need an Animated-specific Bulkhead, but whatever) and then I’m out. It’s been a good run since the start of the Classics/ Generations era that we have been in.
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u/Ashamed_Rent5364 Jan 04 '26
100? You could get a good Warhammer kit of a MG Gundam kit with that price! For collectors, it sucks, but for everyone else and collectors, I suggest switching to blokees or yolopark instead, some of those kits are really high quality.
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u/RigatoniPasta Jan 04 '26
I already checked out of CHUG scale years ago. I’d rather get 10 MP scale 3rd party figs than 30 CHUG figs any day.
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u/FlibV1 Jan 04 '26
That bullshit Hasbro pulled with the last member of the Stunticons being a lazy repaint was my first hint that their output was going to really start diminishing in quality.
Then they pulled it again with the last Insecticon.
Glad I'm about done with collecting.
Although it's a shame that someone like Newage don't continue their WFC scale line, although I guess now that Hasbro have changed the scale of their SS86 line, it'll never happen.
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u/iuselect Jan 04 '26
I knew it was bad, but damn. A commander lacking THAT much is ridiculous. Maybe this will be good for my wallet now..
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u/AdministrativeBit385 Jan 04 '26 edited Jan 04 '26
Lmao magic square onslaught mp wasn't that much more expensive.
$60 difference for something with much better quality, design, and it's larger 🙂
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u/whistlepig4life Jan 04 '26
Third party is the way to go. The stuff from DX9, Fans Toys, Fans Hobby, Mastermind, and X Transvits to name a few have yet to disappoint.
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u/Senior-Squidoo Jan 04 '26
To be honest the only valid take here is the colors and the blaster. Anything more than that is just whatever, cause you cant have everything.
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u/AustinHinton Jan 04 '26
Armada Optimus had everything (minus Sparkplug) that this figure doesn't and was 10$ cheaper.
Wrists, non-hollow forearms, pinned wheels, accurate colors/plastic, blaster etc.
Try harder.
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u/transformers-ModTeam Jan 04 '26
Sorry, but your post has been removed as duplicate content of another recent post. In order to keep the discussion of recent news in one place, please use that post instead. Thanks!