The Unlicensed Third Party Transformers Thread

[valhary]

https://youtu.be/MskkeL_3XIE

[Zip]

I'm thinking about pulling the trigger on Quietus.  I've never bought any Fanstoys product but the jet mode is just far too cool for me to pass up, even compared to what we've seen from Macross.  Why is he so expensive though?  The reissue is going for $310 which is well into Arcadia territory.

[sh9000]

XTB.  The only thing I don’t like are that the cars on the legs are upside down.

[mikeszekely]

3 hours ago, Zip said:

Why is he so expensive though?  The reissue is going for $310 which is well into Arcadia territory

It's FT stuff getting expensive on the aftermarket and FT figuring that if people are going to pay that much for their stuff that they should pay them that much for their stuff.

It's also why I don't do much FT anymore.

[Zip]

14 minutes ago, mikeszekely said:

It's FT stuff getting expensive on the aftermarket and FT figuring that if people are going to pay that much for their stuff that they should pay them that much for their stuff.

It's also why I don't do much FT anymore.

Doesn't help that Takara's pricing has also gone off the rails, giving third parties even more incentive to increase their price tags to match.  I think the days of third party being a bargain relative to more legitimate manufacturers like Bandai/Arcadia/Takara are coming to an end.

[mikeszekely]

5 minutes ago, Zip said:

Doesn't help that Takara's pricing has also gone off the rails, giving third parties even more incentive to increase their price tags to match.  I think the days of third party being a bargain relative to more legitimate manufacturers like Bandai/Arcadia/Takara are coming to an end.

Yeah, it's a bummer. Between having just of the characters I want in an MP-style and Hasbro's mainline stuff finally giving me what I wanted I'm kind of kidding interest in 3P. MMC are the only ones reliably putting out stuff I want.

[M'Kyuun]

Well, the whole market has gone up for 3P.  3P legends figs are now priced around what the MP cars were priced at 10 years ago. Expensive little buggers. But if you cast your sights about at toys in general, especially independents like Joy Toy, Acid rain, etc, the prices are high, not $300 high mind you, but still, expensive. Then again, I collect LEGO, and that's a hobby that'll burn money like kindling if you amass any quantity of it, and I have a house full.  But I think Mike's right concerning FT; they see the aftermarket for their product, and have adjusted the price up front so they can make more revenue.  As a business decision, it's smart so long as demand remains for their products, and that demand doesn't seem to have diminished.  They have a devoted following, even if some of their pieces have had less articulation than what has become standard, or over-complicated and frustrating transformations, or other assorted issues.  

As for me, I have FT's Dibots (Dinobots), Phoenix (Skyfire), and Thomas (Astrotrain), with their Blitzwing preordered.  From experience, I'll say I'm extremely pleased with them all. They're well built, with very G1 faithful designs. No regrets, and I look forward to their Blitzwing, if it ever releases, although the price I pay for him is gonna sting a bit.

Main line Generations remains my primary Transformer collecting focus, but I still buy the odd legends or MP scaled fig from time to time. I just went in on all three of XTB's Omnibots, as I've been wanting figs of those guys since the 80s, and I wasn't going to let that opportunity slip by, especially at $100/pc. I'm also getting the Harrier and the F-16 Aerialbots from Dreamstar Toys, as those are some mighty fine looking jet formers, and I love the Harrier, so he's a must. And while they're not Transformers, per se, I'm getting TFC's "Fiery" Chinese attack helicopter guy, and the Flanker fig when they finally make it available for PO.  We get so few decent jet formers in Transformers, so I'm trying to take advantage of these rather well done transforming aircraft.

[mikeszekely]

On 8/27/2021 at 2:00 PM, Zip said:

I'm thinking about pulling the trigger on Quietus.  I've never bought any Fanstoys product but the jet mode is just far too cool for me to pass up, even compared to what we've seen from Macross.  Why is he so expensive though?  The reissue is going for $310 which is well into Arcadia territory.

Tfsource has him on sale today for $260.

[Zip]

22 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

But I think Mike's right concerning FT; they see the aftermarket for their product, and have adjusted the price up front so they can make more revenue.  As a business decision, it's smart so long as demand remains for their products, and that demand doesn't seem to have diminished.  They have a devoted following, even if some of their pieces have had less articulation than what has become standard, or over-complicated and frustrating transformations, or other assorted issues. 

Wasn't the aftermarket price skyrocketing because of some fake news about Takara trying to put Fanstoys out of business? 

Whatever the reason, I'm experiencing some major deja vu right now with what happened when Yamato became Arcadia.  Their aftermarket prices were so insane after they went bankrupt that Arcadia, upon receiving the molds, would charge 50% or higher for the same toy as when it was released by Yamato.  To think that a barebones VF-1 sold by Arcadia today is almost double what it cost when it came out in 2008.  Seems Fanstouys and the rest of 3P are just following tried and true tactics.

 

1 hour ago, mikeszekely said:

Tfsource has him on sale today for $260.

That's still $100 more than what he was three years ago...

Edited August 28, 2021 by Zip

[M'Kyuun]

6 hours ago, Zip said:

That's still $100 more than what he was three years ago...

That's been the cost of being a toy collector for about a decade now; lots of adults with disposable income willing to pay ever rising prices, not to mention a thriving aftermarket full of greedy scalpers. Add to that the artificial escalation of pricing by official and third parties, knowing that their fanbases will pay it. 

Although I've been willing to pay MSRP or slightly over, I'm generally not willing to pay the extravagant prices of many ebay and other secondary market sellers just on principle. Even if I want the thing terribly, I'll let it go rather than reward a greedy bastard asking far too much for said item. I'd rather they'd be stuck with the thing forever, like a bad case of herpes. It's the inevitable downside to a free market; availability comes at a cost, and the the price you're willing to pay is directly proportional to your level of passion and the depths of your pockets.

I can't absolve myself from the situation, as I've spent my fair share of ducats on all sorts of toys and models over the years, thus feeding the beasts that shite these wonderful things out. So, while I'm not a fan of the ever rising prices, I'm part of the equation that facilitates it through my various purchases. As long as people like money, and inflation continues in the global economy, the simple fact is that prices are always going to go up, some more than others. The question is for each of us, how much is too much?

[sh9000]

 

 

[derex3592]

 

[Zip]

That this is $130 puts Takara, Bandai, and Arcadia to shame.

 

[Ignacio Ocamica]

ShowZ Store shipped my DS-01 Starscream!!!

[Negotiator]

dang.  you guys sold me on ds-01.  ordered!

[derex3592]

The ONLY problem with this thing is that if you order it and get it in hand and you love it, then you are gonna HAVE to order NOT Skywarp and NOT Thundercracker when they get released! Then your wife or GF will find out you dropped nearly $500 on new toy jets and then you'll hear ...."don't you already have those..., AND in different sizes too???"

[Negotiator]

I'll say my usual. "I've had these on storage for years but just never brought them out.  The smaller versions are for when the kids  grow up....or when I'm dead...and they're old"  >.>

[M'Kyuun]

Looks like Big Firebird are looking to get a little mileage out of their Nicee mold. Looks good, with enough differences to set her apart from Nicee. I love the overall design style that BF went for with these figures. 

While this is cool, I'm going to pass, as I'm happy with Nicee, and don't feel the need to double dip. However, I'm very interested in seeing pics of their actual Windblade figure, as that's one I might be inclined to pick up.  I'm just hoping it's not the base Nicee fig with wings and a new head attached; I hope there's a more complex transformation involved. Guess we'll wait and see.

[mikeszekely]

See, I passed on Nicee because I wasn't really feeling her as an Arcee. But as a spear-wielding robo-maid that turns into a mostly-black, closed-cabin race car I really dig Mocha. Maybe I'll pick her up.

[M'Kyuun]

1 hour ago, mikeszekely said:

See, I passed on Nicee because I wasn't really feeling her as an Arcee. But as a spear-wielding robo-maid that turns into a mostly-black, closed-cabin race car I really dig Mocha. Maybe I'll pick her up.

I don't think you'll be disappointed if you do. They put more emphasis on the action figure aspect than the transforming aspect, although her legs do form a a goodly chunk of her car mode, which is still better than the completely shellforming ER Arcee.  Her hip and back kibble go a long ways towards completing her alt mode, but honestly, that's pretty much how it is and ever shall be for the character turned three dimensional toy, unless someone like Unique Toys does some crazy origami to have more of the bot involved in the transformation. As it is, I found Nicee to lend herself to some excellent pose-ability. The small feet can make some poses more difficult to pull off for want of stability, but if you have a stand (I don't), then the possibilities open up for all kinds of dynamic poses. I gotta admit, I love the closed canopy look of Mocha, as well as the sharp color scheme. She's a beautiful figure in either mode.

I still wish they'd been able to implement the Robocop-esque opening holsters in the hips as seen in early shots of Nicee.  That would have just elevated the fig in my mind, and I already have a high opinion of her.

[Chronocidal]

I just got wind of this one, and might have to double dip, because that car mode with the closed cockpit is really slick, and I'm loving the colors.

[Convectuoso]

I just got these two from Magic Square:

They look great in both modes

[M'Kyuun]

3 minutes ago, Convectuoso said:

I just got these two from Magic Square:

They look great in both modes

OOOHH, I've been waiting for impressions of the MS Constructicons, as I find them more appealing than the NA versions.  MS definitely went full toon, which IMHO, isn't always the best, but it is what it is, and they pulled it off well.  I can't wait to see their Long Haul and Scavenger, as those were the only two G1 Constructicons I owned, and Long Haul especially, has always held a special appeal for me. My hope is that they'll separate the back wheels from the dump bed, and we'll finally have a G1 LH that can function like a real dump truck. That lack of functionality has plagued virtually all, if not all, versions of Long Haul that I'm aware of since the G1 toy that started it all. I had high hopes for Toy World's Long Haul, considering the lengths (working treads, for Cybertron's sake!😍) they went to to impart real world functionality into their Constructicons, but my hope was for naught. Missed opportunity there. So, I'm hoping MS will give me what I've longed for in a Long Haul all these years. And of course, if I buy one or two, in for a penny...as the saying goes. 

What's kinda cool about these is that at legends scale, they'll be right about the same size as the G1 toys, which were notably smaller than standard 'deluxe' figs of the day, back before size classes were a thing. For those that own a full set of the G1 toys, having MS' set to stand alongside it will be a cool display that really captures how far these toys have come from those modest days when Takara was still modeling these things from wood.

Thanks for sharing your pics, @Convectuoso.

[Convectuoso]

NewAge released more pictures of their Ultra Magnus:

[M'Kyuun]

Wow, NA's Magnus looks amazing. the fifth wheel in truck mode looks odd with that big white chunk on the hitch deck, but at least this becomes a fully realized cab and trailer, with a working fifth wheel and a usable car carrier trailer. Can't really ask for much more in an Ultra Magnus figure. If they can do this at legends, why oh why can't Hasbro and Takara, with over thirty-five plus years of experience, make something that's at least close in the main line?  Magic Square and New Age are just knocking it out of the park with these legends figs.

[Convectuoso]

The transformation process wasn't easy, but they look great. Can't wait to get the rest of them!

[Convectuoso]

New pictures from the new version of MFT's Springer:

 

[mikeszekely]

That Springer looks great.  I really wish MFT would make stuff that scales with Hasbro's.

Oh, and I caved and preordered Mocha with ShowZ.

[M'Kyuun]

3 hours ago, mikeszekely said:

That Springer looks great.  I really wish MFT would make stuff that scales with Hasbro's.

Oh, and I caved and preordered Mocha with ShowZ.

I thought Hasbro's take on Springer for the WfC line was pretty well executed overall. The only thing he can't do is have his shoulder pauldrons canted outwards, but that's not really an issue for me. I prefer the Hasbro over MFT's, but everything's subjective.

As for Mocha, I kinda feel the same. Had I known this was coming, I probably would have passed on Nicee  in lieu of Mocha. that said, my earlier comments stand; she's a beautiful figure with excellent articulation lending her herself to all sorts of dynamic poses. I hope you enjoy your copy.

 

[JB0]

I think I'm gonna get Mocha and pose her near Nicee, but with different loadout. Huge backpack on one and huge longbow on the other, or something.

[MKT]

Nicee is already a great figure, with good solid build and lots of diecast joints. Mocha is visually more appealing to me, especially the alt mode where the curvy hardtop greatly improves its silhouette.

Although Nicee started as Arcee before the last minute headsculpt change, I never had the urge to want to replace its head with any of the 3rd party Arcee heads and accepted it as a standalone character. Now with the upcoming Mocha, I think they will make a great companion piece to Good Smile's Cyclion..

 

 

 

[slaginpit]

On 8/30/2021 at 1:18 PM, derex3592 said:

 

Takara keeps failing 

[M'Kyuun]

6 hours ago, MKT said:

Nicee is already a great figure, with good solid build and lots of diecast joints. Mocha is visually more appealing to me, especially the alt mode where the curvy hardtop greatly improves its silhouette.

Although Nicee started as Arcee before the last minute headsculpt change, I never had the urge to want to replace its head with any of the 3rd party Arcee heads and accepted it as a standalone character. Now with the upcoming Mocha, I think they will make a great companion piece to Good Smile's Cyclion..

 

 

 

Agree; Cylion and Mocha would make very complimentary display mates.  A small part of me still wishes I'd gotten Cylion. 

Incidentally, I never sprung for an Arcee accurate head for my Nicee, so she exists as her own thing apart from my TF collection.

Deformation Space took a novel, if a bit painfully overcomplicated, approach to stowing the arms. I love the idea, but not so much the manner of execution. The too-small nose section still bugs me. Other than that, it's pretty much an improvement on MP-52 in every way. No faux cockpit or cover, neat transformation, especially the arms, a far better method of stowing the stabs on the legs inside the legs very cleanly. That's one area where this shines over MT's Meteor.  I'd like to take the best of this and Meteor and make the perfect Starscream.  To those who get DS-01, looks to me like you're getting a pretty cool figure that does most things better than the official MP, and a few things better than the Maketoys. 

Edited September 8, 2021 by M'Kyuun

[MKT]

2 hours ago, M'Kyuun said:

Agree; Cylion and Mocha would make very complimentary display mates.  A small part of me still wishes I'd gotten Cylion. 

Cyclion does pop up occasionally on Mandarake, slightly below MSRP.

I read somewhere before this figure is based on its designer’s resin kit, and he has done a few repaints or minor variations of the kit, much like Nicee & Mocha now.  So there’s chance Good Smile might continue with Cyclion repaints down the road.

[M'Kyuun]

2 hours ago, MKT said:

Cyclion does pop up occasionally on Mandarake, slightly below MSRP.

I read somewhere before this figure is based on its designer’s resin kit, and he has done a few repaints or minor variations of the kit, much like Nicee & Mocha now.  So there’s chance Good Smile might continue with Cyclion repaints down the road.

Good to know. Thanks!