More news coming in for our fellow fans north of the border! Via Cybertron.CA we can report that the Platinum Edition Year of the Monkey Optimus Primal has been released in Canada. This version of the Supreme class toy that was released under the Robots in Disguise line sports the red and blue of Optimus Prime, or if you prefer, Primal Prime. Cybertron.CA member Outtsyder reports that this monkey was gracing shelves in a Toys R Us in British Columbia.
backhawkdown
It's a combination of production quantity and pricing strategy. But to be clear, pricing it as a high-end collector product does not equate to greed. They aren't targeting the majority of collectors or consumers, they are only targeting a niche segment within that group who is willing to buy them, which comes back to the small production runs. Those go hand in hand. The collector who would like to buy them but doesn't value them at the price, so they whine about it being greed as opposed to the fact that they aren't the target market, just isn't the target market and they have already been accounted for by not producing a higher quantity for them.
Bridgemagnet
Here is my review of Optimus Primal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HZ-Y1nj9UM
BWfan86
I would buy that explanation if the Hasbro MPs (which are low production runs themselves) were also always exorbitantly overpriced
Bridgemagnet
check out my review of this set!
The figures themselves aren't bad, but the price is truly outrageous.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGipGXj3RvQ
03Mach1
First, let me be clear, I wouldn't buy this set at $50 as my CHUG days are over. But aren't these Platinum prices dictated by a smaller run (a la Botcon souvenirs) and not random greed pricing?
MartyFeeb
This.
When I think of TF collectors, I get an image of a guy spending beyond his resources to satisfy an unhealthy, collecting OCD – Hasbro, fully knowledgeable of this, capitalizing on that (shifty, ethical [?] bastards).
I'm seeing too many sensible "too expensive, Hasblow/TRU!" to really believe these are actual fan postings (or simply boastful posturing?). These platinum sets usually sell, at least enough to keep doing it. So the absurd prices will continue (sadly).
Even if this set gets clearanced, you guys will still bite at $70 or $60 (which is still too much).
But hey, if they could [accidentally] release MP SS at TRU for $60, maybe there's some hope that prices will come under control… at some point.
(As it stands, this isn't even an MP, so I'm not sure who's going to care about some old CHUG re-releases – other than a minority of folks who A) still collect CHUG, and B) somehow missed the first release of these, and there subsequent run through the discounters).
Primus_feather
Wonder if Hasbro finally got off their ass's and "restored" hot hods canopy function! If you unassemble his cockpit you notice that if was designed to open, but was disabled during the process.. I restored mine with some trauma to the original.. would love to see it done right!
BidoofdudeofOz
I really want this for the Junkions (I'd sell Hot Rod or something). $111AUD (CAD to AUD) isn't that bad (our deluxes are $30AUD/$21USD), only $20 or so, but you can bet if it does hit here it'll be 1.5-2 times that price. Everybody loses.
LoserBroadside
Guys, these absurd Platinum Edition prices are only too high if nobody pays them. The power is ours!
Tman978
4 deluxes, 1 Voyager and a Legends
Starscream 91
While I don't know how I feel about having to pay 80 dollars when the set comes to the United States but with the possibility of Wheelie coming in Titans Return I may have to find a way to get this set so I can complete my Autobot 86 Cast.
Blot
This is basically my take. I don't mind paying a little up charge for "Platinum"ness, but this is too much.
Driftx3
My lord the price on these, for molds I already have. Easy pass.
Kenchanayoh
Waiting is fine for me. I was lucky with waiting. I got the insecticons for 50 and pred for around 50. Trypticon was 70 due to me complaining to Amazon.
Raiyuki
I'm still peeved that I never got to get the Energon two packs of Armada repants from SamsClub and Costco. Those things were literally half the price of both individual molds combined. Heck I remember happily getting ROTF Superion who was cheaper than the individual Energon Aerialbots would've been at the time, and the Magnus vs Skywarp set which had two excellent redecos for less than the price of both molds.
Abrogate
yeaaaah. I wouldnt even mind if this was just a little overpriced. like, 3 deluxes would be $45, I'd pay $50 for this. but $80+? naaah. (and even then I dont want the Rodimus so I'd be paying $15 for a figure I have no use for, but it's better than paying $27 for him). it's sad cos I actually would like more Junkions for troop building
barrelks
Yea, I would have liked at least one more of that one (and the United Version), have two of each. I guess it was just so easy to troop build the Hasbro versions that I wouldn't mind a couple more. Damn it, this mold being re-released really makes me want to track down a second set of the 4 club figures from it.
As far as the sale prices, sadly, my sister didn't end up ordering me Trypticon when it was around $100 (but I have my childhood one anyway), and the Blitzwing/Astrotrain was under $40 when I got it. Seekers were on sale (may still be) on Walmart online in Canada for about $33 USD, so deals can be had. Problem is, none of those were much of a priority for me, so I was more then willing to wait for prices that made sense. This one is more of a "necessity" even if I have slowly thinned my herd of the original two releases.
Automorpher
While I do agree that prices could be better for these pieces, we need to remind ourselves that Scrapheap wasn't available as a mass release.
Getting the TakaTom version alone would have costed:
Takara Transformers United Scrapheap Complete Near Mint Condition | eBay
Masterpiece Transformers G1 Classics Ehobby United Scrapheap Scrap Heap Junkion | eBay
DecepticusPrime
I still need a wreckgar. Still wont be getting one though it looks like