So far I've bought every MP so I think they're worth their price. (It also helps that I buy them when they're released so there's no aftermarket price-up.)

Yes! Same here. I'm sick of hearing about people whinging about after-market prices. If you want a Transformer, then BUY IT WHEN IT'S OUT! Why wait until it's sold out and no longer in production, then complain about how expensive it is?!?!?? (o_O)

 

 

This I agree with, the general rule is buy now or pay more later. If your waiting for the after market, especialy in an obviously collectable line, the mark up you pay is on you.

 

Now, thats not to say price gauging is alright, and online retail mark up is acceptable. Unless you know something is coming out again hough like MP Grimlock, your best bet is to buy now, or risk paying more later.

 

There's alot of reasons why one might have to pass on a figure and suffer later, but hey, thats life.

So far I've bought every MP so I think they're worth their price. (It also helps that I buy them when they're released so there's no aftermarket price-up.)

Yes! Same here. I'm sick of hearing about people whinging about after-market prices. If you want a Transformer, then BUY IT WHEN IT'S OUT! Why wait until it's sold out and no longer in production, then complain about how expensive it is?!?!?? (o_O)

 

I think the comparison to a leader class figure is unjust. Sure, they may be roughly the same size, both with complicated transformation and the leader class figures have electronics (which is already a good reason to prefer MP's :P), but I think the demand factor plays a very big part.

 

Put a RotF leader class figure next to an MP. The main interest in the MP's are (older) collectors, while the leader class figures are from the current movie line and everyone who has seen the movie (kids included) recognize them. So it seems likely the non-collector buyer is more interested in the leader class. (What numbers did Hasbro estimate for the collectors share of TF purchases...20 percent to 80 percent kids?)

 

Hasbro/Takara know this and I'm pretty sure if production numbers were published, we'd see that the MP's are produced in significantly smaller numbers than the movie leader class figures.

 

 

So, it's lower production run with lower interest from buyers making it more of collectable item.

From HasTak's POV a toy that is manufactured in a larger production run should make more money for them (as they will ultimately sell more units), thus they can afford to sell these toys for less. Conversely a toy that is manufactured in a smaller production run will ultimately sell less units and thus make less money. In spite of this, I find that relatively speaking, Masterpiece Transformers are equally priced, if not better priced, than Leader Class Transformers.

 

Masterpiece Transformers are produced in smaller numbers and offer a better toy in terms of engineering/complexity (which would have meant greater costs in R&D and manufacturing, as a Masterpiece would have a greater number of parts, paint apps etc.) compared to a Leader Class Transformer, yet they're only $20 more expensive than a Leader Class.

 

I don't think Leader Class toys, on the whole, are horrible toys; I just think that at the RRP of $100 each, they're overpriced, even _with_ the sound gimmick (surely that speaker cannot cost _that_ much; they're like those cheap electronic keychains that swear at you built inside a toy!).

 

I get that part about Has/Tak regarding the figures. Obviously they take alot of time to make sure that the MP figures are a true likeness of the iconic charachters that they choose. However I do feel that if they lowered the price point of the figures a little they would make more money in the end. The normal responses in this thread have generally been that people are very picky as to which MP figures they choose due to how expensive they are. Now I for one would have been someone that would more likely than not purchased the whole line of them instead of only owning the two I have now if they were a little more reasonable. They could have basically increased the number of charachters available to that of the classics or Alternator lines and I probably would have owned them all in theory giving them more of my money than I have now.

Note that for people living in Japan and being paid in Japanese Yen, a Masterpiece at 10290JPY is the equivalent of $103 (I used to live in Japan ;)). So by comparative real terms they're paying an additional three dollars on top of what we pay for the average Leader Class toy at the $100 RRP here.

Iv resently been selling off a ton of my old TFs mainly G1 and some beast wars etc as I found myself favoring complexity and detail over nostalgia. So now many many E-bay sales latter Iv got myself most of the MP TFs I could not justify getting before and I have to say on the most part Im happy with what I payed and what I got.

 

MP Optimas: only one I got before my resent sell spree lol. Its the first run Japan one and I love him but after all this time Im kinda wishing Id got a USA first run too as hes too heavy to pose somtimes and hes starting to chip

 

MP Starscream (USA): Hes very cheep at only 50 pound online and Iv allways been turned off the Blue Scream lol but I like the use of more plastic and less metal to brake.

 

MP Megs : Ok Ill admit this was a moment of madness and after seeing all the horror storys and vids on E-bay I pressed the buy button with a lump in my throat. But I don't see the problem with being gentle with a TF and I still love him after all this time but I still do dread it when other people go to pick him up.

 

MP Grimlock: I payed though the nose for him I know and was a bit disappointed that he was so small for 110 pound!! but i do love him and hes the best for ware and tear as the metal is so little and in the right places.

 

MP Skywarp (US/UK) Got him like anouther poster in Argos in the UK for £44.99 on sale and I love him Im a sucker for a black repaint lol

 

So in all fairness I love the MP line and I understand the price just don't like to much metal in my TF so I end up touching the paint up every 10 seconds so i tend to go for the US ones if i can it was the same with BT and the Alternators Iv sold most of my BT and Im looking for US equivalents

 

And as for getting a lisence and baring my TF room to own a megs no way !!! hes not that good I feel sorry for you I really do :( by the way dose that also go for the Classics Megs too?

You let people touch Megatron!?!

 

Hell, I'm not even aloud to handle that figure. Just look at him from behind the glass.

 

Now I'm sorry, but that right there is why I think Megatron is a very complex and detailed figure, but next to Prime, he just comes in short of being a "Masterpiece"

So far I've bought every MP so I think they're worth their price. (It also helps that I buy them when they're released so there's no aftermarket price-up.)

Yes! Same here. I'm sick of hearing about people whinging about after-market prices. If you want a Transformer, then BUY IT WHEN IT'S OUT! Why wait until it's sold out and no longer in production, then complain about how expensive it is?!?!?? (o_O)

 

Well said! I'm still kicking myself for not picking up the Brave Maximus and Predaking reissues when they first came out. Now they're twice the price for just an MIB one, not even MISB. It's my own fault, though.

 

 

Liege Evilmus

Posted Today, 11:28 AM

 

You let people touch Megatron!?!

 

Hell, I'm not even aloud to handle that figure. Just look at him from behind the glass.

 

Now I'm sorry, but that right there is why I think Megatron is a very complex and detailed figure, but next to Prime, he just comes in short of being a "Masterpiece"

 

I still haven't opened mine yet. Just can't bring myself to do it after seeing the somewhat critical YouTube reviews of the fig.

Mine is open, transformed twice. He stands oposite Prime in the display case.

 

The 2 times I changed him I could have sworn the whole body was going to come apart. With kid gloves and luck it didn't. The whole thing wobbles any time I touch the shelf.

 

Megatron to me is a supreme Titanium figure less most of the titanium.

 

I like that they made him, I love that he's a gun, I just hate the fact that he's so increadably thin and frail. I'm sure that with more time they could have given him better stronger joints, and really don't know why they didn't use a stronger plastic?

 

I honestly would like to get 2 more. 1 for gun mode so I can enjoy that too without the fear. Another to keep MSIB for prosperity in case the other 2 fail.

 

Again, this is a great figure, but when compaired to Prime, it is not a "Masterpiece" Far from it.

Just because MP creates a perception of fragility, that does not make him any less of a MP Transformer. The size and complexity of transformation make him so.

yeah, and I agree that Megatron is a very complex detailed figure. QC has to be worked into the equation too though. The figher is just to frail to messure up to Prime, the Seekers, and from what I hear Grimlock(I don't have him yet)

 

Hence, to me, Megatron is amazing, but not a masterpiece due to his frailties.

You let people touch Megatron!?!

 

Hell, I'm not even aloud to handle that figure. Just look at him from behind the glass.

 

Now I'm sorry, but that right there is why I think Megatron is a very complex and detailed figure, but next to Prime, he just comes in short of being a "Masterpiece"

You'd better not look at this then... :P

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vYCqNbzRjg

 

Having said that, nobody else ever touches my Masterpiece or G1 Megatrons. I think it's the fact that I keep them in locked display cabinets, even if I open them up to show people, folks just don't want to touch them. I mean, I wouldn't let a small child touch it, but I'd happily let another adult (especially a fellow collector) handle it. Just remember that if you break it you replace it. ;)

 

A friend of mine recently broke my Bumblejumper, so he's helped to pay for a replacement. (^_^)