I don't buy unlicensed toys. My reasons:

 

1. I don't want to support intellectual property theft.

2. To me it feels like they cheapen my collection (especially counterfeits). I collect Transformers -- the toy brand from Hasbro (and Takara/TOMY). I don't collect fake Transformers or Not-Transformers.

 

Where do you stand?

i buy 3rd party items and i don't buy counterfeits. I'll buy figures from Fansproject since those guys designed them and didn't rip them off of an actual Transformer figure. I will not buy any of those remake/resize figures like the Faith figure, WST, or even the MP Coneheads. They are not 100% original works, and there fore are KO's too me.

Considering I have only bought two KO's in a period of roughly 10 years, I think I'm good. As for 3rd party vendors, count me in. It's no worse than buying after market parts for your cars. It feels a niche market that will ebb and flow as needed or wanted. If there was not a market for those toys that fans want, that market would not exist. Hasbro/Takara must be okay with it on some financial level as we are not seeing loads and loads of C & D orders all over the place.

I'm pinning this thread on my watch list. It's a perfecly legitimate thread, but the recipe is there for disaster. I will say this: I don't like the "Screw ethics" vote. Maybe if you can edit that part out, Goki, I'd feel less concerned. ;) That's insinuating that people who willingly buy KO/3rd party have no ethics.

 

I won't let this get ugly. This is my only warning :)

I'm pinning this thread on my watch list. It's a perfecly legitimate thread, but the recipe is there for disaster. I will say this: I don't like the "Screw ethics" vote. Maybe if you can edit that part out, Goki, I'd feel less concerned. ;) That's insinuating that people who willingly buy KO/3rd party have no ethics.

 

I won't let this get ugly. This is my only warning :)

 

 

Agreed, the wording in a bit terse, however it fit best at the time I voted(and I just rated myself out no less).

I have yet to buy 3rd party. But in general, I'm not opposed to doing so if:

 

1. They're generally original, or something HAS/TAK likely will never release... or if they're an "enhanced" version of a similar figure. IE, the gigantor Devastator projects that would run 500-700 after all is said and done. Let's face it, HAS/TAK isn't going to market that. Masterpiece is toeing the line of cost/profit for them, as far as I can tell.

2. They're an obvious knockoff of something I'd never purchase anyhow. I've been tempted once to get those tiny G1 Devastator KOs from ebay... but it never amounted to anything more than temptation. I've noticed I gravitate more towards newer offerings that nod to G1, moreso than picking up actual G1 figs.

3. The engineering, detail, and articulation are through the ROOF. I'm on the fence about accessories.

 

I'm still on the fence about some of the KOs like the tiny version of MP1. Sure, it's obviously OP... but nobody is going to mistake it for the real MP1. Sure, that company doesn't own any rights to claim OP has their brain-child, but it's not stealing revenue from a similar offering by HAS/TAK.

 

From the perspective of "cheapening" my collection. I guess I'm more of a robot fanatic in general... it just happens that TFs are the only ones I've bought so far, as I feel you get more bang for the buck.... and there's the nostalgia factor. If the 3rd party stuff was a tad cheaper, maybe I'd have jumped on some by now.

There wasn't a selection for my opinion, as follows.

 

I will and have bought 3rd-party stuff, mostly accessories like the BTS trailer. I actively avoid buying blatant KOs new; I've bought some KOs second-hand because, the way I see it, the damage is done- the KO was bought from its manufacturer, whatever happens after that, they won't see more money from it.

Third Party items are the same as KOs or Bootlegs to me. I won't go out of my way to buy anything, but if its cheap enough, I might. I certainly have my share of fake Constructicons.

Life is too short to wait for Hasbro and Takara-Tomy.

 

I buy unlicensed Transformers that have virtually no possibility of existing if not for 3rd party companies.

 

Does anyone honestly think that Hasbro would make new G1 style minibots like the 3rd party Huffer and Seaspray? Would Takara-Tomy actually make MP Coneheads or G1 Ironhide and Ratchet?

3rd party figures ROCK! Seriously, I haven't heard of any types of legal action against them, so I'm going to go out on a limb and say Has/Tak are not that concerned with them. Probably because they are making versions of figures that they themselves will most likely never do. I would think some folks over there even appreciate their works to some extent. With any luck, they will inspire Has/Tak. Looking at MP Roddy's targetmaster, I'd say they already have.

 

KO's...Depends on what it is and how good it is. I haven't bought any of the g1 remakes, not because of any personal issues, but simply because they cost way too much. I'd be willing to pay the original 80's price for them, but that's it. I have bought some of the cheap sets over the years, some aren't bad and some things I've just blown up. It's fun strapping a dozen bottle rockets to a freebie KO Power Ranger figure and seeing if it can actually launch! For the record it went up about 7 feet before it's crash and burn. Next time I'll try 2 dozen! (or a bigger rocket!)

 

I really like my g1 mini-Devastators! (one in classic green, one brown/khaki) I also have one of the multi-colored Devastator sets that is nearly as good as the original. That one however was actually sold at big retail once, so Hasbro might have given permission on that one. There were a few different ones out back in the 90's around Beast Wars time. I also remember a generic Defensor set. I'm guessing that one was good also. There was a Technobots set, but I don't remember if that one was sold here or not but that also was said to be just as good.