Let me pose this question: Have you ever seen an Alternator or BT for sale at a model or hobby shop? Myself, I've been to over 2 dozen such locations in this state and have yet to see them sold outside of a toy outlet or department store and always in with action figures. What's your experience been?

where are they sould in Japan?

Japan has A LOT of multistory toy/hobby shops. Usually one floor is devoted to RC stuff; the other to girls dolls/etc., one floor to 12" action figures/military stuff, one floor of Sentai stuff, one floor for Star Wars/Thunderbirds stuff, and one floor for Chogokin/Japanese diecast models and toys, and TFs!!!!!!! At least the major ones in TKO.

 

KT

They're definitely Transformers first in the US. I think in Japan they're more "collectors items" than in the US, hence the die-cast as opposed to plastic.

Japan has A LOT of multistory toy/hobby shops. Usually one floor is devoted to RC stuff; the other to girls dolls/etc., one floor to 12" action figures/military stuff, one floor of Sentai stuff, one floor for Star Wars/Thunderbirds stuff, and one floor for Chogokin/Japanese diecast models and toys, and TFs!!!!!!! At least the major ones in TKO.

 

KT

Five minutes in a store like THAT, and 2000 in cash....a TFan's dream come true...

 

(well, at least MY dream come true! :D )

Japan has A LOT of multistory toy/hobby shops.  Usually one floor is devoted to RC stuff; the other to girls dolls/etc., one floor to 12" action figures/military stuff, one floor of Sentai stuff, one floor for Star Wars/Thunderbirds stuff, and one floor for Chogokin/Japanese diecast models and toys, and TFs!!!!!!!  At least the major ones in TKO.

 

KT

Five minutes in a store like THAT, and 2000 in cash....a TFan's dream come true...

 

(well, at least MY dream come true! :D )

5 minutes in aw for me, every current transformer you would try so hard looking for, all in one store, makes me want to go to Japan even more.... that was not supposed to ryhme. A dream come true for me as well.

 

I've seen a BT Silverstreak at a comic store, only place i've seen a TF toy outside of a toy outlet or department store.

Japan has A LOT of multistory toy/hobby shops.  Usually one floor is devoted to RC stuff; the other to girls dolls/etc., one floor to 12" action figures/military stuff, one floor of Sentai stuff, one floor for Star Wars/Thunderbirds stuff, and one floor for Chogokin/Japanese diecast models and toys, and TFs!!!!!!!  At least the major ones in TKO.

 

KT

Five minutes in a store like THAT, and 2000 in cash....a TFan's dream come true...

 

(well, at least MY dream come true! :D )

You mean more like 5-10,000 right I mean they probably have the G1`s-through energon and of course our favorite line the Alternators/ Binaltech.

true dat. :lol

Let me pose this question: Have you ever seen an Alternator or BT for sale at a model or hobby shop? Myself, I've been to over 2 dozen such locations in this state and have yet to see them sold outside of a toy outlet or department store and always in with action figures. What's your experience been?

I've seen BTs for sale at USA model/hobby shops, usually for $75-80.

 

I recall a post on here where someone had a friend who had a model/hobby shop, he wanted to carry Alternators but Hasbro wouldn't let him carry just these - he had to carry the whole Transformers line. So he passed. I think this policy is kind of stupid.

 

One of the comic shops I occasionally visit does carry just the Alternators, but I have a feeling (from the $30 price) that the proprietor gets them from Entertainment Earth or some other second party wholesaler (he seems to get them in by the case, so I don't think he's scalping them from local stores).

My fav one is called "Yamashiroya" in front of the Ueno station. Visual OverLoad is an extreme understatement. Japan is indeed an expensive place to visit; put a TFan in Japan and it's all over!!!!!

 

KT