So you are planning to put all this stuff in one book? 

 

Wow, I really wrote that in a confusing way, didn't I. What I meant was: I will do expanded character profiles (with weapons descriptions and detailed diagrams, but W/out pics so much of the inner workings of each bot) for each of my toys, for sale for $10 as stated above.

 

The stuff I'll save for the book will be the inner workings "biology" of the Cybertronians in general with only a few case studies (like Brawn and Megatron) for some particular examples.

 

Sounds better to me.  Maybe to soon to ask, but how much are you planning to charge when you are done?  Frankly, after seeing some of your work I wish we were discussing buying actual figures now :tfsad. 

 

OH, believe me I wish we were talking about buying actual figures now as well :tflaugh ; that hole Capital thing is a real downer, but you need money to make money don't'cha :tfmad

 

Really hope you are successful!  ( for selfish need to have awesome looking TF's  :tflaugh  :tfgrin  :tflaugh1  :tftongue  :tfevil )

 

ME TOO! (for same reason)

Thanks for clearing that up for me :thumb

How big of production scale do you have in mind, anyway? When most people say 'I'm going to make some custom figures and sell them', they rarely use the term 'capital' to refer to at most a hundred bucks or two worth of styrene/epoxy for the protos, resin and clay/rubber for the molds. I almost get the impression you've been talking tens of thousands of dollars in order to produce these by the hundreds. But that's probably just enthusiasm and a lack of informing us of specifics.

 

Mostly I'm just worried that you'll have trouble getting off the ground by planning too big too early, are overestimating the market for customs, or Hasbro might send their goons to bust your kneecaps for turning your basement into a miniature unliscenced factory ( ;-P ).

How big of production scale do you have in mind, anyway? When most people say 'I'm going to make some custom figures and sell them', they rarely use the term 'capital' to refer to at most a hundred bucks or two worth of styrene/epoxy for the protos, resin and clay/rubber for the molds. I almost get the impression you've been talking tens of thousands of dollars in order to produce these by the hundreds. But that's probably just enthusiasm and a lack of informing us of specifics.

 

Mostly I'm just worried that you'll have trouble getting off the ground by planning too big too early, are overestimating the market for customs, or Hasbro might send their goons to bust your kneecaps for turning your basement into a miniature unliscenced factory ( ;-P ).

Well, I plan on starting a toy design/rapid prototyping business catering mainly to TFans and fans of other giant robot franchises. The main goal of the company would be to produce professional quality upgrades for the toys they already have for example; new hands, re-stylized forearms, bigger badder weapons, custom heads, new car shells, and the like (would you like to tern you Alt Miester into a MP Jazz with MP quality articulation, a more G1 accurate alternate mode, and an actual firing shoulder mounted missile launcher specifically designed for him?).

 

The second objective of the business will be to design my own toy designs for limited release by me, and a worldwide release from Has/tak. Before you say "It'll never happen" lets look at some facts. According to The Toy and Game Inventor's Handbook (Richard C. Levy creator of Furby and Ronald O. Weingartner former VP of product acquisition at Hasbro Games) 20-30% of Hasbro's new product development comes from outside independent contractors every year. Look at it from Hasbro's prospective, would they rather spend $X in salary for 6-24 months for their designers to develop new toys (and they do get paid quite well), or pay 5 grand up front and 5% (market average) for something that will make them millions.

 

Now before I can offer you professional quality parts or even approach Has/tak, I'd need professional a quality product. This is where the capital comes in. I'm a 3D modeler, and have been working with a personal version of the Leading Industry Standard CAD/CAM software. Before I can sell anything I designed with this software, I need to purchase a Professional License ($4000). At which point I will finish the 3D model and either start taking pre-orders, or get a toy broker and got to Hasbro with the model and the actual design-specs on CD. Either way I will then save up 4-5 grand more for a small SRP machine and begin production.

 

So for $4-10,000 I can start a business that WILL cater to YOU the Transformer Fans! (Which is relatively little, most businesses start-up with no less than $150,000) AND bring YOU MP quality toys of all of you G1 favorites, and some of the more popular none G1 characters as well!

I was referring to the more immediate limited-production side of things, but oh well.

I was referring to the more immediate limited-production side of things, but oh well.

That's as limited-production as it will get, as of now I don't plan on making any "scratch built" models. The first prototypes will come from my SRP machine. Because, I am dedicated to this project, and to the transformer fans, and I want to make the BEAST quality Toy that I can for you! Each person to buy one of my toys, or parts will get high quality, machine milled, molded plastic peaces that will be the same part from the first toy to the last part to leave my molds.

 

And I'm not just trying to sell you this crap. I am really sincere; I personally feel that if I make a great product it will sell itself.

And I'm not just trying to sell you this crap. I am really sincere; I personally feel that if I make a great product it will sell itself.

WERD!!! :thumb

Is his vehicle mode going to be of his original van design or of a new one?

Here is an earlier pic that was posted to give you an idea Headmaster of what Nato has in mind.

 

I hope you don't mind me posting this Nato, let me know if you want me to edit it out.

Here is an earlier pic that was posted to give you an idea Headmaster of what Nato has in mind.

 

I hope you don't mind me posting this Nato, let me know if you want me to edit it out.

Not a problem, but as I stated the design has changed a little. Here's what the new alt-mode will look like. I was going for a new-age version of the old 60's-70's turing van, big boxy, you know "Ironhide-ish". The toy's scale will be 1:24th of a full size turing van.