RAVAGE & RUMBLE, RATBAT & FRENZY, SWOOP, and SOUNDWAVE. All just like their G1 counterparts. Ebay seller sent this website as proof:

 

http://toyvalley.150m.com/

 

Not sure if this excites anyone as much as me, but I think it's kinda cool. I can't afford the real ones, so these are gonna complement the collection quite well for my budget. The only problem is that if they are sold as legit G1 toys, someone is gonna get ripped off.

 

AFA apparently will aprove of these toys, they claim they are mearly reissues.

 

Just be wary when purchasing from Hong Kong sellers and ask plenty of questions. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Hmm, linked site says the quota has been used. Bummer. If these are anything like existing KO's though they have been out for a while. Agesthreeandup has a listing for them, not too expensive either.

Sucks, website is down. These are along the same lines as the G1 Prime and Remake Cassettes that were all MOC, MISB. Swoop, Soundwave and Ratbat/Frenzy were not complete, but pics showed mock ups of the box and toy. Supposedly coming out in the next few months. They looked SWEET!!

 

A KO RAVAGE & RUMBLE set was just released from the same people that are bringing these out, so check Ebay. Going for around $20 for MOSC. Several sellers are offering them.

I can't afford the real ones, so these are gonna complement the collection quite well for my budget.

Translation: I'm too much of a tight-arse to save up for the real things.

 

Buying KOs aren't going to make the real ones cheaper, if anything, they just make the reissues more expensive, or worst case scenario, prevent TakaraTomy from making the reissue altogether- as has been the case with many G1 gestalts that have never been reissued -- think about it, Takara reissued more obscure later G1 gestalts like Landcross and the Micromaster gestalts, if they could, they would have reissued Devastator, Defensor, Superion etc. - but as Takara has publically stated, they cannot and will not compete with KOs. Thanks for ruining it for the rest of us (*insert some lewd comment about your mother here*)

Translation: I'm too much of a tight-arse to save up for the real things.

 

Buying KOs aren't going to make the real ones cheaper, if anything, they just make the reissues more expensive, or worst case scenario, prevent TakaraTomy from making the reissue altogether- as has been the case with many G1 gestalts that have never been reissued -- think about it, Takara reissued more obscure later G1 gestalts like Landcross and the Micromaster gestalts, if they could, they would have reissued Devastator, Defensor, Superion etc. - but as Takara has publically stated, they cannot and will not compete with KOs. Thanks for ruining it for the rest of us (*insert some lewd comment about your mother here*)

 

Who said they would?? If you have a problem with me purchasing KO's, you need to go after the people making them, not me. Some of us enjoy the hobby, but can't afford the outrageous prices that come along with it. KO's (especially ones that look exactly like the originals) allow me to relive my childhood without going bankrupt. Some of us do have bills to pay and children to raise.

 

As for reissues, when is the last time you had Takara or Hasbro create a reissue that captured the feel of the original release? Even the TRU reissues, while cool in their own right, have bland packaging as far as I'm concerned.

 

If you think it ruins it for everyone else, last time I looked, KO's don't decrease the value of the originals. Just check Ebay or sellers on this board.

 

What an a**hole.

I can't afford the real ones, so these are gonna complement the collection quite well for my budget.

worst case scenario, prevent TakaraTomy from making the reissue altogether- as has been the case with many G1 gestalts that have never been reissued

 

NO, NO, NO... The "worst case scenario" is Has/Tak/Tom releasing repaint after repaint so they make more profit for little to no effort. That is the worst case scenario.

 

I say if these bootlegs are as good as the original then so be it. I'll take 1 or 2. Somehow someway the bootlegs can make a Swoop now but the almighty lazy Has/Tak cannot?!? Yeah, right.

As I recall, the Chinese company that makes these has a valid license to do so, which makes them not knockoffs, but actually reissues (which is why AFA will grade them).

 

In this particular case it's sort of Takara's fault for allowing such an open-ended license in the first place - although, I'm sure whenever they issued the license (i.e. late 80s/early 90s) it was never anticipated there would actually be a market for old-ass Transformers.

As I recall, the Chinese company that makes these has a valid license to do so, so they can not be knockoffs, and are infact valid reissues (which is why AFA will grade them).

 

You may have something there. I know for a fact that I've seen a BEACHCOMBER from this same line graded and fetched over $200 on Ebay, even though the seller sold it as a GRADED KO.

 

If these are indeed legit releases based on the original molds and artwork of the USA release, should make them valuable in their own right.

 

Question is, where to locate info on WHO is producing these and releasing them?? How can they get away with issuing them as HASBRO USA manufactured toys? Maybe they are just produced for the Chinese market, where people don't give a rat's ass about copyright's and stuff and slowly get imported worldwide?

 

Either way, I think they are very cool and I surely won't stop getting them. Especially the good ones!!

Who said they would??

Takara said so.

 

As for reissues, when is the last time you had Takara or Hasbro create a reissue that captured the feel of the original release?

Most of the reissues I've purchased very accurately capture the feeling of the original. Most of the reissues I buy I also have the original TF and when I compare the two of them, it's often very difficult to find differences between the two of them - and the differences are quite minor and not significant enough where it would fail to capture the feel of the original release. For example, the Convoy reissues are actually based on the G2 Optimus Prime mould, sharing the same physical traits of the G2 mould, but with G1 colours and of course a different copyright stamp. I have my reissue Convoys on the same shelf as my original Optimus Prime - and there's effectively no significant discernable difference between the toys. The New Year Special is the most noticeably different as a blue-eyed reissue of Goodbye Convoy, but otherwise they just look the same. My reissue Convoy's box is identical to that of the original Convoy's Japanese box - the only difference being that there's no tech specs on the back (but instead you get a neat trading card tech specs). The Transformers Collection reissue book-boxes aren't as nice as the standard reissues with the G1 style boxes, but then there are other collectors who love the book-box style - so that's more of a moot point.

 

The toys themselves are still virtually identical to their original G1 counterparts though.

* Skids - identical (i.e.: I can't see any difference other than copyright stampage)

* Meister (Jazz) - identical to G2 mould with remoulded roof

* Convoy (Optimus Prime) - identical to G2 mould with G1 colours

* Megatron - except for the back left shoulder, identical to G1

* Hoist - orange plastic is a lighter shade, mould variation on "wings" - otherwise identical

* Insecticons - darker colours, particularly the darker yellow on the 'windows' - otherwise identical

* Broadcast (Blaster) - identical

* Hound - identical

* Hot Rodimus (Hot Rod) - identical

* Perceptor - identical

* alert (Red alert) - variation in stickers, otherwise identical - New Year Special has blue eyes

* Lambor (Sideswipe) - variation in stickers, otherwise identical - New Year Special has blue eyes

* Blitzwing - identical

* Predaking - slight mould variation in gestalt helmet, otherwise identical

* Rodimus Convoy (Rodimus Prime) - identical

* Star Convoy - some colour variation, otherwise identical

* Landcross (except for Tackle) - some colour variations, otherwise identical

* Tracks - identical

* Mini-bots - identical except for sticker variations and new head for Bumblebee, but the new head captures Bumblebee's classic appearance in the comics and cartoon so it by no means detracts from G1 essence of the toy, unless you're a die-hard fan of G1 toy-accuracy.

* Astrotrain - identical except for sticker variations - the black and white colours are the same as those on the original G1 Astrotrain released in Japan.

 

None of these reissues are different enough that they no longer capture the essence of the original.

The only ones that I would consider significantly different enough are:

* Soundwave - chest protrudes. Many other Transfans don't consider this to be a significant enough difference though and the reissue seems to be widely considered to still faithfully capture the essence of the original Soundwave.

* Tackle - Original Tackle is vermillion whereas the reissue is a not as nice looking bright orange. The reissue also lacks some colour accentuation on the camperback which looks quite nice on the original.

* Sixbuilder, Sixtrain and especially Sixwing (who also changed faction).

 

Even the TRU reissues, while cool in their own right, have bland packaging as far as I'm concerned.

I've never liked the Hasbro reissues. (-_-)

 

Somehow someway the bootlegs can make a Swoop now but the almighty lazy Has/Tak cannot?!? Yeah, right.

Did you participate in Takara's self-addressed survey card (every Takara TF comes with one, or with a code that allows you to access an online survey) and made requests for a Swoop reissue? I have. Numerous times. Most of the requests that my friends and I consistently submit do come to fruition. A small number of them have not - this leads me to believe that if Takara could have reissued the Dinobots, they would have. And making a legit reissue is a lot more complicated than producing a KO. Considering that Takara have fulfilled the majority of fan requests, I think it's highly unfair to be accusing them of being "almightily lazy."

 

As I recall, the Chinese company that makes these has a valid license to do so, which makes them not knockoffs, but actually reissues (which is why AFA will grade them).

I've been inside a warehouse in China of a toy company that claims to have valid licences (why are you spelling it the US way?)... yeah right...

 

Inside the warehouse...

 

...more shots from within the warehouse...

 

Was this Predaking made under licence??

 

I saw these on sale at Wal Mart

 

I think that there are only one of two conclusions we can draw here. Either:

1. The Chinese KOs are actually illegally produced bootlegs manufactured without a legal licence, or...

2. They're being produced "under licence" due to some legal loophole resultant from China's lack of stringent copyright laws. Although not technically illegal, it is still ethically dubious.

 

It's similar to say South Africa during Apartheid -- it technically wasn't illegal for black people to be treated as second class citizens, but it certainly was very morally questionable, and a big reason why many international organisations, such as the Olympic Committee, refused to give membership to South Africa until they'd abolished Apartheid.

 

What an a**hole.

Flame on! :lock :lock :lock

bootlegs, or KOS are good for kids repainting, or for subbing parts....

i have a baddass set of six wing KOs, minus the middle stuff i guess, they are of pretty good quality, and im thinking of repainting them into a set of drones for my custom magnus. WOW i want that predaking actually, and the energon prime one i saw somewhere, and even the Devistator so i can give him hands and stuff... but my main reason for liking them is for kitbashing i guess.