They cross the line in complexity from being toys to statues, they're over-priced, and there's just not enough variety.

 

I totally understand your point-of-view although with their articulation, the word "statues" doesn't exactly fit their description.

Perhaps "statue" isn't the best word to describe them, I was going for something more along the lines of "display piece."

 

At the end I'm in this hobby to collect Transformer toys. I don't consider display pieces toys. JMO, but that's the way I see it.

 

You did put a smile on my face with the whole "over-priced" comment because I originally came from MacrossWorld. I've been a Macross collector for years so when I got back into Transformers, the Alternators as well as most other Transformer toys were and still are dirt cheap in comparison to a Yamato 1:48 valkyrie or a reissue 1:55 Bandai for that matter.

 

Interestingly enough, as a kid, I remember my dad paid $16, I think, for my first Transformers toy which was G1 Sideswipe. Fast forward about 20 years and cost wise, the Alternators are much more affordable. At around the time my dad bought me the Sideswipe, we were in Japantown, San Francisco and he paid $40 for a Macross Elintseeker. Macross has always been more expensive than Transformers so I'm glad that I am in the VERY AFFORDABLE hobby of Alternators/Binaltech and Mastepiece collecting.

LOL, well it's a sliding scale. I've got a couple Macross figures that stand in as generic Autobot security guards (see IDW's Megatron: Origins series).

As far as TF go though, Alts/BTs are up there price-wise. Other then TF I really don't collect anything else.

 

At the end of the day I just don't see how alts are worth it. The variety in characters isn't there, the variety in alt modes isn't there (even combined with the MP line), the price is higher, and they're more of display pieces then toys.

I want to be able to take a toy down from the shelf and just have fun with it. Position it in a couple of cool poses and transform it back and forth for a while. I can't do that with MPs or Alts. I feel like I have to be extra careful with them plus the complexity makes transforming them more of a chore then a fun puzzle.

 

In the end, I like my "G1 ReDux" collection made up of Classics/Universe, UT, RiD, and Animated figures. They're more affordable, they have a variety of forms, and the range of characters is fantastic. I can't get that with a MP/Alt collection.

As for monetary value/worth, Galzamus hit the nail on the head. I'm not in this for financial gain/investment. So what do I care if the Optimus Prime on my shelf is a $20 Classics Voyager or a $90 MP?

I'll go with the Classics version. I get more out of it.

At the end I'm in this hobby to collect Transformer toys. I don't consider display pieces toys. JMO, but that's the way I see it.

I personally agree with you and I would say that semantically speaking you are correct.

 

toy -noun an object, often a small representation of something familiar, as an animal or person, for children or others to play with; plaything.

(Random House Unabridged Dictionary)

 

toy N-Count A toy is an object that children play with, for example a doll or a model car.

(Collins Cobuild Advanced Learner's English Dictionary)

 

Having said that, MPs and BTs still do count as toys because they are still designed to be played with. They can transform and they're articulated action figures. :)

 

:D

I can't believe that BW didn't get a SINGLE vote....

I can't believe that BW didn't get a SINGLE vote....

 

LOL! Yeah, I guess the toys should have followed the CG models instead of vice-versa and there might have been a few more votes there. Obviously, the articulation of the toys couldn't match the show but the toys REALLY suck, IMO. Don't get me wrong, as I stated before, I really like the show and I believe it's the best Transformer show to date but the toys just don't cut it. For example, Dinobot is my favorite character from the show so I thought of possibly buying his 10th Anniversary figure just for the heck of it. Then I saw a close-up of his face(I could have done better with Play-Doh) and changed my mind.

 

Now if we have a best Transformers television show poll, I'll show all my love for Beast Wars, because I have NONE for the toys.

Voted for Beast Wars! Take that! :P

 

LOL! Yeah, I guess the toys should have followed the CG models instead of vice-versa and there might have been a few more votes there. Obviously, the articulation of the toys couldn't match the show but the toys REALLY suck, IMO.

Wait, you're saying that the toys suck just because they don't match the show?! Even though the toys came first?! The only way the toys could be more faithful to the show would be for HasTak to build a time machine, travel into the future, make note of the show models created by Mainframe, then travel back in time and modify their toy designs to make them more show like!!!

 

If you really want more show-like Beast Wars toys, get the Japanese versions or the Japanese reissues!

 

Furthermore, the toy accuracy of the Beast Wars show models is a lot better than that of G1.

 

 

Beast Wars toys offer:

+ Good durability

+ Detailed sculpting

+ Good paint application

+ Well articulated figures

+ Contained accessories/weapons (all are either incorporated or stowed in the alt mode somehow)

...a lot of features that have become standard in Transformers today was popularised/standardised during Beast Wars.

 

Don't get me wrong, as I stated before, I really like the show and I believe it's the best Transformer show to date but the toys just don't cut it. For example, Dinobot is my favorite character from the show so I thought of possibly buying his 10th Anniversary figure just for the heck of it. Then I saw a close-up of his face(I could have done better with Play-Doh) and changed my mind.

What about the Telemocha reissue? (although technically it's the BW Grimlock mould)

 

Now if we have a best Transformers television show poll, I'll show all my love for Beast Wars, because I have NONE for the toys.

Agreed - absolutely the best TF TV show and IMO the 2nd best TF story ever written other than the Marvel comics. :)

Voted for Beast Wars! Take that! :P

 

 

How could you waste your vote.. when BT/ALT or G1 only need 3 votes to catchup to Classics???

 

DAMNN YOUUUU.... :tfevil

Voted for Beast Wars! Take that! :P

 

 

How could you waste your vote.. when BT/ALT or G1 only need 3 votes to catchup to Classics???

 

DAMNN YOUUUU.... :tfevil

And your problem with Classics is what again? It was amusing the first few times, now the "Classics be the Devil" posts are just :wtf

Voted for Beast Wars! Take that! :P

 

 

How could you waste your vote.. when BT/ALT or G1 only need 3 votes to catchup to Classics???

 

DAMNN YOUUUU.... :tfevil

And your problem with Classics is what again? It was amusing the first few times, now the "Classics be the Devil" posts are just :wtf

 

ahh classics are fine.. TO ME only the BW are the devil. And maybe the animated ones. I havn't given them a fair enough shot to be the devil tho. I really don't like the classics dinobots tho. But remaking duplicates of the original are great for a generation that didn't have them -- but to me, that would make the G1's better. Me personally, I like the BT/ALT's. Different strokes and transformers for different folks - I was just being silly and trying to get more votes in (not from duplicate accts). Because it was so close, I was trying to get a few more BT's or MP votes in to catch up with the Classics - but in the end I don't rally care. I am just finding it interesting the demographics of the site. Thus the more votes - regardless how it turns out - the better picture it paints.

You know that Beast Wars standardised/popularised a lot of things that we now take for granted in Transformers toys today, such as:

+ Greater durability - Transformers became far less fragile/brittle compared to G1.

+ Greater detailed sculpting and paint applications - no more stickers!

+ Articulated robot modes

etc.

...although these things technically began in late G2, it was in Beast Wars that these features were further developed and refined in. Also, Beast Wars was the Transformers Renaissance. G2 really failed to adequately revive the Transformers franchise, but Beast Wars really breathed new life into it.

 

Beast Wars evolved into Car Robot/RiD (which was basically just Beast Wars but with vehicular modes) which in turn evolved into Binaltech/Alternators - and of course, has set the standard for Transformers today.

 

Here is how I view the evolution of Transformers...

A. In the beginning we had robots that transformed into vehicles. Although reasonably highly detailed and well constructed for its time, the robot modes were mostly unarticulated and prone to breakage.

B. Action Masters: a poor attempt at giving us Transformers as action figures; more articulated robot modes - although not really that well articulated, even by the standards of the day and hurt by the fact that they couldn't transform. Action Master Elites were able to transform, but their alt modes suck.

C. Generation 2: the advent of articulated robot modes, introducing the concept of Transformers as action figures.

D. Late Generation 2: the introduction of ball and socket joints gave us Transformers with a greater range of natural movement (because skeletons work on ball socket joints).

E. Beast Wars: Transformers as articulated action figures have now become standard, including the use of ball-socket joints. Detailed sculpting and superior paint applications were introduced rendering flat stickers obsolete.

F. Car Robot (RiD): same deal as Beast Wars, but with licensed vehicles.

G. Binaltech (Alternators): an evolution from Car Robot at a 1:24 scale with greater degree of articulation and high detail.

 

Beast Wars = :love

While a lot of that makes sense I don't think RID actually had licensed vehicles. Alt modes did resemble real vehicles (Viper,Lamborghini, and Mercedes SUV) but I don't recall them actually being licensed. Too my knowledge the first vehicle ever licensed were the alts, and second the movie formers. I may be wrong but that's how I see it.

 

Beast Wars figs, especially the earliest ones IMO were fail and prone to breaking because of inferior construction, plastic usage. Same IMO could be said for rid. The ball joints/articulation, paint aps a was great advance as were the realistic alt modes but as toys I hated the fragile feel of the plastic construction.

 

The toys during A/E/C/C, the movie toys, and animated toys are already a lot better constructed with a greater feel of plastic strength and durability to them. Also the transformation/ complexity goes beyond most of them being shell formers and scattered kibble. Two such problems I think Beast Wars/RID were plagued with by any other line to date.