I Would buy mp-44 for $199 -250 not more. Bought the FT-16M for $239 I just love the look of that Guy so for me he is worth $239. Mp10s transformation is fun and I don’t like the flow of mp-44s transformation. I´m not going to be transforming ft-16m a lot of times cause the alt mode it useless so the transformation in that figure is not that important to me. So value for me is different in every figure.
Harry Ruffin sure if you got to have it now. Most collectors wait and save for their purchases. I would bet that at least half of collectors have to save to buy.
@@countypoe1644 I have a monthly budget specifically for collecting. Once I run out of that money I dont buy anymore until the following month. I would go broke if I operated otherwise.
Quality of build is paramount to me because in order to maintain any figures proper articulation over time, the figure needs to be built strong enough and sturdy enough to endure the poses for long periods of time. And when it comes to quality of build, a company like Fans Toys is king because they consistently make smart choices in plastic quality, ratchet usage, and die cast implementation. All of which compliments the sculpt and the paint in such a way where the "Masterpiece" quality is not only seen but felt also. Keep up the good work Bobby!!
One thing I'm not willing to sacrifice, is whether or not the character "feels" like the character and if it has personality. Which is something I personally don't like about FansToys. I think the make a great piece, but not once has one of them felt like a character, more than a figure. And as ironic as it may seem, C.H.U.G figures do, in my opinion, often nail the character's personality and feel. But hey, that's just my opinion.
I think the face sculpt is a very important element of the feel of a character. FT is getting better at that though but they can't beat the newer MPs in that department.
When it comes to my collection, I am not willing to compromise on toon aesthetics for the bot-mode. I'm also picky about how the other modes should look relative to the source material (toon or real world). That's why I never got into any of the Zeta or Toy World combiners. They often have a very stylized interpretation of those characters rather than the best representation from the Sunbow cartoon. I am also more biased towards Takara and X-Transbots because of how toon they look (but I do think XTB's MM is not very toon to me). I am willing to sacrifice die-cast but not build quality. For example, some of my FansToys Insecticons have very weak knees now because the overuse of die cast has made those toys difficult to pose on my shelf. So if FansToys used less die cast, I think those Insecticons would be a lot better like the FansToys Reflector. Often, I find people think that die cast = build quality and I think the FT Insecticons in my collection is a good example of poor use of die cast. I think the newer Takara toys have a smart use of die cast. You won't find the die cast on the feet because having die cast on the feet just weighs down the toys and make them difficult to pose. I am willing to sacrifice paint but not plastic yellowing. Paint chipping was a huge issue with Takara when they changed their formulation or technique when applying paint (This is pure speculation but there were some noticeable feel differences between older MPs, the MP-36, and MP-44). If a high end collectible does not have paint, it better not yellow with time. If it does have paint, it better stay on. My priorities lie with articulation. I think that the butterfly joints and the bend the knee poses that Takara are doing is simply superb. The bend the knee pose is especially important for Optimus Prime (as appose to Megatron) because he was the kind of leader that did not think of himself as superior than humans. I appreciate the head tilts, ab tilts that Takara are making and putting all 3P toys to shame. So while I don't transform my toys back and forth, I enjoy being able to put my Takara and Ocular Max toys in different poses, which is something FansToys and other 3Ps can't do. My preference like with what I like to call "collective integration". Meaning how well the different toys compliment each other, including the use of accessories. For example, I appreciate that MP-47 can fit inside Prime's trailer (something Willis can't do). I am hopeful that XTB can do with their Motormaster's trailer and allow the Stunticons to do. I appreciate that the MP-44 jetback can be used on MP-12. But more importantly, how the different toys look with one another, which is why I am starting to dislike FansToys more and more... they look good with each other and with older Takara toys, but they don't look good with the new toon toys.
I like Toyworld's Devastator, though yes I'd love if that teased FT Version came out and had extremely toon-accurate Bot modes. I'd swap him in a heartbeat. I don't mind Zeta's Aerialbots either, they're close but I went with the FT Aerialbots because of how good they look in both modes. Couldn't even look at Zeta's Bruticus though, those bot modes are hot garbage and since I only display one or two combiners in their combined form at a time, couldn't have those robots on my shelf.
MP-44's backpack is almost 100% sound gimmick. The big chunk of it is the sound box and had they not included that gimmick (which most don't care about anyway) he could have had a toon accurate back. Articulation really has nothing to do with the junk in his trunk, it's just another example of compromises to support gimmicks.
Thank you for all the work you put into your videos. I feel you are one of the leaders of this community. I am lucky to have stumbled upon your videos years ago as you have an excellent eye and a great way to communicate an objective assessment of the things I love. Cheers!
I love these videos with these kind of talks. For many collectors, space, funds and other priorities and even *gosh* getting into other subjects - say wanting to spend more time and funds on getting say G.I. Joe over say Transformers figures is a really good discussion. My only rule : love and spend your time with what makes you happy.
Im working a 16 hour shift right now so I can afford some hot toys figures! This Mandalorian series is going to kill me LOL.. I'm getting too old to do 16-hour work days on 4 hours sleep. Ill bust my poor butt for something that I really want.. just hope these figures hold up to my expectations.
Good talk Bobby. In my collection I will sacrifice articulation for Aesthetics. But I will always put quality over price point. Since the MP bots are around the same price the quality will usually differ company to company. Thanks again.
I agree with you. It's a very personal thing from one person to another. What I'm comfortable sacrificing maybe cool for me but someone else may not feel the same. It's just like Scale is really in the eye of the beholder. Thanks Bobby. I really enjoyed this
Sit down Saturday is my sit down Sunday here in Australia...and I love you for it man 😂👍 absolutely dig the amount of effort put into these videos and the level of debate and analysis therewithin. It’s a joy to tune off completely then tune in here. Always challenges my useless pieces of plastic collector head
Interesting discussion. Listening to your views, I think we're aligned - that is, the more expensive something is, the more heavily I prioritize aesthetics. For $50 toy, I probably expect more playability, whereas with something $200, it better look amazing.
First priorities, build, materials, and engineering, I have two daughters and they are one and two years old, and they both have gotten to play with my m MP and third party figures, and my figures have held up brilliantly to hard play. My girls actually love playing with Fanshobby Overlord and he has held beautifully to toddler play. In the end third party quality is more than worth the price.
Another fantastic topic and I really enjoyed your thoughts bro. I absolutely love your ‘sit down Saturdays’ as they always get me thinking. Keep up the awesome work bro 🤘😆🤘
Looking at that image of MMC Bruticus beside Megatron has made me realize just how close he's going to be overall to Constructor in height. Megatron stands just shy of mid-thigh beside Constructor on my shelf, here he's almost the top of the thigh to Bruticus. Add in those extra little shoes for Bruticus and we might be VERY close indeed.
Assuming that the fig in question isn't falling apart in my hands or it's paint isn't flaking off simply by looking at it, it's all subjective. For me, everything is on a case by case basis. Most of my Transformers are in bot mode (since if I wanted a car on a shelf, I'd buy a Hot Wheel or a model set instead), so transformation isn't that high in my list of priorities, but I'll never accept a MP style shellformer and/or something with a lot of kibble. As a rule of thumb, if it looks cool, I'll buy it. IMO, the most important thing that people care about is stylisation. A great example would be Master Made Transformers. As a whole, they are the best built Transformers out there, are very well detailed, have more than the average amount of accessories, have fun transformations, can actually be played with, and fit in a Detolf in a non sideways pose. That said, Master Made's two biggest flaws are the chibi style (which is the main reason people don't buy this line) and the price (specially if you want the add-on kits).
Am not sure what am willing to sacrifice some articulation in order to get the aesthetics. Also I rather sacrifice some inclusiveness to get the Right scale. Am not gonna lie Scale and Sculpt is really High on my list. Absolutely great video!
I agree that scale and sculpt are both important to me too but the truth is there are very little official scale references available to the general public. Many S2 characters do not have official reference scale.
@@Windcharger nah, I absolutely agree. There's really no official scale for Transformers. But imo everyone has there own interpretations of how large a character should be. Like for example Grimlock, some people are fine with him being the same height as Prime, some say a head taller. While otheres like Grimlock and the rest of tte Dinobots to massive. Same goes for combiners, I don't think there's a Right or Wrong. Is pretty much what ever you like:0)
That display case behind you. What is on that yellow/gold stand right in the center. When your head is right under it, it looks like a crown sometimes. Trying to subliminally say your the king of your castle or a little B.I.G. visual nod to his image of him wearing his crown. I think about that when I sit and watch you discuss something.
I started collecting a year ago and started off with Year of the Horse Mp 10 and loved it but i couldn't hit them dynamic poses. Then i bought Flame Toys Shattered Glass Drift followed by Tarn and it was game over. Flame Toys OP is out and now i'm sacrificing my desire to get that General Grant and other masterpieces that i'm interested in. I did manage to get into Iron Factory as i got 3 of them for Christmas and they're affordable when new. There fun and stylish. I'd rather pay the $450 for the Flame Toys OP then for Takara MP44.
Nice. I prefer to think in terms of minimising total amount of compromise rather than specific sacrifices - different releases might call for different priorities but I can always look at which figure gives up least as a measure of how 'good' it is. I sometimes worry that recognising which sacrifices we are typically willing to make legitimises companies asking these sacrifices of us. I think this is most evident in Takara's prices; I also don't think much needs to be sacrificed compared to old-style MPs to achieve the incremental (but not insignificant) improvements in articulation.
Awesome video Bobby, I personally am willing to sacrifice anything as long as when I pick up the figure it makes me feel the same nostalgia when I was kid. Not sure if that's a helpful answer but its true.
If both modes look good is all that matters to me and I am not sure how many collectors put them in these dramatic poses. Most collectors have them standing in a static pose. I can see how someone would want more when that price goes up.
I definitely prefer the two modes that Fans Toys offers even in the face of that crazy transformation process. I do collect some main line stuff, but I feel like that's more in line with last weeks SDS, I have mainline figures therefore I'm afraid of just dropping the display I have going.
Perfect companion to your worth vid. Sacrifice for me needs to be in exchange for something unique or new. Good example would be inferno, I changed mmcs out for TTs despite the toon aesthetic I dont favour because the transformation was so clever.
This is always a hard thing when we have so many options now days. I've found what I buy is based on does it make me feel like I'm 6 years old again. ie. Orginal G1 Ultra magnus I had that when I was 6 and by today's standards its terrible, but in my 6 year old brain it was as if it was MP22 Magnus, my 6 year old mind made up for all its short comings. and yes MP22 isnt perfect but so far its the figure has given me this feeling the strongest, followed by Fans Toys Quietes. hope people understand what I mean there. If a toy can do that, then that's what I buy which really does place preferences on a per figure bases.
Fanstoys is the best example of sacrifice obviously. I’ll sacrifice robot mode, engineering, price just for a beautiful robot mode. If flame toys really dug into a g1 aesthetic, that would completely satisfy my wants entirely. But I have to assume anyone purchasing a second Fanstoys product and beyond must feel the same way and if you don’t, fool you twice, etc.
Great video Bobby. I think your videos are great and your objectivity is appreciated. I watch a lot of your reviews even if have no interest in buying the figure. Aesthetics is something I really prioritize, possibility and near scale are next. I can't have Bee taller than say Prowl. I prefer thrilling 30 Jetfire over the better sized commander. There is something about the clean lines I really enjoy. I would love to collect masterpiece but my collection goals are a lot of non-toon characters. Spinister, Nightbeat and Powermaster Prime to name a few. Again, I love the content. You are terrific.
My priorities are different for each of the lines I’m collecting, which also means different levels of prices I’m willing to pay. Such as for the high-quality, super stylized designs from Flame Toys / movie accuracy, high-quality build, and playability from ThreeZero’s DLX / fun transformation and playability from my Reformatted IDW collection / quality and playability from my MP collection.
I am happier sacrificing some articulation for sculpt. One example I can think of for that is the Takara vs FT Hot Rod. The Takara (other then weak ankle joints) out articulates the Fans Toys, but Hoodlum looks way better on my shelf. I also enjoy challenging transformation so I have no problem sacrificing an easier transformation for better looking bot and alt modes. The only Fans Toys I haven't transformed is my Arcee, but I quite enjoy their transformations. There may be a tricky spot here or there, but I never feel like I am going to break them. Even their Kup and Springer's transformation I enjoy. With Takara, the sacrifices they are asking are ones I am starting to not sacrifice, and that is sculpt for articulation, and higher prices with cheaper materials. The Bumblebee and Hound just do not feel good in hand, and I can not get either of them to actually tab together smoothly. I received my Bumblebee 2.0 around the same time as Spoiler, and my Hound on the same day as Goose. I paid similar prices for each that arrived together. It really did the Takara molds any favors coming at the same time as my FT because they do not feel in the same category of collectables anymore. Everything, except articulation, is better of the FT versions. Thank -you for the conversation, as always. Always appreciate the amount of time you put in to the content on your channel.
I think I actually praise Hasbro's CHUG releases because I think most people are willing to sacrifice having the "perfection" of a MP figure for just having a simple representation of the character on the shelf for a price that's easier to swallow especially if it's a character that you may not particularly love or care for but are getting just for completing a shelf or a set. I think the same can be said for Marvel and Star Wars, too, where a S.H. figuart version would likely be better and a Hot Toys version would obviously be better but despite the sacrifices and limitations to fit a price point the Hasbro offering fills the hole in the collection just fine.
1st excellent topic and well spoken. 2nd I have experienced a lot more stress marks, a lot more breaks and a lot more paint chips with Fans Toys than any other Transformers brand I own. I love the sculpt and paint on Fans Toys, but I'm always hesitant because more than 1/2 of their figures break for me. I have absolutely zero stress marks, zero breaks and very few paint chips on any of my Hasbro or Takara Transformers, but by and large they could do better with sculpt and paint. For me I'd rather have a durable figure than a perfect sculpt and tons of paint. And I am more than willing to pay more for a durable figure which is why Takara's prices don't bother me. And yes, even Hound. My copy of hound is sturdy as a rock. I've actually dropped him once. No breakage. 3rd I am usually willing to sacrifice sculpt for articulation, but I have my limits and it varies based on the character.
The biggest one for me is Triple changers. There’s always one mode that takes a hit. So do I care more about an Astrotrain that looks good as a bot and shuttle and only ok as a train versus the other way around?
New mask? I can't decide which is more important, build or articulation. I can tell you cost is always, always a factor for my Optional hobby. It has to be pretty special for me to spend $200 for a figure. I might spend that for the center bot of a combiner, but not much else. Now, go blow that out of the water, I am in for Unicron. Wife and I talked about that for awhile beforehand...
I'm lucky in the fact that I'm collecting figures that I think look great and a few specific characters that I will always pick up. Astrotrain, Bltzwing and the stuntacons being some of them. Great video as always.So to speak.
Thoughtful and insightful video as usual Bobby, much appreciated. Is it me or does it seem like the promo pics for that flame toys Prime look a bit more...chunky or thick in the leg area as opposed to the actual unit which looks slimmer/thinner in the leg area or just all together?
Love the Channel!!!! Love the Content!!! I love the Skullface Mask!!! It would be dope if u had skull gloves to complete the look!!!!! Just saying!!!!! Keep up the great work man!!!!!
I would definitely sacrifice articulation for aesthetics. Or just about anything else. All the hyper articulation we are getting these days is worthless to me because all those joints are trashy, gap-py, seamfilled disasters (ahem mp44). Mezco is great example. Difficult to pose, but they look phenomenal even just standing at attention, so I don’t care.
I certainly understand the issues of balancing price, quality, aesthetics, and articulation as well as engineering. In addition to MP style TF, I also build Gundam models and collect Godzilla figures. For Godzilla I ONLY buy X-Plus, which are expensive but high quality materials and very screen accurate, but have literally ZERO articulation in most cases. BUT I love the size and the look of them, so I am more than happy with that trade off. Gundam models I only buy Master Grade because I like the 1/100th scale and they are heavily detailed and articulated and aren’t that expensive either. For me personally, the most important things are the size of the figure (I want them to be big and grab attention), that they are in scale with each other, screen accuracy, and quality of materials. Articulation and engineering tend to be secondary, but not always. It’s a hard balance, so the fact that you do what you can to try and approach comparisons like the Motormaster one as much as possible is appreciated. It is a very challenging task for you each time I’m sure
Fantastic perspective and definitely food for thought. I have always put asthetics over engineering. However, the catch is asthetics in all modes have to be appealing. Regular, triple changer, six change, combiner, IDGAF, it has to be appealing to me. I usually wait until 3 of the same figure have been produced before I make a decision as I do not buy duplicates in the same scale and I will sell some off to restart collecting a better figure. To be fair, my combiners are almost always displayed in combined mode. Mostly due to the year + of them not being able to combine due to releases, and due to shelf space. I feel that a transformation has to be complicated for me to enjoy it. If it doesn't make me bust out instructions the first time, then it is too simple. It is supposed to be a puzzle, enjoy the puzzle for what it is. If I need my transformations to be easy and intuitive, I would buy more Hasbro stuff. When they started dumbing down the figures after the second movie, it slowed my official collecting. Most of my collection is now 3rd Party. I am slow to collect because I am picky. I only collect what appeals to me and my minds eye. It's like collecting art work. Some styles are better than others but that is my preference. Oh, and parts forming is a must for me. Toy Worlds Constructor is fanfuckingtasic! Why, because it parts forms. That's how G1 did it and that is how you get it done right. But what is right for me may be a sticking point for someone else. If you read this, thank you for your time.
As a person who only started collecting MP a few months ago, I find myself making the most sacrifices in regard to Fans Toys. I don't care what the internet's opinions about FT are, what I know is I only own a few FT pieces and they're all around the best figures in my collection. But, I've come to this so late that a lot of figures I want that were made by Fans Toys are incredibly expensive, so I have to make sacrifices. The thing that comes to mind is that I really wanted a set of insecticons and I ultimately decided to sacrifice the Fans Toys quality to get something I could afford, the MMC set. I do think the MMC ones are kinda junky but I was willing to sacrifice all of the things the Fans Toys ones offer in exchange for something I could afford. If I did it the other way I would have had to sacrifice nearly a grand for figures that I love but not nearly enough to spend that kind of money on. But still, here I am disappointed in the sacrifices I made. I understand that by the time I get around to getting all of the FT Dinos at this point, it'll likely cost me 500 a figure if they don't rerelease them, but I already have their Grimlock and it's my favorite figure. So in that case I'm more receptive to sacrificing for the late tax in favor of getting the figures I truly want. It'll be this way with any figure that multiple companies have put out, I suppose. If you ever want to do some kind of "State of the Masterpiece scene for a brand new collector" kinda thing, I'd love to watch that. Because as a new collector the state of things is wild. On one hand, I have so many options available that weren't available to collectors who have been collecting for a while. But on the other hand, there are now figures that are IMPOSSIBLE to get because they were done once 5 years ago and nobody has bothered since. But yeah. I'd be into a video like that.
Thinking more about the video thing I mentioned: A video like that would be invaluable to a new collector, like "Make sure you know these hard facts before you start collecting." Because there are things that I know in 2020 about the hard truths of starting a collection in 2019 that I never would have factored in when I started a few months ago because you don't know what you don't know, which in my case means I had to watch several hours of videos to learn what to avoid and what to consider that might have helped me to proceed more cautiously if someone just sat me down and said "look, be prepared for ___." Thanks for reading!
@@michaelpolston5240 The biggest advice I can give to a new collector? Do not expect to have every interpretation of a character in your MP collection that are cohesive to fit on one single shelf. Another advice is to give yourself a very strict rule in terms of collecting. For myself, the toys made have to pass my personal litmus test in terms of how toon it looks in the bot-mode and how good it looks in the other modes too, which is why I don't have ToyWorld Constructor even though he is a favorite among many collectors. I also gave up on collecting any S4 characters and even some S3 characters too... I'll be happy to end with the movie cast. But if I were to start my collection today (as a newcomer), I would ask myself, what are my top 5 most iconic scenes in the franchise? I would just buy those pieces and then make dioramas for those five iconic scenes and end my collection there..
@@Windcharger Thanks! That's really helpful advice! I actually did start like you said, with recreating iconic moments with favorite characters, but once that was done it was too late, the collecting virus had already infected me. But I do hope that, with this whole discussion thread, someone who starts collecting tomorrow runs across it and really considers your suggestions.
I don't give a crap about CRAZY articulation on my MP Transformers. Some is good, but let's not go insane and drive the price way up. Toon accuracy w/real world alt modes is great for me. Along the lines of MP-10. That's really funny to me you say quality was sacrificed for price on Hound. To me, his price is crazy high for a car bot.
The only way I can think of actually comparing poseability is with a posedown contest. This is problematic and obviously takes a long time, also bringing subjectivity into play when it comes to how well a figure can achieve a certain pose. The only other solution I can think of is just to comment on the leg proportions and the likelihood of achieving a kneel.
This is a very interesting subject but it's all about specific cases, what I'm willing to sacrifice in a particular figure, I may not be willing to sacrifice in others and sometimes that can be related to something so simple as the relation I have with that character, his abilities, his personality or maybe even the lack of both. A good example is a Spider-Man figure, I want it to look as close as it can to the original character interpretation, both sculpt and paint wise but at the same time the character essence is very important. Spider-Man is very athletic, always jumping around and most of his natural poses are almost impossible to achieve for a regular human being. That is such a big part of this character that if the articulation is scarified for sculpt in a way that the figure wont be able to achieve some of those barely human poses I won't be satisfied. My taste in figures and the way I appreciate them is very close to yours Skullface, I like well sculpted and well painted figures that pose well on a shelve but as I already explained, I'm an action figure per se collector so engineering, be it articulation or transformation wise, is very important too. Like I said in the beginning, it all depends on so many variables that I can only talk about those preferences case by case, figure by figure, it's impossible to have an overall perspective about this subject or try to express an absolute and final opinion. I don't mind some sacrifices, I know sometimes they have to be done but it will always depend on the specific character and the sacrifice itself. There is something I'm not willing to sacrifice and that is quality for price, but that doesn't mean I'm willing to pay 100USD for a Mafex Wolverine just because it's a bit better then a Marvel Legend, I don't mind if a figure has to be more expensive to have better quality but only when it's fair and it's actually noticeable.
It's so funny now that you mention it: people will want you to review something, so your value opinion will defend theír purchase, and when you're opinion doesn't side with that goal, it's suddenly "just your opinion" 😂 Lol @ completionist sorta mindset
It kind of varies from bot to bot for me. MMC Saltus is a better design to me as it is more enjoyable to transform compared to FT Apache. Alt mode not as accurate, but still looks excellent for Saltus. MMC Assaultus is amazing to me because they worked in the hands & feet of the combined mode. I like that and they pulled it off while still maintaining the look. Not 100% but the look is still there. MP-39 is near perfect, but MP-44's transformation is far more complicated than I'd want it to be in comparison. I enjoy Gravestone more than Roadking because it's a smoother transformation and still looks great in both modes. It doesn't have to be complicated to be good, it just has to work and remain interesting to want to tinker with.
Good points. I must say that I am not willing to sacrifice watching sit down Saturday vids as opposed to talking with this dumb ass guy I work with on our breaks. You save me from a lot of bull shit conversation Mack, and for that I thank you. I don’t even collect anything. Lol
Aw man, I want more, I need expansion. Damn, I feel like this ain't done cos even a few years into this I'm still forming a nailed on mindset for what I would call a perfect collection for me. But, I'm heading toward the point this ends at. I'm getting to the point where I'm willing to pay for an apex figure as long as the price isn't too high. I'd sacrice the alt mode of a transformers figure to have a brilliant action figure. The Tekashi shot was too nice but anyways *sneaky giggles* eskellent vid, eskellent topic as is mostly the case. BoOM! Peace and blessings
The Areialbots are hopeless when it comes to jet mode, so FansToys might as well concentrate on the robot mode. No matter what there will always be that chunky, exposed torso in jet, with Silverbolt being the worst.
The collection is meant to reflect a museum vibe ....stoic pose behind glass.....Fans Toys have taken over....MP Takara car bots are an after thought these days. I'll take 1 premium Bot over 3 standard bots any day of the week. Also if one is willing to invest their time you can turn a Model kit into a display Masterpiece when I'm finished say with a Perfect Grade it can be placed next to a Hot Toys robot and stand toe to toe with even greater aesthetic / detail....this also requires sacrifice more importantly dedication.
What matter to me is engineering and playability, thus keeping both good looking bot-mode and alt-mode. This leads me to avoid anything FansToys (I'm not the kind of guy who puts figures in the Detolf and never touches them anymore) and, surprisingly, still liking Wei Jiang's Arcee almost more than MMC's Azalea.
I loved OM's Arcee... I really had a lot of fun posing her and taking pics of her, which is something I haven't done with any other toy. So I'm with you on playability. I also enjoy intuitive complex transformations (engineering).
@@Windcharger For some reasons, that Arcee has an extremely solid lower body and an extremely fragile upper body which makes transformation a bit scary
@@Windcharger wei jiang's it's an oversized ko of an old takara/hasbro figure. Articulation-wise it's not the best but both modes are good. You can still find it for 20 bucks on Aliexpress
Good stuff as always, and reminded me of some tough collecting decisions i had to make last year! Had to pick between the original Cybertron Prime and its Siege remake, which were going for the same price. The remake has better engineering and some articulation missing in the OG (wrist swivels, ankle tilts, waist, ball jointed head). However, I ultimately picked the OG because of its significantly superior build quality and more cohesive sculpt (no parts reuse, no gaps, no ugly backpacks etc. ). I understand why others would have gone for the remake, but can he overpower MP-10 when you put them next to each other? However, I have a limit to how much articulation I am willing to sacrifice. I passed on cybertron Scourge, one of my favourite sculpted Transformers of all time, because HasTak's design team gave him gorilla arms and NO OUTWARDS ARM MOVEMENT. I guess my point is that people have maxima/minima in their trade-offs. We can't have everything. 😂
Bobby, let me tell you you that I have watched you for some years now. And your videos have been very educational for getting me the right stuff and they are a great fun to watch. I'm not as MP minded as you are nore do I give a damn about scale. I have Transformers in all sizes and shapes and I have stated before on a TH-cam post that if you are a fan of Transformers (the TV series) you should be accustomed to size difference. Of course I like some figures or lines to be in scale, but it is not a priority to me. I do understand you using your scale. I've also understood in the mean time that I am not a 'floor guy' (sorry Deluxe, luv you too). But I do like good builds and engineering. Yet paints and looks are very important to me also! I've never reacted to a video of yours before I realized (I never comment much). But, I want you to know that your comments in this video I agree 200‰ on! I just follow you all the way! Although I am not personally known/accustomed with figures like Hot Toys or Mafex, (all products over here /The Netherlands/ are just more expensive than in the US or China, taxes taxes and more taxes - also from those countries) I have looked into it. I will be getting the TMNT movie figures from Neca (small ones) soon. They are almost here in my country. And I will be looking at the quality (you've warned me about it), but they look great! And are quite cheap. Probably not as affordable as for you over there. However, I just want you to know that I love your content man! You are not afraid to be critical and you definitely try to be neutral in your reviews. It has helped me a lot. You are the best! Keep up the great work. Greetings, Arjan
I thought it was interesting that you had 2 transformers reviews in the works, yet officially they are third party. Do more collectors purchase 3rd party now?
i had to sacrifice my pre-ordered Flame Toys Optimus Prime to fix my Jeep.... i have Flame Toys sparkles Tarn, red Drift & transform mission Havok(menasor). good job on vids dude. 🇺🇸🤘😎
I'm definitely not a stickler for a certain aesthetic. If it looks good to me and it fits in my collection at the right price, that's the criteria I go with. Transformers have been a part of my life since I was a kid and all the options we have now are great but once I get the characters I need to complete my collection, I'm done. I just can't keep putting more money into this already expensive hobby.
Kind of wish for MP they picked realistic car or cartoon, like, just pick one. But I think I'd rather real, because it was real cheap for MP prime back then hahaaaaa.....
No offense obviously, but it gets super tiring hearing anyone mention any bias BSF supposedly has because he isn’t a fan of Beast Wars-it’s just crazy because the whole appeal of this channel is that you’re getting an honest objective look and review at a product. The Skullface empire was built on integrity and the truth. We can’t have our cake and eat it too by supporting that idea when it’s convenient and when we don’t agree with something, it must be a fault of his because he has a bias against our opinion.
I'm not willing to sacrifice aesthetics for articulation. I dont pose my collection in super dynamic poses because that usually involves the figure taking up more space. A good A stance heroic pose is all I need. I'm also not willing to sacrifice aesthetics for engineering. I'm one of the few collectors that doesn't enjoy transforming my figures. I enjoy seeing how it's done by watching videos, but dread doing it myself. (that's where you come in). If the figure comes in bot mode it will never get transformed. I'm not willing to sacrifice build quality or paint for a cheaper price. Despite only handling my figures to dust them I do want a solid figure with die cast where everything is secure. I don't worry too much about a well painted figure getting scratched because I dont transform them. I let you do the dirty work in that department 😆 Because of these reasons FansToys is really the perfect company for me. They seem to prioritize aesthetics, build quality, and paint above engineering and sometimes articulation. It's a huge win for me and my collecting sensibilities. I hope I didn't overstay my welcome with this novel. Thanks for bringing up such an interesting conversation. I look forward to seeing others' responses.
Schlitzy - I agree with you also. I don’t transform my figures and I don’t play or mess with them typically so Fanstoys for the win everytime! Materials, Sculpt and Paint that is always evenly applied unlike the official company. I want the closest thing to the character in the show while not sacrificing that it appears as more of an adult collectible vs a toy. The hyper toon look is cool and probably would have knocked my socks off when I was 8 but I think with that look and less chrome or metallic paint they start to appear as straight up Toys which is not my goal and never was. TT has priced me out. Not because I can’t but because I choose to not pay the rising prices for less QC and hypertoon. They are getting close if not already to Hot toys pricing and there is no comparison at all. Why I started buying Hot toys.
@@mikeh6398 totally agree about the hyper toon accuracy thing. Takara has turned me off quite a bit because they seem to sacrifice everything to achieve toon accuracy. By today's standards the cartoon models are pretty bad looking. I want my collection to look like the G1 characters updated to todays standards. Like you said I want something that looks like an adult collectible and not a childs toy. Takaras prices have gotten ridiculous but it's really their design choices and qc that keep me from buying their product.
I'm tired of the adherence to 'scale'. Scale is arbitrary any way (IMO at least). A transforming figure is all about the engineering required to successfully get it from 1 mode to another mode. However, all too often engineering is sacrificed for the pursuit of scale- which to me is backward. So if I want to have a particular character then I'll have to sacrifice having a well engineered figure for one that may or may not be the right height as it stands next to another character... that had the same priorities and sacrifices made to it. Look at MP BB V2: a lot of its problems would go away if it was allowed to be larger.
A thing I won’t sacrifice is 450$+ for v3 mp Optimus prime.
Still salty about that price tag.
djhavok101 that’s easy to say when you have it
djhavok101 price matters when you can’t exactly afford to buy the figure, which is my complaint.
I Would buy mp-44 for $199 -250 not more. Bought the FT-16M for $239 I just love the look of that Guy so for me he is worth $239. Mp10s transformation is fun and I don’t like the flow of mp-44s transformation. I´m not going to be transforming ft-16m a lot of times cause the alt mode it useless so the transformation in that figure is not that important to me. So value for me is different in every figure.
Harry Ruffin sure if you got to have it now. Most collectors wait and save for their purchases. I would bet that at least half of collectors have to save to buy.
@@countypoe1644 I have a monthly budget specifically for collecting. Once I run out of that money I dont buy anymore until the following month. I would go broke if I operated otherwise.
Quality of build is paramount to me because in order to maintain any figures proper articulation over time, the figure needs to be built strong enough and sturdy enough to endure the poses for long periods of time. And when it comes to quality of build, a company like Fans Toys is king because they consistently make smart choices in plastic quality, ratchet usage, and die cast implementation. All of which compliments the sculpt and the paint in such a way where the "Masterpiece" quality is not only seen but felt also.
Keep up the good work Bobby!!
One thing I'm not willing to sacrifice, is whether or not the character "feels" like the character and if it has personality. Which is something I personally don't like about FansToys. I think the make a great piece, but not once has one of them felt like a character, more than a figure. And as ironic as it may seem, C.H.U.G figures do, in my opinion, often nail the character's personality and feel.
But hey, that's just my opinion.
I think the face sculpt is a very important element of the feel of a character. FT is getting better at that though but they can't beat the newer MPs in that department.
I’m not willing to sacrifice an alt mode for aesthetics.
And not willing to sacrifice friendships because someone likes/doesn’t like brand X
When it comes to my collection, I am not willing to compromise on toon aesthetics for the bot-mode. I'm also picky about how the other modes should look relative to the source material (toon or real world). That's why I never got into any of the Zeta or Toy World combiners. They often have a very stylized interpretation of those characters rather than the best representation from the Sunbow cartoon. I am also more biased towards Takara and X-Transbots because of how toon they look (but I do think XTB's MM is not very toon to me).
I am willing to sacrifice die-cast but not build quality. For example, some of my FansToys Insecticons have very weak knees now because the overuse of die cast has made those toys difficult to pose on my shelf. So if FansToys used less die cast, I think those Insecticons would be a lot better like the FansToys Reflector. Often, I find people think that die cast = build quality and I think the FT Insecticons in my collection is a good example of poor use of die cast. I think the newer Takara toys have a smart use of die cast. You won't find the die cast on the feet because having die cast on the feet just weighs down the toys and make them difficult to pose.
I am willing to sacrifice paint but not plastic yellowing. Paint chipping was a huge issue with Takara when they changed their formulation or technique when applying paint (This is pure speculation but there were some noticeable feel differences between older MPs, the MP-36, and MP-44). If a high end collectible does not have paint, it better not yellow with time. If it does have paint, it better stay on.
My priorities lie with articulation. I think that the butterfly joints and the bend the knee poses that Takara are doing is simply superb. The bend the knee pose is especially important for Optimus Prime (as appose to Megatron) because he was the kind of leader that did not think of himself as superior than humans. I appreciate the head tilts, ab tilts that Takara are making and putting all 3P toys to shame. So while I don't transform my toys back and forth, I enjoy being able to put my Takara and Ocular Max toys in different poses, which is something FansToys and other 3Ps can't do.
My preference like with what I like to call "collective integration". Meaning how well the different toys compliment each other, including the use of accessories. For example, I appreciate that MP-47 can fit inside Prime's trailer (something Willis can't do). I am hopeful that XTB can do with their Motormaster's trailer and allow the Stunticons to do. I appreciate that the MP-44 jetback can be used on MP-12. But more importantly, how the different toys look with one another, which is why I am starting to dislike FansToys more and more... they look good with each other and with older Takara toys, but they don't look good with the new toon toys.
Dude that was an excellent read
Awesome. I'm with ya.
I like Toyworld's Devastator, though yes I'd love if that teased FT Version came out and had extremely toon-accurate Bot modes. I'd swap him in a heartbeat. I don't mind Zeta's Aerialbots either, they're close but I went with the FT Aerialbots because of how good they look in both modes. Couldn't even look at Zeta's Bruticus though, those bot modes are hot garbage and since I only display one or two combiners in their combined form at a time, couldn't have those robots on my shelf.
MP-44's backpack is almost 100% sound gimmick. The big chunk of it is the sound box and had they not included that gimmick (which most don't care about anyway) he could have had a toon accurate back.
Articulation really has nothing to do with the junk in his trunk, it's just another example of compromises to support gimmicks.
Another great Saturday from Bobby Skullface! I couldn't agree with you more on all points discussed in todays video.
I'm on board with you. It depends on what you want to achieve.
Thank you for all the work you put into your videos. I feel you are one of the leaders of this community. I am lucky to have stumbled upon your videos years ago as you have an excellent eye and a great way to communicate an objective assessment of the things I love. Cheers!
It's like choosing between two Siege Refraktors. You have to sacrifice the extra accessories if you're getting the retail version.
I love these videos with these kind of talks. For many collectors, space, funds and other priorities and even *gosh* getting into other subjects - say wanting to spend more time and funds on getting say G.I. Joe over say Transformers figures is a really good discussion.
My only rule : love and spend your time with what makes you happy.
Im working a 16 hour shift right now so I can afford some hot toys figures! This Mandalorian series is going to kill me LOL.. I'm getting too old to do 16-hour work days on 4 hours sleep. Ill bust my poor butt for something that I really want.. just hope these figures hold up to my expectations.
A joint, some coffee and SDS. Dont mind if I do.
Good talk Bobby. In my collection I will sacrifice articulation for Aesthetics. But I will always put quality over price point. Since the MP bots are around the same price the quality will usually differ company to company. Thanks again.
I loved your housekeeping about Motormaster.
Great food for thought.
I agree with you. It's a very personal thing from one person to another. What I'm comfortable sacrificing maybe cool for me but someone else may not feel the same. It's just like Scale is really in the eye of the beholder. Thanks Bobby. I really enjoyed this
There are some official reference scale for S1 and movie characters but many S2 characters have no official reference hence your statement is valid!
Thanks for the scale chart shout out! Appreciate it!
Sit down Saturday is my sit down Sunday here in Australia...and I love you for it man 😂👍 absolutely dig the amount of effort put into these videos and the level of debate and analysis therewithin. It’s a joy to tune off completely then tune in here. Always challenges my useless pieces of plastic collector head
Interesting discussion. Listening to your views, I think we're aligned - that is, the more expensive something is, the more heavily I prioritize aesthetics. For $50 toy, I probably expect more playability, whereas with something $200, it better look amazing.
Wow! Constantly surprised by how amazing your content is Skullface.
Fantastic work.
First priorities, build, materials, and engineering, I have two daughters and they are one and two years old, and they both have gotten to play with my m MP and third party figures, and my figures have held up brilliantly to hard play. My girls actually love playing with Fanshobby Overlord and he has held beautifully to toddler play. In the end third party quality is more than worth the price.
Another fantastic topic and I really enjoyed your thoughts bro. I absolutely love your ‘sit down Saturdays’ as they always get me thinking. Keep up the awesome work bro 🤘😆🤘
Looking at that image of MMC Bruticus beside Megatron has made me realize just how close he's going to be overall to Constructor in height. Megatron stands just shy of mid-thigh beside Constructor on my shelf, here he's almost the top of the thigh to Bruticus. Add in those extra little shoes for Bruticus and we might be VERY close indeed.
Assuming that the fig in question isn't falling apart in my hands or it's paint isn't flaking off simply by looking at it, it's all subjective. For me, everything is on a case by case basis. Most of my Transformers are in bot mode (since if I wanted a car on a shelf, I'd buy a Hot Wheel or a model set instead), so transformation isn't that high in my list of priorities, but I'll never accept a MP style shellformer and/or something with a lot of kibble. As a rule of thumb, if it looks cool, I'll buy it.
IMO, the most important thing that people care about is stylisation. A great example would be Master Made Transformers. As a whole, they are the best built Transformers out there, are very well detailed, have more than the average amount of accessories, have fun transformations, can actually be played with, and fit in a Detolf in a non sideways pose. That said, Master Made's two biggest flaws are the chibi style (which is the main reason people don't buy this line) and the price (specially if you want the add-on kits).
Am not sure what am willing to sacrifice some articulation in order to get the aesthetics. Also I rather sacrifice some inclusiveness to get the Right scale. Am not gonna lie Scale and Sculpt is really High on my list. Absolutely great video!
I agree that scale and sculpt are both important to me too but the truth is there are very little official scale references available to the general public. Many S2 characters do not have official reference scale.
@@Windcharger nah, I absolutely agree. There's really no official scale for Transformers. But imo everyone has there own interpretations of how large a character should be. Like for example Grimlock, some people are fine with him being the same height as Prime, some say a head taller. While otheres like Grimlock and the rest of tte Dinobots to massive. Same goes for combiners, I don't think there's a Right or Wrong. Is pretty much what ever you like:0)
@@suprasport9118 I think Devy has an almost official scale reference from Jim Sorenson's The Ark book but no other combiners are on it.
That display case behind you. What is on that yellow/gold stand right in the center. When your head is right under it, it looks like a crown sometimes. Trying to subliminally say your the king of your castle or a little B.I.G. visual nod to his image of him wearing his crown. I think about that when I sit and watch you discuss something.
Very good sir!
I started collecting a year ago and started off with Year of the Horse Mp 10 and loved it but i couldn't hit them dynamic poses. Then i bought Flame Toys Shattered Glass Drift followed by Tarn and it was game over. Flame Toys OP is out and now i'm sacrificing my desire to get that General Grant and other masterpieces that i'm interested in. I did manage to get into Iron Factory as i got 3 of them for Christmas and they're affordable when new. There fun and stylish. I'd rather pay the $450 for the Flame Toys OP then for Takara MP44.
Nice. I prefer to think in terms of minimising total amount of compromise rather than specific sacrifices - different releases might call for different priorities but I can always look at which figure gives up least as a measure of how 'good' it is.
I sometimes worry that recognising which sacrifices we are typically willing to make legitimises companies asking these sacrifices of us. I think this is most evident in Takara's prices; I also don't think much needs to be sacrificed compared to old-style MPs to achieve the incremental (but not insignificant) improvements in articulation.
Even when I disagree, you always explain your opinions well enough that I get your point of view. Another great vid man!
Awesome video Bobby, I personally am willing to sacrifice anything as long as when I pick up the figure it makes me feel the same nostalgia when I was kid. Not sure if that's a helpful answer but its true.
If both modes look good is all that matters to me and I am not sure how many collectors put them in these dramatic poses. Most collectors have them standing in a static pose. I can see how someone would want more when that price goes up.
I definitely prefer the two modes that Fans Toys offers even in the face of that crazy transformation process. I do collect some main line stuff, but I feel like that's more in line with last weeks SDS, I have mainline figures therefore I'm afraid of just dropping the display I have going.
Perfect companion to your worth vid. Sacrifice for me needs to be in exchange for something unique or new. Good example would be inferno, I changed mmcs out for TTs despite the toon aesthetic I dont favour because the transformation was so clever.
Dude, u r a GURU. Just accept it...
This is always a hard thing when we have so many options now days. I've found what I buy is based on does it make me feel like I'm 6 years old again. ie. Orginal G1 Ultra magnus I had that when I was 6 and by today's standards its terrible, but in my 6 year old brain it was as if it was MP22 Magnus, my 6 year old mind made up for all its short comings. and yes MP22 isnt perfect but so far its the figure has given me this feeling the strongest, followed by Fans Toys Quietes. hope people understand what I mean there. If a toy can do that, then that's what I buy which really does place preferences on a per figure bases.
Fanstoys is the best example of sacrifice obviously. I’ll sacrifice robot mode, engineering, price just for a beautiful robot mode. If flame toys really dug into a g1 aesthetic, that would completely satisfy my wants entirely. But I have to assume anyone purchasing a second Fanstoys product and beyond must feel the same way and if you don’t, fool you twice, etc.
Oh yeah sacrificed my marvel legends for select seacons. Seen your collector or hoarding video 👍🏽.
Great video Bobby. I think your videos are great and your objectivity is appreciated. I watch a lot of your reviews even if have no interest in buying the figure. Aesthetics is something I really prioritize, possibility and near scale are next. I can't have Bee taller than say Prowl. I prefer thrilling 30 Jetfire over the better sized commander. There is something about the clean lines I really enjoy. I would love to collect masterpiece but my collection goals are a lot of non-toon characters.
Spinister, Nightbeat and Powermaster Prime to name a few. Again, I love the content. You are terrific.
Fannnnnnnns Toyyyyyyyyyys!
The sacrifice is the transformation😤 which most of the time is ok for the killer robot and alt modes 😀👍
My priorities are different for each of the lines I’m collecting, which also means different levels of prices I’m willing to pay. Such as for the high-quality, super stylized designs from Flame Toys / movie accuracy, high-quality build, and playability from ThreeZero’s DLX / fun transformation and playability from my Reformatted IDW collection / quality and playability from my MP collection.
I am happier sacrificing some articulation for sculpt. One example I can think of for that is the Takara vs FT Hot Rod. The Takara (other then weak ankle joints) out articulates the Fans Toys, but Hoodlum looks way better on my shelf. I also enjoy challenging transformation so I have no problem sacrificing an easier transformation for better looking bot and alt modes. The only Fans Toys I haven't transformed is my Arcee, but I quite enjoy their transformations. There may be a tricky spot here or there, but I never feel like I am going to break them. Even their Kup and Springer's transformation I enjoy. With Takara, the sacrifices they are asking are ones I am starting to not sacrifice, and that is sculpt for articulation, and higher prices with cheaper materials. The Bumblebee and Hound just do not feel good in hand, and I can not get either of them to actually tab together smoothly. I received my Bumblebee 2.0 around the same time as Spoiler, and my Hound on the same day as Goose. I paid similar prices for each that arrived together. It really did the Takara molds any favors coming at the same time as my FT because they do not feel in the same category of collectables anymore. Everything, except articulation, is better of the FT versions. Thank -you for the conversation, as always. Always appreciate the amount of time you put in to the content on your channel.
do you think Takara would ever re-release hound with better CQ and materials? or is that just a hopeless dream
I think I actually praise Hasbro's CHUG releases because I think most people are willing to sacrifice having the "perfection" of a MP figure for just having a simple representation of the character on the shelf for a price that's easier to swallow especially if it's a character that you may not particularly love or care for but are getting just for completing a shelf or a set. I think the same can be said for Marvel and Star Wars, too, where a S.H. figuart version would likely be better and a Hot Toys version would obviously be better but despite the sacrifices and limitations to fit a price point the Hasbro offering fills the hole in the collection just fine.
1st excellent topic and well spoken.
2nd I have experienced a lot more stress marks, a lot more breaks and a lot more paint chips with Fans Toys than any other Transformers brand I own. I love the sculpt and paint on Fans Toys, but I'm always hesitant because more than 1/2 of their figures break for me.
I have absolutely zero stress marks, zero breaks and very few paint chips on any of my Hasbro or Takara Transformers, but by and large they could do better with sculpt and paint. For me I'd rather have a durable figure than a perfect sculpt and tons of paint.
And I am more than willing to pay more for a durable figure which is why Takara's prices don't bother me. And yes, even Hound. My copy of hound is sturdy as a rock. I've actually dropped him once. No breakage.
3rd I am usually willing to sacrifice sculpt for articulation, but I have my limits and it varies based on the character.
The biggest one for me is Triple changers. There’s always one mode that takes a hit. So do I care more about an Astrotrain that looks good as a bot and shuttle and only ok as a train versus the other way around?
New mask? I can't decide which is more important, build or articulation. I can tell you cost is always, always a factor for my Optional hobby. It has to be pretty special for me to spend $200 for a figure. I might spend that for the center bot of a combiner, but not much else.
Now, go blow that out of the water, I am in for Unicron. Wife and I talked about that for awhile beforehand...
I'm lucky in the fact that I'm collecting figures that I think look great and a few specific characters that I will always pick up. Astrotrain, Bltzwing and the stuntacons being some of them. Great video as always.So to speak.
Thoughtful and insightful video as usual Bobby, much appreciated. Is it me or does it seem like the promo pics for that flame toys Prime look a bit more...chunky or thick in the leg area as opposed to the actual unit which looks slimmer/thinner in the leg area or just all together?
Love the Channel!!!! Love the Content!!! I love the Skullface Mask!!! It would be dope if u had skull gloves to complete the look!!!!! Just saying!!!!! Keep up the great work man!!!!!
Great video.
I would definitely sacrifice articulation for aesthetics. Or just about anything else. All the hyper articulation we are getting these days is worthless to me because all those joints are trashy, gap-py, seamfilled disasters (ahem mp44). Mezco is great example. Difficult to pose, but they look phenomenal even just standing at attention, so I don’t care.
I certainly understand the issues of balancing price, quality, aesthetics, and articulation as well as engineering. In addition to MP style TF, I also build Gundam models and collect Godzilla figures. For Godzilla I ONLY buy X-Plus, which are expensive but high quality materials and very screen accurate, but have literally ZERO articulation in most cases. BUT I love the size and the look of them, so I am more than happy with that trade off. Gundam models I only buy Master Grade because I like the 1/100th scale and they are heavily detailed and articulated and aren’t that expensive either. For me personally, the most important things are the size of the figure (I want them to be big and grab attention), that they are in scale with each other, screen accuracy, and quality of materials. Articulation and engineering tend to be secondary, but not always. It’s a hard balance, so the fact that you do what you can to try and approach comparisons like the Motormaster one as much as possible is appreciated. It is a very challenging task for you each time I’m sure
Are there 3rd party figures that's around the deluxe to generations scale?
Great content
Hmmm I think the most important pose that u can use in comparisons is a kneeling pose
I think this should be the new benchmark for articulation for the Autobots!! LOL
WindCharger ikr everyone should atleast be able to do that at the very least
The year of Splinter as mentioned by Krang to Shredder.
Fantastic perspective and definitely food for thought. I have always put asthetics over engineering. However, the catch is asthetics in all modes have to be appealing. Regular, triple changer, six change, combiner, IDGAF, it has to be appealing to me. I usually wait until 3 of the same figure have been produced before I make a decision as I do not buy duplicates in the same scale and I will sell some off to restart collecting a better figure. To be fair, my combiners are almost always displayed in combined mode. Mostly due to the year + of them not being able to combine due to releases, and due to shelf space. I feel that a transformation has to be complicated for me to enjoy it. If it doesn't make me bust out instructions the first time, then it is too simple. It is supposed to be a puzzle, enjoy the puzzle for what it is. If I need my transformations to be easy and intuitive, I would buy more Hasbro stuff. When they started dumbing down the figures after the second movie, it slowed my official collecting. Most of my collection is now 3rd Party. I am slow to collect because I am picky. I only collect what appeals to me and my minds eye. It's like collecting art work. Some styles are better than others but that is my preference. Oh, and parts forming is a must for me. Toy Worlds Constructor is fanfuckingtasic! Why, because it parts forms. That's how G1 did it and that is how you get it done right. But what is right for me may be a sticking point for someone else. If you read this, thank you for your time.
As a person who only started collecting MP a few months ago, I find myself making the most sacrifices in regard to Fans Toys. I don't care what the internet's opinions about FT are, what I know is I only own a few FT pieces and they're all around the best figures in my collection. But, I've come to this so late that a lot of figures I want that were made by Fans Toys are incredibly expensive, so I have to make sacrifices. The thing that comes to mind is that I really wanted a set of insecticons and I ultimately decided to sacrifice the Fans Toys quality to get something I could afford, the MMC set. I do think the MMC ones are kinda junky but I was willing to sacrifice all of the things the Fans Toys ones offer in exchange for something I could afford. If I did it the other way I would have had to sacrifice nearly a grand for figures that I love but not nearly enough to spend that kind of money on. But still, here I am disappointed in the sacrifices I made. I understand that by the time I get around to getting all of the FT Dinos at this point, it'll likely cost me 500 a figure if they don't rerelease them, but I already have their Grimlock and it's my favorite figure. So in that case I'm more receptive to sacrificing for the late tax in favor of getting the figures I truly want. It'll be this way with any figure that multiple companies have put out, I suppose.
If you ever want to do some kind of "State of the Masterpiece scene for a brand new collector" kinda thing, I'd love to watch that. Because as a new collector the state of things is wild. On one hand, I have so many options available that weren't available to collectors who have been collecting for a while. But on the other hand, there are now figures that are IMPOSSIBLE to get because they were done once 5 years ago and nobody has bothered since. But yeah. I'd be into a video like that.
Thinking more about the video thing I mentioned: A video like that would be invaluable to a new collector, like "Make sure you know these hard facts before you start collecting." Because there are things that I know in 2020 about the hard truths of starting a collection in 2019 that I never would have factored in when I started a few months ago because you don't know what you don't know, which in my case means I had to watch several hours of videos to learn what to avoid and what to consider that might have helped me to proceed more cautiously if someone just sat me down and said "look, be prepared for ___." Thanks for reading!
Michael Polston who needs a video? You just explained most of the main pitfalls to a new collector.
@@countypoe1644 true, that's a good point.
@@michaelpolston5240 The biggest advice I can give to a new collector? Do not expect to have every interpretation of a character in your MP collection that are cohesive to fit on one single shelf.
Another advice is to give yourself a very strict rule in terms of collecting. For myself, the toys made have to pass my personal litmus test in terms of how toon it looks in the bot-mode and how good it looks in the other modes too, which is why I don't have ToyWorld Constructor even though he is a favorite among many collectors. I also gave up on collecting any S4 characters and even some S3 characters too... I'll be happy to end with the movie cast.
But if I were to start my collection today (as a newcomer), I would ask myself, what are my top 5 most iconic scenes in the franchise? I would just buy those pieces and then make dioramas for those five iconic scenes and end my collection there..
@@Windcharger Thanks! That's really helpful advice! I actually did start like you said, with recreating iconic moments with favorite characters, but once that was done it was too late, the collecting virus had already infected me. But I do hope that, with this whole discussion thread, someone who starts collecting tomorrow runs across it and really considers your suggestions.
I don't give a crap about CRAZY articulation on my MP Transformers. Some is good, but let's not go insane and drive the price way up. Toon accuracy w/real world alt modes is great for me. Along the lines of MP-10.
That's really funny to me you say quality was sacrificed for price on Hound. To me, his price is crazy high for a car bot.
I guess I'm just a simple guy.
If it looks good to me (and I don't mean just asthetics) then I go in on it.
MP-13 is the closest to that perfect balance.
N and O
The only way I can think of actually comparing poseability is with a posedown contest. This is problematic and obviously takes a long time, also bringing subjectivity into play when it comes to how well a figure can achieve a certain pose. The only other solution I can think of is just to comment on the leg proportions and the likelihood of achieving a kneel.
If I'd waited instead of hitting the keyboard immediately I would have heard you say similar!
This is a very interesting subject but it's all about specific cases, what I'm willing to sacrifice in a particular figure, I may not be willing to sacrifice in others and sometimes that can be related to something so simple as the relation I have with that character, his abilities, his personality or maybe even the lack of both. A good example is a Spider-Man figure, I want it to look as close as it can to the original character interpretation, both sculpt and paint wise but at the same time the character essence is very important. Spider-Man is very athletic, always jumping around and most of his natural poses are almost impossible to achieve for a regular human being. That is such a big part of this character that if the articulation is scarified for sculpt in a way that the figure wont be able to achieve some of those barely human poses I won't be satisfied. My taste in figures and the way I appreciate them is very close to yours Skullface, I like well sculpted and well painted figures that pose well on a shelve but as I already explained, I'm an action figure per se collector so engineering, be it articulation or transformation wise, is very important too. Like I said in the beginning, it all depends on so many variables that I can only talk about those preferences case by case, figure by figure, it's impossible to have an overall perspective about this subject or try to express an absolute and final opinion. I don't mind some sacrifices, I know sometimes they have to be done but it will always depend on the specific character and the sacrifice itself. There is something I'm not willing to sacrifice and that is quality for price, but that doesn't mean I'm willing to pay 100USD for a Mafex Wolverine just because it's a bit better then a Marvel Legend, I don't mind if a figure has to be more expensive to have better quality but only when it's fair and it's actually noticeable.
I always knew you posted early, but I never really how early.
I appreciate it.
It's so funny now that you mention it: people will want you to review something, so your value opinion will defend theír purchase, and when you're opinion doesn't side with that goal, it's suddenly "just your opinion" 😂
Lol @ completionist sorta mindset
It kind of varies from bot to bot for me. MMC Saltus is a better design to me as it is more enjoyable to transform compared to FT Apache. Alt mode not as accurate, but still looks excellent for Saltus. MMC Assaultus is amazing to me because they worked in the hands & feet of the combined mode. I like that and they pulled it off while still maintaining the look. Not 100% but the look is still there. MP-39 is near perfect, but MP-44's transformation is far more complicated than I'd want it to be in comparison. I enjoy Gravestone more than Roadking because it's a smoother transformation and still looks great in both modes. It doesn't have to be complicated to be good, it just has to work and remain interesting to want to tinker with.
Good points. I must say that I am not willing to sacrifice watching sit down Saturday vids as opposed to talking with this dumb ass guy I work with on our breaks. You save me from a lot of bull shit conversation Mack, and for that I thank you. I don’t even collect anything. Lol
Aw man, I want more, I need expansion. Damn, I feel like this ain't done cos even a few years into this I'm still forming a nailed on mindset for what I would call a perfect collection for me. But, I'm heading toward the point this ends at. I'm getting to the point where I'm willing to pay for an apex figure as long as the price isn't too high. I'd sacrice the alt mode of a transformers figure to have a brilliant action figure. The Tekashi shot was too nice but anyways *sneaky giggles* eskellent vid, eskellent topic as is mostly the case. BoOM! Peace and blessings
The Areialbots are hopeless when it comes to jet mode, so FansToys might as well concentrate on the robot mode. No matter what there will always be that chunky, exposed torso in jet, with Silverbolt being the worst.
Robert D disagrees with everybody!
The collection is meant to reflect a museum vibe ....stoic pose behind glass.....Fans Toys have taken over....MP Takara car bots are an after thought these days. I'll take 1 premium Bot over 3 standard bots any day of the week. Also if one is willing to invest their time you can turn a Model kit into a display Masterpiece when I'm finished say with a Perfect Grade it can be placed next to a Hot Toys robot and stand toe to toe with even greater aesthetic / detail....this also requires sacrifice more importantly dedication.
What matter to me is engineering and playability, thus keeping both good looking bot-mode and alt-mode.
This leads me to avoid anything FansToys (I'm not the kind of guy who puts figures in the Detolf and never touches them anymore) and, surprisingly, still liking Wei Jiang's Arcee almost more than MMC's Azalea.
I loved OM's Arcee... I really had a lot of fun posing her and taking pics of her, which is something I haven't done with any other toy. So I'm with you on playability. I also enjoy intuitive complex transformations (engineering).
@@Windcharger For some reasons, that Arcee has an extremely solid lower body and an extremely fragile upper body which makes transformation a bit scary
@@rob-n-roll true true.. I never handled WJ Arcee but other WJ KOs I have aren't very nice to feel.
@@Windcharger wei jiang's it's an oversized ko of an old takara/hasbro figure. Articulation-wise it's not the best but both modes are good. You can still find it for 20 bucks on Aliexpress
NEVER EVER sacrifice quality over any other shats.
Good stuff as always, and reminded me of some tough collecting decisions i had to make last year! Had to pick between the original Cybertron Prime and its Siege remake, which were going for the same price. The remake has better engineering and some articulation missing in the OG (wrist swivels, ankle tilts, waist, ball jointed head). However, I ultimately picked the OG because of its significantly superior build quality and more cohesive sculpt (no parts reuse, no gaps, no ugly backpacks etc. ). I understand why others would have gone for the remake, but can he overpower MP-10 when you put them next to each other?
However, I have a limit to how much articulation I am willing to sacrifice. I passed on cybertron Scourge, one of my favourite sculpted Transformers of all time, because HasTak's design team gave him gorilla arms and NO OUTWARDS ARM MOVEMENT. I guess my point is that people have maxima/minima in their trade-offs. We can't have everything. 😂
Are you losing weight?
I know you just a Skullface but you look more healthy
Bobby, let me tell you you that I have watched you for some years now. And your videos have been very educational for getting me the right stuff and they are a great fun to watch. I'm not as MP minded as you are nore do I give a damn about scale. I have Transformers in all sizes and shapes and I have stated before on a TH-cam post that if you are a fan of Transformers (the TV series) you should be accustomed to size difference. Of course I like some figures or lines to be in scale, but it is not a priority to me. I do understand you using your scale. I've also understood in the mean time that I am not a 'floor guy' (sorry Deluxe, luv you too). But I do like good builds and engineering. Yet paints and looks are very important to me also! I've never reacted to a video of yours before I realized (I never comment much). But, I want you to know that your comments in this video I agree 200‰ on! I just follow you all the way! Although I am not personally known/accustomed with figures like Hot Toys or Mafex, (all products over here /The Netherlands/ are just more expensive than in the US or China, taxes taxes and more taxes - also from those countries) I have looked into it. I will be getting the TMNT movie figures from Neca (small ones) soon. They are almost here in my country. And I will be looking at the quality (you've warned me about it), but they look great! And are quite cheap. Probably not as affordable as for you over there. However, I just want you to know that I love your content man! You are not afraid to be critical and you definitely try to be neutral in your reviews. It has helped me a lot. You are the best! Keep up the great work. Greetings, Arjan
I thought it was interesting that you had 2 transformers reviews in the works, yet officially they are third party. Do more collectors purchase 3rd party now?
i had to sacrifice my pre-ordered Flame Toys Optimus Prime to fix my Jeep....
i have Flame Toys sparkles Tarn, red Drift & transform mission Havok(menasor). good job on vids dude. 🇺🇸🤘😎
Id sacrifice not having paint for colored plastic if it knocks 50$ off and id also sacrifice my neighbourhood cat for a mp rattrap ironic i think not
I'm definitely not a stickler for a certain aesthetic. If it looks good to me and it fits in my collection at the right price, that's the criteria I go with. Transformers have been a part of my life since I was a kid and all the options we have now are great but once I get the characters I need to complete my collection, I'm done. I just can't keep putting more money into this already expensive hobby.
Kind of wish for MP they picked realistic car or cartoon, like, just pick one. But I think I'd rather real, because it was real cheap for MP prime back then hahaaaaa.....
No offense obviously, but it gets super tiring hearing anyone mention any bias BSF supposedly has because he isn’t a fan of Beast Wars-it’s just crazy because the whole appeal of this channel is that you’re getting an honest objective look and review at a product. The Skullface empire was built on integrity and the truth. We can’t have our cake and eat it too by supporting that idea when it’s convenient and when we don’t agree with something, it must be a fault of his because he has a bias against our opinion.
Yeah Neca stuff just isn’t durable.
I'm not willing to sacrifice aesthetics for articulation. I dont pose my collection in super dynamic poses because that usually involves the figure taking up more space. A good A stance heroic pose is all I need.
I'm also not willing to sacrifice aesthetics for engineering. I'm one of the few collectors that doesn't enjoy transforming my figures. I enjoy seeing how it's done by watching videos, but dread doing it myself. (that's where you come in). If the figure comes in bot mode it will never get transformed.
I'm not willing to sacrifice build quality or paint for a cheaper price. Despite only handling my figures to dust them I do want a solid figure with die cast where everything is secure. I don't worry too much about a well painted figure getting scratched because I dont transform them. I let you do the dirty work in that department 😆
Because of these reasons FansToys is really the perfect company for me. They seem to prioritize aesthetics, build quality, and paint above engineering and sometimes articulation. It's a huge win for me and my collecting sensibilities. I hope I didn't overstay my welcome with this novel. Thanks for bringing up such an interesting conversation. I look forward to seeing others' responses.
Schlitzy - same here man, my figures are basically statues and I’m okay with that. I just like to sit back and look.
@@Dokken1975 yup we are definitely on the same page.
Schlitzy - I agree with you also. I don’t transform my figures and I don’t play or mess with them typically so Fanstoys for the win everytime! Materials, Sculpt and Paint that is always evenly applied unlike the official company. I want the closest thing to the character in the show while not sacrificing that it appears as more of an adult collectible vs a toy. The hyper toon look is cool and probably would have knocked my socks off when I was 8 but I think with that look and less chrome or metallic paint they start to appear as straight up Toys which is not my goal and never was. TT has priced me out. Not because I can’t but because I choose to not pay the rising prices for less QC and hypertoon. They are getting close if not already to Hot toys pricing and there is no comparison at all. Why I started buying Hot toys.
@@mikeh6398 totally agree about the hyper toon accuracy thing. Takara has turned me off quite a bit because they seem to sacrifice everything to achieve toon accuracy. By today's standards the cartoon models are pretty bad looking. I want my collection to look like the G1 characters updated to todays standards. Like you said I want something that looks like an adult collectible and not a childs toy. Takaras prices have gotten ridiculous but it's really their design choices and qc that keep me from buying their product.
Schlitzy - this is why my new Hot Toys collection is growing and my Transformers collection is being depleted.
I'm tired of the adherence to 'scale'. Scale is arbitrary any way (IMO at least). A transforming figure is all about the engineering required to successfully get it from 1 mode to another mode. However, all too often engineering is sacrificed for the pursuit of scale- which to me is backward. So if I want to have a particular character then I'll have to sacrifice having a well engineered figure for one that may or may not be the right height as it stands next to another character... that had the same priorities and sacrifices made to it. Look at MP BB V2: a lot of its problems would go away if it was allowed to be larger.
Plus your playlist might be trash
Hahahaha lmao 😂