Repaints
 

Do most Transformers collectors pass on repaints especially if they're expensive? I bought a Voyager Class Siege Starscream because his seeker mode was the Cybertronian seeker mode instead of his Earth seeker mode that fans are familiar with. Anyway I saw a Thundercracker that was also a Voyager Class Transformer which naturally was a repaint of Starscream. Starscream is my favorite because of the never ending rivalry between him and Megatron. It's like even though they're both Decepticons, they'd rather concentrate on killing each other than Autobots. Needless to say I wasn't gonna shell out $30 plus tac for a Thundercracker that was a repaint of Starscream.

Re: Repaints
 

Skywarp and thundercracker are always repaints of starscream as are pretty much every seeker with some rare exceptions. The siege thundercracker actually has a different face sculpt than starscream, I think they were actually mixed up as the thundercracker figure has the smirk that is usually associated with starscream so I switched the heads as soon as I got them both. I think most fans buy repaints all of the time, if they want seekers then they buy the repaints. Repaints and retool are a mainstay of transformers collecting.

As for the relationship between Megatron and starscream, Megatron doesn't concentrate or make plans to kill starscream at all. Starscream tries to take control of the decepticons from time to time and Megatron deals with him and usually let's him live but Megatron main focus is domination and killing autobots, not starscream.

Re: Repaints
 

The black Optimus Prime repaints usually get decent traction, and HasTak always wants to get more $$$ for their particular molds (see MP-49). Some people will wait for a certain toy/mold to appear in a more appealing color scheme and go for that instead; I know that expensive black repaint of Siege Optimus Prime has a few buyers just trying to avoid the battle damage on the mainline.

I feel Megatron tolerates Starscream because despite his treachery he's still more competent than the Cons underneath him. He'd be a half decent leader if not for his ego running wild (i.e. Fall of Cybertron), and he and Soundwave are probably the only shortlist for succession if shit should happen to Megatron (even though Galvatron is usually a thing).

Re: Repaints
 

For me it depends on the class, mould & price. Some class sizes & moulds look & feel cheaper than others imo. For example the seekers I have all the repaints of the old CW Legends. The mould was really good, paint scheme was decent & at the time they weren't very expensive.

Re: Repaints
 

There's a reason there are repaints. There's enough that buy them to be worth the effort.

For me, it all depends. Generally, I do want to get all three seekers, but I'm not going to go crazy if I don't get the set for what ever reason. I'm not paying twice the price for a repaint.

But there are exceptions. Sometimes a repaint is clever and sometimes the base mold is so good, I'm looking for an excuse to buy it again.

Re: Repaints
 

For the Seekers and Datsun brothers, they get a pass as the originals G1 were as such and were developed enough to truly be part of the storyline and provide a proper supporting role, and actually look great in the different colours.

Others, are just fodder.

For the toys, I will be picky about it.

For Siege, I hated that they did Barricade as a recolor of the Datsuns (I don't care for it no matter, but he should have been a different mold), and the Rainmakers were just too neon, so I passed on them.

But as an example of one that called to me: Red Wing, he was so nice looking that I wished I could get him but the exclusive thing screwed it up and is a huge money grab as double/triple the price of the other seekers, so I ended up making one with a StarScream (see the thread I did about it).

For Reflaktor, I preferred the set with the proper colours over the purple one.

But for the Weaponizers, I didn't like the "power dashers" recolours at all, nor the multiple targetmasters, or the micromasters that were just the same mold over and over.

All of these just felt too much of a "cheap" thing from Hasbro that just didn't want to bother with new molds and just tried to max out the money they could make with the same molds over and over.