KOs and your purchase pattern
 

I would like to start a poll to see if the increasing prevalence of high-quality knock-offs are changing people's purchase patterns. We all know that these KOs are able to undercut the original manufacturer, be it Hasbro/Takara or other third party companies, because they don't have to invest in the R&D, which is arguably the riskiest and most expensive part of rolling out a product. They also have the benefit of picking and choosing items that are well-received, again lowering risk of their ventures.

On one hand, some people argue that the "original" products are way over-prized. However, if we all shift our purchase to KOs we'll soon stifle innovation and new product development.

What do you think about this issue? Do you wait longer now before purchasing a figure to see if a high-quality KO will be produced?

Re: KOs and your purchase pattern
 

The only change for me is that I will pre-order from Japan now to ensure I got authentic ones.

Re: KOs and your purchase pattern
 

This is an excellent question. Very well thought out and I agree...to an extent. I always opt official if I feel I can. I have gotten an add on set or two and do custom work. I would rather do that to official product if I can.

It might also depend on the line. Maybe a ko offers something you cannot otherwise get, like a different size class. For example, Alcee is basically an MP scaled ko of the deluxe Arcee mold. Someone into both lines, say, might get official and non for different purposes. Or, maybe you can't really get a figure otherwise, like I have the KO AOE Nemesis, I know there is an official, but have never seen it and hear it is 80 bucks US.

If we are talking specifically say MP Megs, never in ten billion years would I remotely consider paying 300 for it. Either I would wait for the ko OR opt for a comparable 3p. Despotron is very impressive and a good hundred bucks less I do believe, and he has impressive engineering R and D, so it can certainly be done for less.
Excellent question, very thought provoking.

Re: KOs and your purchase pattern
 

it depends on the budget for me.
I max out at about $150.
Megatron at $300+ is goddamn ridiculous. I can buy someone's collection of another series.

MPs that are $50-70 or large MPs for $100-$150 sure.
Otherwise it will be KO.

Re: KOs and your purchase pattern
 

As a rule I don't buy KOs of Masterpiece figures. MPs do tend to be expensive, but getting in on preorders through Japanese etailers, and taking advantage of a 30% discount, goes a long way to mitigate the cost. I believe in supporting an official product when it's possible.

The one exception in my collection is a KO MP Ratbat, which I bought because I wanted all the Decepticon cassettes but I didn't want to buy MP Soundblaster to get it. If the official version had been available to buy separately, though, I would've gone with the official one.

Re: KOs and your purchase pattern
 

Generally, I only buy KOs of figures I already have or have no intention of buying otherwise. High quality KOs aren't perfect replicas. In some cases they're better, but most times, they have imperfections added to the imperfections that are already on the original.

Re: KOs and your purchase pattern
 

Depends on price. love of character and purpose. The OS KO Warbotron serves as a great figure for an MP sized Bruticus. Also the price being 1/3 and 1.5 times the size of the original works well for a budget. KO MP's - not so much although I did buy a Red Alert a few years back when his price sky rocketed on the original. Didn't love the character enough to justify the cost at the time.

Re: KOs and your purchase pattern
 

I used to be official only.
But lately I feel like brand loyalty is being used as a reason to jack prices and lower quality.

It's not my responsibility to make sure companies make it or break it. It's the companies best interest to keep me happy and coming back. And as of late- they have failed to do that.

I buy all KO and 3P now because I'm sick of feeling ripped off every time I buy a 150 dollar plastic toy that is basically no different than one you get at walmart for 30 or 40 bucks, except for a bit of engineering and an incredibly wasteful giant box wrapped around it.

Re: KOs and your purchase pattern
 

The main issue I'm having is diminishing incentive to become an "early adopter" with the original products. Case in point is the OS Warbotron figure set and the OS Throttlebot set. These new sets are bigger, (arguably) better or equivalent in quality, and considerably cheaper. Now the resale value of these figures have plummeted. It's great for the late adopters, but the owners of the original sets suffered because of the KOs.

I think the original Takara/Hasbro Masterpiece can continue hold their value, but with the proliferation of these KOs it can be difficult to justify the higher value 3P offerings.

At the end of the day, if companies that creates original products struggle because of this changing market forces, we might find ourselves out of arguably the most innovative period of TF toy offerings.

Re: KOs and your purchase pattern
 

I see your point, but I disagree with the feared outcome. I see people who design transformers on Instagram just for their own amusement. 3P and KO companies have infrastructure already established.
If official shut their doors forever, it wouldnt change the fact that the market exists and there's always going to be someone vying to earn that money.

Official product companies are not the end all be all regarding innovation. From my perspective, they have been what's held innovation back so long and we are just now beginning to see their grip on a monopoly crumble.

Collecting has never been as good as it is now that 3P and KO products gave us something actually viable both financially and quality wise.

Official product holding value has been diminished by their own companies with countless reissues. Availability is what determines value. And they (official) burned that bridge for collectors, not anyone else. Now it's nothing but a free for all.

Re: KOs and your purchase pattern
 

I took the plunge and got the $300 MP Megatron. The price is insane but I justified paying it in smaller parts with my seller just so I didn't see myself drop three bills all at once. lol (I cry a little every night) But he is a Amazing figure and I haven't even transformed him yet or played with his add-ons. Man if Hasbro releases him or if there's a KO I might get those over the Takara one later on just because or maybe just to have another one.

I do feel that Takara takes us for a ride with their prices and some 3rd Party companies as well. (Cough, lady Dinobot's, cough) Ihave noticed that Hasbro has uped their game since the 3rd parties have been coming out, maybe not on the same level as 3rd Parties but some damn good ones non the less.

Maybe if the KO's continue getting better it will force Takara to better price their products, if not the KO's or 3rd parties may just win. I mean I'd rather pay $40-50 US for a Masterpiece then $80-$120 any day, the only reason I don't get KO's is fear that it's not as well made as the original.

Re: KOs and your purchase pattern
 

I've been very close to buying ko's. But I'm still a little old school and concerned about quality. I would never consider a MP Prime or Megatron KO. Those 2 are the icons that I just feel need to come from Hastak. Everyone else is fair game to me. But, I have yet to pull the trigger on a KO....so conflicted.

Re: KOs and your purchase pattern
 

I try to buy from the official Hasbro/TakaraTomy or original 3p company when possible, I mean, I like their work and I want to see more of it, so they should get my cash as support.

Usually, if the cost is too high, I just won't buy or wait a REALLY long time until the cost comes down.

KO is an odd duck, though. If I get one, it's normally WAY after the originals have stopped being produced and sold, and tends to be uniquely different from the official one in some way.

There are straight up copies (I'd rather stay away from), and then there are eclectic weird coloured ones (kinda neat, but mileage may vary), and then there are the upsized/downsized ones (occasionally interested).

The last category are the altered ones, which somewhat match the original in shape, form, or colour, but then the design just takes a hairpin turn and does something new. These don't normally interest me, but from time to time they pique my interest.

And then there's 3d printing. I have my own printer, and so can do some production myself.

After fiddling around with the models of Iron Factory SonicTech and Manacle from Thingiverse, I decided to bite the bullet and actually buy those sets. Sure, I can print them at twice the size (at a reasonable level of quality, and they do transform), but the designs just reached out to me and compelled me to get real ones, and the Iron Maiden set on top of that. Still looking for the set with Soundwave and Perceptor.

Re: KOs and your purchase pattern
 

The few MP figures I have gotten are all official ( Mostly Takara and some Hasbro). I think they can be gotten at fair prices most of the time.

But as for movie line toys, I'm not enough of a fan to pay full retail on them. There are some OS KOs of movie toys (like Evasion Optimus or DOTM Megatron) that are awesome. The play value of having a larger decent bot in my hands makes them so much more appealing. OS KOs like them do make me pause and wait before I buy official movie-verse toys.

Re: KOs and your purchase pattern
 

QFT. Didn't vote in the poll because neither option applied to me. The influx of KO's has neither not made an impact on my buying habits nor am I more cautious. If anything, the progressive improvement of their quality has INCREASED my overall buying pattern.

For the longest time, KO's had questionable and notorious quality control issues. But that's quickly changed in the past couple of years with the emergence of OS Warbotron, JinBao Feral Rex, the KBB downsized MP-10 makes a terrific CHUG scale Optimus Prime, etc. The recent MechFansToys KO's of DX9 figures is a welcomed KO since DX9's pricing was getting ridiculous for legends scale figures. Iron Factory has been a great 3rd party company, but even they are starting to getting a little pushy with their price point for their legends scale offerings.

The recent BB7 MP seekers and coneheads are a great example of a better choice over official: equal or better QC than HasTak, lower price, more accessories. What's not to like? Got rid of my official Thundercracker and Skywarp in favor of the BB7's and couldn't be happier, currently have BB7 Starscream in transit as well.

Before the KO improvements, I just ended up passing on official product or waiting forever for a used price to come up. Now that KO's are improving, I actually look forward to seeing what KO's will come out next and have been more inclined to buy those early on when they get released and/or buying up more of other figures to even out the faction numbers in my displays, lol.

Re: KOs and your purchase pattern
 

When mp coneheads came out at the high price point and (seemingly) limited quantities it really made me hesitate and consider the ko's. I've heard the argument that the retailers jacked up the prices. Sure but they wouldn't have been able to sell at those prices had takara produced more units. Its just supply/demand economics. I bet this marketing strategy drove a lot of consumers to buy the ko instead of waiting for the official reissue, which will still be overpriced imo.

Personally, I decided to pass on the official and ko. I have the budget to buy them but it's more of a principle thing to speak with my wallet. If they ever do another run and offer them at mp-11 reissue prices then sure or if hasbro does them 7 yrs later (eye roll), sure. Who knows, if I come across the yess model coneheads at $80ea, I may just be tempted

Re: KOs and your purchase pattern
 

I don't see the point in kos, nor will I buy them, if i'm going to purchase an mp, it better be a real one. Why shell out money for a place holder? I would rather not support uncreative people like the ko manufacturers.

I'll put my money into Takara MPs and very well done 3p. No almosts or kind ofs like we had with the early 3ps and some companies that think that that is still where the money is at.