Alternators Line completist blues

[onslaught86]

I imported my Nemesis prior to the SDCC debacle, thanks to the glut of them that landed in Singapore. They shelfwarmed there, I kid you not. Friend of mine ordered about ten in for everyone here, one of which I snagged. Rodimus Prime was harder to obtain.

While Nemesis did turn up in Australia later, he never made it here. They killed Alternators with the much-touted 'All Meister' case. Yes, a case assortment consisting of red box Meister and nothing else. After the Hound/Streak wave had done very well, the largest toy chain here stocked up big on Alternators, and ended up with nothing but Meister shelfwarming for a year. Killed it. Sigh.

I recently did pick up Argent Meister (For the record, Argent is not a mistranslation, instead being one of those cute puns the Japanese are so very fond of) to use as Camshaft. The Meister mould was originally intended to 'be' Camshaft as part of the initial Alts line-up, but never made it as that character. This, being in Camshaft's silver and black, is the closest we're going to get. They reportedly retooled the Camshaft head to be Meister rather than create a whole new one, which goes a way to explain why Meister's head isn't very Jazzy. Yanking off the optic panel makes it look very different, I coloured the eyes yellow to help with that. Just need to rig him up a faceplate and a rocket launcher, and we're in business. Any suggestions?

[Dominic]

No help here O86.

Putting aside me not liking "Alternators" much as a line, I would like to point out that distribution killed that line. I knew more than one person who gave up when numbered figures became stupidly rare. True, some came out later, such as Mirage. But, if you were buying them numbered, and trying to keep packaging consistent, it got annoying fast. Then, came Nemesis Prime......

Dom

[onslaught86]

Numbering a line usually has mixed results. Our OCD collector mentalities drive us to COMPLETE THE NUMBERS, until we get disgruntled by this, and shake our fists at Hasbro or Takara for numbering the line, as if our ability to pick and choose is no factor whatsoever. Of course, there is a valid argument to be made - by numbering a line aimed at collectors, Hasbro are effectively setting the expectation that that line should be reasonably easy to complete. If they'd not numbered it, though, how many would have lost interest earlier?

[andersonh1]

I think the numbering helped fuel the collecting impulse, though I liked the line well enough to get the figures regardless of numbering.

What bothers me is that they messed up on numbering. Didn't Nemesis Prime and Ravage both have #24? Or it could have been Rumble, but regardless I know NP shared a number with one of the other figures.

[Dominic]

Numbering may have fueled the initial interest. But, it also made it more of a job. People may stay with hobbies out of habit. But, if something abruptly breaks the habit, like say....a missing number, then the whole thing breaks down.

This is one of the reasons I enjoy most lines more at the beginning than the end, because I know most of what I want will probably be widely available at some point. But, when "Cybertron" got crazy with the distribution towards the end, it helped put me off "Classics", long before "Seeker-gate".

And, if they are playing to obsessive collectors, then incorrect numbers are also a problem.

But, as "GI Joe" illustrates, toys do not have to numbered to be unpleasant to collect.

Dom

[andersonh1]

Packaging change across the line is unfortunate. I prefer the red box from the middle of the run, but I wish they'd picked one style and stuck with it rather than changing it to match whatever was the main line at the time. As a 'box and all' collector, the clear plastic bubble is probably my least favorite variation of Alternator packaging. There's no way to open it without cutting the bubble. In their favor, they do show off the vehicle very well, which was no doubt the point of making them.

[Trailblazer]

I also prefer the red box run. It reminded me of buying the 1984 line of Autobots; I pretty much viewed the whole Alternators series to me was a 'Love Note' from Hasbro. Thank goodness I'm not a completist or this line would've driven me crazy. As it is, my entirely loose collection is only 5 characters: Prime, Sideswipe, Meister, Sunstreaker and Mirage. I'd considered picking up some additional loose ones off ebay, but even those prices are a killer and probably won't let up. I WILL have Prowl and Hound in my collection before I'm able to quit obsessing over this line, at least for a while.

[Onslaught Six]

Alts were numbered?

Huh.

[onslaught86]

Well, their time was. Oh ho ho ho.

Interesting to see such love for the red boxes. I hated those with a passion. As annoying as the bubble boxes were, those at least looked 'good' in package. The red boxes were so bland, and the last of window in the box itself made them look cheap and tacky. I got the same kind of vibe Dom does with the 'glory holes' in the larger toy boxes.

[andersonh1]

At least with the red boxes there was still a plastic bubble over the car. There was no need to worry about greasy fingers all over the figure itself, as there is with the 'try me' features.