Messages

1

Help Us Build the Database / Re: Bandai SMP Super Mini-Pla / Shokugan Modeling Project

March 22, 2024, 08:57:55 AM

I believe they are all the same "size class," at this time at least.  I've only started collecting this line with the Super Sentai line (Power Rangers).
This is not my sheet, but I did find this Google sheet when I was trying to find a checklist of what all was available for this line from Bandai - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRFaXNlePnBBS9HhTSnG2W6Umn40rv6O4qTmsgU3ctR7QcoinQy2XbbMqWRWIc0SVuusO1qfgiakngm/pubhtml#
Here they have it categorized by the Series, so maybe that would be the best way to approach it.

Oo! This is very helpful! Browsing through that spreadsheet, it looks like categorizing by series/license would be the best approach.

I see no real advantage of breaking them out between Super Mini-Pla and Shokugan Modeling Project aside from the 'well, technically...' folks.   Maybe since they share the same abbreviation just keep it simple as 'SMP'?

If you think enough people will recognize "SMP" as both of those lines, we can do it that way. We could also name the line "Super Mini-Pla/Shokugan Modeling Project". We can always split them up later, too, if enough "well, technically..." folks request it.

Another issue though is there's technically different releases of the same product.  Some have been re-released/reissued and some may or may not have candy included, depending on which country it was sold in.

That's not as big an issue as you might think. Each iteration would get a separate product entry in our database. Reissues could get a "(reissue)" in their product name to denote them as such. Releases with candy would also get their own entries separate from the candyless releases.

I'll start making some categories so you can get to entering stuff. One thing to keep in mind: I noticed that spreadsheet includes the MSRP of the toys with sales tax included; we prefer to list the MSRP without sales tax included when possible, since taxes tend to fluctuate more often than prices do.

EDIT: All the categories have been added and you're ready to go (there are even a couple of items there to get you started). Please let me know if anything needs changing.

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Help Us Build the Database / Re: Bandai SMP Super Mini-Pla / Shokugan Modeling Project

March 22, 2024, 06:44:02 AM

I don't see why not. We just need you to give us an idea of what sort of categories you need and we'll get them set up so you can start adding products. For example, should they be organized by license? By size class? Should "Super Mini-Pla" and "Shokugan Modeling Project" be separate subcategories?

3

Photo of the Day / Crossovers Hulk (2/3/2024)

February 03, 2024, 07:49:50 AM

Whose bright idea was it to give The Hulk a giant mecha?! And one that can turn into a tank, no less! Do you want Manhattan reduced to a pile of rubble?! Because this is how you get Manhattan reduced to a pile of rubble! (Incredible photo courtesy of Hellscream333.)

4

Photo of the Day / The Last Knight Dragonstorm (1/1/2024)

January 01, 2024, 07:48:38 AM

In The Last Knight, twelve Autobots combined to form the mighty Dragonstorm. A dozen figures is a bit of a hard sell, so Hasbro designed the toy to be made from only two 'bots, which sounds like a reasonable compromise as long as you don't think about the ten Transformers that got screwed out of royalty checks. (Scaly snapshot courtesy of Hasbro.)

5

Photo of the Day / Hallmark Keepsake Castle Grayskull Ornament (12/2/2023)

December 02, 2023, 08:18:07 AM

I think we can all agree that nothing embodies the holiday season as perfectly as a tree ornament shaped like a mysterious old castle with a giant creepy skull face.

...What? Why's everyone looking at me like I had the weird childhood? (Ho-ho-horrifying photo courtesy of Hallmark.)

6

Transformers News / Re: Titans Return Titan Masters wave 3

November 20, 2023, 07:24:37 AM

Purchased as new on eBay from Bullseye Deals, which is affiliated with Target as they sell Target exclusives, serving as a Target outlet.  

Swoop was removed from the packaging (which was opened, no instructions either), partially transformed and then held in place with a big ol' piece of packaging tape.

No damage to the mailer bag, so this was done before shipment.

Long story short, I got an instant refund.

Oof! Now that's a bad shipping story.

7

Transformers News / Re: Titans Return Titan Masters wave 3

November 19, 2023, 01:55:23 PM

I had seen similar things on a smaller scale on my side but usually have success with most of it.
My roll of the dice is Amazon mainly but i can see it being an issue across the board.

Amazon's been worse in my experience. I've seen pics of MotU figures other people ordered from Amazon arriving with the cards bent and creased. And then there was Earthrise Ramjet & Dirge, who didn't even arrive in a shipping box, they just had the shipping label slapped right on their packaging (fortunately the label came off without too much hassle, but that's not the point).

Are you a Pulse premium member as well?

Yeah, I've been a member since it launched. That doesn't seem to make a difference.

8

Transformers News / Re: Titans Return Titan Masters wave 3

November 18, 2023, 04:10:43 AM

Very interesting. Damaged in what way?

The toys themselves are fine but their boxes are crumpled. It seems to happen the most often with the windowless deluxes, but sometimes the voyagers will have crushed corners. I think a lot of them are damaged before they're even packed.

9

Transformers News / Re: Titans Return Titan Masters wave 3

November 17, 2023, 10:58:40 AM

I've been trying to avoid Hasbro Pulse for anything smaller than Voyager class since the boxes have a tendency to arrive damaged more often than I'd like. But distribution has gotten so bad in my area that sometimes my choices are Pulse or eBay.

10

Photo of the Day / Generation 1 Drag (11/4/2023)

November 04, 2023, 06:38:49 AM

I don't know if Takara decided to name Huffer "Drag" in Japan because he can pull trailers behind him in his truck cab mode, or because his constant complaining bums everyone out. Either way, it's fitting. (Pessimistic picture courtesy of HighPrime.)

11

Photo of the Day / Re: Generation 1 Salt-Man Z (10/1/2023)

October 05, 2023, 03:32:29 PM

Just a small correction: the origin of the name Salt-man did not come from Spanish, but from Portuguese, when the toy was launched in Brazil.

Good point. Thanks for the correction!

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Photo of the Day / Generation 1 Salt-Man Z (10/1/2023)

October 01, 2023, 10:12:45 AM

Don't bother shaking Salt-Man Z over your french fries. His name comes from "saltar", the Portuguese word for "jump" -- which makes sense since he's a redeco of Jumpstarter Twin Twist.

shmax.com: Come for the toys, stay for the beginner's language lessons. (Picture courtesy of seasoned photographer engledogg.)

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Photo of the Day / Generation 1 Shockwave (9/2/2023)

September 02, 2023, 09:19:35 AM

Having a gun-hand comes in handy during a war, but what does a 'bot like Shockwave do to relax when he has some downtime? Knitting's going to be tricky. And it can't be easy to play guitar. Juggling is definitely out of the question. I think I'm starting to understand why he's such a stone-cold jerk. (Picture courtesy of two-fisted photographer engledogg.)

14

Help Us Build the Database / Re: Addition Of Jinbao

July 10, 2023, 04:38:13 AM

I'm not that familiar with 3rd party companies, but isn't Jinbao one of the companies that pretty much just oversizes other companies' IP?

If so, that's not something we currently include in the database.

It seems that way. Gravity Builder is just an upsized KO of Generation Toy's ReBuilder. Looks like their other toys are also KOs of 3rd party figs.

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Photo of the Day / Re: Beast Wars Transmetal Optimus Primal (7/1/2023)

July 02, 2023, 03:24:54 PM

Op Primal needs a Johnny Utah Crossover, lol

Stick a Keanu Reeves head onto a BW Dinobot body and call him "Johnny Utahraptor" (oof, that was bad).