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09-06-2014, 04:20 AM | #1 |
Toy industry analyst
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 39
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If these don't quite fit the forum's Tokusatsu theme, I apologize, but I thought these were similar enough to Sentai mecha that they'd appeal to you guys.
I recently received Taurus, Leo, Aries, and Scorpio in the mail. They're the initial four figures of the line, and they're really cool: Taurus and Scorpio are the standout figures of the four, they're just more solid and make better combiner parts than Leo or Aries. Here's the picture of the teased 5 part combiners: I'm hoping that combiner is awesome, but I have my worries because of some problems I've noted with Taurus and Aries. Basically they can't properly form feet without putting a lot of stress on the same clips used to keep them together in animal mode. For Taurus the tab used to lock the head into robot mode isn't long enough to reach without forcing the clip to hold the entire figure in a state of light stress. This can be mostly mitigated by telescoping out the bull's shoulders so there's more room to move, but that pushes the combiner peg into an odd angle, which might affect stability. For Aries the ram's horns prevent the head from tilting back far enough to align the tab with the clip. To connect them you need to bend the horns out of the way, which means the horns will be putting a lot of pressure on the clip. I actually solved this by cutting small corners out of the horns so the hinge can fit, so I think it'll be fine. They're not terrible problems, and otherwise the figures are really cool, but this kind of oversight brings back bad memories of the Star Dino Team. I remain optimistic, though, because Young Toys has a great track record with combiners: Quadrant is especially cool. It soundly beats Bandai at the Sentai mecha game, and I highly recommend it to everyone. Last edited by Misterfanwank; 09-07-2014 at 05:21 PM.. |
09-06-2014, 04:55 AM | #2 |
Master of Water
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 6,246
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Oh wow, I remember the car combiner (Tobot?) was shown a few months back. These are awesome! Where can we buy them?
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09-06-2014, 05:46 AM | #3 |
Toy industry analyst
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 39
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You can find a lot of stuff on Amazon now.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...keywords=tobot eBay works, too, but availability and prices are volatile. You can usually find the single figures for under $40+shipping if you shop around a bit, though. http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw...tobot&_sacat=0 Taobao has them, too, but I have never ordered anything from there. My understanding is it can be a bit of a hassle. http://www.taobao.com/product/tobot.html Yahoo Japan seems to only have a limited selection. I also don't know much about ordering from Yahoo Japan. http://auctions.search.yahoo.co.jp/s...erce&ei=euc-jp If you're asking about more reliable online retailers, like HLJ or BBTS, I haven't found any, and I certainly have never encountered any preorders for Tobots. However, according to various articles I've read over the months Young Toys is trying to spread out of Korea and into the broader Asian market, with the US as an option. This is really good news because some Tobot figures, like the X+Y combiner figure, Titan, are hard to find now. It'd also hopefully make it easier to keep up with new releases. For example, I'm trying to hunt down the new Adventure X figure, but no listings have shown up yet. One nice thing, though, is Young Toys has an extremely active Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/TOBOTYOUNGTOYS/videos It's not subtitled, but you can watch the show there, see their commercials for new releases, and even see demos of their toys. Last edited by Misterfanwank; 09-06-2014 at 05:54 AM.. |
09-06-2014, 05:50 AM | #4 |
Master of Water
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 6,246
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Hopefully they become more easily available internationally. Even a minor expansion would make them easier to get.
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09-06-2014, 05:57 AM | #5 |
Toy industry analyst
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 39
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I'm kinda surprised BBTS hasn't at least put up preorders for Tobots yet just to gauge interest.
Then again, I have no idea how much other people know about Tobots. I think my perspective is a bit skewed because Youtube keeps suggesting Tobot videos to me, and I know where to look, so from my point of view their internet presence has exploded. EDIT: I sent this email to BBTS to see if Tobot preorders might be a possibility in the future: Quote:
Subject: Are Tobot preorders in BBTS's future?
Several months ago I found the Tobot toy line, which is made by Young Toys, a Korean company. My understanding is Young Toys is looking to expand out of Korea and into the broader Asian market, with the US as an option. I really love this toy line, so I've been trying to get a hold of the entire line, but scouring eBay can be hit-and-miss, and I'd prefer not paying scalper prices on top of high international shipping if I can help it. If it helps, I do have some fuzzy market data for your consideration. I am a Youtuber, and I can give you analytics data for the following videos: lifetime views: 38,531 % referrals from Youtube/Google search: 32% % of views from US: 21% % of views from South Korea: 17% % of views from UK: 4.7% % of view from Canada: 2.6% The data of other countries are either negligible or far outside of your region. lifetime views: 53,242 % referrals from Youtube/Google search: 52% % of views from US: 17% % of views from South Korea: 14% % of views from UK: 3.4% % of view from Canada: 2.3% The data of other countries are either negligible or far outside of your region. I realize these metrics may not be useable for you, but hopefully it should be clear there is at least some interest in the US for these toys. Would it be possible for you to open preorders in the future, if nothing else, to gauge interest in the toy line? I don't know your business, so I might not have given you any useful information or suggestions, but if I have I hope to see Tobots on BBTS soon. Have a nice day. Last edited by Misterfanwank; 09-06-2014 at 06:23 AM.. |
09-06-2014, 09:58 AM | #6 |
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Lexington, Ky
Posts: 16,328
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Sorry but it isn't a matter of them being similar to sentai mecha. Unless it's a toy from an actual tokusatsu it doesn't fit with this sub forum, so this thread is being moved toe General Discussion.
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09-06-2014, 06:33 PM | #7 |
Mighty No 23399
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 783
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Man i want those Biklon toys now, and the more tobot's i see the more i want them all
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Want to chat? @ArmorhideTN God I love that. "I will sit on my throne of Mecha and pass judgement on your souls!"- Sentai |
09-07-2014, 05:22 PM | #8 |
Toy industry analyst
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 39
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Found a CG picture of the 5 part combiner:
I like how bulky it is. |
09-08-2014, 06:55 AM | #9 |
Master of Water
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 6,246
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I just love that bulky aesthetic too. Really hope these guys get more exposure so we can see what they're like.
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09-09-2014, 12:51 AM | #10 |
Mighty No 23399
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 783
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Quote:
1) This mecha's name be Ursa Major 2) A sixth mecha the forms a wingback/chest plate and sword and shield, with a possible mask or helment.
__________________
Want to chat? @ArmorhideTN God I love that. "I will sit on my throne of Mecha and pass judgement on your souls!"- Sentai |
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