Beast Waltons

Hasbro is doing a line of reissue Beast Wars toys in vintage packaging exclusive to Walmart. This is in line with the G1 and Headmasters series they have been running and making for an amazing Great Value BotCon 2021!  Like the G1 toys, these have very slightly different paint apps from the originals. This still doesn't bother me as they're reissues and I'm not trying to pass them off as originals (shooting birds at Ebay). This is a super fun thing for me and something I can't resist. 

Of course this brings up the inevitable invisible battle lines at this years Great Value BotCon. They'll be snarky comments about 'beast crap' from people who think their Great Value BotCon is the one true Great Value BotCon and everyone else is Great Value pond scum. Fortunately these types are usually allergic to air conditioning and Walmart keeps that running all year.

Don't let anyone ruin your Great Value BotCon and enjoy your Transformers the way you want. Between all the various 90's stuff making a comeback, I'm in heaven. Before I had said there was a real thrill in buying G1 Transformers at Walmart again and I'll say it again. This is an awesome feeling. You can't go back in time like the Maximals did, but it's fun to pretend a little. Before I watch Sting wrestle on TNT, I'm gonna run to Walmart and grab some Doritos 3D's and grab a Cheetor. What year is it again?

Blast It!

Blaster is one of those guys I've always liked. Admittedly Transformers made from Microman molds have a special place in my heart, but he's just so cool! He also looks like the last of the Walmart exclusive G1 reissues. So, I'm looking forward to getting mine soon. Well I think he's the last, they haven't really said they'll be anymore. I guess they could sneak one out.

In August I decided just to pre-order one instead of trying to find him at my local store.You know, just let him get delivered to my door and not worrying about anything right? Right? A week before the order is to ship, they send me an email saying it's been delayed until October 9th. Well, whatever, I've got one right? I'll just be patient.

There he is, just a pile of Blasters sitting on the shelves of my local Walmart. But hey, I'll just wait. Then as I add a He-Man to my grocery order (I can do it, so I did) and there he is... on the app. Groceries get delivered to my doorstep with a He-Man. 

No problems. 

But I'm going to be patient. Stop by same store, same pile of Blaster toys on shelves. I'll be patient. Then today I see multiple people who pre-ordered Earthrise toys get shipped Essential Oils instead... 

I've been patient. But that doesn't mean I don't know a future headache when I see one. I canceled the order and added him to my grocery list. I mean dang.

 

Wal-Mart, get your shit together.

Great Value BotCon 2020 begins with an Astrotrain!

ウォルマート限定復刻版アストロトレインのストア登録 https://t.co/6PxtefOiE1 pic.twitter.com/F4aPAJiwcQ

— オートベース愛知 (@autobase_aichi) December 29, 2019

Will I ever get tired of my lame Great Value BotCon joke? Well, I can't predict the future, but right now I foresee a big nope. 2019 is coming to a close and folks have already found the 2020 Walmart reissue Astrotrain! I immediately checked the Walmart ap and sadly it's not in stock at the stores local to me. The ap is pretty useful for these types of things, but sometimes it'll drive you crazy. The ap will show it in stock, but it won't be on the shelf. Meaning it's still in the back. Or in 2018, it showed me the store nearest my work had Devastator in stock and no Starscream. Upon arriving... it was the opposite. Guess somebody goofed.

Thanks to the fan votes from this time last year, we know that Astrotrain and Perceptor will be the 2020 toys with no mention of Minibots. Seeing as the 2019 Minibots were something of a surprise, I'm hoping for a repeat of that. You had Optimus show up in January, Gears and Warpath shortly after. Soundwave in summer with cassettes showing a little later. The 2018 ones came out late summer with the Minibots in December. I'm wondering if 2020 will follow 2019 closer to release pattern. Hopefully that means smaller bots being a surprise. I'd be game for more Minibots or cassettes. Maybe something really neat like Throttlebots or something. Sure, the pattern is following previously reissued molds, but hey... we really only know what they tell us or get's leaked out. So, maybe something right out of the left field could happen. I'd really like that.

I'm glad Astrotrain's in his classic grey and purple deco. I'm sure they'll be slight differences from the original toy and this version (I like that honestly). In the mid 2000's when they released Astrotrain it was in his Japanese white deco. At the time that was really cool. White Astrotrain was like Stepper/Ricochet or Artfire, a cool oddity that was pretty hard to get at the time. Stepper got reissued making him easier to get. Same with Soundblaster. Suddenly these harder to get guys were a little easier to get and a little more common. While I have an old purple and grey toy, getting a nice new one is something I'm looking forward too. I've always really liked Astrotrain, so it's a pretty big treat for me.

Transformers SDCC 2019 reveals

Even more new Transformers products were shown off earlier today (yesterday depending on your schedule) and MAN! Adding to my Great Value BotCon of G1 reissues exclusive to Walmart stores is now the 35th anniversary toys will also be exclusive to Walmart! This is something I'm loving as like many of you I'm in Walmart every weekend as is, and well they've generally got the best prices. I was pretty worried I'd have to order from some odd web store, which means it would pretty much get poached the second the toys go up. Which not only would crash the site, but also sell out in a second. So unlike SDCC exclusives that are pretty hard to get when you have a busy schedule (no, I'm not taking time off to sit in front of a web page, I've said before I will not be punished for being a responsible adult), they'll be at my local Walmart! And honestly, I live in the south so I have plenty to choose from in a stones throw.

Under the break is links to galleries and such.

Autobop in the Key of Chain

Something got me thinking the other day about something completely silly that was a whole lot of fun. Long before these recent days of being able to stroll down the aisles of Walmart and being able to pluck a G1 Minibot off the shelf and long after you could originally stroll down the aisle of Walmart and pluck a G1 Minibot off the shelf, there was another way you could... stroll down the aisle and pluck a G1 Minibot of the shelf...

That seemed a lot more clever in my head.

Around 2002 G1 Minibots were released as key chains by Fun4All. Essentially they were near identical reissues in reproductions of the toys original packaging with a tiny plastic loop molded on and a small key chain attached. At first Bumblebee and Cliffjumper were released, later Windcharger and Brawn followed. These little key chain figures were literally just the thing for somebody like me who was giddy with every step at the time in his love for transforming robots from Hasbro.

I eagerly snatched them up even grabbing multiples as they were pretty cheap and just so damned neat. I loved them. Later at BotCon 2002, there was an incentive exclusive for those who preregistered. Not to mention, as Dreamwave was taking issue with 3H for selling a convention comic, 3H sold a small exclusive who came with the comic included. Those exclusives turned out to be Tap-Out and Glyph, made from the Cliffjumper and Bumblebee key chain figures! I was blown away by the fun exclusives as were others at the show. That was just the ideal thing at the time.

Throughout the con I had a Bumblebee attached to the zipper of my con backpack and noticed others had the key chains on their bags as well. I saw a fan who had all of the key chains (including his new con exclusive ones) attached to his belt loops. It was a fun and everybody just loved these key chain toys. A little later at BotCon Europe 2002 they released Rook as the exclusive, made from Windcharger. Like others, I bought quite a few from 3H. It was hard not to love the key chain toys and exclusive versions were just a little better.

In 2003 the key chain figures found their way to Japan by way of 7-Eleven exclusives with black colored variants as chase figures! I really wish I would have taken the opportunity when I had it to order a set. Those black ones are super cool. Oddly enough Fun4All went bankrupt in 2004 and around 2006 Basic Fun had begun selling the key chains in newer packaging. Yes I bought more, shut up. That was the last of the figures, though plenty of other TF key chains have came since.

Oddly enough the key chain figures have a weird legacy. I've heard several times people misremembering the original G1 Bumbelbee as a key chain. Or I can't count the times I've seen one of the Minibots for sale with the loop cut off with a seller trying to pass them off as originals. I got one for a quarter once. I damn well knew it was a key chain with the parts cut off with some toenail clippers, but dude... a quarter.

I guess with the reissues now hanging from the pegs at Walmart, one doesn't really need a return of the key chains. I hope to see more and more of the little guys at my Walmart. I've always really liked Minibots, it's hard not to. Those key chain versions of the Minibots were silly, but another fun way to enjoy the classic toys. Who doesn't like to have fun with their toys?

Other than assholes.

Transform Squadron 006 -Great Value BotCon 2019

Transform Squadron 006- Great Value BotCon 2019

Rob discusses Rangerstop Atlanta and the 2019 Walmart Transformers G1 reissues that are known so far while speculating future releases!

Great Value BotCon 2019 is a mix tape of awesome

Earlier today news broke of cassettes joining  the ranks of the Walmart G1 reissues. Which is 100% appropriate considering Soundwave is in the mix. Man, this feels good. Like just a ray of sunshine. Which really, is what the Walmart Reissues are. A beam of light right on that shelf to give you warm and fuzzy feelings when you pick it up.

Great Value BotCon 2019 has begun

I figured it would be around fall or late summer that this years batch of Walmart G1 reissues would pop up, but no, I was wrong. Right off the bat, the Optimus Prime has begun popping up at Walmart stores. I was initially going to wait for clearance prices to hit or a sale as the price for the toy seemed a bit too high without the trailer. Though my wife convinced me of the absolute truth. I never find the amazing clearance deals. I've never seen a Titan Class for 40$ at Ollie's. It's just not something I've ever lucked up with. Everyone all over the net is finding Hot Rod's for dirt cheap and my stores sold out of him last fall (good thing I bought one on sight). So I went ahead and bought Optimus. Whatever, yolo. Ok, my wife put it in the cart, yolo.

Now I'm seeing Warpath and Gears are appearing at stores. Damn, that was fast. Fortunately those two combined are $20. Hoping more Mini-Bots come out this year and figure Soundwave will show up early spring. As much fun as I'm having with these, I do wish they'd have waited until the same time frame as last year for release. Just to make it a thing I do in fall/summer. I do wonder if they'll be more this year. These things are seemingly slipping by news sites radar, so who knows? Toy Fair is coming up pretty soon, so hopefully there will be more information then. Or information that's actually covered.

Great Value BotCon 2019 Soundwave

News floated out this morning of a Soundwave seemingly joining Optimus in this years Walmart vintage Transformers selection. So far this years selection of G1 reissues is pretty fun and well suited for the 35th anniversary of Transformers (despite the lack of hoopla being made for the occasion). If I'm going to speculate the selection based on the 2018 batch, that's 2 average sized figures (one a little bigger), a larger figure or gift set, and 4 basic sized figures. Optimus seems to be taking Hot Rods spot in that with the omission of his trailer and Soundwave seemingly taking Starscream's place.

These would be similar sized boxes on that store shelf and hopefully for around the same price (there's been a lot of throwing numbers around, but I'm waiting for the actual price). So wondering who the larger figure/set would be and going by the reissues Takara has put out in more recent years as a guideline of what molds are most likely available. I'm wondering if maybe a Bruticus box set isn't too much of a stretch to expect for a gift set or maybe a Skylinx for a larger figure. Kinda hope more cassettes get released for the smaller sized guys to match up with Soundwave. Though I'd not be surprised if there's more Minicars as they'd probably try to keep the numbers of good guys/bad guys somewhat equal. I kinda hope they'd shoot for something a little bigger, but not too bigfor the larger figure to keep the price down. Something like Sixshot would be awesome.

I always see a lot of folks hope they wish for ~insert random slightly obscure or rare character~, but I don't see that really happening. I'd love to, but realistically they're going for the nostalgia crowd. Sure Transformers fans are a sure thing, but the more mainstream crowd that's likely to buy a G1 Transformer in retro packaging is going for Optimus, Starscream, or any of the other generally recognizable bots. I'd love something like Turbomasters... but that's a stretch.

I had a bunch of fun buying the last batch at Walmart and even though I've got multiple of some of these guys, look forward to walking into a Walmart after work and finding Soundwave sitting there on the shelf. That's a lot of fun for me. I don't look forward to explaining the term Great Value BotCon though, but will continue to use it. It's not my fault some people are oblivious to an obvious joke.

Great Value BotCon 2019 Optimus Prime?

The news of this leak has been making the rounds in the past few hours with most speculating that this will be one of the Walmart G1 reissues for 2019 (since we now know Astrotrain won the fan vote for 2020). Some folks are debating that it's a custom based on the rounded corners and what not, but I'm thinking it's a pretty good possibility. Mainly due to the type of ties holding Optimus to his insert that can be seen, the P.E.T plastic logo visible, multi-lingual text, and the legal info on the back of the box.

I mean, sure it could be fake, but it's real enough looking to be plausible. So with that discussed, I'll just go with the 'what if it is real' and speculate from here. I've really enjoyed the Walmart reissue line and obviously Optimus would be a good choice. I mean... duh. The sticking point a lot are pointing out is the lack of trailer. I would assume this would be a cost cutting measure making Optimus priced similar to Hot Rod as with the trailer he'd probably skew higher than what Walmart would want to put on that shelf. Devastator was pricey, but that was a gift set. This is one bot, $35 for Starscream was probably pushing it, so I can understand why it's be just a cab only release.

Honestly it doesn't bother me as the slight differences in these Walmart reissues have held a certain novelty charm for me. I'm upfront that it's not the original release I just bought, so having an exact replica isn't an issue for me. I like the small differences between releases, it's a weird little checkbox that's nice to have checked. Not to mention, good grief how many G1 Optimus Primes do I have? I got a trailer or billion to stick on him if I really wanted to. Back to that small differences thing, having a cab only Optimus in a vintage style box is neat. It's just neat to have a new version presented as an old thing. I hope his colors are slightly different. Like a hue off or so. I just dig that man. I wonder who else is slated for Great Value Botcon 2019?

Great Value BotCon needs you!

Great Value BotCon

Ever since the Walmart exclusive G1 reissue Transformers were first shown, I've been jokingly saying Great Value BotCon or Sam's Choice BotCon. It's a silly thing I've been saying as back in the day, something like a G1 Transformers was something you might have to wait until BotCon to score a decent one. Now you can just go to Walmart. I'm being silly, but I'm also outright going to use the term for something else right now.

BotCon was the first Transformers convention, and for many years the only Transformers convention. It became Hasbro supported and eventually an official entity. Ran by a few different organizers, it was retired in 2016. Somewhere around the early 2000's (maybe even earlier) smaller fan run shows became a regular thing, some growing to even rival BotCon in size. There's also the occasional fan meet up organized by individuals based on things like fan groups or local areas. I've organized a few back in the earlier days of the  Georgia Transformers Fans group. It's fun and that's where I'm going with this.

Going to conventions is great, it's awesome, it's a fun time to be had with other fans in the hobby. It's our little subculture that lives on the fringe, still not sure how to handle the mainstream popularity of Transformers since the live action movies. Problem with conventions is, a convention is just once a year. BotCon (and now TFCon USA) traveled each year. You might not be able to make it due to location, finances, personal situations, or maybe all of the above. Things happen, life happens. Other Transformers shows are generally in the same location, but still might not be accessible depending on factors.

So why not have your own?

Since the dawn of social media, it's much easier to hook up with fans in your area. It doesn't take much to plan a get together with a few like minded individuals. Maybe everyone meets up at a restaurant and goes to some nearby stores after. There was just that screening of the 1986 Transformers movie. That would have been ideal to organize something with others in attendance. Or hey, Bumblebee is about to come out. Arrange a group viewing and a trip to the store later! Maybe rent out a room somewhere, get some folks to set up tables with toys they may have to sell or customs they have to show off. You could play some episodes and order pizza (everyone can chip in $5 each for some Little Caesar's). There's that new trading card game, I'm sure getting players together couldn't be that hard.

Name your event, it can be as simple as just 'Transformers Delaware Fans Meet Up' or 'Local Fans Bumblebee Viewing'. Maybe even give it a neato name, maybe it could become bigger and become the next BotCon one day. Have one as often as you can possibly have one, it's your party. The Transformers fandom was grown from grassroots and from grassroots it will continue even if the mainstream attention fades away (won't be the first time). Have fun, you might meet some new people and make some new friends, or have some new fun with old friends.

You know, maybe you could just stroll into Walmart and get one of those G1 reissues.