Masterpiece Star Saber lands at $170 on Big Bad Toy Store preorder, well under what the crew expected. TakaraTomy’s next Masterpiece is a Diaclone-style Wheeljack in Marlboro racing colors, and Generations Leader Jetfire turns up in Canada despite the US delay. Five Faces of Darkness turns 28, and Brian plays a clip from the fake 1992 episode 381 he recorded years ago. Then the crew borrows a topic from TFYLP and asks what would ever make them stop collecting.
News
Masterpiece Star Saber Priced at $170
Big Bad Toy Store lists Masterpiece Star Saber at $170, below the $199 to $209 the crew expected. Masterpiece Ultra Magnus costs about $20 more for a similar size. Diecast asks whether Star Saber will sell fewer units than Ultra Magnus. Don argues worldwide sales will be close, since Ultra Magnus is bigger in the US and Star Saber in Japan. Most of the crew doubts a Masterpiece Victory Leo will follow. [Source: not found]
Next Masterpiece Is a Diaclone-Style Wheeljack in Marlboro Colors
The next announced Masterpiece is a retool of Wheeljack in the Diaclone Marlboro racing livery, with its own number. It has a new pointed head and twin launchers, and it matches the original toy except for the missing Marlboro logo. The crew expects reproduction labels to fill the gap. Don does not like the color scheme and would rather turn it into a G2 Wheeljack, but Matt says that needs a new head. The crew jokes about tobacco brands on toys. [Source: not found]
Generations Leader Jetfire Spotted in Canada
Leader Jetfire has turned up in Canada, even though the US release was delayed. The crew says Canada deserves to get something first. One host is sticking with his Takara preorder to avoid the chrome. [Source: not found]
Age of Extinction Lockdown
One host skipped Lockdown, which he would only buy if it came packaged in vehicle mode. Another says Lockdown makes him miss the Revenge of the Fallen Human Alliance figures, ideally with a small Kelsey Grammer. [Source: not found]
The Original Episode 381
Listener Paul Agnew pointed out that this is the second RFC episode 381. Years ago, on an idea from Exvee, Brian recorded a fake episode 381 set in July 1992. In it, he celebrates finding Micromasters and an Action Master at Big Lots after the comic ended. Some listeners believed it was real, and one post called Brian the world’s biggest internet loser. Brian plays a clip during the break.
When Would You Stop Collecting?
Brian was a guest on TFYLP this week, where talk drifted to the collecting endgame. He brings the topic to RFC: he is out of room, yet he reordered Salamore and the vintage Mania King after canceling them. Don points to the Hartmans selling most of their collection as a moment that stunned the fandom. Diecast is also out of space but plans to keep going until he can buy a bigger house. One host says a house fire would be the end, since he would not try to replace everything.
Another host has taken breaks before, selling a third to half of his collection. One host regrets selling a rare Energon Ultra Magnus variant in grad school, even at a big profit. Rob says he has no endgame. He stores thousands of toys in boxes and has never walked into a store without checking the toy aisle. He also recalls being mistaken for a Hasbro rep while browsing Energon figures in a BotCon shirt.
This Week in History
Five Faces of Darkness debuted this week in 1986, bridging Transformers: The Movie to the rest of season three. One host calls it the start of the best season ever, while Don dislikes how it adds the Quintessons out of nowhere. The crew jokes that Transformers 5 will be subtitled Faces of Darkness. In 2003, Reader’s Digest published the Armada Official Guidebook in the US. Brian clicked the link and realized he already owns it.
Radio Free Cybertron is the world's first and oldest toy and action figure podcast — broadcasting from the heart of the Transformers fan community since October 1999. What started as a scrappy fan show has grown into an institution, with nearly 1,000 episodes and over 25 years of coverage. Every week, host Brian Kilby and the RFC crew dig into the latest Transformers news, toy reveals, collecting, and everything hitting shelves from Hasbro, Takara, and beyond. No fluff, no hype — just informed, passionate collectors who have been doing this longer than anyone else on the planet. The original. The longest running. Till all are one.