Takara Tomy’s MP-44 Optimus Prime 3.0 lands at about $450, and the crew spends much of the show arguing whether Masterpiece has priced itself out. Brian half-jokes he will buy it if it includes the basketball, while Don worries the price threatens future repaints. Pension funds sue Hasbro, alleging it misled investors about the Toys R Us fallout while executives sold stock. Flame Toys’ Star Saber and Furai Megatron, MP-29+ Shockwave and an Encore Optimus Primal round out the news.
Black Friday Recap
Nobody found the $5.99 Cogman that Ollie’s advertised. Brian’s wife Kim went at 5:30 a.m. and came back without one. Brian guesses some stores sold through early or the ad used the wrong image.
What We Got This Week
Diecast got the G1 reissue Hot Rod for $20 through Walmart.com pickup and repackaged it the right way around. Watch out for the pickup sticker, which can tear the box. He also got Repugnus for $17 on Amazon after Chris tweeted the deal.
Matt had nothing this week.
Jason had nothing this week, and his stores are still clogged with Power of the Primes.
John had nothing this week.
Rob finally got some BotBots, a Sugar Shocks pack with the donut and the game pad, two of the ones he wanted most.
Chris‘s pickups this week were not Transformers.
Don got the Cyberverse Leader Class Megatron for about $12 through the RFC Amazon link. He found Siege Battle Masters Lionizer and Firedrive on a mixed Target endcap. After some eBay sales, he got the Bumblebee movie BB-02 Legendary Optimus Prime and Masterpiece Cordon for about $136 together. He says Legendary Optimus Prime has a great transformation.
This Week in History
In 2010, Transformers: Prime premiered on The Hub with a preview airing of Darkness Rising. Don calls it underrated, with strong characters and a weaker second season. The crew loves Agent Fowler, voiced by Clancy Brown. Also in 2010, the e-HOBBY exclusive United Autobot and Decepticon sets went up for order. Don still has the damaged Kup and Scrapheap but sold the clear Hot Rodimus.
News
MP-44 Optimus Prime 3.0 Is How Much?
Big Bad Toy Store lists MP-44 at about $449. Brian admits he is still considering it, and he would definitely buy it if a rumored basketball accessory were real. One host notes MP-10 was about 25,000 yen in 2011, so this is double. Don fears the price will hurt sales and scare Takara off repaints like Nemesis Prime. Rob asks whether falling Masterpiece sales are pushing costs up and accessories in. Chris would sell the cab alone at about 18,000 yen and offer the trailer separately through Takara Tomy Mall. The crew points to third-party options like DX9’s Gabriel and the coming Titan Class Omega Supreme. Diecast has finally found a toy he will not buy. MP-44 is due in August. [Source: not found]
Pension Funds Sue Hasbro for Allegedly Misleading Investors
John explains that pension funds that own Hasbro stock allege the company played down the Toys R Us hit. They claim executives sold about $150 million in stock in the meantime. Hasbro denies wrongdoing, and it is also trimming its workforce. The crew debates how big a sales outlet Toys R Us really was. [Source: Chief Investment Officer]
Transformers BotBots: Blind Pack Identification Codes
The early samples were marked by hand under a flap. The crew hopes retail packs carry real codes. [Source: TFormers]
Flame Toys Star Saber Kuro Kara Kuri Figure: New Photos and Alternate Configuration
The saber mode looks better than expected, but the crew still sees a Gundam and expects about $400 to $500. One host would take it over MP-44, since a non-transforming figure has no transformation to break. The crew notes fans accepted a non-transforming Tarn because he is a comics character. [Source: TFormers]
Flame Toys Furai Model IDW Autobot Megatron Color Sample Photos
The model kit looks great and should be much cheaper, around the price of the Starscream kit. The Alex Milne linework is spot on, but the face is slightly off. [Source: TFormers]
Encore Returns: Convoy Reissue Air Attack Optimus Primal In-Package Photos
The crew had forgotten this Beast Machines reissue was coming. One host notes the original was a USA edition sold in Japan years ago. The crew points out this version never appeared on the show. [Source: TFormers]
Masterpiece Shockwave MP-29+ Toy Colors Version In-Hand Photos
The lighter purple hands look like mittens to one host, though a clear hand is included. Matt still thinks the figure is too small. [Source: TFormers]
What’s on TFormers
Rob shows in-hand images of the China-exclusive Predaking sword, which has a pen inside the blade. A fan built a Siege Optimus Prime trailer out of a pile of Cogs. Chris has a BotBots Challenge unboxing and a full analysis of BotBots duplicates and how to complete a set.
Bumblebee Screening Tickets
One host warns that the December 8 Bumblebee screenings are selling quickly, so buy tickets now if you want to go.
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.