Transformers fans who wanted me to go on a months-long retail hunt for a better Hasbro product so that your favored item would "win" outright: No. The ONLY Commander Class pieces I could find *in stock* anywhere online close to MSRP were Rodimus, Magmatron, and Motormaster, each of which would have had a net *worse* showing in this comparison due to the transformed modes, as explained in the video. Items not available to purchase at retail were not and could not be eligible, as explained in the video.
In fairness, the only Commander Class figure that would have met the standards for a fair comparison anyways would be Jetfire, but aftermarket prices on him make me regret my hobby. Wonderful video as always, Jang!
I think you made the right call. All those figures you mentioned are achieving wildly different things (Motormaster and Magmatron are both Combiners, Rodimus and the upcoming Optimus are high priced for their trailers) and wouldn't really work for the comparison of two similarly priced "big transformers" HISS Megatron, while not the best figure, is a pretty good middle standard for what the Hasbro design can do with $90. Other figures around this price are quite smaller, like SS leader-classes.
A better comparison to would be the brick built product would of been the Hasbro Kre O Transformer sets however they haven't been available for probably over 8 years. I have some of those, I thoight they was good quality. Edit I get why You choose these two products to compare because they are available new now to buy vs KreO that isn't.
Glad to see that someone else recognizes how bad the supply/demand situation is for Transformers. I have been hunting for Walmart exclusive Bumblebee from 2020 for FOUR YEARS and I finally found one second-hand this June! People will complain about LEGO sets retiring after a year but TF fans really only have a week or two to get a figure before it essentially disappears forever (if you don’t count scalpers and used sellers). I think the only toyline worse than Transformers in this regard is MEGA HALO. I’m not surprised you haven’t made any more videos about them in a couple years as there really hasn’t been anything to review.
Couldn’t agree more. Mega halo is the only other plastic toy I collect at all (probably from being introduced to it by Jang all those years ago) but I’ve basically given up since I don’t want to buy from scalpers
I was lucky enough to find that bumblebee at my local Walmart back in 2020. Bought it, then never saw one on shelves again. It’s so frustrating trying to track down all these figures that just seem to disappear instantly. I regret not preordering SS86 Ultra Magnus and Siege Jetfire, probably never gonna be able to get those at their retail prices again. I just have this feeling that it might happen again with SS86 Optimus
@werlynakadera1944 I've been going to Target once a week since the Buzzworthy Bumblebee ROTB Prime came out, and it has not been in stock once. Speaking of MEGA Halo, I collected them for years until about 2021, but when the Falcon Sweep came out I thought about getting it as a one-off..... I don't think I need to elaborate for you to know about the 'supply' issues.... Needless to say, I did not get the set.
Definitely. Anyone who thinks Lego collecting is stressful should try other toy lines, specfically action figures. It's a hair-pulling, ulcer-inducing nightmare sometimes, which is why I left the hobby. (I'm looking specifically at you, Hasbro.)
Man the Transformers market is awful these days. I can’t explain how mad I was when Entertainment Earth cancelled my preorder for a figure because they weren’t stocking it anymore, then later put up for sale a bundle that included that same figure. By the time they’d cancelled my initial order, it was far too late to find it anywhere near a reasonable price elsewhere
the only commander class that fit jang's criteria is siege jetfire and that's been off shelves for a long time. its also unfair since it doesn't properly represent commanderclass line or even whats on the market. this is a fair and proper comparison taking in a number of factors more thought went into this than the norm. also jang if u get into transformers I'd watch the heck out of u show casing ur personal ones in a similar format to your gundam vids.
as someone who isn't into transformers and primarily collects lego, this type of video is really interesting and entertaining to me. The lego bubble is definitely real, but after hearing you talk about the landscape of transformers collecting, I'm just glad that current lego products are easy to find during their retail lifespan.
Availability is the key here. Not even all retail products are available for transformers, which doesn't include any kinds of store/platform limited product that sells out in a blink of an eye. Hasbro is honestly a joke of a company.
It's definitely a comparison worth looking into. I would say the immediate obstacle is that these are inherently different toy genres, so to speak. A lot of LEGO's value is a volume of high quality plastic mixed with the subject matter of the intended build, while Hasbro introduced a loose standardized class system to determine a figures value, emphasis on "loose" because there are outlier figures that make their determined class questionable (but that's a whole other can of worms). You're correct in saying a bunch of Commander classes are smaller class figures with trailers and other accessories. Some of the more complete ones are Skylynx and Ultra Magnus (I know he's a truck with a trailer, but the Commander class one is engineered to transform together as one figure). On a tangent, I like your Gundam shirt.
for me, i feel like they both have a comparative value for different aspects, lego more for the build and novelty of it since it's harder to transform and more delicate. the transformers have their value with the poseability and accuracy despite being pretty hollow and lack of plastic for the value.
The biggest advantage that Lego has over Transformers will always be how they supply their products. When Lego sees that a set is selling REALLY well and is flying off shelves quickly, they make sure to release more batches than the usual to make as many fans happy and sell as many sets as possible (best example being the 501st battlepack). Meanwhile with Transformers, it’s always a gamble whether a really sought-after figure is going to get a full re-release in another wave, just a few more batches throughout the rest of the year, or if it’ll fade into obscurity, never to be seen again
I went by the Lego store yesterday and I was genuinely impressed how similar the Lego bumblebee is to an actual Hasbro transformers figure. Great set in my opinion, even for a younger audience (ages 10+)
FINALLY, somebody does a comparison like this. Alright, right off the bat, immediate issue is that (and I'm saying this AS a transformers fan) Hasbro's stuff isn't a great value either. It's not a bad comparison mind you, they're both products AIMED at transformers fans who generally pay on average more for figures like this. Then again I'm not within the customer base that can regularly afford these kinds of figures despite how much I wish I could. $90 is objectively a lot for something like this, Hasbro or Lego aside.
I think that if you were able to find one, Commander Class Ultra Magnus would have been a more fair comparison. The G.I. Joe crossovers are pretty notorious for how hollow they are, and while they are large, the Commander Class easily beats them out in density, complexity, and detail. The fact you assumed Ultra Magnus was similar to Rodimus or Motormaster is a testament to his engineering: he can be transformed between modes with zero partsforming or removal of the truck cab! It would have been great to see your opinion on it, as it's probably my favorite figure of the past few years, but I know that supply is really hard to get. Unfortunately if you don't get in on pre-orders you just might never see a figure at MSRP. A good review overall though! I enjoyed your commentary. It's a shame Bee isn't more posable - I remember hearing a rumor that the designers were told to remove the knees from the original build.
Indeed, like most things TF, Ultra Magnus is nowhere to be found on the primary market. He also would have suffered in my comparison in converted form due to the huge hollow trailer section, but as stated in the video, I know the Commanders are generally well-regarded. I did literally the best I could with my purchase here, as explained in the video. From what I've seen, though, I do think a fair amount of the TF community is overzealous in their hate for HISStron. It's not the best, but it's definitely not the trash everyone has agreed to call it.
Personally, I love comparisons such as this and would at some point love to see a comparison between LEGO Transformers and KRE-O. One point of comparison that was missed is upgradability. It's common knowledge that you can grab additional LEGO bricks to alter or improve Bumblebee, but what about an official Transformer? Major collectors or people who follow the bigger Transformers review channels (such as Emgo316) are aware that there are several third-party companies that offer upgrade kits for official figures. These kits are 3D-printed and contain panels to cover some of those hollow spots (and in many cases engineered to be part of the transformation when they would otherwise get in the way), more accurate or alternate weapons, and other goodies. Of course, you have to order the kit for your figure, but it won't cost more than a cheap LEGO set bought for parts. And, much like LEGO bricks, colour matching isn't always ideal. However, that's due to limitations in what you can do on a 3D printer, not a QC issue as it is with LEGO. I definitely agree with all of the comparison points made, but knew very few people would know about the availability of upgrade kits, which makes the two toys a little more similar than they first appear. Mind you, I collect only Masterpiece Transformers (both official and third-party) so limited poseability and visibly hollow areas aren't part of the equation for me. But you're also talking $200-$400 easily for a figure the size of the LEGO Bumblebee with insanely complex engineering. It's simply not a fair comparison to even mainstream Transformers products, let alone a LEGO product.
I always enjoy these comparisons although I think Megatron here was a poor reference point; the GI Joe crossovers are much more hollow and have less articulation than a lot of other $90 Transformers offerings (probably part of why he's been easy to find in the US for 30-50% off new since he released in 2022). Also, the included O-ring figure bumps up the price a lot because Hasbro upcharges their O-ring retro figures compared to their more articulated, more detailed action figures in the same 1/18 scale. I would recommend comparing the Lego Optimus to the upcoming Studio Series 86 Commander Optimus Prime when it comes out; they're both based on the same source and have the same alternate modes. The Studio Series 86 Optimus will have the trailer and Roller, but otherwise will also have similar accessories.
I'm just recommending a future comparison if you're still interested down the line, because I think it would be more apples to apples in subject matter and features.
Great comparison! Another thing to consider is that the LEGO Transformers sets aren't meant to replace traditional action figures- I don't think there any Transformers fan who got the LEGO Optimus and decided to list the Earthrise figure on ebay, then put LEGO Prime in his spot on their Generations shelf. A huge part of the appeal is that they're official LEGO Transformers sets who go in their own display.
With transformers I think the problem with comparing them to a big Lego set is how much they vary. There’s the gi joe crossover which most transformers fans seem not to like, because they’re focused more on recreating the classic joe vehicles than they are making a good transformers figure, while the commander class figures also vary. Some like rodimus or the upcoming 86 Optimus have empty trailers that don’t feel like they really add much and in my opinion those aren’t really worth the money, while some like motormaster and armada Optimus can combine into a bigger bot with their trailers, and of course magmatron which you mentioned and I actually got yesterday turns into three separate figures. I think a lot of these figures I mentioned are probably more worth the money thanks to them having not just more possibility and details, but also having the extra functionalities. I do understand why you picked the joe crossover figure for this, it does seem like a more fair comparison, but I think it’s worth noting that figure isn’t really representative of what most people are buying. Also yeah availability is really bad a lot of the time like you mentioned, half the time I can’t get the deluxe class 20 dollar figures I want because they just stop being available at retail price so quickly, heck the ultra magnus you showed in the video I didn’t even SEE at retail price online at any point
10:20 The Ultra Magnus shown here is a beast, and blows both of these out of the water! You should check out the transformation from an engineering point of view, as it's amazingly well done, without parts forming. I can confirm that it's a super solid figure as well
And it's also completely unavailable at retail. It's so tiring seeing endless "you should have got X" comments when X cannot be gotten, except on the scalper market."
@@JANGBRiCKS I appreciate what you're saying, and I totally agree about the market being ridiculous, but I was just saying that this isn't a hollow figure, and when I mentioned checking it out, I meant online, as I'm sure you could appreciate it from an engineering point of view because it was done so well. Jetfire and Armada Prime are being reissued and are still available for pre-order if you've got any interest in the source material
Im a simple man i like lego, i like transformers, i like your videos😊 great work Oh and the gundam shirt was just she cherry on top of the cake for this video😂
Had a few OG Transformers when I was a kid and lots and lots of GI Joe. Had no idea they had a mashup of the 2 series now. And impressed, sadly, that Lego compares fairly to another toy line - mainly because Transformers, like Lego, are also expensive. Was it like that "back in the day"? Maybe that's why I only had a few Transformers as a kid? Mostly small ones, though one jet one - the only one I kept, was large. I always appreciate these comparisons - I think it's fair to compare a toy line to another toy line of similar size. I'd never know, if it wasn't for your Bumblebee review and this video, that Transformers are also a premium toy!
I liked your review. I'm not into other kinds of toys, but to compare lego with other brands you just see how lego does in comparison. So since you do this once in a while, witch I appreciate. Have you seen the Robosen Optimus Prime and Megatron? Maybe not a realistic comparison but I love to see one from you Jang? 😊
The funny thing about that particular Transformer is that, from what I've read, it wasn't designed by the Transformer team but by the G.I. Joe team and isn't representative of usual retail Transformers. It's also just a very controversial TF figure with the fandom split between liking and hating it - but that's less to do with value/price and more with the design. Which doesn't ruin this comparison necessarily; it's still a good contrast between similar enough Lego and non-Lego toys. If anything, the fact that this was necessary says a lot about buying TFs these days... I just think it's important to inform non-TF fans about this, since again this does not represent what most TF you'll (potentially...) be able to get at around $90 in terms of plastic amount, quality, and complexity.
I live in South Africa. We have I'd say 95 percent of Lego's sets available along with 5 Lego stores, day one releases etc. I can get any given set whenever I want more or less. For Transformers? Barely anything. The last time we got new ones it was when Rise of the Beasts was released. For the longest time the only Optimus Prime you could buy in the country was the Lego version.
For me LEGO feels premium. Less details, but the plastic is better and sturdier. Depends what you look for. Action figures have more articulation and sculpt.
Transformers and LEGO are both expensive. I remember when Transformers were much more affordable. They've increased in price to the point that LEGO looks like a bargain now. I hadn't collected Transformers for years, until the LEGO Optimus Prime got me interested again. I have bought a few Transformers here and there recently, but I'm being very selective due to price. And yeah, availability does not help, either. Anyway, this is a good comparison, JANG, and I definitely agree that both Prime and Bumblebee are worth it.
I recently finished collecting a set of six small "core" class transformers, that form yhe combinrr Volcanicus. The distribution situation here in Australia is pretty dire. I was onky able to hunt two of them in person. Another two I think were actually distributed here, but in small inconsitent quantities, so I had to go online for that, increasing the price. And the final two parts of this combiner were completely skipped over by hasbro distribution for Australia. Not an uncommon issue. To get the last two, I waited 10 months with no communication for some preorders to be filled on some imports, bevause the alternative was paying 2 or 3 times as much as their already above retail prices on amazon.
Only recently got into Tfs again last year putting most available Lego sets on the back burner. While availability is much better through Lego shop I find most really good substantial Lego sets are pushing that Titan Class price point of 300+ Canadian whereas casually collecting Transformers for even Commander Class is about $135 While I wouldn't be caught dead owning Hiss Tank Megatron he does make a pretty fair comparison to what Lego is offering in terms of amount of plastic/engineering and overall value. Only Commander Class I feel that really compares is Armada Prime and maybe Magnus as they both contain a generous amount of plastic, and the combined robot modes of each are excellent in how detailed, and articulated they are. Motormaster as well though you need four other vehicles which unfortunately at the moment are impossible to find to complete him. Really excited for the 86 Prime though he is essentially the same deal as Rodimus. A Leader Class figure with a large box trailer accessory but TBF it's what a lot of G1 fans/collectors who can't afford an MP release have been waiting a long time for.
Nice video. As someone who grew up with and had many of the G1 Transformers, and Lego, I’ll generally go with Lego every time because it is simply easier to mod Lego if I so choose. Adding knee joints to Lego Transformers for example. That’s my biggest complaint about large Lego robots in general. They need to find a way to get them to have flexible knees. I understand all the reasons they don’t but it’s still annoying. I like the Lego Bumblebee but it’s missed opportunity to not get a dual license with Hasbro AND Volkswagen. As an adult, I own far more Lego than I ever did as a kid, and a handful of newer Transformers, but the newer Transformers I buy now are the higher grade/grossly more expensive ones. But I only have a few and I’m not bothering with the cheaper ones. They just don’t appeal to me. And as an aside, as someone who was also into GIJoe as a kid, I never liked the HISS tank. It’s just a silly design and not much of a “tank.”
I understand why you couldn't get an ultra magnus(i can't either 😂). but just to clarify the trailer does not separate from the cab. all of the alt mode is used to make all of the robot. i don't think magnus should be roped in with rodimus, motormaster, and even the recent optimus. it's in a league of it's own.
Great video. In terms of "plastic value" though, for this set in particular I think it was probably worth talking about the fact that the Baroness comes with the set to.
Agreed. In my mind I had a reason not to include the figure because so many LEGO (and toy in general) fans put IMO excessive bias on small figures & would get distracted in spite of the tiny extra amount of plastic, but I should not have cut all of that content out & should have at least mentioned & showed it.
I have things of both things, and I like both things. There's also (already) a Bumblebee movie Bumblebee on rebrickable, so you can remodel your Bumblebee into a Bumblebee.
Commander class Jetfire would compare favourably. It's main line, non-combiner, etc. It is the biggest commander class but also the simplest. As you mentioned, however, these toys are hard to get especially that Jetfire was released a while back (though it is being reissued). That said, based on what's readily available, I would have picked Motormaster. Sure it's a combiner, but the combined form doesn't actually need the limb bots. It's big, looks good, very complex and highly posable. Very good value. Transformers Masterpiece on the other hand...
Personally don't like the comparison, but I get the reasoning behind it In my city you'd have like 10% of a year's Lego line available, but nothing at all for the Transformers side
To some extent, I think this is the sign that this bumblebee is probably not a good value product. Both the hiss tank and bumblebee are products primarily designed for a different franchise. Considering how bad the hiss tank represents as a value product in terms of being a transformer, it is fair to say the bumblebee is just equally as bad as being a lego product.
This can be bought for £35 on the Hasbro pulse UK site 🙈🙈 Because I am such a fan of the Baroness, I bought 2 of them full price just to have one carded & one open - I did get the second one free though because the carded figure was on such flimsy card it kept on arrived bent
I did the same with the most recen release - Soundwave who transforms into the Dreadnoks Thunder machine & comes with Zartan (my joint fave character) & Zarana from a dutch company at half price the current listings Soundwave is my fave TF & both robot & alt modes are definitely the best out of the 3. Will sell Soundwave & carded Zarana to make at least one purchase back hopefully
You wanna talk supply problems? I've got an incomplete combiner from just last year, and it's purely because Hasbro are something else and never even imported the last two limbs into Australia, and I'm not paying triple the RRP for a small toy. Hasbro can do some good toys still, that Magmatron is an excellent toy, and something I'd heartily recommend picking up for anyone even slightly interested in Transformers, but Hasbro shoot themselves in the foot so constantly with bad QC (see: all the recent Titans that have had bad QC issues like exploding joints) and the laughable supply issues, that even as a lifelong fan and avid collector of these things I generally just give up expecting anything good from Hasbro themselves.
And it came with a Baroness figure and accessories. I feel like a Lego Transformer is for a Lego fan who likes Transformers but maybe doesn't collect them. I have the HISS Megatron because I collect Gi Joe but not Transformers, but I think TFs are neat and I like the mashup...and there was a comic crossover. Love the channel.
As a transformers AND Lego fan I greatly appreciate how fair this comparison was, I also appreciate your acknowledgment of horrible distribution during the end portion. I apologize on behalf of the vocal minority that made their thoughts and opinions known BEFORE finishing the video. From the intersection of TF and Lego fans we thank you for the thoughtful and well researched video!
I totally understand the decission to choose GI Joe Crossover Megatron over a regular Commander class but it should be pointed that this figure wasn't made by the same designers that work on the mainline Transformers so it is pretty lackluster and generaly not very well liked in the community, though the alt mode is very good and it is unusually playable. It is more of a novelty item for Transformers and Joe fans rather than a proper Transformers figure, so to anyone not familiar to modern Transformers, other figures on that pricepoint are sometimes pretty overpriced and not that big, but much better designed, with great articulation, complex transformation and overall just much better built and worthwhile. Anyways, great video as usual, keep it up
There are a few extra points regarding the megatron that doesn’t make it the best to compare with. It wasn’t designed by the transformers team, it was designed by the G.I. Joe team, and as a result, is considered pretty bad by transformers standards. Ultra Magnus is actually exactly what was described. One bot that turns into one thing. His trailer and cab don’t seperate. Though he probably also wasn’t available knowing hasbro’s low supply and horrendous distribution
@@maxmocs5008 That is simply not true. Commander class products are 89.99. You are talking about secondary market price, which is not indicative of the retail market.
I'm not sure I love the term Scalper 😂 I mean, sure I bought 2x of the ghastly Hasbro Haslab Unicron Shellformer for the original Hasbro price of about £550 including shipping, and sold each of them for £2,500. But in the words of Glen in the 2007, "WHO HASN'T? WHO HASN'T?" 😅
I have my issues with this comparison and am tempted to make a response, but broadly I understand what your reasoning is and don't inherently disagree. It's a case by case basis both ways, I could easily skew it towards TF with a horrendous LEGO set like the X-Jet and vice versa.
Mostly good comparison with a lot of very good points, however I think there's a couple things that have been overlooked. As for the commander class figures, Ultra Magnus converts as a single unit without detaching pieces, making the point about not wanting to compare against something with multiple modules not accurate. There is also the fact that the Hiss tank Megatron comes with a Baroness action figure, which I didn't see any mention of in the video, which would add a bit more to the value prospect of Megatron. The Hiss tank Megatron was also reportedly designed by the G.I. Joe team instead of the transformers team, who don't have the same experience level of designing converting figures and it definitely shows in the quality, as the engineering in a figure like Ultra Magnus is noticably superior. Still, I like what the video was going for.
@@JANGBRiCKS Fair enough. Having been a longtime collector of both, Lego absolutely takes the win for how well they keep stuff in stock and not having to deal with the scalper market.
As a transformers toy collector, gijoe megatron is a horrible example of hasbros quality, though I do agree that Lego has much better quality. I just don't think it is a fair comparison. Respect to you, Jang, love your videos ❤🙏
Just want to leave a note from the Transformers fandom: We considered Megatron one of the worst figures of the year it came out. It sold poorly, and was on sale for as little as $30 at some point. All this is to say, our $90 products are going for very different goals compared to a Lego set, as shown by the Commander Class examples. They're almost incomparable in value because they're doing entirely different things.
Whelp, please use your power as a community to force your company to fix the market so that normal people like me can buy what we want, like Commander class Jetfire!
@@JANGBRiCKS Trust me I've been trying for years! The problem is always distribution. Stores don't like to carry our expensive product, which means they produce less of it. I've seem some reports of Target carrying Magmatrons in store this year, but you'll never find our $200 product in stores anymore. This hobby has basically been online-exclusive since 2020, which means more scalpers and preorder issues....you basically preorder right away or you don't get it at all. That's why I like Lego! I can still find an Optimus at Target, 2 years after I bought it!
@@JANGBRiCKS worst thing is that according to statements by hasbro, they are going to do tighter stock control this year (cus they are surprised when blirbo blorbo which showed up in 5 frames 30 years ago is going on sale). Atleast they now are doing a series of "A-list" figures which are supposed to be highly stocked and be of relevant characters like bumblebee and optimus... it took them that long to figure that one out...
@@JANGBRiCKS Jetfire released in 2019 (same time as Corner Garage and Apocalypseburg) and has been reissued 4 times. Hes available to preorder on gamestop right now. Not the fairest comparison.
Available to buy and have in hand today at MSRP where? Expecting me to become a time traveler to carefully craft a story that favors your brand literally as strongly as possible (Jetfire is the best of the best at this price IMO) is the very definition of unfair.
oh man, you picked a real stinker of a transformer. The size and price are very comparable though. And yes, the hunt is ridiculous and demoralizing. The line is mostly preorder-only these days, since all I ever see on shelves are leftovers from 8 months ago. Be grateful for Lego's good distrobution.
I say this as a Transformers fan with love: the worst thing about that set was the poor application of paint to the figure. Everything else is more of what we've come to expect from the brand.
I am so done with trying to track anything down at retail prices and have relied entirely on Amazon for most preorders. Exclusive or hard to find usually BBTS has it covered despite costing more because of the conversion. Worst thing about this crossover and probably the Bee, and Soundwave is the engineering is about as basic as it gets, and the vehicle was paramount over the robot mode despite the ridiculously higher budget.
I think this still presents too much bias, considering that Megatron is not a good figure by the standards of any other transformers figure for that price. And I understand shortages, I have a terrible time finding figures, but I feel like this might give people who do not collect transformers a wrong idea about the quality that is in the current lines.
I do think the choice of hazbro figures was kinda unfair, lookin at the ss86 optimus thats coming out for $90 I'd say that hasbro is better value overall, this bumblebee is awesome though
You answered your own comment. SS86 Prime is not out yet. Additionally, it would suffer unfairly due to the scale & split transformation as explained in the video. Way better quality, way less quantity, same price, zero sum gain in a value comparison.
It might just be my "used to Lego"-Eyes, but the Hasbro Transformers plastic looks cheaper, lower quality to me than the Lego one. That would be the Main Reason for me to go with Lego, if I had to choose.
There's plenty of other Transfomers that make the vehicle mode a priority at the expense of the robot node. Considering that this toy also includes a Baroness action figure, they had to make sure that she could fit in it.
![5 SIMPLE Mods You Should Do To Your LEGO Optimus Prime Transformers Set [10302] [4K]](/img/1.gif)
Transformers fans who wanted me to go on a months-long retail hunt for a better Hasbro product so that your favored item would "win" outright: No.
The ONLY Commander Class pieces I could find *in stock* anywhere online close to MSRP were Rodimus, Magmatron, and Motormaster, each of which would have had a net *worse* showing in this comparison due to the transformed modes, as explained in the video. Items not available to purchase at retail were not and could not be eligible, as explained in the video.
In fairness, the only Commander Class figure that would have met the standards for a fair comparison anyways would be Jetfire, but aftermarket prices on him make me regret my hobby. Wonderful video as always, Jang!
I think you made the right call. All those figures you mentioned are achieving wildly different things (Motormaster and Magmatron are both Combiners, Rodimus and the upcoming Optimus are high priced for their trailers) and wouldn't really work for the comparison of two similarly priced "big transformers" HISS Megatron, while not the best figure, is a pretty good middle standard for what the Hasbro design can do with $90. Other figures around this price are quite smaller, like SS leader-classes.
A better comparison to would be the brick built product would of been the Hasbro Kre O Transformer sets however they haven't been available for probably over 8 years. I have some of those, I thoight they was good quality. Edit I get why You choose these two products to compare because they are available new now to buy vs KreO that isn't.
y'know what fair enough bc armada prime, even with him being reissued, is still hard to find at a decent price
Not sure how magmatron would be a net worse showing. I feel that would have been a better value for your money honestly. Armada Optimus as well.
This is a wonderful examination, of which we can draw a simple conclusion:
Transformers and Lego are both expensive
Glad to see that someone else recognizes how bad the supply/demand situation is for Transformers. I have been hunting for Walmart exclusive Bumblebee from 2020 for FOUR YEARS and I finally found one second-hand this June! People will complain about LEGO sets retiring after a year but TF fans really only have a week or two to get a figure before it essentially disappears forever (if you don’t count scalpers and used sellers). I think the only toyline worse than Transformers in this regard is MEGA HALO. I’m not surprised you haven’t made any more videos about them in a couple years as there really hasn’t been anything to review.
Couldn’t agree more. Mega halo is the only other plastic toy I collect at all (probably from being introduced to it by Jang all those years ago) but I’ve basically given up since I don’t want to buy from scalpers
I was lucky enough to find that bumblebee at my local Walmart back in 2020. Bought it, then never saw one on shelves again. It’s so frustrating trying to track down all these figures that just seem to disappear instantly. I regret not preordering SS86 Ultra Magnus and Siege Jetfire, probably never gonna be able to get those at their retail prices again. I just have this feeling that it might happen again with SS86 Optimus
@werlynakadera1944 I've been going to Target once a week since the Buzzworthy Bumblebee ROTB Prime came out, and it has not been in stock once. Speaking of MEGA Halo, I collected them for years until about 2021, but when the Falcon Sweep came out I thought about getting it as a one-off..... I don't think I need to elaborate for you to know about the 'supply' issues.... Needless to say, I did not get the set.
Definitely. Anyone who thinks Lego collecting is stressful should try other toy lines, specfically action figures. It's a hair-pulling, ulcer-inducing nightmare sometimes, which is why I left the hobby. (I'm looking specifically at you, Hasbro.)
That’s wild! ….Why? Do they not want to make money? There seems to be enough fans to support the overhead.
Man the Transformers market is awful these days.
I can’t explain how mad I was when Entertainment Earth cancelled my preorder for a figure because they weren’t stocking it anymore, then later put up for sale a bundle that included that same figure.
By the time they’d cancelled my initial order, it was far too late to find it anywhere near a reasonable price elsewhere
I love these value comparisons, keep em coming.
the only commander class that fit jang's criteria is siege jetfire and that's been off shelves for a long time. its also unfair since it doesn't properly represent commanderclass line or even whats on the market. this is a fair and proper comparison taking in a number of factors more thought went into this than the norm. also jang if u get into transformers I'd watch the heck out of u show casing ur personal ones in a similar format to your gundam vids.
as someone who isn't into transformers and primarily collects lego, this type of video is really interesting and entertaining to me. The lego bubble is definitely real, but after hearing you talk about the landscape of transformers collecting, I'm just glad that current lego products are easy to find during their retail lifespan.
Availability is the key here. Not even all retail products are available for transformers, which doesn't include any kinds of store/platform limited product that sells out in a blink of an eye. Hasbro is honestly a joke of a company.
It's definitely a comparison worth looking into. I would say the immediate obstacle is that these are inherently different toy genres, so to speak. A lot of LEGO's value is a volume of high quality plastic mixed with the subject matter of the intended build, while Hasbro introduced a loose standardized class system to determine a figures value, emphasis on "loose" because there are outlier figures that make their determined class questionable (but that's a whole other can of worms). You're correct in saying a bunch of Commander classes are smaller class figures with trailers and other accessories. Some of the more complete ones are Skylynx and Ultra Magnus (I know he's a truck with a trailer, but the Commander class one is engineered to transform together as one figure).
On a tangent, I like your Gundam shirt.
for me, i feel like they both have a comparative value for different aspects, lego more for the build and novelty of it since it's harder to transform and more delicate.
the transformers have their value with the poseability and accuracy despite being pretty hollow and lack of plastic for the value.
The biggest advantage that Lego has over Transformers will always be how they supply their products. When Lego sees that a set is selling REALLY well and is flying off shelves quickly, they make sure to release more batches than the usual to make as many fans happy and sell as many sets as possible (best example being the 501st battlepack). Meanwhile with Transformers, it’s always a gamble whether a really sought-after figure is going to get a full re-release in another wave, just a few more batches throughout the rest of the year, or if it’ll fade into obscurity, never to be seen again
Dear God, please do more transformers reviews, we need more good reviewers in the community!
What I like about transformers is that they normally put out 3-4 over $50 figures a year, and all the rest are below that price
I went by the Lego store yesterday and I was genuinely impressed how similar the Lego bumblebee is to an actual Hasbro transformers figure. Great set in my opinion, even for a younger audience (ages 10+)
I personally love these comparison videos
I love when Jangs dares to ask "is Lego a good value?"
Thanks for this comparison! Also, I'm really looking forward to seeing the continuation of your streaming set refresh! :)
FINALLY, somebody does a comparison like this.
Alright, right off the bat, immediate issue is that (and I'm saying this AS a transformers fan) Hasbro's stuff isn't a great value either. It's not a bad comparison mind you, they're both products AIMED at transformers fans who generally pay on average more for figures like this.
Then again I'm not within the customer base that can regularly afford these kinds of figures despite how much I wish I could. $90 is objectively a lot for something like this, Hasbro or Lego aside.
I think that if you were able to find one, Commander Class Ultra Magnus would have been a more fair comparison.
The G.I. Joe crossovers are pretty notorious for how hollow they are, and while they are large, the Commander Class easily beats them out in density, complexity, and detail.
The fact you assumed Ultra Magnus was similar to Rodimus or Motormaster is a testament to his engineering: he can be transformed between modes with zero partsforming or removal of the truck cab! It would have been great to see your opinion on it, as it's probably my favorite figure of the past few years, but I know that supply is really hard to get.
Unfortunately if you don't get in on pre-orders you just might never see a figure at MSRP.
A good review overall though! I enjoyed your commentary. It's a shame Bee isn't more posable - I remember hearing a rumor that the designers were told to remove the knees from the original build.
Indeed, like most things TF, Ultra Magnus is nowhere to be found on the primary market. He also would have suffered in my comparison in converted form due to the huge hollow trailer section, but as stated in the video, I know the Commanders are generally well-regarded. I did literally the best I could with my purchase here, as explained in the video. From what I've seen, though, I do think a fair amount of the TF community is overzealous in their hate for HISStron. It's not the best, but it's definitely not the trash everyone has agreed to call it.
Jang is making a fun choice to have his shirt match the video topic.
Giant robot/mecha life.
this is actually really intersting, as an old school Transformers fan
How does the entire GI Joe figure your get on the side with Megatron affect the value?
Personally, I love comparisons such as this and would at some point love to see a comparison between LEGO Transformers and KRE-O.
One point of comparison that was missed is upgradability. It's common knowledge that you can grab additional LEGO bricks to alter or improve Bumblebee, but what about an official Transformer?
Major collectors or people who follow the bigger Transformers review channels (such as Emgo316) are aware that there are several third-party companies that offer upgrade kits for official figures. These kits are 3D-printed and contain panels to cover some of those hollow spots (and in many cases engineered to be part of the transformation when they would otherwise get in the way), more accurate or alternate weapons, and other goodies.
Of course, you have to order the kit for your figure, but it won't cost more than a cheap LEGO set bought for parts. And, much like LEGO bricks, colour matching isn't always ideal. However, that's due to limitations in what you can do on a 3D printer, not a QC issue as it is with LEGO.
I definitely agree with all of the comparison points made, but knew very few people would know about the availability of upgrade kits, which makes the two toys a little more similar than they first appear. Mind you, I collect only Masterpiece Transformers (both official and third-party) so limited poseability and visibly hollow areas aren't part of the equation for me. But you're also talking $200-$400 easily for a figure the size of the LEGO Bumblebee with insanely complex engineering. It's simply not a fair comparison to even mainstream Transformers products, let alone a LEGO product.
I always enjoy these comparisons although I think Megatron here was a poor reference point; the GI Joe crossovers are much more hollow and have less articulation than a lot of other $90 Transformers offerings (probably part of why he's been easy to find in the US for 30-50% off new since he released in 2022). Also, the included O-ring figure bumps up the price a lot because Hasbro upcharges their O-ring retro figures compared to their more articulated, more detailed action figures in the same 1/18 scale. I would recommend comparing the Lego Optimus to the upcoming Studio Series 86 Commander Optimus Prime when it comes out; they're both based on the same source and have the same alternate modes. The Studio Series 86 Optimus will have the trailer and Roller, but otherwise will also have similar accessories.
How am I supposed to compare something I have to something I can't have because it's not even out? I don't understand what's going on.
I'm just recommending a future comparison if you're still interested down the line, because I think it would be more apples to apples in subject matter and features.
I love these types of comparisons.
Great comparison! Another thing to consider is that the LEGO Transformers sets aren't meant to replace traditional action figures- I don't think there any Transformers fan who got the LEGO Optimus and decided to list the Earthrise figure on ebay, then put LEGO Prime in his spot on their Generations shelf. A huge part of the appeal is that they're official LEGO Transformers sets who go in their own display.
With transformers I think the problem with comparing them to a big Lego set is how much they vary. There’s the gi joe crossover which most transformers fans seem not to like, because they’re focused more on recreating the classic joe vehicles than they are making a good transformers figure, while the commander class figures also vary. Some like rodimus or the upcoming 86 Optimus have empty trailers that don’t feel like they really add much and in my opinion those aren’t really worth the money, while some like motormaster and armada Optimus can combine into a bigger bot with their trailers, and of course magmatron which you mentioned and I actually got yesterday turns into three separate figures. I think a lot of these figures I mentioned are probably more worth the money thanks to them having not just more possibility and details, but also having the extra functionalities. I do understand why you picked the joe crossover figure for this, it does seem like a more fair comparison, but I think it’s worth noting that figure isn’t really representative of what most people are buying. Also yeah availability is really bad a lot of the time like you mentioned, half the time I can’t get the deluxe class 20 dollar figures I want because they just stop being available at retail price so quickly, heck the ultra magnus you showed in the video I didn’t even SEE at retail price online at any point
Hasbro had the KreO Transformer sets and they was cool back in the day, I have some of those sets.
Great comparison 😀👍. And the LEGO Bumble Bee can be an endless amount of other toys also👍.
10:20 The Ultra Magnus shown here is a beast, and blows both of these out of the water! You should check out the transformation from an engineering point of view, as it's amazingly well done, without parts forming. I can confirm that it's a super solid figure as well
And it's also completely unavailable at retail. It's so tiring seeing endless "you should have got X" comments when X cannot be gotten, except on the scalper market."
@@JANGBRiCKS I appreciate what you're saying, and I totally agree about the market being ridiculous, but I was just saying that this isn't a hollow figure, and when I mentioned checking it out, I meant online, as I'm sure you could appreciate it from an engineering point of view because it was done so well. Jetfire and Armada Prime are being reissued and are still available for pre-order if you've got any interest in the source material
Seeing Jang check out an actual transformers figure is something I never thought I'd see but now I wanna see more!
Im a simple man i like lego, i like transformers, i like your videos😊 great work
Oh and the gundam shirt was just she cherry on top of the cake for this video😂
That was very insightful. Thank you very much for the thorough comparison.
Had a few OG Transformers when I was a kid and lots and lots of GI Joe. Had no idea they had a mashup of the 2 series now. And impressed, sadly, that Lego compares fairly to another toy line - mainly because Transformers, like Lego, are also expensive. Was it like that "back in the day"? Maybe that's why I only had a few Transformers as a kid? Mostly small ones, though one jet one - the only one I kept, was large.
I always appreciate these comparisons - I think it's fair to compare a toy line to another toy line of similar size. I'd never know, if it wasn't for your Bumblebee review and this video, that Transformers are also a premium toy!
I liked your review. I'm not into other kinds of toys, but to compare lego with other brands you just see how lego does in comparison.
So since you do this once in a while, witch I appreciate. Have you seen the Robosen Optimus Prime and Megatron? Maybe not a realistic comparison but I love to see one from you Jang? 😊
The funny thing about that particular Transformer is that, from what I've read, it wasn't designed by the Transformer team but by the G.I. Joe team and isn't representative of usual retail Transformers. It's also just a very controversial TF figure with the fandom split between liking and hating it - but that's less to do with value/price and more with the design. Which doesn't ruin this comparison necessarily; it's still a good contrast between similar enough Lego and non-Lego toys.
If anything, the fact that this was necessary says a lot about buying TFs these days... I just think it's important to inform non-TF fans about this, since again this does not represent what most TF you'll (potentially...) be able to get at around $90 in terms of plastic amount, quality, and complexity.
I dislike it mostly because I think the HISS “tank” is an absolutely stupid design.
People - like myself - are buying them mainly just for the exclusive O ring figure IMO
Great review it’s cool to see how Lego stacks up against other stuff.
I live in South Africa. We have I'd say 95 percent of Lego's sets available along with 5 Lego stores, day one releases etc. I can get any given set whenever I want more or less. For Transformers? Barely anything. The last time we got new ones it was when Rise of the Beasts was released. For the longest time the only Optimus Prime you could buy in the country was the Lego version.
Boooh, you made no mention of Megs coming with The Baroness!
Yeah that was a bad call on my part. I had my internal debate & reasoning, but ultimately should have at least shown the little thing.
Jang reviewing SS86 Commander Class Optimus Prime would be W I L D
It would have been nice to mention transformation complexity! As in, how many steps does it take to transform each toy?
For me LEGO feels premium. Less details, but the plastic is better and sturdier. Depends what you look for. Action figures have more articulation and sculpt.
Transformers and LEGO are both expensive. I remember when Transformers were much more affordable. They've increased in price to the point that LEGO looks like a bargain now.
I hadn't collected Transformers for years, until the LEGO Optimus Prime got me interested again. I have bought a few Transformers here and there recently, but I'm being very selective due to price. And yeah, availability does not help, either.
Anyway, this is a good comparison, JANG, and I definitely agree that both Prime and Bumblebee are worth it.
I recently finished collecting a set of six small "core" class transformers, that form yhe combinrr Volcanicus. The distribution situation here in Australia is pretty dire. I was onky able to hunt two of them in person. Another two I think were actually distributed here, but in small inconsitent quantities, so I had to go online for that, increasing the price. And the final two parts of this combiner were completely skipped over by hasbro distribution for Australia. Not an uncommon issue. To get the last two, I waited 10 months with no communication for some preorders to be filled on some imports, bevause the alternative was paying 2 or 3 times as much as their already above retail prices on amazon.
Only recently got into Tfs again last year putting most available Lego sets on the back burner. While availability is much better through Lego shop I find most really good substantial Lego sets are pushing that Titan Class price point of 300+ Canadian whereas casually collecting Transformers for even Commander Class is about $135 While I wouldn't be caught dead owning Hiss Tank Megatron he does make a pretty fair comparison to what Lego is offering in terms of amount of plastic/engineering and overall value. Only Commander Class I feel that really compares is Armada Prime and maybe Magnus as they both contain a generous amount of plastic, and the combined robot modes of each are excellent in how detailed, and articulated they are. Motormaster as well though you need four other vehicles which unfortunately at the moment are impossible to find to complete him. Really excited for the 86 Prime though he is essentially the same deal as Rodimus. A Leader Class figure with a large box trailer accessory but TBF it's what a lot of G1 fans/collectors who can't afford an MP release have been waiting a long time for.
This Megatron looks really cool and I would of been very happy to get it as a kid for Xmas.
Nice video.
As someone who grew up with and had many of the G1 Transformers, and Lego, I’ll generally go with Lego every time because it is simply easier to mod Lego if I so choose. Adding knee joints to Lego Transformers for example. That’s my biggest complaint about large Lego robots in general. They need to find a way to get them to have flexible knees. I understand all the reasons they don’t but it’s still annoying. I like the Lego Bumblebee but it’s missed opportunity to not get a dual license with Hasbro AND Volkswagen.
As an adult, I own far more Lego than I ever did as a kid, and a handful of newer Transformers, but the newer Transformers I buy now are the higher grade/grossly more expensive ones. But I only have a few and I’m not bothering with the cheaper ones. They just don’t appeal to me.
And as an aside, as someone who was also into GIJoe as a kid, I never liked the HISS tank. It’s just a silly design and not much of a “tank.”
I've got 30 hesbro transformers are epic lego ones are amazing great review jang 👍
I understand why you couldn't get an ultra magnus(i can't either 😂). but just to clarify the trailer does not separate from the cab. all of the alt mode is used to make all of the robot. i don't think magnus should be roped in with rodimus, motormaster, and even the recent optimus. it's in a league of it's own.
There IS a Bumblebee that transforms into the AWE striker & comes with Stalker
True! Though of course that's a cheaper & smaller Transformer & this would have been a decidedly unfair comparison.
Great video. In terms of "plastic value" though, for this set in particular I think it was probably worth talking about the fact that the Baroness comes with the set to.
Agreed. In my mind I had a reason not to include the figure because so many LEGO (and toy in general) fans put IMO excessive bias on small figures & would get distracted in spite of the tiny extra amount of plastic, but I should not have cut all of that content out & should have at least mentioned & showed it.
SS86 Magnus and Siege Jetfire are commander class toys I highly recommend as a collector of both Lego and Transformers
I would have *loved* to get Jetfire, but neither it nor Magnus were available to buy.
@@JANGBRiCKS that's unfortunate, they're great but Hasbro's distribution is awful
God, we need a rerelease of ss86 Magnus BAD
I have things of both things, and I like both things. There's also (already) a Bumblebee movie Bumblebee on rebrickable, so you can remodel your Bumblebee into a Bumblebee.
The Transformer wins simply by virtue of being a H.I.S.S. tank :) Yo Joe!
Transformers looks so good next to the GI vehicle.
Commander class Jetfire would compare favourably. It's main line, non-combiner, etc. It is the biggest commander class but also the simplest. As you mentioned, however, these toys are hard to get especially that Jetfire was released a while back (though it is being reissued).
That said, based on what's readily available, I would have picked Motormaster. Sure it's a combiner, but the combined form doesn't actually need the limb bots. It's big, looks good, very complex and highly posable. Very good value.
Transformers Masterpiece on the other hand...
I would love to have gotten Jetfire. If it was get-able...
Could have weighed them for an approximate "plastic amount" comparison.
i will now imagine a secret jang channel (similar to the playmobil one which feels very hidden) dedicated solely to transformers
Woah, is that Jang's childhood HISS?
Personally don't like the comparison, but I get the reasoning behind it
In my city you'd have like 10% of a year's Lego line available, but nothing at all for the Transformers side
To some extent, I think this is the sign that this bumblebee is probably not a good value product. Both the hiss tank and bumblebee are products primarily designed for a different franchise. Considering how bad the hiss tank represents as a value product in terms of being a transformer, it is fair to say the bumblebee is just equally as bad as being a lego product.
Compare prices of Lego vs Magnatiles. People do not even know how good Lego pricing is nowadays compared to other toys!
studio wall being redone?
This can be bought for £35 on the Hasbro pulse UK site 🙈🙈
Because I am such a fan of the Baroness, I bought 2 of them full price just to have one carded & one open - I did get the second one free though because the carded figure was on such flimsy card it kept on arrived bent
I did the same with the most recen release - Soundwave who transforms into the Dreadnoks Thunder machine & comes with Zartan (my joint fave character) & Zarana from a dutch company at half price the current listings
Soundwave is my fave TF & both robot & alt modes are definitely the best out of the 3.
Will sell Soundwave & carded Zarana to make at least one purchase back hopefully
You wanna talk supply problems? I've got an incomplete combiner from just last year, and it's purely because Hasbro are something else and never even imported the last two limbs into Australia, and I'm not paying triple the RRP for a small toy.
Hasbro can do some good toys still, that Magmatron is an excellent toy, and something I'd heartily recommend picking up for anyone even slightly interested in Transformers, but Hasbro shoot themselves in the foot so constantly with bad QC (see: all the recent Titans that have had bad QC issues like exploding joints) and the laughable supply issues, that even as a lifelong fan and avid collector of these things I generally just give up expecting anything good from Hasbro themselves.
I'm surprised you bought this. This was one crossover series i had to pass on. But i see why you did and the limitations of the transformers hobby.
And I thought Lego's pricing was bad. 💀
And it came with a Baroness figure and accessories. I feel like a Lego Transformer is for a Lego fan who likes Transformers but maybe doesn't collect them. I have the HISS Megatron because I collect Gi Joe but not Transformers, but I think TFs are neat and I like the mashup...and there was a comic crossover. Love the channel.
I want the lego
As a transformers AND Lego fan I greatly appreciate how fair this comparison was, I also appreciate your acknowledgment of horrible distribution during the end portion. I apologize on behalf of the vocal minority that made their thoughts and opinions known BEFORE finishing the video. From the intersection of TF and Lego fans we thank you for the thoughtful and well researched video!
I hate that backpack on megatron lol
Bumblebee is the better value here, but I personally will always take a deluxe over a speed champions.
I’m loving the foreground to background composition. Very simplistic but grabbing your eye on the horizon with all the goodies.
I totally understand the decission to choose GI Joe Crossover Megatron over a regular Commander class but it should be pointed that this figure wasn't made by the same designers that work on the mainline Transformers so it is pretty lackluster and generaly not very well liked in the community, though the alt mode is very good and it is unusually playable. It is more of a novelty item for Transformers and Joe fans rather than a proper Transformers figure, so to anyone not familiar to modern Transformers, other figures on that pricepoint are sometimes pretty overpriced and not that big, but much better designed, with great articulation, complex transformation and overall just much better built and worthwhile. Anyways, great video as usual, keep it up
There are a few extra points regarding the megatron that doesn’t make it the best to compare with. It wasn’t designed by the transformers team, it was designed by the G.I. Joe team, and as a result, is considered pretty bad by transformers standards.
Ultra Magnus is actually exactly what was described. One bot that turns into one thing. His trailer and cab don’t seperate. Though he probably also wasn’t available knowing hasbro’s low supply and horrendous distribution
Ultra Magnus was and is, indeed, unavailable on the primary market.
Magnus also has some issues being a fair comparison because even retail prices for him are over twice that of Lego Bumblebee.
@@maxmocs5008 That is simply not true. Commander class products are 89.99. You are talking about secondary market price, which is not indicative of the retail market.
Holy crap Jang was spot on within the first 20 seconds about my thoughts on choosing the Megatron figure for comparison
I'm not sure I love the term Scalper 😂
I mean, sure I bought 2x of the ghastly Hasbro Haslab Unicron Shellformer for the original Hasbro price of about £550 including shipping, and sold each of them for £2,500.
But in the words of Glen in the 2007, "WHO HASN'T? WHO HASN'T?" 😅
Nice Shirt!!!
Hi
I have my issues with this comparison and am tempted to make a response, but broadly I understand what your reasoning is and don't inherently disagree. It's a case by case basis both ways, I could easily skew it towards TF with a horrendous LEGO set like the X-Jet and vice versa.
Mostly good comparison with a lot of very good points, however I think there's a couple things that have been overlooked. As for the commander class figures, Ultra Magnus converts as a single unit without detaching pieces, making the point about not wanting to compare against something with multiple modules not accurate. There is also the fact that the Hiss tank Megatron comes with a Baroness action figure, which I didn't see any mention of in the video, which would add a bit more to the value prospect of Megatron. The Hiss tank Megatron was also reportedly designed by the G.I. Joe team instead of the transformers team, who don't have the same experience level of designing converting figures and it definitely shows in the quality, as the engineering in a figure like Ultra Magnus is noticably superior. Still, I like what the video was going for.
Magnus was also not in stock anywhere on the primary market online in the US and thus I could not have bought it (at or near MRSP) if I wanted.
@@JANGBRiCKS Fair enough. Having been a longtime collector of both, Lego absolutely takes the win for how well they keep stuff in stock and not having to deal with the scalper market.
As a transformers toy collector, gijoe megatron is a horrible example of hasbros quality, though I do agree that Lego has much better quality. I just don't think it is a fair comparison.
Respect to you, Jang, love your videos ❤🙏
Just want to leave a note from the Transformers fandom:
We considered Megatron one of the worst figures of the year it came out. It sold poorly, and was on sale for as little as $30 at some point. All this is to say, our $90 products are going for very different goals compared to a Lego set, as shown by the Commander Class examples. They're almost incomparable in value because they're doing entirely different things.
Whelp, please use your power as a community to force your company to fix the market so that normal people like me can buy what we want, like Commander class Jetfire!
@@JANGBRiCKS Trust me I've been trying for years! The problem is always distribution. Stores don't like to carry our expensive product, which means they produce less of it. I've seem some reports of Target carrying Magmatrons in store this year, but you'll never find our $200 product in stores anymore. This hobby has basically been online-exclusive since 2020, which means more scalpers and preorder issues....you basically preorder right away or you don't get it at all.
That's why I like Lego! I can still find an Optimus at Target, 2 years after I bought it!
@@JANGBRiCKS worst thing is that according to statements by hasbro, they are going to do tighter stock control this year (cus they are surprised when blirbo blorbo which showed up in 5 frames 30 years ago is going on sale).
Atleast they now are doing a series of "A-list" figures which are supposed to be highly stocked and be of relevant characters like bumblebee and optimus... it took them that long to figure that one out...
@@JANGBRiCKS Jetfire released in 2019 (same time as Corner Garage and Apocalypseburg) and has been reissued 4 times. Hes available to preorder on gamestop right now. Not the fairest comparison.
Available to buy and have in hand today at MSRP where? Expecting me to become a time traveler to carefully craft a story that favors your brand literally as strongly as possible (Jetfire is the best of the best at this price IMO) is the very definition of unfair.
oh man, you picked a real stinker of a transformer. The size and price are very comparable though.
And yes, the hunt is ridiculous and demoralizing. The line is mostly preorder-only these days, since all I ever see on shelves are leftovers from 8 months ago. Be grateful for Lego's good distrobution.
I picked... literally the best thing I could LOL
I say this as a Transformers fan with love: the worst thing about that set was the poor application of paint to the figure. Everything else is more of what we've come to expect from the brand.
I am so done with trying to track anything down at retail prices and have relied entirely on Amazon for most preorders. Exclusive or hard to find usually BBTS has it covered despite costing more because of the conversion. Worst thing about this crossover and probably the Bee, and Soundwave is the engineering is about as basic as it gets, and the vehicle was paramount over the robot mode despite the ridiculously higher budget.
I think this still presents too much bias, considering that Megatron is not a good figure by the standards of any other transformers figure for that price. And I understand shortages, I have a terrible time finding figures, but I feel like this might give people who do not collect transformers a wrong idea about the quality that is in the current lines.
Do you think I should have waited months on a preorder list to get a product that would compare more favorably? I addressed this in the video.
Funny how I went back into the Transformers rabbit hole after buying Bumbleeblee and already bought two Transformers now, and yea they're expansive...
I do think the choice of hazbro figures was kinda unfair, lookin at the ss86 optimus thats coming out for $90 I'd say that hasbro is better value overall, this bumblebee is awesome though
You answered your own comment. SS86 Prime is not out yet. Additionally, it would suffer unfairly due to the scale & split transformation as explained in the video. Way better quality, way less quantity, same price, zero sum gain in a value comparison.
In short, either Lego or Hasbro at the end still a dust collector
It might just be my "used to Lego"-Eyes, but the Hasbro Transformers plastic looks cheaper, lower quality to me than the Lego one. That would be the Main Reason for me to go with Lego, if I had to choose.
That's the worst Megatron that's out. G.I. Joe crossovers are all about vehicle mode to make the Joe fit.
There's plenty of other Transfomers that make the vehicle mode a priority at the expense of the robot node. Considering that this toy also includes a Baroness action figure, they had to make sure that she could fit in it.
Don't do this thing again! Nooooooooo!