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It's times like this I wish I could actually step outide of the role I've been assigned to play and just be me. Obviously, each year has its share of issues. And folks do seem focused recently on one in-particular. With good reason. However, if we could, let's take a step back and address what I like to think is the real problem here (and you can feel free to disagree with me on this, it's a free country): I've preached for years that I want G1 toys to be worthless. I've said for years that these should be toys to play with, not collectibles or investments. Be careful what you wish for, eh? :-) At least I take comfort in watching other fans' heads explode over the issue. I like things like add-on weapons and protector armor and new heads for Devastator. Love the quint judge. Looks great next to reissue Takara Unicron and Classics Scourge. Keep those products coming, 3rd party manufacturers, 'cause we'll never see them any other way (I just wish we could accomodate the Fans by *giving* items like these away- I think it's shameful to charge 40 bucks or more for a custom. There has to be a way to accomodate the love for the fandom without bad money being involved.) Arguably, if it were not for 3rd party products, I would not still be buying Hasbro product. I'd have no need for a white prime if not for the Magnus armor, for example. So in reality, these types of products can be seen as a good thing for Hasbro's bottom line. Or for the secondhand sellers on ebay, anyways :-) What I do *not* like are the items that try to mimic actual G1 product. I love the G1 Autobot car molds. I would love to see a reissue Sunstreaker to go with my Sideswipe. I don't know that Hasbro/Takara/Tomy will ever release one. Does that mean I want a knockoff company to do it? Sure... if it's *clearly* a knockoff. I haven't read the entire thread yet, but I skimmed thru it and someone had the line about wishing that they didn't have to rely on a comma instead of a period on a box to tell if something is real or fake. I tend to agree. If the only way I'll ever see a Sunstreaker is from a knockoff company, great- just make sure it's clearly a knockoff. Make Sunstreaker purple and green. Or at least remove the HasTak stamping. The fact that a company is knocking them off to clearly fool the fans into thinking they're the real thing is shameful. (I remember a discussion once how a fellow wanted to argue that these should be accepted as legitimate Chinese variants, as Hasbro has given China permission to make these things... but that's a load of fertilizer to address for another day.) So I find myself in the unenviable position of wanting whatever is bad for Hasbro... and also wanting them to crack down and get these crappy kos off the market. Perhaps if they did the right thing, went after the things like sunstreaker kos, but left Devastator heads alone. Of course, in a perfect world, 3rd party manufacturers would get a license from them and make things legitimately. Of course, hasbro could lower the price so that they could afford to. So here we sit- The Corporation wants us to want the things they tell us to want. They're greedy and wrong. The third party products make things we want if we have any sense of individual taste- but they're considered illegal, thus also wrong. You have a hole in your heart and soul that you allow others to fill with worthless plastic crap. YOU are wrong. Ultimately, I've always maintained that the best way to solve these problems is to simply remove yourself from the fray. Stop desiring physical material goods. Avoid the fandom entirely. Go out into the world and make a difference in life (yours or better yet someone else's.) Garden. Volunteer at a local food pantry. Just get away from all of it, and you win. But I suppose that would be dreaming, eh?
Be careful what you wish for. :-) |