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Why I'm Not Buying Chomp and Stomp Grimlock
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Zobovor
Sep 18, 2014, 10:01:48 PM9/18/14
to
So I ordered a bunch of Chomp and Stomp Grimlocks for my toy department so I could build an endcap of them. I think it's gonna be a good seller. Kids will go crazy over this thing. Also, anything over fifteen bucks is eligible for Christmas layaway, so management is encouraging us to build features of higher price point items.
Somebody actually returned one to the store after opening it up. When somebody takes back merchandise to Walmart, our cash registers print out little defect slips along with a space to write a reason for the return. Usually it's stuff like "DOESN'T WORK" or "CUSTOMER DIDN'T WANT" or whatever. The defect on this one was listed as "BITES KID." I am not making this up. Apparently Grimlock is a carnivore and he craves the tender taste of human children.
Well, I had this idea that since this particular Grimlock had already been opened and the packaging was ruined, I could use him as a display piece, using zip-ties to strap him down to the shelf on the endcap so that people could play with him and transform him an' stuff. It's been scientifically proven, by scientists, that people are much more likely to buy stuff if they can touch it and handle it. (That's why there are so many "try me" toys with items out in the open instead of the poor things suffocating behind their plastic windows.) Grimlock's already unsellable, so it doesn't matter if he gets sent back to the reclamation center now or whenenver his brothers all sell and I take down the endcap display.
Having had a chance to handle the toy and play with him, though, I really, really don't like him at all. You can trigger some of his electronics in the package and get him to lunge forwards in dino mode, but you can't actually transform him. All he does is stand upright, and a gear mechanism causes his robot arms to swing out. His arms have little springs in the shoulders so you can swing them out to the sides a little, but then they pop right back in place. He can't swing his arms forwards at all. He's got articulated elbows, but that's just about it. His head won't turn and his legs are permanently frozen in place. He's kind of like the exact opposite of Supreme Cheetor. There's no way this toy can not stand up.
The packaging says that the little Optimus Prime figure he comes with can activate his electronics, so I had thought that perhaps there was a microchip inside Prime that triggers stuff in Grimlock. Actually, Prime's just got magnets in his feet and it causes Grimlock's two weapons (a flip-out gun and a rotating Gatling cannon) to pop out. He does make the classic transformation sound when you transform him (the same one from The Transformers: the Movie that Hasbro's been so fond of sampling), but the dino-to-robot sound only activates after he's already fully upright (so, basically, a Robots in Disguise cartoon transformation) and the tail end of the sound effect is cut off. He growls and says some other stuff ("DESTROY!" I think) but he's really supremely underwhelming for a $69 toy.
Oh, also. When I was strapping him down to the shelf, I discovered that his tail pops off really easily. It's held on with really weak plastic knobs. Furthermore, when I was tying him down, I broke the clip on one of his legs. They're not designed to move at all, but they're held in place with plastic clips. Without this clip, the leg wouldn't stay on at all, so I had to super glue it in place. It's pretty sad when I break a toy straight out of the gate. It's like Titan-class Metroplex all over again. Granted, most consumers probably aren't going to be zip-tying Grimlock down to anything (unless they're into kinky stuff like that) but it's not like I was being extra rough with him (I used a safe word and everything).
So, great toy for young kids, but not so good for me. I really wasn't strongly considering purchasing this one (still waffling on whether I want the Leader-class Grimlock or the Voyager-class one; I'm leaning towards Voyager, I think) but this absolutely cinches it.
Zob
Somebody actually returned one to the store after opening it up. When somebody takes back merchandise to Walmart, our cash registers print out little defect slips along with a space to write a reason for the return. Usually it's stuff like "DOESN'T WORK" or "CUSTOMER DIDN'T WANT" or whatever. The defect on this one was listed as "BITES KID." I am not making this up. Apparently Grimlock is a carnivore and he craves the tender taste of human children.
Well, I had this idea that since this particular Grimlock had already been opened and the packaging was ruined, I could use him as a display piece, using zip-ties to strap him down to the shelf on the endcap so that people could play with him and transform him an' stuff. It's been scientifically proven, by scientists, that people are much more likely to buy stuff if they can touch it and handle it. (That's why there are so many "try me" toys with items out in the open instead of the poor things suffocating behind their plastic windows.) Grimlock's already unsellable, so it doesn't matter if he gets sent back to the reclamation center now or whenenver his brothers all sell and I take down the endcap display.
Having had a chance to handle the toy and play with him, though, I really, really don't like him at all. You can trigger some of his electronics in the package and get him to lunge forwards in dino mode, but you can't actually transform him. All he does is stand upright, and a gear mechanism causes his robot arms to swing out. His arms have little springs in the shoulders so you can swing them out to the sides a little, but then they pop right back in place. He can't swing his arms forwards at all. He's got articulated elbows, but that's just about it. His head won't turn and his legs are permanently frozen in place. He's kind of like the exact opposite of Supreme Cheetor. There's no way this toy can not stand up.
The packaging says that the little Optimus Prime figure he comes with can activate his electronics, so I had thought that perhaps there was a microchip inside Prime that triggers stuff in Grimlock. Actually, Prime's just got magnets in his feet and it causes Grimlock's two weapons (a flip-out gun and a rotating Gatling cannon) to pop out. He does make the classic transformation sound when you transform him (the same one from The Transformers: the Movie that Hasbro's been so fond of sampling), but the dino-to-robot sound only activates after he's already fully upright (so, basically, a Robots in Disguise cartoon transformation) and the tail end of the sound effect is cut off. He growls and says some other stuff ("DESTROY!" I think) but he's really supremely underwhelming for a $69 toy.
Oh, also. When I was strapping him down to the shelf, I discovered that his tail pops off really easily. It's held on with really weak plastic knobs. Furthermore, when I was tying him down, I broke the clip on one of his legs. They're not designed to move at all, but they're held in place with plastic clips. Without this clip, the leg wouldn't stay on at all, so I had to super glue it in place. It's pretty sad when I break a toy straight out of the gate. It's like Titan-class Metroplex all over again. Granted, most consumers probably aren't going to be zip-tying Grimlock down to anything (unless they're into kinky stuff like that) but it's not like I was being extra rough with him (I used a safe word and everything).
So, great toy for young kids, but not so good for me. I really wasn't strongly considering purchasing this one (still waffling on whether I want the Leader-class Grimlock or the Voyager-class one; I'm leaning towards Voyager, I think) but this absolutely cinches it.
Zob
Irrellius Spamticon of the Potato People.
Sep 18, 2014, 10:23:11 PM9/18/14
to
banzait...@gmail.com
Sep 18, 2014, 10:23:45 PM9/18/14
to
> (still waffling on whether I want the Leader-class Grimlock or the Voyager-class one; I'm leaning towards Voyager, I think)
It's a long story, but I ended up owning both. I bought the Leader version, and got the voyager one for free. sadly, I think the voyager version is superior. The transformation is much, much easier. Also, the leader dinosaur mode won't stand upright by it's self. It also doesn't look very much like a dinosaur, but more of a weird, pancake* looking monster. HIs body is oddly flat if you look at it from the side. The leader version also has a lot of chrome paint on it, and we all know what happens with chrome paint. (gnomes come in the middle of the night and chip it and rub it down to the plastic). For the money, I don't think it is very close. Voyager.
-Banzaitron
Cradok
Sep 19, 2014, 9:38:48 AM9/19/14
to
On Friday, 19 September 2014 03:01:48 UTC+1, Zobovor wrote:
> So, great toy for young kids, but not so good for me. I really wasn't strongly considering purchasing this one (still waffling on whether I want the Leader-class Grimlock or the Voyager-class one; I'm leaning towards Voyager, I think) but this absolutely cinches it.
For me, the Leader has a better robot mode, it's tall and imposing, more in scale with the various non-Dinobot toys, and with better colours, but it looks terrible as a dino, its head is obviously hollow and its flat. The Voyager looks good in both modes, and is more in scale with the rest of the Dinobots, and is much nicer to Transform, no pegs which have to be forced in or the like. All in all, I'd go with the Voyager, but I do like the Leader too, its just not in the same league.
> So, great toy for young kids, but not so good for me. I really wasn't strongly considering purchasing this one (still waffling on whether I want the Leader-class Grimlock or the Voyager-class one; I'm leaning towards Voyager, I think) but this absolutely cinches it.
I'm not intending on getting the monster one, though, despite the awesome size. He's just too big and expensive for what you get.
Cappeca
Sep 19, 2014, 9:48:44 AM9/19/14
to
Em quinta-feira, 18 de setembro de 2014 23h01min48s UTC-3, Zobovor escreveu:
> The defect on this one was listed as "BITES KID."
That's more like a feature.
> The defect on this one was listed as "BITES KID."
> It's been scientifically proven, by scientists, that people are much more likely to buy stuff if they can touch it and handle it. (That's why there are so many "try me" toys with items out in the open instead of the poor things suffocating behind their plastic windows.)
Neo Thunder
Sep 19, 2014, 2:27:27 PM9/19/14
to
I also own the Voyaqer version and am happy with it. I don't feel like I
need the Leader/other versions (Grimlock felt like the Bumblebee from
this movie. Eight million toys of various sizes and shapes).
t.k.
need the Leader/other versions (Grimlock felt like the Bumblebee from
this movie. Eight million toys of various sizes and shapes).
t.k.
Gustavo Wombat, of the Seattle Wombats
Sep 20, 2014, 4:44:03 PM9/20/14
to
On Thursday, September 18, 2014 7:01:48 PM UTC-7, Zobovor wrote:
> So, great toy for young kids, but not so good for me. I really wasn't strongly considering purchasing this one (still waffling on whether I want the Leader-class Grimlock or the Voyager-class one; I'm leaning towards Voyager, I think) but this absolutely cinches it.
I really like the Leader, despite his flatness in T-Rex mode, and his giant chunk of T-Rex as a shield. And the black paint on the chrome rubs off on the edges from being tossed into the living room toy bin haphazardly.
> So, great toy for young kids, but not so good for me. I really wasn't strongly considering purchasing this one (still waffling on whether I want the Leader-class Grimlock or the Voyager-class one; I'm leaning towards Voyager, I think) but this absolutely cinches it.
The Voyager's T-Rex chest seems a bit weak to me -- it's just the robot legs with some panels positioned but not pegged down, unless I am mistransforming him.
So, each have significant flaws, but neither really terrible.
Neither really scream Grimlock to me.
I would happily buy a bright red T-Wrecks redeco of either of them and include it in my G1/BW collection -- you know, the real collection, where the toys matter and the universe is open-ended and it isn't just some little sideline that will end in a few years.
Gustavo Wombat, of the Seattle Wombats
Sep 20, 2014, 10:50:16 PM9/20/14
to
On Saturday, September 20, 2014 1:44:03 PM UTC-7, Gustavo Wombat, of the Seattle Wombats wrote:
> On Thursday, September 18, 2014 7:01:48 PM UTC-7, Zobovor wrote:
>
> > So, great toy for young kids, but not so good for me. I really wasn't strongly considering purchasing this one (still waffling on whether I want the Leader-class Grimlock or the Voyager-class one; I'm leaning towards Voyager, I think) but this absolutely cinches it.
>
> I really like the Leader, despite his flatness in T-Rex mode, and his giant chunk of T-Rex as a shield. And the black paint on the chrome rubs off on the edges from being tossed into the living room toy bin haphazardly.
>
> The Voyager's T-Rex chest seems a bit weak to me -- it's just the robot legs with some panels positioned but not pegged down, unless I am mistransforming him.
>
> So, each have significant flaws, but neither really terrible.
After just poking around with each for a few minutes...
> On Thursday, September 18, 2014 7:01:48 PM UTC-7, Zobovor wrote:
>
> > So, great toy for young kids, but not so good for me. I really wasn't strongly considering purchasing this one (still waffling on whether I want the Leader-class Grimlock or the Voyager-class one; I'm leaning towards Voyager, I think) but this absolutely cinches it.
>
> I really like the Leader, despite his flatness in T-Rex mode, and his giant chunk of T-Rex as a shield. And the black paint on the chrome rubs off on the edges from being tossed into the living room toy bin haphazardly.
>
> The Voyager's T-Rex chest seems a bit weak to me -- it's just the robot legs with some panels positioned but not pegged down, unless I am mistransforming him.
>
> So, each have significant flaws, but neither really terrible.
The Leader's robot calves unfold, turn inside out, and then make up the bulk of the T-Rex chest and torso, so there are a lot of details in the beast mode that aren't in the robot mode. And he's pretty complex -- I cannot remember how to build the tail assembly at the moment. There are a few robot parts visible, namely the hands and the folded up feet, but mostly it looks very different.
The Voyager has none of this, and once you know your robot parts, you can find them on the T-Rex very easily.
The Voyager also has a much worse backpack in robot mode.
So, overall, even though I cannot remember how to attach the tail assembly, and the fact that the tail assembly is a separate part, I think I greatly prefer the leader.
> Neither really scream Grimlock to me.
> I would happily buy a bright red T-Wrecks redeco of either of them and include it in my G1/BW collection -- you know, the real collection, where the toys matter and the universe is open-ended and it isn't just some little sideline that will end in a few years.
Zobovor
Oct 4, 2014, 7:00:38 PM10/4/14
to
On Thursday, September 18, 2014 8:01:48 PM UTC-6, Zobovor wrote:
> Well, I had this idea that since this particular Grimlock had already been
> opened and the packaging was ruined, I could use him as a display piece,
> using zip-ties to strap him down to the shelf on the endcap so that people
> could play with him and transform him an' stuff.
Update! People absolutely cannot resist handling this toy. They walk by the endcap, with Grimlock prominently displayed at eye level, and they absolutely have to manhandle him. It's kind of funny, actually. Like, if I were a cannibal and wanted to ensnare people and eat them, it would be the perfect bait.
> Well, I had this idea that since this particular Grimlock had already been
> opened and the packaging was ruined, I could use him as a display piece,
> using zip-ties to strap him down to the shelf on the endcap so that people
> could play with him and transform him an' stuff.
However, the days have not been kind to Grimlock. The paint is already rubbing off his knees where his arms scrape up against them during transformation. Also, his waist no longer locks in place like the ones still in the package; he's supposed to have a standing-at-attention dino position and a lunging dino position, and he just slumps over in lunging mode all the time now.
So, definitely not a toy designed for extended use. Kind of sad. Of course, I still have, like, 20 of them at the store, so despite being a not-very-well-made-toy, I still hope to sell them!
Any wagers when and if I will actually run out?
Zob
Irrellius Spamticon of the Potato People.
Oct 5, 2014, 11:40:50 AM10/5/14
to
Zobovor
Dec 15, 2014, 10:16:21 PM12/15/14
to
On Saturday, October 4, 2014 5:00:38 PM UTC-6, Zobovor wrote:
> Any wagers when and if I will actually run out?
Sold my last one today! They're still active in the system, so the computer will order more, but I'm glad I didn't get stuck with tons of overstock.
> Any wagers when and if I will actually run out?
Meanwhile, the Zoomer Dino continues to clog the shelves. I think I have 30 of them still? I sell about one a day, but there sure ain't 30 days until Christmas...
Zob
banzait...@gmail.com
Dec 16, 2014, 10:17:14 PM12/16/14
to
> Sold my last one today! They're still active in the system, so the computer will order more, but I'm glad I didn't get stuck with tons of overstock.
This just shows you that parents will buy anything with "Transformers" stamped on it. As much as we, the fandom, complain about this and that, we are lucky to get anything good. We have got to be a small slice of their overall target market. I can't imagine ANYONE who is an avid collector would buy that hunk of plastic. When you consider the price point, it gets downright depressing.
-Banzaitron
Zobovor
Dec 16, 2014, 11:35:55 PM12/16/14
to
On Tuesday, December 16, 2014 8:17:14 PM UTC-7, banzait...@gmail.com wrote:
> This just shows you that parents will buy anything with "Transformers" stamped
> on it.
It's kind of an insidious cycle. They are heavily advertising the toy on television (my son watches Cartoon Network and the commercials play on a regular basis), so of course this is the toy that kids specifically ask for. Goodness knows that when I was young, TV was my portal to what was available. My holiday wish lists consisted entirely of stuff I'd seen in commercials. For the most part, if I hadn't seen it advertised on TV, I had no idea it existed.
> This just shows you that parents will buy anything with "Transformers" stamped
> on it.
> As much as we, the fandom, complain about this and that, we are lucky
> to get anything good. We have got to be a small slice of their overall
> target market. I can't imagine ANYONE who is an avid collector would buy
> that hunk of plastic. When you consider the price point, it gets downright
> depressing.
The truth is that the Chomp and Stomp Grimlock toy really is a piece of garbage. Like I said, I accidentally broke the demo model I set up at work, and that was just strapping it down to the shelf with zip ties. Imagine if I'd actually tried to play with it!
Zob
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