Botcon 2011 - Hide your wallet!!

Botcon 2011 is happening as we speak in Pasadena, CA this weekend.  I've been very fortunate to have attended 7 Botcon/OTFCC shows in the past.  However with the current trend of climbing prices I don't see myself being able to attend in the future unless the convention ends up in my back yard or at least nearby.

While browsing Twitter and TFW2005.com late last night looking for news, pictures and the reveal of the attendance freebie and at show exclusive souvenir toys I was a little surprised (as were a lot of TF fans) at the increased prices.  Let's do the math for all of the exclusive toys offered up at this year's convention.  Believe me when I say your wallet will run and scream when it's all said and done.  All prices are based being a member of the Transformers Collector's Club.

Pre-registration (Stunti-Con-Job box set + free Fisitron attendee figure) = $315.00

Autotrooper 3 pack - $89.00 (1500 production run)

Animated Sideswipe & Toxitron - $89.00 (1500 production run)

Shattered Glass Galvatron & "Action Master" Thundercracker - $92.00 (1800 production run)

Total cost = $585.00!

I could easily rant and rave about the prices, but no one twists your arm to buy all of the toys.  If you do decide to do so you can easily see why your wallet might hate you!  I do have to say that the toys this year look really nice.  I've got a trade in the works for the Stunt-Con-Job box set and I would love to be able to grab Toxitron and Thundercracker. 

Let's take a look at said toys starting with the souvenir toys.  (pictures courtesy of TFW2005)

Autotrooper is based off the Animated Ironhide / Ratchet mold.  It does feature a new head, but it's the same head used on the attendance freebie toy Fisitron.  I myself am not that big on these "troop builder" figures, but Autotrooper does look really nice.

Animated Sideswipe features a G2 black and red color scheme with the remolded head also used for Brakedown in the boxed set.  At first I didn't care for this figure, but the more I look at it then more it's growing on me.  Toxitron was slated for release at some point in the early 2000's and was originally a repainted G2 Optimus Prime.  I remember seeing him first hand during the Hasbro tour at Botcon 2007.  To choose this character to get the Botcon treatment was totally out of left field thus making it a must have for me.

The last set of souvenir toys available @ Botcon are Shattered Glass Galvatron and a Euro "Action Master" Thundercracker.  This appears to the be the one set that people are on the fence about.  There are those out that love the garish AM Thundercracker color scheme and will sell their first born to get the figure.  Shattered Glass Galvatron on the other hand seems to be a different story.  What I mean by that is that since the figures don't fit into this year's Animated theme and doesn't really look like Galvatron I don't see him being as sought after as some of the other figures.  Galvatron is based on the Galaxy Force Live Convoy / Cybertron Evac figure.  While it's an excellent helicopter Transformers mold it just doesn't fit the character at all.

The Stunti-Con-Job box set is really nice looking and I hope my trade for the set goes through.

(picture courtesy of Full Metal Hero)

Behold!  Animated Stunticons!!  Motormaster is based on Optimus Prime with a new awesome head.  Brakedown is based on Hot Rod, Wildrider based on Lockdown, Drag Strip based on Arcee and Dead End based on Jazz.  The only figure in this set that I'm on the fence about is Drag Strip.  In my opinion the Arcee mold looks really femine and I'm not sure how they can pass that off as a "male" Transformer.  I'm hoping this figure will look so much better in person.

(picture courtesy of Full Metal Hero)

Fisitron is this year's free figure for the pre-registrants.  He is based on the Wreckers character Ironfist.  This figure shares the same mold (and new head) as do the Autotrooper 3 pack.  Ironfist was one of the first Euro/UK exclusive toys I bought when I got back into the TFs years and years ago so this is another figure I'd love to add to the collection...but due to his availability he'll be a challenge to obtain.

In addition to toys there are a few other exclusives items offered up for sale.  

One thing that caught my eye was this Animated Starscream lithograph offered in the non-autographed and autographed varieties for $10/$20 respectively.

The t-shirts look awesome and I don't normally care for black t-shirts.  Not too bad for $20.00.

All in all the exclusives look really nice this year despite the higher prices from previous Botcon conventions.  While sitting at home reading Twitter tweets and looking at still images on the web isn't as fun as attending an actual Botcon it is fun speculating at what will happen this weekend.  If you're reading this and have decided to go after any of this year's toys wait.  After a week or so the prices should come down a bit.  Prices are always inflated during Botcon and right after.  I can see Toxitron and Galvatron being the 2 figures that people could care less about in the future possibly making them a little easier to obtain.  At least this is what I'm hoping for since Toxitron is high on my current want list.

For continued Botcon 2011 news, photos and video make sure to drop in on my buddy's TF blog, Mostly Transformers Redux as Arkvander is in Pasadena attending the convention all weekend.