Movie (toyline)

The 2007 Transformers film was accompanied by one of the largest product blitzes in the history of the Transformers brand. The prominence of the movie allowed Hasbro to push the toy line to new levels of complexity and diversity.

In addition to the standard "main line" figures, several sub-lines were developed. Some, such as the Fast Action Battlers and Cyber Slammers, are aimed at younger users. Others, such as Real Gear Robots and the various role play toys, expand on the plot and concepts of the movie.

Virtually all of the movie cast received multiple toy incarnations at various price points, from the tiny $4 Legends versions and two-for-$5 Robot Heroes PVCs up to the massive, complex, electronic $80 Ultimate Bumblebee. Given the limited number of Transformers featured in the movie, the toyline naturally contains many additional characters. Many of these are featured in alternate movie-related media, such as prequel comics and video games.

Overview
The main line movie figures attempt to emulate the spindly, multi-faceted appearance of the screen characters, succeeding to a remarkable degree. This aesthetic carries over to characters that do not appear in the movie, giving the line a unified appearance. Most alternate forms are realistically styled contemporary Earth vehicles, many of which are licensed replicas.

The main line figures feature an above-average design complexity, with figures such as Deluxe Bumblebee packing an amazing number of moving parts into a small package. Transformations are fairly complex, and tend to capture the movie's visual spectacle of a vehicle flying apart into a thousand pieces as the robots transform. The primary gimmick of the main line is "automorphing", wherein moving one piece of a toy will in turn move other pieces into their designated positions via hidden gears, furthering the parallel with the movie's visuals.

Many of the vehicle modes' exteriors are formed by thin panels, but limbs and torsos are sufficiently integral to the vehicle-mode panels that they are not shellformers. On some of the toys, these panels swing back on themselves or are otherwise concealed to such an extent that the finished robot gives comparatively little indication that it turns into a vehicle at all -- yet another point of unity with the movie's design aesthetic.

Unfortunately, due to issues of vehicle-mode licensing and the fact that the robot designs are the shared intellectual property of DreamWorks, it is a virtual certainty that the Movie toys will never be made available as redecos in other franchises or as convention exclusives.

Movie Deluxe Class
Wave 1 (Movie Preview Wave)
 * Protoform Optimus Prime
 * Protoform Starscream

Wave 2
 * Bumblebee (Classic Camaro)
 * Autobot Jazz
 * Decepticon Brawl
 * Barricade (includes small figure of Decepticon Frenzy)
 * Scorponok
 * Wreckage (a non-Movie character, based on an unused ILM design)

Wave 3
 * Bonecrusher
 * Swindle (a non-Movie character, appears in the Movie Game & prequel comics)

Wave 4
 * Arcee (a non-Movie character, was to appear in the film, but was replaced by Ironhide)
 * Bumblebee (Concept Camaro)
 * Dreadwing (a non-Movie character, appears in the Movie Game & prequel comics)

Wave 5
 * Final Battle Jazz (remold of regular Deluxe Autobot Jazz, featuring sculpted battle damage and a new, more movie-accurate weapon)
 * Longarm (a non-Movie character, appears in the Movie Game, based on a non-transforming tow-truck that appears in the movie)
 * Payload (a non-Movie character, appears in the Movie Game & prequel comics)

Wave 6
 * Dropkick (a non-Movie character, appears in the Movie Game)
 * Recon Barricade (non-Movie-based redeco of Barricade)

Wave 7 (Allspark Power Wave 1)
 * Cliffjumper (non-Movie character, redeco of Deluxe Concept Camaro Bumblebee)
 * Landmine (non-Movie character, based on a Sector Seven vehicle from the movie)
 * Autobot Camshaft (non-Movie character, redeco of Deluxe Swindle)

Wave 7 Revision 1 (Allspark Power Wave 2)
 * Stockade (non-Movie character, based on a Sector Seven vehicle from the movie)

Wave 8 (Allspark Power Wave 3)
 * Overcast (non-Movie character, redeco of Deluxe Dreadwing)
 * Jungle Bonecrusher (non-Movie-based redeco of Deluxe Bonecrusher)

Wave 9 (Allspark Power Wave 4)


 * Stealth Bumblebee (non-Movie-based redeco/remold of Deluxe Concept Camaro Bumblebee, sporting a new head sculpt based on the "battle mask" from the movie)
 * Salvage (non-movie character, redeco of Deluxe Dropkick as a Sanford & Son homage)

Wave 10 (Premium Series Wave 1)


 * "Premium Series" Bumblebee (redeco/remold of Deluxe Concept Camaro Bumblebee, sporting the same "battle mask" head sculpt as Stealth Battle Bumblebee)
 * "Premium Series" Autobot Jazz (redeco of Deluxe Autobot Jazz)
 * "Premium Series" Barricade (redeco of Deluxe Barricade)

Movie Voyager Class
Wave 1
 * Blackout (includes non-transforming scaled-down figurine of Scorponok)
 * Autobot Ratchet

Wave 2
 * Starscream
 * Ironhide

Wave 2 Revision 2
 * Megatron

Wave 3
 * Optimus Prime

Wave 4
 * Rescue Ratchet (G1-homage redeco of Ratchet)
 * Thundercracker (a non-Movie character, redeco/remold of Starscream using the same head sculpt as the Target exclusive Starscream redeco)

Wave 5 (Allspark Power Wave 1)
 * First Strike Optimus Prime (G1-homage redeco of Voyager Optimus Prime)
 * Evac (non-Movie character, redeco/remold of Voyager Blackout; replacing the Scorponok mini-figure with a new lifeboat/weapon accessory)
 * Offroad Ironhide (redeco of Voyager Ironhide)

Wave 5 revision 1 (Allspark Power Wave 2)
 * Incinerator (non-Movie character, based on Bell/Boeing VH-22 Osprey, seen during the movie.)

Wave 6 (Premium Series Wave 1)


 * "Premium Series" Ironhide (redeco of Voyager Class Ironhide)
 * "Premium Series" Blackout (redeco of Voyager Class Blackout including the Scorponok mini-figure, virtually identical to Japan's Lawson exclusive Blackout version 4500X)

Movie Leader Class
Wave 1
 * Optimus Prime

Wave 2
 * Megatron

Wave 3
 * Decepticon Brawl

Wave 4 (Allspark Power Wave 1)
 * Nightwatch Optimus Prime (redeco of Leader Optimus Prime)

Wave 5 (Allspark Power Wave 2)
 * Deep Desert Brawl (redeco of Leader Decepticon Brawl)

Wave 6 (Premium Series Wave 1)


 * "Premium Series" Optimus Prime (redeco/remold of Leader Class Optimus Prime)
 * "Premium Series" Megatron (redeco of Leader Class Megatron)

Movie Legends
Wave 1
 * Bumblebee
 * Barricade
 * Autobot Jazz
 * Autobot Ratchet

Wave 2
 * Optimus Prime
 * Megatron

Wave 3
 * Starscream
 * Blackout

Movie Legends Allspark Battles
Wave 1
 * Cliffjumper vs. Recon Barricade (redecoes of Legends Bumblebee and Barricade)
 * Autobot Jazz vs. Bonecrusher (repackaged minor redeco of Legends Jazz)
 * Rescue Ratchet vs. Decepticon Brawl (redeco of Legends Ratchet)

Wave 2
 * Ironhide vs. Desert Blackout (redeco of Legends Blackout)
 * Nightwatch Optimus Prime vs. Stealth Starscream (redecos of Legends Optimus Prime and Starscream)

Wave 3
 * Battle Jazz vs. Ice Megatron (redecos of Legends Autobot Jazz and Megatron)
 * Bumblebee vs. Scorponok (battle damaged redeco of Legends Bumblebee)

Movie Real Gear Robots
Capitalizing on movie scenes in which the All Spark brings ordinary Earth machines to life, Real Gear Robots is a line of modern electronic items which convert to miniscule robots. The toys are comparable to the Scout class in size and price. Their alternate forms tend to be slightly scaled down from life size, with realism varying widely. The robot modes are generally more in line with the blocky aesthetic of Generation 1, rather than the more complex look of the movie characters.

Wave 1
 * Speed Dial 800 (Mobile Phone)
 * Longview (Binoculars)
 * Spy Shot 6 (Digital Camera)
 * Power Up VT6 (Portable Video Game Player)

Wave 2
 * Booster X10 (MP3 Player)
 * Zoom Out 25X (Digital Video Camera)

Wave 3
 * Meantime (Digital Watch)
 * High Score 100 (Game Console Controller)

Wave 4
 * Wire Tap V20 (Mobile Phone; redeco of Speed Dial 800)
 * Night Beat 7 (MP3 Player; redeco of Booster X10)

Wave 5
 * Hacker X-3 (Portal Video Game Player; redeco of Power Up VT6)
 * Highline 1070 (Mobile Phone; redeco of Speed Dial 800)
 * Photon T-34 (Digital Camera; redeco of Spy Shot 6)

Wave 6


 * Farsight T-20 (Binoculars; redeco of Longview)
 * Midnighter XR-4 (Digital Watch; redeco of Meantime)
 * Twitcher F451 (Game Console Controller; redeco of High Score 100)

Movie Ultimate

 * Ultimate Bumblebee

Cyber Stompin' Robots
(non-transforming)
 * Cyber Stompin' Optimus Prime
 * Cyber Stompin' Bumblebee

Cyber Slammers
Wave 1
 * Bumblebee (Classic Camaro)
 * Barricade
 * Optimus Prime

Wave 2
 * Decepticon Brawl
 * Autobot Ratchet

Wave 3
 * Bumblebee (Camaro Concept)

Wave 4
 * Cliffjumper (redeco of Cyber Slammers Camaro Concept Bumblebee)
 * Autobot Jazz

Wave 5
 * Ironhide
 * Patrol Barricade (redeco of Cyber Slammers Barricade)

Fast Action Battlers
Wave 1
 * Ironhide
 * Battle Blade Cannon Blast Starscream
 * Power Hook Optimus Prime
 * Ion Blast Autobot Jazz

Wave 2
 * Double Missile Decepticon Brawl
 * Axe Attack Autobot Ratchet

Wave 3
 * Disc Blast Decepticon Frenzy
 * Gyro Blade Blackout
 * Fusion Blast Megatron

Wave 4
 * Blade Shield Barricade
 * Plasma Punch Bumblebee

Wave 5
 * Claw Slash Ramjet (redeco of Fast Action Battler Starscream)
 * Fire Blast Optimus Prime (redeco of Fast Action Battler Optimus Prime)
 * Pulse Cannon Ironhide (redeco of Fast Action Battler Ironhide)
 * Sonic Shock Smokescreen (redeco of Fast Action Battler Jazz)

Wave 6
 * Rally Rocket Bumblebee (redeco of Fast Action Battler Plasma Punch Bumblebee)
 * Rescue Torch Ratchet (redeco of Fast Action Battler Axe Attack Autobot Ratchet)
 * Desert Blast Brawl (redeco of Fast Action Battler Double Missile Decepticon Brawl)
 * Night Attack Megatron (redeco of Fast Action Battler Fusion Blast Megatron)

Helmet Role Play

 * Optimus Prime Voice Changer (helmet)

Converting Arm Blasters Role Play

 * Optimus Prime Battle Rig Blaster
 * Starscream Barrel Roll Blaster

Super Soaker Gauntlet Blaster

 * Transformers Water Shooter

T.E.C.H. (Transformers Electronic Combat Hardware)
Wave 1
 * Digital Dagger
 * Quick Bow

Wave 2
 * Tight Shot
 * Flash Bang

Wave 3
 * Autofire

Screen Battles
Screen Battles are minor redecos of previously released mass retail Deluxe Class toys in more movie-accurate colors and/or decos, in order to emulate specific moments from the movie. They come packaged in nifty diorama boxes and include PVC figurines of both human and Transformers characters from the movie (the latter do not transform).

Wave 1
 * Final Stand (minor movie-accurate Deluxe Longarm redeco with Mikaela driver figurine and battle damaged legless Bumblebee figure)
 * First Encounter (minor Deluxe Barricade redeco with Sam, Mikaela and Decepticon Frenzy figurines)

Wave 2
 * Desert Attack (minor Deluxe Scorponok redeco with Epps, Figueroa and Donnelly figurines)
 * Capture of Bumblebee (minor Deluxe Camaro Concept Bumblebee redeco with Simmons and Sector Seven agents figurines, one of them being a miscolored William Lennox)

Target exclusive Scouts

 * Note: The Scouts were available as non-exclusive mass retail releases in Canada and Europe.

Wave 1
 * Hardtop (redeco of Cybertron Hardtop)
 * Arcee (redeco of Energon Arcee)
 * Signal Flare (redeco of Energon Signal Flare)

Wave 2
 * Strongarm (redeco of Energon Strongarm)
 * Skyblast (redeco of Energon Skyblast)
 * Clocker (redeco of Cybertron Clocker)

Wave 3
 * Armorhide (redeco of Cybertron Armorhide)
 * Elita-One (redeco of Energon Arcee)
 * Air Raid (redeco of Energon Skyblast)

Wave 4 (Allspark Power Wave 1)
 * Warpath (redeco of Cybertron Overhaul)
 * Storm Surge (redeco of Cybertron Shortround)
 * Crosshairs (redeco of Energon Strongarm)

Other single-packed store exclusive redecos
Best Buy exclusives
 * Autobot Ratchet (metallic redeco of Voyager Class Ratchet)
 * Megatron (metallic movie-accurate redeco of Voyager Class Megatron)
 * Autobot Optimus Prime (battle damaged redeco of Voyager Class Optimus Prime, identical to the one from the Sam's Club exclusive three-pack)

Target exclusives
 * Robo-Vision Optimus Prime (redeco of Voyager Class Optimus Prime)
 * Autobot Jazz (G1-homage redeco of Deluxe Class Autobot Jazz)
 * Starscream (G1-homage redeco of Voyager Class Starscream)
 * Deep Space Starscream (redeco of Voyager Class Starscream)

Wal*Mart exclusives
 * Big Daddy (redeco of Cybertron Deluxe Class Downshift)
 * Jolt (redeco of Cybertron Deluxe Class Crosswise)
 * Grindcore (redeco of Cybertron Deluxe Class Landmine)
 * Divebomb (redeco of Cybertron Deluxe Class Thundercracker)

Store exclusive multi-packs with redecos
Target exclusives
 * "Evolution of a Hero" two-pack (Deluxe Class "Classic Camaro" Bumblebee & battle-damaged "Camaro Concept" Bumblebee)
 * Note: This two-pack was available as a non-exclusive mass retail release in Europe.

Sam's Club exclusives
 * Voyager/Deluxe three-pack (battle damaged Voyager Oprimus Prime, battle damaged Deluxe Arcee & regular Voyager Starscream)

Store exclusive multi-packs without redecos
Costco exclusives
 * Leader Class Optimus Prime with bonus figures (Legends Class Bumblebee & Autobot Jazz)
 * Ultimate Bumblebee with bonus 3" Titanium Bumblebee

Sam's Club exclusives
 * Deluxe three-pack (Decepticon Brawl, Bonecrusher & Autobot Jazz)

Target exclusives
 * Legends four-pack (Movie Legends Class Optimus Prime, Legends of Cybertron Optimus Prime, Movie Legends Class Megatron & Legends of Cybertron Megatron)
 * 3" Movie Optimus Prime Titanium three-pack (Contains 3" Optimus Prime in robot mode, semi mode, as well as set exclusive Protoform robot mode)

Toys'R'Us exclusives
 * "Decepticon Desert Attack" two-pack (Voyager Class Blackout & Deluxe Class Scorponok)
 * "Battle for the Allspark" Legends six-pack (Bumblebee, Autobot Jazz, Optimus Prime, Megatron, Barricade & Starscream)

Wal*Mart exclusives
 * "First Encounter" two-pack (Deluxe Class Bumblebee & Deluxe Class Barricade)
 * "Leader for the Ages" two-pack (Fast Action Battler Optimus Prime & Classics "Ultimate Battle" two-pack Optimus Prime)
 * "Mass Media Battle" two-pack (Real Gear Robots Speed Dial 800 & Booster X10)
 * "Robo Recon Team" two-pack (Real Gear Robots Spy Shot 6 & Longview)
 * "Brain Scrambler Team" two-pack (Real Gear Robots Power Up VT6 & Zoom Out 25X)
 * Ultimate Bumblebee three-pack (Ultimate Bumblebee, Deluxe Scorponok & Deluxe Decepticon Brawl)

Plain Transformers Fun
Mr Potato Head Transformers
 * Optimash Prime

'''Plush Transformers
 * Softimus Prime (G1-style Prime, soft toy transforms by turning inside out, using velcro)
 * Slumblebee (ditto, for G1-styled Bumblebee)

Robot Heroes
(2-inch non-transforming cutified figurines similar to Star Wars Galactic Heroes et al. G1 cartoon characters in Movie packaging)

Wave 1
 * Optimus Prime vs. Ravage
 * Rodimus vs. Insecticon (Actually Hot Rod vs. Shrapnel)
 * Mirage vs. Starscream
 * Grimlock vs. Shockwave

Wave 2
 * Ultra Magnus vs. Megatron
 * Bumblebee vs. Soundwave

Wave 3
 * Optimus Prime w/Matrix vs. Unicron
 * Autobot Jazz vs. Thundercracker

Wave 4
 * Optimus Prime vs. Blackout
 * Ratchet vs. Megatron
 * Bumblebee vs. Barricade
 * Autobot Jazz vs. Frenzy

Wave 5 (upcoming)
 * Optimus Prime w/sword vs. Scorponok
 * Ironhide vs. Bonecrusher
 * Armor Bumblebee vs. Starscream
 * Protoform Jazz vs. Brawl

Unleashed

 * Bumblebee
 * Optimus Prime Turnaround
 * Megatron Turnaround

Movie Titanium (3")
Wave 1 (Wave 8 overall)
 * Optimus Prime
 * Bumblebee
 * Blackout

Wave 2 (Wave 9 overall)
 * Megatron
 * Ironhide
 * Autobot Jazz

Wave 3 (Wave 10 overall)
 * Decepticon Brawl
 * Autobot Ratchet

Target exclusives
 * Ultimate Optimus Prime 3-Pack (contains Protoform Optimus Prime, Vehicle Mode Optimus Prime & Robot Mode Optimus Prime; the latter is a redeco of the single figure from wave 1)

Premium Series
In October 2007, Hasbro announced a series of "Premium" redecos of previously released Movie toys with an improved (oftentimes metallic) and more movie-accurate finish and paint applications. When the "Premium Series" was announced, it was confirmed to include a few redecos that had already been released by that point (and therefore didn't sport any indication that they were supposed to be part of a "Premium Series" on the packaging), as well as various other toys that wouldn't be revealed until later. Four of these redecos are store exclusives, whereas the rest has been confirmed to be available as part of the mass retail assortments. The Premium Series, as confirmed thus far, consists of:

Mass retail Deluxe Class toys


 * Bumblebee (redeco/remold of Deluxe Concept Camaro Bumblebee, sporting the same "battle mask" head sculpt as Stealth Battle Bumblebee)
 * Autobot Jazz (redeco of Deluxe Autobot Jazz)
 * Barricade (redeco of Deluxe Barricade)

Mass retail Voyager Class toys


 * Ironhide (redeco of Voyager Class Ironhide)
 * Blackout (redeco of Voyager Class Blackout)

Mass retail Leader Class toys


 * Optimus Prime (redeco/remold of Leader Class Optimus Prime)
 * Megatron (redeco/remold of Leader Class Megatron)

Target exclusives
 * Robo-Vision Optimus Prime (redeco of Voyager Class Optimus Prime)
 * Deep Space Starscream (redeco of Voyager Class Starscream)

Best Buy exclusives 
 * Autobot Ratchet (metallic redeco of Voyager Class Ratchet)
 * Megatron (metallic movie-accurate redeco of Voyager Class Megatron)

Notable international variants
Even though the Movie toyline differs from previous Transformers toylines insofar as TakaraTomy's Japanese versions of the toys were almost identical to their Hasbro counterparts (as a matter of fact, the Japanese "mainline" toys even come in Hasbro packaging, with additional Japanese stickers on the packaging identifying them as the Japanese versions), there are a few genuine variants - and on top of that, one of those variants was also released in the United Kingdom, making it the first shared Japanese/European "variant" toy since red Armada Powerlinx Thrust.

UK variants

 * Nightwatch Optimus Prime (Leader Class; missing the US version's "Allspark Power" blue paint and coming in slightly different packaging) - was available in the UK several months before the US version came out, as an Argos exclusive

Japanese variants

 * MA-03 Bumblebee (Deluxe Class Classic Camaro; using clear blue plastic for the windows with painted over yellow car parts, instead of the US version's yellow plastic with tampographed blue windows)
 * MA-18 Nightwatch Optimus Prime (Leader Class; identical to the UK version)
 * MD-22 Incinerator (Voyager Class; sporting a different main color color and a slightly different deco than the US version, thus making it more accurate to the V-22 Ospreys featured in the Movie; also comes with a small Allspark cube accessory)

International exclusives
Even though European countries got some of the US toyline's store exclusives (such as the Toys'R'Us exclusive "Decepticon Desert Attack" two-pack with Voyager Class Blackout and Deluxe Class Scorponok) as well, some of them even at mass retail (such as the Target exclusive Scout Class redecos of Cybertron toys, or the "Evolution of a Hero" two-pack with the Deluxe Class Classic and Concept Camaro Bumblebee toys), and some toys that were released as store exclusives in the UK (such as Deluxe Class Recon Barricade) or Japan (such as Leader Class Decepticon Brawl) were available at mass retail in the USA, there were some multi-packs and redecos that were genuine exclusives to European countries or Japan.

Non-US Legends Class single packs

 * Cliffjumper (redeco of Legends Class Bumblebee)
 * Recon Barricade (redeco of Legends Class Barricade)
 * Autobot Jazz (minor redeco of Legends Class Autobot Jazz)
 * Bonecrusher
 * ''Note: The toys themselves are identical to those released as part of the "Allspark Battles" two-packs in the USA. However, these versions come on European-style single cards. Thus far, they have been released in Singapore, Hong Kong and New Zealand.

UK exclusive multi-packs

 * Autobot Jazz, Protoform Optimus Prime & Decepticon Brawl three-pack (Deluxe Class Autobot Jazz, Deluxe Class Protoform Optimus Prime & Deluxe Class Decepticon Brawl)
 * Bumblebee and Optimus Prime two-pack (Deluxe Class Concept Camaro Bumblebee & Voyager Class Optimus Prime)
 * "Towed to Safety" two-pack (Deluxe Class Longarm & Deluxe Class Classic Camaro Bumblebee)

Japanese exclusive redecos

 * EZ Collection Bumblebee "scanning version" (a clear redeco of Legends Class Bumblebee, exclusively available with the August 2007 edition of Hyper Hobby magazine)
 * Bumblebee "limited metallic color version" (a redeco of the first Deluxe Class Bumblebee toy with a shiny gold metallic finish, exclusively available at Lawson stores)
 * Protoform Optimus Prime "Fusion Cluster Edition" (a redeco of Deluxe Class Protoform Optimus Prime in "entry mode" colors, exclusively available at the C3xHobby Convention and later also from e-Hobby)
 * Protoform Starscream "Fusion Cluster Edition" (a redeco of Deluxe Class Protoform Starscream in "entry mode" colors, exclusively available at the C3xHobby Convention and later also from e-Hobby)
 * Optimus Prime (a Movie-esque redeco of the Robots in Disguise Spychanger Scourge mold, available at pretty much every store for purchase of the Transformers Movie DVD)
 * EZ Collection Bumblebee metallic version (a metallic redeco of Legends Class Bumblebee, exclusively available at Tsutaya Records stores for purchase of the Transformers Movie DVD)
 * Blackout "4500x version" (a more movie-accurate redeco of Voyager Class Blackout and his little Scorponok companion, exclusively available at Lawson stores; virtually identical to Hasbro's "Premium Series" redeco of Blackout)
 * Starscream Vardia Red Model (a red-ish redeco of Voyager Starscream, exclusively available at Toshiba stores for purchase of the Toshiba RD-A301 HD-DVD player)
 * MA-20 Black Arcee (black redeco of Deluxe Class Arcee, based on the motorcycle used by William Lennox during the final battle of the Movie; thus far the only redeco of a movie toy available at mass retail in Japan with no US counterpart)
 * Arcee G1 color edition (a pink and white redeco of Deluxe Class Arcee, limited to 1000 pieces, exclusively available at Wonder Festival 2008 Winter)

Merchandise

 * Exhaustive Transformers 2007 merchandise list, maintained by AMS.

Trivia

 * As of the Movie toyline, the "Ultra" pricepoint has been abolished. Whether this will continue to be the case for future lines remains to be seen, although Hasbro has stated a possible return to this pricepoint with Classics 2.0.

"Drought"


Since the movie's premiere, many fans have complained of a severe toy shortage in most markets, particularly the U.S. Mainline figures have proven to be more difficult to locate at retail than in many years, if not ever. This is due to the convergence of several factors:


 * The tremendous success and high profile of the movie has vastly broadened the toy-buying audience, with many more kids, adult collectors, and scalpers seeking out product.
 * Major retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target placed orders for TF movie product based on their sales records for Cybertron and Classics figures, as well as movie-related toylines in general, which tend not to do well (as the Spider-Man 3 figures still warming shelves wherever you live can attest).
 * Unusual congestion at Chinese factories and shipping docks lengthened the time necessary to produce and ship new figures to the West.