Parallel import

A parallel import, also referred to as a gray import, is a product originally released in one market but then imported to a different market via distribution channels neither controlled nor sanctioned by the manufacturer, one of the manufacturer's subsidiaries or one of the manufacturer's licensees. Parallel imports are not knockoffs; they were officially released in the original market through authorized channels, it's just that they were never intended to be shipped to a different (oftentimes overseas) market. It's also different from official imports via a Hasbro subsidiary, such as as the release of various TakaraTomy figures in Australia.

The result is a situation where a product is either available at retail in a market in which it is officially not intended to be sold at all, or where it competes with an official release of the same (or a similar) product through authorized channels. For retailers, this is particularly viable when the sum of the purchase costs in the original market and the costs of importing is so low that they can sell the product at a lower price than the official domestic release of the same product.

Needless to say, this sometimes happens with Transformers toys. Not all of these instances are obvious at first sight; however, due to Hasbro's tendency to use different types of multilingual packaging for different markets, any time a figure is available in a packaging format that's not the standard for the market in question, chances are it's a parallel import. Most reported sightings of gray imported Transformers products hail from the United Kingdom.

Examples

Generation 1

• Large numbers of Mexican Generation 1 figures by IGA were available in numerous European countries beginning in late 1988. Known markets to receive Mexican stock were the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria, Romania, Denmark, Sweden and Finland. One company known to be involved in the importing was London-based W.R.B.I. Ltd.. Some of the figures didn't meet European safety standards, such as the Decepticon Planes' nosecones (which were made of hard plastic opposed to the Hasbro version's rubber) the still working spring-loaded launching mechanisms for all the IGA toys' missile launchers, and the use of high levels of lead in many of the figures' paint operations. In fact, there were many instances where the yellow paint on the figures' eyes was scratched off and then (very sloppily) painted over in red, oftentimes making the eyes look as if they were "bleeding".

Universe

• Scout Class Backstop, Brakedown and Brushguard, originally available as "Market six" exclusives in the United States, were available at Intertoys, a Dutch chain with stores in Germany, in early 2012, in non-European packaging.

Beast Hunters

• Voyager Class Shockwave, originally released as part of a wave that was skipped in Hasbro's European markets, was found at Toys"R"Us stores in the United Kingdom in December 2014, more than a year after his release in most other markets, in English-only packaging (typically the format used for the United States, Australia, New Zealands and Hasbro's Asian markets at the time). Importing was handled by Manchester-based company STL.

Generations

• The Thrilling 30 Legends Class two-packs of Acid Storm & Venin, Autobot Gears & Autobot Eclipse, Cliffjumper & Suppressor and Nemesis Prime & Spinister, all of them never before available in Europe, were found at several The Entertainer stores in the United Kingdom in April 2015, in multilingual packaging intended for the Canadian and Latin American markets.
• Voyager Class Fall of Cybertron Soundwave, Autobot Blaster and Grimlock as well as Thrilling 30 Blitzwing, Autobot Springer, Sandstorm, Decepticon Doubledealer, Rhinox, Autobot Whirl, Roadbuster, Sky-Byte and Brainstorm all appeared at retail in the United Kingdom beginning in March 2015, in English-only packaging. Importing was handled by STL again. These saw a particularly wide distribution, being found at chains B&M, Smyths, The Entertainer and Toys"R"Us UK. Of these, only Fall of Cybertron Soundwave and Grimlock had previously seen an official UK release, as Toys"R"Us exclusives.
• Combiner Wars infamously skipped the second wave of all assortments in Europe. Of the figures that debuted in wave 2 in non-European markets, only Legends Class Decepticon Blackjack eventually saw an official European release in Germany and Serbia as part of a revision case of wave 4. In the United Kingdom, a case of Legends Class figures was eventually found at TK Maxx stores in the United Kingdom in September 2016, which included Blackjack as well as Protectobot Groove, who had been officially released in the UK before. The imported figures were available in multilingual packaging intended for the American, Australian and Asian markets. Importing was handled by Chorleywood-based MBC Ltd..
• Meanwhile, cases of wave 2 of the Deluxe Class figures, specifically the revision case that included Decepticon Dragstrip (who had previously been officially available in Europe) alongside Air Raid, Breakdown, Dead End and Decepticon Offroad (none of whom had been previously officially available in Europe) were found at a chain named "Guess How Much?" in the United Kingdom in November 2016, and at Dráčik stores in Slovakia in December 2016. In both instances, the figures were sold in English-only packaging including pack-in IDW comic books instead of the character cards included with European Deluxes.
• Wave 4 of the Combiner Wars Deluxe Class figures with Ironhide, Mirage, Prowl and Sunstreaker, which had previously been officially available at European retail, was found at B&M stores in the United Kingdom in late 2016, and at Intertoys, a Dutch chain with stores in Germany, in March 2017. In both instances, the figures came in English-only packaging including pack-in IDW comic books; some Intertoys stores sold them alongside their shelfwarming regular European-packaging counterparts! Importing was once again handled by MBC Ltd., and according to the multiple import stickers, this stock specifically came from China.
• In the United States, wave 4 of the Combiner Wars Deluxes, as well as wave 5 with Decepticon Blast Off, Brawl, Swindle and Decepticon Vortex, and wave 6 with Wheeljack, Autobot Hound, Smokescreen and Trailbreaker, were found at clearance chain T.J.Maxx in September 2016, in multilingual packaging including character cards intended for the Canadian/Latin American markets.

Hero Mashers

• The Bumblebee & Strafe Team Pack, never before released in Europe, was found at B&M stores in the UK in June 2015, in English-only packaging.

Age of Extinction

• The final wave of One-Step Changers with Dinobot Strafe, Megatron, Prowl and Rollbar, never before released at European retail, was found at The Entertainer stores in the United Kingdom in September 2015, in multilingual packaging intended for the Canadian/Latin American markets.
• While the first wave of Voyager Class figures was officially released at UK retail as Toys"R"Us exclusives, the wave 2 figures Galvatron and Autobot Hound as well as the wave 3 figures Autobot Drift and Slog were eventually found at The Entertainer stores in the United Kingdom in October 2015, again in multilingual packaging intended for the Canadian/Latin American markets.