Tail-ender

A tail-ender is a toy that is released near the end of a toy line, shortly before a new line is starting (oftentimes even after a new line has already started). It can be the last new figure (or part of the last wave of new figures) of its assortment; it may even be the very last figure released to be branded as part of that particular line. Typically, the term only refers to figures released as part of general retail assortments; store exclusives are usually exempt. Exceptions are when it's an ongoing store exclusive sub-line or assortment.

Very often, tail-enders are the victim of poor distribution, end up being very hard to find and catching exorbitant prices on the aftermarket even when they're (at least in theory) still supposed to be distributed, thanks to scalpers. In some instances, leftover stock of the figure(s) in question eventually ends up being made available through other venues, often via closeout stores such as TJ Maxx, Ross or Marshalls, resulting in a situation where you can either find these figure(s) for low prices or have to pay through the nose on eBay. In some very rare cases, tail-enders end up never seeing an official release at all, usually when the figures haven't entered mass production yet by the time word has gotten out that the assortment is being discontinued.

In some very rare cases, figures that are tail-enders in the United States end up being widely available at retail in Europe, making up for all the times when European retailers never stocked anything beyond the first or second wave of a line.

Hasbro

Released at retail in very low quantities

• CybertronMini-Con Class (Scrap Iron vs. Grindor, Blastcharge vs. High Wire and Backblast vs. Sureshock)
• Alternators Autobot Camshaft
• Transformers (2007 movie line) Real Gear Robots Farsight T-20, Midnighter XR-4 and Twitcher F451
• Universe (2008) Voyager Class Vector Prime

Unusually, in this case the second-to-last wave of Voyager Class figures, containing Inferno and Vector Prime, was hard to find. Inferno shipped again in the subsequent (final) wave, whereas Vector Prime only showed up in somewhat larger quantities many, many months after his initial retail sighting.

• Revenge of the Fallen Deluxe Class Rampage (red redeco) and Evac
• Generations: Thrilling 30 Legends Class Acid Storm & Venin and Gears & Eclipse

Despite intended as the second-to-last wave of Legends Class two-packs, these figures were actually released about a month later than the figured from the "final" wave at US retail, and ended up more difficult to find (Gears in particular).

• Generations: Thrilling 30 Delxue Class Arcee and Chromia

Only available from closeout chains

• The entirety of the 2010 Transformers line's Reveal the Shield subline imprint, with the exception of the intended final wave of the Scout Class assortment (see below).

All these figures were comparably easy to find at European retail.

Only available from online retailers

• Age of Extinction Power Battlers, High Octane Bumblebee, Vehicon and Junkheap

These figures fell victim to a series of unfortunate events, among them being a massive slowdown at US West Coast docks caused by union action. In addition, Junkheap is only included in one wave alongside the other two figures, while a revision of said wave that includes Vehicon and Bumblebee but lacks Junkheap. Thus far, the figures have only been available from online retailers, with some never even bothering to stock the wave that includes Vehicon.

Planned for general retail but then picked up as store exclusives

• Alternators Decepticon Rumble and Ravage at Walmart

Ravage was available at general retail in Europe, and both figures were available at general retail in some Asian Hasbro markets, with Ravage in European packaging.

Released in international markets only

• Universe (2008) Robot Heroes Ricochet & Predaking and Tigatron & Inferno (only released in Australia, Singapore, United Kingdom and Germany)
• Transformers: Prime: Beast Hunters Cyberverse Legion Class figures Rot Gut, Divebomb, Bluestreak and Ace Vehicon (only released in Europe and Australia)

Unusually, the figures were available in European packaging in Australia.

• Transformers: Prime: Beast Hunters Cyberverse Commander Class Unicron Megatron, Ultra Magnus and Decepticon Bludgeon (only released in Europe and Canada)
• Transformers: Prime: Beast Hunters Deluxe Cass Bumblebee, Twinstrike, [Smokescreen (Prime)#Deluxe2014|Smokescreen]] and Windrazor (only released in Europe)
• Dark of the Moon Deluxe Class Soundwave and Wheeljack (only released in Japan through TakaraTomy, despite also being solicited by Hasbro)
• Dark of the Moon Human Alliance Soundwave (only released in Asian markets, including Singapore and Taiwan)

Officially unreleased

• Transformers (2007 movie line) Scout Class Backtrack, Decepticon Reverb and Gunbarrel (Target exclusive assortment)

although unconfirmed sources (which are directly refuted by other sources) claimed that these figures were released in Mexico. Either way, all three figures were later available in the aftermarket in large quantities unusual for "unreleased" toys, and all of them included additional instruction sheets in Spanish.

• Universe (2008) Robot Heroes Super Optimus Prime & Megatron (Robots in Disguise), Prowl & Laserbeak (Generation 1), Optimus Primal & Jetstorm (Beast Machines) and Victory Saber & Dessaras (Victory)
• Transformers (2010) Reveal the Shield Scout Class Bodyblock, Demolition Rumble and Downshift
• Dark of the Moon Deluxe Class Bumblebee, Ratchet, Soundwave andWheeljack ("Movie Trilogy" wave)