Takara Transformers

nacho

"Big Guns"
Founder
After looking at my shelf, the MP3-mold Thundercracker and Skywarp looked really bad next to DS Starscream. He ruined me.

Thus I looked all over for the other two seekers from Deformation Space, and the best price I could find was about $120/ea. Real bummer. However, while searching Aliexpress, I found TC and SW MP52 KOs for around $66/ea. Thus I pulled the trigger on those, as they look very toony, much like DS, so aesthetically they'll fit right in.

I love and hate this stupid hobby! :LOL:

Now if only I could find that stupid Kingdom 2-pack Sideswipe for less than $50... I refuse to pay that much for a $20 figure and some beast wars bot that will go in the trash.
 
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nacho

"Big Guns"
Founder
You're telling me!

Been working on my Hot Wheels '84 autobot project lately. I've planned it forever, but when Mattel announced they were actually making a Bumblebee and Prime, I knew it was time to get my butt in gear. I've only finished a couple, but I'm making progress. Right now, I'm resin-printing Sunstreaker's air intake and spoiler and some countach rims.

So far... (probably going to do another wheel swap on Prowl, but these will do for now). Jazz came out particularly well given that he started life as a basic mainline with a different deco.

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nacho

"Big Guns"
Founder
I've been enamored with some of NewAge's toy-deco legends figures and broke down and ordered several I'd skipped from Ali. But I started looking at reviews online and re-stumbled across this video, and it just makes me happy.

I'm sure I've posted this before, but I watched it again, and it's still incredible. What's even more impressive is that he did it with tiny legends scale figures, mostly New Age. You can tell he got several figures during the shoot, as the toys used change, faction symbols come and go, etc. But still, it makes me want to do something like that.

HEAVY METAL WAR 4K Remaster Ver. (1984 Transformers G1 S1 EP16)[Transformers Stop Motion Animation] - YouTube
 
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nacho

"Big Guns"
Founder
So I picked up Yolopark AMK Pro series Prime and Megatron 20cm model kits. They're really cool. Yes you have to put them together, but they're so simple, you don't need instructions (peg in the feet, legs, arms, shoulders, head, couple of panels... easy peazy).

They're about an inch taller than their MDLX counterparts, and they're about as G1 you can get. Mostly plastic with a small amount of diecast, painted, weathered, and plenty of accessories (flight stands, energy axe/mace, pistol for Megs, metal key to Vector Sigma, battle-damaged chest for Megs). Both have light up eyes too.

For $60-something retail each, these are a steal in terms of articulation and shelf presence, like mini-MPs that aren't compromised by transformation gimmicks. I'm going to have a lot of fun photographing these. I am going to have to really consider which brand of highly articulated non-transforming bots I collect. MDLX are great, but they're very stylized. These ooze G1 out of their ears.

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Starscream has been announced and PO'd. He looks even better than these two.

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nacho

"Big Guns"
Founder
Nice Optimus 😉
The kits make really nice figures if you're not bothered by the lack of transformation. The articulation is very good, the likenesses are spot-on, and the paint work is premium. I highly recommend if they fit in your budget.

Also, there is a new Prime/Megs 2-pack coming out that's a bit cheaper than buying them individually, but I think it has less accessories (most of which you'd never use anyway).
 

nacho

"Big Guns"
Founder
During a search for some specific HTF legends figures (more on that later), I found a 4th Party Omega Supreme that is super awesome. He's roughly 10" tall, has a nice metallic paintjob, comes with all kinds of accessories, clicky ratchet joints... for $35. :eek:


He just came today (only took 9 days from asia), and I couldn't be more impressed for the price. He's made by Pangu (same folks that made the 18" knocked-up copy of MP-44), and I'm sure the design is another 3P that they copied and scaled down, but I think they also improved it. So if you need a 10" Omega Supreme, the bang for the buck with this one is off the charts.

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nacho

"Big Guns"
Founder
Totally weird... I posted in the TFW Pangu Omega discussion, and the Aliexpress seller I bought from actually commented in the thread... said that the price was so good because the item was subsidized by the platform and that he'd have other super deals in the future. I had no idea Ali subsidized some of their sellers' items, but it's china, so i'm not TOO surprised.

I'd object to the practice if US sellers actually made/sold this item, but it's pretty much exclusive to chiner, so might as well let them make it cheap for us.
 
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nacho

"Big Guns"
Founder
The last month or so, I've been on a catch-up binge with tiny, tiny overpriced Newage Legends-minus figures. A lot are out of production, but a few Ali sellers still seem to have stock with minimal late-penalty on most characters. And NA does a lot of re-issues, repaints, toy/cartoon/comic/G2/SG/clear variants, etc, so that helps. (still more on that when I get them all in-hand).

But in my searches, much like Pangu Omega above, there are a lot of great TF deals on Ali during their BF sale, and there are sitewide discounts that increase with size of purchase. One of the best deals I've found is on an MP scale figure, an impressive high-quality KO of FT Cyclonus. The reviews are stellar, and the fig is selling for $45 + 12 shipping. That's a crazy price, since people were impressed when it was $75. The actual FT figure typically costs $175. So fifty-something is insane!


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Another ultra-cheap deal is some really nice high quality (I have some) faction stickers of all styles for 44-cents per sheet:


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And of course, lots of Legends (Newage, Magic Square, MFT, Iron Factory, etc), best deals I've found coming from these guys:

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I know we don't have a ton of TF collectors here, but I just wanted to make sure any of you don't miss out if you have holes you need to fill.
 
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Videoviper

illuminati
Officer Club
Aug 15, 2012
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Behind a camera watching you!
In the past my o rings have gone straight to you, but I’m definitely skipping Kup, doesn’t look a thing like Kup & I had the triple T as a kid & thought it was stupid then.

If I pick up a sound wave thunder machine I’d probably send the figures your way. Those things are not showing up for $25 at either Ollie’s or Ross?
 

nacho

"Big Guns"
Founder
I appreciate the thought, but I ebay'd zartan and zarana last year. But if you change your mind on Kup (or find him uber-cheap), hit me up.

I haven't seen anything new at Ollie's since the Dusty/Zarana appearance 8-months ago. Truly stagnant. Same full 12-ft wall of Black Panther, D+, Eternals, & Dr Strange Marvel legends. I swear if I marked some, I would still find the exact examples front and center on my next visit.

Even at $10, they're rotting there. I pray rando grandmas clear out some over the holiday season, but on the other hand, I feel bad for the kids stuck with the Eternals "men in dresses" action figures.
 
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nacho

"Big Guns"
Founder
TL/DR - I bought a lot of toys and this is my confession. Forgive me wallet, for I have sinned. 😆
-------------------

It seems every few years I find some FansToys and other 3P/MP figures on super sale during the holiday shopping season, and it leads me down a rabbit hole. Apparently it was my turn again. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I already mentioned finding the KO FT Cyclonus, and Ali had a great deal on a KO HasTak Shockwave (FT Shockblast is looking really long in the tooth). Then BBTS had FT Trailbreaker on super sale as well as XTB Runamok, so I had to throw those in the pile-o-loot. Can't have Runamok without Runabout... so I had to track down a deal at Bababobo.

But all that searching led me to perusing ShowZ, and they have POs for FT Aerialbot reissues. I skipped them the first time around because I have the much cheaper Zeta team, but looking at comparisons... there is no comparison. FT are like 50% larger and far more accurate looking. But not wanting to rebuy the whole team, I just PO'd my favorite member, AirRaid. However, a seller on Ali had a killer deal on an FT Fireflight. Cut to POing the rest of the team (such a sucker). And in doing so, I realized it took five years from the first figure to the last to originally come out. That's insane. If not for the reissues coming, I'd never be able to collect the team due to prohibitive cost of getting the OOP characters.

Buuuut, FT just released the first of their Constructicons, and they look as good as the Aerialbots. Scrapper is massive... like same size as MP Megs and Prime. Devastator's size is unknown at this stage but will have to be staggering. So I ordered Scrapper and PO'd Scavenger and Hook. I figure that if the Aerialbots are any indicator, that set of purchases will be spread out over the next half-decade, so not a major financial commitment.

(if it means anything, I successfully resisted getting sucked into FT Stunticons, as I'm pretty happy with the XTB team, and the FT figs are almost TOO large - I don't think the four stunticon cars should be way larger than Autobot carbots... that bugs my OCD).

I have to stop now. Between going nuts on tiny NewAge legends in Oct and Nov... and now larger figs in the last couple of weeks, I've blown through a few years' worth of "robot budget". But I figure it's better than changing my mind a couple of years from now and having to pay the late-tax on a bunch of HTF FansToys figures. THAT would be brutal. :eek:
 
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