New Arrivals - Early September 2014 (Part 2)

For some reason packages are taking much longer to arrive, but the good thing is that whatever arrives allows me time to photograph properly with its mould mates. At the moment I am all about mould completion. This chapter on arrivals includes the Beast Hunters Smokescreen/Prowl deluxe mould, the Minicon Six Speed mould, FOC Data Discs and Animated Starscream. 

Beast Hunters Prowl is beautiful, possibly the best use of this mould apart from the TFCC Barricade (who I am still waiting for). If it wasn't for another top quality TFW UK thread member who sold this to me at cost price of £7 + postage sealed, I really don't know where I was going to get such a pristine example for under £20. Vehicle mode is unmistakably Prowl, all white with the black hood crescent details. Head sculpt is different to Smokescreen and all black, oddly instead of white, and as a result he sits beautifully between the BH Smokescreen and the brand new Protectobot Streetsmart.

I just need the TFCC Barricade to arrive as well as the Transformers Go! Hunter Smokescreen and that's mould and deco complete. Couple that with the one TF Go! EZ Smokescreen Legends figure I'm waiting on, and it's mould concept complete. Oh no, wait, there's the oversized Legends-as-a-deluxe BH Smokescreen too. Do I really really want to spend £15 on that? It's the only version of the mould concept in that size. We all already know the answer, of course.

The Minicon Six Speed is a favourite of mine, being a fun little toy that transforms into a Le Mans style prototype car, probably most closely resembling the Bentley Speed 8. I already had Hasbro and Takara versions of the original green Six Speed, as well as the clear blue Shadow Recon Six Speed version, repaint red Socket and the clear Japanese TRU exclusive Platinum Element. Now, thanks again to TFW, I managed to get the black and gold Guardian Speed Japanese exclusive as well. Only Brake-Neck to go!

Such a beautiful little mould and toy, if anyone knows where I could get a test shot or prototype of this mould, I'm all ears! I had the chance to buy the original Marcelo Matere card artwork for the Hasbro release of Six Speed but passed it up. Strangely, I don't regret that decision. The money I have spent on original toy and comic artwork I can see clearly I will struggle forever to recoup should I need to sell, and I don't currently have the means or space to display them. 

Here's one I bought loose from China, a Lena special, so no doubt a factory reject or found behind a piece of machinery after all the good ones got packaged and sent out. Still, condition is superb. This is the Takara Tomy voyager class Transformers Animated Starscream. The Japanese version has very shiny chrome-like wings and fuselage contrasting awkwardly with the matte blue of the rest of the body - a matte blue that the Hasbro version is completely covered in. Still, £8 shipped is not to be scoffed at. The proper purple Decepticon logos on the TT version are a delight too, I really like it. Fit is better on it than my Hasbro release.

The only thing better than a gorgeous Transformers toy is a gorgeous Transformers toy which the factory has screwed up and painted a different colour, and the only thing better than that is a factory worker who nabs them out of there and rescues them from oblivion to offer them to odd collecting types who think an FOC Data Disc Ramhorn in chocolate (poo) brown with terrible paint apps can qualify as a totally new Disc character and expand the collection. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you brown Ramhorn - or "Brown-Nose".

I actually really love it, and he fits in beautifully to the growing FOC Data Disc and player collection I am cultivating. Very soon there will be a phenomenally special addition to this group, but until then...

All the best
Maz