Unique Toys O-01 Troll - Pictorial UPDATED

Extra-Ordin-ary! That sums up UT's first Terrorcon-inspired combiner limb that will one day make up the right leg of their Abominus, or "Ordin". Full article is due on TFSource this coming Tuesday, but for now please enjoy an extensive photo gallery of what is a tremendously good figure. It's literally too good to leave until Tuesday to reveal how much I like it.

New Arrivals - Late January 2015

After a barrage of Masterpiece purchases and 3rd party review samples, the back end of January 2015 has been quiet in terms of new toys, and that's great news as it gives one the opportunity to go back and appreciate what's been bought, reviewed or long since locked in storage. The recent Human Alliance appreciation is a result of that. However, that said, when a couple of sealed Animated deluxes which usually command higher than average Animated prices - namely Swindle and Samurai Prowl - were offered in the UK, I jumped on them. I've wanted a sealed Swindle since he became one of my Ten Holy Animated Deluxe moulds (Blurr, Swindle, Cyb Optimus, Bumblebee, Lockdown, Rodimus, Ironhide, Earth Ratchet, Oil Slick, Arcee and Soundwave. Is that 11? Screw you). Samurai Prowl was bought because of the exceptionally good price. And that's it, really.

Human Alliance Autobots (Pre-Completion)

I know what's going to happen. I'm going to buy that Hasbro Asia Human Alliance Barricade and Soundwave 2 pack, and within 4 weeks of that I'll have bought the black and then Flash Freeze Human Alliance Sideswipes for the complete set. So in advance of that, I took a shot of all my pre-completion Human Alliance Transformers from across ROTF and DOTM, minus regular Bumblebee and Barricade as I didn't bring them out of storage for the shoot. I didn't even foresee this shoot until tonight.

Decepticon Rock Band (aka Animated Resurgence)

Transformers and music have never been too far apart. The Autobots had Jazz and Blaster in the original G1 cartoon, Tracks had Raoul, even Soundwave, Laserbeak and Rumble were spotted partying with humans in a night club. It should have come as no surprise to see the lighthearted - but deeply serious - Transformers Animated intertwine Soundwave's character so intimately with music. So much so, in fact, that his Laserbeak companion in Animated was a Gibson Flying V electric guitar. Genius. The repaint of Soundwave, Electrostatic Soundwave (basically Soundblaster), had a keytar that changed into Ratbat. Again, pure genius. Despite that, the collective surprise at the SDCC 2014 exclusive Knights Of Unicron set must have been palpable. A Transformers rock band. Tonight, we're looking at the madcap rock god Megatron, the repainted Animated Laserbeak and Ratbat that come with that set.

Masterpiece MP-12 TF Expo Lambor

This was supposed to be a TF Expo Masterpiece MP-12 Lambor (Sideswipe), a Japanese show exclusive version of the very popular (and widely bootlegged) Masterpiece Sideswipe from Takara Tomy. The main difference is that this version of MP Lambor has no massive Autobot symbol painted on the chest of the robot, a chest symbol that doubles up as a hood symbol. This specimen isn't the official release though, it was bought from eBay seller 'Lena', who is known to have factory samples maybe not quite up to being released, often having defects. It's a bit of a lottery.

Missing the Point? Missed Opportunity?

It's fair to say that my recent TFSource Blog article on the DX9 Invisible "Phantom" version, a translucent blue repaint of the MP-style Mirage, has been one of the least enthusiastically received articles that I can recall since I spent 2000 words comparing G1 copyrights (actually that had 500+ shares on Facebook). On the back of Invisible's seemingly successful launch came the quite attractive (or so I thought) clear deco, just as previous Mirages like Alternators/Binaltech, Classics/Henkei and even Robot Heroes received. For some reason, the feedback on the review for Phantom has been thin on the ground, and when received, not exactly positive.

C.A.B.B.A.G.E.

THAT'S RIGHT! It's the Crack Autobot Badgeless Badass Assault Group Elite...C.A.B.B.A.G.E! Made up of the stealthiest, hardiest and completely unadorned Autobot warriors. Otherwise known as Masterpiece/3P Autobot car figures to which stickers have not yet been applied for reasons of Diaclone heritage (read: straw clutching). There's Tokyo Toy Show exclusives MP-12T Tigertrack and MP-18S Silverstreak, the regular release MP-12G Lambor G2 version and the newly released DX9 Toys Phantom version of Invisible, a Mirage-based Masterpiece-a-like. Joking aside, I hope you enjoy the pictures.

For The Love Of Arms Micron

I'll be the first to admit I don't know anywhere near as much about modern day Transformers as I should, historically being more interested in vintage stuff. I make discoveries these days that are approximately 3 to 10 years behind everyone else! I have been told that Arms Micron toys from Takara Tomy were not met with as much positivity as someone such as myself, walking into it years after launch, are feeling towards it upon discovery and experience. The Japanese TF Prime figures were not more show accurate than the Hasbro versions, and did not feature extra or accurate paint application. In fact, they went completely the other way, and that is the crux of what I find attractive and special about them.

AOE Nemesis Evasion Prime - Pictorial

The sensationally good Evasion Mode Optimus Prime mould in black, red and cyan must mean the sensational Nemesis Evasion Prime, TakaraTomy's TF Expo Japanese show exclusive. Lots of paint application coupled with the mouth-plate wearing head sculpt we might have, but isn't everyone tired of Nemesis Prime/Black Convoy repaints?What's the fuss all about?

New Arrivals - Mid January 2015

And now to the mid-January arrivals. These include two extremely special Japanese releases of Evasion Mode Optimus Prime, both exclusives, a Masterpiece that we really ought to have had some time ago but were still made to suffer for and two things I didn't photograph. Those would be a sealed Arms Micron Wildrider and a Robots in Disguise legends class Bumblebee. To the Japanese stuff!

New Arrivals - Early January 2015

An extraordinarily short post about new arrivals in 2015. It's been mostly Masterpiece, which has reminded me why I shy away from that line so often, it's left me penniless. Some Animated gaps got filled too. This post will cover the early part of January. What you see in the middle above is the 2014 TF Expo convention exclusive Masterpiece MP-12 Lambor (Sideswipe) featuring...nothing. Read on...

3rd Party Season 3 Decepticon Fun

Just some fun pictures with Mastermind Creations R-01C Continuum Terminus Hexatron and Feral Rex, Unique Toys O-01 Ordin Troll and O-02 Ordin Alberich, and last but not least, MP-21 Bumblebee!

DX9 03 Invisible - Limited Phantom version Pictorial

Invisible! Inevitable? DX9 aka Unique Toys are following up their interpretation of Masterpiece Mirage with a predictable, but pretty, totally clear blue version of the figure limited to 1000 pieces. Is it 1000? Or am I making that up? Let's go with a 1000. This is an advance review sample, and I have now sampled it. The review will hit TFSource Blog in its entirety maybe 2 weeks from now. Here are the images of the figure in both modes and with the regular Invisible. What I will say is that first impressions are, in this order: WOW that's pretty. Wow that's tight. Goodness, maybe I'll transform it tomorrow. I wouldn't say it's brittle, but there are some extremely hairy joints and squeaks there that remind me totally of Animated Swindle's clear plastic shoulders and elbows. I hope you enjoy the photographs, Ole Blue Eyes is certainly a pretty fellow. But then it's Mirage, I would say that.

Hello Goodbye - Update 06/01/15

Just a note to inform any interested parties that both Diaclone police Countaches have now been removed from the sales page here. I have, however added 3 more Spanish KO Gisima minibots including the above unused and packaged yellow/blue Beachcomber (blue head and limbs, yellow torso, all stickers intact), a black KO Windcharger unused with the rarer "FANTASTICO" sticker as well as a blue and white Windcharger (white arms, blue body) that is on hold and seemingly already sold. I've also got a white/blue Windcharger packaged and unused (blue arms, white body) but am yet to photograph it, please contact me if interested. In addition, I have added a Diakron blue Trailbreaker/Hilux which is missing its head attachment and one of its missiles has a broken end. 

Optimus From Yugoslavia - Part 3

In 1988, The Transformers made it to the former Yugoslavia in the shape of the iconic Optimus Prime G1 toy. In Part 1 and Part 2 of this mini-series we discovered that Yugoslavia, like many European countries, received G1 Transformers from Mexico manufactured by Plasticos Iga. While everything other than Optimus was standard issue variant Iga Mexican TFs in Iga packaging, the Optimus came in a specially made box for the Yugoslavian market that was 99% Iga, but sporting the logo of then-Yugoslavian toy manufacturer Marčanka. In this final part, we'll look at the Mexican Optimus Prime in the Marčanka package.

Optimus From Yugoslavia - Part 2

Behold, the original 1980s Generation 1 Transformers Optimus Prime from the former Yugoslavia. Yesterday we got our first look at this seemingly Mexican Optimus Prime from the notorious and fruity Plasticos Iga. Spanish text on the box and the toy itself clearly indicated a Mexican variant - which we will explore more carefully in part 3 - but it was bought in Serbia mere days after another similarly boxed Mexican G1 Optimus showed up, also in Serbia. What really set this apart, made it unique and another significant chapter in the history of G1, was the fact that the box bore the logo of a new (to us) company, not Iga.

Optimus From Yugoslavia - Part 1

In June 2014, that feeling came again. The feeling where everything you think you know about the limit of Generation 1 Transformers is once again lain to waste with the discovery, or rather uncovering, of an age-old lost section of vintage G1 variants. This time it was a boxed Generation 1 Optimus Prime from...Yugoslavia! Thanks to the Serbian Transformers community, this absolute gem of a hybrid variant was posted on TFW, and I couldn't wait to dive in and get involved. If it wasn't for the sharing and kindness of the Serbian TF community, there'd be nothing to report, so first off, my sincerest thanks to Danilo, Nikola and G1 Aerialbot for help with that auction, for information and communicating their knowledge.

Recent Departures - New Year 2015

A few more finalised and significant sales to help me towards affording a property in the near future and also to pay for my daughter's first term at part-time nursery. And Masterpiece Skywarp. What a ridiculous price tag. For both! First departure was the above Diaclone police type Countach LP500S (Police Sunstreaker). It sold for $1475 shipped and had been the subject of many an authentic upgrade from yours truly. I had added better styro, better fists, unbroken shoulder attachments, unused missiles with the correct white plastic base, unused stickersheet and instructions. Only the box, car and driver were from original acquisition. One day, one day I'll keep one for myself. I guess this one was always in the shadow of my first Police Sunstreaker, a toy so mint it still makes me cry.