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.

Yes, that's right, my GiG Diaclone "Police Sideswipe" left the building in the last couple of weeks too, for exactly my asking price. A price that I knew could be achieved and it was actually the first thing that sold off my sales list posted late last year. Final payment was received and this utterly delightful but ever-so-sliiiightly-discoloured case fresh specimen made it 2 unused Police Sideswipes I've had and sold. Nothing to be proud of, but the two new police Countach owners of the above are as worthy as they come, so that's a great thing.

This now means I have no Japanese Diaclones, and no GiG Trasformer Diaclones left in my collection. Well, that's not entirely true, I still have a Japanese Diaclone yellow Sideswipe, but that's on the sales list too, a matter of time before I can make that statement for real.

I also traded away my BadCube Brawny and Backland + Quint Journal set. After BadCube replaced the parts I needed changed, it was instantly more attractive to buyers, whereas this popular set had sat on my TFW sales post for nearly 2 weeks without even the slightest interest thanks to my images of the damaged parts and a promise of replacement. Even the tracking number for replacement parts didn't get people aroused. Anyhow, fully restored and good as new they went for £100 trade value towards an MP-11SW Masterpiece Skywarp, the rest I had to pay in cash. Cash that came from...

What a fail. Not even one month did this beautiful Takara vintage 16 Megatron last in my collection. Such has been the financial outlay of nursery, rent, council tax, income tax and national insurance, Christmas and winter energy bills in the last quarter that when I thought carefully about the likelihood of ever being able to construct any meaningful type of G1 vintage Takara or 1984 collection, I knew this was the piece that had to go to make things easier this month. Last in, first out? Pretty much! It's gone to a lovely collection of Megatrons though, cannot wait to see pictures of it with the rest!

No sob story attached here, after G1 MOSC Fireflight's journey from 1986 storage to being found in 2014 and sent to me to experiment with the AFA, it is graded as an AFA 85 and is now on its way back to the owner, both of us hugely satisfied with the outcome. This Aerialbot has taken flight. 

Interestingly, the AFA did get in touch with me to say they enjoyed both articles and that they wanted to take a more active role in the community. The collectors I spoke to all felt this would be to the benefit of the AFA and those who collect graded pieces. Since there was a small amount of added damage/blemishes to the Fireflight in the grading procedure, one hopes it also means they will improve their casing process to eliminate adding flaws, and also the website interface. Positive endings, how 2015!

Farewell. Again.

All the best
Maz