Who bought what for who?

It's the third day of the new year and I'm spending some time peering back at the delightful past...

Like I mentioned in Chapter I of The Origin Story (Fantasies & Inflections), my childhood Transformers were divided into 2 camps: my brother's and mine.

How did the camps come about? Who bought them for us? Who bought what for whom? These are the questions I want to answer here, as accurately as I can recall them. Afterall, these are memories that are approximately 2 decades old by now.

Note [1]: To be fair, roughly half the toys I remember mummy buying for us were funded by daddy. The other half was funded by herself.

Note [2] Most toys were bought in one of these places, of which many no longer exists today. Isetan at Zion Road, Isetan at Shaw Centre (still there!), Daimaru at River Valley, Kids' World at Wisma Atria, Kids' World at Goldhill Square, Plaza Singapura basement level, Paragon basement level and Metro at Marina Square (still there! But where has the toy department gone?).

Being a gentleman, I'll start with my brother's Transformers :-)

• Bumblebee (micro-change) - 4th Uncle direct from Japan
• Cliffjumper (micro-change) - 4th Uncle direct from Japan
• Huffer (micro-change) - 4th Uncle direct from Japan
• Jazz - Mummy; S$29.90
• Prowl - 4th Uncle; S$29.90
• Mirage - Mummy from Isetan sale; S$7.90
• Slag - Mummy
• Seaspray - unknown
• Beachcomber - unknown
• Cosmos - unknown
• Warpath - unknown
• Kickback - Mummy from Daimaru; S$15.90
• Long Haul - Mummy
• Mixmaster - Mummy
• Scavenger - Mummy
• Kup - Mummy
• Sandstorm - unknown
• Silverbolt - Mummy; S$29.90
• Skydive - Mummy; S$12.90
• Air Raid, Slingshot, Fireflight - Mummy from OG People's Park after we promised to see a Chinese doctor!
• Onslaught - Mummy
• Blast Off - Mummy
• Ramhorn (Jap Carded) - 4th Uncle direct from Japan
• Steeljaw (Jap Carded) - 4th Uncle direct from Japan
• Eject (Jap Carded) - 4th Uncle direct from Japan
• Rewind (Jap Carded) - 4th Uncle direct from Japan
• Skullcruncher - Mummy from Plaza Singapura (he got one with a lousy box I remember)
• Cyclonus (Jap) - Mummy from Isetan sale; S$9.90
• Dogfight - unknown
• Crankcase - unknown
• Cindersaur - 4th Uncle
• Cloudbust - Daddy through mummy from Plaza Singapura
• Countdown - Daddy
• Air Strike patrol - 4th Uncle

Now for my Transformers:

• Optimus Prime - Mummy from Kid's World Wisma Atria sale; $49.90
• Wheeljack - 4th Uncle
• Ratchet, Sunstreaker - Mummy from Isetan sale; S$7.90 each
• Megatron - Mummy just before I went for tuition; $69.90
• Soundwave - Mummy from Isetan; $49.90
• Laserbeak (Jap Carded) - 4th Uncle direct from Japan
• Grimlock - 4th Uncle after my P5 exams; S$26.90
• Sludge - unknown
• Blaster - Mummy; S$69.90 (whoa, this was expensive huh?)
• Powerglide (Jap Boxed) - 4th Uncle direct from Japan
• Shockwave (diaclone) - Mummy from Pisces Chinatown
• Shrapnel - Mummy
• Bombshell - 4th Uncle
• Thrust - unknown
• Scrapper - Mummy
• Long Haul - Mummy
• Bonecrusher - Mummy
• Rodimus Prime - Mummy
• Wheelie - unknown
• Hubcap (micro-change) - 4th Uncle direct from Japan
• Motormaster - Mummy (See 'A Stunnin' asthma story')
• Dead End - Mummy
• Breakdown, Drag Strip, Wildrider - Mummy from OG People's Park after we promised to see a Chinese doctor!
• Vortex - unknown
• Brawl - unknown
• Swindle - unknown
• Razorclaw (Jap), Rampage (Jap), Divebomb (Jap), Tantrum (Jap), Headstrong (Jap) - Mummy from Isetan sale; S$7.90 each
• Chromedome - Daddy
• Cutthroat - Mummy
• Pounce & Wingspan - Daddy through Mummy
• Scourge (Targetmaster) - Daddy through Mummy
• Backstreet - unknown
• Quake - unknown
• Squarktalk & Beastbox - 4th Uncle
• Roadgrabber - Daddy
• Sportscar patrol - 4th Uncle

And now for the Transformers we shared:

• Frenzy & Ratbat (gold weapons) - 4th Uncle
• Hot Rod - exchanged with classmate ZY
• Springer - exchanged with classmate ZY
• Punch/Counterpunch - exchanged with classmate ZY
• Flywheels - exchanged with classmate ZY
• Slapdash - unknown
• Slugfest & Overkill - 4th Uncle

There it is, a slice of our childhood history, which I'd say is 70% accurate given the fuzziness of my memory. I remember the highlights like us slyly refusing to see a Chinese doctor and drinking bitter black and putrid Chinese medicine, agreeing only after mummy promised she would buy me my remaining three Stunticons and my brother's remaining three Aerialbots. My brother and I spent a good 90mins convincing her. That was a riot!