CNY acquisitions tally - Singapore + Hong Kong, G1s, eHobby and lots of coffee

Went back to Singapore for CNY this year and was there from 22 to 28 Jan 2012. 

Was concentrating on family and playing with my brother's kiddies so didn't really shop much for toys or Transformers. There was the odd afternoon here and there that I went to a few toy shops and did manage to get some interesting things.

One of my objectives for this year - eHobby anime colours Astrotrain MISB from Robo Robo. Wanted to get this and found it very soon after, very cool.

This is a consolidated shot of what I took back from Singapore...! Yum.

My buddy who's a pilot helped me get Nespresso capsules from London, which are about 50% cheaper than what they cost in HK (surprising, but true, who would have thought). Now, Pixie is set to make my favourite milk recipies.

At home, I dug through my storage and decided to bring (mostly) all my early year G1 figures back with me to HK. Many of these I've had since early 2000 and if I remember correctly most of my 1984 pieces are pre-rub versions. It's great that I can finally have them all here with me, to enjoy as they should be.

eHobby madness! 48- Astrotrain, I got from Singapore. Came back to HK and shopped around on 29 Jan and found 77-Detritus, 94- Road Rage and 95- Crosscut (all MISB) in ToyZone16.

It's been a good new year!

eHobby new year special 48- astrotrain (anime colours) MISB

Picked up a MISB eHobby anime colluded Astrotrain from the guys over at RoboRobo today.

Very awesome piece which I like a lot.

Also managed to pass the GBC giftset to my buddy at night.

A good day for TFs, it was.

恭喜發財 from Singapore!

To all collectors and readers of HeroicDecepticon.com who celebrate the Lunar New Year, 恭喜發財.

新年快樂 as we celebrate the year of the water Dragon, which comes around only once every 60 years.

As to pieces you wish to collect and/or holy grails, 心想事成!

Cheers,

~ HD
Singapore, 2012, the year of the Dragon.

Consolidated Jan '12 acquisitions -

Been trying to write stuff.

Still trying to write stuff.

Now, I'll write fluff.

Consolidated acquisitions for January, because I am too time pressed to do them individually...

Here they are.

Summary pic!

• Top row - United Stepper MISB; MC Axis model kits unused x 03 (Arcee, Hot Rod and Elita One); vintage Japanese TF magazine; Xtransbots Devastator upgrade kit.
• Second row - Gentei Strafe MOSC; MakeToys Battle Tanker MISB; Junkion Blacksmith Devastator upgrade kit MISB; C-201: Metalhawk MIB, unused
• Bottom row - C-326: Galacy Shuttle MIB #2, Goodbye Convoy MIB unused #3 (bought 19 Nov 2011), Goodbye Convoy MIB unused #4.

Bought 1 Jan 2012: E's Galaxy Shuttle MIB #2; very nice and snowy white.

Bought 1 Jan 2012: Goodbye Convoy #4 (on right) with Goodbye Convoy #3 (bought on 19 Nov 2011) next to it. Both sets are completely unused, near C10 mint, complete and with poster.

Various Devastator add-ons bought on 18 Jan 2012.

C-201: Metalhawk MIB unused bought on 1 Jan 2012.

Devastator with add on parts, looks pretty awesome!

Ironfist vs Devastator?

Loose TFs from a OZ Former member (but unfortunately each figure has parts missing; issue still to be resolved with seller).

• Doubleheader
• Black Zarak
• Rotorstorm
• Ironfist
• Clench

Parts

Close up of Rotorstorm

Close up of Metalhawk

Close up of Black Zarak

Bought on 20 Jan 2012 - BotCon exclusive G2 Ramjet and 2010 special Predaking giftset reissue (yeah, I finally caved in for this!).

Happy Lunar New Year!

'ta

~HD

Megatron to Starscream

"Your imagination is only overshadowed by your stupidity..." - Decepticon Commander Megatron to Starscream in More than Meets the Eye, part 2 [Episode 2, Season 1, Generation 1]

I so want to write about something...

... but just can't muster up the conviction.

I have a backlog of things to write about and post photos of... but these few days have been spent watching snooker on TV and I just have not been able to muster up the conviction.

Soon, I will be writing about TF-04 and TF-10 in more detail and with many photos... soon...

HK Market Watch - More VSY and Good Bye Convoy

Well, these are from 5 Jan 2012.

I was too busy to post them up till today, apologies.

An update of sorts from the usual shop. In the 3-4 days since I have been there, lots of things have sold. Notably, C-111, C-371 and a lot of the smaller pieces are already gone, in double quick time.

Updates on display.

It seems the C-114, C-328 and D-307 action never ceases at these shops. They must have sold at least 10+ sets of these, each.

The other side of the display cabinet.

D-318 giftset.

That day (5 Jan), they were releasing another small batch of TFs for sale and that was my reason for being there. I will update later on what I have bought.

Check out these puppies!

Yet another VSY giftset (Grimlock and Soundwave)

... and look at the sheer mintiness of this Goodbye Convoy giftset... wow! C9+, near C10, toys 100% unused, paperworks in original packaging, accessories unused and on sprue, "Cybertron Heroes" poster included. eek!

'later,

~ HD

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!

HK Market Watch - lots of vintage G1s in!

Remember I said that my usual shop is going to have a large lot of high quality and rare vintage G1 Transformers for sale, in this post?

They went on sale today ('on sale' as in the shop is selling them, not that they are being sold at a discount). Since I got a preview of them, I know that they're going to sell like hotcakes, so E and I went down about 20 minutes before the shop is due to open (after a good breakfast of course).

When we were at In's Point, we coincidentally bumped into the shop assistant who was on his way to open up. Walked up to the shop with him and there were already 2-3 people waiting there to grab stuff. Man, competition is fierce!

Here is the palate...

From memory, here's a non-exhaustive list (all are at least MIB):

• Goodbye Convoy giftset (very nice box, contents unknown)
• VSY giftset (unsed; my gosh, this is awesome and also awesomely expensive)
• VSY giftset (nice box, but missing lots of paperworks and cassette)
• VSY giftset (not so nice box, missing lots of stuff)
• C-15: Brawn MIB
• C-16: Huffer MIB
• C-27: Sludge (unused)
• C-111: Punch / Counterpunch (used)
• C-114: Fortress Maximus (unused)
• C-114: Fortress Maximus (stickers applied, missing sword)
• C-116: Twincast MISB
• C-201: Metalhawk (unused)
• C-131: Raiden (Shouki and Yukikaze yellowed, otherwise unused and complete)
• C-311: Grand Maximus (unused; box slightly faded)
• C-326: Galaxy Shuttle (unused)
• C-326: Galaxy Shuttle (stickers applied)
• C-328: Victory Saber giftset (unused)
• C-328: Victory Saber giftset (unused, box slightly poorer than above)
• C-353: Big Powered giftset (unused)
• C-371: Grandus (unused; slightly yellowed)
• D-93: Mega Zarak (unused)
• D-98: Sixshot (stickers applied)
• D-108: Slugfest MIB
• D-109: Overkill MIB
• D-307: Overlord (unused)
• D-308: Browning (unused)
• D-311: Black Zarak (unused)
• D-311: Black Zarak (unused, box a little poorer than the above)
• D-318: King Poseidon giftset (unused)
• Car Robots C-27: Brave Maximus (unused)

Here are some close ups.

Arkvender, if you are looking at this, you'll spot something we both want...

Unfortunately, the prices were really unrealistic. Even if I suspend my disbelief, I could not bring myself to get them. Sign. More searching.

At the end of the hour, many of these were gone - C-27: Sludge, C-116: Twincast, C-326: Galaxy Shuttle (both gone), 2 of the 3 VSY sets... etc.

I should also add that I met all my main competitors in G1-grabbiness today and among the three of us, I also found out what we did for a living - we're a doctor, lawyer, banker (trader). I'm obviously not going to say which one I am or who is who, but it's delightful to know and at the same time, all very strange.

Happy new year once more!

~ HD