Fight! Super Robot Life - Japanese Transformers Takara boxed Insecticons MIB

Group shot of Takara boxed Insecticons:
40-Kickback MIB
41-Bombshell MIB
42-Shrapnel MIB

I have variously been told that, among the early G1 Japanese pieces, these pieces are quite rare, but I never quite fully appreciated just how difficult it could be to find them. It's been about 15 months since I bought these as part of a 36 pieces (and more actually) mega-lot from Devstar37 and to be honest, I have not seen any Takara boxed Insecticon pop up for sale on Yahoo Japan, Yahoo HK, eBay or FB sale pages.

Group shots of Transformers Cassettes in Japanese Takara packaging

So I took some time to photograph cassettes that were released by Takara, all of them.

Ben Frey, appreciate that you have linked this on FB.

Since I was a boy, I've always really liked the cassettes, whether they were Autobots or Decepticons. I just thought they were so cool and the concept of them being spies just fit so well. Since the 80s, cassettes have become something of an anachronism, but that has not stopped Takara from releasing Masterpiece versions of various Decepticon cassettes. I'm sure there will be more than one 90s or post 2000-born kid that will ask their parents what a 'cassette' is!

 

Takara Fight! Super Robot Lifeform, 42-Shrapnel MIB (#20 of 36)

This is piece #20 of 36 of the 36-piece mega-lot.

It is 42-Shrapnel, one of 3 Takara mold Insecticons.  I used to own Shrapnel as a boy and I am quite fond of this electrifying character and also this mold. The black and purple colour scheme just works really well too.

Some say that the Takara boxed Insecticons are mailaway releases, but I am not really sure whether they are. In many instances, the common thought is that they are pretty difficult to track down in box. Not really very expensive, but just difficult to track down.

So here is Shrapnel ....

Takara Fight! Super Robot Lifeform, 41-Bombshell MIB (#19 of 36)

This is piece #19 of 36 of the 36-piece mega-lot.

It is 41-Bombshell, one of 3 Takara mold Insecticons.  I used to own Bombshell as a boy and I am quite fond of this character and also this mold. The black and purple colour scheme just works really well too.

Some say that the Takara boxed Insecticons are mailaway releases, but I am not really sure whether they are. In many instances, the common thought is that they are pretty difficult to track down in box. Not really very expensive, but just difficult to track down.

So here is Bombshell ....

Giddy up! It's Hasbro versus Takara in Optimus Prime / Convoy trailer Race Day!

Trailer Race Day happened on or around 4 September 2014. I took the photos on 4 Sep 2014, but it is only now that I am documenting it and writing it down.

I was at home alone that night because E was working late, after having picked up a variant of 01-Convoy from a HK collector. I suddenly realised that I had a lot of Primes on hand... and I asked myself: 'I wonder which variant of Prime has the most powerful trailer'.

And then I thought further, 'Just how powerful is the fabled VSX-style 'super' launcher. Is it really that super?'.

I grinned and resolved within myself: 'I have the Primes, I have the time - let's have me a Trailer Race Day!!!'.

Takara Headmasters D-85: Skull MIB (aka Skullcruncher)

Here is something I bought a couple of months back, Destron Headmaster Swamp Warrior D-85: Skull, aka Skullcruncher.

Masterforce D-307: Overlord MIB (#3, my third one)

I wanted the title to read 'Yet another D-307: Overlord MIB', but thought that it would be too cavalier and perhaps not respectful of how difficult this piece could be to come by for some collectors.

 This is the 5th Overlord that I have in my collection (a fact). It is one of 3 MIB pieces, amongst the 5 pieces I have (or had).

I guess I have been fortunate that, as a collector of vintage TFs, Overlord (which is a holy grail to many) has been relatively easy and straightforward for me to acquire over the years. I wish I had this same good fortune with all TFs, but it seems that the good fortune only works for Overlord.