The road to Victory Part 01- The Victory Battle

I was trying to help Botch locate a scannable print quality back-of-box image of the Victory battle scene.

For that purpose, I dug out my Victory Saber giftset (which is one of the sweetest Transformer toys I have).

To my horror (and probably Botch's), there is no back-of-box battle scene behind the Victory Saber giftset. Ever the opportunist, I took the chance to snap some high resolution shots of the giftset.

This would be one of them.

C-328: Victory Saber
full size image here

Next: The Acquisition

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Read all The Road to Victory chapters:
Chapter 01- The Victory Battle
Chapter 02- The Acquisition
Chapter 03- The Photos

My place of power

I'm back in my place of power. I'm back in Singapore.

What was previously logistically impossible has now entered the realm of the lucidly possible. I can start to photograph particular toys for articles I've intended to write for this site; I can document, to a certain extent, the main bulk of my TF collection; and I can also help my fellow TF enthusiast Botch scan in the Victory back of box battle scene from my Victory Saber giftset.

***
Before voraciously hunting down any and every vintage G1 TF I see in Singapore, I thought it nice to do a little 'best of' tally for the HK trip, from which I bought many many TFs.

Most satisfying moment: When the shop-keeper finally decided to sell the 2001 dealer exclusive eHobby promotional poster after initially telling me to take a hike.

Hardest decision made: D-93: Scorponok MIB. It is priced at a point between where I would say either 'yes' or 'no' to a piece in this condition. It took me 3 days to decide.

Unexpected find: This is a tie between (1) the 2001 dealer exclusive eHobby promotional poster; and (2) Takara SCF Act 2. Little did I expect that after a gap of almost 6 years would I come across these fine gems again.

Favourite buy: D-307: Overlord. This was one of the Transformers that 're-awakened' me back in 1999. It is just great to be able to obtain him here at a bargain price, complete and in box.

Worst buy: Hasbro Masterpiece Starscream. Got it on an impulse and at a less than competitive price. I got a feeling I'll be telling myself this more than a couple of times in the following months- 'I shoulda' waited for the Takara G1 coloured MP Starscream release'.

Best bargain: Encore Megatron MISB for HK$323 (= US$41.36). Doesn't get any better than I'd like to think.

If I could only buy one thing, it would be: 2002 New Year Special Convoy- because I promised AR I would get it for him.

Highlight of the trip: D-307: Overlord. For the reasons above.

HK toy hunt '08 - The Final Tally

HK toy hunt '08 is coming to a close.

Today, I'll be leaving HK for Singapore. Before that, I wanted to do a final tally of all the toys I've acquired in Japan & Hong Kong:

Transformer books:
- トランスフォ－マ－Ｇ１キャラクタ－大全集
- Transformers Visual Guide
- Dealer exclusive 2001 eHobby reissue promotional poster

Transformer Toys:
- D-93 Scorponok MIB
- D-307 Overlord MIB
- Takara SCF Act 2 MISB
- 2002 New Year Special Convoy MISB
- WST Sideswipe
- KISS Player Rodimus MISB
- Encore 01: Convoy
- Encore 02: Megatron
- Encore 03: Soundwave
- Encore 04: Starscream
- Encore 05: Ironhide x 03
- Encore 06: Ratchet x 03
- Alternators Mirage MISB
- Alternators Rodimus MISB
- Hasbro Masterpiece Starscream MISB
- Music Label Soundwave (Spark Blue edition) MISB
- Music Label Rumble & Frenzy headphones MISB

Other toys:
- Bandai Bleach Characters Series 5 MISB
- Bandai Bleach: The Styling MIB
- Kaiyodo Rei Ayanami figure (1999) MOSC
- DC Direct Wonder Woman (2008)

Bye for now!

Next stop, Singapore and on to more toys...

[HK toy hunt '08] Hot Rod & hot babe

These 2 are probably my final acquisitions in HK. Just happened to be in the Causeway Bay area after lunch and bought these as I walked past.

- Transformers Alternators Hot Rod
- DC Direct Wonder Woman

The Hot Rod and the hot babe, here they are:

Alternators Hot Rod and Wonder Woman


The nicest Wonder Woman sculpt so far...

Encore Transformers Encore

'Not a reissue Optimus and Megatron, again. Not Starscream... again...' was my reaction to the first wave of Encore figures.

I must have bought every single Optimus Prime /Convoy reissue since the first Takara 01-Convoy reissue in 1999 to New Year Convoy, to TFC #00 and even the disgraceful TRU 'exclusive' reissue whose only saving grace is the inclusion of a grey Roller. I have similarly bought every Megatron reissue since the Takara 16S one. Ditto for Starscream.

It comes as no surprise to myself that I said 'I'm not touching this Encore line with a barge pole'. It's quite unnecessary to add another member to the army of Primes, Megatrons and Starscreams that I already have.

As it were, I still had a particular weakness for Encore 03: Soundwave even though I have the TFC and TRU reissues. Soundwave unlike Prime, Megatron and Starscream, never got reissued in a G1-styled box.

I know, I go weak-kneed in front of all things G1 and Encore Soundwave came in a pretty G1-styled box.

4th Jan '08, HK: Walked around and chanced across Encore Starscream. I decided to buy him because (1) the Decepticon symbols are printed on like for Sunstorm; (2) he had light yellow glass for his cockpit; and (3) the price at HK$200 is quite irresistible.

Starscream became the first of my Encore collection.

Later in the day, I nabbed Encore Ironhide & Ratchet. These 2 are must gets for me because (1) they have not seen a market wide reissue since their eHobby release in 2001 (as seen in this promo poster here, and here); (2) cartoon accurate paper 'heads'; and (3) printed on vehicle stripes that were previously factory applied stickers.

16th Jan '08, HK: Over the last week or so, I became quite taken with the Encore series, probably due to the pretty boxes and the news that Omega Supreme will be one of the upcoming Encore figures. I woke up that morning with an epiphany- I gotta collect the entire Encore line, just like I did for the Takara TFC series.

I went out that day an immediately scored Encore Soundwave at Yau Ma Tei for HK$350 (= SGD$64.47 = USD$44.83).

17th Jan '08, HK: Slightly frustrated that I couldn't also obtain Encore Optims and Megatron the day before because they were all but sold out, I decide to try a new location- Wonderland at Hong Hom.

I was surprised to find Encore Megatron there at HK$380 but with a further discount making the final price HK$323, even cheaper than Encore Soundwave! Grabbed Megs and ran to Mongkok where I chanced upon an Encore Optimus Prime at the very first shop I arrived at.

I bought him massively discounted at HK$430. Encore Primes go for anywhere between HK$480 to HK$600 usually.

And so here it is, the complete Encore series, at the present moment...

Complete Takara Transformers Encore series as of January 2008

[HK toy hunt '08] Optimus Prime & Megatron

Today's acquisitions... Encore!

- Encore 01: Optimus Prime (HK$430 = SGD$78.84 = USD$55.13)
- Encore 02: Megatron (HK$323 = SGD$59.22 = USD$41.41)

- WST Sideswipe (HK$40 = SGD$7.33 = USD$5.13)


Highlight of the Day: Encore Optimus Prime if only because its sold out all over but I managed to find it and at an extremely good price. Among reissue Primes, Encore 01 is uniquely different in that Prime's Autobot symbols are printed on rather than needing to be stickered on.

[HK toy hunt '08] D-93 Scorponok

Revisited the same shop I bought Overlord and KISS Player Rodimus from to re-check out something I have been deliberating over: D-93 Scorponok.

After some more onsite deliberation, I decided to nab him. So here it is, today's haul:

Highlight of the Day: MIB D-93 Scorponok