Diaclone CarRobots No.18 Lancia Stratos Turbo 'Marlboro Edition', aka Marlboor Wheeljack - with Diaclone CarRobots No.8 Fairlady Z 'blue edition' aka blue Bluestreak

Pre-Transformers Diaclone CarRobots No.8 - Fairlady Z Turbo, blue edition - aka (the legendary) blue Bluestreak, MIB and unused.

Pre-Transformers Diaclone CarRobots No.18 - Lancia Stratos Turbo, Marlboro racing edition - aka (the notorious) Marlboor Wheeljack, MIB and unused.

Too beautiful for words.

I won't say more.

Diaclone CarRobots No.18 Lancia Stratos Turbo 'Marlboro Edition', aka Marlboor Wheeljack - detailed photos

So this time round, I thought I would do more detailed photos of my 'new' Marlboor Wheeljack (since I hardly touched the last one before letting it go).

This will be Part 1 of 3, in which I focus on the Diaclone pre-Transformers Marlboor Wheeljack and its Japanese Takara release 03-Wheeljack.

Marlboor Wheeljack out of box and with all its complete and unused paperworks.

Diaclone CarRobot No.18 Lancia Stratos Turbo "Marlboor" (Malboro) version aka 'Marlboor Wheeljack' or now called Exhaust

I previously had a very mint, unused, Diaclone CarRobot No.18 Lancia Stratos Turbo (Malboro edition) toy. For lack of a better term, this is commonly known as the "Marlboor Wheeljack" in the fandom.

In what I would later regret as an unwise move in hindsight, I traded my previous Marlboor Wheeljack away - there's even a story here.

Today, the second Marlboor Wheeljack I bought, from a US based seller, arrived. Thank you GD and thank you Maz for making the connection.

I have fixed my past transgression.

Above is a shot showing Takara Japanese boxed 03-Wheeljack (2 boxes, one is empty), Hasbro USA boxed Wheeljack, Diaclone Marlboor Wheeljack, Masterpiece Wheeljack MIB, Masterpiece Exhaust MIB (aka Masterpiece Marlboor Wheeljack), loose pre-rub Wheeljack in robot mode and a loose rub-sign Wheeljack in car mode.

Question: Why do I have so many? 

Answer: influenced by Heraldofunicron!

Above is a cheeky show of the Marlboor Wheeljack in the 03 box (the Diaclone box and Japanese box styros are interchangeable).

just more random Transformer photos (a second part)

in keeping with the post from yesterday... just more (and more) random shots...
These shots includes items from my Australia, Singapore and also Hong Kong apartments.

The Birthday Post 2014 - Part 1 (Diaclone blue Fairlady Z MIB unused and near casefresh)

It's my birthday.

Well, I actually only got to write this post on 3 December, but backdated it.

This year, I decided to get myself some birthday presents. There are three presents I got myself and this is one of them - hence the "Part 1" in the title of this post.

From the photos so far, you would be able to guess what nature of item I got, I suppose. Yes, it's Bluestreak related (no prizes for guessing!). While I was walking around Mong Kok with UK collector, Jason W, I chanced upon this beauty....

The Birthday Post

Today is my birthday.

Every birthday brings me one year closer to death. Happy Birthday to myself. Heh.

As many said, its not the destination, but the journey that matters. The journey is in turn enriched by the people around, and some of the really key ones are friends, collector buddies, if I may. Without them, I'm certain that my collecting life would lose a lot of its luster, a lot of its attraction.

A supportive wife, E, does wonders always as well.

This year's birthday happens to coincide with the exact day a year ago, when E and I moved into our new place. So, in a way, its 'extra' special.

I thought this year, I would do something special with my birthday post. I'm going to invite some collecting buddies and E, to talk about me, on my blog. I'm going to invite a few fellow collectors to say some things about me, about my collecting or any other thing about me, and I will post it on here, unedited (erm... except names and places).

The danger with inviting people to say something is that I'd end up inviting either too many, or not enough. Or I'd miss out inviting those who feel they ought to have been invited, but weren't and it then could be upsetting.

Now, if I then say that I have invited the collectors whom I talk to the most often, it may also cause offence to some who might think that I just haven't been talking to them enough!

Because what's worth doing is worth overdoing

It's a difficult decision, but in the end, I invited 3 collector buddies who at some point or other had actually given me gifts, and, also E (naturally). How shallow of me. I know right?

Once I identified and asked these guys, and they have kindly responded, I faced the dilemma of how to place them - in which order? I assigned a name to a poker card and I drew them randomly (I wanted to draw names out of a top-hat, yes that would be cool, but I don't have a top-hat).

So here we go, other collectors' thoughts about me will be presented in this order - E, Arkvander, VF-1 and Maz.

Am I a good guy, a bad guy, or just a non-entity in their minds? Find out after the jump.

OKC - shelves update

Over the weekend, E was at work, and it was so hot outside that I decided to stay within the safety confines of home, and beneath the cool breath of my air-con.

The sunlight and daylight was too strong for me to take photos of toys, so what I did was rearrange the top two levels and bottom most shelves of my display (and also to make space for the many pieces of MIB Japanese G1 that is going to reach me soon).

Here is the result.

What did it look like before? Good question. That can be seen here and here.

For the top 2 shelves on the left, I rearranged for my Autobot MIB items to be there. This is to match the middle part of this shelve which has loose G1 Autobots. 

See on the top shelf are things like the Japanese exclusive Godmaster Engines, Diaclone black Countach, USA boxed Pointblank, 'blue' Optimus Prime (from Maz), Diaclone Swoop (from RM), Ultra Magnus MIB (from Valkyrie_76).

Below that, we have C-121 to C-124 the Dino-cassettes Gurafi, Noizu, Dairu and Zauru (from RM), VSZ giftset (from EH), C-301: Go-Shooter, C-302: Carb (displayed loose below), C-303: Minelba, C-108: Artfire (from RW) and C-109: Stepper (from TF Source).

The next thing I rearranged were the top two shelves on the right. These were Decepticon themed, to match the Decepticon loose display pieces below.

Diaclone dino-robo No.5 Swoop vs Transformers G1 regular release Swoop

Today we talk about Swoop. Yes, the Dinobot Swoop.

Here he is...

In my quest for cartoon accurate Dinobots, I've hunted down "Canadian" red faced Slag, and then also Diaclone dinosaur robo No.5 Swoop.

Cartoon accurate Dinobots

I have also previously compared the Canadian red faced Slag with the regular USA released Slag, just as now I will compare the Diaclone dinosaur robo No.5 Swoop ("Diaclone Swoop") with the regular USA released Swoop ("G1 Swoop").

First, a bird's eye view of the birdies... the eagle eyed should be able to spot some differences already (just ignore my yellow G1 Swoop's beak)

Maz and VF1's Diaclone and Transformers toys for sale

Maz and VF1 are selling some minty and sought after Diaclone / Transformers pieces.

If you are a TFW2005 member, their sales lists can be seen here:

• Maz's G1 / Pre-TF / Proto BST (contact Maz here)
• VF1's Diaclone sales list (contact VF1 here)

If you are not a TFW2005 member, here is what is potentially up for grabs (if not already gone!).

***

Maz's sales list

G1 UK Classic Optimus Prime MISB - Production sample (Bought direct from ex-Hasbro head of R and D)

The gold-boxed Classic Optimus Prime was released in the 1991 second wave. It might be hard for you to believe, but this is a staggeringly rare packaging variation these days, especially this English language release which doesn’t even say “Classic” anywhere on it, instead it says “Original”. By that point we would have had Powermaster Optimus Prime so maybe Hasbro felt the need to make it even more clear that this release was based on the vintage G1 Optimus Prime. This is not to be confused with the easier-to-find Spanish version of the gold-boxed Optimus Prime.

Contact Maz here.

***

VF1's sales list

(1) Diaclone Train Robo set (unused contents)

(2) GiG Powered Convoy instruction sheet

(3) Diaclone Dia-Attacker MIB (comes with 2 fists)

(4) GiG Countach (aka Sideswipe) box only

Contact VF1 here

***

If either Maz or VF1 cannot be contacted, I can help pass the message along, email me - secrets@HeroicDecepticon.com

Pre-Transformers, Diaclone, Dinosaur Robo No.5 aka Swoop MIB, unused - Part 3

Previous - Diaclone Swoop out of box

Introducing the cartoon accurate Dinobots!

As many collectors and fans would know, the USA releases of the Dinobots were not entirely cartoon accurate in terms of colour scheme. Three out of the five Dinobots had toys with cartoon accurate colour schemes - Grimlock, Sludge and Snarl. These are 'easy' to get.

USA released Slag toys are not cartoon accurate. Oddly, it is the Canadian released Slag (and only some of them at that), that were cartoon accurate with a red face and white upper legs. See here for a comparison between a USA released Slag and the famous 'Canadian Slag'.

Left - Canadian Slag; Right - regular USA released Slag

In a similar vein, USA released Swoop toys are not cartoon accurate either. This is time, it is not a foreign Transformer variant that is cartoon accurate, but the pre-Transformers Diaclone version of Swoop that is cartoon accurate.

Putting a Canadian Slag and a Diaclone Swoop with USA releases of Grimlock, Sludge and Snarl gives us.... cartoon accurate Dinobots!!!

Pre-Transformers, Diaclone, Dinosaur Robo No.5 aka Swoop MIB, unused - Part 2

Previous post - Diaclone Dinosaur Robo No.5 aka Swoop MIB.

Now we take this baby out of it's box and have a look!

Series - Diaclone
Designation - Dinosaur robo No.5
Box = C8.5, near C9
Toy = C9+
Sticker sheet unused (but slightly bent)

Diaclone Swoop in insert, unused sticker sheet and instruction booklet

Pre-Transformers, Diaclone, Dinosaur Robo No.5 aka Swoop MIB, unused - Part 1

This is long over due.

This was from a deal that Maz helped broker at the end of February '12. I remember when clearly because I had to fly to Beijing and then Shanghai for work for 2 very intense days and it was at around 5am on one of those days that another auction for a piece like this (but not unused) was due to end.

I remember telling Maz before I boarded the plane to China that he needed to be quite certain to get the deal through, otherwise I would be forced to bid on the auction. He then gave me his 101% assurance that the Diaclone Swoop was a done deal if I wanted it. Love the man!

Of course I wanted it. It is want of the last pieces toward cartoon accuracy that I needed.

So what are we talking about? We are talking about pre-Transformers Diaclone dinosaur robo no.5 (I'll call it "Diaclone Swoop" for easy reference). This was the mould that became Swoop and released as a Dinobot in 1985.

For some bizarre and unknowable reason, the USA cartoon's Swoop colours were based entirely on Diaclone Swoop's colour scheme - ie: blue chest, golden beak, golden missiles, etc. In my mind, it is the colour scheme that makes Diaclone Swoop the most desirable pre-Transformer Diaclone dinobot.

Like USA Swoop or Japanese box Swoop, the Diaclone Swoop also happens to be the hardest to find and rarest of the pre-Transformers Diaclone dinobots. For many of the reasons above, it is the crowning jewel in many a collection, the 'holy grail' to many.

To me, it is this piece's near 100% cartoon accurate colour scheme that is so alluring to me.

Here it is. First, photos of the box.

Project Vanguard Photos - pre-Transformers Diaclone black New Lamborghini Countach LP500S (aka Sideswipe) MIB, unused

How to I write a next post that lives up to the original Project Vanguard (aka diaclone black Countach Sideswipe) post, I asked myself. How to I write a next post that lives up to a post that garnered much attention and generated much discussion, that in the span of 24 hours sky-rocketed into the #1 most read post on my blog in the last 30 days (scroll all the way down to see list)?

It was a tough question. But I chickened out with a simple answer - I'll simply post most photos of this piece!

As they say, 'here we go...!'

BOX - aka the MIB-ness

Product ID number is "461320-0-1500"

Project Vanguard - pre-Transformers Diaclone black New Lamborghini Countach LP500S (aka Sideswipe) MIB, unused

This post is done in conjunction with and posted at the same time with Maz's post on TF-1.com.

Remember my trip to Osaka / Tokyo at the end of June/ early July this year?

As with my previous trip there, I got something really special from this shop called Hero Gangu in Osaka on my final day there.

Hardcore collectors or even people in the general community would know that this is the same Hero Gangu known for case finds of unused Diaclones and MISB Transformers. I understand that they have in the past (either through Yahoo! Japan or through their own website) auctioned off such rare pieces as a diaclone campaign Jazz, MISB pre-rub G1 Prowl, MISB pre-rub G1 Bluestreak, case fresh Diaclone Ratchet, case fresh diaclone GiG Police Countach, G1 Sunstreaker MISB, G1 Artfire MISB, G1 japanese Swoop MISB, G1 Masterforce Minerva MISB amongst other things (all of which are in the hands of prominent TF or Diaclone collectors now). This was also the shop that had all 4 Japanese exclusive 'dino-cassettes' (before the KOs were released), which was what promoted me to make the trip there in the first place.

The "rare" stuff.

The last time, I was in the shop 30 minutes before I was due to depart for the airport, talked to the owner, and he sold me a case fresh diaclone CarRobot No.18: Marlboor Wheeljack MIB, unused. This is the same Marlboor Wheeljack that is now in a prominent TFW2005 member's collection from a deal we did in June last year.

But I digress.

***

THE PURCHASE

In June/ July this year, I once again dropped by Hero Gangu, once again around 30 minutes before I'm due to depart for the airport. I bought a Menasor and Defensor decoy on that day and talked to the owner at the counter. I asked him whether he had anything 'special', special like the Marlboor Wheeljack he sold me last year.

The Marlboor from last year.

Once more he went behind the counter (where his inventory is) and came back with something in a Diaclone box. "Very nice. Tonight go on auction", he said as he handed it to me.

Heroic's Hunt - Osaka / Tokyo toy hunt tally!

Here it is, Heroic's usual tally up after a toy hunt trip.

When I was there, I kept thinking, man, there's nothing here and I bought things here and there. This morning, when I was tallying up my acquisitions, I realised that I've actually bought a fair few things.

A small caveat - I've snuck a few pieces that arrived before my Japan trip which I didn't have time to update as acquisitions into the group shot, heh. Bite me.

From Osaka / Tokyo:

1. Gnaw MIB, Japanese mailaway edition
2. C-107: Crosshairs MIB, unused
3. D-90: Slugslinger MIB
4. Micromaster MT-04 MISB
5. SD-21: Bruticus Maximus MISB
6. Lucky Draw black Tracks MISB
7. Decoy Defensor (green) MISP
8. Decoy Menasor (orange) MISP
9. MyClone Sideswipe
10. MyClone Red Alert (chase figure)
11. Brave Police Shadowmaru MIB, unused (Sixshot redeco)
12. TV Artbook #14
13. TV Artbook #43
14. TV Artbook #55
15. TV Magazine with foldout Transformers poster
16. Transformers: Generations 2012
17. Transformers G1 PC game pocket guide book
18. Bleach original art of Ichimaru Gin (not pictured)
19. Bleach original art of Kuchiki Byakuya (not pictured)
20. Diaclone MIB unused piece (not pictured)

Not from Japan but included in photo:

1. G1 Scourge MIB, unused (painted top version)
2. C-84: Sprung MIB, unused
3. C-202: Phoenix MIB, unused
4. C-203: Diver MIB, unused
5. D-329: Leozack MIB
6. D-330: Gai Hawk MIB
7. D-331: Hellbat MIB
8. D-332: Jarugar MIB
9. D-333: Killbison MIB
10. D-334: Drillhorn MIB
11. Toyworld Hegamon MIB

Overall acquisitions

"The Racing Cars of Diaclone and Early G1" - article by Maz

Another week, another well written and well researched article by Maz over at TF Source.

This week, Maz writes about the early G1 Autobot cars, Jazz, Mirage, Wheeljack and Smokescreen and the actual race cars that inspired them.

A lot of history and a lot to learn there!

Head over to read Maz's article now!

"The Racing Cars of Diaclone and Early G1" - article by Maz

[Photos mirrored from TF Source]

Job lot of Transformers - Defensor, Reflector, Sludge, power dashers and...

This is item #5 that I flagged in 'The calm before the storm' post. Again, I'm not posting them in any chronological order of receipt, and I just felt like posting about this one today. Heh.

This set was a partial sale/trade with a buddy collector from Canada. I am very happy to receive this figures are part 'payment' toward a figure that I was selling him. Whilst I have all these figures, with the exception of the 2 Power Dashers, I am still extremely happy with them.

The Reflector robots are in very good condition and a definite improvement over my own Hasbro set (I have have the pre-Transformers set that is more or less unused, but the molding is different). Defensor complete is great, because he is my favourite combiner toy, so this extra set will be displayed as individual robots. Sludge, yum, an upgrade to my current Sludge too and will be displayed in dino mode (ie: 1 set of dinobots in robot mode and another set in dino mode). The power dashers, I never had and these are in fantastic condition, very immaculate and minty. Then, there is one more figure which is under the Defensor accessories packet, but I'm not going to reveal what that is, yet.....

Close up photo of this very minty set of Reflector robots...

Rare / obscure pre-Transformers auctions on eBay

A buddy and long-time Transformers veteran is selling some of his rare / obscure pre-Transformers items on eBay. 

Amongst some interesting items are the diaclone instructions for Swoop, Mechabot-1 unused paper works set and a very sexy almost Choro-Q looking transformable van that looks very much like protect black Ironhide. The last item is pretty obscure to me as I've never seen it before.

Head over and check them out (and check back over the next few days as he may list more auctions) - Karoon47's eBay pre-Transformers auctions. 

Cheers,

~ HD

My early G1 shelf!

As mentioned here, I was back in Singapore during CNY and had brought back to HK a fair chunk of my early G1 figures, which has been sitting in storage at my parents' place since 2003.

Early in the week, I spent a night taking them out and arranging them into my Teletraan-1 display. It's such a delight to see them displayed out in their full glory again, its like coming home to old friends and really a joy to see.

Among this batch, many of the 1984 pieces are pre-rub pieces, which to me are the nearest thing to their diaclone counterparts, still the best quality and molding among the early year TFs (some might disagree, but hey, this is my collection!).

I'm quite saddened by the fact that despite me sealing them in protective bags and keeping them in storage away from direct sunlight, some pieces have still yellowed. Wheeljack is slightly off white, Ratchet (cross version) is quite yellowed, the white parts of Tracks is yellowed. This yellowing phenomenon is really quite sickening from a collector's perspective. Anyway...

Here they are arranged out in Teletraan-1:

Very nice huh?

Close up shot of the left hand side of the display. Yes, I did sneak in some 1987 TFs... heh.

Close up shot of the right hand side of the display.

A shot of 3 different versions of Bluestreak. Left to right - Series 1, 1984, pre-rub Bluestreak; pre-Transformers CarRobots No.7: Fairlady Z blue version, aka 'blue' Bluestreak; eHobby exclusive 'black hood' Bluestreak.

Another close up