If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing (Part 2)

So I've gotten all my Sweeps. The Decepticon army from Season 3 (or the year 2010 as the case may be) should be complete right? Not exactly.

The thing is, I never gotten around to getting Henkei Galvatron. Back in the day in Sydney, I bought Classics 2.0 Galvatron (which the Henkei mold is based on) and was full of excitment. I went home and together with my buddy AR, opened and played with Galvatron. Man, was it a damn disappointing toy with poor sculpting, lousy transformation and very bad QC. The darn legs just kept popping off their joints. There and then, I decided that I really did not like this mold. I very quickly sold it off on eBay and didn't look back. Naturally, during my mad Henkei catch up/acquisition hunts last October and November, I didn't pick Henkei Galvatron up, even when I did see it. I even saw it during my recent Japan trip and decided against buying it.

Now, that I've gotten all my Sweeps, I had a problem - there is no Galvatron to lead them. I pondered over this today and was kicking myself a little for not getting the Henkei Galvatron which I saw in Japan, which in all honesty, I had a slight inkling to purchase. Perhaps I should start looking for Galvatron in HK now? Perhaps I could find it in Singapore when I'm there later this month? Damn, this is a problem.

Went for a good dinner with E tonight and after that walked around. We walked past this 4 storey toy shop near our place. A toy shop, which I said in the past 'has nothing of interest to me'. Tonight, we were full, we had energy and thought, why not, let's check it out.

To my lasting surprise, there were lots of Henkei in the shop (which was never before there)! Amongst the Henkeis, there were Galvatrons! How bizarre is this situation. It's like serendipity. To top it all off, there was a sale going on and if I bought more than HKD$500 worth of toys, all toys will be 20% off. Wow! This was great!

I bought Henkei Galvatron and 2 other characters. Woohoo!

Now, whose bargaining posture is highly dubious?

If something is worth doing, it's worth overdoing...

So today, a Saturday, and for the 3rd week in a row E has to go back to work.

Went for breakfast (alone) and then went to the TRU at Causeway Bay which is 5 mins from my place...

... I basically picked up all the Wheeljacks and Thundercrackers on the pegs...

... because if something is worth doing, it's worth overdoing...

Wheeljacks!

I like this release of Wheeljack. For once a Hasbro release of a white toy actually is white. The colours are quite brilliant and I am quite impressed with it. In any case, one of them will be free from their plastic prison soon... 

Thundercrackers!

Generations Wave 7 and D-98 Sixshot

I initially didn't intend to, but on Thursday night (ie: yesterday) I went with Ultra Magnus from the OZ Formers forums to YMT and Mong Kok to grab the just-released-that-day Generations Wave 7 (consisting of Thundercracker, Wheeljack, Kup and Scourge).

The shop we went to was only selling the Wave as a set, for HKD$499. I looked the Wave over and was ambivalent. Should I get it? I already have 3 Scourges (at that point), Kup and a Henkei Thundercracker. The only one I don't have (yet) is Wheeljack, which I have pre-ordered for United. In the end, I though, 'nah'.

Ultra Magnus bought a set and sold me his Scourge - #4 in my rising Sweep army. He had to leave pretty soon after that, so I went alone to Richmond Centre thinking of grabbing a "Henkei" Sunstorm, which I previously saw, to complete my seekers. I was a little undecided because the asking price I saw was HKD$168, which I thought was too much to pay for a KO. To my delight, they've actually dropped the price to HKD$120. Okay, got me convinced. I'll get it.

I then went to the second floor of Richmond Centre. To this shop I frequent, occasionally (okay, oxymoron). They tend to have the occasional vintage G1 MIB figure. Today, I saw..... D-98: Sixshot MIB. Wow. In times where even the reissue is rare, seeing a vintage Sixshot, MIB, in good condition was like seeing the mythical 'golden goose' (okay, I don't know why I saw that other than because I have been re-reading Bill Willingham's Fables recently and the golden goose is what Bigby uses to fund his espionage operations). 

I opened it up to check and boy was it minty. Looked like it had never been transformed. All paperworks were there and the stickers were unapplied. Actually, its bio card was missing. But guess what, I happen to have a Sixshot bio card in this large paperworks lot I acquired last year! Hurrah to good planning, ya?

Friday:

For some reason, I woke up this morning convinced that I should get Wave 7 of Generations. Why? I don't know. I just wanted to get Wheeljack. Hrumph. What silliness is this.

Went to the shops again. Got Wave 7 and on the way, picked up another 3 Scourges (no one wants them this time round).

Yesterday and today's acquisitions in one photo

Transformers Generations Wave 7 and lots of Scourges (my Sweeps)

The very sweet, D-98: Sixshot MIB...

... pure vintage goodness, not reissue

My Sweep army (all Scourges released from packaging)

The "real" Scourge is the one holding the Japanese exclusive Fracas. Can you spot him?

Focus on C-350: Rabbicrater

About 2 weeks ago, I managed to acquire 2 Rabbicraters on the very day I came back to HK from Japan. It was pretty sweet. Truth be told, I have been wanting to get this set for some time but it just really really does not pop up often, if at all.

Both pieces are in also identically good condition, so I'm very happy.

This is Rabbicrater #1

Rabbicrater #2

This is a very special set, where the main focus is not 100% on the toy. It includes:

• the Rabbicrater toy (still sealed in its plastic sleeve)
• a VHS tape containing the first and only episode of Transformers: Zone
• a vinyl mat/playscape featuring the Zone characters and story

The insides...

Rabbicrater himself... still sealed...

Vinyl map.

Transformers United Wave 3 and more

Thought I could not do this today. However, it turns out that E had to go back to the office for emergency conference calls, at 12pm and 4pm. I suddenly had time to wander around and decided to take up OZ Former member Ultra Magnus' offer to hit the stores at Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok.

Before I met him, I tried my hand at searching the Sham Sui Po area for toys and toy shops, but that was an epic fail because I decided, for this time, I shall go without any addresses and just 'try my luck'. Can't make it too easy on myself huh. Didn't find a single toy shop (other than those silly flea market type shops selling all KOs). Like I said, epic fail.

Before I met Ultra Magnus, I managed to pick with 2 MOSC Zone Micromaster sets and an official Takara faction symbol sticker sheet from 2002.

C-334 and C-335 MOSC (cards is about C7.5 to C8)

Takara faction symbol sticker sheet. I don't know where this comes from, but it will come in useful for stickering up my City Commander, Protector, Valkyrie, etc.

Takara stamp. Dated 2002.

Met Ultra Magnus at around 5.45pm and we just went around the shops, talking as we went, browsing madly, etc. We managed to spot a good few things and even a rare Henkei Red Alert MOSC. I recommended that Ultra Magnus get a few pieces of toys - Henkei Red Alert and Music Label Blaster. At the prices they were going for, those were good buys, which he did buy. I do hope he likes it. While we went on a rampage of stores, Ultra Magnus went on a rampage buying spree. He bought a lot (a lot more than me at least).

At around 8pm, we went back to our favourite shop 221 at Yau Ma Tei, where we waited to pluck Wave 3 of United off the hands of the shop owner right out of the packing cartons, fresh off the delivery truck. There were close to 15 people there before us, all packed into the tiny shop like sardines, all vying for a set of United Wave 3. It was mad! We waited for close to 20 minutes before we got a shop (but it felt like we waited an hour). This was a great Wave. I got a set (Perceptor, Blurr, Kup and Wreck Gar) and a spare Wreck Gar. 

We also got 2 exclusive Targetmasters complimentary when we bought a set - Fracas and Haywire. This shop owner is really generous. Other shops only gave one of Fracas or Haywire for a set; some shops gave none. Way I see it, that is approximately US$100 in value that we got free (since BBTS is selling the 3 exclusive Targetmasters for US$149.90).

Here is the haul...

... Fracas (left), Haywire (right).

While we were queuing up, we noticed that most people either did not buy Kup or did not buy Wreck Gar. Very strange, because if I were to make a choice, I would not buy Blurr, since it is so similarly coloured like its Generations counterpart. We were curious, so asked them why - the common answer was 'the Generations version of Kup/Wreck Gar' looks better'. 'Really?' Rare is the case when a US release looked better than the Takara one. 'Kup, is too shiny in United to be a veteran Autobot', another guy added. 

Now, I am faced with a dilemma - do I open Generations Kup or United Kup to welcome into my Classic-verse?

Goodbye Convoy and Goodbye Henkei

 Yesterday, I wandered around and stumbled upon a FansProject G3 trailer for a pretty decent price. So I got it (together with my third Generations Scourge).

I opened the G3 set today (very exciting!) and played with it on my table, where my Goodbye Convoy set (obtained from Japan) was sitting. *light bulb* Maybe I could put the Henkei versions of Optimus Prime, Mirage and Red Alert next to their G1 counterparts - with the G3 trailer, my Henkei Prime was 'complete'.

Why not?

So I did.

G1 Goodbye Convoy

Henkei "Goodbye Convoy"

Red Alerts and Mirages

'Goodbye, sir', he said. 'And goodbye to you too', he replied.

Tokyo/Hokkaido Trip - The Acquisitions Tally

In usual fashion, this is a consolidated view of all my Japan Trip acquisitions.

Below is a photo of all my Transformers acquisitions during my February Tokyo/ Hokkaido/ Niseko trip, from 7 Feb to 14 Feb 2011. I must say that the sheer amount beats what I got from Japan last year, but the quality and rarity of pieces from last year will likely win out over this year's acquisitions.

(note the 2 C-350: Rabbicraters were not bought from Japan)

Acquisitions (in order acquired):

• TV Artbook #69 (featuring Masterforce)
• C-341: Greasepit MISB
• C-342: Airwave MIB, unused toys, stickers and paperworks
• C-343: Hot House MIB, unused toys, stickers and paperworks
• C-344: Iron Works MISB
• Kondansha Pocket Book #53 (featuring series 1 to 3 TFs)
• Kondansha Pocket Book #57 (featuring Masterforce)
• Victory: The movie animated comic
• Victory: Character book
• C-327 promotional poster
• C-360 promotional poster
• Vintage Transformers "03 - Megatron" t-shirt MISB
• C-47: Grapple MIB, very minty and unused
• C-83: Sandstorm MIB, C9.5, untouched, unused, complete paperworks, unapplied sticker sheet
• eHobby recoloured Ravage and Laserbeak MISB
• Headmasters poker cards, unused and still attached as one piece. This is something I have never seen before and the quality is great.
• My second Goodbye Convoy giftset (this set does not have the styro insert but is 100% complete with C9.5 toys and complete paperworks, very impressive. Unfortunately, it does not have the poster, but I am still very stoked about acquiring this set because it completes my Goodbye sets!
• C-319: Landcross giftset, unused, complete paperworks

Close up pictures:

See you next year Japan (or maybe later this year, who knows?)