Off to Singapore for the weekend!

Boarding a plane in an hour. 

Heroic Decepticon is going back home for the weekend.

I am excited to be catching up with some local collectors who are also on TFW 2005.

Let's see what surprises this trip turns up in terms of Transformers!

~ HD

Featured on Transformers Characters.net

A bit ago, the webmaster of Transformers Characters.net approached me and talked about doing a feature of this site on his site.

I thought it would be a great idea, since we all share a passion for them robots-in-disguise. What's not to like? So, I quickly said 'yes'. For the feature, the webmaster selected a number of photos from my site, shrunk them to thumbnails and showed them by-way-of-introduction to the pieces that I have.

I like the selection of photos. Quite unbeknownst to him (or perhaps he knows!), the photos represent a good spread and are representative of key points in time of my collection, chronologically that is. For example, some shots were from the really early days, as early as 1987! Some from my collection 'renaissance' days in the 1999 to 2002 period in Singapore; then the Australia period and so on.

I can tell also, that the webmaster is passionate about the early G1 years because not all the photos selected were of the 'coveted rare Japanese exclusive' toys. I particularly appreciated the selection of (1) the photo of the Stunticons lined up against the Teletraan-1 background; (2) the shot of the Decepticon Triple Changers with their boxes in the background (I went to such great lengths to find a MIB Octane to complete this trio!); and (3) the shot of the six 'standard size' Autobot Pretenders. These are not rare, but certainly close to heart.

Then, there were other shots.

Well, don't just take my word for it, head over to Transformers Characters.net and check it out the post for yourself now - Featured Transformers Collection: Heroic Decepticon’s US & Japanese G1 Collection.

Transformers, 1987, D-98: Sixshot MIB

He's been called many things in his time - "The Decepticon Six-changer", "S.T.A.G." (ie: Solo Transformer Assault Group), the "Decepticon Ninja Warrior", a "Phase-Sixer", "a Living Weapon" and "Guardian", (that's six things!) - his name is Sixshot.

Sixshot was released as part of USA Series 4 and Japanese Transformers: Headmasters, in 1987. Out of all the 'masters' like Headmasters or Targetmasters and 'Scramble City' teams or other releases with a defined sub-group, Sixshot was unique - he was just an odd one out toy with no other members in his sub-group ("Six-changer") and no Autobot counterpart until Quickswitch came along in 1988. Sixshot's counterpart in Japan is Sixknight from the 1988 Transformers Masterforce series. Unlike a good number of US released figures post 1987, Sixshot was still Sixshot in Japanese continuity and did not receive a recolour and did not become a 'different' character.

Among the 1987 line up, Sixshot also subtly unique because he is one of the very few toys of that year to have chrome. Before 1987, almost every Transformer figure had some part that was chromed. In 1987, figures which had chrome were far and few between, Sixshot was one of them. Other figures that had chrome included Hot Rod (chrome engine block), Mindwipe (chrome circles on arms), Overkill & Slugfest (chrome weapons), Scorponok (chrome leg pads) and Weirdwolf & Skullcruncher (very minor chrome on largely unchromed parts).

Back in the G1 days, Sixshot was a relatively minor character in US Season 4 and then in Transformers: Headmasters. Yeah, he was pretty badass and even killed Ultra Magnus in Headmasters, but he really did not come into the limelight until the Furman-verse early days of the IDW Transformers comics.

In the Transformers: Devastation arc, we begin to see just how seriously the Autobots (and Decepticons) have to take Sixshot. In Last Stand of the Wreckers, we see that he is one of 3 Decepticons that are so powerful, they are only to be unleashed in 'Phase Six', the final stage of Megatron's 'Six-Stage Infiltration Protocol'.

I love the Sixshot characterisation in the IDW comics. Here are some of my favourite Sixshot lines.

"I am Sixshot. I was made to destroy. Controlled carnage and detached devastation define my existence." - Transformers Spotlight: Sixshot

"Just point me and pull the trigger..." - Sixshot to Megatron in Transformers: Devastation #1

"You don't get it, do you? I could do this all day. It's what I was built for. It's all I was built for." - Sixshot to Optimus Prime, while he was taking on almost the entire crew of Autobots from the Ark-19 (Transformers: Devastation #4)

And, this is my all time favourite Sixshot quote from Transformers: Devastation #4:

"Much as I applaud your efforts to do me harm... I should point out that my armature was forged from metals drawn from the compacted subatomic matter of a collapsed star... and my power core is a self-regenerating dark matter fission cell, hermatically sealed. Oh, and I'm very fast... and very strong..." - Sixshot to the Autobot crew of the Ark-19 while he was kicking them to kingdom come.

It is no wonder then, that the prices for Sixshot toys, even the reissues, sky-rocketed following the release of IDW's Transformers: Devastation. The eBay prices for Sixshots are in the region of US$200 to $250 nowadays and oddly, the reissues are thereabout the same in terms of price. While US boxed Sixshots are not very rare (just quite expensive), the Japanese release of Sixshot is a tad rarer. This release was exactly the release I acquired on 4 March 2011.

Here are pictures of this very minty and largely untouched piece, sure to be among one of the gems in my collection.

D-98: Sixshot MIB

Box = C7.5 to C8 (some light wear)

Toy = C9.5 (appears to never have been transformed)

Paperworks = complete, stickers unapplied

Decepticon Ninja Warrior

Takara, 1987, Made in Japan

Top and bottom of box

Back of box

Tech Specs. This is one of the key differences between a reissue Sixshot box and a vintage Sixshot box - the reissue does not have tech specs.

Sixshot is worth 4 Robot Points...

... and used to cost ¥3980 (which was a lot of money back in 1987, being approximately SGD$100)

Sixshot out of box (the other thing the reissue Sixshot didn't have was of course the styrofoam tray)

Close up of paperworks

Unused sticker sheet

Unused/unopened instructions

Bio card

Untouched (and probably never before transformed) Sixshot in snowy white styrofoam tray

Hong Kong Market Watch - Mong Kok and YMT

I had to head to Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok today to pass some toys to my friend. Ended up walking around and had Beard Papa too. That was refreshing.

Richmond Centre is all out of Generations Wave 7. None left. Not even the HKD$268/300 Generations Wheeljacks. Amazing. There are one or 2 random pieces, but really nothing to call home about.

CTMA Building, what can I say. This place was the rage back then, but really as good as useless for TFs nowadays. It's full of those 'capsule' type shops each with random articles of things for sale inside. Boring, really, from a Transformers perspective.

Sino Centre - oh gosh, I just realised that I plain missed walking into this place today. Heh. What the hell.

Inn's Point, currently the hot favourite place for toy hunting. Best selection of shops by far. There were some Henkeis in this capsule shop there, prices are not really attractive though - Henkei Starscream (HKD$560), Henkei Hot Rod (HKD$1680!) and a few other not really noteworthy Henkeis. 

What was note-worthy here, today, is a shop on the first floor - selling complete sets of Generations Wave 7. Yes, the Generations Wave 7... at HKD$550 for the entire set. Whoa, cavemen discovering fire all over again. It's interesting to note that the shop was willing to sell pieces separately, but it will cost more. A separate Wheeljack costs HKD$268; Thundercracker HKD$198; Kup HKD$148; and Scourge HKD$148. Might as well just buy the whole wave for HKD$550 I say. Anyway, that was interesting at least.

On the second floor, there was a shop that was flooded with Henkeis. Yup, flooded. Far as I could tell, there were the following Henkeis - Hound, Sideswipe, Prowl, Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Ramjet, Dirge, Thrust. Guy also has the entire set of MOSC Classics 2.0 for sale. Very impressive.

That's today.

Time to play with my Henkeis now...

If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing (Part 3) - Henkei-s

Ok, this happened yesterday night. 

Like a caveman discovering fire, I discovered that this shop that was only 2 minutes away from where I lived, has a stash of Henkeis, case-fresh-Henkeis.

I walk past this place every other day when I come back from work. After a few trips into the shop in the past months, I decided that there was nothing in there that I am interested in. Walked in with E on the Sunday that just passed and 'lo and behold, there was a stash of Henkeis there - at least 5-6 different characters from the early Henkei days, all case fresh, MOSC, untouched (and obviously unloved since no one bought them).

The real kicker? The shop was giving a 20% discount for purchases over HKD$500 and 30% discount for purchases over HKD$1000. 

For the fun of it, I went back yesterday and bought out all-the-Henkeis-the-shop-had, all. And got the full 30% discount on each piece too.

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

Hong Kong Market Watch - Transformers United and Generations Wave 7

The state of the toy market here is just crazy. Crazy in terms of price but also crazy vibrant.

Example 1:

2 weeks ago, Transformers United Wave 3 was released - Perceptor, Kup, Blurr and Wreck Gar. There were at least 15 people waiting at the store before the stock arrived. When the stock arrived, they each stood there for the next 30 minutes trying to find that 'perfect' piece. It was selling for HKD$700 for the set, comes with 2 Jap exclusive Targetmasters (ie: HKD$175/pc).

At another shop not 5 minutes away, one set was selling for HKD$800, comes with 1 free Jap exclusive Targetmaster (ie: HKD$200/pc). 

A week later (meaning last week), each piece of this Wave was selling for HKD$230. Also Blurr and Wreck Gar could no longer be found even if one wanted to pay for it.

This week, the only pieces that I see from this Wave is Kup and its going for something close to HKD$250-280. United Jazz and Tracks, from the previous Wave are have already breached the HKD$300 mark. 

So in 2 weeks, the price has approximately jumped from HKD$175 to HKD$250, an almost 60% increase. And one cannot even find these if they wanted to. 

Crazy huh?

Example 2:

Thursday: Transformers Generations Wave 7 (Wheeljack, Thundercracker, Scourge and Kup) was released last Thursday (more or less). HobbyBase was selling each set for HKD$499, a pretty reasonable price, at approximately HKD$120 per piece.

Friday: On the very next day, the shops at Richmond Centre were selling a set for HKD$650. Want to just buy Thundercracker? Sure, that's HKD$168. Want to just buy Wheeljack? Sure, that's HKD$188. Otherwise, this Wave was more of less sold out in the YMT, Mong Kok and Wan Chai area.

Saturday: This was a slightly better day, managed to secure a few Wheeljacks and Thundercrackers from the Causeway Bay TRU at 'retail price', soon to be an anachronism in the Hong Kong of today.

Tuesday (today): Walked around the entire Wan Chai area (ie about 10 shops). Again, no Generations Wave 7 for retail price. Wheeljacks for HKD$300 and Thundercracker for HKD$199. 

So in less than a week, the price for Thundercracker has approximately jumped from HKD$120 to HKD$199 - a 65.8% increase, in 5 days! For Wheeljack, the price has gone from HKD$120 to HKD$300 - a 150% increase, in 5 days!!!

Like the guy in 300 said "This is madness!"

Generations Wheeljack is an exceptional toy

I got my Generations Wheeljack on the Friday that just past. Then on Saturday, I bought another 2 more because it is such an impressive toy.

I initially didn't expect it to be so impressive because: 

• this is a Hasbro release and in recent years, the Hasbro releases were usually inferior to the Takara releases;
• this is supposed to be white and Hasbro usually makes them in an unattractive shade of white (take Reveal the Shield Jazz for example); and
• Wheeljack is based on the Tracks mold, which I found okay, but not impressive, certainly not exceptional.

I opened Wheeljack on Saturday and was blown away literally.

It is a great toy in itself, but the parts of the design that were tributes to G1 were unmistakable. While similar with the Tracks mold, it was not exactly alike - there are molding and engineering differences, for example for the lower legs.

What's so exceptional about Generations Wheeljack? 

• For once, Hasbro didn't screw up the colour scheme. The colours are pretty spot on with G1 Wheeljack and the white is actually a snowy type white instead of the dirty off white, of say, Reveal the Shield Jazz.
• Head-sculpt is spot on with G1 Wheeljack. One way that Takara may improve this for the United release is to give him blue eyes using blue plastic light-piping and extend the blue plastic to his head side fins (since these glow blue when Wheeljack talks). Don't really mind the greyish colour of the Hasbro release because it just appears like Wheeljack is not talking.
• While the mold is similar with Tracks, you can actually transform Wheeljack to look like his G1 counterpart - remolded wings to look like G1 Wheeljack, wheels on the arms can be turned sideways to more accurately mirror G1 (for Tracks, the wheels can be made to face front to mirror his G1 transformation, brilliant design here), bonnet of car is covering Wheeljack's lower legs in robot mode, just like his G1 Transformation. This design, just works and works so well for Tracks and Wheeljack).
• The car body kit, especially the body kit for the front of the car, is very reminiscent of G1 Wheeljack's Lancia Stratos Turbo vehicle mode.
• The missile launcher which is the 'gun' for Tracks can actually be mounted on Wheeljack's shoulder and its spot on with his "magnetic inducer" from G1 continuity (see the Desertion of the Dinobots espisode).
• Hasbro also outdid themselves with all the fine touches - for example, the part of Wheeljack's wings which are formed by the car doors is painted silver, like the wing extension, so they look like contiguous wings. This is unlike United Tracks which did not have paint applications on the inside part of the door and looks like he just has a very short white wings (being just the white wing extensions) instead of a long wings that connects all the way to his back.

Wheeljack in car mode - the paint apps are stunning, for a Hasbro release.

Wheeljack in robot mode

Wheeljack compared with his Hard Hero bust which I regard as one of the most G1 accurate sculpts of Wheeljack (actually, Hard Hero busts are very G1 accurate across all the characters they released).

Wheeljack joins the Autobots!

Wheeljack as part of the Autobot Medical and Science team, with Autobot leader Optimus Prime.