1987, Series 4, Fortress Maximus USA box - whoa!

This is part of item #6 of the Calm before the Storm post. 

For some time now, I've been wanting to look for a US boxed Fortress Maximus. At one point, I even debated with myself whether I should get just the US boxed FM or the Jap box C-114 FM. Since as early as 2007, I already had the Jap box C-114 FM MIB, and from then, I was on the look out, on and off, for a US boxed version.

Actually, I only wanted the box, you see. I thought it'd be awesome to the US box FM and the Jap box C-114 FM next to each other. That'd be all sorts of cool.

Some time in mid April this year, an opportunity arose - an OZ Former member I've traded with in the past was selling his collection and among the pieces being sold was a US boxed FM. The asking price plus shipping from Australia would result in the price being a hair's breadth away from $2,000. I tried to move the price down to a more palatable level but he would not budge because there is another member who has a "hold" on the toy and is trying to pay by installments.

My thoughts were that there is value to a seller to be able to receive funds in full, and immediately on concluding a deal, but I will not pay the asking price and wanted, in fact, just a mere 5.5% revision downwards of the price - seriously, just a drop in the ocean. Seller did not want to budge and preferred to receive payment by installments, which would take either 9 months or 4.5 months to fully pay up.

So I went away and looked elsewhere.

Just so happened that someone on TFW2005 was also selling a FM USA box, for US$250, which I thought was more than reasonable given the sheer size of the box (came with styro insert too). This is the seller's sale thread.

So I bought it, and here it is.

TOP OF BOX

Very decent looking and depicts FM in all his 3 modes.

FRONT OF BOX

This is of course the most beautiful part of the box and perhaps its main selling point.

Full frontal shot of box front. Very impressive looking box art. Perhaps not as nice as the Jap box C-114 art, but very impressive nonetheless. It is this piece of art, rather than the C-114 piece, that brings back fond childhood memories for me. I remember a US boxed FM selling at Isetan Havelock Road for only SGD$110, and it was there for months and months and still no one bought it.

Showing his 'double' headmaster feature.

Bluesteak MIB unused (rub-sign version, Series 1, assortment 2)

This is part of item #3 in my Calm before the Storm post on 23 April 2012.

'Oh my goodness, not another Bluestreak!', you must be thinking.

Haha, yes, it's another Bluestreak. The question is why?

It's pretty well know that I am very fond of Bluestreak as a character and as a toy. This is another chapter in my Bluestreak saga:

• "blue" Bluestreak MIB (Diaclone, CarRobots No.7, blue Fairlady Z)
• Bluestreak MISB (pre rub, assortment 1)
• Bluestreak MIB (pre rub, assortment 1)
• Bluestreak MIB (rub-sign version, assortment 2) - aka this particular one

Other reason I bought this was because I was also buying a pre rub Prowl from the seller and wanted this to hitch a ride along... heh.

Here is it, front of box.

Cyclonus, "blue ear" variant (1986, Series 3, assortment 1)

Got this from UK seller Specimen-17 awhile back, together with a job lot of Micromasters that I bought form him. Somehow, posting him onto the blog slipped through the cracks and I neglected to talk about him.

As one of the few Transformers figures that I have retained from my childhood days (D-70: Cyclonus, here), I am incredibly fond of Cyclonus as a toy. I've like him since I was young. The "Transformers Universe" profile of Cyclonus just really sparked me imagination of him being an effective, remorseless and merciless warrior that is fiercely loyal to Galvatron.

This is his Transformers Universe profile:

"Cyclonus is a huge and emotionless air-warrior metamorphosized from parts of dead Decepticons and remnants by Unicron. Like Galvatron, he derives vast resources of power and energy through Unicron and so can draw on strength in direct proportion to its need- always being able to become stronger than his opponents because of his access to the infinite reservoir of power that Unicron represents. A dedicated destructor, Cyclonus transforms into a gigantic multi-engine (and perhaps multi-wing) jet fighter. His firepower remains intact and is augmented by an incendiary bomb rack. Cyclonus is capable of an additional transformation, trimming his wings and tail back to assume a space-worthy rocket mode for interstellar pursuit and warfare. He has no personality, no interests other than conquests for the sake of Unicron, and no weakness."

Very cool, I know. That, and the fact that I think it was Skywarp, one of my favourite Decepticon seekers, that became Cyclonus, sets him heads and shoulders above other 1986 Decepticons.

Like the "painted top" Scourge, I knew of a "blue ear" variant of Cyclonus since the early 2000s, a little late in the day admittedly. However, the "blue ear" Cyclonus was, as I were to experience it, a lot rarer than a "painted top" Scourge and therefore, more expensive. It was not really affordable to me back during the Uni days, so I did not acquire him, till now.

A rare opportunity - Takara SCF Wave 6 chase figures: Dirge and Galvatron (metallic) MIB

Yesterday (Sunday), E had to attend a wedding dinner, meaning my evening was free. After sending her to the wedding dinner venue, I went down to YMT with a friend that collects Lego. He was there for Lego, I was just doing my usual walk-around the toy shops.

Imagine my surprise when I saw these at a shop....

Admittedly, these are pretty non-descript and not many collectors would bat an eyelid. These are the Takara SCF Act 6 chase figures - Dirge and Galvatron in metallic colours.

Chase figures are randomly packed into SCF boxes which contained 6 regular coloured figures and 6 completely pewter coloured counterparts. SCF Act 6 consists of (1) Convoy with Megatron in gun mode, (2) Rodimus Convoy of green visor, (3) Ratchet, (4) Ramjet, (5) Thrust and (6) Soundblaster and then pewter versions of these 6 figures. 

All figures are blind packed in identical boxes and the only way one can be 100% sure that one gets a complete wave is to buy a MISB box of 12 figures.

In a ratio of about 1 in 10 boxes of 12 figures each, there would be 1 chase figure substituted in place of any of the above 12 figures, again blind packed so you would not know whether your box contains chase figures unless you open the box for each individual figure.

To cut a long story short, chase figures are hard to come by, even back in the day.

Chapter IX: Transformers 2010, from Sydney to Hong Kong

This day and right this time is significant for me, another milestone. 

So I thought it appropriate to schedule the next chapter of my collecting milestone running story, The Origin Story, now and on today.

Here is chapter IX of my story...

***

The year 2010 coincides with Transformers 2010, the Japanese equivalent of USA Season 3.

For me, it was also a fantastic year for Transformers. I would have been quite wrong if I thought that 2009 (see Chapter VIII: 1988 once more) was the high-watermark of Transformers collecting in recent years because on hindsight, 2010 was more amazing, very much so.

In January, the year commenced with a blast - E and I visited Tokyo and all the Mandarakes there. The sheer amount of vintage G1 Transformers there was just mind-blowing. This trip was very significant because I discovered Transformers TV Artbooks and I had a very memorable time playing with and combining Raiden with E in the cozy hotel room after a full day of Transformers shopping.

January 2010 Tokyo acquisitions

A few months later in April 2010, E and I travelled to Singapore and Hong Kong, to visit friends and family, and also for more toy hunting! Significantly, I physically saw for the very first time, my holy grail (I only have 1 grail), diaclone blue Fairlady Z, aka 'blue Bluestreak'. Wow. Unfortunately, it was way overpriced and I declined to buy it. That was 'regret' #1. Regret #2 was not buying C-108: Artfire MIB unused, at a asking price of USD$835. By that time, I had already bought way too many TFs and things and decided to pass. On hindsight and with prices they way they are in the years to come, that Artfire was a steal.

A regret...

After returning to Australia from the HK/ SG trip, I joined another firm. Work was crazy busy, but then so was TF acquisition. In a short span of 2 months and almost in consecutive succession, I bought and acquired the likes of Bumperjumper, D-328: Dinoking giftset (stickers unapplied), US boxed Darkwing and Dreadwind (I've always wanted these in box), pre-rub Ravage and Rumble MOSC, D-311: Black Zarak MIB, C-303: Minelba (unused) and C-326: Galaxy Shuttle MIB. I could hardly catch my breath (and think my wallet was gasping too!).

C-326: Galaxy Shuttle was another milestone too. I have been on the look out for one for about a year because this is a piece that E really liked. Somehow, I always arrived on the scene too late and the potential sellers have already sold theirs. After months and months of painstakingly watching eBay and Yahoo Japan, I finally won a MIB C-326 on YHJ for E.

E's awesome Galaxy Shuttle.

June through September saw me plowing through the Headmasters/ Masterforce/ Victory toys and acquiring them one after another after another. It was pretty scary.

By September, E had already been posted to Hong Kong permanently and I was in Sydney by myself for a month. In October, I flew to Hong Kong to join her and to take up a position at another firm. This was perhaps the most significant change in 2010 - where we permanently relocated from Sydney to Hong Kong. I very much liked it of course, because Hong Kong is one of the best places in Asia (and perhaps the world) to source for vintage G1 Transformers. To be here permanently meant that I could have very regular access to the toy shops in Hong Kong!

I was kindly farewelled by the great guys from the OZ Formers boards. I miss you guys!

In the first month and a half of being in Hong Kong, I pushed my Japanese exclusives list further to completion by chalking up many Masterforce MIB figures and a lot of Henkei! You could say I 'hit the ground running'.

I ended the year 2010 with a bang by scooping up 2 very desirable giftsets on 31 December - the Goodbye Convoy giftset and the Goodbye Megatron giftset. What a fantastic way to end a fantastic and eventful year!

The giftsets and lots of Henkei.

~ HD

***

Read other Chapters of The Origin Story...
Introduction
Chapter 0: Prologue
Chapter I: Fantasies & Inflections (1984 to 1991)
Chapter II: The Re-awakening (1999)
Chapter III: A New Beginning (1999 to 2001)
Chapter IV: Boxed Agendas (2002)
Chapter V: Coming to Australia (2003 to 2006)
Chapter VI: Crisis on Infinite Fronts (2006)
Chapter VII(1): A Transformers Renaissance (2007)
Chapter VII(2): A Transformers Renaissance (2007)
Chapter VIII: 1988 Once More (2009)
Chapter IX: Transformers 2010, from Sydney to Hong Kong (2010)

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...

Prowl MIB unused (pre-rub version, Series 1, assortment 1)

This is part of item #3 in my Calm before the Storm post on 23 April 2012.

Very much like my recent D-60: Condor (aka Laserbeak) acquisition, this one is very much to get back that slice of childhood.

While I'm fuzzy about which Transformer was my first (I think it's Wheeljack), I'm almost 100% certain that Prowl was my brother's first Transformer. In the weeks following when we received our first Transformers, Prowl made up 50% of my brother's and my 'entire' Transformers collection. It goes without saying that our childhood Prowl and Wheeljack were in very well played with condition.

So, here he is - pre rub Prowl (ie: from the very 1st assortment of 1984 and one of the very first Transformers that graced the toy shelves).