I love him, Jon, I think he's a fantastic toy and only let down by the levels of fixing required upon purchase.

No complaints otherwise. But then I have not yet attempted the stickers.

All the best
Maz

 

I remember when I was collecting vintage and Diaclone early on in my horrific descent into this hobby, there were so many times when I would buy big lots of toys just to get an accessory or half a leg because it was cheaper to build a Diaclone red Tracks that way than drop 400 dollars on a complete one. I did that a lot with rarer G1 variants and Diaclone at the time as I was a student and collected on a fiercely tight budget. I also had ungodly amounts of time to spend online.

I think that sort of method wore off on my current collecting as well, so if I do see a part of a set that I want, I am liable to just buy the whole set and sell off the bits I don't want - I would have done that with the Knights Of Unicron SDCC set but I saw someone selling individuals on eBay and there was also Lena, I tried to do that with the SDCC Titans Return 3 pack, and somehow ended up keeping all the bits - one of the ways in which I ended up where I am today with every sodding toy in the line. That wasn't the plan, originally.

But, I'm not even sure how viable it is to go and buy complete Siege sets now to part out, because the price of entry into that endeavour is rather high. I paid £150 for my set or thereabouts, £180 for Chaos On Velocitron. I was just tired of missing out on exclusives, but yeah, it's not always an option to go in large and part out what you don't need.

I do hope you pick one up soon, but I suspect the way to go is waiting for someone to sell their set and hope they are ok with selling the bots individually, or maybe go in with a group buy to get the one you want.

I know it's a massive hassle and faff to buy a set, keep what you want and then do forum, Facebook, Twitter or eBay sales to get the rest sold...but it does work and you do end up with the figure you want at a price that is more agreeable than a full set.

All the best
Maz

 

Exactly what we spent the last two days doing, best bit of the holiday by far.

 

Is it wrong?, my favourite toy ive picked up recently is my dirty ko sunstorm. Chuffed as monkeys to pick him up finally,

 

OMG. I SOOOOO wanted one of these back in the day, but the price from BBTS (plus shipping) always put me off (because I was a newly returned adult collector and back then all I knew was BBTS or eBay). Of course, if you tell me now how much it cost back then I would weep because it's probably a figure I would be comfortable with paying now, or found it cheaper elsewhere... and even thinking 'THAT'S A GREAT DEAL!'

That one Car Robots figure I missed big time. And hey, what's the deal with all these boxed pics? Are they all from your collection or something? Cuz you've got some nice stuff.

@bcm77, hrm. I don't want to just wade in here with my advice about getting out there, because if you're as damaged as you say you are it's gonna be too hard to just go out there. It's a toughie. I will say (because you know me, always sticking my nose in haha) that your first priority is sorting out your head. You say you have mental health issues, fine, after all nobody's perfect. But is there anything you can do about it?

I'm kinda loathe to suggest 'just take some anti-depressants' because (I feel) it's always better to address the source not just take magic pills to make it go away. Using prescription drugs like that... well (to me) there's not much difference between them and harder more illegal drugs. After all, a lot of the time people take those harder illegal drugs to escape something, which is exactly what the prescribed drugs would do.

Hrm. Actually there's a big difference, illegal drugs are illegal (duh) but also expensive and addictive. My point (if I can ever get it out (pnaaar) this morning) is motivationally there's not much difference using legal/illegal drugs to surface skim fix the problem.

ANNNNNNYWAY, is there any kind of counselling you can go to? I talking actual therapy sessions (IIRC the NHS does allow a certain number of free sessions, but you have to ask for them? Better get them now before the Hag privatises the NHS to line her own pockets) where you sit on a couch and talk about your 'childhood' and 'feelings'.

I suspect... that if you can sort your head out there (and by 'sort out' I mean 'understand') it'll be easier to get yourself out there and everything else will be in arms reach.

Ah, changing the subject completely, remember at TFN 2016 there was an EPIC Rock Lords collection on display? Well that fella is one of us Pubers, and it was a genuine privilege to source him an ultra rare Rock Lord that even he didn't know existed.

Nic Hughes on Twitter

What do you mean 'not real'? Well whoever made that then must be very good at Photosh... waaaaaait a minute.

 

I know there's a few who like a nod to G1 toys in here... well feast your eyes gentlemen if you want that option on your MP Megs.

 

Lads are looking pretty fucking good with those weapons la!

@bcm77 I'd second Kit's suggestion of seeing if you get counselling. Being able to verbalise all the thoughts that are going on to someone that'll listen non judgementally can be a really good pressure valve in the short term and can really help you understand yourself better in the long run.

This boy right here is stunning. I honestly think he does a big wee wee on the Hasbro version, even with the big chest gasp and the fact that the chest is so big his jaw is constantly in his chest's shadow.

 

Now that Max redeco scheme might just tempt me.

Okay, that's a literal start (noun, sense 2) for the weekend The Commuter Club, who rejected my application for a Bus & Rail Zones 2-5 Annual Pass at least, what, about THREE MONTHS AGO at a morning brain guess, have just deducted £101 from my bank account for the for the Annual Pass I do NOT have because they rejected my application to the Commuter Club scheme.
Their phoneline is also closed for the weekend until Monday (I've doublechecked).

This weekend I will mostly be simmering.

That it amusingly happened on Friday the 13th will not let them off the hook for nicking £101 quid off of me.  

Looks like it's an earlier start than I was planning to get this gear posted AND nip in to the bank to see if I can head this fraudulent debit off at the pass!

 

If I may, Kit, I'd like to say that personally I think it's a little irresponsible to warn someone off taking anti-depressants like that. Yes, in some instances undoubtedly they're not much more than a plaster that covers over a wound but doesn't heal it. But it's also true that in a large number of cases they can be absolutely vital. It's easy to sit here and tell people to do this or that, but some people are so mentally ill that any sort of positive personal intervention is virtually impossible. A period spent on anti-depressants can give people the stability they need to address their problems and start building toward a balanced, happy and eventually drug-free life.

Plus, to equate mental health drugs prescribed by a doctor to recreational drugs? Come on now. Illegality is hardly the real extent of the difference.

I will agree, though, that I'm sure for many people their problems are entirely solvable if they just take a bit of personal responsibility and actually do something about their complaints rather than just going online and endlessly listing off all the ways the world is unfair to help and getting in the headspace of thinking they're helpless victims. Newsflash - the world is harsh, and unfair. But as bad as you think you've got it there are literally millions of people who have had it far, far worse and have got off their arse and improved things for themselves.

 

wow, that's some serious bullshit right there. I hope your bank can sort it, or at least not charge you any fees if this theft makes you overdrawn.

 

My first figure in several months had proven to be as awesome as I thought. The mold was made for her as much as it was made for Brainstorm. The face sculpt is amazing.



Also, I have been trying to use the M6 a bit more instead of taking back to my 5D Mark 3s. It does feel a bit odd trying to balance the gear on such a tiny body.

 

Of course you may!

Hmm, I get what you're saying about the anti-depressants... it's no excuse but it was early and my brain hadn't (still hasn't?) fully kicked in yet. What I should have said, is that that any round of Anti-depressants should be combined with proper therapy. And yeah, mental health drug and illegal drugs... like I said. Brain not in gear.

I will give an example though, I have a friend who has some serious issues with his childhood (which he's not addressing) and that plus many other factors caused him to spiral out of control a bit. Now, he's actually been to Doctors and they've prescribed him a course of anti-depressants which he's clung to like a magic elixir, but he's not done anything to really sort out why he's depressed. Now the end of the course is nigh (as these courses have set time limits to try and curb dependancy) but of course he's shitting it a bit because the underlying problems are still there and he's spent the entire time shying away from them, rather than using the extra breathing space to help him address those issues.

Which is part of my resistance to drugs. But no, you're right, I was a berk earlier.

Oh, BTW, Doctor Who is a big pile of shit.

Ahh... cosmic balance restored.

 

In all seriousness though I am intrigued with the new Doctor... the series was (finally) taking advantage of Capaldi's potential but then he... y'know. Left.

Ooof. I have taken up... skipping. Jesus it's harder then I remember. Trying to build my self up to skipping non stop for 10 minutes. It's only 5 minutes so far, but y'know I only really started skipping again for a week or so.

However my Kung Fu teacher has thrown a spanner into the works but suggesting something that 'seemed' very simple... It was hop 1 on one leg, then hop 1 on the other. The switch hop 2, switch hop 2, then hop 3 R, hop 3 L, all the way to 10 hops on each leg (no breaks) and then work your way back down to 1 from 10. I could barelt get up to 7 before my legs were saying 'nope'.

HAHAHHAA. Old man.

 

Another family photo, never been so happy with a custom.

My next project is making a Titans return eject.

 

Yes, I thought this last series was actually good. I want to see more of Capaldi's Doctor, it's a shame we've only got the Christmas episode left with him.

 

Just a few comments on psychiatric meds:

They do tend to get used as a panacea, and really should be used alongside talking therapies, like @tikgnat says. When that happens, they do help a lot of people.

There's a bit of a difference with being depressed for a reason, and it being so deep seated that you no longer know why you're depressed. The former can be treated effectively with a bit of CBT and talking therapy. The latter tends to be more suited to using meds alongside talking therapy.

The problem for both is that waiting lists are insanely long for talking therapy (my wait was six months, and a further six for the psychiatric refferal), so meds are an easy stop gap, even when not appropriate.

Right, I promise to stop banging on about mental health and talk about robots! Have a picture of Gnaw preventing my attempts to watch TV!


EDIT: I have no idea where the black box on the edge of the pic came from. Bloody phone!

 

OMG. Is that... basically a fully functional Headmaster Scorponok? I... I want one.

 

It's not a cheap recipe, energon scorponock+ pe SD scorponock and the headrobots green king neck.

There is a shapeways piece which I'm going to look into modifying though so watch this space.

 

You're inviting me to talk about Doctor Who? DANGER DANGER!!! I should not wish to bore you all but will say that IMO Capaldi has been a magnificent Doctor. Before him we'd had three modern Doctors who while all brilliant in their own right (especially Smith), were broadly similar. Capaldi was a break from that mold (to varying extends across his series), and for that I applaud him. I do think he had a weaker run of episodes overall, though. The highs were incredibly high (Face the Raven-Heaven Sent-Hell Bent, Listen, Flatline, Magician's Apprentice-Witche's Familar, World Enough in Time-Doctor Falls) but the overall average fell short of Moffat's other work. And the lows (Doctor Mysterio, Forest of the Night, Sleep No More) were shockingly bad. Love love love that they've had the nerve to go with Jodie for the 13th and cannot wait to see how it changes things, although it sounds like she's just one of many significant changes for the show (fewer, longer episodes and possible serialisation, which I think sounds absolutely great).

 

Cheers, bud!
Not overdrawn, fortunately my bit of freelancing, plus recent TF sales and, to be honest, being too ill to get out on the razz has left me with the best financial cushion I've had in aaaaaaages! Lucky, lucky old man.

The thought of if that hadn't been the case, and that if I hadn't looked at my email at an ungodly hour (for which I'd like to thank @mcluskyism, if not for a bit of peer-to-peer sales admin. P.S.- Your gear is on the way, check your PMs for details!) I most likely may not have seen it until the weekstart, is gonna fire the stove for a rather irate but not abusive telephone call Monday.
My last correspondence from them is literally the 10th June email declining my application! Actually FOUR months ago!

I could pretty much tell from my Cashier's attitude that she could have really done without it this morning but eventually, after some further keyboarding, she looked into whether I could enact a claim & investication on it yet as I've caught it early whilst it's still metaphorically in the gears between me & the recipient, and that's what we've done.
We've taken the punt on 'paid for and not received a service' with the details that I was actually rejected from the loan scheme (that's essentially what it is) for the transport pass attached, the bank will refund the amount to my account, if it's not claimed by the Commuter Club or someone at their end realises then returns it to me they'll take back the refund, and if their investigation judges it a legit payment I am of course liable and they will deduct the amount again. Pretty confident about the results but one never knows, so I'll be waiting and seeing.
It is a wee bit galling to still have all this hassle from a scheme I was rejected by FOUR months ago!
I also hope this is a limited mistake that is pretty singular because if this has happened to a number of rejectees, especially if they were rejected due to low income, £101 is a hell of a punch to the pocket, maybe even enough (if it's happened at the right wrong time financially) to push someone like myself in a 16-to-20 part time employment into debt!!!

At least I had my financial cushion (and a big pile of bots) to ameliorate it!