Too many Transformers, too much choice, too little money and definitely not enough space. Then we add the 3rd Party toys coming at us from all angles, and try to balance that against older toys we may be trying to buy (or not buy), and we all develop strategies for staying away from what may bankrupt us. For some the decision to pass on a particular type of product can be arbitrary, for others it’s because it won’t fit with their collection direction. Some may want it all, but can’t afford to give in. From behind a computer screen where gorgeous promotional images and enabling collector photography can only do so much damage, we are safe. However, seeing certain things in the flesh… In The Flesh | Source Blog <- CLICK TO READ All the best Maz
Totally agree. Especially on the Feral Rex gang. No picture is going to sell those figures as fast as handling one.
Very nice, and an excellent celebration of the best Pubecon had to offer. One small thing though, regular guy sized Fort Max isn't an IDW original idea. He spent most of the old Marvel run being regular guy sized too.
I remembered that, I thought I'd get away with it by saying "Unless you’ve read Transformers comics, most recently the Last Stand Of The Wreckers or More Than Meets The Eye ..." because I had absolutely no idea where he actually turned up in the original Furman run All the best Maz
Its funny my frst thought at reading the title was " An article on Pretender? surely Maz has none of them, just does not see his style."
Hah no, the article you are referring to is "Under the Skin" ...oh, no, wait. That was 1500 words on different copyright stampings on G1 Mirage. Pretenders next week. Promise. All the best Maz
Cool enabarticle, Maz! On the subject of 'bots that look better in the flesh, I finally put batteries in my Quakewave. Photographs really don't do justice to how neat the lighting effects really are!
Warden was a big shock to me. I don't really like Perfect Effect's house style or their pricing. And while I like Fortress, he's not really on my top ten list of characters. But then the reviews started rolling in, and people who I trust implicitly were throwing around terms like "figure of the year." The sheer aesthetic wonder of him as a transforming robot toy--and that is not usually what guides my purchases--is staggering. Long story short, I bought him. And while I still can't get his tank or head modes quite right, who cares? Once you pick him up it is psychologically difficult to put him down. Really the only pet peeve for me is the large gun. I would have liked it to be 30-40% smaller and to transform a bit to make a better gun for Warden as well as a gun for Fortress Maximus. I feel silly not knowing what to do with it despite it being part of this very expensive set. But even setting aside half the accessories and never transforming him, he feels like he's worth the money just for the shimmering aura of quality and fun that surrounds him. HE CAN DO TUMMY CRUNCHES.
The article is great, and one that really puts thought to word about much of how I go about my own collecting (free word of advice: stay away from the "Let's See Some Cool Stuff" thread if you are really on a budget). One thing that I found myself nodding in agreement each time was your reactions to each of these figures. KFC Stack - cool, but not quite "Masterpiece". Even more to the point, "Citizen Stack, to me, felt like a really beautiful and large toy not entirely different from the vein that Generations Metroplex exists in, as opposed to a Masterpiece-style high end collector’s item." Yep, I couldn't agree more. Ultra Magnus is a fond character/toy for me, and even if something doesn't "fit" a line, I can find myself wanting it. Citizen Stack is just that. Warden - Again, your own words were my reaction: "He isn’t for everyone, though, if you need to transform your toys on a regular basis with ease and don’t have any sort of connection to IDW Max, then maybe Warden isn’t for you." A local collector friend got one, and while it's a cool thing, it's just not for me. If someone wants a full IDW cast, I can see it. I do not, MP-10B - It's basically G1 Scourge (from RiD). I've not seen a photo yet that does it justice. It's one of those that's so much nicer in hand. Rotorstorm - Mainly here, I've just curbed any G1 that's outside of US 1984-1990 mostly. I have a Machien Wars Sandstorm, and I really feel it's the best iteration of the mold, despite the neutered launchers/lack of missiles. Were I able to afford a full run of G1 (US, Japanese, and European), this wouldn't be a discussion for me. It looks great to me in those colors. Leo Dux - I'm all in on the MMC Feral Rex, and this one is probably the one that I didn't have such a stark reaction to in hand. Other than that sword combined. It's just huge. I think with my stated reactions to some of these, you can already see some of my preventative measures. I'm reminded of this: Stay on Target - YouTube ("Stay on target!") I've seen some collectors that are extremely focused, and the discipline that comes with that is admirable. Conversely, I've seen some collectors that "just buy what looks cool" and while some of those guys tend to function well, others just can't seem to keep control. We all have our pitfalls, and I feel I've done much better recently, I have my own as well. More advice: I mentioned the "Cool Stuff" thread, and another one I fall victim to more often than not are the clearance sales. Quite a spell ago, once "cheap" figures came around, I'd find myself picking up things that I'd otherwise pass on. "Cheap" figures have their appeal to someone who is already on a limited budget, too. The pitfall is losing focus of the overall picture by basically not seeing the forest for the trees here. The antithesis of this article can help as well: just stay away. If you already know your weakness is having these figures in hand, just stay away from them. Even touching a really cool figure can be harmful to your collection focus. Completionism has its own pitfall built in. I think we can all see that one. Logn ago, I gave up the idea that I pretty much had to have anything from the "main line" that Hasbro put out. True completionism would even seek out TakaraTomy's offerings of the same line, often resulting in owning duplicates with little to no difference of any significance anyways. Completionism can lead to the sealed collector, having to have two of everything at least, where one gets a figure to play with and one to forever leave sealed. Having done this with Alternators/Binaltechs, I experienced first hand this pitfall. Fortunately for me, those lines were very brief and have ended. Expanding that type of collecting would blow my mind, I think, were I to go about everything this way. There's a lot more, but these are a few that come to my mind. I'm certainly not trying to hijack anything here, but these are my natural reactions to reading over this, as this article cracks the door on much of these, I feel. Again, excellent read, bud!
I was surprised to see Rotorstorm in here but I agree with what was said. He seems to have shot up in price since LSOTW, which baffles me as just before it came out I paid £50 for a boxed specimin with unused sticker sheet (offered scans to reprolabels who said they were uninterested so I used the stickers though should still have the scanned versions somewhere) Missiles for the turbomasters are relatively easy to come by and there are even repros available on shapeways. But to find a Rotorstorm with in tact Rotors can be difficult Superquad7, you may think that Sandstorm is the best, but really Rotorstorm's colours shout at you so brilliantly that you can't help but admire them.
I challenge anyone not to smile when they turn his eye light on. It's a simple light, it's even been derided as "70s toy technology" by one bitter troll, but its effect doesn't need to be ground breaking, it does exactly what it says on Shockwave's tin. I didn't even know there was a 3rd repaint in Universe, but looking at all 3, I can't see past the original Rotorstorm colours. Lovely thing in the flesh, really is. All the best Maz
Having something surprise you once you see it in person is one of the coolest things about this hobby, and one that unfortunately doesn't happen all that often. My vote: Alternity Thundercracker. I bought him because I thought it was cool and my collection of TC and Skywarp kind of obliged me to buy it, but once he arrived in the mail: Un-be-lievable. The electric metallic blue is one of the best looking shades they have ever used on any Thundercracker. Just like MP-10B, the toy may have its faults and it may seem unimaginitve at first, but the finished product is so beautiful that most of the faults are quickly forgiven and forgotten.
Haha, enabarticle!! A good read Maz, cheers. Now write the article on the trials and tribulations of selling toys.
