Favourite Toy Finds Story

Discussion in 'The Toyark' started by Autovolt 127, Feb 12, 2007.

  1. JinraiPrime

    JinraiPrime 1000+ Post Club Member

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    I bought 5 TFs off a dude on ebay all Armada... I asked the guy if he had any others to let me know. I ended up getting 65 figures including Nemesis Prime, RID Magnus and RID Prime for $200 all MOC/MISB and that pretty much started the frenzy that im in now.
     
  2. GetterDragun

    GetterDragun Well-Known Member

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    I'd have to say it was the Diaclone Marlboor Wheeljack I found in a local store.
     
  3. GogDog

    GogDog Logic's wayward son Veteran

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    A little over a year ago, the news of the Transformers movie sparked some deep nostalgia in me, and I began doing random searches on the internet regard various Transformers related stuff. I stumbled upon some pics of Alternators, which at the time, I had never seen before. It had been probably years since I had stepped into a toy aisle. I came across a gallery of Alternators Shockwave, and my mouth literally hit the floor. I was very much intrigued with this toy, and thought about it for days. One day while I was working, I stopped into various Walmarts and Targets, wondering if they had Shockwave. Some store had other Alternators, but I didn't see any Shockwaves. Finally, on the way home, I stopped into my local TRU, which I think was the first time I had ever gone into it. Low and behold, they had a single Shockwave on the shelf. I think I played with it for hours that night. That was quite literally the toy that got me back into the fandom. If I hadn't found that toy that afternoon, I really doubt that I would be posting on this forum today. Nor would I have spent the hundreds of dollars I have on Transformers over the past year! :) 
     
  4. alphie

    alphie Veteran

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    I think the best toy finds story was 06 Botcon. Thanks to Liokaiser I found me a MISB Soundwave Tape Deck. Dealer wanted $125 for it and I talked him down to $90. :D  Then on top of that I got a MIB Deceptopack for only $35 at the Hartman's booth!
     
  5. REDLINE

    REDLINE longer days, plz? Veteran

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    I hate all of you, I've never gotten a TF baragain :( 
     
  6. KA

    KA Well-Known Member

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    lol your mum kicked ass XD
     
  7. Sol Fury

    Sol Fury The British Butcher Veteran

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    Change "TF" for "Brave" and you've got the story of how I got a lot of my Braves. One monster of a haul, goodness knows how much it actually cost, but I got Great Goldran (Japanese giftset, styrofoam and all), Great Ganbaruger, King Gosaurer and a whole bunch of others on that one. Quite a few of the really hard to find guys too.

    I also once managed to go to a car boot sale and pick up a Metroplex, Motormaster and Powermaster Optimus all complete, pristine condition, all parts and no stickers applied. £25 for the lot. That was one of the better hauls.

    My brother also once found me a "big white jet" which "doesn't look like any of the other ones you own" for £1. Imagine my surprise when I found out he meant Starsaber!
     
  8. Colorflash

    Colorflash European Variant

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    9 3/4 sets of 4 Machine Robo Devil Invaders with outer boxes and paperwork hosed, styrofoam inserts all present, toys ranging from C-7 to C-10 mostly.

    Mislisted on Ebay.

    Cost me 70 bucks shipped. 1.50 dollars each.

    Zoids:
    - Got a hell of a deal from a guy in my country. Got all original European Zoids with boxes and instructions + lots of spares for 600 Euro. Bargain.
    - Later, for 30 Euro, I got another lot of Zoids including the ultra-rare European blue Mammoth (Japanese one released over here with sticker on box).
     
  9. Arcsylver

    Arcsylver Well-Known Member

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    Good TF finds huh.

    Well I have a few stories.

    The best one so far is when I was digging around on ebay looking for good condition R.I.D. car brothers to replace the incomplete ones I had in my collection when I stumble upon a set of the three in the "Turbocharged" paint scheme. Only wierd thing was they were clear plastic. Was not sure if these were legit or not but they were too cool to pass up so I bid and scored them for $52 shipped from Hong Kong. Turned out to be the con exclusive set worth three times what I paid for them.

    Then there was the time I walked into a local shop with Bandron and Raudoc here on the boards to see what a place had and looking at the primes they had stacked like cord wood Bandron nearly yanks me off my feet and points out to me a R.I.D. Scourge sitting there. I ask to see it and as I am looking at it I realise it is 100% complete just no packaging. I ask how much and the guy says $25. I didn't let him get the whole thing out of his mouth. I had it at the register at more like Twen....


    The last deal I scored was from a TFW member here. I had been searching high and low for a Alternators Swerve for less than $100 with no luck when a member here PM's me about one they had availible. I ask how much and they say $31 shipped. I replied with "Weare are talking about ALTERNATORS Swerve right?" The answer was yes and the Swerve now sits proudly among the other 24 Alts on my shelf.
     
  10. Goaliebot

    Goaliebot All Makes and Models

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    #1) A G1 Jetfire in perfect shape, mostly white, with gun (no armor) for 1 dollar canadian at a garage sale.

    #2) A complete and minty diaclone Soundwave (missles, guns, everything) for $2 cdn at a different garage sale.

    #3) G1 Scourge, Twin Twist, another Jumpstarter, and a couple smaller random G1 TF's for a $1 cdn for the lot at yet another garage sale.

    I love garage sales. :) 

    #4) My then-fiance (now wife) had her best friend pick me up a G1 Jetfire complete in box, minty white, all armor for $100 from a little toy shop in the middle of nowhere, Maine. My wife gave it to me for my birthday a month later.
    Jaw... floor.

    #5) 10 G2 Cyberjets, 1 G2 Onslaught, and a G2 Optimus (G1 remake with black trailer) for under $20 usd total out the door from Target's clearance aisle. This was back in 1996 or 97 - I was in University at the time. They are all minty and on my collection shelves right now. I picked up the other 4 G2 Combaticons for $10 on eBay last year.
     
  11. JinraiPrime

    JinraiPrime 1000+ Post Club Member

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    Remember the dude i got all the RID stuff from? Well he also sold me a Jap. Laser Convoy MIB which was further sealed in a plastic bag, and a complete Predaking - weapons. for 150 us.
     
  12. peeman

    peeman Well-Known Member

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    walking into forbidden planet (a uk import shop known to be very expensive)

    and finding a japanese superlink scorponok for £15.99 (uk retail was 24.99 for the hasbro version)
     
  13. Omegatron

    Omegatron Mandatory Fun. Buy it now TFW2005 Supporter

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    Not necessarily a great toy, but it made me happy. I've been searching recently for GoBots for my nearly 3-year old daughter, so she could have a couple TFs of her own. While in Toys R Us after Christmas, the lady two people in front of me returned one. I asked if I could buy it, and the cashier looked at me knda strange and said, 'sure.' She rang it up, and with tax, it cost me 75 cents. Best bargain since $5 6" Titaniums at Target.

    -Tony!
     
  14. Deefuzz

    Deefuzz Beard On! Beardmaster! Veteran

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    Mine cannot come anywhere close to topping Draven's awesome story, but I will throw one out there that still sticks out in my mind.

    Back when I was getting back into collecting TF's was during RID. I had been downloading and watching all the episodes and just really getting into it. This was probably my Senior year of college, so I did the whole "up until 4 or 5 in the morning, sleep in and miss class thing" pretty much all the time. Alot of these late nights I would go to the local 24 hour Wal-Mart to look for RID figures to continue my collection. I REALLY wanted the trains (Railspike, Rapid Run, Midnight Express) but could never find them.

    So one day I walk into the local Target and see all three trains, plus a few other carded figures I wanted to get too. So I grab the three trains and walk a little further down the aisle to check out the carded figures, but to look through them I had to put the trains down so I had my hands free. As I am looking through the pegs some dude and his girlfriend come into the aisle to look at TF's as well, and then to my surprise the chick grabs off of my stack right in front of me. I was prepared to get belligerent as hell, but she just kind of looked at the packaging and then placed it back.

    I thought to myself "to hell with this" and picked up my 3 trains along with a few carded figures (which for some reason escape me at this point) and walk immediately out of the aisle. As I walk towards the registers I hear the boyfriend yell "arrrggghhh!!!" and a smile found it's way across my face.
     
  15. Team Jetfire

    Team Jetfire Pop-POP!

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    A few over the years.

    1. I decided to start collecting the new bendy Spider Man (Pre-legends) and had fifty bucks to spend. After going to every toy store in Calgary (comic, Wal-mart and 2/3 TRUs) I was left with two, but still looking for Venom and Black spidy. Almost giving up I went to the last TRU and low and behold I found the two I was looking for. After it was all said and done I was floored; what a great hunt.

    2. After initially watching BW I was never really into the new style of transformers, but I was brought over (as a collector) because of Beast Machines. I then decided to go back and try and get the past beast wars releases. I was lucky enough to find some of the later release like transmetal two, but the rest had to be hunted.

    - Bw Rat Trap and Air razor- found at a comic book store, loose, but with all accessories. To this day I have never seen either in any capacity. Bought them both for 5 bucks.

    - BW fuzar Quickstrike. I use to love going to random Zellers stores looking for old toys. (for what ever reason they never cleared them out like Walmart or TRU.
    One day I check it out and as a fluke it was there on the pegs. It was almost like it was a random one in the back.

    3. Just recently I took the family down to Disneyland and was able to check out a target and TRU. I came back with quite a haul:
    - BW 10th ann Optimus and Meg (both not released in Canada)
    - Cyertron Smokescreen
    - Cybertron Quickmix
    And a whole slough of Sigma six figures that were never released in canada.
    It was prob the single most expensive trip to tru ever, but well worth it.
     
  16. revlimiter

    revlimiter Bot Hacker

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    I was wandering Target early one Sunday morning. No new TFs, screaming kids, FAT annoying parents. I escaped the TF aisle on the only route that was available and ended up on the car aisle. It was quiet and empty. I took a brief pause.

    I looked down and there was a red Dodge truck in a fishbowl box. I said "Hmm. Looks like Alt. Optimus". My eyes focused. It WAS Alt Op! He was right on the top, nuzzled between the big Hotwheels. I pounced.

    I thought to myself, "I wonder if there's any more?" I looked down. On the bottom shelf behind a small-ish truck was a blue and white striped Ford GT. MUAHAHAHAHA! Prime and Mirage in one swoop, right when they were first released. I silently thanked the screaming kids and their fat parents.
     
  17. Mr. Wholesome

    Mr. Wholesome WWOD What Would Ops Do?

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    A couple weeks ago I went out on a hunt for classics just needing 4 to complete the line until Devastator. I went to TRU, Target, Walmart and Fredmeyer finding cleaned out TF isles. But there was one Target a little out of the way that I decided to stop at.
    Not expecting to find much I strolled around before actually making my way there. Once I turned the isle it was like a gold ray of light shining from heaven. They were LOADED! With a capital LOADED! I found several Grimlocks, Cliffjumpers, and Ramjets (which was what I needed). There were even minicons of all kinds and a plethora of 6" Tits. People were probably wondering why a 6 1/2 foot 320 pound man was doing giggling in the toy section. I mean I couldnt resist. I had to go get a cart even.

    Ahh what a day that was. :D 

    And then a week later I also got reissue Soundwave, DVD Prime, Primus, and Jetfire in the mail.
     
  18. alphie

    alphie Veteran

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    I completely forgot about the best toy find story of mine. :lol 

    This was when Alt. Wheeljack was JUST showing up in stores, so he was pretty new. The Wal-Mart near me discontinued Alts for awhile so I thought I will never find one. Went on a TF hunt at another Wal-Mart with Gen. Magnus and what does, he find an Alt. Wheeljack. He offered it to me, but I didn't have money so he went and bought it. A few weeks later, I go into the Wal-Mart that discontinued Alts and what do I see on the shelf with the Megablocks (I was collecting these as well at the time) but an Alt Wheeljack. I instantly snatch it and saw it had a clearance price tag of $7.99. In disbelief I went to the price checker and it rang up that price. I actually jumped for joy and bought it right away. :D 
     
  19. JinraiPrime

    JinraiPrime 1000+ Post Club Member

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    I got Armada Unicron mint complete off ebay shipped from Ohio (im in canada) for 23 us SHIPPED....!!!!!
     
  20. Clutchburn

    Clutchburn Well-Known Member

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    Hmmm I got a few stories to share....
    1 When I first got back into TF's in 2002 I found a G1 Ratchet complete with box in awesome condition for $5 CDN at a flea market.

    2 AT the same flea market a few months later got an intact mirage w/ no weapons but in fair shape for $3

    3 Checking the local Bargain hunter Paper I managed to get an awesome BW collection with about 30 - 40 complete bots in great shape for $100 CDN and not too long ago bought a G1 collection with 20 figures including complete Trypticon, Metroplex, Superion , Trailbreaker, Thundercracker and others for $75 CDN.

    Wheee!