so third party stuff is one of the biggest parts of transformer collecting, its p much one of the main reasons im still collecting tbh. but like, third party stuff has changed a lot over the years and most of the earlier (like 2008 to 2015 or smth) stuff is p much just forgotten. figured id make a thread where people can list some of their fav old third party shit ill list two fansproject city commander dunno if this thing is the first ever third party thing ever made, but it sure as hell is the first one to get popular. i cant say much about it yet since i dont own the thing, but if my shipment doesnt fuck up then i should get the shadow commander set tomorrow. ill update this part when i get him main reason why i wanted to mention city commander is well, cause when talking about old third party shit, you kinda have to. i doubt we wouldve gotten all the shit we got now if it wasnt for this thing knight morpher commander yknow i only found out that the same guys who made that recent optus pexus fig made this guy too anyway this thing is so awesome. its based off of the hearts of steel comic (which was g1 but in history) and i really hate how untouched that comic is for the most part cause holy shit some of these designs look cool. old vehicles just look way cooler than the shit we got now and old trains aint an expection to that. the fig itself aint that amazing, its prolly the most literal translation you can make when you combine optimus and a train. but like, it looks cool as all hell? the headsculpt looks great (specially with the visor) the weapons are sick, its great. just sucks that trying to find this fucking thing nowadays is all based on luck alright tfw, your turn. this time i actually really wanna see what people gotta say OH COME ON THE ONE TIME I ASK
I mean...you only created the thread an hour ago, and your general tone and presentation doesn't really inspire a lot of engagement.
I believe first 3P stuff made for “mass” is FP Cliffjumper upgrade kit. 300 pieces made and at one point sold for over $300. Good times. My fave OG 3P is FP Combaticons.
City commander was my first 3P purchase way back when it first came out. I do not own it anymore but it was a pretty cool upgrade set.
I don’t have much love for older 3P stuff (or official for that matter). I guess the “oldest” designs I still really love are the TFC Hercules with shapeways upgrades and Rage of Hercules kit and TFC Uranos with Wing of Uranos upgrade kit and shapeways upgrades. Absolutely no love for the scout sized Fansproject and MakeToys stuff.
City Commander was a watershed moment. Before that 3P stuff was all upgrade kits. City Commander was technically an upgrade kit, but on a level so extreme that it felt like a full bot. It opened the door, which Fansproject then fully walked through with Defender, their Springer. Sometimes I think I should sell my City Commander, but I keep mumbling something about historic significance and holding onto it. That Knight Morpher prime is a favorite of mine in some ways, but dang are the tolerances on it terrible. I also love the Hearts of Steel Shockwave MMC put out -- even if transforming it is terrifying. It's funny to think that back then the book on MMC was "Their toys look cool, but they're fragile and not fun to transform." Times have sure changed, huh! Some others I'd give a shout out to: The Headrobots upgrade kit for ROTF Bludgeon -- still arguably the best modern take on Bludgeon in my mind. Unique Toys Mania King -- Feels like a fish out of water at this point, but he was so wonderful at the time. Maketoys Giant (or more specifically the G1 recolor) -- I'll never forget how in awe I was of this set when I got it. I still think it's an amazing option for a CHUG collection Devastator. The Fansproject Headmasters -- I only have the Chromedome, but I sorta wish I'd bought more, because their transformations were so damn cool. I still think about it every time I see the Brainstorm for sale, even though I have nowhere to put it.
I don’t have a picture but I still love MGT-01 Arcee (later sold under igear). She doesn’t fit anywhere and she’s been greatly improved upon by recent arcees but she was one of my first 3P bots and holds fond memories. She still looks great on her little display stand as a one off, and she was the first G1 inspired Arcee I had ever seen. Plus the retro packaging was so fun to see in hand. Unique toys ManiaKing is another favorite that will be staying in my collection even if he’s outdated. I love his engineering, his packaging, and the memories I have of him in my collection as it was first ramping up. I only have one FP Insecticon - Bombshell, but he’s so fun looking. Knives everywhere, a chain, just a little chunk of weird toy. FP Headmasters are so fun. They don’t fit scale at all with the current WFC line, leaning more toward voyager than deluxe, but they are such a good balance of fun and high-end quality. I love recent MP products but there are so many that I refuse to touch or transform. It really feels like the budget went to the engineering and playability rather than display-ability. PE Warden was an oddity. I was enamored with him but never bothered transforming him because he seemed so fiddly. But he really set new standards for paint and construction quality that I think caused a shift in 3P quality. I appreciate him like I appreciate my Gundam models.
Perfect Effect DX-01 RC Motobot. I got her a couple years ago, but I believe she came out around 2012. I just love the creativity of early 3P CHUG designs, and I’m hopeful we see a Renaissance soon.
He’s at work, but I still love my Fansproject Aerialbots upgrade kit. Antaeus is really something. I held onto Colossus until he broke during an office move. Any time one pops up on the trading forum I’m sorely tempted to get him again.
