Transformers Hard Hero Cold Cast Porcelain Busts

These are the Hard Hero Cold Cast Busts.

Yes, i'm being poisoned again…They look really cool, true representation of the G1 anime.

Saw these at a friend's place, fell in love with the statues…but due to space constraints, i went for only Starscream at first. But after getting the starscream, i had to get the rest…right now i have 5 but not stopping…i WILL get the rest, Optimus Prime, Megatron, Jazz, Wheeljack, Cyclonus etc.

The prices varies a lot and can come really cheap but the shipping can be crazy as these busts weigh really solid.

Each busts is individually numbered and there are 500 pieces for each character.

I would really recommend these for G1 fans...

Ironhide

Me Grimlock!

Soundwave

Prowl

Starscream

There are other statues/busts from other brands (e.g Diamond Select etc) but i think the Hard Hero version beats them all.

Transformers Vintage Targetmaster C-108 Artfire

Managed to snag this exclusive piece while i was having a vacation in Europe.

For some reason, Europe is hopeless for vintages…not only, even for the newer toys like combiner wars, you don't see much in Europe. Whatever happened to the GiGs and European versions?

Or is the problem with me that i do not know where to search? Doesn't mater now.

Managed to get it shipped so that it's waiting for me when i get home…

And it's a beauty.

Unused and complete. Slight yellowing but very very very difficult to find a pristine bone-white piece now, similar to Minerva.

Still puzzling to me why this has become so rare and sought-after. Just a recolor of Inferno, add in a target master and this is the result…just puzzling.

But i'm just happy to be able to get Artfire so let's enjoy this piece for now…

Fairlady Streaking Around...

Should have posted this for a long time….

After Starscream, Bluestreak is probably my next favourite G1 mold.

Nissan Fairlady car mode…very nice! 

Was poisoned time and time again by my good collector buddy who is the ultimate Streak fan.

I am now so poisoned that the only antidote is more streak….

 By advice, i managed to snag myself a pre-rub streak. Really an art piece, the quality and the feel of the pre-rub brings out the excitement in me. I still can remember the feeling very clearly when i have this piece in my hands, MISB…the feeling of opening up a 1984 Transformer toy, just like when i was a kid, the excitement… (except now i'm very much more careful)

Pictured here is the picture of the pre-rub streak, returned back into his box. Plastic prison? probably but i have a couple of streaks more, so i still get my taste of fiddling with streaks now and then.

Here are the other 2 streaks…the Commemorative Reissue Streak and the e-hobby anime (black hood) Bluestreak. Photos coming up next are pictures of the reissues.

Why is Bluestreak called BLUEstreak when it is not blue, one may ask. Even Bluestreak in the 1980s cartoon was silver and black hooded.

This has been explained several times in many forums and several blogs.  I shall not bore you guys further…

October 2014: I had the chance to visit my good buddy, Heroic Decepticon at his apartment in Hong Kong...yes, we managed to meet despite the Hong Kong protest.
really an eye-opener…His display is so cool that i wanted to mimic to my own display. Not to mention that his collection is second to none (exaggerating, yes…probably second to not many :D)

One of my main objective was to see the Diaclone Blue Bluestreak in the flesh and i did!

Here i am, holding the fabled Blue Bluestreak.

Had the chance to play both the Diaclone version as well as the GiG version. wait, and the Diaclone blackhooded streak as well. Damn! so many streaks he has!

So engrossed in playing with the cars, i didn't know he sneaked a few photos that caught me in the act.

Looking at these diaclone pieces really pushes me to want to own 1 of these and i have to step up to look for one…and especially need help of friends and collectors if they chance upon one…
The toy is very very solid, the fine details are painfully straight with well-cut lines. No regrets in getting one…ever.

Transformers Pre Rub Optimus Prime (Convoy) Finally!

Don't know if i should be ashamed to mention this…being a Transformers fan from the 80s, i've never owned a G1 Optimus Prime until 5 years go where i bought the 25th Anniversary G1 Optimus Prime…then i acquired the Grey and Red Bape Optimus Prime...these were the only G1 Convoys…i have never owned a vintage G1 Prime until now….

This piece, a used complete Pre Rub G1 Optimus Prime was acquired at the same time as the Decepticon Jets…In my view probably the best version of Optimus Prime for a G1 fan.

The box wasn't the best in condition, a fair bit of wear but good enough for me, good enough for a first time vintage prime owner like me….

Styrofoam is in good condition, almost pristine...

Here's the truck mode...

Robot mode…Best representation of the G1 artwork…bloated fists and weapons…Most important of all, the rifle matches the artwork, 1980s cartoon…later versions were released with a different, slimmer rifle. Diecast, rubber wheels and all…how could i missed this for all these years?!!

Yeah, bloated fists...

Another thing which stands out from other later versions…Roller comes in grey color which is similar to what shown on the instructions sheet…Also, a good representation…later Rollers come in blue color as shown on the first picture, the 25th Anniversary version...

Next thing about the trailer, the colored sides are actually metal plates, with the colors and designs printed on…Later versions come with stickers….This will not make a significant difference to most collectors whether the patterns are stickers or metal plates but to me, it is important as this shows that this version is the closest to the Diaclone Convoy, the first use of mold and design for Optimus Prime.

The metal plates serves a purpose for the little diaclone drivers where the magnets on their feet can keep the drivers stable by adhering to the metal plates...

IN all, i'm very happy with this version of Optimus Prime, not only being my first vintage prime but as the best version of Optimus Prime…Again, similar to my Decepticon Jets, this is also an opportunity acquisition…and i was not the one who found this opportunity, a friend led me to this and i can never thank him enough...

Prowl, Prowl and Prowl

Taking these pictures and writing this makes me feel like a Prowl slut, but i'm not. Really.

Just happen to own these molds.

In fact, i'm already in love with the G1 Prowl/Streak/Smokescreen mold.

Just got a Universe Deluxe Prowl off a reseller. Yes, i do not have CHUG Prowl before this and i'm wondering why it took so long…fortunately, i did not have to pay a really absurd price for this.

Here's the photo of the 3 versions together…in alternate car mode.

The masterpiece as always is an exact replica of its G1 counterpart, sporting a Fairlady Mold.

In bot mode, the masterpiece is just slightly taller than its deluxe cousin,  but with tons of articulation.

The CHUG Prowl, disappoints me in terms of mold and robustness of the toy. Don't really like this version of Prowl. The doors are flimsy, pop out easily during transformation.

The G1 piece shown here is the Takara box reissue. The details on the face shows mold degradation, but as i've said before the mold rocks big time!

Masterpiece designs never fail to disappoint. but the material of construction disappoints me.

Details of the Masterpiece Prowl's head sculpt.

Very clear lines and you can see a fresh mold used. (look at a reassure Prowl/Streak's face and you will know what i am talking about.

I still feel the G1 mold wins the competition with MP Prowl close behind.

The reasons are the die cast, rubber wheels. The MP mold technically is far better, representing anime Prowl in all categories, but as a toy, it lacks the feel of a masterpiece…lacking the metal and rubber.

I always feel that the later pieces of the masterpiece, have not enough or zero die cast. 

TakaraTomy, please please please start to put in diecsat and rubber wheels for future masterpieces…

Pre Rub Bluestreak

This is a result of being poisoned….

Though i have always known that the streak/Prowl/Smokescreen mold is one of the best G1 molds out there, i never really take a close look at it…instead concentrating of the sideswipe mold variants as shown in my earlier postings…already bought the Commemorative Reissue Streak and the e-hobby Black hood Streak, i stopped pursuing the streak mold…..BUT one of my pals, who is a streak slut (in fact he is more slutty for streak than the slut in me for starscream!) keeps talking about streak and how good the pre rub streak mold is…as i listened and listened and listened and listened…..like a virus, it slowly, unknowingly, infiltrated my senses…before i know it, i had to get one for myself….just like how Agent Smith in the matrix infected everybody else within the matrix…and i'm definitely not Neo..

Found a piece in one of the local shops in Singapore…surprisingly…..the best thing is, the box is in an excellent condition and supposedly, it is still MISB! but due to aging, the bubble has dried up and dropped off from the card back. The sealing tape at the sides of the box fell off naturally, due to the glue drying up….

Here, take a look...

Close up of the artwork…

I proceeded to un-MISB the "mysterious" best-of-the-best G1 car mold ever…

Result? Believe me, i was knocked out by this one.

The pre rub is really the best of G1s! The fit on the toy is, if i can say, better the the Masterpieces.

The whole feel of the toy really brings me 30 years back with the die cast, rubber wheels and all. The face of streak, very clear and distinct lines with nice details. Compare it with the reissue and you will know what i mean.

The pre rubs are the first pieces (after the diaclones) that are produced with the fresh mold and it really shows the quality. With that, i'm bought over.

Look, no flap crease!

ahhh…..yes, the picture of the elusive Diaclone Blue Bluestreak…and agin, when i keep going back to look at the Blue fella, the poison gets worse…its never-ending!

It has come to a point that i look at Bluestreak at breakfast….

The front car plate: Fairlady

The Pre-rub, look at the head mold, clear and well-defined lines…you will never find this on any reissue! 

Rear car plate: Fairlady Z

Bot is the reissue, car is the Pre-rub.

A far difference between them….oh yes, sometimes its More Than Meets The Eye at breakfast!

After this, continued with the pre-rub antidotes for the poison….managed to get a Starscream as well as a Prowl…damn poison….damn friend…but it's pure satisfaction…contradicting. yes.  To have a collector pal like that, someone who helps me get some of my rare pieces and then poisons me with even more rare pieces…*sigh* blame it on my lack of discipline when it comes to TFs...