Friday, September 13, 2013

Craziness

Ok, I've made much over these past couple of months over my struggle to transition from full-time TF collector to something more like seasonal help (or whatever. Terrible analogy). So, shocker, I've made a few more exceptions to my "No More TFs" rule.

A) I sold my boxed Botcon 2010 set about a month ago. Got about what I paid for it, which was sort of ok (man, should I have bought the 2008 set). So, as it sells, I get it in my head that I really do want to get TRU's MP Soundwave. But it's initially hard to find, so I rely on a guy I know from TFW to nab and hold onto one for me. And so he does. Of course, literally one day before I'm supposed to meet him, his nephew gets into the package and breaks the thing. So, while I'm not out the $120 plus tax, I am without an MP Soundwave. I finally got to check one of the "local" TRUs this afternoon, and they actually still had one. I had to ask for it (it wasn't on the shelf), but the box was in great shape in everything (this particular release is well known for appearing on shelves in banged-up boxes).

So, I bought it. But, man, am I having some second thoughts. I know I've spent a lot of money on other TFs before, and while I don't think I'd have as much of a problem spending roughly the same amount of cash on T30 Metroplex, I just don't feel like the purchase is justified. I haven't opened the thing, and I've pretty much settled on returning (or maybe selling) the thing. I think my wife'll be happy about that.

B) Holy crap, Sharkticon Megatron. I first saw this guy right around my last post, the weekend when I got T30 Sandstorm and Predacons Rising Abominus (oh, I should add that I've recently picked up legion class Windrazor and Blight, so using Cindersaur in lieu of non-clear Rippersnapper, I also have a complete opaque Abominus). Anyhow, shortly after that, I basically got a hard-on for the thing and have been lusting over online pics for weeks. Naturally, the local Walmart only has a few Predakings, and the Kmart ain't doin' any better. I did manage to find one at a Walmart not too far from the TRU where I got Soundwave today. And man, is Sharktitron (Megalotron?) a cool toy. I really wasn't impressed with it initially, in large part because I couldn't really fit it into my head-canon for the whole Beast Hunters story (because said head-canon didn't, at least until recently, resemble the actual BH episodes very much). But, I figured it out. After SPOILERS Megatron gets killed in "Deadlock," Starscream vows to bring him back/find a way to fight the Predacons, who are attacking not just 'bots, but 'cons too. Soooo, cloning project time! Starcream, referring back to his own successful cloning projects and Shockwave's CNA blending techniques, splices Megatron's CNA with that of a Sharkticon (which, by my fiat, exist in the TFP universe), producing several Sharkticlones/Sharktitrons/Megalotrons/whatever you wanna call 'em. Now, we all know that SPOILERS the real Megatron is going to be reanimated/possessed by Unicron in the Predacons Rising DVD/TV movie, but these clones are totally separate, and are lead by Starscream along with his weird clone of Dreadwing (the BH Dreadwing toy). And, again, the toy itself is just great. Much more enjoyable that the original version of the mold.

C) Remember my angst over the TFSS last year? This year, it's pretty much the opposite. I have largely not cared about the toys/designs revealed for the TFSS 2.0. Until yesterday. The sixth (of seven) toy was revealed to be...Thrustinator? Whaa.....


Yep, I think this is cool. Not sure what kind of doctor I need.

So, there he is! Yep, nothing anyone would have ever guessed. This is the kind of off-the-wall stuff that the Club has been lacking for a good while. I'll admit, I've been taken in by a lot of the more standard, expected repaint/remolds. Just look at the TFSS 1.0: RiD Scourge from RtS G2 Optimus? No surprise; we all expected it. Slipstream from FE Starscream? It's the most feminine Starscream ever, so sure; why not? An Ultra Magnus from an Optimus (well, sort of...) mold? You don't say. G1 Breakdown from G2 Breakdown; too easy. Circuit from Axor? We've seen that before. And Jackpot from Jazz? Heck, I couldn't even tell his head was remolded at first. But this? Taking a remold of the original Waspinator (Dirgegun, for the uninitiated) and then reremolding it back into the original Waspinator?! And then gaining demand even at Club prices? Crazy, man. Crazy. Obviously, this is Waspinator, but with his body being a mashed-together version of his "organic" Beast Wars body and his his mechanical Vehicon Thrust body from Beast Machines. It's important to note that the only remolding that the Club themselves have added is the head - and it's a great mash-up of the character's two faces - but all the other remolding was already there from the Dirgegun release. The trick, of course, being that all of Dirgegun's "cyborg" parts are now painted in Thrust's colors. Seriously, I'm gonna have to try for this guy, whether if it's through a trade, eBay or *shudder* BBTS.
 

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