Wednesday 31 December 2014

2014 Transformers added to the collection

Time for the annual update of Transformers toys added to the collection.
And it was a record year this year, with 606 more toys than last year, plus figurines and non-toy merchandise.
The full list and photos can be found here.

The year was supposed to end up with a smaller number of toys than recent years, as I was cutting back, but some how the number exploded to almost 50 more than last year.  I guess having a Movie in the year meant a lot of gimmick toys to pad out the collection.
And to think that it could have been even more, as about 20 toys are currently in transit, but didn't get here before today.

Highlights...
- European Motorvators (completed my collection of European Gen1 toys that I wanted)
- All six Japanese Choro-Q toys found and bought (including a replacement for one I broke)
- Japanese Gen1 expensive splurge in May (Metrotitan, Sixknight, Dai Atlas, Roadfire)
- Toyland book (documents the toy industry during the late 20th century, including the history of Hasbro)
- 1992 Marvel UK Gen1 annual (the last one they released, which is very hard to find, and completes my set)
- Unreleased sample of 2010 Movie boxset of Sideways and 3 female bikes (a lucky find from an ex-employee of Hasbro)
- 2014 Generations toys (caught up on all the ones I had on pre-order for ages, just missing Arcee)
- Gen1 3D jigsaw puzzles (bought all three in November, but only Starscream and Bluestreak have arrived)
- Animated Season 3 on DVD (after many years waiting, the lost season was finally released)
- Beast Hunters 2014 (tracking down all of them, which were very rare)
- Construct-Bots Beast Hunters (also very hard to track down)
- Kreo 2014 items that were not given much release, so were very hard to track down
- Built to Rule (all but one found, as they are very rare)
- Tonka 1-2-3 Transformers from 2002 (found the last two I was missing)
- Movie Platinum Edition packs (managed to get them all, without paying full price on any)
- A great year for Masterpiece toys from Japan (buying all of them, but still waiting on Ultra Magnus to arrive)
- Comic Book version Masterpiece Grimlock (it may have been the reissue, but even that was still a bit too expensive)
- Japanese Gen1 Micromaster 4-pack (from a friend)
- Hong Kong convention version Generations Metroplex (from another friend)
- SDCC fold-out Ark set
- Movie Stinger One-Step toy (it's the only Stinger toy that isn't a redeco, so was a priority)
- Universal Studios California (more for the Fan Experience than the merchandise)
- BotCon in California (also more for the experience than merchandise)
- Gen1 Combiners (started buying up duplicates, so that I could have their combined modes as well as their separate forms)
- Several free items to promote on the toy-collector site, including toys and licensed merchandise.
- Marvel Death's Head (an honorary Transformers character, finally getting a toy this year)
- Masters of the Universe Original series and Classics (not Transformers, but worth a mention, especially the two Imp toys)

Regrets...
- Missing out on the Japanese Convention Nemesis Optimus and Grimlock (I regret not going to the convention too)
- Not being able to get the BAPE and EVA Masterpiece Optimus (first-hand prices were way too high)
- Not being able to get the Kreo 2014 Movie Customs and second series blind-bags (are ToysRUs exclusive in America, which limits options).
- Not getting Arcee before the end of the year, as it is still in the mail.


I really want to get back into the routine of reviewing the toys as I get them... sigh... maybe in 2015 I can get back into the habit.


Yeah right...

Shut up Dispensor!

Anyway, let's see if I can get back into more reviews, otherwise, I might as well just stop posting here.

So Christmas and New Years greetings from me...

And from me, Dispensor...


And see you next year, hopefully.