Post Pictures of Your Weirdest Optimus Prime & Megatron Pairings
- Thread starter Ave Destron
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So, the last couple of weeks have included some traveling to visit family a couple states away. And that means toy hunting! Shout out to @Donocropolis for some awesome suggestions!
Trip 1: When Toys Were Toys in Dunlap, IL, has moved to a slightly different location. I didn't buy anything of note, but boy do they have some cool stuff to look at. If you're near the Peoria, IL area, Dunlap is about 10-20 minutes away and worth checking out if you can!
Urban Artifacts in Peoria proper is where I struck (plastic) gold:
The only original G1 Blurr in my collection was partsed out to repair my original Targetmaster Blurr, leaving me with a hybrid that I've always counted as both in my collection. Now I have an original and my TM Blurr.
Also found a Gobot Defendor in amazing condition. I rarely find one with the head/turret intact, or with complete tires, and this copy has both!
Now, if only I could find a front shield for Blurr...
Trip 2: Whenever I go to Wooster, OH, I always try to stop at Operation Fandom in downtown Wooster. There's a lot of neat vintage toys in there, but the best part is their bins of loose toys and parts. Usually they only charge $1-2 each for whatever is in there. In the past, I've found some pretty amazing stuff. This trip:
Any time I can get a classic o-ring GI Joe for under $10, I buy it. Got 2 this trip. A Monster Gobot Creepy. And, lo and behold, a Blurr shield! All for a whopping $7!
Creepy loves you thiiiiiiiiiiiiiis much!
Blurr and his shield reunited for the first time! Somewhere, I'm pretty sure I have an original (pre-Haywire
) gun to complete this guy.
Last, but certainly not least, on the return trip, my wife drove like a mad woman to get us to Romney Toy Shop in Romney, IN, before they closed. Just a few miles north of I-74 at the Crawfordsville exit, Romney Toy Shop reminds me of all the best booths at antique stores and flea markets circa the late 90s-early 2000s, all crammed into one little store. They've got a little of everything toy-related in there, and if you don't see what you're looking for, ask, because it may be in a box tucked away under a table or in the back. Here's my haul:
TR Roadburn, a figure I passed on in stores for reasons that escape me now was marked $5, a headless Gobot Blockhead (just Block now?), 2 Nightsticks and a Caliburst (because Targetmasters are awesome!), a Dinosaur Tank from Ultraseven, and a Captain Scarlet SPV (an awesome show if you can get past the marionettes. Some people can't)
All in all, it was a couple of fun trips, and I got to check out some new stores and find some treasures to add to the collections!
Trip 1: When Toys Were Toys in Dunlap, IL, has moved to a slightly different location. I didn't buy anything of note, but boy do they have some cool stuff to look at. If you're near the Peoria, IL area, Dunlap is about 10-20 minutes away and worth checking out if you can!
Urban Artifacts in Peoria proper is where I struck (plastic) gold:
The only original G1 Blurr in my collection was partsed out to repair my original Targetmaster Blurr, leaving me with a hybrid that I've always counted as both in my collection. Now I have an original and my TM Blurr.
Also found a Gobot Defendor in amazing condition. I rarely find one with the head/turret intact, or with complete tires, and this copy has both!
Now, if only I could find a front shield for Blurr...
Trip 2: Whenever I go to Wooster, OH, I always try to stop at Operation Fandom in downtown Wooster. There's a lot of neat vintage toys in there, but the best part is their bins of loose toys and parts. Usually they only charge $1-2 each for whatever is in there. In the past, I've found some pretty amazing stuff. This trip:
Any time I can get a classic o-ring GI Joe for under $10, I buy it. Got 2 this trip. A Monster Gobot Creepy. And, lo and behold, a Blurr shield! All for a whopping $7!
Creepy loves you thiiiiiiiiiiiiiis much!
Blurr and his shield reunited for the first time! Somewhere, I'm pretty sure I have an original (pre-Haywire
) gun to complete this guy.Last, but certainly not least, on the return trip, my wife drove like a mad woman to get us to Romney Toy Shop in Romney, IN, before they closed. Just a few miles north of I-74 at the Crawfordsville exit, Romney Toy Shop reminds me of all the best booths at antique stores and flea markets circa the late 90s-early 2000s, all crammed into one little store. They've got a little of everything toy-related in there, and if you don't see what you're looking for, ask, because it may be in a box tucked away under a table or in the back. Here's my haul:
TR Roadburn, a figure I passed on in stores for reasons that escape me now was marked $5, a headless Gobot Blockhead (just Block now?), 2 Nightsticks and a Caliburst (because Targetmasters are awesome!), a Dinosaur Tank from Ultraseven, and a Captain Scarlet SPV (an awesome show if you can get past the marionettes. Some people can't)
All in all, it was a couple of fun trips, and I got to check out some new stores and find some treasures to add to the collections!
I remember reading somewhere in the tfwiki about the GPS’ness of it all being tied specifically to plastics that are on the brown spectrum (forgive me, I’m not a color scholar) like brown or tan or gold, and the formulation that specifically causes glittery gold swirls in those colored plastics.
FWIW, not only are these not any type of brown plastics (we only got a grey and a dark pink) and the glitter is mixed in evenly all throughout the figure in no discernible pattern (that I can see at least).
I also remember reading somewhere on the wiki that there are other examples of glittery figures in the past that survived bc they did not have said losing combinations of plastic formulations.
That, and I think the Hasbro TF design team said on their “Have something to prove” Tour that they are making a point to do things they said couldn’t be done over again or some claptrap, and so they put out not just glittery figures but a whole line of transparent ones just to show they can and will survive. Either they’re being willfully obtuse or they did indeed stumble onto new formulations for both glittery plastics and transparent ones that will last and they want to show them off.
Either way, fwiw, every now and again I’m performing squeeze tests on parts of my Blaster and listening for any creaking, and so far nada. Maybe he hasn’t been out and about long enough yet (given these toys are just a couple months old at this point) but yeah, every instinct is telling me to treat this like a precious heirloom when I see it sparkle while I handle it, but I’m actively fighting it.
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It is more common in brown and gold but can affect any color. 2010 Primus’ blue parts and Japanese Transquito’s teal parts have it and in the Super Robot fandom, various parts, mostly in swirly blue plastic are affected.I remember reading somewhere in the tfwiki about the GPS’ness of it all being tied specifically to plastics that are on the brown spectrum (forgive me, I’m not a color scholar) like brown or tan or gold, and the formulation that specifically causes glittery gold swirls in those colored plastics.
FWIW, not only are these not any type of brown plastics (we only got a grey and a dark pink) and the glitter is mixed in evenly all throughout the figure in no discernible pattern (that I can see at least).
I also remember reading somewhere on the wiki that there are other examples of glittery figures in the past that survived bc they did not have said losing combinations of plastic formulations.
That, and I think the Hasbro TF design team said on their “Have something to prove” Tour that they are making a point to do things they said couldn’t be done over again or some claptrap, and so they put out not just glittery figures but a whole line of transparent ones just to show they can and will survive. Either they’re being willfully obtuse or they did indeed stumble onto new formulations for both glittery plastics and transparent ones that will last and they want to show them off.
Either way, fwiw, every now and again I’m performing squeeze tests on parts of my Blaster and listening for any creaking, and so far nada. Maybe he hasn’t been out and about long enough yet (given these toys are just a couple months old at this point) but yeah, every instinct is telling me to treat this like a precious heirloom when I see it sparkle while I handle it, but I’m actively fighting it.
Hubris is a thing. And their recent forays into rubbery plastics have done nothing to dispel the impression that that is not a workable idea, especially under forever shrinking budgets that lead to taking shortcuts. Time will tell if this swirly plastic endeavor is any different, but were I in their shoes I'd be much more reserved about announcing such a move.
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The fight slowed, and then stopped. The combatants milled about uncertainly, and then without a word turned and left, unsure as to if this was an animation error, or if one of their combiner members was going to fail mandatory workplace testing the next day.
I have had some luck at a store named Acme in Peoria. Not a huge G1 section, but I have found couple of things there.
None of the glittery parts on Jem Blaster are swirly or blue/green/teal. There are blue parts, but none of them are glittery. There are glittery parts, but none of them are swirly.
Rock star ish.
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I have tended to wonder why that word is so prominent in descriptions of the syndrome. I'm not sure the specifics of the swirls are that much of a determinant (so it might be more as a descriptor of how the flakes are worked into the mix rather than a breakage indicator).
Like, the crumbling and breakage doesn't necessarily happen along swirl lines, does it? It's not that they break along the direction of a swirl or in a part that specifically has a thicker concentration, necessarily. Or has that just not been tracked?
Like, the crumbling and breakage doesn't necessarily happen along swirl lines, does it? It's not that they break along the direction of a swirl or in a part that specifically has a thicker concentration, necessarily. Or has that just not been tracked?
I don't know how I had the first one for SO long and never thought of the roof/top of the cockpit as unpainted. In my mind's eye the windows are clear but it's not a whole clear top.
I don't WANT to buy a whole other one (not at current prices with so many others on the get list) just for that -- especially since I'd also prefer for the windows to have a bit more contrast against the light blue.
But that headsculpt is also nice, and damn, I do like that it has the sticker detail in car mode... Maybe if this doesn't disappear quickly, I can get it later and toss the first one. Currently the money might be better spent on the Nonnef kit + shipping, which I'd need to really complete it anyway.
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Dunno, but interesting question. I think the gold glittery swirl is just how that type of GPS plastic tends to end up looking once it settles/cools in the mold. I also thought I read something about how whatever chemical creates the glitteriness interacts poorly with the base plastic chemical it was mixed into, hence the brittleness after a while.
As for them breaking along the swirl… you know what? I think you jogged a memory there. I do remember every vivid detail of when my TM Megs snapped in half (it was traumatic, every detail is etched into my brainhole; trust
).Where it snapped in half I don’t remember if there was a concentration of swirls (not saying there wasn’t; I just don’t remember through the tears
), but when other bits of it began breaking off, it was def along the swirls. AND when my MUTANT SOUNDWAVE began self-destructing, it was DEFINITELY along the swirls. When he was pretty much unrecoverably shattered, I remember experimenting with it by squeezing different pieces and seeing how they broke off. It seemed random at first, but as I kept breaking off pieces, it was almost always along the swirls. I remember trying to cause breakages in between the swirls, it was sturdier in between them than along the actual swirls.So… yeah.
I think with this Blaster they literally just mixed in glitter flakes into the plastic mix. No glittery-essence-creating plastic, just literal handfuls of glitter. At least that’s what it looks like up close.
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Cool! I will have to try to check them out the next time we are that way!
So, the last couple of weeks have included some traveling to visit family a couple states away. And that means toy hunting! Shout out to @Donocropolis for some awesome suggestions!
Trip 1: When Toys Were Toys in Dunlap, IL, has moved to a slightly different location. I didn't buy anything of note, but boy do they have some cool stuff to look at. If you're near the Peoria, IL area, Dunlap is about 10-20 minutes away and worth checking out if you can!
Urban Artifacts in Peoria proper is where I struck (plastic) gold:
View attachment 38292View attachment 38293
View attachment 38294
The only original G1 Blurr in my collection was partsed out to repair my original Targetmaster Blurr, leaving me with a hybrid that I've always counted as both in my collection. Now I have an original and my TM Blurr.
Also found a Gobot Defendor in amazing condition. I rarely find one with the head/turret intact, or with complete tires, and this copy has both!
Now, if only I could find a front shield for Blurr...
Trip 2: Whenever I go to Wooster, OH, I always try to stop at Operation Fandom in downtown Wooster. There's a lot of neat vintage toys in there, but the best part is their bins of loose toys and parts. Usually they only charge $1-2 each for whatever is in there. In the past, I've found some pretty amazing stuff. This trip:
View attachment 38295
Any time I can get a classic o-ring GI Joe for under $10, I buy it. Got 2 this trip. A Monster Gobot Creepy. And, lo and behold, a Blurr shield! All for a whopping $7!
View attachment 38296
Creepy loves you thiiiiiiiiiiiiiis much!
View attachment 38297View attachment 38298
Blurr and his shield reunited for the first time! Somewhere, I'm pretty sure I have an original (pre-Haywire
Last, but certainly not least, on the return trip, my wife drove like a mad woman to get us to Romney Toy Shop in Romney, IN, before they closed. Just a few miles north of I-74 at the Crawfordsville exit, Romney Toy Shop reminds me of all the best booths at antique stores and flea markets circa the late 90s-early 2000s, all crammed into one little store. They've got a little of everything toy-related in there, and if you don't see what you're looking for, ask, because it may be in a box tucked away under a table or in the back. Here's my haul:
View attachment 38299View attachment 38300
TR Roadburn, a figure I passed on in stores for reasons that escape me now was marked $5, a headless Gobot Blockhead (just Block now?), 2 Nightsticks and a Caliburst (because Targetmasters are awesome!), a Dinosaur Tank from Ultraseven, and a Captain Scarlet SPV (an awesome show if you can get past the marionettes. Some people can't)
All in all, it was a couple of fun trips, and I got to check out some new stores and find some treasures to add to the collections!
Urban Artifacts is a fantastic store. They don't normally have a lot of Transformers or anything, but I have gotten very lucky there once or twice. It's where I got my complete G1 Omega Supreme for like $50 a year or so ago.
I've never been to When Toys were Toys! I need to go check that out. I actually get over to the Peoria/Dunlap area pretty often, so I'm not sure how I've managed to miss that one.
Urban Artifacts was awesome! My only regret was not having enough time to properly browse, but I did give it a quick run-through, and there was so much cool stuff in there!
When Toys Were Toys used to be in a strip mall, but the new location is pretty cool, not as visible from the road though. They're about a block down from the Wheels O' Time museum (which also looks amazing, but we never get there when it's open).
Romney Toy Shop was absolutely my favorite stop, it reminded me of so many places I loved to shop at in my teenage years when I lived in Omaha, NE. (The Brass Armadillo, Meadowlark, and Blue Ribbon Antique Malls, Radial Street Flea Market, and Krypton Comics and Toys, for any Cornhuskers out there) They have so much in that little shop, covering a wide range of eras and interests!