Real quirky

I've preordered Masterpiece Cheetor, I realised that I have a soft spot for big cats and the Universe figure is just plain shocking. I'm not getting Optimus Primal just yet as I like having the original Ultra figure in the same class as Lio and Big Convoy as well as Megatron. I'd happily get a Tigatron repaint though and would be over the moon if they do a Dinobot (surely?!). My Beast Wars collection is now going to be an even more eclectic mix of toy lines.

Photos and preorders have popped up for God Bomber, wow! Looks amazing, I stuck in a preorder as soon as I could. The combined God Ginrai looks stunning, just need an Overlord to go with!

I've completed a couple of further customs, comic style Malekith and Mephisto. Both use Vortious heads. I'm pretty happy with them, I can now display my SDCC Casket of Eternal Winters with Malekith.

I picked up a cheap MCU Falcon from Amazon, I've given the goggled head to comic Falcon for my comic figures with movie heads line up. I've got plans for the regular head.....

Mega Bloks are putting out a few new interesting classic Turtles and Power Ranger sets. Great to get a cartoon Donatello to go with the other three, just a shame it's not a set with a blimp! The Rangers sets are interesting, a few of the individual MMPR Zords, I'll be keeping an eye on what they do. If they do a white ranger set then I'll be very happy.

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I've been thinking about my spending habits (not for the first time), about half of the stuff I buy is planned: I want a Masterpiece Megatron, they announce one, I put in a preorder and then will buy it when it's released. The other stuff is as the result of for the want of a better word, ideas. I think these 'ideas' can grouped into three categories.

Firstly products, something is announced or rumoured or sometimes I see something in a shop that I want. That in turn makes me want something which has been around for a while, for instance, I passed on Masterpiece for many years, but Sideswipe, Bumblebee and Soundwave won me over. I then bought Optimus Prime and Starscream. The same thing happened with Classics and WST. When Spider-Man Noir was announced I sought out Spider-Man 2099 and Miles Morales Spider-Man to complete the set.

Secondly, thinking about my collection, I sometimes spot 'gaps'. I planned out a load of Marvel customs, then something made me think 'what about DC?', so I planned a load of Batman villains and accordingly bought the base figures. Thinking about my WST collection I have displayed on Metroplex, I thought wouldn't it be cool to have the four scramble city leaders to go with (Silverbolt and co.) as they were designed to all work together.

Thirdly is media inspiration, after watching Beast Wars I decided I needed some more Beast Wars figures, after reading MTMTE I decided I needed a Lost Light shelf (not everything results in buying stuff, sometimes it's just rearranging what I already have). But cartoons, films and comics ultimately are the inspiration behind almost everything I buy.

So this tends to happen with my 3.75" figures more than Transformers, mainly I think of a new custom figure, or identify a better base figure to use and so my 'want' list never quite goes away. The million dollar question is what next? I always think that's it, then something happens to make me want (need?) something else. I think identifying new things to buy is what keeps my enthusiasm going.

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The Entertainer got Wave 3 deluxes in and are selling them for £13.33! Fantastic, I picked up Getaway, Doublecross and Triggerhappy. It really struck me with this wave that deluxes have started getting a bit smaller again. Getaway is just a repaint of Chromedome, so no real surprises, but he doesn't seem quite as plain in person as in pictures. Doublecross and Triggerhappy both have great transformations, intuitive, not too simple and fun. Doublecross does a great job of hiding his beast arms and legs in robot mode. I had G1 Triggerhappy as a kid so initially was a bit disappointed that his transformation is different (the nose of the plane no longer just becomes his chest), but you can still use his vehicle guns in robot mode which makes me happy (perfect if you lose the targetmaster!). So all round, very happy. I'm really enjoying Titans Return so far.

There are several Beast Wars figures I want but am holding off because I hope they might get updates. A couple of the figures are Japanese Beast Wars II, so no chance of an update. I had a look on eBay to see what they were gong for. One figure I'd forgotten about was the Tako Tank, as every time I'd ever looked for it previously it was going for well over £100. I was very surprised to find one going for a third of that. Absolutely no accessories, packaging or Ikard, but for me absolutely perfect. He turned up super quick and it's a bit bigger than I was expecting, but it's awesome! A real quirky toy for sure.

A bit crazy

I've done something a bit crazy. I've bought three extra supersize Thunderbird 2 sets! I got them for twenty quid a piece so pretty cheap, that now gives me a total of 6 pods... I have achieved a childhood dream!

I have managed to find time to complete a couple of customs - Octo-Spider and Man-Spider! I now have the complete line up from the multiverse episodes of the 90s Spider-Man cartoon! Pretty happy with how they turned out.

Masterpiece Megatron has been confirmed! It looks great but I'm holding back on pre-ordering for some reason, mostly money I think despite having sold a few things recently and so have some funds to play with. Equally I'm holding back on ordering a few other things I wanted for a while. I'm feeling much happier with holding off and waiting for a bargain to pop up.

I've bought the BAF Dormammu from the 6" Legends line, he looks great, I did briefly consider a 3.75" custom kit but as an oversized figure he looks great (he can change his size so either would have worked really). I'd quite like a 3.75" Benedict Cumberbatch head sculpt to go with my Avengers with MCU heads. [What's that?! My wish came true. A time travelling Strange from the future?! Someone's been pissing around with a time stone again...]

Despite claiming that I'd planned all the customs I could think a couple of months back, I've started watching Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes again and have been inspired. Surely no more though! I'm slowly finding time to work on customs again, and I think it's the team members I want to focus on - Inhumans, Guardians and Brotherhood of Mutants. For the time being though I'm working on a comic Malekith.

I have finally decided to open Masterpiece Starscream! Yep, 10 years after the original was released I have experienced the mold. Based on photos I wasn't sure whether I'd like the figure, in person I do like it. I'm not sure about the headsculpt, something doesn't seem quite right and I'm not a fan of the platform feet, but overall it's a solid figure. I have reaffirmed my decision to pass on Skywarp and Thundercracker. I think in this era of cartoon based figures, he doesn't quite fit. If they redo him and I like the mold then I'm all up completing the trio, for now I'm content.

I've bought the Combiner Wars Perfect Effect Computron head, gun and chest upgrade. The head is great, it's good to get of those bendy ears, also the mouth rather than a faceplate is more distinctive and toy accurate. The gun was very much Silverbolt's gun so it's great to replace that. I've stuck with the existing chest as I'd rather not have parts left over when I transform him. Not that I ever transform my toys after first getting them. Expensive for what it is, but worth making him more than a Superion repaint.

Sure, why not?!

Masterpiece Inferno and Grapple are on their way (not to me though!). There are rumours of Masterpiece Reflector, this got me thinking. Would I get Reflector? What characters am I collecting? I see Classics as being my representations of the characters from the comics, and Masterpiece of the G1 cartoon. That's my starting point. The first season of the cartoon is incredibly iconic, season 2 was more of the same (with, to be fair, far less notable characters). Season 3, I think never got shown in the UK (we got videos though). I want to get the characters from season 1 (including the 1985 characters such as Shockwave). I'd throw the Dinobots, Insecticons, Jetfire and Devastator in as well, and so, Reflector, sure, why not?

I also really like the licensed carbots - most of them are in season 1, but Tracks I particularly admire (I once saw a Corvette Stingray in a museum, beautiful car), and Skids because I've come to like the character. Of the other season 2 carbots they're all (both?) repaints. I'm also going to throw Runabout (who I had a kid) and Runamuck in as well because the Lotus Esprit and Pontiac Firebird Trans Am are also great looking cars to me. (Thanks James Bond and Knight Rider!)

I collect Grimlocks, Ravages, Razorclaws and Steeljaws. Grimlock and Ravage are both season 1, but I'd also get MP Blaster and the other cassettes along with the Predacons and Ratbat. So there you have it, season 1, plus the best looking (unique) carbots and my favourite characters. That's what Masterpiece is and should be about for me. Thinking about what other characters would make me stop and reconsider, well clearly Ultra Magnus, Hot Rod, Inferno, Grapple, Ramjet, Thrust and Dirge haven't. Astrotrain and Blitzwing would be fairly tough to resist, but as with almost every other character, the Classics versions are fine.

This gives me 60 characters to aim for. To be realistic, I think I can cross the (other) Dinobots, Insecticons and Predacons straight off that list as never going to happen, so that's 48 characters. I have Optimus Prime, Grimlock, Sideswipe, Prowl, Bluestreak, Wheeljack, Bumblebee, Tracks, Ironhide, Ratchet, Soundwave (plus cassettes) and Starscream. I'm going to include Generations Jetfire and Combiner Wars Devastator as Masterpiece, because they mostly fit scale wise and they're not likely to get actual Masterpiece figures. I'm going to exclude Skywarp and Thundercracker because I'm not so taken with the mold that I need it three times. I'm still waiting for a more toy accurate Shockwave, so he's still on the list. That leaves 21 characters I would buy if Takara decides to make them. (Jazz, Sunstreaker, Hound, Trailbreaker, Mirage, the Minibots, Megatron, Shockwave, Reflector, Blaster with cassettes, Skids, Runabout and Runamuck.) Jazz, Sunstreaker, Megatron, Shockwave and Blaster are top of my most wanted list!

Picked up Weirdwolf today, having found Mindwipe last week, so happy to have the original seven headmasters. They complete a bit of a milestone for me. My remaining Classics milestones are Super Ginrai, Trypticon, Overlord, Dinobots, Abominus and Scorponok. I suppose Broadside and getting a full set of Insecticons will also be a big deal, but because I've had unofficial versions of those characters it doesn't seem quite so significant - almost like I've already ticked them off once.

After that, throw me a Mega Bloks TMNT blimp with Donatello, 6" scale Tygra, Cheetara and Snarf and I am sorted! Maybe I'll start collecting stamps instead.

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I collect toys, mostly updated versions of the characters and vehicles I wanted as a kid.  Updated is an interesting idea, with Transformers, I bought Universe Springer - a green repaint of Cybertron Evac. Despite being a green helicopter it didn't feel like a Springer so I replaced it with the Fansproject Springer. That still didn't feel like Springer despite being a triple changing green helicopter. Generations Springer does feel like a Springer, more so than the G1 toy I would say.

I've had that feeling where a toy doesn't quite do it a few times, it used to be common with transformers where there were repaints that didn't quite work for me (particularly where the head wasn't remolded). I got it with the Lego TMNT toys - I wanted classic Turtles (which Mega Bloks finally delivered). I didn't get the new Thundercats for that reason and I think I'm getting it with the Thunderbirds (Are Go) pod vehicles. The actual Thunderbirds are fantastic despite their updates from the classic vehicles, but the mole and firefly I'm not sure about. I tried to convince myself that the customisation gimmick was fun, but really I think I just want the classic versions. I toyed with painting them, but will perhaps look into getting some older toys instead - Konami or Bandai.

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NYCC for me was all about the preview night for Titans Return, great to see some of wave 3 and beyond. I'm not sure about Broadside yet, the render shows he has a white head so I hope the actual figure has that. Getaway I wish was a bit more than a recolour of Chromedome, but I think I'll get him. Doublecross and Trigerhappy look great. I'm very optimistic about Overlord after seeing Black Shadow, so overall a good showing from Transformers, just a shame about everything else I'm interested in, 3.75" figures for example.

I re-watched (for the first time in over 10 years) the return of Optimus Prime and the Rebirth G1 cartoon episodes, mostly because so many of the characters are getting new toys, but a little because of the MTMTE comic, so strange seeing them have so little character! I followed it up with the original More than meets the eye (the very first 3 episodes of G1). Optimus, Bumblebee and Spike were the only characters that were in both, but it was quite interesting to see how they changed. I rather enjoyed it, it's funny how close Megatron was to actually getting back to Cybertron after episode 3.

I also watched Avengers (the movie) for the first time in a couple of years. Watching it again having seen Civil War, there is quite a lot of preluding, particularly with how Iron Man and Cap get on, but also a number of fights between the other Avengers before they come together.

I have also now finally bought Supersize Thunderbird 3, I've never waited so long to buy a toy available in shops. I waited because I knew it would still available and there were other things I wanted that wouldn't hang around, that might be some personal growth right there! The toy is an example of big is beautiful. Somewhat bizarrely (to me), it also turns into an upside drill (which I assume it does in the new TAG TV show) adding some extra play value. It also has a smoke feature which is actually steam, if I ever happen to have some distilled water to hand I might try it out. Anyway, according to Nigel Sadler's great little chart, it scales very nicely with my existing toys. (Granted the scale chart is the original vehicles, but I'm assuming the scale has to be reasonably similar for the new versions.) One day I'll make a paper mache Tracy Island for them! I still have the Blue Peter instructions somewhere......