Binaltech BT12 Overdrive

Binaltech initially seemed to be focussed on reasonably prominent members of the cast of the G1 cartoon who were based on Diaclone vehicles (albeit with some strange choices of Decepticon), but BT12 was a decidedly odd choice. G1 Overdrive - along with the other two Omnibots, Camshaft and Downshift - had come from Diaclone stock, but was released in the US and Japan as a mailaway figure, making use of the Robot Points printed on the toys' boxes. Perhaps due to their limited availability, the Omnibots never appeared in the G1 cartoon, or even in the original Marvel comics. They also lacked the usual Tech Specs, making each of them very much an unknown quantity in terms of personality, abilities and armaments.

Typically, while the Omnibots appeared in the pack-in advertising leaflets in UK toys, they weren't actually available in Europe. I wasn't overly fussed at the time, as none of the Omnibots looked particularly special, but I have to admit I'd be quite keen to get my hands on them now, as an adult collector.

But here we have the Binaltech version... which is surely a vast upgrade on the original, even though it's not a Ferrari, right?

Robots in Disguise Prowl

Of the three RiD Car Brothers, I've always felt that Prowl was the least crap-looking. This may be largely due to the choice of vehicle mode, but he's also the most TransFormer-y figure of the set because of the way certain car parts become aspects of the robot rather than just hanging off him.

In keeping with tradition, Prowl transforms into a police car... but, while the colourscheme of the original version was a clear homage to G1 Prowl, the version I picked up - his 'Super' form, albeit unacknowledged on the packaging - does things a little differently...

Making some space...

After a lot of reflection, I've decided to put some of the TransFormers toys in my collection up onto eBay.

It's going to be a slow process, as I'm reluctant to part with any of it, but the fact remains that I've left a significant number of figures in storage for years now, because I just don't have enough display space for everything. There's a bit of a tradition in my family that, if something goes into storage and isn't sought out for a certain number of years, it can be disposed of as appropriate. There's also the KonMari Method, of which my girlfriend is a strong proponent, and which aims to rid one of things that do not 'spark joy'. These will be the first to go, as I sort out the necessary packaging.

Being a UK-based TransFormers collector, my initial plan is to only despatch within the UK, particularly when I get to the handful of BotCon or TransFormers Collectors' Club exclusives I'm inclined to part with. However, I will look into international despatch options eventually, though I feel it would be a shame for some of the exclusives to end up being shipped back over to the US, for example.

I've flagged a number of toys from the movie lines, Classics, Beast Wars, Robot Masters, and even some Third Party items, but I'm starting with mostly small stuff out of convenience... and also because my hoarder mentality actually makes the process of parting with my toys surprisingly difficult.

An interesting byproduct of this move is that I've recently been taking photos of some of the older oddities in my collection - such as the Real Gear toys that came out alongside the first live action movie's toyline - which I had thusfar neglected to photograph. I will be aiming to write about such toys before I try to sell them off as a means of ensuring that I really do want to try to sell them off.

There's not much there right now, but I'll be adding stuff over the coming weeks (or months, knowing me). Take a look at what's currently on offer...

I'm still debating whether or not to even try selling my decapitated Beast Muscle Leonidas... That figure pretty much does the opposite of 'sparking joy' but, given how fragile it is, I'm not sure it's worth bothering...

...And it might be more cathartic to just take a hammer to it and chuck away the pieces.

Also, hypothetically, does anyone know how to pitch the TFCC Seacons set from 2008, price-wise? I mean, it's a cool set... but the QC was atrocious.

Addendum 29/7/20: Disappointingly, one of the first Club exclusives I put up online got snapped up by an international reseller based quite close to me... I may have to rethink how I handle exclusives from here on.

On Kingdom, and John Warden's exit from TransFormers

OK, so this week has brought a couple of big pieces of news to shake the world of TransFormers toys to its very core...

Hyperbole aside, for the announcement of the name of the final chapter in the War For Cybertron Trilogy to be followed so swiftly by the news that the franchise's Design Manager is leaving the brand and moving over to the Power Rangers team is quite a bizarre turn of events. The part of my brain that thrives on puzzles and mysteries is intrigued... if not quite threatening to spiral down into full-on conspiracy theory mode...

On Crossovers

Just a quick rant, as I'm trying to work on other things at the moment...

Back when the Ghostbusters X TransFormers crossover, Ectotron, was revealed, I figured it was a novelty - a minor feature on the landscape of the continuing TransFormers brand... Even though I already had the two Street Fighter II X TransFormers sets in my collection.

In retrospect, I really should have seen it for what it is.

Studio Series #59 Shatter (Jet)

(Femme-Bot Friday #73)

There really wasn't much good to say about the first version of Shatter to appear within the Studio Series toyline. Vehicle mode was OK, but transformation was not much fun due to several parts tending to fall off, and the robot mode was littered with clashing panels that restricted its articulation.

However, since she and Dropkick adopted two vehicle modes in the Bumblebee solo movie, and Dropkick turned up as Studio Series #22 in helicopter form, then #46 in car form, it seemed likely that Shatter's abysmal #40 car mode would eventually be followed by a jet form... And since the second Dropkick toy was much better than the first, it didn't seem like too much to hope for that the second Shatter toy would also supersede the first.

I mean, surely, Hasbro couldn't cock up the same character twice..?