Something, something, another year already?

Just checking in, to prove I'm still alive.

Nothing really huge to update on.

Move along, move along.

Hopefully I may get off my Facebooking add and update on here a little more often...

In the meantime, here's a picture of Wicket in the recently fallen snow...

Items for December 2013 Mini-Con

Here are the items that I can bring to the Mini-Con.
While I may end up bringing them to the show, I would prefer to only have to bring items that people are interested in.
Prices are firm.
PM me via Facebook if you are interested in any items.

Official TF Releases:

Henkei  Seeker Ace Set (Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp) MIB: $135

Henkei Seeker Elite Set (Ramjet, Thrust, Dirge) MIB: $90

SDCC Blaster MIB Box-As-Is: $85

Henkei/Tokyo Toy Show Exclusive Black Convoy (Classics Voyager Op repaint) – MIB: $90

MP-13 Masterpiece Soundwave MIB: $120

MP-15 / MP-16 Masterpiece Tapes – Loose – Paint Defects : $25-30 each.

AM-19 Gaia Unicron MIB: $45

Music Label Soundwave – Spark Blue Edition MIB –reprolabel set applied – electronics untested: $80

MP-12T Masterpiece Tigertrack MIB – Paint Defect: $80

MP-09 Masterpiece Rodimus Prime MIB – Scratches to trailer: $200

MP-08 Masterpiece Grimlock MIB – Missing sword: $250

Revoltech #040 Optimus Prime (ROTF Jetwing Op) MIB: $45

Japanese Beast Hunters G11 Optimus Prime – MIB – Missing 1 missile: $45

Reissue of Commemorative Series Astrotrain MIB – Missing Sticker Sheet: $45

Reissue of Commemorative Series Optimus Prime  MIB – missing fists: $50

Reissue of Commemorative Series Ultra Magnus MIB – Missing Stickers: $65

Encore #20 Devastator Loose (in plastic tray, 100% complete, Long Haul has 2 of same fist): $90

AM-26 Smokescreen MIB – Missing Stickers: $30

UN-16 Blurr MISB – ½ rear window painted blue: $25

Titan Class Metroplex MIB – Stickers Applied: $100

THIRD PARTY FIGURES / ADD-ONS:

Justitoys Trailer for MP-01 Optimus  MIB-Missing Stand: $35

Function X-1: CODE MIB: $80
Crossfire 02 Munitioner & Explorer  MIB -no Quake gun: $115

TFC Toys Project Uranos – Blackbird & Phantom Ray MIB: $115

TFC Toys Project Uranos – Eagle MISB/Box-As-Is: $90

TFC Toys Project Uranos –Phantom  MISB/Box-As-Is: $90

KM-03 Cyclops (Hearts of Steel Shockwave) MIB: $165

KM-01 Commander (Hearts of Steel Op) MIB: $90

Mech iDeas Geminus (no Apex) MIB: $30

iGear PP03S Seeker Storm MIB: $90

PP01 Evil Commander (SG Purple Faith Leader): $90

TFC Toys Photron MIB: $110

Toy World Hardbone MIB: $80

Armored Battalion (MIB: Does not include extra weapons) MIB: $140

MMC Bovis MIB: $90

MakeToys Battle Tanker MIB – Near Complete (only missing screwed-together head): $100

SXS-F01 Jetpack for MP-10 MIB: $25

Fansproject CA-10 T-Bone MIB: $55

Unique Toys Trailer for ROTF Optimus Prime (Silver Version) – Loose: $100

iGear PP05W Weapons Specialist – MIB – Missing Sniper Rifle & 1 BFG : $110

iGear MW-03 Hench MIB – Loose arm (common issue): $55

iGear MW-04 UFO MIB – Missing Display stand arm: $50

MW-02 Rager MIB: $65

MW-01C Chromed Spray (G2 Deco) MIB: $35

Beezleboss Heroic Duo Set (Generations Red Alert & Sideswipe upgrade kit) MIB – Molded Red – Missing Red Alert Missile Launcher : $25

Beezleboss Heroic Duo Set (Generations Red Alert & Sideswipe upgrade kit) MIB – Painted version – 100% Complete: $30

WST Dinobot Set (Individual figures, all MIB): $100 for set of 5.

WST Sixchanger MIB – Missing Sticker Sheet: $25

WST Military Transport (White Astrotrain) MIB – Missing Sticker sheet: $25

WST Military Transport (Purple Astrotrain) MIB – Missing Sticker Sheet: $20

K.O. Releases:
K.O. Oversized WFC Optimus (Leader Class) Loose: $20

Kold Blue Konvoy (blue Classics Voyager Optimus KO) MIB - $45

Kold/CHMS Sunstorm (Classics Seeker in orange) – Loose - $25

Loose K.O. Black Rodimus/Wild Rider & MIB K.O. Scyther Armor: $75

Under The Weather & Full Of Cabin Fever, Methusalen Decides To Rearrange His Toy Display!

Hello Internet, and welcome to another episode of "Methusalen's Corner of the Internet"!

Smurfette's been fighting a sinus infection on and off since Thanksgiving, and this time around; she's been kind enough to share with me! :)

Being stuck down rather hard the last few days, and now getting a bit of Cabin Fever; I decided to rearrange the Transformer Shelves... It took me 3 hours to do (between sitting, taking breaks every so often, and being relatively worn out from being sick), but I'm rather happy with the results...

 The pictures above, to the right, & below are the shelves on my desk.

The top shelf now contains some of my favorite Optimus Prime figures (that aren't on the shelf below it). Some Kabaya kits, the little THS-02 Hybrid Style Convoy, TFTM & ROTF Prime, my Masterpiece Prime, & my few boxed Primes...

The shelf below contains my Nemesis & Optimus Prime figures, paired up opposite their counterpart...

I am especially happy with how well this shelf has turned out. My "Hilltopper/Kitty Truck" figure is a happy stand-in for the Jafcon Prime, and the custom Powermaster Optimus Prime (made by my friend 'M') is my likely permanent Nucleon Quest Convoy stand-in...
-Note Smurfette's two Mickey Mouse figures, which happen to fit in with this shelf perfectly!

Now, this bookshelf contains the main reason for my desire to rearrange the shelves...

See that Megatron on the top shelf? No, that e-Hobby G1 Black Megatron on the customized display stand may be pretty awesome; but the large green G2 Megatron!

You see, he just would *NOT* fit onto one of the lower shelves in robot mode. In order to display him in his superior Robot Mode, he required some additional height! Sadly, as these shelves are not adjustable; I had to move the Megatron figures to the top shelf!

Needless to say, I have no issues bumping my guys up onto the top shelf! :)

 I'm a bit saddened that the e-Hobby Megatron & his stand is obscured a bit behind the other figures, but overall I'm pretty happy with how well the figures are shown.

I'm thinking that I may end up putting the figures in the center of the shelf in vehicle mode, or figure out a way to elevate the e-Hobby figure in pistol mode; so that he's not blocked by the other figures...



The second shelf contains the Dairycon figures, as well as Smurfette's Rodimus figures!

I was happy that I was able to fit the Dairycon 10 Year Hardcover (angled on the shelf), along with all of our figures... On the far left-hand side of the picture; you can see Smurfette & I's lanyards from shows past!

On the right are Smurfette's G1-MP Rodimuses (Rodimii?)...

The third shelf is pretty much all Smurfette's... Between her Jazz figures, her Blaster, a few cassettes, a Blue TM Rattrap, & a Cyberverse Bulkhead...

Smurfette's Jazz figures are *mostly* movie-verse figures, but she does have an Encore Jazz, Hasbro Reissue Ricochet/Stepper, an RTS Jazz & another w/ a set of G2 Reprolabels... Not to mention that she's got a few Legends Jazzes in there!

 Her Bumblebee shelf! Not only does this shelf contain a G1, Pretender, G2, Animated, Movie, Mighty Mugg, Human Alliance, Bot Shots, Bumblespud, a Disney Label Mickey ('cuz he's got a VW alt mode!), but in the very back?

-You might just see a GoBot in there!
Yup! Bug Bite has been able to infiltrate the ranks! :)

Finally, any Prime figure that didn't make it on to the shelves at the desk have been delegated to the bottom shelf of the bookcase...

Between a few TFTM, ROTF, Animated, DOTM, Rescue Bots, & more... (and yes, you might note another GoBot on this shelf too!)

 The smaller shelf...
Used to have Metroplex on the top shelf & some misc. Seekers on the second one... We've since sold off the non-G1 Seekers & freed up some space for Smurfette's Grimlocks!

The top shelf now has all of Smurfette's Grimlocks!
These figures used to reside on the top shelf of the desk, but they're now happily residing on the top of the smaller bookcase!
MP, Alternator, Prime, Animated, Energon, Prime, Pretender, G2; not to mention the group of WST Dinobots (including two different TFsource Stocking Stuffer pairs)!

Behind these guys, you'll see a VHS copy of the "S.O.S Dinobots" episodes from the original G1 series!

 As I had mentioned before, Metroplex here used to reside on the top shelf of this bookshelf; but has bow been dropped down to his current home!

He's surrounded by misc. G1, G2, & Encore reissue Minibots, as well as some Micromasters, a custom repainted BB keychain figure (in black & grey, with his yellow head), and another GoBot...

This time, it's the Rock Lorde Slimestone!

The bottom shelf has my comic books!

the book on the left is the Transformers Vault book, chronicling the history of the Transformers from Pre-G1 to (near) current day...

There's another GoBot there in the center, a Staks figure I bought MIB. His trailer is still within his box, but I was able to apply the figure's stickers! :)

The comics include G1, G2, Regeneration One, Titan G1 Trades, and even some more recent IDW books...

 The last bookshelf?
That last one has a few characters that Smurfette & I decided we couldn't part with from the collection when we decided to do the latest purge...

The multi-colored KO Devastator is actually going to be going to a friend of mine, along with a few other figures; but I haven't taken him down yet... The Jumpstarters are staying put, but I couldn't decide on what shelf to stick them onto... Smurfette's Tracks figures weren't going *ANYWHERE*, as neither were those Hound figures of mine... There was something abut those two figures that we decided we just couldn't part with... Since this picture was taken earlier today, another friend of mine has since informed me that they're going to be giving me the Classics Hound figure (sans Ravage) to be added to the little collection of Hounds! :)

...And then there are these three Seekers.
While Smurfette & I used to have the trio in Bot Shot, Classics (or "CHUG" if you prefer), & Movie-Verse forms; there was something about the 'original' three figures that we decided we needed to keep.

The Starscream is a vintage G1 figure.
Thundercracker in the front is from the Hasbro Commemorative Reissues.
While Skywarp is from the Encore release of the figure.

I had a custom set of Seeker missiles made for these three, so that each one had matching Seeker Null-Rays... Pretty happy with that, so that these three figures, from three different lines; are all identical in the end... ;)


And *THAT* is what this ill little Transfan did today...
It took me 3 or so hours to do today, including all the little breaks & whatnot...
But, in the end; I'm pretty happy with how well it had worked out.
Once again, I'm happy and content with how well the collection's on display... :)


OH! I almost forgot!
-Out in the living room!
We've got the Kre-O sets of Optimus, Bumblebee, & Jazz on display in front of the television (as they're just underneath the screen), as well as the Machine Wars' Optimus Prime on top of the stereo!
-This guy's standing atop of his trailer in Battle Station mode, which is currently sitting on top of our stereo... It's a perfect set-up, and I'm really liking him on display out there! :)

Anyway, with Dairycon coming up soon (April 5th & 6th); it's only a matter of time until my next update to the blog! :)

Take This Job And Shove It.... and Fairies!

Hello there, you random internet people!

I decided to post another of these wonderful blog posts again! Any specific reason for my decision? How about a new job? Well, probably less 'new' than employment status at a current one...

The other day I was offered the opportunity at a full-time position at the certain online toy retailer.

Now, I've enjoyed my time at Target, getting to work with some great people; but (truth-be-told?) it
should be no surprise that I quite enjoy my job with the certain online toy retailer... The only thing that truly kept me from working with them as a full-time employee was the distance & gas money, since they're about 40 miles away from the apartment! -That's 80 miles put on the car in a day! Gladly, my car gets about 28-30mpg; but it was still a full (10gallon) tank a week... I didn't think that I could afford to fill it up twice a week & work (essentially) the same number of hours a week... With the current pile of bills & what-not that Smurfette & I have at the moment, I just couldn't 'pull the trigger' and do it...

However, I was informed that they'd taken that into account, and came up with a great option for me!
Not only would I get full-time hours, but I'd also get a raise; as well as the opportunity to do a day out of the apartment! This basically equates to me only having to drive into work ONE extra day a week! Needless to say, I was a bit excited that we thought this would work out for both them & me! Now, only time will tell; of course... But, I'm pretty hopeful none-the-less!

The only thing I'm going to be sad to lose out on at Target?
Working with the awesome group of people I've gotten to work with the last two years!.... and the 10% employee discount... yeah... that too... ;)

Outside of that... Last weekend, Smurfette & I were able to attend the MN RenFest! As I had mentioned in the last blog entry, it was *really* iffy as to if we'd even be able to afford to go; but all went well in the end!

Now, the image to the left is me; in my happy-go-lucky RenFest costume! I really do have to say 'thank you' again to Karin for taking the time & effort to make the shirt & pants for me... She'd done a wonderful job on Smurfette's costume a few years ago (though she was sadly unable to wear it this year), and I was more than happy to accept the offer for her to make me one as well! The cloak has been in my possession for years now, the macrame belt was a gift from the old roommate, Brute Bronco, the small pouch you see I'd picked up nearly a decade ago & holds a small 'worry stone' inside it, I have another larger leather pouch (that you can't see) -which normally holds my Roleplaying dice the rest of the year, *another* pouch to the back (which was actually a western-themed purse until I cut the shoulder strap & did some sewing of my own), and finally - the walking stick; which was purchased at the MN RenFest 3 years back from "Faces In Wood" (which is across from another favorite shop of mine the "Magic of Valinor Wax Works", which makes some exquisite wax dragons, wizards, & unicorns!)...

As is a kind of recent tradition, we went with Ouija & his two children, their grandmother(s -one from both sides!), & a few others... We all had fun, Smurfette picked up a few trinkets from Twig Oaklyn Flewinia Thistlebottom's booth, though you may know her better as "Twig the Fairy"....


Now, we missed out on seeing her *at* her booth (literally by minutes, said the pickle vendor near her booth); but we had hopes to find her yet! -Since we've managed to see her at least once each of the years we've gone to the MN RenFest... However, it was not the case to be this time around... WELL, almost; anyways! ;)

As the day came to a close, the canon fired (well, I'm not sure I heard that actually), and the shops began to close; I found myself seperated from the group. I'd stopped to wait with Karin for one of our party members (who was with her boyfriend, finishing up the wax hand they'd had cast), when the others went on ahead. I soon realized that Smurfette had left me with the Fairy Dust necklace & Twig postcard she'd picked up earlier in the day. Wanting to make sure she was able to get the card signed (and a photo taken with Twig),  I soon trekked off after them. Arriving at the front gate, I heard the sounds of music playing outside the gate, the trickle of people leaving the grounds (most of which had long been gone by this time); and... Twig!

Now, I couldn't see Smurfette or the others anywhere; but I walked up towards Twig (who was interacting with a couple of gentlemen, who were taking her picture for themselves). When they'd finished (and I had taken the image above (well, and another one where she was actually looking at me & blowing a kiss; but the photo was taken too early & her hands were obscuring her face)), I quickly told her my tale about being seperated from my wife; but I had the postcard that she'd wanted to get signed.... She smiled widely, pulled a pen from one of her many pouches, & gladly signed it; as well as handed me a clear, blue, heart-shaped stone/trinket for Smurfette...

Needless to say, Twig is *the* person/persons/act/etc that we actively try to see at the RenFest each year, and next year will be no different! ;)

But, that's enough from me for now... I'm heading off to do a little more 'homework'... :)

The One Where I Look Forward To Something...

OK, so Smurfette & I have been going to the MN Renaissance Festival for the last 5 years or so... Sadly, we missed out going at the last minute because Smurfette got sick, but que sera, sera...

This year, however; I was pretty sure that we wouldn't be able to go at all because of the recent-ish move to the new apartment & the fallout that came from it... You see, Comcast double - billed us for last month & threw our bank account into turmoil... Happily though, I have a contact who's been able to secure us with a pair of tickets (which would have been the bulk of any money we'd have had at all after paying bills on Friday, let alone having anything at all to actually use while we were there)!

...while another friend was kind enough to complete a shirt & pants for my costume (after doing the same for Smurfette a few years ago!)...

I say, I'm feeling pretty lucky, all things considered... ;)

More to be posted in a few days after RenFest... :-)

Mammoth's Aren't Extinct... They're Just Made Of Plastic!

So, I have a Universe Nemesis Prime figure in my collection, who has been without his counter-part since I picked him up... Now, I started picking up various black repaints of Optimus Prime (but only those that I already *had* of the original Optimus molds); but they quickly began to multiply like little Petrorabbits & I decided to display them on a shelf -mirrored on the other half by their original Optimus Prime counter-parts... Now, normally; Nemesis Prime is a black repaint of the semi-truck based Optimus Prime... But this one?

Photo from Seibertron.com, by way of TFWIKI.NET

Yes folks, he's indeed a black Wooly Mammoth... What? Did you think I was talking about the Classics Nemesis Prime figure?

I don't know why I like this mold so much, as it's not like I actually toyed around him when he was originally released as a Target Exclusive back in 2004...

Heck, back then I was barely aware that there was a continuation of the *G1* series in Japan, let *alone* the Beast Wars line that this one's mold is from!

But when I started working at A Certain Online Transformers Retailer, I was lucky enough to pick up one of

Why go to the store?

these guys for a reasonable price. I don't really know why I felt compelled to purchase him, since I didn't have the "Convoy/Optimus" the figure takes his mold from; but I knew I wanted him in my collection!  -I fondly recall the shock/horror on (I'll call her) D's face when I pulled out my razor knife & cut the tape on the MISB box after I'd paid for him... :)

As soon as I'd gotten him home, he was freed from his plastic prison. Having been aware of the confusion around this figure upon one's first transformation (IE: The instructions are from Mammoth-to-Robot, while he's packaged in Robot Mode. -And to top it off, his legs are turned around 180* with the legs turned to point the front!), I took my sweet time transforming him...

Now, for those of you who don't know this figure; he's considered of being guilty of being one of *the* biggest Shellformers in the entire Transformers line-up... You can seriously *MAKE* a near-complete Mammoth from all those pieces of Mammoth kibble hanging off of his Robot Mode!

Photo also shamelessly stolen from www.oafe.net

Yeah, that gaping hole in the side there? Those panels are removable from the Robot Mode's legs, but don't actually 'snap together' to the rest of the figure; but there's photographic proof of the nature of the figure's shellforming nature! :)

Even taking that into consideration though, I would highly recommend adding the figure (or one of his repaints) into your collection! The figure's Mammoth Alt Mode may not be anything *super* special, as it has no articulation outside of the ears & tail. But the figure *does* make use of that articulation! 

Pulling back on each of the figure's ears raises the corresponding, blood-soaked tusk to raise up & down in a 'goring' motion, and pulling the lever on the top of the Mammoth's head moves the figure's trunk in a 'trumpeting' motion... Very cool...

The Robot Mode, however; is an early example of a GREAT figure... He is a very posable figure from his time, which features many ball-jointed points of articulation; which can be repositioned in a number of poses (as long as you're not hindered by the Mammoth kibble hanging off the limbs). He is also able to wield his BFG, which is made up from the head & back of the Mammoth. This alone I find to be ridiculously cool!

But, speaking of the other repaints... It was announced that the  Transformers Collectors' Club (the "TFCC") will be releasing a version of this mold in Ultra Magnus colors, dubbed "Ultra Mammoth". While I find the pictures of the figure online to be pretty interesting, have no current intentions of adding that figure to my collection (as I've sold off my other Ultra Magnus figures). However, it *has* pushed me to pick up the original Big Convoy. I figured that the release of Ultra Mammoth will drive the prices up on both Nemesis Prime & Big Convoy & I'd like to get Big Convoy before he gets outside my meager price range... 

Thankfully, a friend of mine named (I will call him) "MJ" has already picked one up for me on eBay. He'd borrowed a few of my figures to review on his Youtube channel a few weeks back, and had mentioned an interest in going out and buying a few of the smaller ones for himself... Since I had started cutting back the focus of my Transformer collection, and as the ones he'd mentioned kinda fell out of that focus; I had offered to sell them to him "for whatever he felt was a fair price for the both of us"... So, he essentially picked the figure up for me in lieu of payment for the figures he wanted... All-in-all, we're both happy with the deal... :)

He gets a few figures that *he* wanted, and helped me to get one of the ones that I'd been wanting to get for the last year or so (and before the price of the figure starts to go up)! 

So, thank you again to MJ; and expect a couple pictures of both my Nemesis Prime & Big Convoy once I've gotten them *both* in hand... (Heck, I'm even planning on sending him both the Nemesis Prime & Big Convoy to review when he gets his Ultra Mammoth from the TFCC! -so I may even link to those video reviews when the time comes!)

Anyway, that's enough from me for the evening...
This little blog of mine is definitely a nice reprise from the recent events that are going on around here... So, expect a little more venting from me, as well as a few more little reviews of some of these figures I have...
(Next time I may even put a few pictures of *my* actual toys in here too, instead of swiping them from other sources!)

-Methusalen

eBay Victories & Friends...

So, here I am... Back on the 2nd of August, I won an auction on eBay for an MIB Go-Bot Bug Bite. I was relatively excited about this, because I used to have one of these guys  as a kid; & that I managed to get it for a whopping $4.99+shipping...

Kinda looks like a Wasp, or a hornet; doesn't it?

Now, for those of you who don't remember (or even *knew*), Bug Bite was a Renegade (ie: "Bad Guy") from the 80's cartoon "The Go-Bots!". Yup, that's him over there on the right hand side of this column... 

Bug Bite turned into a VW Bug, much like a certain little yellow Transformer... There were a few differences though... 

1) Transformers was the more popular cartoon
2) In general, Gobots were usually cheaper than their TF counterparts
3) Lots of people had Go-Bots mixed into their Transformers collections, since the Go-Bots were your "Poor man's Transformers"...  

Now, sadly to say; I never received said figure... The seller never shipped it out to me, nor even responded to my inquiries about the figure. I eventually opened a case against them, & earlier today I was able to escalate it. Happily, a few scant hours after I escalated the case; I was refunded my money & the seller now has a bit of negative feedback against them.  Justice has been served.

Definitely not the little Minibot!

But what does that mean for me? I didn't get my Bug Bite, so I ended up losing out; right?

Nope! For you see, on the day of the 4th; there was a small meet-up of a few of us Dairyland Transfan members... Prior to this meet-up, I had inquired to Fred about a few junker Bug Bite figures I'd happened to have seen in one of his previous eBay auctions. I'd asked, if they hadn't sold; if he'd bring them along to the meet-up for me... Well, he *was* kind enough to have brought me the junker Bug Bite figures, from which I was able to complete a working figure (well, sans his weapon; but that's not important!)...  So, I am happy with the figure on the shelf next to Terasa's Bumblebee collection....

I mean, he  *DWARFS* all of her Bumblebee figures! I can't help but snicker every time I look at the shelf & see him on there!  ;)

So, while I was unable to get the figure I originally wanted; I am more than happy to accept what I can get my hands on! In some cases, that's quite a bit better way to add a figure to one's collection... I'll never forget the story behind my 'new' Bug Bite figure! ;)

-Photos shamelessly stolen from Toyarchive.com