... I would have waited an eternity for these...

heroic_decepticon: before applying the stickers, may I suggest that you do hi-res scans of them and donate them to reprolabels? Maybe you can ask if they'd be willing to give you a set of those reprolabels at a discount price in return for your services.

That way you'd still be able to apply the stickers, and keep the originals unapplied too. Or if you really want to go ahead and apply the originals, at least reprolabels would have a set of them for other collectors.

Just a suggestion. :)

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Originally Posted by Hursticon

Well... I tip my hat to you Heroic - This is yet another multi-faceted display of astonishment! :eek:

As LSO has also identified, you've clearly shown how crazy good you are at the hunt - You may be a Heroic - Decepticon but you sure show a lot of qualities akin to Predaking. :D

Also like LSO, I too am not all too taken back by the colours but I think that this may be due to what you've suggested about Bruticus' colour scheme - Interesting to note though, could this of been where the G2 Bruticus colour scheme borrowed it's head layout from? ;)

I think you should have some fun as well and apply his stickers man, it'll help him a lot IMO but it'll be a nice change for you to I think. :cool:

Congratulations on yet another incredible acquisition dude, these recent purchases of yours have to be some sort of historical event or milestone, both in your collecting and this forum - surely. :)

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Thanks sir!

I like the Predaking comparison... them being hunters and all. heh. Like I previously mentioned, its not hard to hunt for stuff when I'm in HK. When I'm bored, I can quickly fly to Japan over a weekend and hunt for stuff there. It's all good.

Also like I mentioned, I think the stickers are really what sets Battle Gaia apart from all other incarnations of the Bruticus mold. The stickers for each individual member are radically different from the any other release. I mean, even the chest piece for Battle Gaia has tons of stickers and an awesome Decepticon insignia on it (which even the G1 Bruticus didn't have).

Good to know its pretty historic for the forum, but I always keep in mind that I'm not the only one making history and there are more than a handful of members that has very powerful collections!

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Originally Posted by valkyrie_76

Dammit......havent seen this thread for awhile and when you talked about a second epilogue, the first thing I thought was Battle Gaia (due to you having Guard City).

Oh well nice one there HD, I think you have melted down this forum in the past week or so :D

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Bill, you just know me too well. Not surprised that you would have guessed right! Hahaha...

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Originally Posted by 1AZRAEL1

Totally freakin awsome dude. HD, you are one lucky SOB to have a a missus that lets you spens this kind of money of Transformers, the the ability to find them :p

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My missus is awesome. heh. I think I mentioned it before but she sees collecting from a different perspective. To her its not about 'tolerating' what I do within some set limits of money or that its stupid buying toys but she will accept me the way I am. It's not that at all. To her, its important and encouraged that I do what I love to do - whatever I love to do, she will encourage it. Just so happens that I like collecting TFs.

Besides, the money I spend on TFs is chump change compared to her stuff. Trading in Battle Gaia wouldn't even be enough to buy her a single BV bag (which I did buy for her). (Not a typo, I did mean "BV", not "LV". I understand that BV is in the Hermes league of branded stuff and enough rungs up the ladder to make LV look like commoner fare... but that's just hearsay. I don't know jackshit about these branded stuff).

I think different families just have different ways of managing it. For example, a close friend of mine and a member here as well has a deal with his wife that what ever amount of money he spends on toys, she is entitled to spend on jewellery or diamonds. :D

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Originally Posted by heroic_decepticon

There is this shop here that specializes in G1. They have a massive ops budget and have people trawling Japan every other week (it's a 6 man operation and they have apartments all over Japan and at least 2 ppl are in Japan every week). I get a lot of my stuff from this shop. Also when I'm here, I don't buy online anymore. No point when I can just cash and carry.... Heh.

But for dinos I did get them online, no other choice, just too hard to find.

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Holy :eek: This boggles my mind... that such an enterprise can exist on such an operation of scouring japan for g1s and hocking them back in HK...

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Originally Posted by heroic_decepticon

My missus is awesome. heh. I think I mentioned it before but she sees collecting from a different perspective. To her its not about 'tolerating' what I do within some set limits of money or that its stupid buying toys but she will accept me the way I am. It's not that at all. To her, its important and encouraged that I do what I love to do - whatever I love to do, she will encourage it. Just so happens that I like collecting TFs.

Besides, the money I spend on TFs is chump change compared to her stuff. Trading in Battle Gaia wouldn't even be enough to buy her a single BV bag (which I did buy for her). (Not a typo, I did mean "BV", not "LV". I understand that BV is in the Hermes league of branded stuff and enough rungs up the ladder to make LV look like commoner fare... but that's just hearsay. I don't know jackshit about these branded stuff).

I think different families just have different ways of managing it. For example, a close friend of mine and a member here as well has a deal with his wife that what ever amount of money he spends on toys, she is entitled to spend on jewellery or diamonds. :D

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I like that perspective! :D

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Originally Posted by GoktimusPrime

heroic_decepticon: before applying the stickers, may I suggest that you do hi-res scans of them and donate them to reprolabels? Maybe you can ask if they'd be willing to give you a set of those reprolabels at a discount price in return for your services.

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Maybe they should give HD those labels & any others he so desires if they are so rare for free.

I dunno about unlimited freebies, but I think at least asking for free or discounted samples of the ones he's scanned would be within reason. :) And even without freebies or discounted, I would scan them as a service to the fandom anyway - as I said, there may be other collectors with these toys who might be adverse to applying the original stickers who would appreciate having repros to use.

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Originally Posted by GoktimusPrime

I dunno about unlimited freebies, but I think at least asking for free or discounted samples of the ones he's scanned would be within reason. :) And even without freebies or discounted, I would scan them as a service to the fandom anyway - as I said, there may be other collectors with these toys who might be adverse to applying the original stickers who would appreciate having repros to use.

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I agree with the fandom part but when you have a rare item the least a business like reprolables could do is give HD a full set of the repro labels + X amount of sets of his chosing for providing them with this rare scan. I was joking about the unlimited freebies of course.

Reprolabels is a business & they make money from it. Out of their sale price they would be making at least 100% markup & likely 200% due to the cost of producing lables being relatively cheap. These guys don't do this out of kindness they do it for money.

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Originally Posted by Prowl

Reprolabels is a business & they make money from it. Out of their sale price they would be making at least 100% markup & likely 200% due to the cost of producing lables being relatively cheap. These guys don't do this out of kindness they do it for money.

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I dunno, I don't think they make as much money as some may think they do and it's my personal belief that they don't produce these reproductions purely for profiteering means. ;)

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Originally Posted by Hursticon

I dunno, I don't think they make as much money as some may think they do and it's my personal belief that they don't produce these reproductions purely for profiteering means. ;)

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I don't disagree as they are providing fans with a service they otherwise would not have access to. But they would make a profit on every sheet they sell & for it to be a viable business they would need to make at least 100% mark up to even bother with it otherwise they would lose money on every transaction.

The most expensive label sheets would be the metallic G1 replica ones & even of they bought from a company like Staples at retail the quantity they consume would mean their actual cost pre production would be minimal & more than likely they buy them under a contract price arrangement. Add in the cost of printing & it still won't add up to a fraction of what they sell them for in the marketplace.

I don't know how they "cut" the labels but i would assume it would be using a die & that would be the most expensive part if they do it that way.

In once sent Reprolabels scans of Thunderclash stickers well over a year ago - They are yet to use them :(

So does this mean this thread is now over :(
Again so much awesomeness in this thread! And looking at your signature now can't help but laugh at how small the list has gotten :D
Can't wait till you post up Pictures of the last few when you get them.
Also i think we need updated pictures of your collection, as it must look incredible now :D