Maz's Articles & Reviews

Thank you very much guys. Also, thanks to Deceptic optics for taking the time and effort with the panoramic shots... I don't own a Go pro so it's good he agreed to take em for me :).

@Bread: yeah that was a pain to collect and assemble.... It works as well but I'm having difficulty finding a place for it hahah, and it's really heavy too. I still don't understand how to use it though hahaha, haven't gotten around to reading most of the magazines that came with it.

@Ultra Mackness: heheh the Welcome was a bit of a giveaway was it :p heheheh

Recognised by the green/brown bags they hand out at Parra Fair.

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Originally Posted by CBratron

Recognised by the green/brown bags they hand out at Parra Fair.

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hehehe quite a bit of it actually hanging there already. :p:D

Why repaints and remoulds? Why can’t every Transformers toy be a completely new mould and something brand new to enjoy and explore? We all know the answer to that already. The money involved in creating fresh toy sculpts – the engineering, tooling and design required to birth just one new Transformers toy – is such that the company responsible counters that by ensuring they get the most out of that mould by way of repaints and re-moulds/re-tools. The more the merrier. But that’s not the question we’re asking this week, the question is, what makes us buy them?

Why Repaints? | Source Blog <- CLICK TO READ

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All the best
Maz

Before I go any further, a disclaimer. The content of this article series is purely my opinion, not stated as right, wrong, nor as representative of the general feeling within the collecting community. In fact I doubt I’d find even one collector who would agree with all my choices. With that out of the way, here’s my verdict on Transformers Animated’s top toys in the Legends, Activators, Deluxe, Voyager and Leader classes, as well as best series episode, best transformation, best repaint and original concept feature. In the last few months I finally watched the episodes I had missed first time around and collected every toy mould released within the aforementioned classes, including pretty much every repaint and a number of bootlegs so I hope that qualifies to me to pass some sort of judgement. Here are my results!

TF Animated – The Verdict (Part 1) | Source Blog <- CLICK TO READ

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All the best
Maz

If Transformers Animated wasn’t subject enough to the varying opinions within the collecting community, for those who have surrendered their hearts to it there are plenty of wildly differing views on what ranks as the best and worst aspects of the line and concept in general. Last week I offered up my choices for best Animated legends, activator, deluxe and voyager class toy, knowing full well I’d struggle to find anyone in complete agreement. I think this week’s categories of best ‘main line’ repaint/remould, best leader, and best Japanese market release are going to be even more controversial – or just plain unpopular. I certainly expected to find this a lot easier…

TF Animated – The Verdict (Part 2) | Source Blog <- CLICK TO READ

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All the best
Maz

Dan Ghile is a UK Transformers fan, artist and collector who has inspired me this year. Meeting and spending time in real life with collectors like Dan, Richard Irvine-Brown, Sid Beckett, as well as oldies like Morgan Evans, Paul Hitchens and many other fine UK fans has opened my eyes to just what a wealth of passion, knowledge, history and diversity exists right on my doorstep in London and the UK. I’ve not enjoyed being a part of the TF community more than I have in the past year as a result of the company, contributions and friendship of these collectors. What this interview will demonstrate is that you don’t have to be a well known collector with a legendary collection or history of acknowledged fandom contributions to be able to offer the kind of wisdom, unbridled passion and deep factual knowledge that Dan exhibits in any conversation about Transformers, the type that is infectious and can influence others positively.

Collector Interview 29 – Dan Ghile | Source Blog <- CLICK TO READ

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All the best
Maz

If for whatever reason you lost all of your Transformers collection tomorrow, what figure would you buy back first? That excellent question was asked by Alex Kirk at a UK Transformers meet recently and created some fascinating discussion and introspective analysis. After the initial wave of “Nothing, I’d be free!” responses, everyone who was asked the question gave some very interesting answers. I’ve expanded Alex’s question to include the first three toys one would buy back, for whatever purpose that might be: rebuilding, three and done, nostalgia or a blank slate with the benefit of experience.

If You Lost It All… (Part 1) | Source Blog <- CLICK TO READ

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All the best
Maz

It’s been over three years now that we’ve been producing articles and collector interviews for the TFSource Blog, and just as with the previous two years, we thought it might be interesting for our readers to see what the top 5 most visited and read articles have been over the last 12 to 14 months. One thing the results have shown us are that our readership and reach have grown, and thanks for that must go not just to our staff but also to the collectors and enthusiasts whose contributions have helped make the blog something worthwhile to visit and keep up to date with.

The majority of interest seems to come out of articles where collectors are given a voice to either express their preferences, habits and obstacles, or to show off their collections, modest and expansive alike. 3rd Party products have also ranked highly on the list of popular articles which is to be expected after a bumper year of releases and announcements by a seemingly growing list of protagonists. Here, then, are the top 5 most read Source Blog posts of our third year.

Best of 2013 / 2014 – Three Years Of Source Articles | Source Blog <- CLICK TO READ

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All the best
Maz

Decades from now, when we look back on the Transformers phenomenon and specifically the Transformers fan community in all its evolving glory from patchy little groups across the world to a globally connected, flourishing mass of thousands and thousands of enthusiasts and collectors, the names of 2 people will inevitably stand out. They will stand out and stand the test of time. Jon and Karl Hartman, founders of the world’s most famous Transformers convention BotCon, have given to this hobby immeasurably. The fact that both are wonderful, approachable and modest people just helps perpetuate their legend. This month we are honoured to feature Karl in our collector spotlight. A pillar of the TF community (figuratively and literally), he’s given us an interview with a great deal of heart and stunning photos of that legendary collection. Enjoy.

Collector Interview 30 – Karl Hartman | Source Blog <- CLICK TO READ

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All the best
Maz