Maz's Articles & Reviews

[Maz]

As 2013 races towards its conclusion, collectors are taking stock of all the new Transformers figures they’ve added to their collection in 2013, a year that saw the Takara Tomy and Hasbro Masterpiece lines engage a higher gear and really start giving fans what they supposedly wanted. A year that saw 3rd Party companies present even greater competition for collectors’ spending and a number of new lines like Transformers GT and Transformers Go launch in Japan. A year that saw BotCon pump out more exclusives and the Generations line pay further homage to classic TF characters and IDW comic stars.

For the closing TFSource article of 2013, I will be reviewing my own 2013 toy purchases and listing, in reverse order, my top five acquisitions. These will not necessarily all be 2013 releases, just toys I bought in 2013 that have made the biggest positive impression on me. Considering my collecting history and specialisms, the results may be surprising to some – and yet entirely predictable for those that read this column weekly.

Top 5 Purchases of 2013 | Source Blog <- CLICK TO READ



Happy new year, everyone!

All the best
Maz

[MayzaPrime]

Some surprises in the list But all are worthy

Totally agree with Tigertrack, he really is an awesome figure.

Great article Maz

My top 5 would be

1. Soundwave (Hasbro)
2. Metroplex
3. Quakewave
4. Prowl
5. Sideswipe

[theshape]

Great read, thanks again

[Maz]

Some surprises in the list But all are worthy

Totally agree with Tigertrack, he really is an awesome figure.

Great article Maz

My top 5 would be

1. Soundwave (Hasbro)
2. Metroplex
3. Quakewave
4. Prowl
5. Sideswipe

And a thoroughly worthy top 5 that would be! Even Hexatron, Fortis, MP Prime, Smokescreen etc could easily make the list...some might even say the reissue Fortress Maximus was a defining moment for them.

Great read, thanks again

Cheers bud

All the best
Maz

[Maz]

And so begins 2014, a year that promises much in the way of new official and unofficial Transformers figures from Takara Tomy, Mastermind Creations, FansToys, Hasbro and many others. The Masterpiece line continues to churn out fan favourites, whether they be licensed Autobot cars or leaders like Ultra Magnus and Star Saber. Third party companies like MMC will complete their Not-Predaking while FansToys will tackle Masterpiece-sized Not-Dinobots. So what do I feel will be my 5 favourite purchases of the upcoming year based on what we know?

Top 5 Purchases of 2014? | Source Blog <- CLICK TO READ



All the best
Maz

[Maz]

He finally arrived, on the very final day of 2013 for me having been pre-ordered in March of the same year. Delayed beyond his Masterpiece Datsun stablemates on account of his re-tooled shoulder design and for reasons of recreational Takara Tomy fan torture, MP-19 Masterpiece Smokescreen has landed to a tremendously mixed reception. MP-17 Prowl and MP-18 Streak set the bar immeasurably high for this mould in quick succession over a short period of time, so Smokescreen had to be exceptional to justify lasting awe and effect. Was he?

Last But Least? | Source Blog <- CLICK TO READ






All the best
Maz

[Maz]

Under the weight of newer Transformers products, one can sometimes find it hard to keep up with every new variant and development that comes along, never mind continue to catalogue the unyielding tide of vintage discoveries that continue to be made. In some cases, the vintage revelations are news to most of us who hadn’t paid close enough attention to certain areas of G1 Transformers, while to others it is knowledge hard earned from giving particular niches of the hobby distinct focus and commitment. The beauty of this community is that eventually, it will all make its way to the surface and continue to decorate the Transformers G1 tapestry.

Marginally More News To Me | Source Blog <- CLICK TO READ





All the best
Maz

[heroic_decepticon]

Mexican Trailbreaker! Who would have thought?

[Maz]

No Transformers blog is complete without the occasional rant about auctions, that is after all where most of us still get our toys, especially vintage. Whether it’s through eBay, Yahoo or a proxy bidding service, most of us have had bad experiences and taken chances that haven’t worked out. So here is my first auction rant of 2014.

http://tfsource.com/blog/ebay-adventures/ <- CLICK TO READ





All the best
Maz

[Maz]

Everywhere you look now in vintage Transformers collecting, every niche and sub-category, the bitter end items that are required to polish off a section of the hobby are running into the very high hundreds or even low thousands of dollars. The purposeful march of certain toys and rarities towards four figures has left many a collector grateful for their early interest in things such as Japanese Transformers, pre-Transformers, minibots or even Mexican Transformers and premium North American items before the waves crested.

Four Figure Hobby | Source Blog <- CLICK TO READ





All the best
Maz