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

[Verno]

Wow

I don't know jack about G1 stuff, but even I know they are something you don't see every day.

Those cassettes are incredible!

What's left to buy now? Are there any Holy Grails left out there?

Congrats Man!

[kup]

That is some amazing stuff, HD. Congratulations!

The stuff you got here is not just expensive but very hard to find. It must have been one hell of a feat to track them down.

[heroic_decepticon]

Of all the stunning pieces you have posted in this thread battle Gaia is the only one that in jealouse of. It's my personal grail and I've only ever seen 2 besides the one you posted above that I'd actually buy. The 2 I found, both on eBay I bidded on and lost and they were 4 years apart. Congratulations on your acquisition it's gorgeous

With Battle Gaia, I don't recommend looking on eBay - the prices and competition there is just too extreme.

Recommend that you look on Yahoo Japan. Pieces do come up from time to time. The condition is usually very good (comparable to mine) but could end at about 100,000 yen or more.

Also, keep your eyes peeled on TFW toy selling section. And try to join these 2 groups on TFW (invite only):

1. G1 Holy Grail Owners Group
2. I own a lucky draw or something Uber rare

Lots of sales happen there and these power buyers would have snapped them up before they even hit the 'open market' if at all.

I know that there were 2 Battle Gaia transactions on Group (1) that I mentioned above sometime late last year.

I can recommend your entry into the groups, but you need to have something rare or 'grail worthy' (whatever that means). It's snobbish I know, but I didn't make the rules

Nice one HD, you truly are the king of the hunt.
Though if I'm really honest (and this is just my opinion) it doesn't do as much for me as the others in this thread. Not a fan of the colours.
Still, for such a rare toy (I didn't even know it exissted) it's an amazing find.

hey LCO, I tend to agree with you. While Battle Gaia is a great milestone, it actually does less for me than the dino-cassettes. But that doesn't mean I haven't been quietly on the hunt for it and grab it if it surfaces... heh.

Re the issue of colours. I think this is a good attempt. Usually fans have an issue with the colours because they have Bruticus imprinted in their minds. Had this been "Bruticus", I think the colours would still have been very acceptable and in fact considered nice. The one combiner with weird colours is Monstructor.

[swoop]

With Battle Gaia, I don't recommend looking on eBay - the prices and competition there is just too extreme.

Recommend that you look on Yahoo Japan. Pieces do come up from time to time. The condition is usually very good (comparable to mine) but could end at about 100,000 yen or more.

Also, keep your eyes peeled on TFW toy selling section. And try to join these 2 groups on TFW (invite only):

1. G1 Holy Grail Owners Group
2. I own a lucky draw or something Uber rare

Lots of sales happen there and these power buyers would have snapped them up before they even hit the 'open market' if at all.

I know that there were 2 Battle Gaia transactions on Group (1) that I mentioned above sometime late last year.

I can recommend your entry into the groups, but you need to have something rare or 'grail worthy' (whatever that means). It's snobbish I know, but I didn't make the rules

Thanks for the advice I'll remember to check yahoo japan, I'd pay $1200 for the set.

As for tfw I'm a member and I considered trying to join the group when I first heard about it with my mib stepper but I never go on their forums so I didn't bother. I'm moving early next year and planning a holiday so my cash is pretty much spoken for but when I do get all that sorted and I go after it again I'll remembre to check tfw as well.

[heroic_decepticon]

Amazing again HD! The bots look kind of naked though I don't think you'd be applying the stickers

I'm actually really tempted to apply the stickers. I think the stickers for this set is so so important, it's really what sets it apart from all other releases of this mold. I don't really care about resale value because it's unlikely, but even. If I did want to resell, doesn't mean I can't have some fun applying the stickers first.

How o you find such (seemingly) perfect toys and packaging of all these?

it's lots of hard work actually! =)

But a lot easier here in HK than it was in Sydney. Here I just make it a point to visit the shops on a weekly basis. 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.

[Hursticon]

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

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.
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.

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.

[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

[LordCyrusOmega]

Re the issue of colours. I think this is a good attempt. Usually fans have an issue with the colours because they have Bruticus imprinted in their minds. Had this been "Bruticus", I think the colours would still have been very acceptable and in fact considered nice. The one combiner with weird colours is Monstructor.

It's not that I have Bruticus imprinted in my mind, I own universe Ruination (Desert Camo repaint) so that could be why, haven't seen many images of bruticus though I own G1 Swindle.

It's just the first thought I had when I saw it was 'Candy'

[heroic_decepticon]

Wow

I don't know jack about G1 stuff, but even I know they are something you don't see every day.

Those cassettes are incredible!

What's left to buy now? Are there any Holy Grails left out there?

Congrats Man!

Like I mentioned in an answer to griffin earlier in this thread, there are no more holy grails - the blue Bluestreak has been the holy grail for years and years. Now that I have it, there are no more grails. The throne is empty, long live the king!

That is some amazing stuff, HD. Congratulations!

The stuff you got here is not just expensive but very hard to find. It must have been one hell of a feat to track them down.

Thanks kup!

Tracking down this lot was a lot of effort. I detailed it more in my blog... read it and you will see the pain I went through... heh

[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