Earlier this week I came across a Target store catalogue that was advertising a July 24 to July 27 toy sale, and one of the items advertised in the catalogue was Masterpiece Optimus Prime for $180 (AU). The catalogue didn't show the packaging, just the toy.

So I went in there today to purchase the MP Prime. Expecting it to be the Hasbro version at a grossly inflated price, I was very surprised and pleased to discover that they were actually selling the Takara Masterpiece Convoy w/trailer!!! And for $180, which is a bargain by Australian standards!

I would have had to pay another $140 or so, shipping included, if I were to order MP Convoy from BBTS or any other online store, so you can see how the $180AU price tag is a bargain.


Anyway, since the opportunity to purchase a Takara Convoy for $180 might never present itself again, I decided to get two. One for display, the other to keep MISB.

Since I didn't have enough money for both Convoys I decided to buy one and lay-by the other. So I headed to the lay-by area but was surprised to see a HUGE line of people waiting to lay-by items (most were parents lay-bying toys for their kids for X-Mas; I should have anticipated such a thing given the toy sale).

Anyway, my grandmother, who was with me, and I went to the end of the line. After 15 minutes in line, and wanting to get out of the store to rest her recently operated-on knee, my grandmother offered to pay for one of the Convoys on the proviso I pay her back. I very gratefully accepted so we went to the front of the store, paid for the Convoys and went home.


I haven't taken the MP Convoy out of it's inner cardboard packagaing yet, but I did inspect the toy. It's one freakin' sweet toy. And no shortened smokestacks (or battle-damage paint) either, unlike the Hasbro version.

Only complaint so far is that his rifle should be show-accurate black and not grey. But other than that, I'm a very happy camper.

I still can't believe I was able to get the Takara Convoy for $180! This is easily one of the best and most satisfying purchases I've made all year.


*Goes to play with MP Convoy*

I wonder if the Targets here are selling them. I wouldn't mind getting one myself.

*who looks over at the hubby and prays he doesn't ask how much I really spent to rebuild my voltron collection*

SGB, when I read your posts, I have to put an Aussie accent on it. Somehow I can't help it

Please tell me you will post some pics of them.

Awesome. Have fun with him; he's a great toy and really fun to pose. Mine's hanging out on my desk battling bootleg Daltanias.

quote:

Originally posted by BlueLionSTL:
SGB, when I read your posts, I have to put an Aussie accent on it. Somehow I can't help it

LOL!!!



KBL -- I wasn't going to take any photos, but I might as well since I have to take snaps of a few other things in my room.



hedgemaze -- I've got Convoy/Prime hanging out on my desk just with his rifle. I'm keeping the trailer (and the battle axe & Megs-as-a-gun accessories) in the packaging for space reasons.

Convoy was quite hard to transform into truck mode ... I didn't expect the transformation to be that complex. The instructions being Japanese-only didn't help much either.

Yeah, that was a pain for me as well, however...I got lucky. My wife's boss is Japanese, and has family back in Tokyo. She speaks and reads fluently...and was a very nice person to translate the instructions for me!

However, the gas tanks to push in to get the legs to go down are the only thing I ever had an issue with in transforming him. Which is why he kind of stays in his box.

quote:

Originally posted by SGB:
Convoy was quite hard to transform into truck mode ... I didn't expect the transformation to be that complex. The instructions being Japanese-only didn't help much either.

DL a PDF of the hasbro instructions and your set

K2C -- I forgot to mention the gas tank thing. I hard a very hard time getting one of the legs to slide into place, no matter how hard I pressed the gas tank. I figured it was probably cos the item was new and needed a bit of kick to get going.

Once I got the leg in, I didn't have any more problems. Glad to read I wasn't the only one who had trouble with the leg/gas tank.



Coldwin -- thanks for the suggestion. Wish I had thought of that! I'll keep it in mind for any future Takara Transformers I get.



KBL -- photos of MP Convoy will have to wait for a day or so ... the digital camera has gone walkabouts so I'm gonna have to do a high and low search for it tomorrow.

Here's a couple of pics of my MP Convoy ..

http://voltarchive.animation-web.com/Miscstuff/Pics/Other/convoy01.jpg

http://voltarchive.animation-web.com/Miscstuff/Pics/Other/convoy02.jpg

I had no time to take more dynamic shots, but I will if anyone wants.

And for gits and shiggles, a pic of my all-too-small MISB/MOC Transformers collection, which I keep in my cupboard for space reasons:

http://voltarchive.animation-web.com/Miscstuff/Pics/Other/MISB_TFs.jpg

Just the Takara MP Convoy, most of the G1 Robot Heroes, and Classics Prime and Classics Jetfire.

quote:

Originally posted by SGB:

http://voltarchive.animation-web.com/Miscstuff/Pics/Other/convoy02.jpg

I love how he is guarding the Volton DVD collection !

Sweet shots. Thanks for posting. Eventually, I'll get you pics of my TF collection, unfortuately all my 'bots are packed up at the moment.

quote:

Originally posted by Lady Magdalena:
I love how he is guarding the Volton DVD collection !

LOL! He's also guarding some of my Superman and Supergirl DVDs.

quote:

Originally posted by SGB:
LOL! He's also guarding some of my Superman and Supergirl DVDs.

Ever the gentleman too...

Here are some links to my Transformers collection. This isn't the entire collection, but close to 98%. By the way, I threw in something extra, kind of like a Where's Waldo, just to see if anyone notices.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b112/JoshuaBeazley/Pe...%20Pics/Dscf0017.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b112/JoshuaBeazley/Pe...%20Pics/DSCF0018.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b112/JoshuaBeazley/Pe...%20Pics/Dscf0019.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b112/JoshuaBeazley/Pe...%20Pics/DSCF0020.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b112/JoshuaBeazley/Pe...%20Pics/DSCF0105.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b112/JoshuaBeazley/Pe...%20Pics/Dscf0106.jpg