COLLECTING THOUGHTS: Two incredible aftermarket finds in one week!

It’s been quite the year for discoveries so far.

That may be appropriate, given it’s the franchise’s 40th anniversary and all. True, none of the stuff I’m referring to has been new or, indeed, commemoration-themed. However, it’s nice to know that an ageing, creaking titan of a kid’s brand like Transformers can still throw up the odd mystery waiting to be solved along the way.

After all, we’ve only just put to bed the long-running puzzle of the Generation 2 ‘Flipchangers’ finally, with names, colour schemes, and an approximate planned release all now confirmed after almost three decades of assumptions. Well, now we have another ’90s conundrum just dropped as if the universe smiled upon the fandom and decreed we must have at least one such ongoing quandary at any one time.

Picture Credit: Yahoo! JAPAN

Before we get to that, though, it’s worth highlighting the other rather remarkable specimen which popped up on the Transformers aftermarket just this last week, mainly as it might rank amongst some of the rarest and most desirable robot-related toys of its kind you’re likely to see listed. Behold, it’s Diaclone No.15 New Countach LP500S… in black!

Picture Credit: Yahoo! JAPAN

So yes, this is the toy that would eventually become Sideswipe (and a few others) as part of Transformers in 1984, except it was released under its predecessor line in a variety of colours. Red, obviously, and I’m sure most will know that it also came in yellow, later to be introduced to the robots-in-disguise line under the new name of Tigertrack in 2003. However, you may not be as aware of this black version!

Picture Credit: Yahoo! JAPAN

And look, it has nothing to do with 1992’s Generation 2 Sideswipe, but curiously, it’s also not related to Deep Cover, the 2003 Transformers moniker crafted in homage to the original Diaclone toy’s release in black as part of the Powered Convoy DX giftset. That version is similar in overall colour, of course, but it also sported prominent blue highlights in both modes and featured a signature gold Lamborghini crest on the sides of the doors, all elements absent from the unusual second-hand specimen shown above.

You see, as bizarre as it may sound, the toy actually had two separate releases in black under Diaclone. Even more notable, whilst the PCDX set featuring not-yet Deep Cover is itself about as rare as hens’ teeth and regularly tops most pre-Transformers collector wishlists, the alternative certainly takes the cake here, especially as what you’re seeing in these photos is only the second, perhaps the third example to ever come to light.

Picture Credit: Yahoo! JAPAN

Rest assured, it’s absolutely a legit TakaraTomy release though, and was first discovered back in 2012 by Heroic Decepticon on a shopping trip to Osaka. Whilst it could have been easily dismissed as a custom of some kind, it was then verified by Maz from TF Square One (which you can read more about here) and is now accepted as a variant of the original LP500S release, albeit one that is exceedingly scarce!

Picture Credit: Heroic Decepticon

Here’s the first copy find from twelve years ago, with the photo kindly supplied by Heroic Decepticon. It’s obvious that the original copy is in significantly superior condition, but no matter, a toy of this kind popping up in any state is cause for excitement, and naturally, it immediately caught the attention of the many Diaclone diehards looking to add a rarity of this kind to their ranks. After all, it’s only the second or third time such a thing has been seen in over a decade – who even knows when another might pop up, if at all?

Picture Credit: eBay UK

Well, that’s not all because now we move on to our second listing and the fresh mystery I teased above! Where this may be another familiar toy in a weird new colour scheme, exactly the same as the New Countach above, here there’s none of the certainty about its orgins, nor indeed its authenticity as an official product. Still, it’s intriguing nonetheless!

Picture Credit: eBay UK

Your eyes do not deceive you. That is indeed a recolour of G1 Star Saber’s smaller robot form, simply known as ‘Saber’, except now with minty green plastic, whereas the 1989 TakaraTomy release has red instead. The rest of the colours, including the blue sections, the white limbs and fins, and the yellow highlights, are all the same as the original, it seems. So, what exactly do we have here?

Picture Credit: eBay UK

Well, this thing popped up on eBay UK and certainly piqued some interest by the time it sold. The listing gave plenty of details stating the seller had owned it for years and had been in touch with the late Andy Couzens, former Head of Boys, Girls Toys and Creative Play for Hasbro Europe during the fan favourite early ’90s era. The seller claims it was a test shot from that time, although there’s no evidence to suggest either way. Certainly, the reaction to it has been split, as no one can quite decide if it’s indeed a prototype considered for the latter-day European G1 market or simply a father-fancy knock-off in weird colours.

Picture Credit: eBay UK

The thing is, there’s plenty to suggest either case might be true. On the one hand, the decals are majorly funky, with ‘F14’ adorning the wings and American flags on the fins, neither of which seems like a logical choice for a legit release. That said, other toys from this era have similarly odd adornments, particularly stuff such as the Lightformers and Trakkons, so it’s not entirely out of the question, either. Still, no one who knew Andy can recall him mentioning a preproduction Star Saber of this kind, despite being able to conclude that it was certainly a toy he was sent for consideration.

Picture Credit: eBay UK

On the potential positive side, there’s plenty to talk about, too. Firstly, it resembles the official Star Saber mould very closely, unlike some of the obviously fabricated KO releases of the toy that so often do the rounds. Secondly, the colour change is limited to just one hue, which almost feels in keeping with other Brainmaster re-releases from the Euro G1 era, such as the Motorvator Flame, which swaps just the main black body of Takara Tomy’s Laster for a brighter pinkish option. Finally, the lack of the larger Star Saber body may even be a clue in and of itself here, given that so much of the European roster from the time eschewed the combining ability found on those same toys’ original Japanese releases, with even the Motorvators forever resigned to existing in their individual modes thanks to a lack of Big Man armour.

Picture Credit: eBay UK

Ultimately, we may never know for sure whether this is an official test shot of some kind, and with Andy sadly now having passed away, there’s seemingly no way to confirm, either. One thing’s for sure, though: It’s another mystery for us to natter about, and as my fellow Triple Takeover hosts and I have already proven, a lot of fun awaits in that arena.

So there you go – two incredible aftermarket listings in one week. I wonder what will pop up next?

TTFN