Looky what I got! The Next Generation

[Transypoo]

I tend to go with "I want this... but not full price want it... we'll see if it goes on sale or disappears. Let fate decide."

[Skids]

Well, I should note that it's stuff I would/could buy later anyway, just at full price. I tend to plan nearly all my potential toy purchases in advance.

[Beastbot]

TFs before Christmas:
-"Dinobots Unleashed" 5-pack (GORGEOUS. They look even better in person-- particularly Scorn and Strafe.)
-Angry Birds Transformers "Energon Racers" 5-pack (Translucent version of Soundwave, Lockdown, & Starscream pigs as well as Optimus Prime & Grimlock birds. Fun little things, emphasis on LITTLE. These things are like half the size of Bot Shots... doable at BBTS prices, but I'm not paying TRU prices-- i.e. almost $10 a pop-- for them.)
-Generations Brainstorm w/ Arcana (no head issues on mine, thank goodness)
-RID2 One-Step changer Bumblebee
-RID2 One-Step changer Strongarm
-RID2 One-Step changer Sideswipe
-RID2 One-Step changer Underbite (Be careful with this one-- apparently a LOT of them have faulty transformations, where they won't stay in "robot" mode and keep reverting back to vehicle mode. Mine's one of them-- and there's no fix, and I found out the hard way that opening it up to try to fix it only creates a bigger mess. I haven't read of anyone who's figured out why the defective ones are the way they are yet. I've got another one on the way, but if that one's messed up too I guess I'll just have to remove an internal gear to keep it in "robot" mode or something. This is a REAL shame, as Underbite is my favorite Decepticon design so far in RID2...I wanted one before, but now I really REALLY hope there's a "regular" version of Underbite in the works.)
-KRE-O Custom Kreon Predaking
-KRE-O Custom Kreon Cliffjumper
-KRE-O Custom Kreon Autobot Jazz
-KRE-O Custom Kreon Galvatron (G1)
-KRE-O Custom Kreon Autobot Hound (G1)
-KRE-O Custom Kreon Dreadwing (Finally found an overseas seller on eBay who was selling this missed wave from early in the year for a reasonable price. I wanted them, but not $90-for-the-set wanted them.)
-All 12 Wave 6 Kreon TF Microchangers (Got lucky on eBay again for this set-- and not a moment too soon, as it appears that what little was produced of this wave are basically gone now. Skalor, Skimmer, and Blackarachnia are extra awesome.)

And my Christmas presents:
-3 political/religious books that I wanted
-2015 Age of Extinction calendar
-Hack 'n Slash (Steam game)
-Iron Brigade (Steam game)
-Spacebase DF-9 ("Bonus" Steam game I got for now owning the previous two games)
-Valiant Hearts: The Great War (Steam game)
-$25 Walmart Gift Card
-$115 cash

So a pretty Merry Christmas for me!

[Skids]

Christmas toys:

LEGO: Benny's Spaceship, Spaceship, SPACESHIP!, Ninjago Samurai Mech, TMNT Karai Cycle Chase
Transformers: Generations Doubledealer, Sky Byte, thanks to Transypoo!

Day after Christmas: with $10 in "R Us" dollars, Ninjago X-1 Ninja Charger (it's a car that launches a motorcycle--MASK lives again!). Knocked down to $30 total, about what I was willing to pay.

I also got some Christmas money from both sides of my family, which I will hold onto until I can visit the nearest LEGO store.

Also, MakeToys' Utopia (3rd Party Metroplex) came into stock earlier this month and was probably my biggest/most pricey TFing robot purchase in a long time, so I guess that was my present to myself like MakeToys' Giant (Devastator) that one other year. Still need to bust the big bot out--just enjoying ogling the box for the moment. I'm gonna have to get him out soon even if it's to eventually pack him up again come moving time, whenever that is.

[Transypoo]

Just got from BBTS:

Generations: Nemesis Prime w/ Spinister, Acidstorm w/ Venin, and Cliffjumper w/ Suppressor (Suppressor car parts are painted together so he can't transform to gun mode.)

Trilling 30: Arcee (who's awesome!), Chromia (who's back wheels won't stick together, is this a common problem?), and Windblade (who's also awesome)

Viper Predator from NECA. The only Predator toy I had previously was from AVP and had a broken hip.

Edit: Okay, Got Suppressor to transform!

[Beastbot]

Don't know about Chromia, she's still sitting in my Pile of Loot. My various versions of the Prime RiD Arcee mold that she uses as a base don't have that issue, though.

Anyways, pretty dead month for me (which is good, since with the way my preorders are lining up it looks like either February or March is going to be expensive):
-Amazon.com exclusve AoE "G1 colored" Slog
-RiD2 Hyperchange Bumblebee
-RiD2 Hyperchange Grimlock (This is a pretty cool little quick transformation, the way his legs fold over his ENTIRE body to get him to dino mode.)

[Beastbot]

In the past few weeks:
-RID2 Hyperchange Optimus Prime
-RID2 One-Step Fixit
-RID2 One-Step Steeljaw
-RID2 One-Step Grimlock
-Rescue Bots Blurr

And today-- BIG ol' Pile o' Loot time, one I've been saving up since the end of October:

-Masterpiece Bumblebee w/ Spike (do I consider Spike's exo-suit a Transformer in terms of my collection count or not? Hrrmm....)
-Masterpiece Ultra Magnus
-Generations Chromia
-Generations Arcee
-Combiner Wars Optimus Prime (I'm surprised by how BIG this mold is!)
-Combiner Wars Silverbolt
-Combiner Wars Motormaster
-Combiner Wars Powerglide
-Combiner Wars Thundercracker (Legend)
-Combiner Wars Windcharger
-Combiner Wars Bombshell
-Combiner Wars Huffer
-Combiner Wars Blackjack
-Combiner Wars Firefly
-Combiner Wars Alpha Bravo
-Combiner Wars Drag Strip
-Combiner Wars Skydive
-RID2 warrior Bumblebee
-RID2 warrior Grimlock
-RID2 warrior Strongarm
-RID2 warrior Steeljaw
-RID2 warrior Optimus Prime
-RID2 warrior Drift
-RID2 legion Grimlock
-RID2 legion Bumblebee
-RID2 legion Strongarm
-RID2 legion Steeljaw
-RID2 legion Sideswipe
-RID2 legion Optimus Prime
-AoE "Breakout Battle" AKA "Farmageddon" set
-"Lost Age" deluxe Stinger
-Year of the Goat MP Soundwave w/ Rumble, Frenzy, Ravage, Laserbeak, & Buzzsaw
-Year of the Goat Optimus Prime
-Rescue Bots Rescan Boulder
-Rescue Bots Rescan Chase
-Rescue Bots Salvage
-Rescue Bots Rescan Optimus Prime (v2.0)
-MMC's Azalea (IDW Arcee)
-TFC's Hydrant (Hot Spot)
-TFC's Redcross (First Aid)
-TFC's Vertiaid (Blades)
-Planet X's Nepture (FoC Sludge)
-Planet X's Summanus (FoC Snarl)
-MBC's Military Titans w/ Bonus (Replacement FoC Onslaught w/ FoC Bruticus upgrade kit)
-Unique Toys' Alberich (Rippersnapper)
-Unique Toys' Fenrir (Sinnertwin)
-Warbotron's Whirlwind (Vortex)
-Fansproject's M.A.D.L.A.W. (Quickswitch)

[Transypoo]

I-I got Skydive and Windcharger... yay?

[Beastbot]

No, man, you're not doing it right. The proper Internet response is something like "Pff. Whatever man, I actually enjoy my toys. You with your big Pile of Loots, you can't appreciate them. But me, my Skydive and Windcharger have been played with so much I'm half-surprised they're not in pieces."

(By the by, I don't know if you ever found out an answer to your previous question in this thread, but I opened my Chromia today and her rear wheels on mine stick together in vehicle mode, though it takes a bit of doing. I can easily see if the tolerances were ever-so-slightly different on mine that they would not have been able to stay together. Hasbro definitely should've molded those pieces in regular and not clear plastic.)

[Transypoo]

Today I found Alpha Bravo, Dragstrip, and Firefly! Now all I need is a Torso-bot!

[Skids]

I caved and got AoE Galvatron and Lockdown, since I want the main characters from 4 (I liked that movie.......especially the part where Ratchet dies! ) and Platinum Editions don't seem to be imminent.

Galvatron is surprisingly neat! The transformation is really fun to do (the cab of the truck unfolds from his back and basically eats the robot) and you can imagine him morphing from one mode to the other as seen onscreen. Also, he has the kind of ankle articulation that lets him strike dynamic poses, and he can do a two-handed grip on his cannon.

MIGHT benefit from a paint wash to bring out all the sculpted detail, which is quite intricate. On the other hand, I kind of like him just gray with a few accent colors.

Lockdown is the first AoE deluxe I've played with, since a lot of my other toys I got (the Platinum editions) had to go into insta-storage due to the move. I was surprised how lightweight he feels. That said, they do a good job of getting him from a robot that hides the kibble well, at least from the front, into his sleek movie car form. I do feel that he would look better if his legs were a bit longer; he has a bulky upper body but short legs and it dilutes his intended menace. The gun is definitely meant to attach to his head; there's a groove for it and a tab on the underside of the gun. He's pretty nice overall. He reminds me a bit of DoTM deluxe Roadbuster.

Edit: I also think he would be better with arms that weren't just those "arms attached to the insides of car parts."

I think the new design team was basically thrown headfirst into the pool by having the dual mandates of "simplify everything" and "create toys for the most complex of any Transformer designs." Judging from these guys, they did pretty well. I am looking forward to cracking open Autobots United and Dinobots Unleashed eventually.

[Skids]

[Beastbot]

Well, at least you were able to get one. My store had to cancel all their orders, so I'm SOL as I'm not paying as much as he's going for on eBay. Hopefully he'll come down in price soon there and I'll be able to get one.

Anyways, stuff I've gotten in the last month-ish (some of it just today):
-Combiner Wars Armada Megatron
-Combiner Wars G1-ish Megatron (now with Autobot symbol!)
-AoE Power Battler Vehicon
-AoE Power Battler High Octane Bumblebee
-AoE Power Battler Junkheap (Bought the whole case for the three; I'll just give the rest to charity come Christmas time.)
-KRE-O Custom Kreon AoE Strafe
-KRE-O Custom Kreon AoE Grimlock
-KRE-O Custom Kreon AoE Slug
-KRE-O Custom Kreon AoE Scorn (These were going for surprisingly cheap on ebay from a Canadian seller-- barely above retail!)
-Combiner Wars Breakdown
-Combiner Wars Dead End
-Combiner Wars Offroad
-Combiner Wars Air Raid

[Beastbot]

Mostly a dead month or so, except for the past 10 days, in which I got:
-Masterpiece Exhaust (FINALLY found someone on eBay selling it for what I consider a doable price-- $100)
-RID2 1-Step Fracture
-RID2 1-Step Thunderhoof (hooray for finally having more RID2 Decepticon toys beyond Steeljaw!)
-RID2 1-Step Drift
-All 12 Wave 1 TF Kreon Warriors
-TFCC Nova Prime
-Cynicus (MMC's Vos-- kinda disappointed his "wear my face" head is actually a seperate head you have to swap out, but otherwise VERY well-done)

Oh, and hey! My family got a new dog! A long-haired dachshund about a year old, we named her Ruby. She's a real sweetie:

[Transypoo]

Aww. Yeah, she's a beaut!