Some Third Party Love...

If you know anything about the Transformer collectibles community you know that the Third Party companies have begun their slow and eventual takeover of everything fanboyish. These companies have been coming out of the woodwork to showcase and sell items that are either too cost prohibitive for Hasbro or that have too little demand. Case in point: see my previous post on the Wreck-Gar updates. While not technically a 'Third Party Company', Maiden Japan is still filling a need left open by Hasbro. Its funny, ten years ago I never would have guessed that most of my Transformers purchases would be from companies other than those that actually hold the Transformers trademarks! Not that I am complaining by any measure, I just find it interesting that the community can support so many different companies at the same time. For example, I received the following two figures just recently. They are from completely different manufacturers, have different aesthetics, and yet both are updates of G1 Decepticon characters and thus go on the same shelf. I thought this would be a good opportunity to show off just what some of these 'Third Parties' are up to:

First off is Fansproject Causality Thundershred (aka Shrapnel)

Wolverine pose

Alt mode: about as convincing as the original

 Shrapnel was my first Insecticon when I was little (an consequentially my only Insecticon until I was a teenager) so I thought it was very cool that he was the first to be released. Fansproject is planning the other two Insecticons which should be out in the next couple of months.
Next is TFClub's Hercules (read: Devestator) Exgraver (aka Scavenger)

Not a bad likeness, and substantially larger!

Oddly enough Scavenger was my first Constructicon when I was young so it is doubly appropriate that he be the first one I receive out of the set of six. TFClub does a nice job, but Exgraver isn't as refined as the Fansproject releases although I am looking forward to the other five members of the team to make a substantially huge Devestator.

Personally, I hope all this Third Party madness continues. If this trend continues there may even come a day when I won't bat an eye as receive an updated Getaway and a few Pretenders!