e-HOBBY is aTakaraTomy-affiliated online store owned by Part One Co., Ltd. Even though the e-HOBBY Shop sells all sorts of toys manufactured by Takara and other Japanese companies, it's best known for offeringexclusiveredecos ofTransformers toys.

History

Part One Co., Ltd. was officially founded in Shinjuku, a district of Tokyo, onApril 25, 1977, originally set up as a project design production company. By December 1979, the company was already expanding, now also including a professional photo studio. Part One has been providing various kinds of services to Takara ever since the days of theDiaclone line, among them products planning, packaging design, character design and promotional planning. Among other things, Part One is responsible for designing the packaging for theBinaltech toyline. Today, Part One's official company description is "Digital Design Office".

The e-HOBBY Shop was officially launched in March 2000. In August of the same year, a delivery center was set up in the city of Sango, which was later moved to Yashio in November 2002. Even though the addresse-HOBBY.co.jp was used from the get-go, the site was temporarily also available under the (now defunct) URL http://e-hobby.sputniknext.com/, but eventually permanently moved to its current location in May 2003.

In March 2001, Takara would release the first exclusive toy through the e-HOBBY Shop, a black redeco of the originalMegatron toy that was reissued by Takara at the same time. "Black" Megatron had originally been offered for pre-order atBotCon Japan 2000, since the e-HOBBY Shop hadn't been widely established yet by that time.

Since then, the range of exclusive product got bigger. Reissues of the originalGeneration 1Ironhide andRatchet toys that were part of Takara's store/convention exclusiveThe Transformers: Collector's Edition series came in 2001, followed by more same-character redecoes in new colors. With the launch of Takara'sThe Transformers Collection line of "bookbox" reissues, e-HOBBY would start to regularly offer an exclusive redeco of almost every toy released as part of the line. Many of those redecos were based on oldDiaclone orMicro Change variants of the toys in question, but were given new names and identities, with extensive bio profiles for the characters written byHirofumi Ichikawa. In cases where noDiaclone orMicro Change variant of the toy existed, e-HOBBY would take obscure "extra" characters or weird errors from the cartoon series as inspirations for a redeco, or even come up with an entirely new deco.

In addition, e-HOBBY would also continue to release exclusive redecos of non-TFC reissues and even of toys that were not reissues at all, including product fromRobotmasters,Hybrid Style,Kiss Players,Binaltech, and evenMasterpiece. These releases even sporadically included entirely original fiction inGeneration 1 continuity, usually penned by long time TakaraTomy contributorHidetsugu Yoshioka.

Furthermore, e-HOBBY also offered exclusive "USA Edition" versions of toys that were originally released byHasbro, complete with the Hasbro packaging. In all these instances, the only difference to the Hasbro versions of those toys was an additional e-HOBBY sticker on the packaging. Toys fromUniverse, Hasbro's20th Anniversary Optimus Prime version of Takara's Masterpiece Convoy andCybertron toys not part of theGalaxy Force series were all made available this way.

Beginning in 2007, e-HOBBY also started offering limited quantities of toys that would originally be exclusively available at Japanese conventions, starting with the Wonder Festival 2007 Winter exclusive exclusiveBinaltechBlack Convoy. However, in all instances only Japanese residents were allowed to purchase the toys, unlike the other exclusives which could usually be ordered by foreigners as well.

In December 2007, e-HOBBY announced that they had stopped accepting orders from international private customers altogether as of September of the same year.^[1][2] As a consequence, only Japanese residents are able to order toys directly from e-HOBBY now, whereas international fans have to resort to third-party sellers.

In addition to Takara toys, e-HOBBY also offers toys from other Japanese manufacturers such as Tomy (who are now merged with Takara into TakaraTomy) or Bandai. This included theStar Wars Transformers toys, who were distributed through Tomy Direct in Japan in a similar fashion as Takara's "USA Editions".

e-HOBBY's next big project came in 2014 when they partnered with TakaraTomy's otherTransformers exclusive distributor, the in-houseTakaraTomy Mall, to produce a small franchise for the 30th anniversary of the brand, titledTransformers Cloud. The line was made up of eight toys, with the four Autobots going to TakaraTomy Mall and the four Decepticons going to e-HOBBY, while the fiction, masterminded byMakoto Wakabayashi, was made up of a series of pack-in comics as well as an elaborate narrative blog hosted on the websites of both shops. The content of this blog was where things got really ambitious, casting the toys as a tribe of dimension hoppers from a new continuity entirely in a cross-universe battle that doubled as a greatest hits reel of the history of the brand.

Cloud proved something of a finale to e-HOBBY'sTransformers tenure, as the following year e-HOBBY's exclusive output began being explicitly folded into the branding of TakaraTomy's retail lines in a move not dissimilar to what was happening withHasbro andFun Publications' output around the same time as the two companies began moving to centralize their releases. The only real continuity between these releases was a series of pack-in comics, all united under the imprint "Spin Off." These comics are primarily notable for the team ofShin Sasaki andKazumasa Yasukuni kicking off e-HOBBY's second all-original setting afterCloud in a storyline that later authors dubbed the "Precursor World."

Spin Off and indeed e-HOBBY's exclusives as a whole went dormant in 2017, when TakaraTomy and Hasbro's efforts at brand unification expanded, leading them to bring both of their exclusive outputs in-house in the global branding "Generations Selects". Now it bears noting that while e-HOBBY'sTransformers exclusives ran dry, their overall relationship with TakaraTomy continued to thrive, continuing to offer TakaraTomy products and even producing exclusives for other toylines such as TakaraTomy's 2016Diaclone reboot.

e-HOBBY quietly returned to theTransformers brand in 2022 with a small line of exclusive merchandise, includingbio cards for several Generation 1 characters never before seen in Japanese markets, as well as a few original to the earlierSpin Off stories.

e-HOBBY exclusive fiction

From2002 through2017, e-HOBBY were the primary purveyor ofTimelines-style esoteric licensed pack-in fiction in Japan. In addition to a litany of new-characterbios, these include:

You left a piece out! This article is astub and is missing information. You can helpTransformers Wiki byexpanding it. What's needed: fiction overviews

The Transformers

Main article:The Transformers (franchise)

Crisis on InfiniteRedecoes!

e-HOBBY exclusive comics for a wide variety of lines was distributed with no identifiers save for the originalThe Transformers logo from2007 to2013.

Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

Main article:Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

As with most collector-oriented product in TakaraTomy markets, the bulk of e-HOBBY's fiction is set in the behemothJapanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity that circumscribes nearly all Generation 1 andBeast Wars-flavored product produced in Japan.

Hybrid Style

• "Hybrid Style Convoy Black Version"

Collector's Edition

Masterpiece

United

• Macrocosmic Seekers

Generations

• "Badlands"

Alternity

Main article:Transformers: Alternity

• "Nissan GT-R / Ultra Magnus (Brilliant Pearl White)"

Shattered Glass

Main article:Transformers: Shattered Glass (fiction)

• "Solar Requiem"

Cloud

Infinite Redeco Crisis? Infinite Redecrisis. Infinideco Crisis??

Main article:Transformers Cloud

Prose

• TheSpacetime World: Guardians of Time text stories, hosted on the e-HOBBY website

Comics

Spin Off imprint

We didn't think this bit through. The third one.

Main article:Spin Off

• TheProfile+ feature on the e-HOBBY Twitter account

Comics

Legends EX

Main article:Transformers Legends (comic)

e-HOBBY exclusive toys

Collector's Edition

2001 Ironhide /Ratchet[3] Starscream Black Version / Starscream Ghost Version[3]		2002 "New Year Special"Lambor /Alert[3] Meister (Gold Ver.) /Streak (Anime Color Ver.)[3] Road Rage /Crosscut[3] Streak (Silver Mekki Ver.) Megaplex		2003 Clampdown /Deep Cover[3] Roadhauler /Sunstorm[3]		2004 Astrotrain (Proto Color Ver.) G1 GoBots (Bug Bite,Bad Boy,Treds,Small Foot,Path Finder, andRoad Ranger) Detritus Insectron Clone Army (Zaptrap,Salvo, andShothole)		Collector's Edition Sunstorm Collector's Edition GADEP
2005 Overcharge Cobalt Sentries (Howlback &Garboil) Magnificus &Ga'mede Orion Pax (w/Dion)		2006 Twincast /Flip Sides		2008 GADEP		2009 Megatron Black Version[4]

USA Edition

Universe Optimus Primal Razorclaw Silverbolt Snarl Reptilion Tankor &Obsidian		Blackarachnia Dinobot Striker Depthcharge Autobot Ratchet Inferno		Dinobot Triceradon King Atlas Skydive Stockade &Magna Stampede Fireflight		Autobot Whirl Nemesis Strika Soundwave &Space Case Air Raid &Wind Sheer Swerve		Cybertron Menasor, released as Moledive in Japan
Masterpiece/20th Anniversary Convoy / Optimus Prime[5]		Cybertron Hardtop Primus (w/Unicron head[5])		Quickmix (w/Stripmine)		Menasor (w/Heavy Load)

Cloud

Wave 1 (05-29-2014) TFC-D01Megatron

Wave 2 (08-28-2014) TFC-D02Starscream

Wave 3 (11-27-2014) TFC-D03Shockwave

Wave 4 (03-21-2015) TFC-D04Hellwarp

Cloud Megatron

Spin Off

Unite Warriors Grand Scourge

Legends Deadlock Convobat Magna Convoy

Legends Convobat

Miscellaneous exclusives

Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers Megatron Black Version (first run)[6] Fire Guts Godginrai[sic] (Super-God Masterforce) Galvatron II (Scramble City)		Robotmasters Victory Saber Limited Black Version		G-2 Laser Ultra Magnus		Hybrid Style G1 Black Convoy		Masterforce Fire Guts God Ginrai G-2 Laser Ultra Magnus Shattered Glass Solarbot
Binaltech Clear Ligier Black Convoy[7]		Kiss Players Casettron Set (Rosanna,Sundor, andGlit)		Transformers (2007) "Fusion Cluster Edition"Protoform Optimus Prime[7] "Fusion Cluster Edition"Protoform Starscream[7] "G1 Color Edition"Arcee[7]		Encore Ironhide Protect Black
Henkei! Henkei! Convoy "clear version"[7] Stuntron Wildrider (Gentei! Gentei!)[7]		Masterpiece Convoy Black Version Black Rodimus Convoy		Alternity Ultra Magnus Brilliant White Pearl		Revenge of the Fallen Optimus Prime Revenge Edition[7] Soundwave Black Version[7]
United Autobot Set (Hot Rod Clear Blue Version,Autobot Kup Damage Version, andScrapheap) Decepticon Set (Galvatron Purple Clear Version,Cyclonus Purple Clear Version, andDecepticon Scourge Purple Clear Version)		Shattered Glass "SG Soundwave vsSG Blaster" set (withSG Ramhorn,SG Ratbat,SG Rewind,SG Slugfest, andSolarbot)		Generations Magnificus

e-HOBBY exclusive merchandise

If you build it, they will play. Thistoys & merchandise-related article is astub. You can helpTransformers Wiki byexpanding it. What's needed: Other pre-2022 merchandise

Miscellaneous exclusive merchandise Transformers Chronicle Tapestry (June,2007)

The Transformers Chronicle Tapestry

Transformers Character Card

Main article:Transformers Character Card

Wave 1 (January 25,2022) Convoy andMegatron Set Convobat andMegaligator[sic] Set		Wave 2 (March 14, 2022) Rodimus Convoy andGalvatron Set Broadcast andSoundwave Set Bludgeon andStranglehold Set Battle Convoy andMegatron Set		Wave 3 (April 14, 2022) Magna Convoy andStraxus Set Convoy (Beast Wars) andMegatron (Beast Wars) Set Longtooth andOctopunch Set Meister andBanzai-Tron Set		Wave 4 (August 29, 2022) Drift andDeadlock Set Crossblades andThunderwing Set Grand Scourge andLockdown Set Lambor andUltra Magnus Set		The Transformers Card Binder and the entireTransformers Character Card series up through Wave 4
Wave 5 (November 1, 2022) Convobat andMegaligator[sic] Set (Beast Wars version) King Grimlock andStarscream Set Metroflex andDinosaurer Set Carnivac andStarscream Set Transformers Card Binder (withConvoy Black Version andMegatron Black Version)		Wave 6 (February 6,2023) Superion andMenasor Set Broadside andAstrotrain Set Jhiaxus andConvoy Missile Trailer Set Bruticus andIguanus Set		Wave 7 (April 22, 2023) Prowl andLaserwave Set Pincher andVroom Set Convoy andAlpha Trin Set Thunder Clash andSkyquake Set		Wave 8 (August 14, 2023) Magnificus andEagle Eye Set Omega Supreme andDevastor Set Thundercracker andSkywarp Set Orion Pax andHot Rodimus Set
Wave 9 (October 17, 2023) Smokescreen andDreadwing Set Pyro andClench Set Alert andInferno Set Twincast andSoundblaster Set		Wave 10 (December, 2023) Deszaras andVictory Saber Set Guardian andBruticus Set Catilla andGutcruncher Set Rijie andRefraktor Set		Wave 11 (March 19,2024) Optimus Prime andMegatron Set Wandering Roller andTarn Set Sprung andOctone Set Arcee andWindblade Set		Wave 12 (June,2024) Star Saber andVictory Leo Set Cheetus andWaspeeter Set Throne Of The Primes andFallen Set Stepper andArtfire Set
Wave 13 (December,2024) Convoy (Action Master) andMegatron (Action Master) Set Laser Ultra Magnus andGalvatron II Set Sentinel Prime andRatbat Set Destron Army andUnicron Set		Wave 14 (February,2025) Primus andCybertron Army Set Convoy Super Mode andMegatron Set Crosscut andRoad Rage Set Impactor andSnarler[sic]

This item is currently scheduled for release, but is not yet available at mass retail. Wave 14

Logo acrylic stand series

Wave 1 (January 2022) Transformers (Cybertron Ver.) Transformers (Destron Ver.)		Wave 2 (April 2022) Transformers (English/Cybertron Ver.) Transformers (English/Destron Ver.) Transformers 2010 Transformers: Beast Wars		Wave 3 (June 2022) Transformers: The Headmasters Transformers: Super-God Masterforce		Wave 4 (September 2022) CybertronEmblem DestronEmblem MPG Cybertron & Destron Emblem		Acrylic stand of theCybertron &DestronEmblemscene transition[8]
Wave 5 (May 2023) Transformers (English/Cybertron Ver.)[4] Transformers (English/Destron Ver.)[4] Transformers: Beast Wars[4] Cybertron & Destron Emblem[4]		Wave 6 (June 2023) Key Visual A (w/ Mini Emblem Set) Key Visual B (w/ Mini Logo English Ver. Set) Key Visual C (w/Mini Logo Set)		Wave 7 (January2024) Key Visual A[4] Key Visual B[4] Key Visual C[4] Key Visual D Super Link Galaxy Force		Wave 7 (March2024) Key Visual E Key Visual F Key Visual G Super Link Large and Small Set[4] Galaxy Force Large and Small Set[4] CybertronEmblem Large and Small Set[4] DestronEmblem Large and Small Set[4]

Acrylic keychain series

Wave 1 (October 2022) Convoy andBumble Hot Rodimus andUltra Magnus Megatron andStarscream

Keychain set for Optimus Prime and Bumblebee

Rubber strap series

Wave 1 (January 2023) Bludgeon andStranglehold andOctopunch Set Starscream andSoundwave andLaserwave Set

Wave 2 (June 2023) Drift andDeadlock andGrand Scourge Set Sound System Set (Soundblaster,Condor,Jaguar, andSoundwave boombox mode) Vroom andCrossblades andThunderwing Set

Rubber keychain of Stranglehold

Notes

• e-HOBBY isnot directly owned byTakaraTomy, but merely an affiliated store. TakaraTomy's own online store isTakaraTomy Mall.
• Because e-HOBBY is mostly known for exclusive toys and many Western fans aren't aware that e-HOBBY also offers regular mass retail toys like most online stores, pre-orders for new mass retail toys listed at the e-HOBBY website are occasionally mistaken as a confirmation that a toy is either exclusive to e-HOBBY, or that an e-HOBBY exclusive redeco is planned.
• Another common misconception among fans is that e-HOBBY "makes" the exclusive toys. While e-HOBBYis presumably responsible for creating the color scheme and decos, thetoys are still produced by Takara. After all,Toys"R"Us doesn't manufacture its own exclusiveTransformers toys either.
• Occasionally, fans also mistakenly believe other store, convention, or magazine exclusive redecoes of toys reissued by Takara to be e-HOBBY exclusives, such as theGeneration 1 Ultra Magnus redecos,Crystal Rodimus andBlack Rodimus,Nucleon Quest Super Convoy,Tigertrack, orRatchet Emergency Green.
• "USA Edition" is not a term limited to imported Hasbro toys sold through e-HOBBY either. In the past, Takara have released exclusive "USA Editions" through stores such asJUSCO, Laox, Toy's Dream Project/Toycard, or even selected stores participating in the "TF Station" program. A few "USA Editions" weren't even exclusive to any specific store at all. The most frequently used store to carry "USA Editions" other than e-HOBBY, however, was the Japanese branch of Toys"R"Us.
• TheSpin Off imprint would persist for a single release beyond e-HOBBY's exclusives: namelyLegends Blue Big Convoy and theBlue Big Convoy comic.

References

External links

• e-HOBBY website
• e-HOBBY Twitter account
• Part One website
• Interview with Ootuka Makoto, President of Part One, Inc., about the e-HOBBY Shop at Transformers @ The Moon