A Bet over my Head?

Starting with this

And armed with this

I`m getting this

Or that`s the plan at least. 

Following the post I did earlier today about StarCom and the likes, I got talking with an italian friend of mine, whom I got my italian Saint Seiya ccg cards from.  See, he runs this toy and collectible store in the wider Bergamo area, and we know each other for about 10 years now, at first as me being his client, but over the years we became what we could call `internet buddies`, often chatting about toys, cards, cartoons and the likes.

Now, he made me a bet.  See, I know my `stuff`, having never gotten over it when growing up that I tossed all my cool toys from the 80s away, and often wanting to start recollecting them.

And like I said, I want to re-own a Starmax Bomber...

So there we where chatting away, when he came up with this really cool bet.  Since I always claim I know what to look around for at yard sales and second hand stores (my best score ever once was a 1 euro, with missile included Scorponok Transformer from Beast Wars, which I paid 1 euro and traded away for 75...), he came up with this.

I can start with the amazing amount of 5 euros.  That is, mind you, NOT a lot at all, even at junk sales and such, BUT...

He gave me until the end of december to hussle and hassle together enough, not counting any postage, for a Starmax Bomber, using only the stuff I manage to trade around until I can exchange something for the said toy.

Now, knowing the chances are rather slim for a Black Lotus sitting in a yard sale, this means I am going to have to be creative... and very lucky.   Classic 80s in good shape are the best bet for this to get it off to a start, and knowing I don`t have to search for the big one in one go, but will be trading around upwards in small margins until I can get to an item that I can trade for the StarCom vessel.

Which, if eBay is anything to go by, is somewhere around 300 USD these days...

So out comes my trusty lucky trenchcoat, my Doctor Who pen and a small notebook to see what is around and what is rare on forums and such to take along with me, and I can begin hunting, and generally trying to be a charming person that gets it done.

But wait, this is a bet right?

Weeel, sort off, in that I can`t loose anything bar face.  But IF I succeed, I am getting something as a gift from him, that I have had my eye on for some time but just haven`t gotten around to buying before actually.  Now he is putting it aside for me.

A Mint on Card Dash Derringer figure, easily worth around 35 - 40 dollars.  Now, countering his offer, I pledged to buy it if I didn`t make the bet though, being it only fair he is putting it away for 10 months, but that doesn`t mean I ain`t going to do my best and get me a nice and sweet free figure then ;-)

But now, I got some research to do ;-)