It is with a sigh and a heavy heart that we say goodbye to eToys UK, loyal trader of Transformers merchandise. On January 19th, eToys.co.uk, to use its own words, "packed up its toy chest". It is for that reason that I have compiled this (ever so slightly farcical) tribute.

I remember the day that I first got a delivery from eToys.co.uk. It was a summer's day, the last day of school in fact. Upon arriving at my home, I found a large parcel sitting inside. Tearing through the thick brown tape and into the box like a um.... hungry ferret (I'm not good with similes, ok?), I delved into the delightful 'foam macaroni' packing, and retrieved my shipment of basic Vehicons, Jetstorm, and grandest of all, Transmetal 2 Megatron. My heart warmed at the sight of the complimentary Post-it notes, and at once, I knew happiness.

In the following months, eToys.co.uk became an indispensable tool for obtaining toys that the inadequate 'bricks and mortar' stores didn't have. Delivery was prompt, prices were low. Those were the days...

Sure eToys screwed up it's cataloguing system. Of course I saw the little scamp selling Optimal Optimus under two different names and two different prices. The ludicrous ways in which some of the toys were transformed in the photos would cause much hilarity. But it was these little things that made eToys what it was.

So who is responsible? Some have theorized that a purely internet store just couldn't compete with rivals that had actual stores as well, such as Toys'R'us, who proudly state that they are 'backed by bricks and mortar'. Well, for all their 'bricks and mortar', I still can't find a single Beast Wars or Beast Machines toy anywhere on their UK site. I guess in this world of evil, ugly bricks and mortar departmant stores, and smarmy traditional toy shops, there isn't room for a lone internet toy store who dared to stock all the latest Beast Wars and Beast Machines toys promptly and without fuss. I'll miss you.

-Aardvarktron