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Posted (edited)

Is this the first step becoming a MISB collector?

The first step is buying two of the same figure...one to keep, one to "sell". The second step is doing it again with a second figure while you still have two of the first one. Repeat as needed.

The first step is always holding yourself back from opening the packaging. The first step never ends.

Hah! Two versions of the same neurosis! Edited by RD Blade
Posted

Yikes...Those plane modes make ROTF Jetfire look streamlined.

I'd be more upset about that if that wasn't kind of true to the G1 toys.

I'm actually more upset that Hasbro wants me to buy another CHUG Silverbolt (but amused that the art on the packaging looks more like the previous Ultra-class).

Posted

Yikes...Those plane modes make ROTF Jetfire look streamlined.

they're not that much worse than the Uranos components given how much more expensive those were.

Posted

Go-bots? Giving these more credit than they deserve. Many of the Gobot jets were pretty well done in regards to their real life inspirations. Their bot modes, however, usually left somewhat to be desired.

You'd think Takara could at least try to incorporate the arms into the transformation, as well as engineer the hands and feet of the combined form into the individual bots rather than adding those parts. These don't really manifest the progression and evolution in toy design one would expect from a company w/ over 30 years experience designing transforming toys. To me, they're a step back, engineering-wise, but their simplicity probably makes them fun. For 5 year olds.

I'll probably get them all.

Posted

Go-bots? Giving these more credit than they deserve. Many of the Gobot jets were pretty well done in regards to their real life inspirations. Their bot modes, however, usually left somewhat to be desired.

You'd think Takara could at least try to incorporate the arms into the transformation,

Yup, go look at the jet-modes of the Go-Bot jets. Many still are among the sleekest, least-robot-kibbled transforming jets ever. They clearly went for jet-mode over bot-mode. (for the better, in many cases). Can't remember his name, but I dearly loved the orange MiG-21 guy. (as I think he was about the only MiG I had as a child---you could buy a zillion small Matchbox/Dynaflite F-14/15/16's etc, but "badguy" planes were very rare)

And yeesh---the G1 Fireflight had 100% retracting, hidden arms in jet mode. And hey, they were even ball-jointed back then! They went backwards. "uh, just stick them on the sides, yeah, nobody'll see them..."

Posted

Gobots were $4. I can't imagine them being over $10 adjusted for inflation (150% markup). That still beats $12 mass retail toys made for children. And it blows away the $16 they actually cost.

Posted (edited)

Gobots were $4. I can't imagine them being over $10 adjusted for inflation (150% markup). That still beats $12 mass retail toys made for children. And it blows away the $16 they actually cost.

While $4 my have the same buying power in 1983 as $10 today, it doesn't mean a toy that was profitable at $4 in 1983 could be manufactured, distributed and sold for $10 today. The cost of labor, materials and transportation between then and now has gone up significantly more than just basic inflation rate.

:edit:

also, Aren't the only ones that sold for $4 the little carded ones? those things are tiny as hell. They're not even half the size of a typical modern deluxe.

Edited by anime52k8
Posted

Most of the Gobots were pretty small, and came on a card. I never bought many of them, being more of a TF fan as a kid. But I do remember looking at quite a few in stores and thinking the alt modes were really well done and the transformations were becoming more intricate in the latter years of their production. Puzzler, a Gobot combiner made up of 5 or 6 cars, really made an impression on me, as the hands and the feet of their combined form were part of the individual robots. Granted, the arms are wonky on the combined mode, and the legs don't move, but I liked the idea of total integration, as opposed to add-on parts for every TF combiner. I'm a huge proponent for perfect transformation, and that also includes combiners.

Posted

Third party combiners have ruined the new hasbro combiner wars figures for me. I get that its a matter of cost but for me I'd rather spend the money to have intimidator which looks incredible compared to the new motormaster which looks awful.

Posted

Most of the Gobots were pretty small, and came on a card. I never bought many of them, being more of a TF fan as a kid.

I had a bunch of 'em, because I was a kid that didn't care as long as they were robots, and it was far easier to sell mom on buying a new GoBot.

I recall substituting the GoBot flying saucer for Cosmos in my Transformers toy sessions. And Bug Bite filled in for Bumblebee. Stacks, however, did NOT fill in for Optimus Prime, even though I didn't own a Prime.

I do NOT recall what happened to the oatmeal box they were all stored in. One of my few childhood memories I can't account for.

I probably left them at someone's house and they never made it back to me, since that oatmeal box went everywhere I did. :(

Posted

Damn this thread. Now I'm cruising eBay looking for Gobots...

Posted

Damn this thread. Now I'm cruising eBay looking for Gobots...

Dive-Dive. I mean c'mon, ballistic missile submarine. Most powerful (read:destructive firepower) alt-mode ever. And something never done in a TF (AFAIK).

Posted

I HAVE HIM....SOMEWHERE...

I have an old Japanese Zero also. Spacy was my personal favorite, although I never got him....

Posted

I HAVE HIM....SOMEWHERE...

I have an old Japanese Zero also. Spacy was my personal favorite, although I never got him....

One of my few... I think only, actually... to make it to the modern era. Plastic discoloration and paint chipping have taken their toll. But 2-axis shoulders!
Posted (edited)

They look like barely a step up from Mcdonalds happy meals toys.

IMG_5921_sm.jpg

My god, that was a Happy Meal toy?!?

I got one those ages ago(little futuristic car one) and thought it was just such a neat little robot. Always wanted to know more about whatever line it came from, never knew where to look.

Edited to add:

I'm not saying it was a masterpiece of engineering, mind you. Just that the aesthetics of the thing were awesome.

Edited by JB0
Posted (edited)

http://ericsyard.blogspot.com/2009/11/tomy-r-2.htm

Yeah I think there were 5 of them and they were designed by Tomy in the 80's. So what you got for free in a happy meal in the 80's, you pay $20 bucks for now and they stick it on toy store shelves :D. Course that thing chrome and rubber too!

Transformable toys became very popular during the mid 80s with Transformers and GoBot. McDonald's cashed in on the craze by releasing transformable Happy Meal toys such as R-2 to entice kids and parents to eat more hamburgers and fries.

The build quality of Tomy's R-2 is really good featuring chrome hands, rubber wheels, and clear canopy. None of the stickers show any wear unlike many of my Transformers. There's not much mimick to Tomy's R-2 with his simple tilt head fold back wings and pull out arms. To its target audience, the R-2 is the right toy and it's hard to beat free. There was never a cartoon for their toy and I couldn't pull up anything on Google about them so I don't think many people care for these toys. Too bad.

Compared to the gobot leader:

IMG_5947_sm.jpg

Edited by Gakken85
Posted

On the other hand, that thing had 1 axis of movement in one joint.

Space car arms can't even swing forward. He can go from held overhead to held straight out like a T. Store shelves today wouldn't put up with that from the bootlegs.

Guest davidwhangchoi
Posted

Look, I don't need all of them back, but the drilltank guy was awesome.

i had him, i think i borrowed him from a friend and never gave it back.

Nosecone reminded me of him.

Posted

Damn this thread. Now I'm cruising eBay looking for Gobots...

LOL! Already got that bug. I landed a lot that included most of the ones mentioned in the last bunch of posts. Got puzzler in another moment of weakness. Kinda loosey-goosey, but he was a good combiner...upper thigh swivel to boot.

Posted

Well, now I'm going to have to get a definitive list of Gobots, JUST IN CASE there are some that are really cool and I've either forgotten about or never knew they existed.

I actually miss my Cop-tur...

Posted

Well, now I'm going to have to get a definitive list of Gobots, JUST IN CASE there are some that are really cool and I've either forgotten about or never knew they existed.

I actually miss my Cop-tur...

Is there a definitive list?

Posted

Well, now I'm going to have to get a definitive list of Gobots, JUST IN CASE there are some that are really cool and I've either forgotten about or never knew they existed.

I actually miss my Cop-tur...

My favorites were Pathfinder (UFO), Bad Boy (A-10 Warthog), Royal-T (Harrier), Road Ranger (Flat bed truck) and Psycho (Future machine car). Still missing two of those.

Posted

Succesfully turned TF thread to Gobots thread. Haha nice! I remember having a few of these back in the day. They went well with my Matchbox car collection.

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