Convertors Transforming Toy Line (Select)

[fifbeat]

I've seen conversations about the Convertors toy line in random places in this forum, but I didn't see a topic dedicated to the line, so I decided to start one. 

To start off, just wanted to share a recent purchase I made: 

(Sorry for the crappy video, I'm no @jenius)

Some general info about this toy line (via Wikipedia):

The Convertors were a line of action figures manufactured by Select in the 1980s.  Often compared to the more famous Gobots and Transformers, the Convertors were a line of toys which came out at about the same time and featured robots who changed form.

The Convertors licensed some of their toy designs from Bandai just as was done for the Transformers, meaning some of the toys looked very similar.[1][2] The molds for Convertors were later knocked off by other toy companies.[3] Convertors toys were featured in a display in the 1985 J. C. Penney Christmas catalog.[4]

 

 

 

Edited January 12, 2019 by fifbeat

[Roy Focker]

I've got 2 a VF-1S me type and a VF-1J Max.

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

I got the small Dorvack Ovelon helicopter from that toy line.  Totally loved it.

[Mazinger]

I would wager that the converters version of the Orguss Nickik is about 100x’smore durable than the 1/40 takatokus. Sadly I know this from experience.

[fifbeat]

3 hours ago, Roy Focker said:

I've got 2 a VF-1S me type and a VF-1J Max.

KO's or the real thing? 

 

3 hours ago, Valkyrie Hunter D said:

I got the small Dorvack Ovelon helicopter from that toy line.  Totally loved it.

That's one of the ones I want to get for sure. Must be impossible to find MISB. 

42 minutes ago, Mazinger said:

I would wager that the converters version of the Orguss Nickik is about 100x’smore durable than the 1/40 takatokus. Sadly I know this from experience.

Hmm, I own a 1/40 Orguss Nickik, and the thing is like a rock. Never thought of it as breakable? 

[jenius]

I was thinking about doing comparisons to KOs as I revisit some of the older toys. If anyone has any semi-official and unofficial stuff and is thinking they need to make room, let me know! It's for a good cause

[Roy Focker]

I think they're real. Got them loose one from an estate sale and another from a fellow collector both in good condition.

[jvmacross]

Aren't all Convertors KO's of the "real thing"? 

Anyway, some "Macross" Convertors...

 

And the "real things"....

[fifbeat]

Here are some random newspaper advertisements featuring CONVERTORS (source: http://www.battlegrip.com/category/cheap-transforming-robot-toys/):

[fifbeat]

@jvmacross , in your last post, I noticed those VF's don't have the Tatsunoko stickers on them. Hmmm...  

Edited January 13, 2019 by fifbeat

[JB0]

24 minutes ago, jvmacross said:

Aren't all Convertors KO's of the "real thing"? 

In the same sense that Go-Bots are knockoffs of Machine Robo or Transformers are knockoffs of Diaclone et al.

In other words, no, not really. They're fully-licensed imports.

[fifbeat]

58 minutes ago, JB0 said:

In the same sense that Go-Bots are knockoffs of Machine Robo or Transformers are knockoffs of Diaclone et al.

In other words, no, not really. They're fully-licensed imports.

Hence this sticker: 

(but I noticed the Series 2 versions did not have these stickers)...

 

[fifbeat]

Grabbed another couple of these from Ebay. One of them is the rare FIRST TRACK, which was probably a typo, so it was released again as FAST TRACK, but this time it was MADE IN KOREA, as opposed to the one I received, which was MADE IN JAPAN. =)

 

 

 

[fifbeat]

This video is about a year old, but thought I would add it to the thread.

 

 

 

[Mechapilot77]

i had rex teh blue eagle one and probably that vf-1s or a knockoff of it.

[fifbeat]

A few new members to the low budget CONVERTORS family:

Originally designed by MARK JP for their 'Gokin Robo' line. 

I can't seem to find the Japanese version of ZOOM (binoculars dude)... 

Gotta get my hands on COLT (aka Colt Robo): 

 

 

 

 

[Mazinger]

I wonder where those molds are today.  Though I already have way too many KO orguss bots, It's be nice to see these produced again.  The avians were cool too.

[pengbuzz]

I would love to find these again, especially the Macross-based ones. Too bad these couldn't be reissued in the US, but I'm sure there's a plethora of legal/ safety and financial/business reasons why that I'm not aware of.

[anime52k8]

I really like transforming gun robots, but this poor creature just looks so sad.

[pengbuzz]

36 minutes ago, anime52k8 said:

I really like transforming gun robots, but this poor creature just looks so sad.

Megatron's younger, anorexic brother? O.o

[anime52k8]

13 minutes ago, pengbuzz said:

Megatron's younger, anorexic brother? O.o

more like Browning's failed clone.

[pengbuzz]

12 hours ago, anime52k8 said:

more like Browning's failed clone.

Dolly the sheep bot?

[fifbeat]

Heres' a few Convertors you don't see too often... 

[Mechapilot77]

i had the VF-1S and was confused why it wasn't called that.

also some of the bird robots, the dark blue one and evena slot maachine. haha

Edited February 21, 2020 by Mechapilot77

[M'Kyuun]

I had the beetle pictured above, and a pink scorpion figure.  The beetle had pretty good articulation for the time, and I liked how the wing covers could open for flight. The grasshopper toy was later used by Hasbro for their Deluxe Insecticons.

[Mog]

I have the grasshopper and the scorpion too.  Kinda meh figures.  The grasshopper and the Super VF-1S broke after 30+ years, while most of the other Converters are still solid as heck.

The birds (and bat) were far cooler figures with decent-to-good transformation processes.

[M'Kyuun]

I recall the birds, but I don't remember ever owning any. Some were pretty cool, as I recall, but my memory of them is foggy. Will have to do some browsing to find pics for a refreshment.

I had the VF-1 without FAST Packs, but I think I got it at a Dollar Store (my mom loved the Dollar Store). I had the Convertors version of this thing, from Orguss I believe. It was ok, but like most 80's toys, lacked articulation, especially in the legs. I also have the Mugen Calibur Convertors toy. It was mispackaged as the Gazette helicopter (Transformers Whirl), so I was a little disappointed when I got home and discovered it was a jeep. It's interesting how a number of these Convertors toys found their way into the Transformers toyline.

Anyway, the 80's was great for all the transforming toylines that were available at the time; I wish it was still like that, but Hasbro have it essentially locked up, or there's just no interest from other toy companies to make a competing product, which is a bit confounding. A little research would indicate interest among consumers.

 

 

Edit: here's a good site showing the various toys.

Edited February 21, 2020 by M'Kyuun

[glane21]

I have some of the rarer Convertors and other Henkel knockoffs for sale if anyone is interested.  
 

**Convertors  SDF-1 Nofka, Super Valk Zardak, and both Space Gandams are sold**

Edited March 31, 2020 by glane21

[fifbeat]

Looks like these are the Convertors of the UK!

 

[JB0]

Man, that Space Battle Rocket looks really familiar for some reason...

Was it in Yamato?

[glane21]

[Stampeed Valkyrie]

I had, and still have in a bin somewhere a bunch of these, and I clearly remember the miscolored valkyries.     And some really dumb transforming robot ideas..  thought that as a kid and looking back now still do.      Including rocks..  which thanks to the video above was called rocklords?      Things must have been getting desperate at that point.

 

[M'Kyuun]

Rock Lords were the American Gobot branding for Machine Robo characters. I'm not sure how they fit into the MR storyline, but here in the States Tonka marketed them as a spinoff line following the movie Gobots: battle of the Rock Lords in 1986. Thanks Wiki. I don't think there were any transforming rocks in the Convertors line, but I could be wrong. It's happened before.

I had several Convertors, but very few Gobots, and no Rock Lords that I can recall. Like many, I was more interested in the Transformers, both toy and cartoon. There was definitely a more mature style to the TF toon, at least initially, than Gobots, and that appealed to me, and I loved the detail and sticker work of the TF toys over their smaller Gobot counterparts. But I liked just about anything that transformed (little has changed over the last few decades), so stuff like Convertors, or Bandai's Egg Planes, commanded my attention. My funds were abysmally low as a kid, so I picked and chose carefully, as I was also into LEGO and Brik Blox , so I learned early to budget and balance my spending. It's a lesson that has served me well.

[sh9000]

I loved playing with the blue Avarion when I was younger.  I also remember in Elementary School that Santa handed out different KOs of that Henkei Valkyrie.

[pengbuzz]

I really wish they'd bring this line back; I miss buying them!