At least 2, possibly 3 for me.
Takara Missing Link G1 Series
- Thread starter MrBlud
- Start date
Criminy, what even is my G1 -- like, my actual G1 or G1 repro -- collection these days?
Let's see...
Fortress Maximus
Cliffjumper (keychain)
Swerve (repro)
Goldbug (authentic)
Legacy Optimus Prime (counting it for aesthetic reasons, since that's basically what ML is about)
That movie-colored Hot Rod
Swindler
Mudslinger
Part of Battletrap
G2 Megatron (close enough)
RiD Rollbar (ditto)
And some knockoffs of Ruination, a yellow Windcharger, Sky Garry (somewhere), Override, Pretender Grimlock, Pretender Bumblebee...
I think that's about it?
I'd have to double-check, but I think everything else is from Beast Wars and beyond.
I'm still an old school, hopeless Geewunner at heart, lol. Although I have found many, many things to love about almost each subsequent line over the years. But yeah, my bread and butter remains the '84 - '87 (and some of '88) US G1 run, and these Arcees keep pinging my brain's reward center hard!
I think I have Sixshot and a scattering of Micromasters. Maybe a reissue Soundwave, honestly don't remember if I kept it or not. And a bunch of old junkers in a bin in the basement. Oh, and I gave G1 Spinister's Targetmasters to the Siege figure, if that counts.
I've got a very odd mix of G1 molds in various states of disrepair. I don't actively seek them out, but I'm always up for buying them when I run across them at garage sales, flea markets, etc. when priced reasonably, plus the occasional reproduction when it's something I really want (had to have the recent Hound release since he was my first TF toy.)
My G1 collection is... eclectic.
I have all the Japanese reissues, later unique Hasbro reissues, and a smattering of vintage stuff in various states of condition.
G1-G2, tomato-tomato
I was too young for G1, so the only actually vintage G1 figure I have is an incomplete Thrust my uncle gave me when I was like 5-6 years old (literally missing everything except the wings, tail fins, and landing gear - I even lost his nosecone at some point and that's not even an accessory).
Everything else is reissues and even then it's only like...a reissue Optimus Prime, the Vintage G1 Bumblebee, Swerve, and Soundwave, and God Ginrai.
God I hate how God Ginrai is one of my favorite figures I own and it's the only goddamn toy I own that suffers from GPS (or well BPS in this case considering its his blue plastic that breaks). Like I could replace it because, from my research, it was only the Takara reissues from the early 2000s that have this issue with the blue plastic, the vintage figure or the Hasbro reissues from the same time are fine. So if I don't wanna risk it, I could get the Hasbro Powermaster Prime with Apex Armor but goddamn those are like $250 to $300 new on eBay.
Everything else is reissues and even then it's only like...a reissue Optimus Prime, the Vintage G1 Bumblebee, Swerve, and Soundwave, and God Ginrai.
God I hate how God Ginrai is one of my favorite figures I own and it's the only goddamn toy I own that suffers from GPS (or well BPS in this case considering its his blue plastic that breaks). Like I could replace it because, from my research, it was only the Takara reissues from the early 2000s that have this issue with the blue plastic, the vintage figure or the Hasbro reissues from the same time are fine. So if I don't wanna risk it, I could get the Hasbro Powermaster Prime with Apex Armor but goddamn those are like $250 to $300 new on eBay.
My confession is, while I haven't done so yet, I've got no issues with buying those Chinese G1 KO reissues off eBay, especially for ones that Hastak has never reissued due to the molds no longer existing. Y'know if my options for a G1 figure are: pay a pretty penny for one in really good quality, pay a cheaper price for a knackered one that was obviously well-played with (which I'm fine with if it's just something like 'the stickers are worn' or 'there's some slight paint chipping on the diecast parts' but less so if it's 'actually broken'), or pay a cheaper price for a fresh and brand-new KO reissue...yeah I'd go for the KO.
Yeah, I'm not a huge proponent of KOs or anything, but if there's something I really want and my choices are buying a cheap brand new KO or an expensive used original figure, I'll go with the KO, too. It's not like I'm supporting Hasbro by buying a 40 year old toy off of ebay.
I was old enough for G1, but growing up, I had WAY more Gobots than Transformers (should surprise no one here). As a result, my collection is pretty eclectic. I have the G1 versions of the main '86/S3 cast because Blurr, but even those are Targetmaster or reissue/reproduction versions. Almost everything else, outside of special groups like the Dinobots, is whatever modern reissues on sale or vintage figures I've picked up at garage sales or thrift and antique stores with no real goal of completing anything. My brothers and sisters almost always get me a handful of very used Transformers and Gobots for birthdays and Christmas.
I actually enjoy getting broken figures that I can repair and make complete again; it adds to the sense of accomplishment and enjoyment of having something that I was able to fix.
I actually enjoy getting broken figures that I can repair and make complete again; it adds to the sense of accomplishment and enjoyment of having something that I was able to fix.
Oh! I almost forgot that I have the reissue Stepper!
I was woefully late to G1 toys in particular, having lived in the middle of nowhere during its heyday and not having the financial capacity to explore stuff to this degree until the advent of BW. (Around that time we'd also moved to a bigger city, and I had the privilege of going to the one store that still had lingering Micromaster and Pretender and Euro G1 stock. But no money, so all I could do was hang around and stare at each thing so often and so long they thought I was looking for an opportunity to shoplift.)
The most G1 stuff I got around the time was a Turbofire, a Finback, a Rampage in a badly water-damaged box, a Rotorstorm, and a Thunder Clash; I no longer have any of them and kind of want to try rebuying the Thunder Clash if not for the GPS of it all. I did recently get a loose (sadly; wouldv loved to scan and keep the cardback) Flash, which I'd wanted to get alongside Thunder Class in my "mistaken for shoplifter casing the joint" days (Turbomasters, babyyyy). I bought this legally, I swear.
I did receive some as gifts or relatives-bought-me-thises.
* Erector (one of the rare times my mom could afford to indulge my Transformers fandom since it was Christmas; capturing this in a sentence, especially to say how valuable he is because of it, is always awkward)
* The Micromaster Construction Squad (finally bought a Takedown to replace my long-lost one a few years ago)
* Action Master Devastator (for some reason, likely play and the o-ring breaking, I only have one leg still with me now, Mixmaster I think).
* In the mid-2000s I got a good deal on the Ironworks and Greasepit bases; I think that included the Micros themselves.
* I briefly had an incomplete Power Master Optimus Prime, but in such unenjoyably bad shape I traded it away. I only got it in the first place because this was The One That Got Away from that one surviving G1-stocked store. I'd have gotten the Hasbro reissue if I could afford it at the time. Alas, no.
Since then it's just been getting Hot Rod and Rodimus iterations and reissues, and Stepper/Ricochet. Ah, and cassette reissues when I can get them and they're not absurdly expensive (sigh, Encore sets). I did stumble on a GREAT deal for ehobby Wingthing (an odd personal favorite) and Enemy a few years ago, which was nice.
I don't think I ever got around to things like an Optimus Prime reissue; despite outgrowing the "as a fan you MUST own a this or that" attitude, I always kind of liked the New Year's Special Convoy that had him packed with a Matrix (huge move at the time) and an Action Master Op. But that quickly rose out of my price range and stayed there.
The most G1 stuff I got around the time was a Turbofire, a Finback, a Rampage in a badly water-damaged box, a Rotorstorm, and a Thunder Clash; I no longer have any of them and kind of want to try rebuying the Thunder Clash if not for the GPS of it all. I did recently get a loose (sadly; wouldv loved to scan and keep the cardback) Flash, which I'd wanted to get alongside Thunder Class in my "mistaken for shoplifter casing the joint" days (Turbomasters, babyyyy). I bought this legally, I swear.
I did receive some as gifts or relatives-bought-me-thises.
* Erector (one of the rare times my mom could afford to indulge my Transformers fandom since it was Christmas; capturing this in a sentence, especially to say how valuable he is because of it, is always awkward)
* The Micromaster Construction Squad (finally bought a Takedown to replace my long-lost one a few years ago)
* Action Master Devastator (for some reason, likely play and the o-ring breaking, I only have one leg still with me now, Mixmaster I think).
* In the mid-2000s I got a good deal on the Ironworks and Greasepit bases; I think that included the Micros themselves.
* I briefly had an incomplete Power Master Optimus Prime, but in such unenjoyably bad shape I traded it away. I only got it in the first place because this was The One That Got Away from that one surviving G1-stocked store. I'd have gotten the Hasbro reissue if I could afford it at the time. Alas, no.
Since then it's just been getting Hot Rod and Rodimus iterations and reissues, and Stepper/Ricochet. Ah, and cassette reissues when I can get them and they're not absurdly expensive (sigh, Encore sets). I did stumble on a GREAT deal for ehobby Wingthing (an odd personal favorite) and Enemy a few years ago, which was nice.
I don't think I ever got around to things like an Optimus Prime reissue; despite outgrowing the "as a fan you MUST own a this or that" attitude, I always kind of liked the New Year's Special Convoy that had him packed with a Matrix (huge move at the time) and an Action Master Op. But that quickly rose out of my price range and stayed there.
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My only surviving G1 toy is a Sunstreaker in surprisingly okay condition. Most of what I had were mystery Big Lots KOs I wish my mother didn't toss at some point.
As far as reissues, I've got TRU Soundwave and Powermaster Optimus Prime, and of course I have reissue Star Convoy.
As far as reissues, I've got TRU Soundwave and Powermaster Optimus Prime, and of course I have reissue Star Convoy.
My Father's business really took off roughly 1985 and my Dad loves buying people presents and loves collecting things. So... while I don't think there's any year of G1 that I had ALL the toys of, after 1984 I pretty definitely had the majority of each year, especially the bigger guys.
Now all my Transformers got played with, a lot. So Today they are nearly all in the condition that implies, but I still have the Majority of my toys from growing up.
I never had the original 1984 BB or Cliffjumper (only had Brawn from the 84 Minibots) and my Sunstreaker was Red Diakron Not-Sunstreaker who went to pieces way back in the 80s. I really like the Minibot MLs and hope we get more. I can't imagine how ML Brawn would handle the legs or arms but I'd love to see them try. I can't wait for Sunstreaker to release (though I'd prefer Spin-Out).
-ZacWilliam, the year I had the fewest of is 84: Brawn, Bluestreak, a headless Hound, Ironhide, mailed away for Wheeljack and Mirage later on, Optimus Prime, Laserbeak/Frenzy, Starscream, Sky Warp, and a knock-off Cassette-Man.
Now all my Transformers got played with, a lot. So Today they are nearly all in the condition that implies, but I still have the Majority of my toys from growing up.
I never had the original 1984 BB or Cliffjumper (only had Brawn from the 84 Minibots) and my Sunstreaker was Red Diakron Not-Sunstreaker who went to pieces way back in the 80s. I really like the Minibot MLs and hope we get more. I can't imagine how ML Brawn would handle the legs or arms but I'd love to see them try. I can't wait for Sunstreaker to release (though I'd prefer Spin-Out).
-ZacWilliam, the year I had the fewest of is 84: Brawn, Bluestreak, a headless Hound, Ironhide, mailed away for Wheeljack and Mirage later on, Optimus Prime, Laserbeak/Frenzy, Starscream, Sky Warp, and a knock-off Cassette-Man.
My family moved states (Florida to Lousiana; New Orleans, to be exact) when G1 started. My parents didn't mind taking me around town because it helped them get the lay of the land, and they would sometimes take me to a toy store. Oftentimes, I would spend allowance money on Transformers but most times - especially early on - I would buy multiple Gobots for the price of a single Transformer (I loved 'em too, @Haywire ). I got other, bigger G1 toys for birthdays and Christmases (Jetfire, Omega Supreme, Defensor, Superion, Galvatron).
By the time my initial interest moved on, I had what I would describe as a pretty robust, played-with condition collection that hit most of the high notes from '84 - '87. '88 is when my attention turned more to video games and skateboarding, which really ate in to my available toy budget. Eventually, I put my Transformers away in a box and left them alone. Until 1994, when I rediscovered them as a young adult and set about my then-new mission to complete the '84 - '87 U.S. catalog. And I did, and then some!
Sometimes, I still can't believe how far Transformers have come. Like I said before, I have found a lot to like about most of the iterations of the brand over the years, and it's just been a lot of fun seeing it grow. Even though I don't handle them much anymore, it is a tremendous amount of fun seeing those core G1 figures in my collection. These Missing Link figures are really cool though, because they remind me how much fun the originals were (and I'm not scared handling them!). If only we had this level of articulation back then...
By the time my initial interest moved on, I had what I would describe as a pretty robust, played-with condition collection that hit most of the high notes from '84 - '87. '88 is when my attention turned more to video games and skateboarding, which really ate in to my available toy budget. Eventually, I put my Transformers away in a box and left them alone. Until 1994, when I rediscovered them as a young adult and set about my then-new mission to complete the '84 - '87 U.S. catalog. And I did, and then some!
Sometimes, I still can't believe how far Transformers have come. Like I said before, I have found a lot to like about most of the iterations of the brand over the years, and it's just been a lot of fun seeing it grow. Even though I don't handle them much anymore, it is a tremendous amount of fun seeing those core G1 figures in my collection. These Missing Link figures are really cool though, because they remind me how much fun the originals were (and I'm not scared handling them!). If only we had this level of articulation back then...