Complete Transformers Generation One Set on ebay 240
doogles writes "I ran across quite a blast from the past today on ebay. A complete Transformers: Generation One set is for sale on ebay starting at $10,000 although at this time there are no bids." I was never allowed to have transformers as a kid. I had go-bots (a cheap knockoff if I've ever seen one). My friends had Optimus Prime, Starscream, and the rest. God I loved all those things. The show was allright, but those toys are a huge part of my childhood. Course the other interesting thing is how over the years the sets grew, and got... well, silly. But that first year... wow.
Re:Nostalgia is expensive... (Score:1)
If my mom tried to get rid of my stuff, I'd figure it out and reclaim before she could do so
Everything I've lost is because either I lost it, it was stolen, or a friend didn't give it back.
Of course, I only got a few transformer toys when I was a kid...
hardest to transform (Score:1)
Goddam Spoilers! (Score:1)
The social outcast child with a toy fixation... (Score:1)
auctioning off human souls! [ridiculopathy.com]
ridiculopathy.com [ridiculopathy.com]
Wow.... (Score:2)
Anyway, my dad tried to get me away from Transformers when I was 8 by giving me $10 bucks and going to an overpriced toy store. I coulda gone home with a go-bot or saved my money for a transformer next month. I saved my money.
Eventually I grew out of them and went back to legos. Recently, went to go see "Transformers The Movie"... Now everytime I hear about transformers I am reminded about the retarded junkbots doing that ridiculous victory dance. Whatever happened to the turbo-tounged VA anyway?
Re:Woah! (Score:1)
I'm still jealous over my brother's Omega Supreme...still in perfect condition. Man....I wish I still had all my old transformers....if this guy makes 10 grand selling his, I could have at least made 3 or 4.
Re:Even girls dig Optimus Prime (Score:1)
Sweet Deal (Score:1)
Re:Gobots came first! (Score:1)
"Die cast technology, its a lost art"
Kia...Transform! (Score:2)
Thus I must ask the question: Would it be cooler to have a bunch of Transformers that formed into a working automobile, or would you prefer a new Kia that transformed into a giant robot?
(I'd have to go with the latter myself, since if I had the former I would probably lose one of the DinoBots that was part of the engine or something else important)
I was first (Score:1)
Transformers - some observations. (Score:2)
In the movie there is a triple changer Transformer (train - space shuttle - robot, I had'im) who was to carry a whole bunch of other Transformers to some planet (while he was transformed into a space shuttle). Around 10 of them jump aboard INSIDE him, including the constroctabots(sp?). I remember they had a fight in mid flight, and the constroctabots transformed into devastator (who has to be the size of a building).. while still inside the space shuttle guy, what's up with that?
Energy cubes. How the hell do they get the energy to be self contained in the shape of a cube?
Flying. Most of the Transformers could fly as robots as if they were Superman. Starscream was a jet fighter, sometimes he transformed to fly, other times he didn't.. what's up with that?
The planet where they are from. It's not a "human" planet! where did the VW beetles, ambulances and fire trucks come from??
Optimus Primes' fuck!ng TRAILER.. where the hell did it come from?
and finally... WHAT'S WITH THE TWO HUMAN FRIENDS!!! (you know, the dad and the kid with the hard hats and lab coats)
Re:You have it backwards (Score:1)
Cartoon Network aired the last five episodes of the second season of Beast Wars: Transformers.
The original Transformers fans can't stand them but plenty of kids are buying them.
There are actually many original Transformers fans that enjoy Beast Wars. Read alt.toys.transformers if you don't believe me.
Most are much cheaper made and there are so many different lines of action figures that it is hard for them to be memorable.
You are partially correct. The toys no longer use die cast metal to reduce production costs, but they are quite durable. Many of the toys were far from memorable because they weren't seen on the cartoon.
Greech Ko Creesh Kor Keef (Score:1)
Aaaak! They're all *OPENED* (Score:3)
original sealed package! What's next, Beanies
with the ear tags ripped off?
Re:Transformers - some observations. (Score:1)
He-man (Score:1)
By the power of GraySkull, I pronounce you man and wife.
Synergy! (Score:1)
(ooh wo-Jem, the music's contaegous-outrageous.. jem is my name no one else is the same, jem is my name ... WE ARE THE MISFITS our songs are are better something something WE'RE GONNA GET HER).
You can download the Jem title sequence [tfarchive.com] from the Transformers Archive [tfarchive.com] (clever avoidance of offtopicness, I know. Cheers!).
-- Eat your greens or I'll hit you!
I was tortured with go bots but (Score:1)
There is this PA tho [penny-arcade.com]
Re:I'm impressed.... (Score:1)
Re:Gobots came first! (Score:1)
1984 was (in my opinion) the greatest year in cartoons.
-------
Anyone else remember Voltron? Or did you think Power Rangers was an original idea.....
Re:Transformers - some observations. (Score:2)
Several of your Qs are related to this - the way Transformers sometimes grow and shrink. Fanfic and MUSHes explain this as, each Transformer has the ability to put some of its mass into a little corner of subspace, sorta like turning oneself four-dimensionally sideways so you look smaller. (note the same explanation is given in Doctor Who for why the Doctor's time machine is larger inside than outside)
This also explains why Soundwave has room for SEVERAL tape-bots - enough that, if stacked, would be much thicker than his chest.
In the movie there is a triple changer Transformer (train - space shuttle - robot, I had'im) who was to carry a whole bunch of other Transformers to some planet (while he was transformed into a space shuttle). Around 10 of them jump aboard INSIDE him, including the constroctabots(sp?). I remember they had a fight in mid flight, and the constroctabots transformed into devastator (who has to be the size of a building).. while still inside the space shuttle guy, what's up with that?
See above, but as always they NEVER make it simple. We see them WALK up the ramp if I remember, which means we can't simply say Astrotrain is bigger inside than out - he actually GROWS.
I think the writers knew they were messing with our heads.
Energy cubes. How the hell do they get the energy to be self contained in the shape of a cube?
Early on in the series, there are EMPTY cubes shown. They aren't self-contained.
Just don't ask me what the cubes are actually made of. Probably the same mystery material as the Transformers themselves - a super-deformable material that, for instance, you can make flexible faces out of, such that a lifetime of talking doesn't cause metal fatigue.
Flying. Most of the Transformers could fly as robots as if they were Superman. Starscream was a jet fighter, sometimes he transformed to fly, other times he didn't.. what's up with that?
Sometimes you walk to the corner store, sometimes you ride a bike, what's up with that?
The planet where they are from. It's not a "human" planet! where did the VW beetles, ambulances and fire trucks come from??
Again it seems you missed the pilot three-parter. They all had the ability to transform into "Cybertronian" vehicles in the beginning - pyramid-shaped jets, high-tech cars, etc. When they crash-landed on Earth, the computer aboard their ship decided it'd be in their best interests to modify them to transform into forms resembling the indigenous lifeforms of the planet - and since they came from a machine planet, the computer's probe misidentified Earth vehicles as "lifeforms".
Optimus Primes' fuck!ng TRAILER.. where the hell did it come from?
Somewhere offscreen.
Similar problems abound. Shockwave's muzzle, everybody's guns, and so on - basically any "accessory" that would have been loose in the toy's package, appears and disappears as needed in the show. In one episode we actually SEE a gun appear in someone's hand. As I said before, I'm convinced Transformers are built with dimensionally transcendent Time Lord technology.
and finally... WHAT'S WITH THE TWO HUMAN FRIENDS!!! (you know, the dad and the kid with the hard hats and lab coats)
The planet on which the bulk of the original TV series takes place is... Earth. There are humans there, I'm told - and you can't very well have a species of 20-foot-tall living robots walking around having pitched battles in the streets without SOMEONE stumbling onto it. In the show, the kid (Spike) and his dad (Sparkplug) worked on an oil platform the Decepticons attacked, and after the Autobots rescued them, they just sorta stuck around. In the movie, it's 20 years later, Spike has a kid, Daniel, and for whatever irresponsible reason, the Autobots keep the kid not more than 3 inches from any firefight that happens.
Re:Transformers movie & Weird Al (Score:1)
Nostalgia (Score:2)
Re:Advice to future parents (Score:2)
My toys from childhood are in DREADFUL condition. Star Wars figs with heads missing and paint jobs done on them. Transformers that have been kitbashed no end - or else literally destroyed through heavy playing. G.I. Joes (some so old they don't have Swivel-Arm Battle Grip) that have been kitbashed, repainted, and had their crotches broken off. An original Kenner Millennium Falcon which I: dismantled the cockpit and removed the cardboard wall so there's an actual hallway from the cockpit to the back compartment, repainted parts of the upper hull for battle damage, and DRILLED holes throughout in hopes of wiring it for lights.
I still have all these sad relics. The busted Transformers still get played with. But I figure they're near-worthless in their current condition; they'd probably be worth tens of thousands of dollars if they were all in mint condition.
But you know what? I think back and wonder what I'd be like if I kept 'em all on shelves or, heaven forbid, in the original boxes. It was fucking WORTH it. Even the Falcon - I got more enjoyment out of tearing it up than I would get today out of selling it in mint condition.
Yes... (Score:2)
The seller could put an mp3 of the song "Dare To Be Stupid" playing in the background as you try to decide whether or not to bid $10,000 for some junk.
Re:Transformers forged the first programmers.... (Score:2)
Transformers (Score:4)
The original set was cool. I always wanted the Megatron that transformed into a life-sized gun. That would never have made it past the PR department these days.
I remember one i had that transformed into a boombox. He had "cassettes" which transformed into small animal robots. I can't remember his name, though.
I remember on Christmas I got a really, really awesome Transformer who turned into a white metal jet. Man, he was cool. An I remember how there was something wrong with him, so we had to return him, but they didn't have any more (being right after Christmas and all) so I got some truck dude who was Optimus Prime's cousin or something.
I remember the occasional toy that would be really "stiff"; the joints would be very difficult to move. They tended to stay in one form most of the time.
I remember making the obligatory "chi-choo-choo-choo-choo-chi" sound as I transformed these toys.
I remember seeing the Transformers movie with my mom.
I thought it was cool when, a couple years ago, my little brother started getting into "Beastwars", which, as you may not know, is a descendant of the original show/merchandising empire. Personally I don't think they're as cool as the originals, but hey, they're still Transformers.
I remember seeing the original TV show somewhere a few months ago and being astounded at how awful the animation and voices are. This happens whenever I see one of the cartoons of my early years, such as Thundercats and He-man. What was that cartoon with the metal cyborg people with wings? Silverhawks? Oh well, I forget. These days I watch a lot of Japanese animation (although I don't subscribe to CmdrTaco's "anime newbie cheerleading club" here on /.) and it's amazing to compare even kids cartoons from Nihon with the crap kids watch today. Your parents may have though the cartoons you watched were trash... well, most modern cartoons really are. The few imported anime shows don't help much... I'm always amazed at the awful English dubbing. American TV people seem to think that because a show is animated, it should have cheesy "kiddy" voices. Dubs always seem stupid and immature. That's why I actually hope the American TV industry halts its current "anime is hip and cool, kids like it, so do we" before they fuck up too many series. I've heard that Rurouni Kenshin is going to be shown, dubbed, on Cartoon Network... God help us all. Maybe I should kill myself now?
Anyway, I think this story is like most of Slashdot's stories over the past six months (mostly stupid and irrelevant), but thanks for the memories anyway. Transformers were a big part of my life too.
All generalizations are false.
Re:Transformers (Score:2)
I was very young when it came out, and so much differed from the series that I was almost disturbed by it - namely the finality of death, which was always glossed over in the series (such as, yeah we were all thrown into the lava, but we still live...)
-Michael
Re:This was on SomethingAwful.com a few days ago. (Score:2)
Thanks for the info though.
Really.
A new type of religous war within the geeks? (Score:2)
NO!
gijoe vs transformers vs gem (for our female geeks)
Gobots came first! (Score:4)
Gobots may have been cheap, but IIRC, Transformers were a rip-off of Gobots. A good rip-off, but a rip-off.
ticks = jiffies;
while (ticks == jiffies);
ticks = jiffies;
Re:Woah! (Score:4)
Transformers...more than meets the eye.... (Score:3)
However, after watching the film several (yes, several) times, and discussing it with a group of my friends, I've come to some conclusions about a certain way in which the film can be interpreted. I believe that a Marxist/socialist/Communist interpretation can be applied to the film, analyzing its elements in terms of the Cold War scenario of the 1980's.
For example, the Autobots represent to the forces of Capitalism, i.e. the Western World. Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus, their leaders during the majority of the film, are both colored red, white, and blue, the colors of the American flag. They live in a society which is governed by 'energon', a power source which they use as a form of currency. Also, they are governed by a concensus, even though their leader holds veto power over their government.
The Decepticons, on the other hand, represent the forces of Communism, specifically the power of the Soviet Union, and the oppression of industry. For example, the Decepticons flee the battle of Autobot City in Astrotrain, a robot with the power to transform into a locomotive; this represents the Decepticons' dependence on industrialization, much like the Soviets'. The Decepticons are ruled in an autocratic manner, where those who can defeat or supplant the leader become absolute monarch over their society. The giant robot, Devastator, is the avatar of the 'collective' concept of Communism.
Other elements of the film represent other elements of the repressive Soviet society as well. For example, several of the Autobots find themselves trapped on the world of the Quintessons, imperial judges whose verdicts always result in death. They represent the unreasoning Soviet legal system, which was state-controlled and made no allowance for mercy or jurisprudence. The Quintesson's servants, the Sharkticons, are mindless, all-consuming drones; they represent the Army, which enforces the decisions of the judicial system without question or apprehension.
The Autobot Grimlock, who expresses his world-view in "Me Grimlock no kisser; Me Grimlock king!", eventually turns the Sharkticons against the Quintessons, with his superior physical presence. He is the analog of the Communist dictator, such as Joseph Brosz (Marshal Tito) of Yugoslavia and Ncolai Ceauescau of Romania; he enforces his desires through phyiscal means and terror, inducing those who serve the system to turn against it.
When Megatron is transfigured into Galvatron, he slays the Decepticons who disagree with him, namely Starscream. This is much like Stalin's purges of the old Leninist regimes in the early 1920's, getting rid of those who don't agree with your policies in order to make your government work. Galvatron's transformation is not only physical and mental but also ideological.
Several Autobots land on the planet of Junk, inhaited by the Junkions. The Junkions are ramshackle robots who are built and regenerate from the endless scrap heap which comprises their planet. They are addicted to television transmission, and much of the lingua franca of the Junkions is composed of phrases from common TV shows. They represent the endless proletariat of the Communist state, kept placid by the various media and endlessly regenerating from the wellspring of procreation.
Unicron is a monolithic figure within the movie, instigating much of its action. He changes Megatron into Galvatron, initiating the subsequent disruption of the balance of power between Autobot and Decepticon. Imagine if something had given Communism a clear advantage over Capitalism, leaving the concept of capitalism in the dust; that is what Unicron is. He represents the inevitability of economic change from barter, to capitalism, to socialism, as proposed by Karl Marx. Unicron is the inevitable dialectic of history.
The Autobots' Matrix represents the variable which economic analyses cannot predict, that is the desire of the human being for freedom and equality (Yeah, it's kind of hokey, but so's the plot). The Matrix is able to destroy Unicron, which is much like human consciousness disrupting the dialectic of history, resisting communism in favor of capitalism. When the Matrix destroys Unicron at the end of the film, it is much like the residents of East Berlin breaking down the Berlin Wall; they as well are resisting the inevitability of economic, social, and historical change from one system to another. These are just some of the elements in "Transformers: The Movie" which support the Marxist interpretation of its storyline. I encourage you to rent, buy, borrow, or steal it; it's great fun.
Re:Aaaak! They're all *OPENED* (Score:2)
FYI --
With a little quick math ($10,000 / 200 = $50) I think that it's safe to say that to have purchased these originally would've been an order of magnitude cheaper. I know that some of them got a little expensive, but I doubt any but the most outrageous of the transformers ever got past the $25 mark, much less $50. And there were lots of them that could be had at $5-$8.
-The Reverend (I am not a Nazi nor a Troll)
Re:Original G.I. Joe (Score:2)
That episode WAS a mindfuck.
interesting fact I can't confirm: the almighty Megatron toy(one of the few non-symmetrical toys), was actually released way back in 1974, but not named Megatron.
Re:Gobots came first! (Score:2)
The little novelty company would be Bandai, I think. They made things like GoBots, Power Rangers, Digimon, etc. Oh wait - the Jumpstarters were Takara. Hasbro bought MOST of the Transformer toys from Takara. That's why Soundwave, Cliffjumper and Bumblebee, and a few others say "copyright 1974 Takara" (and why Soundwave looked so retro, even in 1984).
As to Jetfire: trivia time. Hasbro decided sometime in 1985 that the Autobots needed air power, and Takara didn't have anything sufficiently different from the Decepticon jets, so they licensed the Veritech design from... Bandai.
Takara didn't really like this. I guess they couldn't stop Hasbro from doing this, but they COULD prevent Hasbro from using the Bandai-designed Jetfire on the TV show. So they came up with a decidedly different design and character - and thus was born Skyfire. And the kids knew who they meant.
Look closely at the old catalogs if you can find any. Jetfire, the Deluxe Autobots and Deluxe Insecticons, and I think there were a couple others, were designed by Bandai (which is why you never saw them in the TV series) - and there's clearly a family resemblance, particularly in the heads. Now look again at the GoBots: made by Tonka, designed by... Bandai.
The Transformer family tree grew in Chernobyl potting soil.
Re:kids these days (Score:3)
If I had a $10k auction I think I'd... (Score:3)
Re:Wow...First Grade (Score:2)
Now, I don't remember what happened to my Transformers (didn't have all them). I also had Voltrons (lions one)
Ahh, the good old days!
Re:Woah! (Score:2)
Many of the transformers made today contain metal in the form of joint pins, screws, rivets, etc. and they are quite durable and usually more poseable than the original transformers. The majority of the Beast Wars and Beast Machines lines are also devoid of the electronic gimmicks you mentioned.
Re:Yes... (Score:2)
You can still get it on VHS [amazon.com], as well as the soundtrack on CD [amazon.com]. I had a good laugh watching Boogie Nights, when Wahlberg's character is singing/screeching "You've got the touch!" which is straight from this soundtrack...
My other friends kind of make fun of me for having them, since they think G.I. Joe was cooler, but what do they know...
Okay, those are shameless links to Amazon.com, but it's much better than paying the inflated prices that Sam Goody charges for this stuff...
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Re:Wow...First Grade (Score:2)
Re:If you want to get really nostalgic: (Score:2)
Re:How I *HATED* those things... (Warning: RANT) (Score:2)
What I find most interesting is the age-related aspects of it all. The cartoons I remeber fondly were from a few years earlier, when the _average_ age of
If you want to get really nostalgic: (Score:3)
BTW, if you're the author of this, or you know the author, drop me a line. I've had it up on my website for a while, and I'd really like to ask him for permission to have it there.
Well said (Score:2)
Or at least turned off the caps-lock key.
lets chip in and buy the seller a new keyboard (Score:2)
I just hate it WHEN THAT HAPPENS.
--
Re:I still remember the original megatron (Score:3)
(As long as this story about Transformers is up, I should probably plug the rec.toys.transformers.moderated [toys.trans....moderated] newsgroup which I help to moderate, as well as the article about Transformers fandom [themestream.com] that I wrote a while back. And the yearly Transformers convention, BotCon [botcon.com], which will be in Carolina this year.)
--
Re:Gobots came first! (Score:4)
Re:kids these days (Score:3)
I bet, 10 years from now, there's some kid all "Dude, when I was a kid, my Vulvasaur kicked ass all over these lame-ass intelligent robot dogs like those kids have today..."
Umm, $10,000? (Score:2)
This guy loves his 'bots, but anyone who would pay that much for them is silly. This guy isn't the only person out there with this collection.
-Moondog
If you wanna make real money on ebay: (Score:2)
Pricey! (Score:2)
Re:How I *HATED* those things... (Warning: RANT) (Score:2)
Dissention from the collective childhood warm-fuzzy remeniscence earns a "Troll" rating?
When I was a child, I was perceptive enough to see the inflection point where cartoons changed from entertainment tools to marketing tools. Seeing this disgusted me... Seeing a crowd of people who otherwise have excellent ability to see through marketing BS get lulled back into this stuff is really scary.
Does everyone in our society have a marketing button that can be pressed, or am I fooling myself thinking that vigilant people can make purely rational purchase decisions?
I still hate the friggin things.
Re:This annoys me... (Score:2)
-gerbik
Age related? I'm not so sure... (Score:2)
Beanie and Cecil - the original version, not that one season of "New Beanie and Cecil" in the early 90s... with the same pun problems as the Xanth books, but with a much subtler underlying wit.
Dark Water (original 10 eps only) - More than brilliant, it was the extraction of what was good about 80s toons, in the 90s, without the toys (yes, I know, but those came much later... after the five part pilot and the five followups)
Two Stupid Dogs - simple, entertaining, and way more subtle than it seemed.
PowerPuff Girls - have you actually watched it with a critical eye?
I'm avoiding listing anything marketted as an adult toon... no Simpsons, South Park, or Beavis and Butt-Head... because I feel that the type of show I mention above is far more interesting. There was someone involved in that show who thought, "let's see what we can slide in under these kids' subconciences"...
I don't know if anyone's seen the new Spiderman or X-Men toons. Those are created by people from the five-year period immediately before the toy toons. They're awful. Worse than the toy toons, in a lot of ways. And things like the new crop of sloppy animation shows (Recess, for a perfect example) are just as bad. Cartoon Network and Nick are exceptions to this rule, and some of the newest stuff that is obviously the start of the TF era redux (Beast Wars, the other CGIs like Action Man, Max Steel, Starship Troopers, the remarkable extension to the Batman series Batman Beyond) are fantastic. I'm not sure where to place the new (also really good) Jackie Chan 'toon...
I've dabbled enough in the industry to know that there's no real age component in the talent creating the best shows. The factors are more social and economic... Do the marketting people think the public (kids or no) are gullible and shallow at the moment... or more reachable with wit? What's going to get ratings? And given the Pokemon/Saban (gag) grab of the share, is it better to do more of the same and try for their leavings, or go in the radical opposite direction and see if you can't pull yourself an admittedly smaller, but still respectable share of the disposessed savier viewers?
And of course, it all comes down to the pitch of the guy who came up with the concept in the first place... me, I'm looking forward to the new Reboot series.
Re:Original G.I. Joe (Score:2)
"Worlds Without End" is the one where a malfunctioning disentigrator ray tears a hole in spacetime to a universe where Cobra won, involving such happy fun things as the 'Joes happening upon skeletons in the desert wearing their dogtags, and Steeler getting bitten by an infectious bug and getting delirious and hallucinating, and declaring that they're all dead and they've gone to hell (though they can't use the word "hell" due to BS&P).
That's a mindfuck.
--
Re:Transformers movie & Weird Al (Score:2)
The confusion may stem from the rare TFTM music score CDs, issued for the BotCon convention (and occasionally findable on eBay or Napster--search on the word "botcon"), featuring rerecordings of all the instrumental music from Transformers: The Movie.
For the CD, Vince DiCola modified the instrumental piece from that part of the movie slightly, dropping in an instrumental version of the "Dare to Be Stupid" synthesizer riff to substitute for the music played at that point in the movie, which of course could not be included on that CD.
--
Re:Woah! (Score:2)
Re:Gobots came first! (Score:2)
Its interesting to notice how many TF's are bought as knock-offs and sold to be knocked off - The whole first line was knock-offs, someone's already mentioned Jetfire/Skyfire is from Robotech with a different head. The Jumpstarters, Twintwist and the other guy whoze name I don't remember, are from some little novelty company. Its the same now.... I've seen Chinese copies of the new Optimus Primal gorilla thing with a new head and a new box, but otherwise the same damn toy.
Re:Transformers are great and all... (Score:2)
People played with their toys back then--so it became super-rare to find any of them in good condition. Scarcity drives price--and for a complete set, of course you'll pay more than you would for individual items, just for all the work it took the guy to assemble it.
Nowadays, everyone's collecting toys--and so, ironically, it will be decades before they're worth anything--if ever. Which means, I guess, that now toys really are just for playing with.
--
Re:Wow.... (Score:2)
--
Haven't you seen G.I.Joe Extreme? (Score:2)
"More muscles, sir!"
"More missiles, sir!"
"More steroids, sir!"
Okay, I made that last up. But still, it's sad to see that they've made the original G.I.Joe into a thinking man's cartoon...
Sissy, meaningless toys (Score:2)
Re:Woah! (Score:2)
To Top it off they have re-released a number of transformers. Optimus Prime, Ultra magnus, Hot Rod, and a repaint of Fort Max the transformer that is over 2 feet tall. Megatron will be re-released in June for all you that want him (me oh me!).
Oh and for those that don't know tranformers The Movie DVD was recently put out and you can grab it on amazon or your favorite place to grab those sort of things.
Re:I still remember the original megatron (Score:2)
Whatever ... Those transformers are old-school ... (Score:2)
Re:A new type of religous war within the geeks? (Score:2)
Don't forget the Care Bears. Hey, stop laughing, Care Bears rocked, ok? They had a cloud car, they had a cloud castle, and they could kick GEM's ass with that Care Bear Stare (and leave her all warm and fuzzy inside).
--
Bush's assertion: there ought to be limits to freedom
Re:Nostalgia is expensive... (Score:2)
The starwars figures however I never got rid of. I remember the days of collecting them. It was 1983-84 when I started collecting them in bulk, not for collecting them per sae, but so I could play with them.
I managed to collect about 90% of the action figures, and a decent number of the ships. While I don't have the original packaging for most of it, and over the years bits and pieces have disappeared, I still have most of the collection. I suppose the only reason I kept all of them was because at the time I had spent my own hard earned money on them. I certainly recieved a few of them as gifts, but for the most part they came out of my own pocket.
For this reason alone, I never had the heart to sell them or give them away, even though it was tempting at times. I know at one time I sat down and tried to figure out exactly how much money I had spent on action figures over time, and the total came up to something like $300 for all the figures and ships. That was a HUGE amount of money to me at the time, and I was almost stunned by it. No way I was gonna sell these off for a few bucks in a garage sale.
Of course, right now they're collecting dust out in my garage. Since I don't have the original packaging, and they're in far but mint condition, I can't see myself ever offering them up to some crazed bidder who simply can't live without them. I'm just going to hold on to them as memories of my childhood. I never kept most of the toys I had over the years, so it would be nice to have SOMETHING to look at 40 years from now.
-Restil
Re:Buy 'em Taco! (Score:2)
Nostalgia is expensive... (Score:2)
If in need of a good guilt trip (to get extra money for beer-um i mean college) be sure you email that url to your mom
I still remember the original megatron (Score:5)
Uh oh! I have no bids! What should I do? (Score:2)
That way, I'll be sure to get some bids!
Re:Nostalgia is expensive... (Score:2)
Was he Evil, and if so, how can Evil become Good?
Or are there grayer shades of Good and Evil that only become clear when Ewoks chirp and dance wildly and pass out that good Ewok festive beverage?
Does the movie also show that it's okay to rebel against your father, he'll forgive you in the end?
I still have my action figures, millenium falcon, at-st, rancor, jabba playset, hoth playset, dagobah playset, and an x-wing. but the x-wing is missing one of its wings.
We were poor back then and bought the x-wing used from the son of one of my dad's co-workers.
A host is a host from coast to coast, but no one uses a host that's close
I wonder (Score:5)
If so, I want Jazz back, damnit.
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Re:Sissy, meaningless toys (Score:2)
A host is a host from coast to coast, but no one uses a host that's close
This annoys me... (Score:2)
Transformers remain next to only Legos, Atari 2600's, and 386 PC's as the best toys of the 80's IMO. Pity they can't make transformers, lego, OR computers the way they used to.
-Kasreyn
Even girls dig Optimus Prime (Score:2)
And CmdrTaco.. i woulda shared mine with you. No kid should be without the Transformers!
In Defense of Transformers (Score:5)
The odd thing is, the Transformers toys sold a lot better than the original Japanese toys on which they'd been based--revitalizing Japanese toy manufacturer Takara, who made most of the original Generation One toys, and still continues (in partnership with Hasbro) to make Transformers to this day. In fact, the Transformers cartoon became popular enough in Japan itself to spawn three new animé series (Headmasters, Masterforce, and Victory), an OAV (Zone), and myriad manga, after the franchise's demise in America. In Japan and Europe, Transformers never really died out--a lot of the "Generation Two" and "Machine Wars" toys were American re-issues of European or Japanese product.
Why do so many people think fondly of Transformers? Well, the writing of the shows, though occasionally juvenile, still managed to be sufficiently mature that not just kids but teens and even some adults could enjoy it. It portrayed all the characters as being three-dimensional--even the villains, who could have friendships, motivations, and respect for their adversaries, and who never resorted to the kiddie-show characterization of referring to themselves as "evil". To this day, there is a strident faction of Decepticon devotees active in fandom, who insist that the Deceps were misunderstood and that their "survival of the fittest" philosophy was actually in Cybertron's best interests. The show had some silly episodes, and some that make even the most devoted fans cringe--but at its best, it could really make you stop and think. You just don't find that kind of depth in most other kids' shows of that day, and even less in such shows of today.
And that's just the TV show. There were comic books, too--80-some in the US (plus the 12-issue Generation 2 miniseries), 300-some in the UK--whose storyline was nearly entirely different from the show, and which featured some terrific writing--especially toward the end, during Simon Furman's run. These were a lot more mature than the TV show, with a more serious storyline and more room for characterization.
As for the later stuff--while not as good as the original, Beast Wars did have quite a few good points. It's too bad they fired the creative staff and went on to make that god-awful Beast Machines thing afterward.
As for GoBots . . . well, I'll agree with you that the toys were pretty cool (the ones I saw, at least). But the episode or two of the TV show that I caught didn't seem to live up to the sort of thing I saw in Transformers. It may just be a matter of personal preference, though.
Anyway, I've written a bit more about TF fandom in this article [slashdot.org]. Feel free to check it out.
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Advice to future parents (Score:2)
When I was 11 or 12, my Mom made me decide: keep the Lego or keep the Micronauts. Of course, I kept the Lego! (figuring I could do more with it)
However, I've never forgiven my Mom for making me go through such a choice. (not that I think about it, unless stories like this come up
So, future parents, *never* make your kids go through this! I don't care that none of my toys are in the original boxes; toys are for playing, not collecting, dammit!!
Ah well, that's just me going off on a tangent.
Pope
Freedom is Slavery! Ignorance is Strength! Monopolies offer Choice!
Let us not forget ... (Score:5)
- Transformers: The Movie [800.com] - Yes, the original with tons of great voice actors--Judd Nelso, Leonard Nimoy, Orson Wells, Robert Stack, Peter Cullen. (and the DVD just came out a few weeks ago!)
- Transformers MUSHes [yahoo.com] - Roleplay as your favorite Transformers with loads of other people. There's a whole lot more then just these two.
- Transfans [transfans.com] - Probably the biggest organized Transformers club
- Botcon [botcon.com] - The biggest and best Transformers convention. I went in 95 and 97--great toys, movies, people, and artwork.
Have fun getting your Transformers fix.Re:Gobots came first! (Score:2)
Oh those sort of transformers .... (Score:2)
Morgan... (Score:2)
You know, "Transformers...Morgan meets The Eye!"
Nice move (Score:3)
kids these days (Score:5)
Wow...First Grade (Score:2)
And I got one. For Christmas. In fifth grade.
Oh, well, at least my parents tried.
What really happened to Transformers (Score:2)
Downloadable Episodes (Score:3)
. . . but I've held off enough. You can get your Transformers fix right here [tfextreme.com].
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Transformers movie & Weird Al (Score:2)
Anyone know if this is true? I've always wanted to check it out but haven't gotten around to it.
Carl
Re:This annoys me... (Score:3)
Consider: How much fun can you have with toys when you're being really, really careful with them? Peeling stickers, chipped plastic, loose joints and collateral damage are par for the course in protecting the world from the Evil Decepticons.
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Transformers forged the first programmers.... (Score:5)
That is why many children of the era, including me, became such great programmers.
You know exactly what to do-
Your kiss, your fingers on my thigh-
Hasbro Owns Go-Bots, Too! (Score:2)
Which is how come when that water-squirting G2 came out, they could call him Go-Bots--and how they could call those later, Hot-Wheels compatible Transformers "Go-Bots" too.
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Original G.I. Joe (Score:2)
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Re:Gobots came first! (Score:2)
And hell, the Transformers were somewhat creative. The Go-bots almost always transformed the same way.
Re:Even girls dig Optimus Prime (Score:2)
"If ignorance is bliss, may I never be happy.
Transformers are great and all... (Score:2)
I'll lose a great deal of my faith in our species if this guy gets even one bid. I shouldn't hold my breath, I know someone is going to buy into this nonsense.
Manly toys (Score:2)
And names? No Optimus-Prime-straight off the hairdryer names for the go-bots, no sir! They were too cool for names: they got assigned a function, and then a number. Leader 1, baby, or Turbo as one of the frillier ones (bet he was a pooftah). Those were the days, crushing those anarcho-communist Renegades for the good of Gobotron!
Nor did they stick around to become a burden on toy society, to be mentioned with shame these days; the go-bots knew when to die off and leave their heroic legend to posterity. bah, humbug.
i would buy these but... (Score:5)
MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE
sorry, couldn't resist.