How many different TF toy lines have there been?

[The Doctor]

How many? By a TF toy line (that does or does not transform) I mean any line of at least two releases with the TF logo on the packaging (in any language). So, yes, Animorphs and Marvel and Star Wars count. As do SCF's and Mega SCF's.

Must be a fair few by now!

-Ralph

[Shockprowl]

64.

[Pinwig]

That was easier than I expected.

[Shockprowl]

I have sight beyond sight.





(if it is 64 I'll mess myself)

[Toph]

Main hasbro lines- 40?
· The TransFormers (G1)
· Generation 2
· Beast Wars (includes Transmetals, Fuzors, Transmetal 2, Fox Kids! and Mutants refreshes)
· Machine Wars
· Beast Machines (includes Battle for the Sparks and Dinobots refresh and subline)
· Beast Wars: 10th Anniversary
· Robots in Disguise
· Armada (includes Unicron Battles)
· Universe 1
· Dinobots (not branded under any other line)
· Energon (Powerlinx Battles refresh)
· Cybertron (Includes Primus Unleashed)
· Alternators
· Masterpiece
· Classics
· Movie 1 (includes Real Gear Robots subline, and Allspark Power and Premium refreshes)
· Universe 2
· Animated
· Revenge of the Fallen (includes NEST Global Alliance refresh)
· Generations 1
· "2010" (includes Reveal the Shield, and Hunt for the Decepticons)
· Dark of the Moon
· Generations 2 (debatable if it's a seperate name reuse, or a continuation of the other Generations.)(Definitively Includes Fall of Cybertron, "Thrilling 30")
· Prime (includes Beast Hunters)
· Age of Extinction
· Platinum
· Rescue Bots
· The Last Knight
· New Robots in Disguise (includes Combiner Force)
· Rescue Bots Academy
· Cyberverse (Includes Bumblebee: Cyberverse Adventures)
· Bumblebee
· My First Transformer
· 123 Transformers
· Transformers: Go Bots
· Power Core Combiners
· Commemorative Series
· Vintage Series
· Cyber Series
· Authentics


Debatable- 5-10?
These are all officially Generations, though Hasbro and fandom both treat them as individual lines each. I wouldn't count them anymore that "Unicron Battles" but I offer their numbers here seperately to avoid argument. You can add or subtract them as you see fit.
· Studio Series (Sold under Generations banner)
· Combiner Wars (same)
· Titans Return (same)
· PotP (same)
· "WfC trilogy" (same, adds 5: Siege, Earthrise, Kingdom, Netflix, Selects)

MiB/3H/Fun Publications- 3
· Expanded Universe
· OTFCC
· Timelines

Crossover lines- 5
· Star Wars
· Marvel
· Animorphs
· Collaborative
· Angry Birds

Other Hasbro- 14?
· Titanium
· Kreo
· RED
· Botshots
· Heroes of Cybertron
· Legends of Cybertron
· Botbots
· Hero Mashers
· Construct-Bots
· Attactix
· Battlemasters
· Tiny Turbo Changers
· Built-To-Rule
· Tiny Titans


Licensed- 8?
(only including what counts as a figure. No statues or plushies)
· Jada Hollywood Rides
· Jada Metalfigs
· Super7 ReAction
· Threezero Dlx Scale Collectors Series
· Nendoroids
· Funko POPS!
· Furai
· World's Smallest

Takara- 43?
· Transformers
· The Headmasters
· Masterforce
· Victory
· Zone
· Battlestars
· Reissues
· Beast Wars
· Beast Wars Metals
· Beast Wars Returns
· Beast Wars II
· Beast Wars Neo
· Beast Wars Telemocha
· Car Robots
· Micron Legend
· Superlink
· Galaxy Force
· Robot Masters
· Binaltech
· Binaltech*
· Kiss Players
· Henkei
· United
· Unite Warriors
· Legends
· Adventure
· Animated
· Arms Micron
· Go!
· Movie
· RotF
· DotM
· Age of Extinction
· Movie Advance
· Lost Age
· Cloud
· GT
· Alternity
· Micromaster Reissues
· Encore
· BeCool
· Transformers × Street Fighter
· EZ Collection


Takara other- 19?
· Choro-Q
· SFC
· World's Smallest
· Q-Transformer
· Music Label
· Sports Label
· Device Label
· Cap Bots
· Revoltech
· MyClone
· Disney Label
· D-Style
· Transformers × Evangelion
· DiaBlock
· Bearbrick
· FJ Cruiser × Transformers
· Game Console (optimus/ps, megatron/megadrive)
· Ex Gokin
· Hikari



China- 2?
· Generations GDO
· Nezha
(I know there's more, but don't know names)

so far: 134-139/144
I think we're close to done.

Please shout out what I've missed.

[Toph]

Added:
· Disney Label
· Tiny Turbo Changers
· Encore
· Jada Hollywood Rides
· Jada Metalfigs
· Super7 ReAction
· Threezero Dlx Scale Collectors Series
· Nendoroids
· Funko POPS!
· Furai
· World's Smallest
· Transformers×Evangelion

[Toph]

Someone without dyscalcula may want to double check my count.

[The Doctor]

Wow!

What are Nendoroids?

-Ralph

[Grand Moff Muffin]

Jul 24, 2020 9:13:48 GMT The Doctor said:

Wow!

What are Nendoroids?

I don't know, but I think you get them if you spend too long sitting on cold metal station benches.

Martin

[Toph]

Jul 24, 2020 9:13:48 GMT The Doctor said:

Wow!

What are Nendoroids?

-Ralph

www.bigbadtoystore.com/Search?Brand=1971&Series=55

Superdeformed articulated figures.
They're like Funko Pops if Funko Pops were actually cute.

[Shockprowl]

That's... That's A LOT of TF lines...



Well done for working that out, CJ.

[Toph]

That's not all of them. Don't think it's even close.
As it is I just remembered the cyber battalion or whatever it's called, and the evergreen line.

There was another one I just remembered, AND forgot about as I was typing this.
I stopped the list twice last night because I ran out of steam.

TL:RD, there are still toylines to dig up. Particularly with the license holders.

[The Doctor]

Over a hundred!!!

-Ralph

[Shockprowl]

Hold me!

[The Huff]

I guess it all depends on what you count as a line and what you count as part of the same line. Do you count Pretenders, Action Masters and Micromasters as individual lines or parts of G1? Is Beast Hunters it's own line or just part of Prime?

Whatever the answers, the number will always be 42.

[Toph]

Beast Hunters was not marketed on it's own, any more than Battle for the Sparks, Fuzors, or Actionmasters were.

Doc was pretty clear in the opening post, basically any stand alone line with it's own unique brand that consists of at least two releases.
Which is why I chose to count Superlink seperately from Energon, but not Energon: Powerlinx Battles.

[The Doctor]

Yeah, some TF lines had sub-lines that were part of them but not a completely different thing. We're thinking here about distinct lines.

-Ralph

[Toph]

Indeed. The proverbial line can be blurry on some of the sublines, like "WfC" and Studio Series are Generations, but I completely understand why some would want them counted on their own, but others wouldn't.

But some others that seem blurry at first are pretty clear. Japanese Headmasters was marketed as connected to, but a distinct stand alone toyline from their version of "The Transformers," akin to the divide between Armada and Energon.
Meanwhile our versions of those toys were just treated as a subline under the "The TransFormers" banner, and not a unique toyline.

Which is why Dinobots ends up as it's own line, instead of being part of Armada (who's packaging they share), Beast Wars (who's molds they share), Universe (which was the catch-all line of the time), or RiD (where they've fictionally been retconned to).
They were officially sold under no banner except "Dinobots."

[Shockprowl]

You know, I've not thought of this before, but 'G1', The Transformers, really stands well to be split up into separate lines. Take the Diaclone-based '84ers against, say, Headmasters, or Pretenders- TOTALLY different presentations.

I totally get how they're not considered as separate lines, and CJ's reckoning is masterful, but if you really think about just how different the various phases of 'G1' were...

They'd be different lines today I reckon.

[Grand Moff Muffin]

I think the main reason 1984-1991 is often seen as a single line is that apart from Action Masters, almost all the toys are different characters, rather than variations on the same characters ad nauseum. Only from G2 onwards did people start _expecting_ to see reimagined versions of the same old characters every year.

Martin

[Shockprowl]

Ah yes, good point. It was the 'G1' line... evolving. (for the worst imo, but whatever...)

[The Doctor]

I had completely forgotten that Kreo and Construct-Bots were a thing.

-Ralph

[Pinwig]

And BTR.

[The Doctor]

Built to Rule is the only TF line I have been gifted with for Christmas as an adult.

-Ralph

[Toph]

i have added more.
Newest editions are bolded.

[The Doctor]

EZ Collection! Yes! Had forgotten about that.

It really is incredible how many TF lines there have been.

-Ralph

[Toph]

I hadn't forgotten about them, but like Spychangers, i thought they were exclusively under other lines. But while that's mostly true, it sorta seems they were independent at one point.

[Toph]

Optimus Prime's wiki page is a godsend.
It's confusing, but this couldn't be done without it.
Since he's appeared in almost every single named line.

There's like... A half dozen different cell phone Optimi, but those all seem to be completely isolated and not part of some larger brand like Device Label.

[Toph]

Also, I think we're in the final stretch. I've about maxed out my understanding. There's stuff out there that's not on Wiki, stuff I've forgotten about, and stuff from China that I'm only vaguely aware of.
But my knowledge is starting to get into "does this really count?" kind of toys, like kabaya's gum kits. And if those got approved, then sorting them all out would be scary.

[The Doctor]

Hmmm, yes, Kabaya. I reckon that counts as a line.

Do we draw the line at the G1 soap bars though?

-Ralph