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Post by Fortmax2020 on Sept 23, 2024 16:51:12 GMT
Yes, but how few pence was the Prime you found??
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Post by The Doctor on Sept 23, 2024 17:13:40 GMT
I AM OPTIMUS PRIME.
-Ralph
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Post by Shockprowl on Sept 23, 2024 18:20:39 GMT
Yeah I think Llama elegantly nailed it there.
The absolute stunning centrepiece of the '84 line. Completely and utterly revolutionary. I had one, bought from Woolies, that had french packaging!
I already had Megatron and... Oh boy, happy days.
His speed of 8 has always amused me. That's one fast truck!
The way he had to holds his rifle is the only diminishing aspect of this figure. He could even assume his box-art pose!
The rock on which Transformers is built. *This* character. *This* toy. *This* year.
Why is this the final week, Big Phil? There's more to do ain't there?
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Post by Bogatan on Sept 23, 2024 18:28:17 GMT
Yes, but how few pence was the Prime you found?? I believe it was 2000p. |
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Post by that_bluestreak on Sept 23, 2024 18:59:05 GMT
Optimus Prime.
Well, he's Optimus Prime innit. All things to all men. An American hero, a revolutionary, your imaginary dad (assuming your dad was rubbish). The bot who we should all aspire to be. The big red truck himself.
My childhood OP was a junker inherited from my cousin. His head got a lot of use! I did have PMOP, but I never got an original OP until the TF-Collection version in the early 00s. Oh it was amazing to open up this Optimus, all shiny and new, with his trailer, his accessories, so much play value. I mean, its a great toy, everyone can see that. It's still a great toy now I reckon, if a little fragile. Oh, the gun can't be held properly, and the fists get lost, but it still works. Wonderful stuff.
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Post by The Doctor on Sept 23, 2024 19:07:10 GMT
A design classic. A full play experience. Magical.
-Ralph
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Post by legios on Sept 23, 2024 19:47:15 GMT
Never had an Optimus Prime back in the day. I was fortunate enough to see one in the plastic in my local toy shop, and it looked absolutely fantastic. The bio on the back of the box was absolutely intriquing as well - Optimus' had his conciousness in three simultaneous locations - Combat Deck, Roller and the cab module were all simultaneously and equally the same individual. That was a striking concept for an eleven year-old already free-falling into SF literature. That made sure that he stuck in my mind, and then his portrayal in the Marvel comic, as this calm, compassionate, unyielding force for good and justice against any odds... For sure Prime is one of those characters who was a role-model for me as a kid. Lacking male role-models I had to find my own and I kind of think that I could have done worse than put him on the list.
The toy itself is absolutely superb. So much play-value - the cab robot, the little nippy scout unit with its launching catapult, the trailer with its fold-out gun platform... Just absolutely amazing. I took the opportunity to snag a Japanese reissue of Convoy when I got the chance and have never regretted it.
This is one of my remaining 84-85 toys, and it will probably be one of the last toys in my possession in the end.
It is just fantastic.
Karl
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Post by Pinwig on Sept 23, 2024 20:45:46 GMT
Why is this the final week, Big Phil? There's more to do ain't there? The clue... is in the thread title. |
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Post by Fortmax2020 on Sept 23, 2024 20:52:54 GMT
I love how Prime's trailer is just regular on the outside, but inside is brimming full of alien, Cybertronian technology and visuals. Proper 'robots in disguise' stuff going on.
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Post by The Doctor on Sept 23, 2024 21:42:13 GMT
THE TRUTH WHO THE EYES MET BEFORE!
-Ralph
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Post by Shockprowl on Sept 23, 2024 21:54:27 GMT
Why is this the final week, Big Phil? There's more to do ain't there? The clue... is in the thread title. We can't have done them all already, surely? |
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Post by Philip Ayres on Sept 23, 2024 22:01:42 GMT
The 1984 line is complete.
1985 is coming....
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Post by Philip Ayres on Sept 23, 2024 22:38:35 GMT
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The Huff
Thunderjet
Hufferlover
Posts: 4,243
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Post by The Huff on Sept 24, 2024 7:29:00 GMT
I was surprised that we were already finished with 1984 too. It went very fast!
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Post by The Doctor on Sept 24, 2024 7:49:18 GMT
The pace was more sedate back in the day. Now we have dozens from multiple lines each year.
-Ralph
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Post by Philip Ayres on Sept 24, 2024 8:00:42 GMT
1984 is small by G1 standards, only 25 scheduled releases.
1985 has 52
1986 has 57
1988 has 49
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Post by The Doctor on Sept 24, 2024 11:09:00 GMT
Well you would expect a smaller initial line to test the market first. Then expand if it takes off.
-Ralph
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Post by legios on Sept 24, 2024 17:09:16 GMT
Indeed. There is also the fact that stock had a longer shelf life in the 1980's than it tends to in the current era. A toy might easily be available for nine to eighteen months without it being exceptional. Compared to the way that the ideal is to sell through in a matter of weeks now.
It was also more common for things to be restocked - so instead of a product being supplied to stores once, stores would reorder more of something that sold well. "Lots of people want that thing, give us more of it". Whereas the approach in the action figure world now does seem to be more - "Lots of people wanted that thing, give us the next thing to sell them".
Karl
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Post by that_bluestreak on Sept 24, 2024 18:03:11 GMT
Yeah, Bumblebee was on the shelves for three years!
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Post by Philip Ayres on Sept 24, 2024 18:09:53 GMT
In the USA Frenzy was for FOUR, two with Laserbeak, 2 with Ratbat
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Post by The Doctor on Sept 24, 2024 19:01:01 GMT
Yup. Toys were available for years. None of the 'sells out in seconds/minutes' nonsense we often have now.
-Ralph
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The Huff
Thunderjet
Hufferlover
Posts: 4,243
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Post by The Huff on Sept 24, 2024 19:37:19 GMT
And I hate it.
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Post by Pinwig on Sept 24, 2024 21:13:35 GMT
It wasn't without its equivalent frustrations though. The toys were so mentally popular in the early days that if you got an Optimus for Christmas in 1984 you were bloody lucky and I don't remember seeing all of the Autobot cars in shops. If you wanted someone specific chances are they weren't on the shelf. I also remember trying to get all five of a special team was a lengthy hunt.
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Post by Benn on Sept 24, 2024 21:17:30 GMT
I never completed a Special Team. Not as a kid, not now.
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Post by Pinwig on Sept 24, 2024 21:43:43 GMT
I completed the Combaticons but I do remember it not being easy.
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Post by The Doctor on Sept 24, 2024 22:00:27 GMT
I never completed a Special Team. Not as a kid, not now. Same! -Ralph |
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The Huff
Thunderjet
Hufferlover
Posts: 4,243
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Post by The Huff on Sept 24, 2024 22:09:19 GMT
I remember finding it hard to find Jazz until Father Christmas used his special Christmas magic to get me one.
Huffer was incredibly easy to find for some reason...
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Post by Philip Ayres on Sept 24, 2024 22:29:32 GMT
Of the UK 6 Autobot cars I don't recall seeing Bluestreak and Hound so often. And I don't recall seeing the US 5 too often at all but that may well be influenced by them all being gone by 86.
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Post by Fortmax2020 on Sept 25, 2024 6:50:35 GMT
I never completed a Special Team. Not as a kid, not now. Same! -Ralph That's ok. All the limbs were designed to fit onto any leader so you didn't have to get a specific team to make a Hasbro approved gestalt robot. |
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chrisl
Empty
I still think its the 1990s - when I joined TMUK
Posts: 1,097
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Post by chrisl on Sept 25, 2024 8:05:23 GMT
Of the UK 6 Autobot cars I don't recall seeing Bluestreak and Hound so often. And I don't recall seeing the US 5 too often at all but that may well be influenced by them all being gone by 86. Mirage was the only Autobot car that I didn't see at the time. I managed to pick up Hound from my local independent chemist (who, for some reason, filled their window with Transformers toys in the early-mid 1980s) around 1985. |
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