Your first ever Transformers toy

[Shockprowl]

Blimey, seems like a looooooong time ago!


I got Brawn and Skids for my birthday. As one of my first was Skids, TFs must have been out for a bit before I got one. I do remember I'd been drooling over them for some time before I got my sweaty little mits on one.

I then got Ramjet and Megatron for Christmas. And then on Holiday the next spring I got Optimus Prime, I recall he was in foreign packaging for some reason. I also got Starscream early on as well.

My brother had Megatron and Prime same as me. His first was the Rumble and Ravage two pack (now in my posession! As are all his TF toys! Ha Ha Ha!). Seem to remember he had Jazz early on.

Another shopping trip I remember quite well, although I've confussed myself with when this was, I got Mirage, Astrotrain and Shrapnel in one go, and my Brother got Blitzwing and Ratchet.

And one day, not sure when this was either, although I know I'd been wanting him for a while before I got him, my Mother and Brother came home with Prowl for me, and Wheeljack for my Brother. How marvelous!

(sorry this was just supposed to be your first- got carried away! Ah the memories!)

Ian

[Hero]

Sideswipe for Christmas in 1984. (my bro had Mirage)
Followed by Topspin and Frenzy for my birthday in 1985 (my brother had Laserbeak and Twintwist)
Soundwave, Optimus Prime, Megatron, Windcharger, Brawn, Ratchet, Starscream, Huffer (which dad stepped on Boxing Day), a Soundwave costume, can't remember the rest.

===KEN

[Dark Stranger]

I got Dirge and my younger brother got Ramjet. I think we had ate 3 of their fists and both Dirge guns before xmas dinner.

[Shockprowl]

You ate them?!

[Dark Stranger]

Probably! They got lost very quickly at any rate!

[Andy Turnbull]

My first ever toy was Grimlock in the summer of 1985, naturally the following Christmas there was a much larger contingent of Transformers at my house. Ratchet, Mirage, Sideswipe, Topsin, Twin Twist and soon after Optimus Prime.

Andy

[Bogatan]

My first three were Sludge, Hotspot and either Groove or Streetwise. All on the morning of my fifth birthday. That was 1986. Im guessing I didnt get any earlier because of the age warnings as I know I was a fan from the firs time I saw the cartoon. Anyone know when that was first shown in the UK?

When were the toys released in the UK anyway was 84 or 85?

As for not knowing if I got Groove or Streetwise first thats because a one legged combiner is a sorry sight so Dad got me another limb on the way home from work that night. He remained armless till Christmas.

That Christmas I seem to get Ultra Magnus First Aid and Blades and Metroplex, but that seems a lot so maybe Metroplex was the next Christmas Grimlock fits in around this time. I have to go through the photo albums some time to work it out. My brother got Scorponok and Galvatron, oh and the Superion giftset around the same time along with the other two dinobots. (all mine now)

What Im wondering is what was the first Decepticon I got.

Andy

[Andy Turnbull]

I'm trying to remember if the cartoon first aired in 85 or 86. For some reason I think easter 86.

Andy

[Gav]

The first ones i can actually remember were Ultra-Magnus and PowerMaster Optimus Prime. For the life of me i can't remember which other ones i had. I know i had Turtler and Divebomb at some point...

*scratches head*

[elliotthopkins]

Seaspray from Staines indie toyshop.
Beachcomber from Brixham Woolies.
Optimus Prime (original) for Christmas.

[Dark Stranger]

Grr Andy, now I can't think of the first Autobot I got.

What the hell? How can I not remember that?!!!

EDIT: A quick email to my brother reveals it was Bumblebee!

[kayevcee]

I started off when my uncle got me Ratchet and Mirage for Christmas 1984. I was only 2 at the time, but my mum wanted toys that would help my development. These were followed up by Bumblebee, Cliffjumper, Gears and the Decepticon cassettes picked up one at a time from the local Asda in return for my giving mummy a bit of peace to do the shopping. Shortly thereafter I got started on the comic, which my mum had to read to me until I was able to read it myself.

Over the course of the next couple of years I got Jazz, Optimus Prime, Megatron (who a friend broke by dropping him in the street and smashing his fragile shoulders), Thundercracker, Snarl (who was missing a screw so his leg fell off as soon as I took him out of the box), Sludge, Hoist, Grapple, Ramjet, Smokescreen, Skids, Topspin and the Insecticons. Having a big family really helped. I still remember the day I finally saved up enough pocket money to get Skywarp and complete my lineup of jets, and ended up coming home with a Targetmaster Blurr. I had missed the boat, somewhat. Didn't stop me finding a Hound in a shop in Perth a year later when I was visiting my uncle, though.

Biggest discovery was a couple of years later when Toymaster in the Barras market (now a tool shop, as is the fate of all Toymaster stores in Scotland) had some US import Pretenders. I got Submarauder and a blown mind from the American catalogue. So many toys I was fairly sure I would never own, until I ran across a pile of Sixshots in the Jolly Giant in 1996. What they were doing there, I'll never know.

Four years later a friend (not the one who broke Megatron all those years ago) sent me an email (a novel experience at the time) with a link to a Transformers fan site (bigbot.com or something) and it in turn had some links to online stores and to eBay. Whoops.

-Nick

[Philip Ayres]

kayevcee said:

Biggest discovery was a couple of years later when Toymaster in the Barras market (now a tool shop, as is the fate of all Toymaster stores in Scotland) had some US import Pretenders. I got Submarauder and a blown mind from the American catalogue. So many toys I was fairly sure I would never own, until I ran across a pile of Sixshots in the Jolly Giant in 1996. What they were doing there, I'll never know.

Around that time there were a lot of Sixshots showing up at shops, all brought in by the legendary grey importer MBC limited -I got one from the Gamelys in Staines. Someone in Derby was advertising them in Model & Collector Mart along with Soundwaves and Mindwarps. I can remember going into a shop in Woking with a mountain of grey imports: All 7 year 1 Headmasters, gold classic boxed combiner leaders ...... Chinese Joes, the Megazord from the Bird Ranger year.... I can also recall seeing stuff like Autobot cassettes, Ratbat & Frenzy at this time too. Crazy days.

[KoshNaranek]

My first was First Aid, who had no guns and I had swapped a dinky car to a friend at school to get him. I used my birthday money to buy Scourge next, so it must have been around late 1986. Snarl followed at Christmas time as a gift from my Granny.

Most of the Transformers I got after that were Christmas gifts:
1987 - Metroplex and Hardhead
1988 - Galvatron, Darkwing, Hun-Gurrr, Catilla and Flamefeather (that was a bumper year!)
1989 - Powermaster Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus

All the others I got were from buying various cheapies that showed up like the Mexican Constructicons and trading with friends at school.

- Tony

[kayevcee]

Phil- true, true. Sadly the only other TFs the Jolly Giant turned up were Hardhead, Mindwipe and Rewind and Steeljaw. I already had Mindwipe, so I picked up the others along with Sixshot. That too was an awesome Christmas.

-Nick

[Deleted]

My parents wern't into buying their kids toys that they didn't seem as educational so there were no TF's for me in the golden era of the run. My first TF was the G1 re-issue Starscream which I picked up at a nearby Forbidden Planet store about three years ago.

[legios]

My first Transformer was one I bought myself - spent almost my entire Christmas money on it at Christmas 1984 - that toy being Skywarp. (Whom I still have in). Two days later I spent the rest of the my Christmas money on this yellow bloke, called Cliffjumper, as I felt Evil Decepticon Skywarp needed a heroic Autobot to oppose him.

And thusly did it begin.

Karl

[Dark Stranger]

kayevcee said:

my mum wanted toys that would help my development.

Snarl (who was missing a screw so his leg fell off as soon as I took him out of the box)

Nick, you had a damn cool mother.

Strangely enough, both Snarls I've owned have both had that exact same problem. Front leg, left or right, yes?

[Bogatan]

I got Soundwave in 95 form model collector mart and Ratbat/frenzy and Steeljaw/plus other from a market stall around that time but didnt see any of the others that appeared (Oh well I saw superion limbs, but had them)

What I got was good but I feel like I missed out on a last chance to get a lot of figures as a kid rather than a collector. Shame.

Andy

[kayevcee]

darkstranger said:

Strangely enough, both Snarls I've owned have both had that exact same problem. Front leg, left or right, yes?

Nope. Right leg, robot mode. There's a cap that goes over the leg before you put the screw in. That was missing on one side.

-Nick

[The Doctor]

My first Transformer was Seaspray. Shame it's long since gone.

-Ralph

[Grand Moff Muffin]

My first Transformer was also Seaspray, and I still have him.

After Seaspray, I got Warpath, Outback, Optimus Prime and Dead End, while my sister had Tracks, Bumblebee, Brawn and Huffer. Not very fair on poor Dead End, you might think - but if you do, you reckon without the Double Overhead Plasma Cannon of Doom!.

Martin

[Cullen]

Dirge was my first followed quickly by Optimus and Cosmos.

[chrisl]

Pipes followed by Megatron

[The Huff]

My brother had Cliffjumper first (although I now know it was in fact Bumper) but my first were Ravage & Rumble followed by Soundwave and Buzzsaw. Then I got Mirage for Christmas and then Megatron and Skywarp for my birthday.

Suffice to say that Mirage had his head kicked in a lot.

Then I got Bumblebee to even the odds.

And then they both got their heads kicked in a lot.

[primenova]

25/12/86 - TRACKS

[Bogatan]

I want Bumper.
more than a jumper.

(Is this week over yet?)
(No! it is not, I bet)

Andy
sandy

[The Doctor]

Rhyming week is not yet over,
Bit cold so put on a pullover.
We have still until Sunday,
Let the rhymes not be too crap-ay.

-Ralph

[grahamthomson]

WARNING! The following is nostalgia WARNING!

My parents are in the throes of moving house, and while packing came across these photographs which I took of my Transformers collection. They were taken in early 1987 when I was just 9 years old. Forgive the blurryness... they were taken on a Kodak Disc camera (remember those?).

Autobots



I had 15 Autobots, and they lived in my cardboard S.T.A.R.S. centre. Those with weapons were always armed, just in case any Decepticons dared come down from the top of the bookcase.

Optimus Prime was my first Transformer. I got him Christmas 1984. That was a weird time, my parents had just split up and prior to that we were living in Germany. I was actually born there. My dad was in the RAF. When things fell apart we had no choice but to leave the country. All our family was based in Scotland, but this being the 80s, divorce was quite unfashionable so it was actually down to some close friends that offered us somewhere to stay. It was just going to be for Christmas, but turned into most of a year until we could afford a place of our own. Sorry to digress. Optimus Prime was my Christmas present that year. He was singularly the most awesome thing I had ever seen. Mind you, I was only 7.

Wheeljack was next. I actually swapped a bag of marbles and a spring that was supposed to bounce down the stairs for him. No accessories though, and one of the leg stickers was missing. I still think it was a good swap, though!

Now, Wheeljack and Prime were the only Transformers I had for about a year. No Decepticons to fight. It must have been quite boring for them. But nevertheless they had many adventures in the living room. Most of the time, 'Jack would stay in Prime's trailer and roll out, Knight Rider style when needed.

Bumblebee was a birthday present in 1985 and by that time, I was getting 50p a week pocket money. It was compensation for getting teased so much at school for getting free school dinners. But I kept those 50p pieces and when I could, I got myself a Mini-Autobot. Beachcomber, Powerglide and Seaspray were assertions of my newfound independence!

The trend of Mini-Autoboting continued into 1986 with Pipes, Outback, Tailgate and Wheelie. Note that Wheelie is missing from the photo. I took him to school, but it was taken off me. Not by a teacher, but by a bigger boy who deemed it due to him because I got free dinners and he didn't. Not getting lumpy custard and boiled-to-white green beans for free? Kids that like were really hard done to in those days.

Birthday 1986 was a massive event, Transformers wise. My mum had saved to get me a Superion giftset, and my grandparents finally visited and bought Snarl. To this day, I still recall eating breakfast while trying to transform as many of them as possible before school. That was the longest day at school of my life. And, just as exciting, Superman 2 was on telly that same night. I wasn't allowed to watch television normally, but since it was Superman, and since it was my Birthday.

Up until this point, I still didn't have any Decepticons! All those Autobots and no one to fight!! That soon changed, though.

Decepticons



A few days after my birthday in '86, my mum's best friend paid a visit with a present for me. It was Runamuck. It was such a rubbish, flimsy toy. But at last, the Autobots had someone to fight! My 15 Autobots ganged up on Runamuck for three solid months.

Realising how awesome Superion was, my mum got me the Menasor gift set for Christmas 1986. Runamuck was retired right away and from then on it was constant Aerialbot Vs Stunticon action.

Suddenly it was Special Team fever. And the hunt for the Protectobots and Combaticons was on. I cleaned cars for family friends and neighbours and soon acquired Blast Off, Swindle, Vortex and Brawl. (It wouldn't be until Christmas 1987 that I'd get an Onslaught to complete my set.)

And then there was Galvatron. Ever since I'd first seen Galvatron in Target: 2006, I wanted him. Sod Ultra Magnus, I wanted electronic noises and light up eyes! But Galvatron was too expensive, it would have taken too long to save up for. And painting a toilet roll tube orange and balancing it over my fingers wasn't quite the same.

But one day, in WHSmiths, around Easter 1987, there was a promotion. Half price Galvatrons £11.99! I thought I was dreaming. The toy department was downstairs in the WHSmiths in Nottingham, and I just about pushed my mum down them to get her to see them. We struck a deal. I'd saved up about £6 and offered to go halves with her. She saw the unabashed hope in my eyes and agreed. She later gave me my £6 back on the bus home.

Back home, Galvatron killed Superion and Optimus Prime before even having his stickers applied. That's how evil he was.

After that, Transformers, with the introduction of the Headmasters and such, didn't have the same appeal toy-wise at least. I continued to save towards getting the Protectobots, but they were nowhere to be found amongst the rows of Terrorcons and Technobots.

I look back and realise how much I unhealthily cherished those original Transformers, and how much the Marvel UK comic gave them life. I never thought that would stay with me 25 years later.

And now, somehow slapping a debit card on the counter at Toys R Us for the new stuff, with any thought, just isn't the same.

[The Doctor]

You had the S.T.A.R.S. base!

I wish more of my original Transformers stuff had survived. All I have left is my completely knackered Metroplex, the shagged tape of the movie soundtrack, approx 200-ish of the Marvel UK comics, and a Transformer jotter with bad childhood drawings inside (IIRC my childhood collection topped out at the mind-blowing count of 30 tf toys back in the day and I appreciated each and every one of them) But I treasure them more than anything I've acquired as an adult because they gave me such enjoyment as a child. I know what you mean, buying new stuff in shops isn't quite the same, but that's because adult and child perspectives are very different.

-Ralph