I'd love to hear your Fort Max story

[dragooner]

Well, when I was 10 years old, I wanted Fort Max in the absolute worst way for the Christmas of '87. Never got him, and 21 years later he still eludes me. I'm thinking of selling of some of my MP's, BT's, and Alt's to correct this. Enough about me, I'd love to hear some of the..."I got for Max when..." stories! Bring 'em on!!!:D:D Also, is there anyone here that still has one MISB??

[Jetstorm]

Well, I was PLANNING on buying Fort. Max. during the R.I.D era... but then they decided that it wasn't "safe anymore" =/ (Don't ask me how or why it was safe back in the 80's! :rolleyes: )

[Counterpunch?]

I got one for Christmas the year he came out.

I was overwhelmed with how cool it was.

My parents sold him for $10 at a garage sale when I started middle school. Actually they sold all my stuff at that point. "Time to grow up!" they said.

[Gingerchris]

Way back I went into Hamleys Toystore in London to see what overpriced TF they may have in and saw a Fort Max being used as a display piece. Kids had obviously been messing with it though as parts were disconnected and laying at his feet, but I was so excited to see the figure in the 'flesh'. I asked a memebr of staff if they had any to sell, or if the display piece was going to be sold at some point. The numpty I spoke to told me it was a one-off made especially for the store, which was, of course, bollocks. I really don't know where they hire these people from.

Anyway, I left without him. :(

I used to go on holiday to a seaside town which had great little giftshops that always had the occasional bit of imported TF joy if you looked hard enough. It must've been around 1992 when I went into one and on a top shelf were eight MISB Fort Max for £40 each. Luckily this was the beginning of my holiday so I still had spare cash in my pocket so I grabbed one. Thinking back I really should've grabbed two. And perhaps have borrowed some cash from my parents until payday to get the others to stash away to sell in later years. But what's done is done.
So, I still have my Maxie. He sits on the cabinet by my bed and guards my stuff. He did spend a spell in a cupboard that got a bit damp though, so now he needs a good clean to get some dusty gunk off him. But his stickers are all still pristine and secure, so it's not a disaster. Just gotta find the time to give him a proper going over. He's got all his bits and box as well.

So glad I chanced on him in that shop long ago. He's always a talking point when people come to my place. :)

[Jetstorm]

My parents sold him for $10 at a garage sale when I started middle school. Actually they sold all my stuff at that point. "Time to grow up!" they said.

:banghead:

I'm so sorry dude, I'm glad my parents never pulled that bullshit on me.

[Gingerchris]

I thought you were gonna say 'And it was I that bought him! Mwahhahah!!!'.

My mother did throw out loads of my G1 boxes though. Which sucked.

[Liokaiser]

I just bought a complete one from a board member here a few years back. I had one but it was incomplete, so I just bought a complete one and sold off the old one. If your interested I have a sealed Brave Max for sale.

[dragooner]

I got one for Christmas the year he came out.

I was overwhelmed with how cool it was.

My parents sold him for $10 at a garage sale when I started middle school. Actually they sold all my stuff at that point. "Time to grow up!" they said.

WOW:eek::eek: I would've been sooooo upset. I feel for you man!

[dragooner]

Way back I went into Hamleys Toystore in London to see what overpriced TF they may have in and saw a Fort Max being used as a display piece. Kids had obviously been messing with it though as parts were disconnected and laying at his feet, but I was so excited to see the figure in the 'flesh'. I asked a memebr of staff if they had any to sell, or if the display piece was going to be sold at some point. The numpty I spoke to told me it was a one-off made especially for the store, which was, of course, bollocks. I really don't know where they hire these people from.

Anyway, I left without him. :(

I used to go on holiday to a seaside town which had great little giftshops that always had the occasional bit of imported TF joy if you looked hard enough. It must've been around 1992 when I went into one and on a top shelf were eight MISB Fort Max for £40 each. Luckily this was the beginning of my holiday so I still had spare cash in my pocket so I grabbed one. Thinking back I really should've grabbed two. And perhaps have borrowed some cash from my parents until payday to get the others to stash away to sell in later years. But what's done is done.
So, I still have my Maxie. He sits on the cabinet by my bed and guards my stuff. He did spend a spell in a cupboard that got a bit damp though, so now he needs a good clean to get some dusty gunk off him. But his stickers are all still pristine and secure, so it's not a disaster. Just gotta find the time to give him a proper going over. He's got all his bits and box as well.

So glad I chanced on him in that shop long ago. He's always a talking point when people come to my place. :)

That's an awesome story - I remember years went by and I thought to myself, maybe some other store will have his as a leftover, but that day never came...

[dragooner]

I just bought a complete one from a board member here a few years back. I had one but it was incomplete, so I just bought a complete one and sold off the old one. If your interested I have a sealed Brave Max for sale.

Thanks for the offer Liokaiser - I've seriously thought about buying a Brave Max now for a few months, but I just gotta hold out and get that original Fort Max.....I've gotta

[Draven]

I got my Fort Max through a local collectors' store in about 2001 for £200 (roughly $400). It was complete except for the 2 hip cannons, and Cerebros' rifle. Also, the elevator was stuck. The guy I got it from promised he'd get me the hip cannons, but there was next to no chance that he'd be able to get the rifle. He did indeed get me the hip cannons, so I resigned myself to having a small piece missing from my Fort Max.
A couple of months later I decided to clean up Max (he's fairly yellowed; hopefully I'll find a non-yellowed shell at some point) and to try and fix the elevator. I opened him up to clean the parts, and the rifle fell out. It had been stuck in the elevator mechanism. :)

[Prometheum5]

I managed to finally secure a Brave Max at the end of school this year... after multiple slipped thru my hands both on ebay and abroad, I finally managed to get one thru BINOBO, and haven't regretted it for a moment... coming home from college to see that small-refrigerator sized box on my bed was one of the sickest moments.

[Grimlock_13]

I know I've mentioned it in the 'most expensive TF you bought' thread, but I bought mine off eBay in 2002. It's missing quite a few accessories but it had both Headmasters and was the only one I had found for months with both heads under $400 so I jumped. I know I paid too much, but I'm still happy I was able to get it. It's just a badASS display piece, complete or not :)

[Gingerchris]

That's an awesome story - I remember years went by and I thought to myself, maybe some other store will have his as a leftover, but that day never came...
This store still exists. And I live in that holiday seaside town now. I can regularly check the small shops just in case. Unfortunately import finds rarely come along in them now. I think the last was a load of RID things a few years back.

[dragooner]

This store still exists. And I live in that holiday seaside town now. I can regularly check the small shops just in case. Unfortunately import finds rarely come along in them now. I think the last was a load of RID things a few years back.

Could you imagine finding a Fort Max now......I would be trembling bringing it to the cashier.....or I would wake up....

[Solscud007]

My FM is a charmed story haha j/k. I have two stories.

First one is a sad tale. My mom's friend asked what I wanted for my b-day (I dont remember how old I was but it was around the time FM came out) So I asked for a FM. i described as a big grey robot that turns into a base. So excited to think that I might be getting a FM for my B-day. When I got the present and immediately ripped up the wrapping paper. Upon seeing the packaging my heart dropped into my stomach. It was a big grey robot that turns into a base. It was the Gobot headquarters. The huge AT-AT looking robot.


Now for the better story. It started with a trip to my local comic book store last year. I was dumpster diving in their loose TF box. They put the loose TFs in plastic poly bags and stapled them shut.

I found Headmaster Jr. Horribull. It was only $10. And it came with a headmaster. Upon closer inspection, I discovered it was Spike from FM!!!!!!! I immediately bought it.

Celebrating my extreme luck, I called my friend Jasonjupiter. He said I should get Cerebro and a FM body. So I looked on Ebay and found a loose Cerebro for $100 and a decent FM Body (but missing most of the accessories) for $80 shipped all within a week, I think, of finding Spike.


I went to this year's Botcon, and was able to get repro guns from DecepticonZero. Thru various dealers and Gen1Fan I got both ramps, torso and knee cannons as well as Spikes cockpit window. The only things Im missing are the arm covers for the cannons, the radar dish, and Cog and Sprocket.

But those last pieces dont seal the deal for me. I just wanted FM to be in bot mode and base modes to look decent.

[dragooner]

My FM is a charmed story haha j/k. I have two stories.

First one is a sad tale. My mom's friend asked what I wanted for my b-day (I dont remember how old I was but it was around the time FM came out) So I asked for a FM. i described as a big grey robot that turns into a base. So excited to think that I might be getting a FM for my B-day. When I got the present and immediately ripped up the wrapping paper. Upon seeing the packaging my heart dropped into my stomach. It was a big grey robot that turns into a base. It was the Gobot headquarters. The huge AT-AT looking robot.


Now for the better story. It started with a trip to my local comic book store last year. I was dumpster diving in their loose TF box. They put the loose TFs in plastic poly bags and stapled them shut.

I found Headmaster Jr. Horribull. It was only $10. And it came with a headmaster. Upon closer inspection, I discovered it was Spike from FM!!!!!!! I immediately bought it.

Celebrating my extreme luck, I called my friend Jasonjupiter. He said I should get Cerebro and a FM body. So I looked on Ebay and found a loose Cerebro for $100 and a decent FM Body (but missing most of the accessories) for $80 shipped all within a week, I think, of finding Spike.


I went to this year's Botcon, and was able to get repro guns from DecepticonZero. Thru various dealers and Gen1Fan I got both ramps, torso and knee cannons as well as Spikes cockpit window. The only things Im missing are the arm covers for the cannons, the radar dish, and Cog and Sprocket.

But those last pieces dont seal the deal for me. I just wanted FM to be in bot mode and base modes to look decent.

Awesome story!! Man I wish we had comic book stores in our area!!! I have to settle for frickin Borders:rolleyes:

[Motor_Master]

Back in 87, I saw a FM in at TRU in Maryland, while visiting my aunt. I had $80 of the $100 needed to buy him. I asked my mother for a loan so I could get him. To which she said no you're not spending $100 on a toy!

Little did she know that years later I would spend nearly $500 to get one MIB off of ebay... and then buy a second one weeks later also MIB.

[Max-prime]

I never saw fortmax in my area growing up I would just sit and look in the cataloge booklet that cam with the G1 figs. Finally when I was about 10 I walked into a comicshop and they had a MIB fortmax for $300 I was just sitting there staring when the owner of the shop came over and started talk TF's with me very cool guy I told my fortmax sob story and to my surprise he told me I could have it for $200 and even let me do a lay-away. So needless to say after alot of grass cutting I finally had my FortMax.

[1987olds442]

I got mine for Christmas the year he came out for getting Straight A's that entire year :) Oh I also got Scorponok the same Christmas. I even still have Fort Max's box, and he is still in great shape. I've been Selling off my collection, but I'm thinking that he will be one that I will be keeping :)

[IhsantheCursed]

MY Fort Max story....


"It was a rainy day, and me and Max were just sitting around doing much of nothing, when all of a sudden Max gets the Idea to drive out to WalMart to scope some babes. I agreed and off we went. On the way, while rideing in my truck , Max needed some help with his seatbeat (cause he never really could fasten it well around his shoulder) , so I helpe dhim out. Then it started raining, and Max said :" Hey! Lets roll these windows up dude, my stickers are peeling!" When we finally arrived at Wallys , we were walking through the door , and Max tripped on the front floor mat and fell. His head popped off and everything. It was totally embarrassing, and we couldnt pick up any babes the whole day cause I guess Max felt too ashamed."

The end. :)

[Autobot X]

The Lakeland Square Mall opened up right around the time Fort Max came out, and my friends and I heard that there was going to be a store there where everything cost a dollar. We kept saying "Wouldn't it be cool if they had Fortress Maximus?" :rolleyes: We didn't realize, of course, that those kinds of stores sold crap.

When Car Robots came out, and before I learned that it was being imported as RiD, my wife ordered Brave Max from Big Bad Toy Store for $186, I think. She also got me a bunch of others (Gigatron, Super Fire Convoy, God Magnus, all the car brothers, the bullet train team, and the build team). When RiD came out, she was pissed that the Japanese stuff she bought was now available for less than half the price. She told me that if she ever saw a Brave Max at Wal-Mart for less than $100, she would divorce me, then kill me. So Hasbro saved my marriage and my life by not selling him here in the states!

(Sidebar: my wife now thinks it's cool that my Super Fire Convoy and God Magnus speak Japanese :wink:)

Brave Max might be different than Fort Max, and didn't come with the same accessories, but I think he's prettier than the old school gray and blue. IMHO, of course. However, I may try to pick up those extra accessories on ebay.

[IhsantheCursed]

The Lakeland Square Mall opened up right around the time Fort Max came out, and my friends and I heard that there was going to be a store there where everything cost a dollar. We kept saying "Wouldn't it be cool if they had Fortress Maximus?" :rolleyes: We didn't realize, of course, that those kinds of stores sold crap.

When Car Robots came out, and before I learned that it was being imported as RiD, my wife ordered Brave Max from Big Bad Toy Store for $186, I think. She also got me a bunch of others (Gigatron, Super Fire Convoy, God Magnus, all the car brothers, the bullet train team, and the build team). When RiD came out, she was pissed that the Japanese stuff she bought was now available for less than half the price. She told me that if she ever saw a Brave Max at Wal-Mart for less than $100, she would divorce me, then kill me. So Hasbro saved my marriage and my life by not selling him here in the states!

(Sidebar: my wife now thinks it's cool that my Super Fire Convoy and God Magnus speak Japanese :wink:)

Brave Max might be different than Fort Max, and didn't come with the same accessories, but I think he's prettier than the old school gray and blue. IMHO, of course. However, I may try to pick up those extra accessories on ebay.

Yeah, the Japanese Car Robots Brave Max is actually the only version I own aswell.

[ninety]

When I first got back into TF about 3-4 years ago I got a huge lot of toys including a mostly complete Fort Max off ebay. He was missing Spike, the small rifles, one ramp, radar dish, dual blaster, and the cockpit window. Everything worked, he had an extra Gasket and Grommet, and he was nice and white. I sold off most of the others in the lot, and worked out that Max would've cost me £60/$120.

Unfortunately the movie wasn't well known at that point, and I didn't use any boards. My TF knowledge at the time was a fraction of what it is now, I knew he was rare/valuable (at least here in the UK, where he never got a release), but not as sought after as he actually is. As a mature student at that time, I sold him on for a tidy profit £200/$400. Of course, to replace him now is going to cost me far more than £60 :banghead:

I've still got a gallery of him I shot for ebay, I occasionally look at it wistfully!

[dragooner]

I never saw fortmax in my area growing up I would just sit and look in the cataloge booklet that cam with the G1 figs. Finally when I was about 10 I walked into a comicshop and they had a MIB fortmax for $300 I was just sitting there staring when the owner of the shop came over and started talk TF's with me very cool guy I told my fortmax sob story and to my surprise he told me I could have it for $200 and even let me do a lay-away. So needless to say after alot of grass cutting I finally had my FortMax.

Awesome story Max-prime!! You still got it??