OK, im looking to figure out what the best release (or releases) of the Voltron Lion Force set is (are) for me tolook to aquire. id like a quality, metal and chrome as much as possible. Also it should be able to transform into the five lions and back to Voltron. If there is a good reissue to consider that would be swell. And, price does matter to me. Thanks for any help in advance! PS also what DVD release set or sets of the OG Voltron Lion cartoon are.
If price matters, prepare to be distraught. Even the 25th plastic/metallic paint Toynami edition that retailed for iirc $79 and BBTS had clearanced for iirc $55-$60 are now no less than $250 on the secondary market. No clue why. I needed a Voltron recently for a graphic project and I grabbed a $79 shipped Korean Trendmasters version. The molds aren't exact to the images on the packaging and may not hold up to much kid abuse or playwear, but for what I needed, it works. And it looks good on a shelf, kinda short though. Was maybe 2cm taller than my Technobot Scattershot if that. Best imho is the 25th Toynami edition. Metallic plastic was the way to go cause it was under $100 while the die cast was something like $140 but now its all crazy prices. If you can wait for Toynami to come to their senses and make more, I'd wait. If not, grab a 25th. If nostalgia is your thing, there's Matchbox and Panosh Place versions. That's all I got. I'll post pics after work.
i found this one... looks good to me but you never know... TRANSFORMERS 1997 LION VOLTRON III DIE CAST METAL MISB - eBay (item 250766272544 end time Feb-06-11 15:48:17 PST) anyone have experience with this version?
or this version... Voltron Lion Force 25th Anniversary Collector's Set - eBay (item 300519588632 end time Feb-02-11 19:27:50 PST)
My vote = Toynami masterpiece plastic version. While I love die-cast, the metal version was simply too expensive and wouldn't hold together well. The all plastic version provides the best option for price and durability. Do not get the reissue of the original. They neutered the extra weapons on each of the leg lions. T chrome on the main lion was a little iffy and started to flake on mine (a lot). Also, one of the leg lions wouldn't detach once I put it on. I had to disassemble the damn thing to get it off. Paint on all the lions was pretty poor and while the entire set came with a ton of weapons they were all suffering from mold terrible degradation.
a third version, this doesnt look as good from what i can tell. New in Box Voltron Mighty Lion Force Set - eBay (item 260726846221 end time Feb-02-11 19:43:20 PST)
SEE, this is the kind of wisdom you can find nowhere but cool websites like this. thanks for the info!
i have that version, it's pretty cool, it has 5 tiny figures that go inside each of them, it is supposed to be the one that goes with the 90's series.
For the BEST, nothing compares to the original Japanese Popy or American GoDaiKin release...but to say those are a bit pricey is a gross understatement. They do however have all the weapons that were neuterred from every Voltron release.
I have one of these for sale. PM me if you are interested! It's a re-issue of the original that was released in 1997. As far as I know, it's identical to the original release with one exception. I think the upper part of the face is more of a black as opposed to the dark blue of the original. It's pretty nice, and is really sturdy since it has the same amount of die-cast metal. I used to display it proudly on top of my collection having been a huge Voltron fan as a kid...but have recently decided to stick to one hobby. Transformers is all I'm allowing myself to have, and everything else has to go!
i have the 25th anni metallic version too, it looks good in combined mode and has pretty decent articulations... but since you want diecast, get the masterpiece version (apparently it falls over easily) or japanese popy. i like the proportion when combined.. individual lions have no weapons though...
is this the masterpiece version? Voltron Lion Force 25th Anniversary Collector's Set - eBay (item 300522143976 end time Feb-03-11 20:00:29 PST) no, i guess this is the 25th one you are showing above? it is plastic with "metalic paint"? how tall is it? are you happy with it,or do you feel you need another version. i dont think i mind not having the individual lion weapons. i kinda like die cast though.
Never had any problems with things falling apart or being problematic on my Toynami Diecast version, and the chrome is oh. so. nice. The very first issue (first 750 pieces or so, they're numbered) did have issues, but later runs were fine. The only thing that holds it back is the weight of the lions, but the mold itself isn't all that poseable to begin with so you aren't sacrificing any USEFUL movement with the metal-induced instability.
He does look great. Nice pics! But looking at it makes me want that Baikanfu big time! I can't believe I can buy a new Chogokin God Mars on BBTS for less than a toynami plastic metallic 25th Voltron elsewhere. The world is a weird place.
IMO the best is still Toynami's release which is ironic when I was so let down by their Macross jets. I'm not surprised that QuinJester's die-cast version doesn't have any problems especially if he it from the 2nd production run or reissue. Because the problems plaguing it such was resolved in the "2nd production" run or was it "reissue"? I can't recall how to identify the "2nd run" or "reissue" but each of them has a number or certificate of sorts...a fellow poster asked the question a few years back on this very board. It was either after serial number 20,000? 30,000? 50,000? Sorry not much help. Anyway, Toynami's MP Voltron is definitely tall - he's definitely 12 inches and above (excluding the wings).
I say if you want the one from the 80s get the trendmasters one, its exactly the same as the one from the 80s matchbox one with heavy diecast metal, except the black paint instead of blue on the face. Other than that its the same mold. The masterpice one is alot thinner and not as heavy. I have both of them and they are pretty much exact. Unless you prefer a different mold or different features then get the others.
hey thanks, it looks like that one is perfect. not too expensive. if it is die cast metal and good quality im all in. i think i must have had the matchbox one as a kid. Amazon.com: 1997 Trendmasters Die-Cast Voltron Defenders of the Universe Lionbots Robots: Toys & Games so it looks like this is the winner! SPEAK NOW OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE...
baikanfu and godmars are both great! they have both been reissued recently, you should get them now before the prices go up again!. as for mp voltron, i am happy with my 25th metallic version. it has good articulations and looks great in combined mode but the size of the red and green lions were sacrificed as a result. however i do plan to get the trendmasters at some point just because i want to display in both modes. trendmasters in lion modes and 25th in combined mode. the same reason i bought a pair of Godmars.
I definitely agree with this statement... Godaikins RULE! If you have the means to buy one, get yourself the the Bandai / Japanese / Popy version versus the American / Matchbox release because the American / Matchbox release has the firing mechanism removed from various Lions and does not come with weapons and/or accessories. Here's a pic of the Bandai / Japanese / Popy Voltron that I have displayed in my collection... In regards to original mold, I would stay away from the KO Voltron and the reissue by Trendmaster. The quality on the KO is not that great, looks cheap and the Black Lion is missing the chrome paint application on the hind legs, which makes it an eye-sore when combined to form Voltron. The Trendmaster reissue has a few things that stand out as imperfections. Voltron's face is black versus the blue on the original. The yellow ears on the Black Lion do not fold out all the way, making it look funny when displayed as Voltron. Now if you want a PERFECT version of Voltron, I would definitely buy the Masterpiece version by Toynami that came in 3 versions. The 1st version was made of metal, 2nd version was made of plastic and the 3rd version was made of plastic, but had metallic paint applications. I own all 3 versions of this Voltron and I would say that the best is the 3rd version because it looks just as good as the 1st version (metal) and is easier to pose like the 2nd version (plastic). Kinda' like best of both worlds. One big complaint on the 1st version is that the weight of the metal parts prevent Voltron from having certain action poses that the plastic versions can do. If you like novelty, a cool Voltron to get would be the 2 feet tall Voltron made by Trendmaster. It looks just like the original mold, only bigger! But the downside is that it's made of plastic and getting harder to find. Here's a pic of the one I own, it's the one on the upper corner of my entertainment unit... Another cool novelty Voltron that's worth mentioning is a Shogun Warriors / Jumbo Machinder-like version of Voltron that looks cool, but doesn't transform. Here's a pic of it with my daughter... If you like that version, then you should check out the new Shogun Warriors Voltron that are limited to 500 by Toynami that's out on the market now. Hope this was helpful...
