I used to have a text document for keeping track of my G1 collection, which included missing accessories, tech specs, and condition, but my computer got a bad virus and I lost it. I signed up for Shmax a few years ago but I discovered that that site encouraged my competitive side, causing me to want to raise my collection count rank, get a section to say "COMPLETE," or get a higher number than others on the site, which took some of the fun out of it so I haven't updated it in a while.

 

It means it has an ad for the movie poster on the front corner. Or maybe just that it includes a glow in the dark poster. It's one of those two.

 

I have 2 G1 Metroplexs, but haven't come across any of the poster box yet. Are they rare or special?

I did not find the Hasbro box show a correct transformation on the box. No way the legs can be twisted that way. However, the Takara box is more accurate. .

 

See the yellow triangle in the bottom right corner that advertises the glow in the dark poster:



All the best
Maz

 

Shmax.com all the way. I might be a little biased though, as I'm reaching 10,000 photos submitted to the site over the past 6 years... (link in my sig)

 

Cool! Thanks Maz. That looks like a nice box. What year was it? 

 

Poster boxes were mid to late 1986, I believe.

All the best
Maz

 

Hmmm, adding some confusion (was the triangle movie ad just a regional thing?)

Here's a box with plastic wheeled Metro, and the date on the back of the toy and box says 1985, did they do different stamps for different years, or just use the first year it was prodcuced for everything? (eg did a toy came out in say 1987, but was first built/manufactured in 85, still say "1985" on the back of the toy?







I guess the Q I would ask for the experts then, is did they actually do Metro in rubber wheels, and plastic wheels sequentially,, or did they do them at the same time?
Can anyone confirm or deny that?

I would assume they did rubber wheels on the earlier models, and plastic on the later ones as cost cutting measure like Prime, Magnus etc. But did they maybe do plastic AND rubber wheels at the same time in different territories?

FYI - these are not my pics, just found them on google images.

*It seems the plastic wheel versions (this one) one does not have the chrome in the tenderloins, did it come with chrome, or has it flaked off / been removed perhaps?

I read a post on another site suggesting the plastic wheeled one always comes without chrome, is that true? If so, that would be the easiest way to tell.
Still, can't see through that box, if that were the case a visual inspection would be the easiest to confirm, but then no longer MISB.

 

1986 figures may say "Hasbro Inc" on the back but still be dated 1985, but 197 figures will be dated 1986 on the back and say Hasbro Inc too I guess. There will undoubtedly be transitional figures as well. It started out in 1984 as "Hasbro Industries Inc" then shifted to "Hasbro Bradley" , then "Hasbro Inc".

With Metro, I suspect the progression of release was:

Non-poster box, chrome and rubber wheels
Non-poster box, no chrome plastic wheels
Poster box, no chrome plastic wheels
There may also be a post-1986 non-poster box as well.

It is never so clear cut and cleanly chronological as we would like to believe, undoubtedly there were simultaneous production runs in different locations (or even same location) with both variants.

All the best
Maz

 

I had a few from when I was a kid, but when I was 26 I had to move in a big hurry and it meant dumping a lot of stuff -- including almost all of my Transformers. I managed to keep PM Optimus (7th birthday present!), Ultra Magnus, Bumblebee and Beachcomber (oldest one I still had). I later discovered I accidentally rescued Hun-Gurrr because we used him as a stand-in for hydras & dragons during D&D games.
Cut to last year; I was 33. My job moved to a new office and I had some space to myself to spice up. Going through my closet, I found Prime & Magnus, so I brought them to the office; Bee & Beachcomber followed. My coworkers thought they were cool, so I dug out Hun-Gurrr and decided to see if I could complete Abominus without breaking the bank. It totally snowballed from there and now my nice big TF cabinet is full to the point where Piranacon has to stand down on my desk.

 

Added the real figure to the Crossformers review since I had the custom in it.



Brr-icy's Transformers Reviews: Victory Crossformers: Blue Bacchus and Black Shadow

 

I've never seen the boxes, only looked at pics online, but the order you said here makes sense, as the only pics I saw didn't have the poster blurb thing, and I do remember seeing the box when I was a kid in a store one time when Metro it first came out, and also I'm pretty sure it didn't have that movie yellow blurb in the corner.

 

The black background makes me think they are in space.
Very Victory!

 

Do you you guys collect the boxes as well (and ahem  , everything)?

cheers

 

"Stand down Piranacon, your cannabalism is not appreciated!"

"In my defense good sir, I was hungry and it 'tis my nature..."

 

For the toys I am most interested in, I collect the toys, boxes, paperwork, promotional paperwork like posters, catalogues, adverts, pre-production material and where possible, test shots, prototype toys and prototype packaging.

This is a very tough thing to do for most of what I like, though. But I did get some amazing Headmasters promo stuff recently from the UK.

All the best
Maz

 

I wasn't too bothered about collecting boxes/etc originally, basically because didn't think I would be able to afford them. But the last couple of years I have focused on getting MIB figures (with bubbles where possible) more than loose ones. I just love the boxes and artwork. Usually with a nice boxed figure most of the paperwork is already included except for maybe the sticker sheet and catalogues. Got a few sticker sheets to track down, but the catalogues are pretty easy to find so they always take a back seat at the moment.  

I would love to get some prototypes of my favourites. But mine aren't popular characters so I doubt prototypes/preproduction stuff of them even exists anymore.

 

You'd be amazed what exists int he collection of prototype enthusiasts. What would you be referring to in particular?

All the best
Maz

 

I tried getting a few G1s MIB, but I learned that, as much as I love the packaging, they just didn't do anything for me so I traded them. I have a few G1 boxes but they are not part of my display. Prototypes are cool but don't really interest me.

Now, art used it the production of the G1 toyline or the Sunbow cartoon...THAT stuff intrigues me. I own a number of G1 toon color models (cheap plug: click the collection link in my sig for more details  ), and at TFCon I just purchased some RID2001 model sheets for the Commandos. I also met a couple of people at TFCon who specialize in that kind of production stuff, including one private collector who collects things like show bibles, TF:TM press kits, and things like that. My dream is to own an original G1 box art painting. I really don't care which one.

 

I think seven of my japanese pieces aren't boxed, probably 50-75% of my US stuff is boxed as well. All piled in the closet neatly. I don't have room to display them anyways.