To those of you who know me, know about the books I've done in the past about TF's. I'm working on a new project right now and have come upon a little hiccup.

When I did my G2 book, I was under the impression that there were only 3 years of G2 before Beast Wars began in 1996. That the line started in 1993 and ended in 1995. The reason for this was that I only found them in stores in late Feb to early march in '93. And when I was working on the book and doing my research for it, I could find no conterdiction for this belief.

However, When viewing the official checklist at transformers.com, I find it states that G2 started in 1992. Now, I'll admit that I wasn't online back in '92-'93 and that I was trapped in the middle of no-where Iowa at the time, so I can't be certain they weren't out in '92... but I can't believe that it took a whole year to get to Iowa.

So my question for anyone who was buying G2 at the time, when did the first toys come out?

And if, as I suspect, they were a X-mas '92 release, would an early release count as a series for that year or the next? (as an example, I was able to buy the first Beast Machine basics 5 days before New Years '2000.)

 

yeah, it was 92-95, but just barely in 92. Oh, and I grew up in nowhere, Illinois (Paris, IL).  

 

I have to say 92 based on my Optimus Prime's trailer having a license plate that says "AB-92"

 

Ohhh does this mean your producing more Recognition Guides?

 

My parents split up at the end 1992 and I remember getting G2 that next year so I know in 1993. They woulda had to have started in '92.

 

I dont remember exactly what year they came out. all I remember is that I got optimus prime and the dinobots for my birthday (in may), got devastator over the summer, and got megatron that christmas as he had just come out and we had a hell of a time finding him.

 

Prime, the 3 Large cars, seekers, constructicons, and the Dinobots G1 color release were tail end of 1992.

Sites tend to have differing oppinions.

The Hartmans' Tech Spec archive listed them as '93 releases, as does TFU.info and Seibertron.

Cobraislandtoys liste them as 1992 releases.

However, acording to Rob Jung's old toy list, Jetfire was released late 1984, yet he is counted as part of the '85 line.

I think part of the reason some sites list them as 1993, is often times, the first wave of toys released for one year comes out in time for the christmas shopping season, so there are plenty of new toys that the kids don't have yet.

 

I can't provide concrete evidence, but I think your suspicion is correct...they were probably hitting some stores around Christmas 1992. We see it to this day with releases scheduled for early in the year squeaking out a month or two early and thus a different year. I wouldn't personally count them as a different series though...it's the same series, it just hit certain areas a few weeks earlier than others.

 

The TF Generations book has G2 at 1993, but that book is focused primarily on the Japanese dates. While it does have the US release dates as well, it seems if there were a 92-3 date, or like the Terrorcons who were 86-7, it'd always go for the later option.

 

Correct. The Hartman brothers' old assortment lists (no longer available online?) listed the Constructicons, the Dinobots, plus Starscream and Ramjet coming out in November 1992.

Agreed. A few toys released before Christmas do not constitute a series of its own. The calendar year has nothing to do with it. Just like episodes of a TV series can be shown on both sides of New Year's and still be considered part of a single season, so can toys belong to the same series even if some of them are released before Christmas and some of them in the following year.

 

Not to be a wise-ass, but going by that logic, my Cybertron Starscream came out in 2004, according to the date stamp on his leg...  

 

I personally bought my G2 Prime in December of 92 at a TRU in Huntington Beach, CA, so yes 92 is correct

 

Um... no. No more Recognition Guides for the forseeable future. I'm working on a secret project that is 1 part personal and 2 parts fan connected.

I seem to be getting a general idea that they're a '93 series with a late '92 release from everyone here so I guess that's how I'll word it.

I've noticed similar things all throughout the line from Inferno and Cybershark's release two to three months early to the Alts series 3 for '06 (the new bubble packs) being released a month early.

Thanks to all who responded to my request. As for the secret project, well let's just say I thinks it's gonna be some everybody will be able to use.