I had the unicorn that is a GPS-free Skyhammer, up until a year or so ago when my collection was sold. Twas a beautiful sight to behold...

 

Waverider is my favourite of the Autobot Pretenders, maybe cos he was the first one I got as a kid, but mainly because his inner bot is actually good!

Lucky!   The last one I had my hands on, from a job lot I picked up, literally crumbled when I opened the jet shell up and put the smaller shell inside  

With the new modulators based off the micromaster bases in Earthrise, I thought I'd dig out the originals -

 

Anybody else having trouble with reprolabels? I was gonna buy some decals but the cart seems to have disappeared.

 

I ordered stickers a few weeks ago. Didnt have a problem. Still waiting on them though.  

 

It’s funny seeing how many G1 collectors kept Pretenders until the end, since I did the same thing  
Like I’ve said before, just Groundbreaker and Carnivac to go...

When I got my Skyhammer over 15 years ago, I didn’t know about GPS yet. I tried forcing the gun into the smaller robot’s hand...and half the hand broke off. That’s what prompted me to learn about GPS. Now I treat that thing like fine china  

 

Ouch. Also, I think the Pretenders are expensive precisely because everyone put them off.

 

Picked these two up last week - need some cleaning up and some toyhax labels to tidy them up. Also, can anyone recommend a way to tighten up Blurr’s arms? Floor polish or will
I need to try and take him apart?

 

It seems there site has been going on and off now and then. I've noticed its been happening the last few weeks. When you go to the site, you cant see the prices or the "add to cart" option. I was able to get an order in last week. Just keep checking back and you should be able to put your order in sometime soon.

 

Does anyone remember the Micro Machines playsets?  

I won't be surprised if somehow Hasbro US took some inspiration from the OG version Mircomaster and used it for the Micro Machine playsets.

 

*Raises hand*

My childhood collecting of G1 ended in 1989 when I thought I was “too old”...so I switched to Micro Machines  

I had a bunch of the playsets, including the big carry case. I sold the whole lot for a measly $50 a few years ago. Micro Machines did not hold their value very well.

 

Still have Hot House, Ironworks and Airwave but I gave Greasepit to my nephew because he liked it a few years ago.

I don't have the toy but if there are screws near the shoulders you could try tightening them. I've found it works with some of my older figures.

 

Very nice, excellent condition, too!

All the best
Maz

 

"Old friend, you kept this planet safe."



Brothers...

 

Sorry

 

Ok, this is the last Pretender that I own.....for now. And then I’ll give you guys a break from them. But this is a really good one, one of my favorites of the new ones I’ve bought recently actually. This just looks so awesome! It’s Roadgrabber!


Which I swear looks like an evil version of the Batmobile done in the Superfriends animation style. But it’s so freakin cool!

Roadgrabber is one of the Vehicle Pretenders. Instead of a humanoid robot shell, a large vehicle is used as the housing for the inner robot. Roadgrabber’s vehicle does look really cool. I love the purple, pink, and blue color scheme. The tail fin (bat wing) guns when connected to their base have that ratcheted “pom-pom” action where the guns recoil as the vehicle moves. The orange canopy is a really nice contrast to the Decepticon color scheme. I like the pincers in the front, but unfortunately those are static. It would’ve been cool if they had the “pom-pom” action too. The vehicle does have an alternate mode of its own too.

It folds out into a pretty cool battle chariot that the inner robot can interact with. The guns lose their recoil effect in this mode, but oh well. The canopy now acts as a shield for Roadgrabber and there’s a control panel for him to operate as well. This is a pretty fun option. And if you fold out the vehicle completely......

....there’s some really nice molded engine detail back there. That’s an excellent touch to a great toy.
Roadgrabber’s robot self is very cool. My copy came with a battle-scarred face. I think I’ll keep it that way, adds character. The robot mode does not have many details, but it’s still a very functional design. It seems more no-nonsense and militaristic. With the black and blue, it feels very uniform. I quite like it.

His alt mode, like all the other inner Pretender bots, is very simplistic and integrates weaponry taken from the outer shell. But with his more militaristic style, Roadgrabber looks more sleek in his jet mode, very smooth I think.

Roadgrabber is an excellent example of your quintessential Decepticon. His form and function feels very war-like in all of his modes. His streamlined inner robot fits in well with the Decepticon aesthetic. His colors scream what faction he’s with. And if you check his TFWiki bio, he’s your typical evil robot that just loves to cause mayhem and destruction. It all fits! Roadgrabber is an awesome and fun addition to my Pretenders collection.

 

All the pretender love lately has me appreciating this fellow...

 

He’s beautiful! I’d love to have a G1 Thunderwing in my collection, but it’s so hard to find him in good and complete condition at a good price. He’s one that I hope gets an update in the WFC trilogy.

 

I hear you, it took me awhile to find the that one. Most of them have really bad paint wear, but mine really only has a small bit on his crest and legs.