What were your childhood G1 toys?

[Tha_Phantom]

What were your childhood G1 toys?
I was born in 1991, so I only got G1 toys through hand me downs or reissues.

Vintage:
- Ramjet (my first G1)
- Dirge
- Air Raid
- Topspin
- Beachcomber
- Warpath
- Cosmos
- Wheelie
- Pincher
- Doubleheader
- Ironworks
- Meltdown and Halftrack
- Roadburner and Wheelblaze
- Stonecruncher and Excavator
- Grit and Knockout

TRU reissues:
- Hot Rod
- Optimus Prime
- Ultra Magnus
- Jazz

Note: if you're the type of person who never stopped collecting then just come up with an appropriate cutoff (say age 12 or when G1 ended). :p

[tinyJazz]

Micromasters Flak, Detour, Roadhandler and possibly Hyperdrive. I had to look up the last three because I keep forgetting their names.
I bought them myself from my school fete in the late 90s. This was in the UK and they were only like, 20 pence each or something. Also I had no idea what transformers was, I just saw some cool little robots and wanted to buy them haha. It wasn’t until about 2008 when I would actually look these guys up properly.

This doesn’t really count but I had an oversized KO Ravage that I got from a post office and I loved to bits. Seriously, he got so much playtime one of his legs fell off.

[Defcon]

Devastator was complete
Menasor, incomplete missing Motormaster
Superion, incomplete missing Silverbot
Thrust
Warpath

[Miss Kitty Fantastico]

I was a spoiled child, so bear with me.

1984 (I'm googling catalogues to jog my memory, so may as well do this by year): Optimus Prime, Huffer, Trailbreaker, I think Ironhide, and Sideswipe; my memory's a bit mixed up with others of the Autobot Cars that I remember playing with, but I think they belonged to friends. On the villain side, Soundwave (and therefore presumably Buzzsaw, although I can't say I remember him), Rumble and Ravage, Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp, and obviously not Megatron.

1985: Blaster, Perceptor, Slag (the only one I still have), Powerglide, Grapple, and Jetfire. I felt like a prince among men taking Jetfire in to school for show and tell; unfortunately I just grabbed the nearest plastic bag available to carry him in, which turned out to be a Sportsgirl bag, and carrying that around the whole day was kind of a red flag for everyone to make jokes, so that didn't go so well. Joining the ranks of the Decepticons were Hook, Long Haul, and Bonecrusher (and sadly not the rest, although I did now and then plug them into each other in whichever way seemed to work, and imagine that was impressive), Bombshell, Blitzwing and Astrotrain, and Ramjet (who whatever the cartoon said, I always transformed with his nosecone down, since the wings already made him look plenty distinct).

And now we're getting into where my Transformers habit started tailing off here, so I'll just lump them all together: Broadside, Slingshot, Ramhorn and whichever of the Autobot taps guys came with him (I want to say Eject), Nosecone, Cloudburst (who I thought was female for some reason - not the Pretender shell, just the robot), Dead End, Blast Off, I think Sinnertwin, Mindwipe and Mindwipe's Head, and Misfire and Aimless.

So ideally all of those will show up in Siege at some point.

[Jellico]

Starscream
Red Alert
Devastator
Topspin
Outback
Pipes
Rewind
Steeljaw
Aragon :rolleyes:

And for giggles
Rest-Q
Spay-C

[Ralph Wiggum]

Optimus Prime
Ultra Magnus
Ramjet
Inferno
Seaspray
Quickswitch
Groove
Landfill
Sparkstalker
Skyhigh
Gunrunner
Actionmaster Optimus and some other character

[dirge]

I amassed quite a few as a kid. Not all of these survived that childhood!

14/17 Minibots (all except Brawn, Windcharger, Cliffjumper); Jazz, Mirage, Hound, Wheeljack, First Aid, Hot Rod, Blurr, Kup, Searchlight, Wideload, Rollbar, Chase, Mudslinger, Roadhandler, Sizzle & Optimus Prime.

Combaticons, Stunticons, Shrapnel, Scavenger, Bonecrusher, Ravage, Rumble, Lazerbeak, Frenzy, Ratbat, Dirge, Ramjet, Scourge, Cyclonus.

[Kranix]

I had a decent G1 collection as a kid.

Optimus Prime
Jazz
Sideswipe
Red Alert
Ironhide
Hoist
Slag
Bumblebee
Powerglide
Beachcomber
Seaspray
Roadbuster

Starscream
Skywarp
Thrust
Ramjet
Dirge
Soundwave + Buzsaw
Blitzwing
Kickback

Ultra Magnus
Hot Rod
Blurr
Kup
Wheelie
Hubcap

Galvatron
Scourge
Runabout

Crosshairs (won in a competition)
Hun-Gurr (last TF as a kid)

[GoktimusPrime]

*points at my G1 collection* (see link in signature)
Most of that was my childhood :)

Cheap carded toys were often bought during regular shopping trips (e.g. grocery shopping). Boxed toys were either gifts (e.g. bdays, Xmas etc.), but also earnt through a merit point system that my parents had in place. My brother and I would earn points through things like school achievement and doing chores like mopping, vacuuming, cleaning cars, mowing lawns, cleaning the pool, doing the laundry etc etc. We would sometimes get money from grandparents and other relos too. But yeah, Transformers became an incentive for us to work hard at school and home. ;) So between me and brother we managed to collect a good chunk of G1. Then BW came along and my brother went all "TRUKK NOT MUNKEE" and I ended up with his half of our collective collection.

I know you've all seen these pics before, but I'd like you to have a closer look at the 1989 photo
https://i.ibb.co/YdDJHSr/temp.jpg
This was a pic of my brother and our cousin who'd come up from Melbourne. We decided to take down our entire TF collection, so we're talking about the majority of TFs released here from 1984-89, and put them all out on the living room floor to have a massive battle. Now you can see that directly in front of our legs are lots of Transformers, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Unfortunately my mother who took this photo was really taking a pic of us kids and wasn't focusing on the toys, but if she'd zoomed out then you would see hundreds of toys laid out in battle. In this photo you can clearly see Pretenders Bumblebee, Landmine and Pincher standing in formation - that's no accident! That was a really epic play session. :D Needless to say that all of the toys in that photo are standing my shelves today. :)

There are only 3 of my childhood Transformers that I no longer own, thanks to a burglary. :mad: They are:
* Original G1 Optimus Prime
* Ultra Magnus
* Galvatron

Oh, and I no longer own my Galactic Man "Shackwave" nor do I own the pre-TF Microman "Perceptor" which I got from the Easter Show and was probably a counterfeit. But I've since gotten Magnificus which holds a special place in my heart because that's the "Perceptor" that I grew up playing with, and I can't wait to get Siege Galactic Man Shockers (as I'm sure many Aussie fans are, since none of us ever got Shockwave (unless you were lucky enough to have sourced one from overseas)).

[Paulbot]

All my G1 Transformers are in these photos from many years ago. As a kid Transformers was all I was into so my pocket money and birthday and christmas gifts always included Transformers so I guess I had a lot. I still have all of these.


https://i.imgur.com/hC3goV3.jpg https://i.imgur.com/r38qcNZ.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/N3kCLA4.jpg https://i.imgur.com/CHCkIgH.jpg

If you want to play Where's Wally these photos should include:
Optimus Prime, Prowl, Ratchet, Sideswipe (E, Classic), Sunstreaker (E, Classic), Hoist, Inferno (E, Classic), Skids, Hot Rod, Blurr, Kup, Perceptor, Whirl, Grimlock (G2, Blue), Sludge, Topspin, Bumblebee, Gears, Beachcomber, Cosmos, Powerglide, Seaspray, Warpath, Pipes, Swerve, Tailgate, Wheelie, Hub Cap (G2), Blaster, Eject & Ramhorn, Rewind & Steeljaw, Blades, First Aid, Groove, Hot Spot, Streetwise, Air Raid (E, Classic), Slingshot (E, Classic), Skydive (E, Classic), Silverbolt (E, Classic), Fireflight (E, Classic), Sandstorm (E, Classic), Afterburner, Nosecone, Lightspeed, Scattershot, Rollbar, Wideload, Freeway, Chase (x2), Searchlight, Goldbug, Joyride (w/Hotwire), Fizzle (Sparkabot), Sizzle (Sparkabot), Guzzle, Quickmix (w/ Boomer & Ricochet), Override, Landmine, Sky High (Pretender), Gunrunner, Pincher, Doubleheader, Vroom, Bumblebee (Pretender), Grimlock (Pretender), Jazz (Pretender), Race Car Patrol (Free Wheeler, Roadhandler, and Tailspin ), Off Road Patrol (Highjump, Mudslinger, Powertrain and Tote) , Battle Patrol (Big Shot, Flak, Sidetrack and Sunrunner ), Construction Patrol (Crumple, Groundpounder, Neutro, Takedown ), Hot Rod Patrol (Big Daddy, Greaser, Hubs, Trip-Up), Astro Squad (Barrage/Heave, Moonrock/Missile Master, Phaser/Blast Master ), Metro Squad (Oiler/Slide, Strikedown/Power Run, Wheelblaze/Roadburner ), Erector (w/Trailer), Overload (w/Trailer), Jackpot (w/Sights), Bumblebee (AM, w/Heli-Pack), Jazz (AM, w/Turbo Board), Sideswipe (E, AM, w/Vanguard), Tracks (E, AM, w/Basher), Gripper (E), Flash (E), Skram (E), Zap (E), Spark (E, G2), Manta Ray (G2), Jetfire (Cyberjet), Bumblebee (Gobot)

G1/2 Decepticons
Megatron (G2, tank), Soundwave & Buzzsaw, Ravage & Rumble, Frenzy & Ratbat, Overkill & Slugfest, Thrust, Scourge, Divebomb, Astrotrain, Blitzwing, Hook, Long Haul, Mixmaster, Bonecrusher, Scrapper, Scavenger, Breakdown, Dead End, Drag Strip, Motormaster, Wildrider, Runabout, Runamuck, Battletrap, Flywheels, Slugslinger (w/Caliburst), Rippersnapper, Sinnertwin, Skullgrin, Iguanus (Pretender), Sparkstalker, Cindersaur, Flamefeather, Nautilator, Overbite (x 2), Tentakil, Ruckus, Starscream (Pretender), Bristleback, Icepick, Scowl, Slog, Wildfly, Birdbrain, Air Strike Patrol (Nightflight, Storm Cloud, Tailwind and Whisper ), Contructor Squad (Grit/Knockout, Sledge/Hammer, Stonecruncher/Excavator), Greasepit (w/Station), Roughstuff (w/Trailer), Axer (w/Off-Road Cycle), Thundercracker (E, AM, w/jet skiff), Falcon (E), Snare (E), Stalker (E), Snipe (E), Terradive (E), Rage (E), Calcar (E)

[BigTransformerTrev]

I had gotten exactly 1 gross of G1 toys as a kid/teenager before G1 came to an end . That number is admittedly filled out a fair bit by the fact I always counted a 4-pack of Micromasters as four toys, since they were 4 individual characters.

If I can remember all 144 (and can find the time) I’ll list them properly but off the top of my head I had:

*Protectobots
*Aerialbots
*Stunticons
*Combaticons
*(Yellow) Constructicons
*Predators
*Motorvators
*Autobot Clones
*Starscream, Ramjet & Dirge
*Snarl, Sludge & Grimlock
*Scoop, Landfill & their Targetmasters
*Spinister, Quake & their Targetmasters
*Kup & Blurr
*Cyclonus & Scourge
*Astrotrain & Octane
*Springer & Sandstorm
*Soundwave, Buzzsaw
*Blaster, Eject, Ramhorn
*Action Masters: Axer, Starscream, Gutcruncher, Megatron, Slicer
*Action Masters: Sprocket, Wheeljack, Optimus, Over-Run, Rumbler
*Tracks, Wheeljack, Inferno, Prowl, Sideswipe, Sunstreaker, Jazz
*Seaspray, Tailgate, Pipes
*Wreck Gar
*Punch
*Sizzle
*Bombshell
*Crankcase
*A buttload of Micromasters

[Miss Kitty Fantastico]

I forgot one - this thing:

https://i.imgur.com/9OqEyI8.jpg

Does that count as G1? Does it count as anything? I did have the whole thing, but the engine is the only part still around, presumably because it's got the actual electronics in it, so it didn't just get dumped into the toy drawer (I've still got a handful of other rail bits and pieces, mainly an LMS Royal Scot and an XPT, plus a few other engines and carriages that are probably just generic). I remember being vaguely confused by this when I was a child (long before tfwiki was a thing to clear it up) - I mean, it says 'Transformers' on it, but it barely 'transformed' and I couldn't figure out if the little figures were meant to represent any character I could identify...

[GoktimusPrime]

Does that count as G1? Does it count as anything?
It's definitely G1, which is everything that was made as Transformers before the "Generation 2" line was launched around mid-1993. Or as it was known back then, "Transformers." :p "Generation 1" was of course a fan term that people made after G2 came out and was never officially used until 2000.

It's technically a toy, so yeah. Although most people consider the action figures as part of the "proper" Transformers line, so this would more likely be considered as merchandise. But G1 merch nonetheless. :)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is the oldest surviving photo (taken on 25/5/1998) that I have of my original G1 Optimus Prime toy, purchased from Grace Bros. in late August 1985.
https://i.ibb.co/8YbR83z/temp.jpg
I still have the fists from this toy as thankfully it was separated from the rest of the toy when it was stolen. :(
Now you can see that this toy has had much of its chrome scratched off and the right smoke stack was broken. But I didn't care. This was my childhood Optimus Prime and I loved this toy, damn it. Now obviously I have reissues and I was even kindly given a replacement G1 Optimus Prime toy ... and although these toys are all in better condition than the toy that was lost none of them can ever replace it because none of those toys are my childhood Optimus Prime. The reissues were acquired during my adulthood and the G1 Optimus Prime was second hand, so it was someone else's childhood toy.

This is the thing that I cherish the most about my G1 collection, the fact that they are souvenirs of my childhood. The fact that I can look at old photos of me with my TFs and know that those exact toys are still standing in my collection today. This is why I could never part with these toys or ever replace them. Even when I get reissues or better condition G1s, I cannot offload my original childhood toys. I instead keep them in one mode and the reissues in another.
e.g. RE: Convoy/Optimus Prime
https://i.ibb.co/3h8P13D/collection2019-G1-1984auto1.jpg
The one in truck mode is an original G1. As you can see, it's in better condition than the one that was stolen but it utterly lacks the sentimental value that was lost.
The ones in robot mode are the 2000 and New Year Special reissues, and of course the black reissue. And yeah, the Autobot cars are a mix of G1s and reissues - Bluestreak being the most obvious :p Actually both of those Bluestreaks are reissues - the one in robot mode is Commemorative Series and obviously the one in vehicle mode is the lucky draw prize thing. My original G1 Bluestreak is in extremely bad condition (after my cousin sat on him one day when we were kids); that toy is stored in the reissue's box. It's broken but I still keep it for its sentimental value. Same with my G1 Snarl and Dirge -- all too shattered and/or incomplete (again, thanks to other people's carelessness with my toys) to be displayed but I keep those toys in storage because they are my childhood souvenirs. Those are the only ones btw, everything else from my childhood is on open display. :) I generally made an effort to keep my toys in good condition which is why most of my toys survived my childhood. I have never ever understood why anyone would mistreat a beloved toy. The idea of breaking a toy confounded me when I was a child and continues to confound me today. Oh, and I must confess that both Sunstreakers are original G1s (since that toy has never been re-released since its Classic reissue in 1990). Both of these Sunstreakers were purchased in 1986 - one was mine and the other used to belong to a cousin who later gave it to me. I normally prefer to keep variants over exactly duplicates, but given that the Sunstreaker mould has likely been lost/destroyed (thus making a reissue unlikely) I'll gladly keep these doubles. Ditto Mirage and Long Haul. Otherwise if you see doubles of G1s in my collection pics then you are looking at variants/reissues, not exact doubles.