What's The 'Oldest' Transformer You've Found Left On The Shelves?

[Sky Shadow]

Today I was remembering that during Christmas shopping in 1994 I found some seven year-old G1 toys (Sixshot and Hardhead) on the shelves of Lewis's (a department store) in Oxford. (I then went on to work for them for two years and, naturally, they never had anything interesting in the way of Transformers in the toy department again.)

So I was wondering if anyone else had some interesting 'what the?' moments over the years when it came to old toys found on the shelves of toy shops or department stores?

[dirge]

Around 1993 I found a G1 Ramjet at a Sydney Toys R Us. For $7 no less. No idea how or why it was there, but I nabbed it all the same!

[GoktimusPrime]

In 1998 I found a G2 Laser Prime in Sydney and a mountain of them (and G2 Powermasters) in Kuala Lumpur. That same year I got a G2 Sideswipe from a toystore in Townsville.

I often have dreams of finding shelves packed to the brim with 1980s G1 Transformers and having enough money to buy them all - but whenever I get to the checkout I wake up! I've had this dream less frequently now that my G1 collection is relatively close to completion - but whenever I do have that dream I still go crazy and fill a trolley, rushing to the counter before I wake up... the dream always ends as the toys are being scanned. Gah!

[roller]

In Australia, in about 2000-2005 i found Beast Wars Mutant razorclaw and injector in Darling Harbour.

Beast Machines Supreme cheetor was on the shelves for 5+ yrs

In Malaysia, in 2004 i found a G2 laserprime for $120, i didnt buy it

[Pulse]

The oldest ones I've found were Armada minicons in Hobbyco Syd earlier this year... (pretty pathetic compared to what you guys have stumbled across )

[llamatron]

Up until about 6 months ago a local Toyworld still had Armada Powerlinx Prime in stock... over $100 I WONDER WHY IT TOOK SO LONG TO SELL

[griffin]

Around 1993 I found a G1 Ramjet at a Sydney Toys R Us. For $7 no less. No idea how or why it was there, but I nabbed it all the same!

That was released in 1992, as a number of Gen1 toys were officially released in China, and Australia managed to get some as well. Ones that I remember on the shelves were Ramjet, Cyclonus, Starscream, Soundwave, Blaster, Optimus, Beachcomber, Bumblebee, Seaspray, Hubcap (there were some others, like combiners, but I'm not positive on them).
I remember trying to buy as many as I could afford on my meager allowance at that time. That was the renaissance of TFs for me, and it followed soon after by the gold packed Classics and Gen2.

http://highendtfs.com/?q=node/15
It makes it obvious why certain figures were released as gold-packed Classics and Gen2, because the moulds were only recently being used for Hasbro's release of TFs into China in 1989.

As for a *real* old sighting, there was an old member up in Gladstone, called Leroy/Windrazor. About 2000, he found a case of Autobot Targetmasters (Pointblank, Sureshot and Crosshairs) at a Toyworld! He kept half of them, and I think dirge, myself and someone else managed to score some cheap Autobot Targetmasters. I think that really is a case of 'finding a lost case of stock in a warehouse somewhere', *years* later.

For me, I saw RiD toys at a Toyworld in Warwick (a country town south west of Brisbane) 2 years ago, which would have made them about 5 years old.

That reminds me of a number of TRU stores sitting on Supreme sized Cheetor toys for about 5 years before they finally got rid of them.

[GoktimusPrime]

iceburn's recent finds of the Micromaster Military, Hot Rod and Monster Truck patrols MOSC was awesome!

[liegeprime]

Found years before ( during G2 era) of finding well technically not TFs but pre-TFs . Takara Microman Cassette tape robos. This was back in Phils. They were being sold in packs of two still misb. Got me a blue Condor and Black Jaguar (which got renamed later to Laserbeak and Ravage in TF line). Still got em now but not officially counted in my collection. Condor has its foot broken and fixed in place by Superglue, Jaguar remains intact. Both were bought for Php100 ( Php35 = Au$1) sadly I chucked the boxes and lost the inserts already as this was during my early years in TF buying. Ive used Reprolabels now to add faction symbols but not the thermal ones. btw these tapes lasted only a week on the shelves when word got out although there were about 20+ or so on the shelves. Wouldve loved to get the rumble/frenzy mold (dark blue/ black mix color variant)but didnt have enough money then ( being a student living on allowance ) as it was an accidental find.

[SilverDragon]

Not so much a real Transformer, but I found an Armada Optimus Prime gum machine at Target this year.