G1 Reissues that need to happen

[Defcon]

I know I would like
Trypticon
and maybe Scorponok, preferably Black Zarak
All combiners, I have most of these already but I crave mint versions. A complete mint Computron is my most wanted
Targetmasters and Headmasters but after everything above.

I think reissues are good for me personally. I was never prepared to pay big dollars on originals. On the rare occasion I might it would be for something that has a sort of sentiment attached to it, sort of like a holy grail.
Encores appeal to me because of the packaging and box art, unlike the book style takara reissues, or even the hasbro commemorative editions. Reissues may lower the inflated value of some G1 figures, but if the figure itself is mint and complete it would still fetch a good price. Its the substandard figures that people on ebay who try to pass off as excellent deserve to come down in value, and Reissues are a better sustitute.

[GoktimusPrime]

Here are all the G1 Transformers which have never been reissued. Names in italics are Transformers which haven't been reissued in the last 10 years. Names underlined are moulds known or rumoured to be lost or destroyed.

=1984=
Bumblejumper
Frenzy
Mirage
Rumble
Sunstreaker
Wheeljack

=1985=
Minispies
Deluxe Insecticons
Beachcomber
The Constructicons/Devastator
Omnibots
Grimlock
Jetfire
Powerdashers
Deluxe Autobots
Seaspray
Shockwave
Slag
Sludge
Snarl
Swoop
Jumpstarters

=1986=
Aerialbots/Superion
Protectobots/Defensor
Blurr
Cyclonus
Stunticons/Menasor
Gnaw
Hubcap
Kup
Octane
Runabout
Runamuck
Sandstorm
Scourge
Reflector
Springer
Trypticon
Wreck Gar

=1987=
Terrorcons/Abominus
Technobots/Computron
Headmasters
Headmaster Horrorcons
Duocons
Throttlebots
Clones
Cassette Gestalts
Trainbots
Blurr (Targetmaster)
Cyclonus (Targetmaster)
Scourge (Targetmaster)
Headmaster Warriors
Monsterbots

=1988=
Godmaster Warriors
Triggerbots
Triggercons
Cassette Gestalts
Black Zarak
Pretenders
Browning
Decepticon Godmasters (except for Overlord if you count his Hasbro release)
Decepticon Powermasters
Firecons
Headmasters (Jrs)
Targetmasters
Grand Maximus
Getaway
Joyride
Slapdash
Ranger
Lightfoot
Road King
Sixknight

=1989=
Micromasters
Pretenders
Dino Force
Crossformers
Breast Force
Brainmasters
Victory Leo

...okay, reissues of post 1989 G1 Transformers are very few, so it's now easier to just list which toys WERE reissued rather than which weren't!

=1990=
NIL

=1991=
Star Convoy
Sixliner

=1992=
Micromaster Gestalts

=1993=
NIL

...and that covers all of G1. The only G2 toy that's ever been reissued so far has been Battle Convoy (Laser Optimus Prime).

[Wheel-J]

Thanks for that list. I was wondering bout that myself when I'm reading through the thread. Frenzy and Rumble are sure are vintage but maybe not for long. With the upcoming encore cassettes #19, maybe next month or by the end of this year, they'll be off the list too.

[GoktimusPrime]

It should also be noted that Shockwave, the Deluxe Autobots, Jetfire and the Deluxe Insecticons where all based on non-Takara moulds. So unless TOMY has managed to acquire rights to them (as they did with Sky Lynx and Omega Supreme) then it would be impossible for TakaraTOMY to reissue any of those moulds.

[Sky Shadow]

Here are all the G1 Transformers which have never been reissued. Names in italics are Transformers which haven't been reissued in the last 10 years. Names underlined are moulds known or rumoured to be lost or destroyed.

What counts as a reissue, Gok? I think way more of these toys should be in italics. Toys like Springer were rereleased as Classics - which you yourself are always referring to as reissues. Mirage was available by mail order in 1988 for $8US, 2 Robot Points and a night with your mum. Beachcomber and Hubcap were vacuum chromed and rereleased for G2. And even if you're not counting mailaways or G2 redecos, Mirage, Beachcomber, Springer and Hubcap were all rereleased as legitimate Chinese reissues from 1989 to 1995 and some of these (like the reissued Cyclonus) were even available here in Australia. In fact, 80% of the toys on your list were reissued in that way:

http://highendtfs.com/?q=node/15

[blackie]

Mirage was available by mail order in 1988 for $8US, 2 Robot Points and a night with your mum.

thats a bargain and a half

[kup]

I don't think that toys such as Pinkymus and TrU Soundwave should count as reissues. They are not really trying to 're-release' the original toy but being sold more as a new product with considerable intentional aesthetic changes.

Example, Pinkimus has been made pink with lighter colors to stand out more as a new product on the shelf, not to 'replicate' the G1 released toy, otherwise it would have colors closer to the original release such as the Encore version.

TrU Soundwave is a repainted Soundblaster mold. There was never a double chested G1 Soundwave released before - so not a re-release but a new product.

Child safety modifications don't count in making a reissue a 'new product' as those are more in the realm of 'necessary' changes made by Hasbro in order to release their own reissues in Western markets due to their insistence (and Walmart) of marketing them at kids.

If an old mold has been heavily changed to deliberately look different to the original release (not including child safety mods) then its not a reissue but a new product.

[GoktimusPrime]

Sky Shadow: I thought the mail away G1s were just left over stock rather than actual reissues. The Classics are definitely reissues and I'd forgotten about Springer. Now I remember Octane and Sandstorm were also reissued as a Classics for that matter. See here for lines commonly accepted as reissues.

<amends list>

kup: I see where you're coming from but those toys are still officially or commonly accepted as reissues. After all, Apex Armour Optimus Prime is counted/accepted as a reissue of Powermaster Optimus Prime despite the fact that it's the Ginrai mould and _not_ the PM Optimus Prime mould.

[kup]

kup: I see where you're coming from but those toys are still officially or commonly accepted as reissues. After all, Apex Armour Optimus Prime is counted/accepted as a reissue of Powermaster Optimus Prime despite the fact that it's the Ginrai mould and _not_ the PM Optimus Prime mould.

I own the Ginrai reissue mold released as Powermaster Prime. Although it is a very true reissue of Ginrai (aside from the missile), it was packaged and sold as PM Prime. Although I displayed him for a long while as Powermaster Prime, I did not consider it a reissue but more of a re-release of the improved Ginrai mold representing the Powermaster Prime character .

However the Ginrai mold could also be considered a bit of a gray area as it is indeed the reissuing of a G1 toy pretty close to what it was back in the 80s but the character has been reassigned to Powermaster Optimus Prime in the western release because Ginrai is a Japanese exclusive character. What makes the reissue even more odd is that Hi-Q is called Ginrai in the bio.

So basically - Physical toy wise it is a true reissue of the 80s Ginrai toy but character bio/Box wise it is an improved (not reissue) of Powermaster Optimus Prime with Ginrai instead of Hi-Q.

On a side note: Why did Hasbro do that? Is it because it was easy to release the Ginrai mold as Powermaster Optimus Prime since Takara had already done the hard work by releasing their own reissue and all that Hasbro needed to do was repackage it with a modded missile? Or has the Powermaster Optimus Prime mold been lost?

[GoktimusPrime]

Is it because it was easy to release the Ginrai mold as Powermaster Optimus Prime since Takara had already done the hard work by releasing their own reissue and all that Hasbro needed to do was repackage it with a modded missile?

I'd say it would be because of this reason.

Hasbro doesn't take any initiative with reissues, they just wait to see what Takara does and follows up from there. I think StepperRicochet is the penultimate proof of that.