Headmasters: Much point to buying headless?

[billygoat]

So my current goal is to try and acquire a set of '87 Headmasters. Post-Encore Fort Max, I have the 2 big boys and a handful of the smaller ones and I'm trying to complete the set.

Up til now, I've always gotten them, if not complete (I'm still chasing Skullcruncher's tail), then at least with their head/partner. Aside from them being seemingly less common in general than the 84-86 lines, I'm faced with the choice of paying a bundle for a complete / incomplete but at least with partner toy or buying a (often much) cheaper headless one and trying to get the head later.

But it seems like the heads being sold separately only happens very rarely, so I'm a bit wary of buying a headless toy only to be stuck having to shell out for a complete one down the road anyway as the only way to get the nebulan.

Has anybody taken this approach to these guys? Is it even worthwhile trying to get them this way, or am I better off just holding out for complete Headmasters and snagging them when I see them?

[CBratron]

The heads are like loose guns, missiles, wings and whatnot accessories. They're small and consequently get lost. I'm willing to put money on the fact there are more headless bodies than bodiless heads. I get the feeling you would too.

Sure the hunt may be very exciting and it would make a great story if you find that last missing piece but I don't think it's going to happen consistently enough that such a collection would ever be complete.

I think it depends on whether or not you're a "journey is more important than the destination" kind of person.

[Sky Shadow]

Always get a Headmaster with his head and as close to complete as possible unless you're getting a ridiculously good deal on the body.

[GoktimusPrime]

Yeah... some stupid kid went and lost my Krunk back in 1988 -- took me about 15 years or so to find a replacement! So yeah, unless someone's practically giving you a body for free I wouldn't get a Headmaster w/o the Nebulan.

[1AZRAEL1]

I admit to having a few headless bodies over time, Midwife was one. Body was in a great shape and picked it up pretty cheap. Then Hursty ended up acquiring a head from someone, and I bought it off him for a fairly good deal too. Now to get the gun and have a complete figure. So could end up cheaper this way.

I tend to get a body if it is in good shape and cheap, never know of a complete one you find will be in good shape.

[Gouki]

It's kind of their whole thing. I would never buy a Headmaster with the head or a Targetmaster without the, erm, target... gun. Wouldn't matter to me how easy it was to get a replacement later (and I'm going to assume quite difficult), but whats the point of buying a chunk of plastic that's missing it's gimmick?

[1AZRAEL1]

It's kind of their whole thing. I would never buy a Headmaster with the head or a Targetmaster without the, erm, target... gun. Wouldn't matter to me how easy it was to get a replacement later (and I'm going to assume quite difficult), but whats the point of buying a chunk of plastic that's missing it's gimmick?

May take a while, but I've been able to piecemeal figures for cheaper than buying a complete one.

[BigTransformerTrev]

I've noticed a few sellers on ebay are a bit sneaky as in they offer a body fairly cheap and then sell the headmaster partner for $40+ . These days I wont even buy a targetmaster robot without their TM partners. When I first started collecting again about 13 years ago I made the mistake of buying Triggerhappy and Slugslinger without their TM partners and now would have to pay $35+ each if I wanted their partners last I checked.

So in short, these days unless part of a big junker lot never buy a G1 toy without their partners, you will either never find the partners or pay through the nose for them.

[Gouki]

May take a while, but I've been able to piecemeal figures for cheaper than buying a complete one.

But that takes a loooooong time, right unless you're really lucky?

[1AZRAEL1]

I've noticed a few sellers on ebay are a bit sneaky as in they offer a body fairly cheap and then sell the headmaster partner for $40+ . These days I wont even buy a targetmaster robot without their TM partners. When I first started collecting again about 13 years ago I made the mistake of buying Triggerhappy and Slugslinger without their TM partners and now would have to pay $35+ each if I wanted their partners last I checked.

So in short, these days unless part of a big junker lot never buy a G1 toy without their partners, you will either never find the partners or pay through the nose for them.

See even at that price, I'd still have a complete figure for cheaper than a complete straight up. Need their partners, but didn't pay much for the bodies.

But that takes a loooooong time, right unless you're really lucky?

I'll admit, I've been pretty lucky on some piecemeal figures, but it's all about patience. IE: I had actionmaster Sideswipe's gun and partner guns for ages, then ended up getting a figure for cheap, and partner for not so cheap, but Sideswipe is highly sought after.