That's interesting then, as it was the year Transformers started in Japan, giving kids there a club to join up to straight away to get them hooked.
The Hasbro STARS "club" came out in the third year in Hasbro countries if I recall (I got mine in mid-1987 and remember it having a lenticular membership card instead of a badge).


I wasn't too sure if Hasbro or Takara had ever set up anything officially labelled as a "fan club" before 3H set one up in 2003. (or before we were authorised as a fanclub by Hasbro Australia in 1996)
Takara I would believe, as they are more fan-focused with their products and interaction... but the STARS thing was a one-off thing, so didn't really fit a "club" concept (which is more of an ongoing, membership thing).