In the fictional world of the Transformers, both the Autobots and the Decepticons come from the robotic alien planet Cybertron. In real life, Transformers are simultaneously originally Japanese and All-American. How is that? Let Back To The Past explain!
If you’re looking for some vintage Transformers toys, you will want to check out our June 22nd auction! It features Transformers toys from the dawn of Generation One up to the present – don’t miss it.
Mattel Makes Shogun Warriors
Japanese media has had a tradition of giant fighting robots since Tetsujin 28 debuted as a manga in 1956. The first major attempt to bring these robots to American shores was 1979’s Shogun Warriors. However, they weren’t brought over with their comics or cartoons. American toymaker Mattel licensed robot molds from Japanese toymaker Popy. They drew on Popy’s vast catalog of TV and movie licenses for a colorful slate of robotic warriors. Imagine picking the best Kenner toys of the 90s and releasing them as a single toyline, one casting Batman as the pilot of Millennium Falcon to fight the T. Rex from Jurassic Park, and you have the basic idea.
The line didn’t do well, going defunct only a year after its introduction. One problem was that American cartoons couldn’t be used to sell toys at the time. Further, due to the sheer number of different shows involved, licensing and translating them all would have been a nightmare. So, despite Shogun Warriors figures like Mazinga, Gaiking, Raydeen, and Daimos being based on cartoons, there couldn’t be a Shogun Warriors cartoon. Since a big part of the toys’ Japanese success was the media tie-in, it couldn’t be replicated stateside.
Hasbro Makes Transformers
In 1984, Mattel’s arch-rival Hasbro took a swing at bringing Japanese robot toys to America. Their chosen partner was Takara, and they chose two of Takara’s lines to bring over. One was Micro-Change, which featured toys shaped like everyday objects like cassette players and microscopes that transformed into robots. The other was Diaclone, which featured piloted “giant” robots in the shape of cars, dinosaurs, jets, etc. If you’ve ever wondered why Grimlock had a cockpit on his back, that’s why! Toys from the two lines were freely mixed to become Hasbro’s Transformers.
Though some early Transformers, most notably Jetfire, were licensed from other companies, Takara’s designs were the backbone of the franchise. Neither Takara toyline was based on an existing IP, meaning that Hasbro had a very free hand in developing their version. Changes to TV regulation allowed for a cartoon based on the toys to be produced, and the lack of a Japanese counterpart allowed for a fully ground-up approach. The combination of novel toys and a fun action cartoon made Transformers a massive hit. The franchise has been on toy store shelves in some form or another for forty years. It has waxed and waned in popularity, but it’s never gone away.
Transformers and Value
Transformers’ continued popularity means that there can be great collectible value in the toys. Obviously, the oldest 80s toys have the most value, especially when complete with original box. However, mint-in-package modern specimens can sell for solid money too. The franchise has fully embraced its adult collector fanbase for over twenty years, consistently producing expensive and limited-edition toys geared at them. Heck, even wide release figures produced in the “Titan” scale (like Fortress Maximus and Unicron) can hold value well – not a lot of parents or casual collectors are out here spending over $100 on a single figure.
If those are the kinds of figures you’re looking for, you’ll want to give our June 22nd auction session a look! You’ll also want to follow us on social media @b2pcollect to spot collections as they come in. And if those are the kind of toys you’re looking to sell, drop Back to the Past a line today. We specialize in taking beloved collections and bringing them to market with no extra work on the part of the original owner. Why make liquidating your collection into a second job when it’s our only job?