By the year 2000, G1 Transformer toys were yet again achieving cult status and becoming more vintage by the day. Any Transformer from the early years, especially 1984 and 1985, were notoriously expensive and very much in demand.
The secondhand collecting market was on fire. That is until Takara decided to start reissuing Transformers.
The first Takara reissue was C-01: Convoy in a G1 style Japanese box. These retailed at S$100.00 at Clarke Quay on Sunday morning and quickly became S$160.00 by late afternoon. This was followed by a reissue of D-16: Megatron in G1 style box. eHobby quickly followed with reissues of Ratchet & Ironhide, Trailbreaker & Hoist, Grapple & Inferno, Sideswipe & Red Alert, Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Ramjet, Dirge and Thrust. Takara continued with G1 style box reissues of Starscream and Ultra Magnus and roughly once yearly, they would do a special – C-310: God Ginrai, ‘New Year’ Convoy, Landcross and the Predaking giftset as such examples. Takara also ‘re-reissued’ selected G1 pieces in ‘book’ form, usually with Dreamwave art on the ‘cover’. This was the TFC (TransFormers Collection) series and at present total 22 G1 reissues (TFC #00 to TFC#21).
The years 2000 to around 2006 were very good years for Transformer collecting because between them, Takara and Hasbro reissued almost all the desirable early G1 toys. For the first time in almost 15 years, fans and collectors could again obtain G1 Transformers at retail and at affordable prices.
I will here try to trace G1 reissues by release dates from the earliest to the most recent. 'Specials' are denoted in italics.
2000
Pieces like God Ginrai, Predaking giftset, Star Convoy, Stepper, Soundblaster and Twincast used to command prices upwards of US$500 before they were reissued. Such prices were way out of most collectors' range. It is great that Takara brought them down to Earth again.
I should note that in between all these Takara reissues, Hasbro through TRU exclusives were also reissuing G1 Transformers. They pretty much followed from what Takara reissues but with figures that are of largely inferior quality.
I may one day include the Hasbro reissues in the list, but for now I'm leaving them where they belong, out.
The secondhand collecting market was on fire. That is until Takara decided to start reissuing Transformers.
The first Takara reissue was C-01: Convoy in a G1 style Japanese box. These retailed at S$100.00 at Clarke Quay on Sunday morning and quickly became S$160.00 by late afternoon. This was followed by a reissue of D-16: Megatron in G1 style box. eHobby quickly followed with reissues of Ratchet & Ironhide, Trailbreaker & Hoist, Grapple & Inferno, Sideswipe & Red Alert, Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Ramjet, Dirge and Thrust. Takara continued with G1 style box reissues of Starscream and Ultra Magnus and roughly once yearly, they would do a special – C-310: God Ginrai, ‘New Year’ Convoy, Landcross and the Predaking giftset as such examples. Takara also ‘re-reissued’ selected G1 pieces in ‘book’ form, usually with Dreamwave art on the ‘cover’. This was the TFC (TransFormers Collection) series and at present total 22 G1 reissues (TFC #00 to TFC#21).
The years 2000 to around 2006 were very good years for Transformer collecting because between them, Takara and Hasbro reissued almost all the desirable early G1 toys. For the first time in almost 15 years, fans and collectors could again obtain G1 Transformers at retail and at affordable prices.
I will here try to trace G1 reissues by release dates from the earliest to the most recent. 'Specials' are denoted in italics.
2000
- Jun 2000: eHobby exclusive C-01: Convoy.
- Dec 2000: eHobby exclusive C-69: Ultra Magnus, 4980 Yen.
- Jan 2001: C-78: Hot Rod, 2500 Yen.
- Feb 2001: eHobby exclusive Crystal Rodimus.
- Feb 2001: eHobby exclusive Black Rodimus.
- Jun 2001: eHobby exclusive Ratchet & Ironhide set.
- Jun 2001: eHobby exclusive Sideswipe & Red Alert set.
- Jul 2001: C-22: Starscream, 2980 Yen.
- Jul 2001: eHobby exclusive Ghost Starscream.
- Jul 2001: eHobby exclusive Black Starscream.
- Jul 2001: eHobby exclusive Thundercracker.
- Jul 2001: eHobby exclusive Skywarp.
- Jul 2001: eHobby exclusive Dirge.
- Jul 2001: eHobby exclusive Thrust.
- Jul 2001: eHobby exclusive Ramjet.
- Aug 2001: eHobby exclusive Trailbreaker & Hoist set.
- Aug 2001: eHobby exclusive Grapple & Inferno set.
- Sep 2001: C-310: God Ginrai, 7980 Yen.
- Nov 2001: eHobby exclusive C-310E: Fire Guts Ginrai.
- Nov 2001: TRU exclusive C-307X: Nucleon Quest Ginrai.
- Dec 2001: C-77: Rodimus Convoy, 3500 Yen.
- Jan 2002: New Year Special Convoy, 5980 Yen.
- Mar 2002: D-98: Sixshot, 4980 Yen.
- Jul 2002: eHobby exclusive Bluestreak (anime accurate colours).
- Jul 2002: TFC #01: Meister (Jazz), 3000 Yen.
- Jul 2002: TFC #02: Prowl, 3000 Yen.
- Aug 2002: eHobby exclusive gold Jazz and Chrome Bluestreak set.
- Sep 2002: TFC #03: Skids, 3000 Yen.
- Sep 2002: TFC #04: Tracks, 3000 Yen.
- Oct 2002: eHobby exclusive Cross Cut (silver Skids repaint).
- Oct 2002: eHobby exclusive Roadrage (red Tracks repaint).
- Oct 2002: Lucky Draw exclusive Black Tracks (limited to 300 pieces).
- Dec 2002: TFC #05: Smokescreen, 3000 Yen.
- Dec 2002: TFC #06: Megatron, 5980 Yen.
- Mar 2003: TFC #00: Convoy (Optimus Prime), 6500 Yen.
- Mar 2003: TFC #07: Lambor (Sideswipe), 3000 Yen.
- Mar 2003: Figure King exclusive Tigertrack (yellow Sideswipe repaint).
- Mar 2003: Micromaster Sixliner boxset, 3600 Yen.
- Mar 2003: Micromaster Sixturbo boxset, 3600 Yen.
- Apr 2003: eHobby exclusive Deepcover & Clampdown set (dark blue, white Sideswipe repaints).
- Jun 2003: TFC #08: Inferno, 3000 Yen.
- Jun 2003: TFC #09: Starscream (w/ dvd), 3500 Yen.
- Jul 2003: eHobby exclusive Sunstorm & Road Hauler set.
- Sep 2003: TFC #10: Soundwave w/ Laserbeak, 4980 Yen.
- Dec 2003: TFC #11: Astrotrain (white), 3000 Yen.
- Jan 2004: eHobby exclusive Astrotrain (anime accurate colours).
- Jan 2004: TFC #12: Mini-bots (Bumblebee, Huffer, Gears, Warpath, Cosmos & Powerglide), 3000 Yen.
- Jan 2004: eHobby exclusive Evil minibots.
- Apr 2004: TFC #13: Hot Rodimus & Firebolt, 3000 Yen.
- Jul 2004: TFC #14: Hound, 3000 Yen.
- Jul 2004: Landcross boxset, 4560 Yen.
- Aug 2004: eHobby exclusive Detritus (desert Hound repaint).
- Aug 2004: TFC #15: Stepper, 3000 Yen.
- Sep 2004: TFC #16: Insecticons Sharpnel, Bombshell & Kickback (w/ energon cubes), 3500 Yen.
- Oct 2004: eHobby exclusive Insecticons (Diaclone coloured) Salvo, Shot Hole & Zaptrap.
- Dec 2004: D-78: Predaking giftset, 14,000 Yen.
- Jan 2005: TFC #17: Blitzwing, 3000 Yen.
- Feb 2005: eHobby exclusive Overcharge (Diaclone colour Blitzwing repaint).
- Mar 2005: TFC #18: Soundblaster w/ Ravage & Buzzsaw, 5500 Yen.
- Apr 2005: eHobby exclusive Cobalt Sentry cassettes (Ravage & Laserbeak repaint)
- Jun 2005: TFC #19: Perceptor, 3800 Yen.
- Jul 2005: eHobby exclusive Magnificus (black Perceptor repaint).
- Aug 2005: TFC #20: Kup (w/ Targetmaster partner) & Wheelie.
- Sep 2005: eHobby exclusive Orion Pax & Dion (Kup & Wheelie repaint).
- Sep 2005: C-372: Star Convoy, 8000 Yen.
- Dec 2005: D-62S: Galvatron (TFTM colour scheme), 7000 Yen.
- Jan 2006: eHobby exclusive D-62: Galvatron in G1 colours w/ gold trimmings.
- Jan 2006: Pepsi Convoy, 5500 Yen.
- Mar 2006: TFC #21: Broadcast (Blaster) w/ Steeljaw, 4500 Yen.
- Apr 2006: eHobby exclusive Twincast w/ Flipsides.
- Aug 2007: Encore 01- Optimus Prime, 5000 Yen.
- Aug 2007: Encore 02- Megatron, 5000 Yen.
- Aug 2007: Encore 03- Soundwave, 4500 Yen.
- Aug 2007: Encore 04- Starscream, 3000 Yen.
- Dec 2007: Encore 05- Ratchet, 3000 Yen.
- Dec 2007: Encore 06- Ironhide, 3000 Yen.
Pieces like God Ginrai, Predaking giftset, Star Convoy, Stepper, Soundblaster and Twincast used to command prices upwards of US$500 before they were reissued. Such prices were way out of most collectors' range. It is great that Takara brought them down to Earth again.
I should note that in between all these Takara reissues, Hasbro through TRU exclusives were also reissuing G1 Transformers. They pretty much followed from what Takara reissues but with figures that are of largely inferior quality.
I may one day include the Hasbro reissues in the list, but for now I'm leaving them where they belong, out.
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