Japanese exclusive, 1986 vintage, "Goodbye Megatron" giftset

* Introductory text for this and the Goodbye Convoy post is substantially similar because I bought them at the same time. *

I still can't sleep. I'm still blown away at the thought of having acquired 2 of the rarest giftsets in Trans-fandom, from the same store, in the same afternoon, in one hit - Goodbye Convoy and Goodbye Megatron.

The feeling is amazing and I think I can safely say that not many collectors out there will have had such an experience or a similar experience. Truely, it is a monumental moment for me.

Before I got them, I didn't think too much about them because partly, I subconsciously know that they are almost beyond reach. How often would I see a "Goodbye" set appear on auction or on sale at a shop. Not very often I'd say.

Naysayers say that buying the "Goodbye" sets are like buying fancy boxes and styrofoam. I tend to agree with them in general. However, having seen the first-hand and in person, I have to say that they are awesome to behold and hold. Definitely worth getting if one is a Prime or Megatron fan and is willing to pay what is usually a hefty price tag for these sets.

To be honest, Goodbye Convoy was not in such great shape, but I decided to buy it and Goodbye Megatron (which is in very very good condition) together because of (1) the experience and (2) to get a bigger discount off the sets.

The Goodbye Megatron set is destined to become one of the stella gems in my collection. The mintness of this set is unbelievable - I just can't fathom how such a perfect and undamaged set could have survived the almost 25 years to this day. The box is very reminiscent of the G1 Megatron box and like I mentioned elsewhere, I have a fondness for slim packed G1 boxes.

This piece is just too awesome for words!

1986, Goodbye Megatron giftset

Box = C9.5, a piece of tape away from MISB

Styro = C9.5, almost flawless

Toys = C9.5, possibly never transformed

Paperworks = complete, unused sticker sheets

Box art with corrected fist

Made in Japan. Oh yeah!

States that it includes an exclusive poster

This set is so minty, all the corners are still sharp and crisp

 

 

Back of box

No flap crease. So extremely rare to find a "Goodbye" giftset that is without flap crease. This set is just awesome (ok, not the first time I used this word).

Special goodbye stamp that is unique to this set and Goodbye Convoy.

Strange that while this set should be the equivalent of the Goodbye Convoy set, it is only worth 5 Robot Points while Goodbye Convoy is worth 7 Robot Points.

Out of box

Out of box and with exclusive "All Destron" poster in front of the set. This poster features all the Destrons that have been released by Takara up till 1986. I have been variously told that (1) a "Goodbye" set is not worth having if its missing the exclusive poster; (2) the exclusive poster is extremely rare and most "Goodbye" sets are missing it (a quick search on Google and eBay certainly shows that this is at least fairly accurate); and (3) people are often willing to pay between US$100-300 just for the poster alone. Wow.

Detail of exclusive "All Destron" poster.

"Destron Heros"? A bit of an oxymoron I think.

Date stamped "1986".

Photo showing all the paperwork this set came with - catalogues, instruction sheets, tech specs decoder and unused sticker sheets

Close up of Starscream

Close up of Megatron

With "Goodbye Convoy" giftset

On display at home.

After all that, one'd ask, 'what is the difference between the Megatron and Starscream in this set? How are they different from the other vintage releases and more importantly, how are they different from the deluge of Megatrons and Starscreams that have been reissued/released over and over again by Takara and eHobby over the last decade?'.

Glad you asked. Some answers can be found here - How to tell if your Goodbye Megatron giftset is genuine/original?