VSX giftset - Convoy (Optimus Prime) vs Megatron (1985, Takara Japanese Transformers, Fight! Super Robot Lifeform!)

I would have waited an eternity for this, I am back!

Since a couple of months ago, I had wanted to start writing again, now that it is nearer the end of the year and also because things have quietened down. Be sure that although, I am not been writing for the last 18 months of so, it is not because I have stopped collecting or have exited the fandom (as some nice people here have written to me to ask me about).

I was waiting for the right time to come back. And the right time is now.

It was my birthday a couple of days ago and one of the birthday presents that I got was a vintage Takara Japanese exclusive VSX giftset.


First, I'd like to thank the seller who is an old friend who sold it to me. It was not easy to get here to say the least but he is an ace-guy and we got here in the end.

For those in the-know, there really is not that much to say about the VSX giftset other than its truly one of the rarest vintage items (which has been released at retail) in the Japanese exclusive sphere. It is seldom seen and even if seen, seldom complete (especially the poster which tends to be missing) and if complete, not often unused.



Here is a set that is 100% complete, unused and with poster. Admittedly, for my set there are 2 pieces of paperwork missing, which does not make it "100%", but I guess this might be as close as I get, for now.



At my count, there are approximately 10 know VSX giftsets out there. In no particular order, these are the ones I know:

1. A set sold at BotCon in 98/99 with a large sticker on it (source The Spacebridge)
2. A collector from Florida has a set, with sun fading to one end (source The Spacebridge)
3. A person from California has a set, initials T.Stewart (source CobraZartan)
4. Puffmarko's set (current owner)
5. Ras' set (current owner)
6. A set that was AFA-ed which was listed with a BIN price of US$19,999.99 by seller 911gabriel-g1and recently sold on eBay (this set used to belong to Ultraconvoy which used to belong to Himawari) - sold to a Chinese collector living in Canada.
7. A set that ToyHunter (Travis) found and was sold around Dec 2013, current owner unknown.
8. Devstar37's set which was sold back in 2014, current owner unknown.
9. A set belonging to an Asian guy I saw on Facebook with initials AT (he won't sell!)
10. A set sold privately by Artfire2000 on Taobao, also recently, current owner unknown.
11. A set which sold on Yahoo Japan on 13 Nov 2016, current owner unknown.
12. This current set I own.
13. Grimlock's Paradise's set which is on eBay late March 2016.

Of the above, not all are complete and as far as I know sets 4, 6, 8 and 9 are variously incomplete and do not have the poster.

VSX giftset with loose Convoy and Megatron and also a showcase of the Megatron box art - this version of the Megatron box art is exclusive to the VSX giftset. It is different from other versions of Megatron art which are on the 16-Megatron release or the Goodbye Megatron giftset.

Below, I have included all Japanese releases of Convoy and Megatron. 

1985, 01-Convoy (metal plates and super launcher version)

1985, 16-Megatron

1985, VSX: Convoy vs Megatron giftset

1986, Goodbye Convoy giftset

1986, Goodbye Megatron giftset

Below, I have photographed them together with the US standard releases of Optimus Prime and Megatron.

1984, Optimus Prime (pre-rub, bloated parts, metal plates)

1984, Megatron (pre-rub)

1985, 01-Convoy (metal plates and super launcher version)

1985, 16-Megatron

1985, VSX: Convoy vs Megatron giftset

1986, Goodbye Convoy giftset

1986, Goodbye Megatron giftset

This photo is quite special. It was taken on the night of my birthday!