No, there was no WalMart or Target in 84/85 as we know it today, TRU was around.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RZrp1QPX5w
heres a vid on all the 84 releases, theres an 85 video as well. They are good and show the old catalogue inserts as well.
Whirl was an 85 release licensed from takatoku toys. I believe roadbuster was an 85 as well.
I dont know which catalogue you're talking about but the 85 reissues of seekers, or any figure, could have contained whirl/buster on the catalogue insert.
Highlighting Whirl/Roadbuster prominently in any marketing material would make sense since they didn't get the benefit of being in the actual show. Marketing likes to mess with you, it's why G1 Soundwave was released with Buzzsaw while you had to buy Laserbeak separately all the while Buzzsaw wasn't in the cartoon.
I like whirl, his design makes him stand out well in my opinion. Taste is subjective so there's no accounting for it. His transformation (generations version) isn't fun but I only display in bot mode so I dont care. (I dont really care to transform any of my TF figs, very much a display and stare and reorganize, rinse/repeat)
