Deemar's Questions Thread

[Deemar]

A local seller here put this thing up for $150 and it's been up for over a month now so it's obviously not selling. I just started collecting Transformers, I don't really have any nice ones yet, and I have taken a big interest in Megatron simply because:
a) I don't know anyone who had him growing up
b) I heard his mold is now illegal since he doesn't have the orange tipped barrel
c) He looks badass

My direction with my collection will be to display them in a cabinet and have them in a main area where guests can view and comment on them. Because I'll be displaying them, I'm not necessarily concerned about resell value but I want nice tight figures which will display well. This item is being sold as mint, do you have any suggestions for things to check on this guy to determine if it will show well? Is it worth $150 or close to it? And most importantly, how do I spot if this is a fake? Thanks!

[pulsedragon20]

In terms of fair market value, you should check eBay for that.

[Stapler]

You can always shop around, too. I believe this guy was reissued a while ago, so you may still be able to get one at a cheaper price.
As for the item in question, I'm not sure since I've never had a G1 Megatron. I do know that many sellers tend to use the word "mint" more loosely than they should in an attempt to catch some buyers eyes.

It's yard sale season, so be sure to check some of those out. It's a great way to find some vintage toys dirt cheap. Dealers will try to sell their things at higher prices, though, so watch out for them. But the granny or mother that's selling the old toys of their grown kids or collage bound tend to not know what they have and just want to clear out old "junk".

[Deemar]

Are the reissues made with the same materials? Megatron was mostly metal right? Is the reissue metal? And I often think about going to yard sales but rarely ever do because I highly doubt there will ever be a 1984 toy there for sale. Does anyone have experience with often seeing Transformers for sale at yard sales? Original generation 1 I mean.

[Pascal]

Reissues have the same die-cast content. And more accessories than the ones shown in your picture, and better stickers. All for less money.

[Stapler]

Originally Posted by Deemar

And I often think about going to yard sales but rarely ever do because I highly doubt there will ever be a 1984 toy there for sale. Does anyone have experience with often seeing Transformers for sale at yard sales? Original generation 1 I mean.

It never hurts to stop and check because you never know what kind of gem you'll stumble across. A few weeks ago I found some old lady selling a bag for ten bucks. I haggled it down to seven and when I got home I found that it had G1 Soundwave, Buzzsaw, targetmaster Cyclonus (with his target master), Getaway, and Slapdash all complete or near complete and in surprisingly good shape. The stickers were also in good shape and most of the toys even had their instructions in the bag.

Chances are you may often go home empty handed, but when you hit pay dirt it's all worth it!

[Deemar]

Originally Posted by Pascal

Reissues have the same die-cast content. And more accessories than the ones shown in your picture, and better stickers. All for less money.

I've seen some differences like Soundwave having a double deep tape deck and also oversized slot. Or is this not technically a reissue?

[GDkitty]

The TRU one from a few years back, and the more recent SDCC one i think it was, both had the double deep tape deck.. but the rest of it as fas as i could tell is pretty much the regular mold.. they probably just re-did that one part of it.

[Darth Grimlock]

SDCC Soundwave had a single cassette slot like the original, but came with 4 tapes.....

[Janitor]

Welcome to the boards! And an even bigger welcome to the world of plastic crack!

You sound like me a few years ago (though I could be wrong): someone who grew up with G1 and now just wants a childhood rebuilt, plus more!
Unless you're a stickler for "it must be original G1", I say go with re-issues. They're practically the same, usually cheaper, and easier to find good condition. If you're looking for G1 Megs, you can opt for the Encore or Takara re-issue (board member Skylynx has one for sale here for $100. Free plug for the dude!)