Red Transformers sell out faster...!

FZeroOne · Post by **FZeroOne** » Tue Dec 02, 2003 9:41 pm

Okay, heres something thats been bugging me ever since I got Sunstreaker (a bright yellow Lamborgini) instead of Sideswipe (red Lamborgini) as a young 'un. Sunstreaker was in fact one of my faourite toys, but I never quite got over the idea that well, he wasn't red......and it didn't happen just once. I also hinted one Christmas that I would like Inferno (red fire engine), and got Grapple (orange crane obviously based on Inferno) instead.So, did this happen to anyone else? Was it just me? And does anyone know why, if it wasn't just me, red Transformers were/are harder to obtain than other colours of the same toy? [1][1] All this has left me, someone who these days can take or leave Transformers, with an itchy feeling that I should start looking for a red Sideswipe, now that they go for such reasonably huge amounts of money...

Shane · Post by **Shane** » Wed Dec 03, 2003 7:25 pm

I never really thought about it in terms of colour, I guess there must be something in that, most of the other proper Transformers (1984-85) were mainly blue or white. Prime was definitely hard to get and he was red. Sideswipe must have been hugely popular being a Lamborgini and a red one at that.Funnily enough the pre Transformers Diaclone version of Sunstreaker was actually red, so was Skids!I never really had many Transformers when I was a kid, I had Thrust (cool jet) and Smokescreen (the Datsun cars were my faves) a Twin Twist Jumpstarter and Cliffjumper and Warpath mini autobots. I do own most of the 1984-1985 Transformers now though. Shane.

FZeroOne · Post by **FZeroOne** » Fri Dec 05, 2003 12:01 pm

Heh, I noticed a couple of Transformers websites that have made the same Cliffjumper/Bumblebee mistake... Having done a little bit of browsing, I'm now tempted to look for a Diaclone "Police" Sideswipe instead, which will only cost me many, many of our Earth pounds... and I would quite like the set of six transforming bullet trains released from the same line, and a bank manager who understands the meaning of "infinity"......its X-Wing pilots all over again...!

Shane · Post by **Shane** » Fri Dec 05, 2003 6:53 pm

I know what you mean, I've got my eye on a Masterpiece Optimus Prime and that's going to cost me a pretty penny. The Diaclone police car Sideswipe looks very cool.Have you seen the new Binaltech Sideswipe? it's actually a Dodge Viper?! Madness! Amazing new line though, I've got the Smokescreen Binaltech, it has to be one of the best Transformers ever made!Shane.

FZeroOne · Post by **FZeroOne** » Fri Dec 05, 2003 9:29 pm

I've never really liked the Dodge Viper, so I'm not overly impressed by the design of the new Sideswipe, but I can certainly appreciate the engineering...! And the new MP Optimus Prime is incredible looking, though personally, I always preferred Jetfire - and thanks to the wonders of international toy licensing, I now have two of the Valkyries he was based on... Its just as well I don't have a lot of space - it means I have to [/I]really want something to get it, otherwise I would be sleeping on spring-loaded missiles right now!

Post by **AndyThomas** » Sat Dec 06, 2003 1:52 pm

*Thinks* Yes, I had Sunstreaker as opposed to Sideswipe. But I did have Windcharger who was red. A rather loose Bumblebee, not sure about Cliffjumper, but possibly Warpath... Let's face it, think about any sports car poster when you were that age - red, wasn't it? Might also depend how many of a particular toy got shipped as well of course - short supply would make them appear more popular...

FZeroOne · Post by **FZeroOne** » Sat Dec 06, 2003 10:42 pm

Actually, I had a Larry Elmore fantasy painting poster on my wall - though now I think about it, it was a red dragon... Futher reading has revealed there was a World shortage of Transformers after they were released; apparently some Mexican licensed toys were snapped up by, uh, enterprising people and flogged to a public unwary about Mexicos looser standards on things like lead in the paint... But it always seemed to be certain things - X-Wing pilots must be the rarest Star Wars figures ever made, at least going by all the B-Wing pilots I received instead...!