The Energon Pub

News Credits: 12 · Sun Oct 16, 2011 1:28 pm

Is there any resource you know of that has the original prices of Transformers, going back to G1? It doesn't have to be specific by figure, just by class: like how much were Minibots, regular cars, triple-changers, etc. I'm trying to estimate the value of my collection, based on original price - not current prices.

News Credits: 36 · Sun Oct 16, 2011 1:47 pm

It might take a bit of trawling through, but I think this link might help;

http://pleasesavemerobots.com/vstp/vstptf85.html#aumi85

News Credits: 15 · Sun Oct 16, 2011 2:28 pm

Valandar wrote:Somewhere around the Internet is a few pages from the JCPenny Christmas Catalogue from 1984, when they came out. IIRC the typical Autobot Car was about $10, and the typical Decepticon Jet was about $15.

Quote found here

News Credits: 36 · Sun Oct 16, 2011 2:40 pm

Scans of that catalog here, not just TF's tho and keep in mind it's only the '84 stuff.

News Credits: 3 · Sun Oct 16, 2011 4:07 pm

Pretender Skywarp wrote:Scans of that catalog here, not just TF's tho and keep in mind it's only the '84 stuff.

Thanks for the link to the scans. I have been trying to think of the name of those Traxxon toys for a looong time.

News Credits: 1 · Sun Oct 16, 2011 4:22 pm

DISCHARGE wrote:
Pretender Skywarp wrote:Scans of that catalog here, not just TF's tho and keep in mind it's only the '84 stuff.

Thanks for the link to the scans. I have been trying to think of the name of those Traxxon toys for a looong time.

Well that certainly brought back memories, a part of me still wishes it was 1984!

News Credits: 36 · Sun Oct 16, 2011 4:33 pm

I'm glad it's not just me feeling my age!!

News Credits: 1 · Sun Oct 16, 2011 4:44 pm

Pretender Skywarp wrote:I'm glad it's not just me feeling my age!!

Yeah, tell me about it. When I was six, I couldn't wait to grow up, now I've grown up, I often wish I could be six again.

News Credits: 409 · Sun Oct 16, 2011 6:37 pm

Gyrotron wrote:
Valandar wrote:Somewhere around the Internet is a few pages from the JCPenny Christmas Catalogue from 1984, when they came out. IIRC the typical Autobot Car was about $10, and the typical Decepticon Jet was about $15.

Quote found here

As much as people complain about the prices nowadays - it is amazing that Hasbro has kept the price of modern day Transformers in the same price range.

News Credits: 60 · Sun Oct 16, 2011 8:05 pm

Optimus Prime G1 was sold as Convoy at a price of Y 3,600. That would be roughly US$ 46.00+ based on todays exchange rate. I'm at a loss on what the exchange rate was back in 1985

But back then in 1985, adjusting for inflation, that amount could buy lots of stuff.

I reference this with one of my old Takara catalogs.

Mon Oct 17, 2011 2:32 am

In 1984, the typical Autobot Car was $10.99 at J.C.Penny's.

In 2011 (27 years later), the typical Deluxe Transformer is about $12.99 depending on where you go.

Assuming they're roughly equivalent in purpose (though not size), that's an increase of about 19%.

Now consider:

A 12 oz box of corn flakes in 1984 averaged 89 cents. Nowadays, that's $3.79 on average, for an increase of 326%

A gallon of gas in 1984 averaged around $1.30, whereas today it is around $3.50 or so, an increase of 170%.

A brand new 1984 Lincoln Town Car cost $19,000 (depending on extras), compared with $44,000 today, an increase of 132%

And the median household income from 1984 was $22,415, compared to $50,229 in 2009 (no data on 2011 yet), an increase of 124%.

So, for all intents and purposes, that means the average cost of a Transformer has gone DOWN, from 0.05% of a typical household income, to half that, or 0.026 %.

... One main reason I don't complain about toy prices anymore. Imagine paying an average of $22 or more for a typical Deluxe...

News Credits: 36 · Mon Oct 17, 2011 4:36 am

Valandar wrote:... One main reason I don't complain about toy prices anymore. Imagine paying an average of $22 or more for a typical Deluxe...

At the risk of playing devils advocate and I fully appreciate it's a slightly different issue than the one being discussed here, we do.

The RRP for a deluxe on my side of the pond is £13, roughly $20.50. What I don't know off the top of my head is what the G1 toys originally retailed at. What I can tell you is that they were only £10 to the end of the Unicron Trilogy and the first round of Classics. It's still only a small price rise in comparison to everything else given the global economic scenario.

Your post is really interesting tho', and I still think they represent good value for money in the greater scheme of things.

News Credits: 12 · Mon Oct 17, 2011 9:37 am

Pretender Skywarp wrote:It might take a bit of trawling through, but I think this link might help;

http://pleasesavemerobots.com/vstp/vstptf85.html#aumi85

Thank you, that was very helpful for the G1 figures! Now if only there was something similar for all the later series.

News Credits: 36 · Mon Oct 17, 2011 10:14 am

http://tfwiki.net/wiki/Size_class

Any help?

I found the 1985 UK Argos catalog scan for those interested;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/38301877@N05/3592674735/

UK prices seem to have changed a lot!!