The Energon Pub

Which version of the G1 Ratchet toy is more rare? With or without the red cross? TFWiki had no real answers for me...

Rodimus Prime wrote:Which version of the G1 Ratchet toy is more rare? With or without the red cross? TFWiki had no real answers for me...

I'm assuming the one with the red cross is the rarer one. As you may know, the image is trademarked to Red Cross, so Hasbro nor TakaraTomy can touch it.

OK. I have a price guide from 2004 that says the one without the cross is worth more. I figured it was because It was more rare. Oh well.

Rodimus Prime wrote:OK. I have a price guide from 2004 that says the one without the cross is worth more. I figured it was because It was more rare. Oh well.

That was before the Encore release, which had no cross. Also, he had quite a dodgy release in Japan:

- he was available by mail-order only
- in 2001 he was reissued as an eHobby exclusive, limited to 1,000 pieces
- the Encore release was the first full retail release, ever over there.

A red cross on a white background is trademarked by the Red Cross? Someone alert the media! England has been using someone else's idea for a flag! Those scoundrels!

Kidding, though it would be funny for Ratchet to have a posh accent.

craggy wrote:A red cross on a white background is trademarked by the Red Cross? Someone alert the media! England has been using someone else's idea for a flag! Those scoundrels!

Kidding, though it would be funny for Ratchet to have a posh accent.

It's not the idea that's trademarked, but the image, or rather, the definition of said image, including proportions and colors

for a new Ratchet, they could just do some fancy pattern in it then? like it's not really a cross, but 4 arrows that meet in the middle. like a cross, but with an X over the middle? cool. Not that it'll matter with ppl getting the iGear one, that'll have Red Cross symbols, links to download movies on the packaging, a guide to pickpocketing in the instructions, etc.

craggy wrote:for a new Ratchet, they could just do some fancy pattern in it then? like it's not really a cross, but 4 arrows that meet in the middle. like a cross, but with an X over the middle? cool. Not that it'll matter with ppl getting the iGear one, that'll have Red Cross symbols, links to download movies on the packaging, a guide to pickpocketing in the instructions, etc.

It took me until the Pickpocketing to realize you were joking!

craggy wrote:for a new Ratchet, they could just do some fancy pattern in it then? like it's not really a cross, but 4 arrows that meet in the middle. like a cross, but with an X over the middle? cool. Not that it'll matter with ppl getting the iGear one, that'll have Red Cross symbols, links to download movies on the packaging, a guide to pickpocketing in the instructions, etc.

Well, it's not like real ambulances normally have red crosses anyway. They usually have a blue asterisky looking thingy with a caduceusy thingy in the middle.

example:

fair point, but when have these "Robots In Disguise" ever really worried about blending in?