Fan First Friday brings Walmart exclusive Retro Headmasters, with 1987-style boxes built from 1984 fonts and art, nostalgia for people who have not thought about Transformers since 1987. The stream also makes Studio Series 86 official and prices the Studio Series Devastator box set. Thrust and Runabout are confirmed as Target exclusives. Brian kicks off this year’s Elf on a Shelf Warmer toy drive, and Chris reviews Gigawatt and Earthrise Bluestreak.
Elf on a Shelf Warmer
Brian launches this year’s Elf on a Shelf Warmer toy drive. Buy toys that are warming the shelves, donate them to Toys for Tots or another group that gives directly to kids, and share a photo with the hashtag. New this year, a wish list at tfradio.net/elf lets fans send toys to Brian to donate, with no affiliate credit to the show. The crew suggests local children’s homes where Toys for Tots is not available. Ross and Marshalls have Siege leftovers at $8 for deluxes, which make great donations. The crew also suggests adding an inexpensive Barbie.
News
Fan First Friday: Studio Series 86 and the Studio Series Devastator Box Set
Hasbro’s Fan First Friday officially showed the Studio Series 86 wave of Grimlock with Wheelie, Scourge, Kup, Blurr, Hot Rod and Jazz. It also priced the Studio Series Devastator box set at about $260, below the roughly $400 rumored from foreign pricing. Brian is not picking it up. Thrust and Runabout went up for preorder, confirming they are Target exclusives. One host’s Thrust preorder closed in the middle of paying, though another expects Target exclusives to become easy to get later. A Galactic Odyssey Micromaster six-pack finishes the Race Track Patrol and adds two M.A.S.K. homages. [Source: Toy Hype USA]
Walmart Exclusive Retro Headmasters
Walmart’s Retro Headmasters reissue Brainstorm, Mindwipe, Hardhead and Chromedome with new decos and Legends face plates. The crew compares each deco to earlier releases. The packaging recreates the 1987 Headmasters boxes using 1984 fonts and graphics, which makes one host’s head hurt. Others think Hasbro and Walmart wanted it to match the other retro reissues. Hasbro called this the first wave, so more Headmasters should follow, and the crew would love Targetmasters next. [Source: not found]
Vintage Grails at ArtFire
Brian congratulates whoever bought ArtFire’s mint-in-box Grandus, Black Zarak and Metrotitan, which sold within a day for about $2,000 to $2,400 each. The crew agrees they are not qualified to look after a pristine gold-plastic Black Zarak. Brian also spotted a sealed Mega Blackarachnia, the toy reviewed on the very first episode of Radio Free Cybertron, now listed at $145.
What We Got This Week
Chris
Chris got Gigawatt. It uses Sideswipe’s engineering with gull-wing doors that become wings, though the hood blocks part of the face. He praises the brushed-metal paint and the darker window tint, which Hasbro said came from fan feedback. Mr. Fusion plugs into the rifle and car, but the tow hook is mostly a vehicle accessory. He calls it the highlight of the crossover line so far. Mark Alley also sent him Earthrise Bluestreak, the best-looking of the Datsun trio with painted hubcaps and a gunmetal helmet. His copy’s shoulder tabs have no tension.
Matt
Matt picked up the G2 Sideswipe and Slamdance two-pack on Prime Day and likes Slamdance’s eye-catching colors. His last two Allicons arrived from Hasbro Pulse, and he is stopping at ten. He also got five more Slitherfangs, for eleven total.
Don
Don found a second Spinister at Ross and got another Smashdown before Battle Masters disappear. He used a Target sale for two Cyberverse one-step figures, including Bludgeon. He is giving Micromasters one more chance with the Battle Squad. He also got the late Cyberverse Warrior Class Optimus Prime with an axe-chop action, whose transformation he calls surprisingly thoughtful.
Diecast
After Target canceled his orders, Diecast bought Studio Series Blitzwing and Skipjack from Amazon. That gives him all his Devastator pieces, and the Amazon Warehouse Skipjack arrived undamaged.
Rob
Rob had nothing this week.
John
John got a much larger 1989 Hasbro line art catalog and plans to use holiday time off to scan his collection. He also got Mastermind Creations’ Moros, a Helex homage over 11 inches tall that turns into a war truck. That leaves him one figure from completing the set, with Tessera due soon.
Brian
Brian bought a wooden block Starscream on Amazon expecting a set and got one horrified-looking figure. He also got Studio Series Cliffjumper, which he will leave untransformed. A Rescue Bots Optimus Prime that turns into a monster truck cost about $8 and impressed him. Kim found Transformers stickers at Dollar Tree. For his 1985 McDonald’s Transformers collection, he added the yellow and black Bumblebee and a sealed Cliffjumper with an Overdrive mail-away sheet.