I think the first actuall Pre Transformer experience I can remember was the KO MicroChange Cassette man and the tapes.

Bad story. Was at a bowling alley with my Mom, and a classmate and his Mom. Was about 12 maybe. Some guy came in off the street and had these new "Transformer" things. Only the boxes said Mircoman or something. They were in English and looked good.

I remember I was going to get Rumble, the blue tape guy, looked so cool! But the classmate, I'll call him arse hole, asked to see it, so I handed it to him and he got his Mom to buy it for him. Turns out it was one of the bootlegs with the reversed color chest, light blue instead of navy so I made fun of that later and at the time I was glad I didn't get it because it wa all wrong. Got stuck with Laser Beak er Condor.

I since got "Reverse", since I now LOVE the variants as well as the other original Microman robot cassette, red and blue, plus a few other KO's.

After that probably the bootleg constructicons in diaclone colors and the DiaKron 3 variants started turning up a little.

i think i first heard about it when i was starting out in the fandom and then i went off doing some goggling

No actual Diaclones, but I am up to 3 Microman/Microchange figures. I've grabbed both the Japanese and Italian GiG MC-13 U.N.C.L.E. as well as the Japanese MC-12 Black version. Just recently missed out on a MC-12 Gray version, but alas I will find one again, and given the opportunity, it will be mine. Still keeping my eyes open for a Italian GiG MC-12 Black version as well. I've considered expanding more into Diaclone, but my wallet agrees with my current reservations about doing so. Eventually, there will be a few Diaclones that I will have to try and find, but I'll be patient about moving in that direction.

I had previously known about Diaclones and knew which ones had turned into TFs. I used to frequent a local comic shop and I knew the dude so he let me in the basement where the TFs were, and the TF parts bins. I made a few generous purchased and also aleviated him of some of his unwanted parts and junkers. One time he says "i'll sell you this weird toy for $10" and I looked at it and couldn't remember exactly what it was from, but I knew it was a legit Microman. so I said yes, and went home to look it up. It turned out to be the Lamborghini Countach LP500S Police Type aka Diaclone Red Alert. I was happy.

$10 for Diaclone Clamp Down...NICE! Reminds me of the good old days.

See, I have been around since the start, just as the internet and out knowledge of the Japanese market and series started to become more main stream. Back in the day when just these obscure different colored TF's started turning up and we all thought KNOCK OFF'S!

I attended my first Botcon in I think 94, brought some rare items to ask the only expert I knew of at the time, Tony Preto. This ball Robot (Which I later lost or was borrowed and not returned...)

Back then he had a news letter called Cybercon, and was one of the first to go out to Japan to learn all about the rare figures. Imported Japanese toys were not so easy to get as they are now, internet is way bigger and better then it was back then. I don't think Ebay was around then was it?

Once in awhile I'd find some gem's at the flea market or a toy show. I got DiaKron blue Trailbreaker and Red Sunstreaker (with TB box) for like $25. A Black Ironhide at the mart for $10. Diaclone Black hood Bluestreak and Jazz in box for I think $40 for both.

I can't say I'm a rookie at TFs, I remember reading TTF back in 94 or 95 (we could use the internet via HyperTerminal back then). My only other significant Diaclone experience was explaining to a guy at Anime North's TF panel that there was no Diaclone cartoon and he must be mistaken. Thinking about it now, the guy could have been talking about one of those weird Inferno cartoons that showed up at Walmart a couple years ago.

I was invited to be on the TF panel on Anime North, there was supposed to be four or five people, and me and this other dude were the only guys to show up! The worst part was when I got there and went to the staff sign-in table they didn't have the badge I was supposed to get. So I ended up paying my staff admission fee at the regular sign-up table :\

My first pre Transformers experience (which I only realised last year) was around 84-85, when I was bought the
blue version of this guy for my birthday.





Photo borrowed from http://www.microforever.com/

I don't know if this counts, but I had a red Bumblebee way back when. Hey, he was a Diaclone, right? Since then, I have always found Diaclones in particular and pre-TFs in general absolutely fascinating.

Bumblebee and the minibots were from Microman or Microchange - pre TF's all the same.

To me, red bumb counts. There were a few colors of the 3 penny racer like cars (cliff, bumble and bumper) some snuck through. Works for me.

The Microman / French "Diaclone" Reflector, that I got in a trade when I was a kid. Of course, to me it was Reflector, nothing else.

Then my first purchase of a Diaclone was an Italian Bluestreak (grey of course!).