I know that some of the original prices can be gleened from Sears catalogues, and that the prices were no where near as standard as they are today, but does anyone know where I can get info like this?

I've got a Sears 1985 toy catalog with alot of the 1984 and 1985 figures in it. Let me know if this helps.

I'd second an interest in this information. I've always been a bit curious about the original G1 (and G2) pricing.

Here are some price lists from 1985. It was hard to take clear pictures because I had to use both hands to hold the catalog open. It has no spine creaseing and therefore anything near the spine is hidden by curvature of the page. I've treated this catalog like a valuable comic book (bagged and boarded and stored away from light so the spine acts like new). I guess I treated it so nice because of all the memories it brings with it. Lots of cool odd-ball toys are in here even some that I never see on eBay.

 

You can get a good idea about prices for alot of the early toys from this list for example: The other Autobot cars would have been the same price as Hoist. The other Decepticon jets would have been the same price as Dirge.

 

Man 13.99 for all three Insecticons MISP. Thirty something for Jetfire or Devastator. Those were the days.

You're the man, Gorko! :yay

see - the catalog even mentions that the pieces were a combo of plastic and DIE CAST.

 

FOR ME.. i lost interest when they got away from die-cast, included more florescent type coloring and the toys FELT and LOOKED cheaper -- like McDonald happy meal toys. (started the 2nd year).

 

Is it any wonder that the BT line -- die cast + reality -- returned so many older people back to the TF world and collecting???

see - the catalog even mentions that the pieces were a combo of plastic and DIE CAST.

 

FOR ME.. i lost interest when they got away from die-cast, included more florescent type coloring and the toys FELT and LOOKED cheaper -- like McDonald happy meal toys. (started the 2nd year).

 

Is it any wonder that the BT line -- die cast + reality -- returned so many older people back to the TF world and collecting???

 

That is so cool to see an old Sears Toy catalog.....ah...the days of looking at the catalogs and flipping the pages for months and begging my parents for the Devastator Giftset. I finally got it when I got on the honor roll! :woot

 

I have to say that there are pros and cons for the Binaltech vs. Alternator lines and which is "better". That is one I don't think can ever really be settled.....IMHO.

 

Die Cast made the 1/24 scale models nice and heavy like real ones, but they made the bot modes so hard to pose. That's were the Alt line I think won overall IMO as they were way easier to pose.

 

I just collected both to solve that problem. They were kinda of clever where they didn't release some figures in the BT line and vice versa.:schin

Figured I'd bump this since I found a JC Penney's catalog on a website; http://www.transformersontheshelf.com/catalogueJCP.html

Figured I'd bump this since I found a JC Penney's catalog on a website; http://www.transformersontheshelf.com/catalogueJCP.html

 

 

Grimlock a Dragon... ok,

Swoop a Bird-Plane... uhh, kinda,

Slag a DOG ??? HUH ???

 

But at $15.49 each, they can call em' whatever they want !!!

 

And Shockwave for $18.99 :tfsad :tfsad :tfsad

 

Megatron... :eek :eek :eek

Don't get too excited about these old prices. Taking inflation into account...

 

Jetfire = 63.19

Optimus = 47.39

Triple changer = 23.68

Insecticons = 27.64

Deluxe car = 19.73

Devastator = 69.12

Dinobot = 30.60

Shockwave = 37.51

 

 

and you wonder why so many people bought you GoBots for your birthday instead.