Just out of curiosity, which G1 figures would people considered classics?

 

I'd say Prime, Jazz, Sideswipe, Megs, Soundwave, Devestator and Starscream - but that's about it.  (Most of the other Autobot cars really aren't that different from Jazz and 'Swipe.)

 

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IMO all the first series cars are classics, even Ratchet and Ironhide.

Here are some toys I think will be classics in the future:

 

Armada Bendy Prime - Amazing articulation

RiD Megatron - Alt modes times a million

Cybertron Optimus Prime - TFs meets Gundam Wing

Omega Prime - big, beautiful, and was the first "new" non-monkey Prime

 

and I know I will take some heat for this, but...

 

Energon Optimus Prime with Wing Saber.  Say what you will about E-Prime combined with his OP units, but no one can dispute the fact that the homage to Star Saber coupled with two seperate and impressive superbot modes for OP is unique.

 

Honorable mentions:  Rail Racer, Scorponok, and RiD Scourge.

Energon Starscream, best deluxe jet. Needs to repainted into others.

 

Energon Divebomb, best Terrorcon and he is a fantastic for a basic

 

Have not got him, but Cybertron Armorhide.

My votes go for 

 

Beast Wars - Primal, Dinobot, Ratrap, rhinox, tigatron, Megatron, blackarachnia,tarantulus, scorponok, waspinator. All from season 1.

 

Rid - Prime, magnus, Megatron/galvatron, rail racer.

 

Armada - tidal wave, Unicron

 

Energon - Megatron, Shockblast, combiners

 

Cybertron - Megs and Prime so far.

 

20th MP prime, anyof the BTs/Alts....

all RiD original molds.

WHEELIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In my opinion as a collector, part of what makes a classic a classic is the price that it demands after the toy has stopped mass production.  Not entirely decided on this, but this aspect is a big one in my book for a couple of reasons.

 

One, price reflects value.  Ever notice how much of the BW figures haven't really shot up in price all that much comparative to G1?  BW is now what...10 years old?  In 95/96 prices for classic G1 toys had already doubled for most toys.  Now they are much much more.

 

Two, older doesn't necessarily mean that it will command a higher price.  Look at G1 Bumblebee compared to G1 Cliff Jumper.  Bumblebee on average commands a much higher price although the two are essentially the same mold and came out at the same time.

 

This might seem like stating the obvious, but to me a big part of whether a toy is a classic or not is the price it commands.  Not just the popularity of that toy in the fandom.  Sometimes these go hand in hand, but other times they don't.

One thing I've learned from comics is that demand tends to rise if the char/property has gotten well-received publicity -- for instance, increased interest in Superman related stuffs during the whole "Death of Superman" thing thanks to non-comics fans suddenly sitting up and taking an interest.

 

There are other factors too.  I'd always estimated that the number of G1 TF fans was significantly larger than BW fans (though if anyone has hard demographics that could affirm or refute that, by all means), partly due to anti-BW sentiment, largely due to the fact that the '80s simply dominated the cartoon/toy/merchandise phenomenon.  This isn't to say BW and later series don't have their fans or that they aren't sizeable.  I would imagine the younger bloc of BW fans has still not quite reached the working years and lack disposable income.  I've also heard that quite a few females (even of my generation, such as my ex) were all turned onto TF through BW.  Not trying to pretend that I'm that intimately familiar with fans of BW or the later series.  It's just that I've never gotten the impression that the BW collector base is sufficiently large enough to make BW toys hit the same prices that G1s have.

 

Bainreese's explanation makes even more sense when we look at the asking prices for various G1 reissues.  All the toys with the highest asking prices and largest increases in ask and traded prices are still the most popular G1 chars.  The few places I've seen either Hasbro or Takara Optimus Prime are asking $200+.  Takara Starscream is $80-$130.  I never even saw the Hasbro Starscream.  Soundwave $130, though most places seemed to sell out long before it even hit near there.  Even Soundwave's reincarnation, Soundblaster, is $99+.  Megatron is $150-$190.  I hadn't paid attention when these were just releasing, but am I right in thinking that all of these price ranges are generally already double their price at first release?  Some of them would be multiple times.  And this is only after 2-3 years since they first started?

Do you guys think someday some of the current toys will become the equivalent of G1 Overlord or Star Saber or Victory or Deathsaurus as in almost unobtainable?

Probably the things that had limited production runs (5000 pieces or lower) but for most part, no. Maybe BWN Big Convoy in another couple of decades.