TakaraTomy Brings Back Transformers Decoys!

[Zobovor]

This is actually kind of amazing. They've come out with some new Gashapon toys in Japan that seem to be specifically a callback to the old Decoys promotion. They're red, rubbery, and represent eight of the original 1980's Autobots:

http://www.kghobby.com/productimage.php?product_id=1209

I only discovered this by accident when I was hunting for the actual Decoys from 1987, because I'm trying to complete my collection of them finally.

If anyone has any Decoys for sale or trade, these are the ones I'm looking for (Decepticons in purple and Autobots in red, please):

Blaster
Bonecrusher
Grimlock
Hoist
Huffer
Inferno
Ironhide
Jazz
Kickback
Prowl
Red Alert
Reflector
Sideswipe
Shrapnel
Skids
Skywarp
Slag
Sludge
Smokescreen
Snarl
Sunstreaker
Swoop
Thundercracker
Tracks
Trailbreaker
Wheeljack


Zob (already owns a few of these, but as a kid I hated the ones whose arms were permanently pointing up, so I regrettably took measures to correct that)

[banzait...@gmail.com]

> (Decepticons in purple and Autobots in red, please):

Jesus, you are picky!

> Thundercracker

How do you know it's not starscream or skywarp?

> If anyone has any Decoys for sale or trade

I have a rather extensive collection myself (well, maybe 20 or so?). I'll get them out and go through them. Curious to hear who you have, and maybe asterik the ones you have doubles of or would be willing to trade? Also, I'll be at botcon next week (woohoo), and could prowl the dealer room for you (excuse the pun).

-Banzaitron

[Zobovor]

On Saturday, April 2, 2016 at 7:58:28 AM UTC-6, banzait...@gmail.com wrote:

>> (Decepticons in purple and Autobots in red, please):
>
> Jesus, you are picky!

Well, you know. I realize the red-colored Decepticons are rare and valuable but their existence kind of bothers me a little. And there are weird-colored ones from Japan (yellow, blue, peach, etc.) that I have no interest in.

>> Thundercracker
>
> How do you know it's not starscream or skywarp?

Starscream has both his arms at his side; Thundercracker has one arm raised; and Skywarp has both arms raised. The number on the back of each character is different, and corresponds to the order in which their names appear on the checklist (Skywarp is #33; Thundercracker is #34; Starscream is #35).

> I have a rather extensive collection myself (well, maybe 20 or so?).
> I'll get them out and go through them. Curious to hear who you have, and
> maybe asterik the ones you have doubles of or would be willing to trade?
> Also, I'll be at botcon next week (woohoo), and could prowl the dealer
> room for you (excuse the pun).

Over the years, I've already traded off nearly all my extras. Here's what I own at present:

Astrotrain
Blitzwing
Bluestreak
Bombshell
Brawn
Bumblebee
Cliffjumper
Devastator
Frenzy
Grapple
Hook
Hound
Huffer (en route from eBay)
Long Haul
Megatron
Mirage
Mixmaster
Optimus Prime
Perceptor
Ratchet
Ravage
Scavenger
Scrapper (?)
Shockwave
Soundwave
Starscream (purple)
Starscream (red)
Windcharger (?)

If I were to trade any of them off, I guess it would be the red Starscream. I've been hanging onto him for a long, long time. I believe I own Scrapper and Windcharger, but their photos didn't make it into my picture archive, so I'm assuming I just forgot to photograph them.

When I was a kid, I hated when some of the Decoys had their arms permanently raised, so I tried to "fix" some of them. This mostly involved cutting their arms off and either super-gluing them back in place or, after I started to get really creative, sticking a sewing pin through the shoulder to create some articulation. I did this to Inferno, Slag, Thundercracker, and... to my deep regret... a red Reflector. (Years ago I was trading extras with Raksha and she was horrified to hear what I'd done to poor Reflector!) So, I do technically have these but they need to be replaced. (I have a new Slag on the way as we speak.)


Zob (thinks the sculpts for the Decoy versions of the Constructicons were based directly on their box art)

[Zobovor]

On Saturday, April 2, 2016 at 9:43:58 AM UTC-6, Zobovor wrote:

> And there are weird-colored ones from Japan (yellow, blue, peach, etc.) that
> I have no interest in.

Okay, so I've been doing some research, because I've always been sort of vaguely aware of the Japanese-exclusive Decoys but I knew next to nothing about them, aside from the fact that they existed.

For one, the Decoys originated in Japan, which is why certain characters were never offered. There is no Decoy version of Gears, for example, which is likely a Takara decision since they never sold the toy at retail. This also explains why there is no Jetfire/Skyfire, since Takara wanted to distance themselves from the Bandai toy at all costs. (Other notable omissions include Omega Supreme, Buzzsaw, Rumble, Ramjet, Thrust, and Dirge.)

While the original Decoys from the 1984-85 era were sold in Japan in boxed sets, there was also a small selection of post-movie characters who were sold individually in baggies. They included Superion, Defensor, Bruticus, Menasor, Rodimus Prime, Ultra Magnus, and Galvatron. These guys were all available in multiple colors (red, yellow, and blue). Around the same time, Takara began offering the previous Decoys individually in wacky colors... pink, orange, green, light blue, and peach among them, and even white (a "chase" color). These have been all over eBay for years but I was never quite sure whether they were legitimate or not. (The peach versions seem designed to make them seem more like M.U.S.C.L.E. figurines.)

I've also know for a while about these Decoy-sized figures that were completely different sculpts of the same characters. (I actually have one of Soundwave in a silver color. Unlike the Decoys, it's hard plastic, not rubbery.) Anyway, apparently they were sold in packages of Milk Caramel candy (Milk Duds, essentially) and actually came before the Decoys. They did a much more limited range of characters (there is a Microman-style Bumblebee with his chest sticker details; Jazz with his gun raised in the air; a really cool-looking Shockwave; at least three different versions of Optimus Prime, etc.) You always see these for sale as Decoys, and until recently I had no idea what they really were. (Even Raksha didn't know when I showed her a picture of my Soundwave.)

Did you know Japan also got giant-sized Decoys? There were extra-large editions of Superion, Defensor, Bruticus, and Menasor in addition to the regular-sized ones, as well as Decoy versions of Trypticon and Predaking. There are huge versions of Rodimus Prime and Ultra Magnus and Galvatron, too.


Zob (they did some Headmasters and Targetmasters, too, but they're a little less interesting to me)

[banzait...@gmail.com]

Whoa... I too have been researching them since your thread, and dug mine out as well. You have more than I do. I am at 21, with no duplicates. All of my autobots are orange, and decepticons purple. Many of these I acquired from friends who grew to cool for toys, so it boggles my mind that I don't have duplicates. Perhaps I too traded them away, but if I did I have ZERO recollection of this. Further, I am not sure who I would have traded with?

> Did you know Japan also got giant-sized Decoys?

No. Define giant? 1 ft tall? I am decidedly uninterested in most Japanese transformer toys. I do find the microman toys fascinating of course, from a historical perspective. I once came face to face with a blue bluestreak at a botcon. It was in poor condition, and several hundred dollars, but it was a bit of a religious experience for me. Just to see and touch it, IT DOES EXIST!!! But anything post 1984 coming out of japan I typically ignore.

> The peach versions seem designed to make them seem more like M.U.S.C.L.E. figurines.)

Have you seen these? http://www.bigbadtoystore.com/bbts/product.aspx?product=SSVN10028&mode=retail I kinda want them, ALL.

You are far more creative than I. The paradox with these damn things is that I have never been able to come up with a good story line or use for them. What good exactly is a "decoy" of a robot that is all orange/purple and one fifth the size of the person it is meant to imitate? I've never been able to come up with any interesting or novel idea for them - other than to, uh, collect them.

I'll keep an eye out for them in Kentucky. My last botcon dealer room was rather disappointing. Most of the booths were hocking the same, mostly recent stuff. There wasn't a bunch of interesting or G1 accessories for sale by really anyone. I don't expect to see a bunch of decoys there, but I will definitely be looking for them. If I happen to find a treasure trove of decoys, I'll let you know. But as Omega Supreme would say, "Probability, low".

-Banzaitron

[Zobovor]

On Saturday, April 2, 2016 at 11:04:49 PM UTC-6, banzait...@gmail.com wrote:

> Whoa... I too have been researching them since your thread, and dug mine
> out as well. You have more than I do. I am at 21, with no duplicates. All
> of my autobots are orange, and decepticons purple. Many of these I acquired
> from friends who grew to cool for toys, so it boggles my mind that I don't
> have duplicates. Perhaps I too traded them away, but if I did I have ZERO
> recollection of this. Further, I am not sure who I would have traded with?

My problem was that by 1987, I had already amassed a good number of the Scramble City mini-vehicles, so there weren't that many toys with Decoys that I could buy. Throttlebots and Terrorcons and Technobots and that was it. I remember digging through the toy aisles, checking the Decoys to get a character that I wanted. I also remember getting a duplicate Goldbug for my 12th birthday, but instead of returning it, I kept it because it had a Decoy that I needed.

I'm sure I must have traded with friends, too. Battle Beasts were popular at the time so I remember trading some of mine away for Decoys.

>> Did you know Japan also got giant-sized Decoys?
>
> No. Define giant? 1 ft tall?

They're about twice the size of regular Decoys. Here's a picture with regular-sized Cliffjumper (that somebody painted) and giant-sized Bruticus and Defensor:

http://www.luckydrawtransformers.com/img/transformers-toys/decoy/g1/supersize/defensor/defensor-004.jpg

> I am decidedly uninterested in most Japanese transformer toys.

Me too, for the most part. Or, rather, I should say I'm not really interested in the vintage stuff, because Takara's producing a lot of stuff NOW that I love (like Masterpiece toys). Guys like Metalhawk or Deszaras or Victory Leo... yeah, zero interest there.

> Have you seen these?

Hilarious! Somehow, Masters of the Universe and M.U.S.C.L.E. men make perfect sense together. Too bad there's no Orko, 'coz he's my home boy.

> The paradox with these damn things is that I have never been able to come up
> with a good story line or use for them.

They're approximately to scale with the combiners, considering how huge they grow in the cartoon. So, the Decoy of Starscream is the right size to stand on Bruticus' shoulder, and such. But, yes, their weird scale is hard to justify.

> If I happen to find a treasure trove of decoys, I'll let you know.

Thanks. I hate how much people are charging for them nowadays. I was able to get a couple of them for about four bucks a pop, which is nearly on the upper end of how much I can justifiably pay for these things. I was asking a guy on eBay if he would lower his prices if I bought like 15-20 of his Decoys all at once, but they'd still cost me like $150.


Zob (that's a lot of dosh for a bunch of erasers)

[banzait...@gmail.com]

> If I happen to find a treasure trove of decoys, I'll let you know.
>
> Thanks. I hate how much people are charging for them nowadays. I was able to get a couple of them for about four bucks a pop, which is nearly on the upper end of how much I can justifiably pay for these things. I was asking a guy on eBay if he would lower his prices if I bought like 15-20 of his Decoys all at once, but they'd still cost me like $150.
>
>
> Zob (that's a lot of dosh for a bunch of erasers)

Well, I did find a treasure trove of decoys at botcon. His pricing was variable, based on the figures. Also, many of his decoys had these odd ink marks on them. I told them I had a friend who was in the decoy market, and asked for his contact info. He gave me a business card for transformerland.com and said his email was on the site. I looked it up, and the best email address I could find was custome...@transformerland.com. I told him you would reach out to him with your list, and see what kind of deal he can give you. I don't know your standards for collecting, so I would recommend you ask for pics first (and let him know you don't want any with ink on them.)
The guy might remember me. I bought a couple decoys and action card stickers from him (about $6 a piece avg). I met him in his hotel room, he had advertised a parts party. anyways, good luck. Would be interested to know if you find anything from him.

-Banzaitron (Still working on my botcon review)

[Zobovor]

On Wednesday, April 13, 2016 at 9:44:04 PM UTC-6, banzait...@gmail.com wrote:

> I told them I had a friend who was in the decoy market, and asked for his
> contact info. He gave me a business card for transformerland.com and said his
> email was on the site.

Thank you for remembering to look! I will likely be in touch with him soon.


Zob (ended up buying the new set of Gashapon toys, too, because Geewun)

[Zobovor]

On Saturday, April 2, 2016 at 9:43:58 AM UTC-6, Zobovor wrote:

> I believe I own Scrapper and Windcharger, but their photos didn't make it
> into my picture archive, so I'm assuming I just forgot to photograph them.

Finally dug out the box, and I can't find my Windcharger decoy anywhere. I keep my Decoys in a tiny little box, which in turn is stuffed in another box full of 1987 G1 toys, so I have no idea how he got separated from the rest. I know I wouldn't have sold him. (I mean, maybe if I met somebody who only had two months to life, and their dying wish was to own a Windcharger decoy, sure. But to the best of my recollection, that never happened.) He didn't make it into the photo archive from 2008, so some horrible fate befell him before that time. I'm envisioning all sorts of horrible scenarios. Did he fall out of a box and is sitting in a pile of leaves at my old apartment somewhere? Did one of my kids find him and try to use him as an eraser? I consider myself very good at keeping track of my collectibles and it drives me absolutely nuts when one of them spontaneously goes missing. (Of course, one single item is something like 0.027 percent of the collection, but still.)

As for Scrapper, I know I traded off my red version to Raksha for a couple of "regular" colored decoys (Perceptor and Ratchet) and I had thought she traded me a purple Scrapper as well, but apparently that's not the case. Of course, this was also about 20 years ago.


Zob (the moral of this story, apparently, is that you could "borrow" one of my 3700 toys and it would take me eight years to notice its absence)

[Zobovor]

On Wednesday, April 13, 2016 at 10:39:00 PM UTC-6, Zobovor wrote:

> Zob (ended up buying the new set of Gashapon toys, too, because Geewun)

Oh, they're the most adorable things ever. They're slightly smaller than Decoys, measuring about 1.5" high. They feel much more rubbery than the old Decoys. Almost like silicone. You can bend them and they just spring right back. The Decoys would have torn apart if you tried this. (Amusingly, most people assumed the Decoys were erasers despite them never being marketed this way. These guys actually CAN be used as erasers according to their instructions.)

So the eight characters in the assortment are Optimus Prime, Mirage, Sideswipe, Jazz, Ironhide, Bumblebee, Wheeljack, and Perceptor. So, a couple of guys who never got represented as SCF figures. Where the original Decoys were often a mix of cartoon- and toy-based details, these guys are strictly Sunbow cartoon all the way, and the sculpts are top-notch.

I paid $29 shipped for these, which works out to be about $3.62 a pop. Pricy for a tiny little rubbery toy, but less expensive than what vintage Decoys are currently going for. And now I have some tiny figures to inhabit Titan-class Metroplex, since I never got the SDCC mini-figures.


Zob (pics later tonight, possibly)

[Zobovor]

On Thursday, March 31, 2016 at 10:35:58 PM UTC-6, Zobovor wrote:

> This is actually kind of amazing. They've come out with some new Gashapon toys
> in Japan that seem to be specifically a callback to the old Decoys promotion.

Okay, here are some pictures of these little guys. I did comparisons with the original 1987 Decoy figures when possible:

http://www.zmfts.t15.org/zmfts_gashapon.html


Zob (still missing a handful of Decoys... but I've gotten like 11 new ones just since I started this thread, so there's that)

[banzait...@gmail.com]

Did the transformerland guy come through? Or ebay?

[Zobovor]

On Thursday, April 21, 2016 at 10:04:12 PM UTC-6, banzait...@gmail.com wrote:

> Did the transformerland guy come through? Or ebay?

He said to get back with him later, because he had to pack up a bunch of stuff to go to the convention and now he's got to unpack it all.

I've been picking up Decoys piecemeal here and there on eBay. (One guy couldn't find the one I had bought, so he sent me a different one as an apology. I didn't even have to pay for it!) I found a nice lot tonight with several that I've been looking for. It will also give me some extras to trade or sell off.

One character I basically never see for sale is Sideswipe. Is he, like, super rare or something?


Zob (Grimlock's a hard one to find too, I'm discovering)

[Zobovor]

On Thursday, March 31, 2016 at 10:35:58 PM UTC-6, Zobovor wrote:

> If anyone has any Decoys for sale or trade, these are the ones I'm looking

> for (Decepticons in purple and Autobots in red, please).

Since people tend to dig through the newsgroup archives and respond to very old messages, I figure I'd better keep this list current. I've done some wheeling and dealing in the past month and spent far too much money on little rubbery robots, and this is my want list as it stands now (May 2016):

Blaster, Bonecrusher, Grimlock, Hoist, Inferno, Jazz, Prowl, Sideswipe, Snarl, Swoop, Wheeljack, and Windcharger.

(I also have damaged versions of Kickback, Shrapnel, and Trailbreaker and wouldn't mind trading up for better ones.)

Here are the extras I have for trade: Astrotrain, Optimus Prime, Red Alert, Reflector, and Soundwave. Additionally, I have a damaged red Reflector, but the left arm has been detached and glued back on.


Zob (sad that Gears never got a Decoy)