G1 Sales Ads

Discuss any and all Transformers toys and merchandise here, from G1 to Kingdom and beyond!

Moderator: Jose

Post Reply
Roadbuster
Ground Assault Commander
Posts: 1334
Joined: Fri Aug 08, 2008 7:55 pm
Location: Busting roads! One mile marker at a time.

G1 Sales Ads

Post by Roadbuster »

I grew up in the 80's (was 7 in 1984) but wasn't old enough to buy my own toys so my parents or family members bought most of them. While I don't recall the actual prices of the toys I do know they were differently priced all around the country. I thought I'd have some fun here and post some of the sales ads from the G1 era. Here is a couple from 1984:

(remember to click to expand the pic)

Image

You'll see here some toys from other lines in 1984, including G.I. Joe and Masters of the Universe as well.

Image
Image
Minerva
Nurse to Die For
Posts: 3212
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2007 1:17 pm
Location: Transformerland-North HQ

Post by Minerva »

Old ads for toys are actually pretty fun to see. The prices look a bit silly now, but the figures were pretty expensive back in the day.
Image
Roadbuster
Ground Assault Commander
Posts: 1334
Joined: Fri Aug 08, 2008 7:55 pm
Location: Busting roads! One mile marker at a time.

Post by Roadbuster »

Yeah, they were definitely high end toys back in the 80's when the US dollar was worth a lot more. That first ad was from a Super RX Drug store in Miami, FL and the other one was from a K-Mart in Pittsburgh, PA.

Here's another one from '84 that includes the character bios on the sales ad. This one came from a sales ad in El Paso, TX

Image
Image
Jose
Diaclone General, Enemy of Waruder!
Posts: 1677
Joined: Sat Jun 28, 2003 12:11 am
Location: Santiago de Chile

Post by Jose »

I love old magazine ads. Though the 30s and 40s are my favorites, when it comes to Transformers, you have to look at the 80s, obviously. And it's impressive the price conversion. Here is the back cover of one issue of the Transformers comic, Chilean print (picture taken from an old thread). Din was a retailer which sponsored the magazine and carried several Hasbro Toys. You can see in the blue/white drawings some Transformers taken straight from their instructions.

Image

The USS Flagg is from a US ad. I don't recall this toy ever made it in here.

Image

Inside some had coupons, and the price categories were Transformers. The most expensive were priced at CLP 25.000 (USD 50), middle end at CLP 15.000 (USD 30) and cheapest at CLP 2500 (USD 5). If you do the math, they were much more expensive albeit the numbers weren't.
Jose Miguel Vargas

www.diecastchile.cl
curch
Throttlebot
Posts: 42
Joined: Mon Jan 03, 2011 4:43 pm
Location: Hazleton, Pa.
Contact:

Post by curch »

wow, that stuff is awesome to look at!
For all your vintage toy needs check out

http://stores.ebay.com/CURCHS-VINTAGE-TOY-PARADISE
Roadbuster
Ground Assault Commander
Posts: 1334
Joined: Fri Aug 08, 2008 7:55 pm
Location: Busting roads! One mile marker at a time.

Post by Roadbuster »

Thanks Curch! Yeah, it's pretty interesting to look and see what these went for back in the 80's. Take this ad for instance (circa '85) where everything is on clearance. Minibots for $1.97! Constructicons for $2! Insecticons for $3! Shockwave for $7! Dinobots for $8.97! And Jetfire for $17.97!! Wow!! If only I had a time machine and could go back and hoard all those $7 Shockwaves... :lol:

EDIT: Remember to click the pics to get them to expand.

Image
Image
skywarp408
Custom Rank 4 U! Ask an Admin!
Posts: 626
Joined: Sun Jun 14, 2009 8:23 pm

Post by skywarp408 »

And Gobot Scales for 5!!! I had him ,lol. Need to get him back someday.

Here's the mother load.

http://pleasesavemerobots.com/vstp/vstptf85.html

I got my own peronal catalogs too. I will post them up near the Hollidays.
PETER IS GOD!Image
Roadbuster
Ground Assault Commander
Posts: 1334
Joined: Fri Aug 08, 2008 7:55 pm
Location: Busting roads! One mile marker at a time.

Post by Roadbuster »

skywarp408 wrote:Here's the mother load.

http://pleasesavemerobots.com/vstp/vstptf85.html
Yep. That's my source. Not too hard to figure out, though, with the pics I uploaded being watermarked and all. :P I figured I'd wade through all of them and upload the best or most interesting ones as a lot of the sales ads on there are hard to make out.
Image
Rhymus
City Commander
Posts: 494
Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2004 5:26 pm
Location: Earth, North America, East Coast

Post by Rhymus »

Jose wrote:I love old magazine ads. Though the 30s and 40s are my favorites, when it comes to Transformers, you have to look at the 80s, obviously. And it's impressive the price conversion. Here is the back cover of one issue of the Transformers comic, Chilean print (picture taken from an old thread). Din was a retailer which sponsored the magazine and carried several Hasbro Toys. You can see in the blue/white drawings some Transformers taken straight from their instructions.

Image

The USS Flagg is from a US ad. I don't recall this toy ever made it in here.

Image

Inside some had coupons, and the price categories were Transformers. The most expensive were priced at CLP 25.000 (USD 50), middle end at CLP 15.000 (USD 30) and cheapest at CLP 2500 (USD 5). If you do the math, they were much more expensive albeit the numbers weren't.
How much for the scale G1 Broadside? ;-)
One shall stand; one shall fall; and the one who stands shall help the one who falls to stand once again.
--Rhymus (also known as STARS Commando 539, also known as transit)
Post Reply