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Good day all,
I picked up this little guy at a local yard sale this summer. I scoured the usual resources (here, FredsWorkshop, etc.) and came up with no answers.
Is anyone familiar with this model? I'm assuming variant or knock-off. Some noteworthy items:
Metal feet (though unfortunately one of mine is missing)
Metal joints
Stickers and decals provide some evidence of age, so this doesn't seem to be a newer knockoff
Any insight would be appreciated, at this point I'm just really curious.
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I believe what you've got is a Transistor Robots Micro-Man, by Four Star, a Taiwanese KO company from the 80s. They released Frenzy, Laserbeak, and Ravage in alternate colors. I'm working on putting together a collector's guide section for Four Star, but for now, click here and scroll down to "Fake Cassettes": http://www.fredsworkshop.com/vdiacass.html
A-hah! Nifty! Mystery solved - these knockoffs are a heck of a rabbit hole, but a pretty cool curiosity. Thank you, and for putting together these additional resources.
Yeah, there are collectors who go all the way down the rabbit hole just on the Cassettes. There are even variations WITHIN some of the knockoffs. Anything small and Transformable, and people will go wild!
