Transformers Month - THEN VS. NOW

 TRANSFORMERS:  THEN AND NOW

Then VS. Now...

    I was blessed to grow up in the 80's with all of these iconic toylines coming out around the same time.  How exciting to watch all of these great characters, storylines, and toy series' come to life right before us!  These days the dynamic is WAAAAAY different.  We no longer have the surprise of "what's coming next?"  Seeing that new figure on the toy shelves for the first time... no warning, you've never even seen it before, you just walk down the toy aisle and THERE IT IS!

    Our massive series of figures would usually take the entire year to unfold.  A figure might not interest you at first, but then you see it in the comic or cartoon and suddenly "I HAVE to have that figure!"  Mowing lawns in the hot sun all summer to devote a certain amount of $$$ to your toy collection.  Maybe your friend calls you and tells you they just saw something at the store or their Mom just got them a figure.

    Back then, if I couldn't find a Bumblebee figure because they were all sold out, all you had to do was wait a week and they would restock.  If a friend told you he saw the Stunticons at Target and by the time you got there they were gone... the disappointment was temporary.  You knew that before long they would all be available again.  Plenty for everyone... and they sold!  Now if someone tells me they saw the current G.I. Joe Classified figures and I get there and they are gone - they ain't coming back!!!  These days some toys don't even ever show up on the shelf because Hasbro is too dumb to realize that a Studio Series 86 Rumble will SELL WELL...  So they pilfer a few out that quickly disappear and then you're stuck with either not having it, or paying double.  (Yes Hasbro, I stand behind the "too dumb" comment... there was no good excuse for this!!  I'm willing to talk about it if you are.)

    On the flipside, you have to consider that many of the figures back in the day were extremely limited in articulation or they looked nothing like their cartoon appearances.  Yet these days, they have come up with some AMAZING updates!  I was blown away by the awesomeness of the Power Of The Primes Blot figure!  Also, I never would have predicted the day would come where we get a Hot Rod with the little blade-saw thing he uses in the Movie!  Or finally get an Arcee figure for that matter!?!?

    One of the recent "must haves" for me was the G2 version of the Stunticon Breakdown!  The original was exclusive to a convention I ALMOST went to.  Yet for whatever reason, I didn't go and missed out.  Now, in 2025, I have a great-looking update of the figure!  Who would have thought?

    So when you look at it... I guess both eras have their pros and cons.  I guess I am grateful I was there when this all started and I get to see where it is now!  What are your thoughts on the 80's VS. 2025??