Well...my first Go-Bots purchase -- Puzzler

Civ · Post by **Civ** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 7:14 pm

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... :IT&ih=008

Well, I decided to buy my first Go-Bot. I chose Puzzler based solely upon Cliffy's review and since I couldn't find any of the other good ones for a decent price on e-bay at this time. So how did I do? Too much for it?

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 7:34 pm

Nope, that's about right for good condition... the mistake most people make when buying Puzzler is pikcing up the limbs on the cheap, but having tight, nice-condition parts for him is vital from the way he's built - witha good one you can get a surprising amount of poses out of a 20-year old combiner too. That and Jig Saw (white/waist) seems disproportionately rare compared to the rest, so nabbing them while you can is the best route.

Recommended from the same seller (his prices aren't bad for someone who knows what he's selling; however, the best Gobot bargains usually come from mislabelled lots, try searching for things like "Transformer Bandai" or "Bandai robot", make sure you search for Gobot and Go bot, run machine robo together, etc.): -

Tank Transer - http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0095804087
Review - http://counter-x.net/gobots/reviews/hel ... sport.html - not technically a Gobot, but a damn good figure. Not a bad price for 100% complete

Crain Brain -
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0091063660
Review - http://counter-x.net/gobots/reviews/crain_brain.html - an underrated little figure, hard to find with the crane part.

Stallion -
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0126248145 - a very good "starter" small Gobot. Surprisingly nifty.

Flip Top -
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0095803924 Review - http://counter-x.net/gobots/reviews/flip_top.html - excellent little bloke.

Scratch
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0126248104
Review - http://counter-x.net/gobots/reviews/scratch.html - don't be fooled by the dull grey 4x4... he's possibly my favourite.

Argh, the bastard's selling Tail Pipe... anyone know where I can sell a kidney?

Civ · Post by **Civ** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 7:42 pm

Thanks. Just bought Scratch, Stallion, and Flip Top from the links you provided. Also got Dive-Dive:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... :IT&ih=018

EDIT: **looks at Tail-Pipe's cost** Whoa!!

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 7:52 pm

Yay! Dive-Dive's awesome, frankly. It's amazing how they get such a normal shaped robot out of a cigar-shaped submarine.

With a couple of minor exceptions (Cy-Kill isn't bad, and Scooter's pretty good too) the best Gobot figures tend to be the less famous ones... Most of the good figures came too late to get much exposure, so the ones everyone knows are the poorer examples like Cop-Tur, Leader-1 etc.

Originally posted by Civ
EDIT: **looks at Tail-Pipe's cost** Whoa!!

He might do a swap for a kidney... Make things worse, I've got my heart set on the black one... too many red Gobot cars, and if i'm going to spend waaaay too much on a Gobot, it might as well be in the best colour scheme... Now, to explain to Sar that if she really loves me, she'll be willing to pay to have sex with me...

Civ · Post by **Civ** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 7:59 pm

I just bid on this auction here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0118510747

No Tail-Pipe but I figured the cost right now is worth it just for the Jetfire, which I can sell later. Looks to be quite a few good pieces in the lot though it's hard to tell since the transformation induce chronic laughter.

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Sun Jun 03, 2007 8:05 pm

Tux and Geeper are both pretty good figures, and if you like pictures of Psycho (http://counter-x.net/gobots/photos/psycho/index.html) you'll like Psycho. Just try not to be too distressed by Staks...

Civ · Post by **Civ** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 2:10 am

Well, I won the auction posted above and I splurged a little extra for a Zeemon:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... :IT&ih=013

As for the Tail Pipe, surely you can gut one of the numerous fanboys out there for a kidney. I mean they must be good for something, so why not spare parts? The ole bath tub full of ice trick should work nicely. Just don't bother to leave a phone so they can call for help.

Zisteau · Post by **Zisteau** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 6:53 am

Stop posting links like this or I might have to buy some of those.

Civ · Post by **Civ** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 9:59 am

Quick...post more auction links!!

While we're on the subject of Go-bots, I saw an episode of the cartoon that had a character named Steamer. Was there ever a toy released for this character or is he like an Impactor for Go-bots?

Aardvark · Post by **Aardvark** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 11:10 am

Originally posted by Civ
Well, I won the auction posted above and I splurged a little extra for a Zeemon:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... :IT&ih=013

Granted I don't collect toys (Not my thing), I must say:

Excellent purchase -- aside from the general awesomeness of Zeemon, he comes with beautiful box-art. Glad to see more people highlighting the stupidity of elitist plums.

Clogs · Post by **Clogs** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 12:33 pm

Oh dear, dear, dear.

They're all catching Gobot-itis. I blame you for this, Cliffy. Soon, a goodly proportion of TFArchivers will be living on toast, too.

I'm immune. But the comic strips are pretty nifty and I'd rather like to get.... AARRRGGGHHH!!!!

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 1:30 pm

Originally posted by Civ
While we're on the subject of Go-bots, I saw an episode of the cartoon that had a character named Steamer. Was there ever a toy released for this character or is he like an Impactor for Go-bots?

Yeh, he was cartoon-only (bit of an odd thing, really, considering there were dozens of toys either unused or barely used).

Yay, Zeemon! If you can get around the "cockpit for a head" stuff, even the first batch of Super Gobots are great toys... not quite Diaclone level (except Defendor, who could easily slot into the first two lines of Transformers)... And the Super Gobot packaging is great for the time - good box art, opening front, packed in robot mode (in polystyrene, rather than some vac-formed bubble)... Great for display.

TBH, while there isn't anything like a dedicated fandom, Gobots are generally getting their dues of late... people like Sid Burn are anachronisms from playgrounds in the 1980s when collecting the "in" line mattered... most people can now acknowledge that one transforming robot toy can be as good as/better than another without having the hipper brand attached to it

Aardvark · Post by **Aardvark** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 2:34 pm

Originally posted by Cliffjumper

Yay, Zeemon! If you can get around the "cockpit for a head" stuff . . .

Hell, they're the best ones. Rather them than the same ol' human-ey faces that have been recycled for the last 20-or-so years. Like Ratchet and Ironhide: "Sure we could keep their relatively unique designs, but that would be teh suxx0r – let’s make ’em look like everyone else."

I like unusual and distinctive Transformers -- guess that's why a lot of the more famous characters that a some of the fandom seem to want, as well as demand, a hundred different toys dedicated to them, don't really appeal to me . . .

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 6:05 pm

I've always liked them too (and epecially disliked the cartoon's massively unsuccessful attempt to humanise some of them, cf. Dr. Go, Bug Bite & Psycho. Even though it comes from the whole mecha thing it's nice to have robots that don't strictly follow the humanoid pattern... The only one I really don't like is Staks (everything about him is just too ugly, and he's not as well made as the others), I can just sort of see why some people wouldn't like it

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 7:32 pm

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0130035295

I already have one, but a dirt cheap MIB version was too good to pass up... Destroyer's really difficult to find with decent tracks, so I'm pretty chuffed with that one

Aardvark · Post by **Aardvark** » Mon Jun 04, 2007 9:12 pm

Originally posted by Cliffjumper
The only one I really don't like is Staks (everything about him is just too ugly, and he's not as well made as the others), I can just sort of see why some people wouldn't like it

I have to say, I actually like Staks -- I tend to think of him as a big gorilla-ey type bouncer, that'd stand outside a Gobot nightclub, and would only be able to say "Ook-ook" or somethin' . . .

Civ · Post by **Civ** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 2:39 am

Well, some of my figures have been shipped and I have to admit, I feel like a kid near Christmas time. I can't wait to get my hands on Puzzler, Zeemon, Scratch, and the rest.

Post by **inflatable dalek** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 12:40 pm

Typical, I give my one Go-Bot away before they suddenly become cool again.

Cliffjumper · Post by **Cliffjumper** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 6:04 pm

Originally posted by Aardvark
I have to say, I actually like Staks -- I tend to think of him as a big gorilla-ey type bouncer, that'd stand outside a Gobot nightclub, and would only be able to say "Ook-ook" or somethin' . . .

Hmm, he kind-of merges the worst of both worlds for me... Part of the attraction of Zeemon, Baron von Joy etc. is that they're so well built, whereas Staks is pretty big and plasticky. While I'm not opposed to monkey-arms (hell, look at the Helicopter Transport), Staks' arms just bug me - neither the shoulders or the elbows work that well (and they don't really seem to hold the weight of his guns, either), and the chest doesn't work. He kinda reminds me of that Bash Street Kid with the sweater up to his nose, but he's just too chunky and cheap for me. Scale Robo DX > Big Machine Robo (although BIG Leader-1 is a beautifully made toy, even if it retains the blandness of the little one).

Civ · Post by **Civ** » Wed Jun 06, 2007 9:01 pm

I just got Puzzler, Flip Top, Stallion, Scratch, and Zeemon. They're f***ing great!

Puzzler -- amazing toy. Puts all of the G1 combiners to shame save for maybe Predaking and the only reason I say, "maybe" is that Puzzler doesn't have the articulation of the Predacon combiner but has far fewer accessories to lose. The only thing that really worries me is that his waist is held together by those two, skinny sirens.

Scratch -- reminds me of Cybertron Overhaul in design. I can't believe he has a turnable waist! A toy that small and that old and it has a turnable waist! Definitely a favorite now for that size and age.

Flip Top -- Nifty design. Easily better than G1 Blades but of course, blades was designed to be a combiner limb. He's a bit hard to stand though with his feet but a very aesthetically pleasing piece.

Stallion -- same as Flip Top but a bit blander and no standing issues. Love the transformation with the rotating legs.

Zeemon -- very simple to transform and he has a beautiful car mode with a working trunk! The driver is a nice touch too. Not as articulate as G1 Prowl, Bluestreak, or Smokescreen but definitely just as aesthetically pleasing if not more so.

TFARCHIVE FORUMS

Well...my first Go-Bots purchase -- Puzzler

Well...my first Go-Bots purchase -- Puzzler

And on the subject of Super Gobots...