More Than Meets the Eye Week :: Sharpen-a-Tron

This guy's identity is thus far a mystery. A TRUE Robot in Disguise! I found him along with the pile of other transforming robots I have been posting this week. Inside his right leg is marked '85 Prime Designs LTD.' He has a die-cast torso and plastic limbs/head/frontpiece.

So what's his alt mode, you ask?

He's a pencil sharpener! And his left hand is shaped to hold a pencil. Cool!

Clearly designed to cash in on the burgeoning transforming robot craze of the mid 80s, this guy (whom I have dubbed 'Sharpen-a-Tron' ) is a fun reminder of those bygone days of bringing not-toy toys to school in the guise of school supplies. I know I am not the only one who had MOTU erasers and transforming robot watches and other such items for the sole purpose of 'getting away' with bringing toys to school.

If anyone knows anyting about this guy, or remembers taking one to school in your Trapper Keeper, let me know about it in the comments!

Well, that does it for my recent transforming finds. I hope you all enjoyed More Than Meets the Eye week! Next week we will probably be back to the hodge-podge miscelleny of my normal posting schedule. Unless I hit on a thematically cohesive pile of cheap loot like last weekend.

One can only hope!

More Than Meets the Eye Week :: Jumpstarter Topspin

Even though I still own my original G1 Jumpstarters Topspin and TwinTwist, I couldn't pass up this one for a quarter!

Topspin is a bit dirty and needs a cleaning, but he's in otherwise great shape. The Jumpstarter gimmick was that when you pulled them back and released them, they would drive forward a foot or so and pop up into robot mode. Silly, but I remember every kid I knew thought it was the coolest thing at the time.

Tune in tomorrow for the last entry in More Than Meets the Eye Week. Who will it be?!?!

More Than Meets the Eye Week :: Bootleg Geeper-Creeper

During the 1980s heyday of transforming robots, not only were Transformers and Gobots and other branded toys available, but bootlegs were everywhere and popped up in almost every kids collection - seemingly out of nowhere. Everyone I knew had a 'bot or two that was just a little left of center. But we were fine with it, because the quality wasn't always that bad.

This guy is a fine example of that fact. He's obviously not the GoBot Geeper-Creeper, or his Machine Robo predecessor. The plastic seems just a bit flimsier, and there are no manufacturer markings on him whatsoever.

But he's still got more real metal in his 1:64 scale body than a modern day KIA. He's a good, solid toy and I just can't help think how much he, a 'rip-off' cheap version of an under two buck toyline, must have cost new?

Well he (as well as Hans) only cost me a quarter each this past weekend, so he sure hasn't appreciated in value. He's missing the passenger side half of his windhield and a piece of his bumper is broken off, but he's still a great representation of a cheap toyline's cheaper bastard cousin.

More Than Meets the Eye Week :: GoBot Hans-Cuff

Today I bring you the GoBot Hans-Cuff.  Hans here is in pretty good condition, I can only assume the kid(s) who owned him spent little time playing with GoBots. They were most likely an anti-GoBite.

Hans is solid in police car mode, but is pretty floppy in robot mode. His right arm was difficult to keep up in a normal pose, and his knees wanted to give out from under him. Regardless, he's a fun little guy and I'm glad to have him in my slowly re-growing GoBot collection.

More Than Meets the Eye Week :: Decepticon Clone Pounce

I had to turn to Twitter to identify this G1 Transformer. I knew he was a twin of some sort, but couldn't get a bead on him. Turns out he's a Decepticon 'Clone' named Pounce.

The schtick was that you got two Decepticons who looked identical in robot mode, but transformed into completely different alt modes. Pounce turns into an immaciated dog or coyote or wolf or something.

He looks vastly better in robot mode. I forgot to turn out his hands though. But he's in pretty good shape considering his lack of his twin and that he only cost me a quarter.

Pounce has two rub signs - one reveals that he is a Decepticon, and the other reveals that he is the wolf version of the pair. his Clone counterpart turns into a bird.

And  to think, people like to make fun of Gobots!

Tune in tomorrow for more More Than Meets the Eye Week!

More Than Meets the Eye Week :: Voltron Yellow Lion

I scored a handful of transforming (but not necessarily Transformer) toys at garage sales and the flea market this past weekend, and had the chance to photograph them all too!

So I decided to make this week 'More Than Meets the Eye' week' here at Toyriffic. Starting with another piece of my slowly building Voltron pie: Yellow Lion:

I'm not sure if this Yellow Lion even goes with the Black Lion I already have (I haven't paired them up yet) or if he goes to a different Voltron release.

Yellow Lion has a silver sticker on his base with some Japanese writing on it and 'GB-36', '1981', 'Y&K', and 'Made in Japan.'

He 'transforms' into...well...a foot. Not too exciting on his own, but a robot Lion is exciting enough so no need to transform him. He has some play wear and the tip of his tail is broken off, but for less than a dollar, I couldn't pass him up!

Tune in the rest of this week to see more robots that turn into other junk!