I got into Transformers in 1984. And by 1987 I was out entirely.
My interest had waned as the Transformers figures became more plasticky, the alternate modes became less Earth-bound, and the line relied too heavily on gimmicks (e.g. an endless array of combiner teams).
Targetmasters aren’t a memory from my childhood, although I would have still been collecting toys when they debuted. It was just another gimmick, this one pairing a Transformer with a humanoid alien that acted as their weapon.
Last year, my friend, Dan, purchased a large Transformers collection. After keeping what he wanted, he went about selling off the rest. The first few years of Transformers sold quickly. And I watched with increasing interest as Headmasters sat unsold on Used Victoria, complete, at prices that were below Bellomo’s Ultimate Guide to Vintage Transformers Action Figures, which was by then three years outdated. There was something about the Victoria market and its stodgy, old school, collectors.
I worked downtown at the time – before COVID forced me into remote work from my home office – and was going to Cherry Bomb Toys on my lunch breaks. I was running out of vintage GI Joes to collect and was trying to figure out where to put my energy next. So I spent a lot of time staring at the G1 Transformers case in B’s store and becoming more intrigued with the robots that came along after I stopped collecting.
I bought some of B’s stock, of course, but I also hit Dan up for his Headmasters, Chromedome and Hardhead.
More recently, B posted a video of his wife and him talking about the Headmasters and Targetmasters that had come into the shop. Within 24 hours, I owned Cyclonus, and began planning another Cherry Bomb purchase for October, working around the cycle of my monthly toy budget.
I had prepared a list of my favourite Transformers – of course I did! – and the top Headmaster or Targetmaster was the dune buggy, Sureshot.
Today, via Cherry Bomb Toys, I added him to my collection.
What an amazing Transformer he is!
I just wish my photos could do him justice.
