A little something for all you fans of the transformers to wet your appetite!

Where Can I Find Transformers Action Figures? You might ask! Now that Transformers action figures have been around for more than 20 years, they are considered collector’s items, or even vintage toys. Back in the mid-1980s up until the mid-1990s, Transformers figurines could be purchased in just about any semi-major toy or department store on the planet. However, as the Transformers cartoon TV series generation has gotten older, and by and large, Transformers is not played on TV on a regular basis anymore, being able to find Transformers action figures has gotten a little bit more difficult over time.

However, this does not mean that finding transformer action figures has to be difficult, you just need to know where to look — and that’s what we’re here to help you with today.

Specialty toy stores

Stores that cater to specific demographic, for instance, 20 to 30 somethings who are looking to walk down memory lane and maybe bask in some nostalgia, may offer Transformers action figures along with a whole slew of other 1980s to 1990s toys and games.

Garage sales or secondhand stores

One of the greatest things about the purchasing secondhand goods is that oftentimes you can find rare or even impossible-to-get-a-hold-of goods for next to nothing in price. Now, if you’re looking to pick up Transformers action figures as a collector, where you intend to possibly pass them on to your children, or to sell them and make a profit, used Transformers figurines and toys may not be what you’re really after. Nonetheless, garage sales or secondhand stores are a great place to pick up some of these now-vintage toys.

On the internet

The internet has given us instant access to just about anything that has ever been created in the world, so long as you’re willing to pay the price. However, Transformers action figures, unless rare or a part of a larger collection, generally won’t set you back a fortune — our point here is that the internet is a great place to begin, and even end, your search for these gadgets for kids and the kids at heart.

Even though you will not find the Transformers TV series being syndicated on network television, at least in the USA, and Transformers action figures may not be the hottest sellers in nation-wide toy stores — there are plenty of venues where you can find these older toys. If you’re looking for the widest selection of these vintage kids toys, we suggest starting your search online, and hitting up a garage sale or two when you’re out and about.

Transformers fans feared that the movie would not live up to expectations because of director Michael Bay; however, they should be pleasantly surprised. The movie is based on genuine robots known as the Autobots and the antagonists known as the Decepticons. There were some scenes in the movie with Shia LaBeouf’s character and his glasses being the key that unlocks a map. Megan Fox plays the sexy and immensely attractive woman and is a joy to watch.  Transformers talk about something called Sector 7 which is a secret branch of the government that have known about the existance of the transformers for some time. The computer generated images are brilliant, and the movie had its fair share of comedic elements. 

Final Verdict: If you are a Transformers fan, then of course this is a must see but for others that want to see a decent movie with action and robots then definitely watch it. You do not have to be a fan to enjoy the robots in disguise.

Decepticon Transformer Devastator is built by the combination of the Coinstructicons. This flawless combination of wrath gives form to arguably the strongest Decepticon of them all. His only objective is to annihilate anything and everything that stands between him and his foe. In separated form, the six Constructicons are quite intelligent in wide contrast to the brutality that characterizes Devastator. This is because six Decepticon minds try to agree on which moves Devastator should pull off next at the same time. This gives Devastator his simple and brutish personality of instinct, destroying everything in site before even thinking about the consequences. One of his primary weaknesses is that he’s lumbering and slow, making him an easy target to trip over.

In the Marvel Comics edition of the Transformers the birth of the Constructicons is rather straight forward. Decepticon Commander Shockwave ordered the creation of six new Decepticon beings which where given life by the Creation Matrix, extracted from the then captured Optimus Prime. The Constructicons were given life and no time was wasted. They built a gigantic radio dish which Soundwave used as a communications devise between Earth and Cybertron. The Autobots tried to jam the giant disk, but they were defeated by the Constructicons who combined into the all powerful Devastator to get the job done with ease.

The Autobots where quite impressed with Devastator’s combining ability, thus they attempted to imitate the creation of a similar Transformer who could combine into a bigger and more powerful being. However they were only able to make an Omega Supreme made from the combination of three non sentient machines. This drove the Autobots to lure Transformer Devastator out of the Decepticon base and isolate him to gather more information about his composition. When this was accomplished the Autobots could at last create Superion who was made from the combination of the new Aerialbots.

As opposed to the traditional cartoons and comics in the 2007 movie Transformer Devastator appears as an individual character that transforms into a heavily armed tank. Although this Decepticon was supposed to be Brawl, in the film it can clearly be appreciated that he names himself Devastator. Further confusion arises in the merchandise arena where he’s marketed as Brawl. The movie writers confess that this was an error and that it was intended for him to be Brawl in the movie. On the other hand, Michael Bay insists that Devastator was a much more suitable and stronger name for the insanely tough Decepticon.

Many people will be able to remember when toys consisted of blocks, train sets, Lego, Barbie dolls and games like snakes and ladders. Today however, the word “toy” has been redefined. Today’s toys are completely different than they used to be ten or twenty years ago. There are still some of the same toys hanging around, but kids these days are usually looking for more of the newer toys that have been developed in the last couple of years.

Toy makers and manufacturers have changed their way of thinking when it comes to what kinds of toys to design. Kids these days have much higher expectations of what they want out of their toys, and with the newer, technological toys on the market today, and newer, better things coming out all the time, parents have a lot more work to do!

Technological toys entered the market place a few years ago, and the word “toy” has never been the same since. Technological toys range from computer games, and X-box to educational toys like leap frog and battery operated Lego robot toys. There are a ton of different technological toys out there, and parent have the hard task of trying to figure out which ones are harmful to their child’s psyche and which ones will actually be healthy for their child to play with.

There aren’t too many computer and Nintendo / Xbox games out there that are beneficial to your child. However, because some parents have voiced their concerns over some of these mind numbing games in the last couple of years, the toy developers have now come out with a few educational games that your child will enjoy playing. Some of these games have the education part more cleverly disguised, and your child will not even know that he or she is learning new skills while playing them!

Educational toys for younger children have become more technological as well. Gone are the days of educational toys like the abacus and alphabetical blocks; nowadays, parents of younger kids – even toddlers, are able to buy computer games and video games that their children can play with and enjoy while learning new concepts and skills. There are even exercising plug and play games for toddlers. Parents can plug a toy trike into their television and the toddler can pedal and race on the TV all the while learning about things like shapes, colors, numbers and the alphabet. There are certainly a lot more options out there these days for parents than there were five or ten years ago.

Another educational technological toy that has set the standard for other companies is Leapfrog. This toy maker has been around for years, and they are constantly coming up with new and better ideas for educational toys. They seem to know what kids like, and how they best learn. One of the best things about this toy company is that they make educational toys for a dew different age groups. Parents will like this, because it makes it a lot cheaper when families have more than one child.

The world of haulage and lorry driving has never been seen as the most glamorous, despite there being some truly memorable lorries in the world of film and television. Here are 5 of my favourites…

5. Mack (Cars)

No doubt “Cars” was one of Disney-Pixar’s more forgettable animated films, but Mack – a 1980s Superliner who transports Lighting McQueen in the film – just about sneaks into the list for being voiced by the legendary John Ratzenberger.

Ratzenberger, who played the longwinded mailman Cliff Clavin on Cheers, has appeared in all the Pixar animated films and is considered something of a good luck charm for the studio. They mocked this in the closing credits for Cars, when Mack the lorry watches car-themed versions of Pixar Movies praising Ratzenberger’s characters in ever one – until he realises they’re all played by the same actor: “What kind of a cut rate production is this? They’re just using the same actor over and over again!”

4. Creeper’s Truck (Jeepers Creepers

Jeepers Creepers, the 2001 horror film, had a truly memorable truck in it, though more memorable for the lorry driver: the Creeper himself. Driving an armoured lorry, the creeper turns out to be an ancient demon that rises every 23rd spring for 23 days to feast on humans to form part of its own body. Despite being made up of bits of dead bodies, our villain is rather handy with his 1941 Chevy COE which he uses to transport the bodies of his victims. Nice!

3. Rhino (MASK)

M.A.S.K, for the uninitiated, was a 1980s kids’ cartoon series and best described as a hybrid of Transformers and G.I. Joe. In total 75 episodes were created between 1985 and 1986. The relevance to this list? Rhino – surely one of the finest lorries ever to grace our television sets. This lorry was piloted by Bruce Sato, Alex Sector and Matt Tracker at various points in the show and was armed with anti-gravity cannons, a battering ram, a missile launcher and a separate little car that could slip out of the back.

Aside from its awesome vehicles and 80s vibe, MASK is most memorable now for its contrived use of acronyms. The good guys were M.A.S.K – which stood for Mobile Armored Strike Kommand, while the baddies organisation (such as it was!) was known as V.E.N.O.M – Vicious Evil Network of Mayhem.

2. Snowman’s Truck (Smokey and the Bandit)

You can’t have a list of excellent lorry drivers without referring to 1977’s Smokey and the Bandit. The classic tale tells of rich Texans offering Bo “Bandit” Darville (Burt Reynolds) $80,000 to haul 400 cases of Coors beer from Texarkana, Texas to the Southern Classic stock car race in Georgia in 28 hours. A contrived plot sees plenty of action looking to sabotage the plans but despite this, Bandit and his accomplice Cledus “Snowman” Snow (Jerry Reed) manage to get the cargo safely to its destination in Snowman’s Kenworth W900.

Nowadays with the improved road network, managing the journey in 28 hours would be a cinch. In those days however, it would have been very impressive for a lorry driver and well worthy of the $80,000 bounty (which would translate to roughly $270,000 in today’s money – and would neatly negate the need for a money-spinning backload!)

1. Optimus Prime (Transformers)

As if there was any doubt, Optimus Prime is of course THE most memorable lorry. Because he’s not just any old lorry – he’s a robot in disguise! Leader of the Autobots, and without a doubt the best known character from Transformers, he was equipped with everything a robot in disguise would need, including a laser rifle, various additional weapons in the trailer, a radio antenna for battlefield communication and a mobile scout buggy for reconnaissance – perfect for delivering backloads, should he have time in his busy schedule. Many people who remember Optimus Prime for his deep booming voice should look away now when I reveal that Peter Cullen, the man who voiced him, was also responsible for the voice of Eeyore in Winnie the Pooh!

Starscream is a Decepticon that frequently appears in many of the Transformers series. He sometimes takes the role as leader of the flying Decepticon Seekers and other times he’s known to be second in command under the almighty Megatron. In various instances he manages to seize complete control of the Decepticons when Megatron is killed by Optimus Prime. However Megatron always gets back to him in one way or another to regain his rightful position as leader of the devilish crew.

Starscream’s only true ambition is to tackle Megatron’s leadership of the Decepticons rather than follow orders. His cruelty and superior intelligence actually makes him a real threat to Megatron, but his inferior strength always leave him defeated. He thinks himself of being more modern than Megatron and often takes pleasure in critizicing him for his old-fashioned ways. Starscream obsession for speed-tactics makes him think that Megatron’s brute strategy of sheer force and destruction inferior. Verbal and physical rivalries are not a rarity between the two, but these often end up with Starscream being ridiculed in front of other Decepticons.

In the animated series Starscream was actually an Autobot who worked with Skyfire as scientists during the Golden Age. The two went on to explore planet earth and Skyfire mysteriously disappeared. When Starscream returned to Cybertron they were in plain civil war, and he decided to join the Decepticons because he thought destruction was much more exciting than his old scientific pursuits. Starscream was one of the Transformers who were trapped and frozen in earth for million years. However, thanks to a volcanic explosion the Decepticons were miraculously reactivated, Starscream along with them. Starscream mistakenly shook the Autobot base with one shot causing the Autobots to also reactivate thus the endless war between the Autobots and Decepticons continued.

Barricade from Transformers is a robot who can turn into a Formula One racing car and is member of the race track patrol team. As the Race Track Patrol front man he brings fierce and edgy combat tactics which he learned racing against other gangs in Cybertron. He is known to be acutely precise and exact by his troops, and they know that the smallest error can end up in massive turmoil and disaster. Barricade takes advantage of his position as leader of the Race Track Patrol and often abuses his powers by ridiculing others.

Frenzy from Transformers is an evil Decepticon that can transform into a cassette. In the original series his partners are Ravage, Buzzaw and Laserbeak. Due to changes in his coloration in the later series he is frequently also known to be Rumble. As for the toy goes, it’s tainted indigo although in the animated series he remains gold, black and red. On the other hand, Marvel remained true to his original colors, leaving them untouched.

Digging a bit deeper into the animated series, Frenzy was inferior to Rumble. He was like his sidekick, always running besides Rumble. The legend goes that the TV series mistakenly interchanged the color palettes for both Frenzy and Rumble, a good reason to cause confusion between them. In the Marvel Universe Frenzy and Rumble are featured as brothers. Here we see a different Frenzy whose powers are focused in sonic attacks rather than the original spinning arms.

Following the comic, Frenzy was one of the first Decepticons that assaulted the Ark and befell on planet Earth. That’s where he was reconfigured as a cassette and proudly fought many of the early battles versus the Autobots. However in one of these epic encounters Frenzy was successfully deactivated by Autobot Omega Supreme. That pretty much tallies up Frenzy’s appearance in the US comics version.

Frenzy’s real death can be tracked down to the ending issue of the G2 series (Generation 2). Things came down to an alliance between the Autobots and Decepticons to defeat the common enemy known as The Swarm. Frenzy’s sonic energy was boosted by Wheeljack for his attack, and although this did help slow down The Swarm it was too much for Frenzy. He fell into pieces due to the incontrollable amount of sonic energy that it took to hold down the swarm.
 

Decepticon Frenzy the Transformer is widely known because of his appearance in the 2007 Transformers movie. In this movie Frenzy takes on a different transformation: a small radio that reminds Transformers followers of Soundwave, another Decepticon. According to the creators it was Soundwave who was to appear in the movie, but because of the exaggerated and sleek design of the robot they had to replace him for Frenzy’s character. Frenzy is portrayed as being a slick and quite thin robot that is constantly in a frenetic loop. His exact transformation is that of a silver GPX Boom Box featuring blue lights and round shaped speakers. Around the middle of the movie Frenzy’s head falls off, but somehow he mages to survive and takes the form of a cell phone suiting his then smaller self.

Frenzy’s role is not that of being an aggressive attacker like most of the other Decepticons in the movie. Rather he serves as a spy and scavenger, in fact he manages to be the first one to find the AllSpark. Curiously this frenetic robot takes much more camera time than his allies, maybe because of his hilarious way of speaking accelerated Cybertronian.