Car Robots

No, this isn't about the Japanese Transformers line released in 2000, this is about getting back to basics. The last two items from my recent purchase are not futuristic jets or special figures that have three modes. They are at the core of what started Transformers: realistic vehicles that turned into robots.

I've always been really fascinated with Ratchet. I enjoyed him in the '80s cartoon, but I never thought he got enough characterization. Where Ratchet really shines in my mind is in the Marvel Comic series, especially in the later issues. His dichotomy with Megatron throughout the run was just very interesting and it gave him such dimension. Unfortunately his toy really doesn't look much like his comic or cartoon counterpart. So when I purchased him in my youth (or I should say when my parents purchased him) I was disappointed he really didn't even have a head. But he did transform relatively quickly so when I was playing while the show was on I was able to keep up with the action! For me, purchasing this Ratchet was more about 'owning' the character rather than the actual toy.

"Where'd they getcha?"

 Tracks was another one of those Transformers that was juuust out of my reach. I've always really liked Corvettes; I used to go to lots of Corvette shows with my father as a child so of course Tracks appealed to me. Unfortunately he just wasn't in the stores long enough for me to get to him. There were always other characters that I wanted ahead of him: Ratchet, Sunstreaker, Wheeljack, Starscream, etc. He was on my want list, but then the '86 movie came along and a bunch of new characters came out. So of course I had to have a Hot Rod and a Gnaw and poor Tracks just kept getting knocked down the totem pole. I finally acquired a loose version around 1997 at a local flea market. He was missing all accessories and one leg was broken, but I finally had him. Over the next ten years I repaired and refurbished him so now he looks brand new. So this Tracks is a gift to my younger corvette-loving self.

"You've got a mind like a steel trap!"

Both of these guys are in great condition and I am hoping for some good marks back from AFA. I'll post more updates when I get them back.