All guides

Cartoons of the 1980s and their toy lines: Transformers, He-Man, G.I. Joe, Ninja Turtles, ThunderCats and Care Bears.

1980s · Section

1980s

Which 1980s cartoons have collectible toy lines, who made them, and where to start: figures, playsets, plush, lunch boxes and cels, show by show.

1980s · Branch

Characters

The main He-Man heroes and villains, the year each got its first Mattel figure from 1982 to 1984, and what the first figures came with.

1980s · Branch

Characters

The main G1 Transformers characters, the year each first figure came out, and what to check on Autobots, Decepticons, Dinobots and cassettes.

1980s · Title

Transformers

Where the 1984 Transformers toys came from, what a complete G1 figure includes, and how to tell originals from reissues and knockoffs.

1980s · Title

Care Bears

Which original 1980s Care Bears toys exist, from Kenner's 1983 plush to the Cousins and the cartoons, and how to check and store a vintage bear.

1980s · Title

G.I. Joe

What vintage G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toys exist, from Hasbro's 1982 figures and the USS Flagg to the Classified Series, and what to check before buying.

1980s · Title

He-Man

When Mattel's first He-Man figures came out, what a complete vintage figure includes, the classic playsets, and the lines Mattel has made since.

1980s · Title

TMNT

Which Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toys came with the 1987 cartoon, from Playmates' 1988 figures to the Technodrome, plus NECA and Super7 releases.

1980s · Title

ThunderCats

What vintage ThunderCats toys exist, from LJN's 1985 to 1987 figures, ThunderTank and Cats' Lair to Super7's Ultimates, and what to check before buying.

1980s · Guide

Megatron

The 1984 G1 Megatron turns into a Walther P38 replica. What came with it, why Hasbro never reissued it in the US, and how to tell Japanese reissues apart.

1980s · Guide

Optimus Prime

What came in the box with the 1984 G1 Optimus Prime, how to tell an original from a Hasbro or Takara reissue, and how to spot reproduction labels.

1980s · Guide

Skeletor

How to identify the 1982 Mattel Skeletor, what a complete one came with, its early paint variant, and the later vintage and modern Skeletor figures.

1980s · Guide

The Movie

The 1986 Transformers film's toys, VHS and later releases: which figures came with the movie, what home video exists, and Hasbro's Studio Series 86 line.

Cartoons of the 1990s and their collectibles: Batman: The Animated Series, X-Men and the figures made for them then and now.

1990s · Section

1990s

Which 1990s cartoons have collectible toys, who made the original figures, and which lines have been made since, from Batman to X-Men and beyond.

1990s · Title

Batman: TAS

Which Batman: The Animated Series figures exist, from Kenner's 1990s line to DC Collectibles, McFarlane, Mondo and Funko, and what to check before you buy.

1990s · Title

X-Men

Which X-Men animated series toys to collect: Toy Biz figures from the 1990s and Hasbro's Marvel Legends X-Men '97 figures, with what to check on each.

How to tell an original vintage figure from a reissue or a knockoff, what complete means, and how to store and display figures.

Action figures · Section

Action figures

How to read the stamp on an 80s or 90s figure, what MOC, MIB and loose complete mean, how to spot reissues and knockoffs, and how to store figures.

Character lunch boxes from the metal era to plastic: the makers, what to check for condition, and how to spot a reproduction.

Lunch boxes · Section

Lunch boxes

Which character lunch boxes collectors want, who made them, why metal boxes ended, and how to judge rust, dents, the thermos, hinge and latch.

Production cels, sericels and limited editions: what each one is, why TV cels ended, and what to check before buying.

Animation cels · Section

Animation cels

What a production cel is, how it differs from a sericel, limited edition or giclee, why cels ended, what to check before buying and how to store one.