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Post by crpdiablos on May 11, 2012 22:43:44 GMT -5
Ok after a bunch of phone calls and emails I was put in touch with a guy at Bandai who made some inquiries overseas for me. This is a legitimate piece that was one of the very last boxed Godaikins. The Bandai stickers were put on the lions to insure they were boxed correctly and he said there are not that many of these out there. He was unable to pinpoint which market it was geard toward, there were a few that required the dulled teeth. He believed toward the end the Godaikin runs all the lions were coming off the line with dull teeth as they were doing large runs for the Matchbox line ans the same lions were were also used for the Godaikin line. He said a 1984 Godaikin Golion is extremely rare. So I guess I lucked out. I wish the seller had been up front and honest about it having dull teeth and all the other differences with this version that very few have seen and this all could have been avoided. It did make for a bit of an adventure and Golion history lesson and I have learned alot. Thanks for everyones advice and help. Ive now purchased three of these and am on the hunt for a mint Popy and a V Belt Bootleg. Anyone got these for sale let me know
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Post by Mr. Ginrai on May 11, 2012 23:39:33 GMT -5
Glad it worked out for you. I'll be looking for one of these now purely due to its uniqueness. I did have some doubts at first like others did. If you go back and re-read my posts, you can see that after you put up some more pics, I was still on the fence. Now that you have this "verified" so to speak, I'd like to think one of the glaring things I pointed out that started to help was what I found when looking at my godaikin and matchbox dx swords. I feel that there was a slight difference both in the mold and plating process by this time that give the swords a different look and yours in the new golion seems more like my matchbox set. That would kind of indicate from your statement about their increased production that they may have started to use matchbox swords and pieces, getting parts from wherever they could to deplete/use up any remaining stock so they could continue full steam with the matchbox release versions going forward. I should also point out that it's obviously the stickers that are important on this release as well. I don't think I'd pursue one unless it had the stickers to really verify it, otherwise it really does look like a godaikin with matchbox heads subbed.
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Post by crpdiablos on May 12, 2012 2:26:23 GMT -5
I think your last statement is pretty close to correct for the most part this is a matchbox version except it comes with all the missles and launchers and launch mechanisms in the lions that were removed from the matchbox. He did mention the chrome which I thought was paint due to it being dull and flat. He said it is chrome but they were using a dull chrome. After inspecting this over and over I have come to appreciate the look of the dull chrome it gives it a softer look and feel. The Bandai stickers were definately the thing that kept me wondering and looking into it.
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Post by B- on May 12, 2012 21:24:22 GMT -5
Wow above and beyond in the hunting for info department! I bet your happy now!! I would be I love obscure variations.
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Post by demizer on Mar 10, 2014 21:29:49 GMT -5
Look there seems to be a lot of misinformation regarding this piece, heres what I can tell you. I am currently selling my own Godaikin Golion MIB on ebay now and have gotten a message basically stating that the 1 and 2 lion heads dont look authentic because the teeth arent sharp. They are indeed rounded but I personally bought this in the early to mid 80's brand new. Each Lion bears the "Popy GB-36 1981" foil labels and they are most definitely 100% authentic. The box is the Bandai America box and that is dated 1982. So if there where slight variations I cannot explain them but they obviously occur. So any hard and fast declarations on certain issues seem to be mainly conjecture. I know this is an old thread and I havnt been around in ages, but I hope I have shed some light on this. If I can answer any questions I will do so to the best of my ability. I have pics as well, but not neurotic otaku pics, lol. just the sales pics if I can remember how to post them here. I dont know if its cricket to post an auction link here so I wont.
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Post by Mr. Ginrai on Mar 10, 2014 22:23:14 GMT -5
Look there seems to be a lot of misinformation regarding this piece, heres what I can tell you. I am currently selling my own Godaikin Golion MIB on ebay now and have gotten a message basically stating that the 1 and 2 lion heads dont look authentic because the teeth arent sharp. They are indeed rounded but I personally bought this in the early to mid 80's brand new. Each Lion bears the "Popy GB-36 1981" foil labels and they are most definitely 100% authentic. The box is the Bandai America box and that is dated 1982. So if there where slight variations I cannot explain them but they obviously occur. So any hard and fast declarations on certain issues seem to be mainly conjecture. I know this is an old thread and I havnt been around in ages, but I hope I have shed some light on this. If I can answer any questions I will do so to the best of my ability. I have pics as well, but not neurotic otaku pics, lol. just the sales pics if I can remember how to post them here. I dont know if its cricket to post an auction link here so I wont. Kim!! Great to see you!! I think we have basically established that a set like you have (godaikin with dulled teeth) is a very rare transitional set, basically they were released just as the matchbox production run was starting but you still have a true factory golion because you still have missile firing capability etc. and also maybe these saw release as a test market piece with the round teeth (or it was required as crpdiablos stated). Many of these coincidentally actually come from the original owners. It is a great variant. We had a gentleman selling a loose one about a year back, he was the original owner as well. I have been offered a few privately myself. I think it's a total of five in the last year now that I have seen and yours makes six. Guys, I recently had a transaction for a great vintage item with Kim and he is a great guy. His stuff is top notch condition as well, no BS. Kim, since you are a member, it is okay to make a thread with your eBay link in the sales forum, because they are your items. You just can't post links to items on eBay or similar sites that are not yours. |
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Post by demizer on Mar 10, 2014 22:43:36 GMT -5
Hey Mr. B haha thats you huh? Ok that is right along the lines of what I surmised. It looks like it took them a year to rebox them in the US Godaikin boxes so apparently they switched out the heads, however the heads fire as do all sorts of extremely dangerous appendages and projectiles lol. I just wanted to clarify for future Voltron folks that there was indeed this authentic variation apparently. Also want to thank @cripdiablos for the above and beyond research with the mothership <:]]
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Post by crpdiablos on Mar 11, 2014 8:32:24 GMT -5
Definitely these are legit the sticker saying Bandai 1984 was what is so original to these piece, I've never seen that before and I've owned 6 or 7 of these by now but this one is my holy grail because of those 1984 stickers and the Info I received as to why these were labeled Bandai 1984
p.s. Im tempted to buy yours it looks so clean nd crisp just what I like to collect. I like where the price is heading on your as well cause I paid a grip for this particular Godaikin Golion. Does yours have the Bandai 1984 G Sticker??
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Post by antares on Mar 11, 2014 22:59:59 GMT -5
Definitely these are legit the sticker saying Bandai 1984 was what is so original to these piece, I've never seen that before and I've owned 6 or 7 of these by now but this one is my holy grail because of those 1984 stickers and the Info I received as to why these were labeled Bandai 1984 p.s. Im tempted to buy yours it looks so clean nd crisp just what I like to collect. I like where the price is heading on your as well cause I paid a grip for this particular Godaikin Golion. Does yours have the Bandai 1984 G Sticker?? Did you end up getting that golion?...it looked fantastic in the photos. I was watching it a couple days ago and didn't see it again until the listing was ended. |
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Post by crpdiablos on Mar 12, 2014 0:11:10 GMT -5
No I opted out on this one, Ive got two very nice minty versions and a couple of half chrome jointed red and green lions from a set I parted out. I do like the price going up as high as it did on this version. I paid almost 9 bills for the one I got with the bandai stickers. At the time I hadnt collected in a while so I purchased it not knowing the value. When I received it without sharp teeth I was upset but the dull chrome and other stuff had me worried. I spent a couple weeks tracking this down, numerous calls and emails to Bandai and collectors only to find how rare it was to find one from 1984 with the 1984 stickers. This thread talks about the journey and what I was going through. Gets me all fuzzy inside thinking about it. I joined this forum because of it and so glad I did. Ive made some good friends here and gotten great advice. Awesome forum.
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Post by demizer on Mar 19, 2014 10:05:03 GMT -5
Definitely these are legit the sticker saying Bandai 1984 was what is so original to these piece, I've never seen that before and I've owned 6 or 7 of these by now but this one is my holy grail because of those 1984 stickers and the Info I received as to why these were labeled Bandai 1984 p.s. Im tempted to buy yours it looks so clean nd crisp just what I like to collect. I like where the price is heading on your as well cause I paid a grip for this particular Godaikin Golion. Does yours have the Bandai 1984 G Sticker?? Oh wow Im sorry I didnt get back sooner Im not recieving the alerts for replies anymore. It didnt get what I thought it would fetch only in the $800 range :..( but it seems to have gone to a nice person who I suspect is a memeber here "Machinerobo" at least thats his ebay handle It may be the same one here and he said he would take good care of her. |
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Post by xtrlowz75 on Apr 22, 2014 23:17:36 GMT -5
After all the info on here and what you learned from the guy about this Golion, you might have that rare transition piece. It seems with all the given info, your Golion is an end of the line Godaikin, part Matchbox Voltron, right before Diecast Metal completely took over building these exclusively as Lionbots. I very unusual and cool find. Its like the Golion I have. I have a very first release 1982 version with chrome joints and tails on the green and red lions, just like the box pictures. Besides mine, I've only seen a few Godaikin Golions with chrome joints. Most of the chrome joint ones came from the early Popy Golions and very first Lionbots that were made before Godaikin versions. Variants are always cool, and fun to hunt for. You got a good and rare one it seems.  |
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Post by crpdiablos on Apr 23, 2014 14:58:22 GMT -5
After all the info on here and what you learned from the guy about this Golion, you might have that rare transition piece. It seems with all the given info, your Golion is an end of the line Godaikin, part Matchbox Voltron, right before Diecast Metal completely took over building these exclusively as Lionbots. I very unusual and cool find. Its like the Golion I have. I have a very first release 1982 version with chrome joints and tails on the green and red lions, just like the box pictures. Besides mine, I've only seen a few Godaikin Golions with chrome joints. Most of the chrome joint ones came from the early Popy Golions and very first Lionbots that were made before Godaikin versions. Variants are always cool, and fun to hunt for. You got a good and rare one it seems. I have had a couple with half chrome joint but never full chrome joint and tail. If you ever sell it please contact me I want it and the I want to get the Half chrome joint version one day too. It's funny how we will pay more for these as if they were intentionally made differently when it really is that they just grabbed the wrong piece or used what was left. I have a Godaikin set with the half and half joint but only on one if the Lions. Actually I believe I have three that came that way. I really like my Knockoff Golion Boxed green and red with chrome joint and tail. The screw and the pivot plastic piece are chrome instead of black but the green lion has Diamond Belt Legs. Those Taiwanese versions are the most interesting because the history of it all. You can see that the Matchbox the Lionbots the Diamond Belts and the almost legitimate Taiwan Golions Jaguarbot and even some later V Belts in Jaguar boxes were all being manufactured at the same place. The only big difference between any would be the diamond belt due to having their own molds but like said i have a Taiwan Golion Boxed Set where the green and red have the chrome tail etc but one has diamond belt legs. The most interesting thing is that the Golion Boxed Bootlegs were to be a licensed Taiwan made Golion when matchbox also did the Taiwan thing. This Is Info I've Heard From Collectors, and wouldn't say it so assuredly except that I own the bootleg Golion boxed set with the chrome joints and tails. That tells me there is truth behind the story and that they were going to do a run of chrome jointed Taiwan Made and Licensed Golions. Supposedly the license was pulled and none were to hit the store but the Lionbot guys had done as small run of them and sold them off as bootlegs |
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Post by xtrlowz75 on Apr 23, 2014 23:12:07 GMT -5
Now on your last piece of info I can help with that. From the late 70s through early 80s, about 1983, all of our awesome Popy/Godaikin robots were made in Japan at the Bandai factory. In late 1983 Bandai moved most of their production to a plant in Taiwan. The Godaikins continued from there along with the new Matchbox Voltrons, and the newly released and unmarked cheaper Lionbots. You can see the change alone in the Golions. The 1982-83 Golions usually have the older Y&K 1981 Bandai Japan decal on them, along with the first years of Matchbox Voltron IIIs (lions) (1984-85).
At some point possibly in mid 1985 you suddenly see Golion B, C, or D made in Taiwan decals pop up on both Golions and the Matchbox Voltrons with no date. Now why would this be? Well it signals when Bandai either ran out of their old decal sets or made the change to advertise they were being made in a new factory. Your decals seem to be another change to the decals, and your Golion may have come from the very last actual Golions produced for Godaikin. At some point in this time line in late 1985 Bandai pulled their licensing from the Taiwan factory but left the molds, or they were copied. And Diecast Metal company was born. Also in the summer of 1985 Godaikin production was discontinued, 1986 signaled the beginning of the end for Popy, but Diecast Metal began carrying on the super chogokin line unhindered. And so we have Diecast Metal producing the top sellers: Voltron/Lionbot, Godsigma/GodBot, God Marz/GodTron, Guardian/Protector, Daltanias/Godsphinx, and a few others in what some say is a bootleg line. Dicast Metal produced these from 1985 all the way through 1996. Lionbots being massively produced during this time and are still available today, still new, and dirt cheap.
Are these really bootlegs? Not in my book as they come from the same factory and molds as the originals. Yes Diecast Metal cut a few corners with cheaper paint and added a bit more plastic in places, but the robots they produced, were produced in a previous Bandai licensed factory. Its like all the reissue G1 Takara Transformers you can buy dirt cheap today. They are near identical to the originals with only the slightest changes. But unknown to many, these are made in Hasbro's former licensed factory in Korea. And many of the original G1 and G2 Transformers were, guess what, made in Hasbro's Korea factory during the 80s. Are those knock offs if they are still produced in the same factory but not officially licensed by Hasbro? Maybe, maybe not.
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Post by crpdiablos on Apr 23, 2014 23:55:34 GMT -5
Dont forget not just the same factory but from the same molds?? My company used to manufacture a Lamborghini Diablo Replica where I tore apart a my personal Lamborghini Diablo and molded the car I wanted to be able to produce the first one hundred percent accurate Lamborghini Replica. We couldn't do the engine for obvious reason. All of my body panels would fit perfectly onto the real car and eventually my company went on to sell only aftermarket replacement parts and still does today. I still have all the molds and have a 100% accurate Diablo Replica sitting in my shop. In a sense it is even built better. Instead of aluminum we use carbon fiber for the body panels, the chassis is the same but the car is 500 pounds lighter due to the engine/trans weight plus lighter body panels. We have built a car in the past that was faster than the diablo at 215 mph with a V8 engine and Porsche Trans. It was lighter and looked exactly the same plus you could have it serviced by any Chevy mechanic so the yearly cost of owning a Lambo was that of a corvette. All in all we built a better car it just wasn't a real Lamborghini but a perfect replica of it. Still anyone that had the money to buy the real one would pass on the replica regardless of the fact it cost at a minimum 25k a yr less to own.
In a sense then are these toys bootlegs or are they replicas? Should we consider them aftermarket? I know almost all of the parts can be used as replacement parts for fixing or restoring your old voltron or golion so the term fits very well
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Post by repairtechjon on Apr 24, 2014 17:25:56 GMT -5
Thanks for more info on the "DIECAST METAL" logo, being an actual Taiwan company logo/name. I had heard that years ago, but that little detail hasn't been said out loud often in the last few years, that I can remember.
I think most folks have passed off that Diecast Metal on the packages, as just an enticing advertisement to lure wayward kids into buying hefty robots, LOL.
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Post by xtrlowz75 on Apr 26, 2014 1:09:21 GMT -5
No Problem Repart: Diecast Metal is the actual company name. It is also the only identifying name we have to the plant/factory which was officially and formerly Bandai's super chogokin factory for the Matchbox Voltrons and Godaikin line.
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Post by crpdiablos on Apr 26, 2014 1:54:59 GMT -5
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Post by crpdiablos on Apr 26, 2014 2:00:32 GMT -5
Oh one more thing I posted it elsewhere without reply but whats up with popy golion repro stickers
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Post by xtrlowz75 on Apr 30, 2014 0:05:30 GMT -5
Now that last picture is so telling of the bottom jaws. Yes I can see the Bandai machined off. That is way cool to actually see a clear transition Lionbot/Golion, going from the Bandai license to Diecast Metal company. Very cool! I love your massive stack of Lionbots too. Thats very cool to have many different variants. You need to make a case to display them with a little info card for each in front, for the differences. |
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