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Voltron figure


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I'm having trouble identifying a good Voltron to get. I'm looking for the one that has a lot of die cast and has all the swords/lion attachments. Is there a reissue or bootleg version that has diecast in it like the original release way back when?

I'm not looking to have the exact original, simply one that's got a lot of die cast and all the bells and whistles. Is the "Lionbot" listed on eBay of similar quality? There's so many variations I'm not sure which to get. The recent American re-release appears to be all plastic..

Thanks.

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That's what I was wondering also....I've seen a couple of the Lionbots on E-Bay. From what I've seen they look like the (all plastic w/ rubber wheels) Lion Voltron set that I had (when I was younger).

Did they ever make a fully diecast Voltron? With fireable fists? :ph34r:

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This topic often comes up on ToyboxDX too. Basically, the folks who have most of the versions recommend getting the Lionbot over the Trendmasters diecast version, especially if you're strapped for cash. The Trendmasters diecast version is badly made and fits together terribly. The Lionbot has much better fit and finish, but ultimately cannot be as good as the original POPY DX or Godaikin versions. Getting the originals will set you back a big chunk of cash, though!

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I've never seen a Lionbot out of the package before but the Trendmasters re-issue is okay. I paid $30 when it first hit TRU and I'm extremely happy with my purchase. Drifand is right in that it doesn't stay together too well. My blue lion keeps coming loose while the yellow lion refuses to come off. Aside from that I'm happy. There's plenty of diecast. The red and green lion heads fire, and it comes with a bunch of accessories.

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:( I had the orig. Voltron... The entire thing with all the cats that came togeather to make one big robot. Some little kid that my Mom's friend brought over ran into my room, grabbed it, and threw it out the window.
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Allright considering I have 4 different Metal Lion Voltrons and 1 plastic one. I would have to agree with the others in the group in considering the Lionbot which is the only one that I dont have but have access to :). I have the 2 Matchbox metal voltrons I think II and III? I am not sure. I also have an original Bandai? Metal Voltron and of course the Trendmasters reissue from 97-98. The trendmaster voltron is a clone of the Matchbox voltron, except the paint colors are slightly off. The most noticeable difference though are the tabs that are on the red and green lions. Which reminds me that I still have a TM voltron MISB hiding in my closet somewhere hmm. What are the TM voltrons worth? If your looking at just getting a diecast voltron the TM should be fine just beware of certain QC issues.

Rob :ph34r:

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The best ones are the Lionbots. I've had a pleasure to see three of them in my lifetime (Including one to compare to an Authentic Godaikin). All three of them were damn exact to the Godaikin right down to the missles (Which fly farther than the Godaikin.) They're IMO the most perfect bootlegs you could get of ANY toy.

The TMs are horribly designed. The colors are not exact to the original (MINT green lion instead of Jade green and Lemon yellow Lion instead of Golden yellow) and the lions that made up the arms had fins for some strange reason. Not to mention having no firing mechanism for the lions that made up the legs (They came out AFTER Dreadwing came out, so the safety excuse didn't compute)

The sad part of gettin the Lionbots are the inflated prices. I've never seen a LB go on Ebay for lower than $90. They are great, but they aren't $90 great. I wouldn't pay no more than $70, since they are still in production.

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The Trendmasters diecast version is badly made and fits together terribly.

I guess I got really lucky then. My Trendmaster re-release (purchased at TRU for $20) holds together perfectly, I have had no issues ever with it.

Same here... bought mine at TRU for $30 when it came out and it's great.

I wouldn't bother with any Voltron that wasn't diecast. The weight of that toy is spectacular. You could easily crush a small child with it.

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I still have the 6" diecast (plastic arms) one from Matchbox, which actually looks pretty good next to Chogokin figures. I also have that huge fat plastic monstrosity that the action figures fit into, the original version. The best part about it was the huge chrome sword.

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I have the origonal US metal release Voltron. Still in great condition after almost 20 years. One recent Voltron that I like is the 1 1/2 FOOT version that came out a few years ago. It looks pretty much like the origonal except being huge!!!!!!! It is plastic but woth it.

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Looks like there's more than ONE issue/version of the Trendmasters diecast toy out there. Some of you have had good experiences with it, but I'm certain later-made versions under TM were absolutely horrid. I bought one such set BRAND NEW and the chrome parts were already flaky, the paint job sloppy and the diecast parts fitted together with big gaps. Oh, and one of the lions came with backwards fitted legs!

So... I think the problem is that if you buy online, you can't really tell if you're getting one of the "good" Trendmaster diecasts or the "crap" ones. Unless you see it for yourself, the Taiwanese bootleg LIONBOT is still a safer bet for the budget conscious.

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I had the Lionbot as a kid...that thing was pretty solid. The Matchbox version was good also.

But paying $30 for the TM was a fair deal. I wish i would taken better care of the old Lionbot though, and the vehicle version too... oh well...

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:( I had the orig. Voltron... The entire thing with all the cats that came togeather to make one big robot. Some little kid that my Mom's friend brought over ran into my room, grabbed it, and threw it out the window.

Someone shoulda' thrown HIM out the window to go get it.

Anyways, the Trendmaster's Lion-Bot paint job was what always bothered me. It always seemed to be just a little off, or something. Strangely enough, I never encountered any mechanical problems with the cats...

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Back in the 80's, my friend had a mainly plastic, but good quality Voltron that was frickin' huge. Each lion was big enough to hold a 3 3/4" GI joe figure. I don't know which version of Voltron that was, or who made it...but that one was definitely my favorite.

Edited by Sephiroth
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Back in the 80's, my friend had a mainly plastic, but good quality Voltron that was frickin' huge.  Each lion was big enough to hold a 3 3/4" GI joe figure.  I don't know which version of Voltron that was, or who made it...but that one was definitely my favorite.

That would be the one made by "Panosh Place" or something like that. Didn't like that one too much. Proportions were all wacky. I have the Bandai Godaikin (Made in Japan) Golion, the Trendmasters Die-Cast Voltron III, and the Taiwanese Bootleg Lionbot. They're all pretty nice, but I still prefer the original Bandai Godaikin one.

Which reminds me...

My Taiwanese bootleg Lionbot is up for sale. $85 + shipping. The only difference between this version and the original is the black thighs instead of chrome. If you know how to paint really well or get chrome on the thigh...you got pretty much an exact replica.

PM me if you want pictures.

Edited by soze
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Anyone ever get a whole set of the newer voltron figures, the ones that were all futuristic and streemlined? I really debated back in the day (whats it been 3 or 4 years ago), but I decided not to. I still wonder about it though.

aww hell no! Man when I first saw that, I was like man, they did not just do that! First of all I didn't like the way it looked and second, all plastic from what I saw and what I felt. Nasty is all I gotta say to that piece. :p:D:lol:

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Yea the new streamlined voltron was called stealth voltron or something. If I remember correctly the original "lion" voltron is destroyed by the federation? in the Voltron 3D show and that was the last episode I ever saw of it. Then this "Stealth Voltron" comes out and I was like wtf!?

Rob :ph34r:

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Back in the 80's, my friend had a mainly plastic, but good quality Voltron that was frickin' huge. Each lion was big enough to hold a 3 3/4" GI joe figure. I don't know which version of Voltron that was, or who made it...but that one was definitely my favorite.

That's the Voltron made by Panosh Place. I liked it as a kid, but as I grew older, I began disliking it.

Bootlegs are available for this toy for as little as $10

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Back in the 80's, my friend had a mainly plastic, but good quality Voltron that was frickin' huge.  Each lion was big enough to hold a 3 3/4" GI joe figure.  I don't know which version of Voltron that was, or who made it...but that one was definitely my favorite.

That's the Voltron made by Panosh Place. I liked it as a kid, but as I grew older, I began disliking it.

Same here. I had it and after a while I outgrew it. Plus, it was an ugly sucker. I dont know what happened to it, but my guess is that it ended up in the trash with other of my unwanted toys.

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The Trendmasters diecast version is badly made and fits together terribly.

I guess I got really lucky then. My Trendmaster re-release (purchased at TRU for $20) holds together perfectly, I have had no issues ever with it.

Mine's not too bad. It's a pain to get the blue & yellow lions detatched from the black lion and the stability isn't always the greatest but it does the job pretty well.

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