GutsAndCasca Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 Twice now in my lifetime I've seen a jetfire toy on ebay go for super-expensive because it has a macross symbol on the left wing. Are these authentic? I mean, were they made at the factory like this? Or are these blatant modified rip-offs? I mean... I think I could take my kid's jetfire toy and stick a macross symbol on it myself. From the looks of it I could make some major money too, unless there really are authentic ones out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GobotFool Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 (edited) Twice now in my lifetime I've seen a jetfire toy on ebay go for super-expensive because it has a macross symbol on the left wing. Are these authentic? I mean, were they made at the factory like this? Or are these blatant modified rip-offs? I mean... I think I could take my kid's jetfire toy and stick a macross symbol on it myself. From the looks of it I could make some major money too, unless there really are authentic ones out there. 416098[/snapback] They are called Matshiro Jetfires. I spell that right? There are some with a painted macross symbol and some with just a sticker. Edited July 14, 2006 by GobotFool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GutsAndCasca Posted July 14, 2006 Author Share Posted July 14, 2006 What's the story behind these? Were they only released in Japan or something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenius Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 (edited) Matsushiro 1 - Finer "ridged" detail on antennae, Painted UN SPACY insignia on the wing, lined canopy Matsushiro 2 - Finer "ridged" detail on antennae, U.N. Spacy sticker insignia on the wing, lined canopy Matsushiro 2 - Finer "ridged" detail on antennae, U.N. Spacy sticker insignia on the wing, unlined canopy Matsu-Bandai (Matsushiro body with Bandai antennae and copyright) Bandai 1 - Smooth antennae, Bandai logo in a straight line on the left side, no "box" around it, no copyright, just "TOKYO JAPAN" on the right Bandai 2 - Smooth antennae, Bandai "box" logo on the left side, © BANDAI 1984 MADE IN JAPAN on the right Bandai 3 - Smooth antennae, Bandai "box" logo on the left side, © BANDAI 1985 MADE IN JAPAN on the right all info stolen from member Ginrai (he used to have a website I think that also chronicled all the changes and the backstory but it looks like it's been locked up... I did a search for threads having Jetfire in the title... you should probably do the same... looks like there's lots of info. This is also probably in the Newb thread somewhere) Edited July 14, 2006 by jenius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GutsAndCasca Posted July 14, 2006 Author Share Posted July 14, 2006 What in the hell. This is confusing. I thought Jetfire was just a freaking transformer. Just a freaking transformer... *goes off into somewhere* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenius Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 (edited) A transformer that came with all the accoutrements of a Macross valkyrie right down to the super armor? Nope, the company that made Macross toys in Japan went under. Bandai got ahold of the rights to the old molds Takatoku had been using but in the transition from Takatoku to Bandai a company named Matsuhiro made the original Jetfires and sold them in the US. All Matsuhiro did was change the paint scheme and blunt the nose (to pass US toy standards for blunt instrument trauma to kid's faces). Bandai then came along and removed the Macross logo and made a few other changes. This is probably a somewhat distorted history though, there are some legitimate Jetfire experts on this board that could help you more (and have probably told this story somewhere in the archives already). Edit - sorry if anything sounds snippy, i'm just trying to help quickly since I'm really tired. Edited July 14, 2006 by jenius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GobotFool Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 you should PM Kanata. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godzilla Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 you should PM Kanata. 416105[/snapback] Kanata is busy so I am not sure he will be able answer the question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GutsAndCasca Posted July 14, 2006 Author Share Posted July 14, 2006 A transformer that came with all the accoutrements of a Macross valkyrie right down to the super armor? Nope, the company that made Macross toys in Japan went under. Bandai got ahold of the rights to the old molds Takatoku had been using but in the transition from Takatoku to Bandai a company named Matsuhiro made the original Jetfires and sold them in the US. All Matsuhiro did was change the paint scheme and blunt the nose (to pass US toy standards for blunt instrument trauma to kid's faces). Bandai then came along and removed the Macross logo and made a few other changes. This is probably a somewhat distorted history though, there are some legitimate Jetfire experts on this board that could help you more (and have probably told this story somewhere in the archives already).Edit - sorry if anything sounds snippy, i'm just trying to help quickly since I'm really tired. 416103[/snapback] Actually that was a great answer. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanata67 Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 taka went under. matsushiro bought the 1/55 molds and released a 1j branded matsushiro in the uk. Matsushiro made a deal with hasbro to make a "jetfire" transformer that met us saftey standards. Matsushiro sold the molds AND the contract to bandai, which bandai then fulfilled. To be honest I suspect that matsushiro was in no posistion to make the transition from small runs to large runs and made a quick buck of opportunity by selling a contract they couldn't fulfill and then selling the company/molds for a lot more than they paid using the new contract as "expected income". Either way we got jetfire and us american kids were happy enough. Bandai should so do a reissue for takara Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nightmareB4macross Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 1/55 Revisited Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Focker Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 Ask the Seller to read the text molded on the plastic. I have one and asked my seller several question before I brought it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big F Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 (edited) There are deals on eBay from time to time I got a Bandai antena`ed Matsu with the Sticker logo nice white plastic with a few scratches and chips on its legs (no armor) for about £10. Luckly for me I had all the armor bits Imaculate condition already. It now sits next to my original Bandai Jetfire bought from my local Argos shop in 1985. I have bid on others and missed one (transfer logo) by a few pence. Mostly they seem to go for big money at the moment. With the upcomming live action TF flim interest in Transformers is going up so expect the related prices to follow, the bad or good thing depending on if your the buyer or seller is that Macross my well follow. I`ve already noticed there is a lot more Macross stuff for sale on eBlag recently. My advise would be search for "Jetfire" and use the world option, I have found that the ones being sold in the U.K sell for more than in the U.S. Most of my Jetfires (yellowed and brokens included have been cheaper from the U.S even with EMS included. You could make one just for your self but trying to pass em off on eBay and you might get people on your back. Edited July 14, 2006 by big F Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginrai Posted July 14, 2006 Share Posted July 14, 2006 You guys have it more or less right. My site is down since I have nowhere to host it, but if you want I can paste the info here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big F Posted July 15, 2006 Share Posted July 15, 2006 may as well post it as It will answer questions here and may be help others in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimlockCW Posted July 15, 2006 Share Posted July 15, 2006 aint seen it mentioned, so. the Jetfire initial release had the Mac logo yes, then Bandai got sued big by harmony gold for copyright infrigement, being the money grubbers they are. Bandai then removed the logo, and continued sales, agian harmony gold got angered. SO, in retaliation, Jetfire got scrapped, the in show/comic character got changed to Skyfire in order to avoid any further confrontation. and the rest is history. in case anyone wondered why jetfire no longer legaly exists even in transformers hmm then agian, i think they did do an actual jetfire named figure for that last crap line of armada... (stupid quotation point buttons on my keyboard aint workin... grrr) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big F Posted July 16, 2006 Share Posted July 16, 2006 Yes they did do an armarda Jetfire but the resemblance to the Good ole Jetfire is the name only. Not a sniff of anything remotely Macross. Takara/Hasbro should have done a Skyfire IMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Loe Kee Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 (edited) i saw this jetfire with macross (or is it the u.n. spacy) logo once. i got lucky, there just happens to be some ongoin' auctions on ebay. http://cgi.ebay.com/1985-G1-JETFIRE-MACROS...1QQcmdZViewItem http://cgi.ebay.com/G1-Transformers-Macros...1QQcmdZViewItem http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-G1-Transformer...ksid=p1638.m118 http://cgi.ebay.com/G1-Transformer-Jetfire...ksid=p1638.m118 edit: f**kin' 2nd link isn't workin', so here's my search. http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?f...&category0= Edited December 29, 2007 by DJ Loe Kee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big F Posted December 29, 2007 Share Posted December 29, 2007 Looks like they are still commanding a good price. I just wish I could get a box for mine. Even the hi def scans of the box would be great as I could get one made at the local box printers. I always wanted a Decepticon version of the box but to make one I'd need the original first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichyX Posted December 30, 2007 Share Posted December 30, 2007 i wona macross jetfire a coupel of months ago from the usa, as soo as i seen it i wanted it! my jet fire is in good condition and is and inbetween mould, has half macross and half transformers, only small changes but enough to make it fairly rare the macross one i got does have a couple of chips here and there, so what im going to do is make a good macross one with the 2, and the other one do an evil jetfire my box is ok, but i could do with finding a decent box for him this is the website with detailed pics of the differences http://www.geocities.com/futuristgroup/vauto.html#jetfire it stats my other unit is called a transition unit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
izzyfcuk Posted December 30, 2007 Share Posted December 30, 2007 The original Jetfire was a toy released in 1985, in the second wave of Transformers. Hasbro decided that the Autobots needed some kind of air support, and went looking for a toy to fill the role. They found what they were looking for in the Super Dimension Fortress Macross toy, the VF-1S Super Valkyrie. Takatoku, the toy's original creators had gone bankrupt, and newcomer (to the Valkyrie scene anyway) Matsushiro bought the rights and molds and stepped up to the plate of producing the toys. To prepare the toy for the American market they removed the missiles and yanked the springs from the (GU-11) gunpod so it couldn't fire them even if they had the missiles, and filed off the nose of the plane so it wasn't quite so pointy. (It's also visibly shorter...) They also modified the colors, adding more red on the body (and nose), coloring the armor red, changing the emblems (stickers and whatnot) and adding to them. The Jetfires by Matsushiro are the "rare" Macross symbol Jetfires... Later on, Matsushiro died somehow and Bandai gobbled up the molds, rights... and contracts. They had to honor the contract with Hasbro and continually supplying the toy, and went on and made their own variations of it. It's not clear whether the hostile economic climate at the time killed Matsushiro and Bandai gobbled their corpse up, or if instead Bandai absorbed the still living Matsushiro for the sake of getting at the Valkyries. Perhaps some day more information will surface. Well, there's always that Matsushiro VF-1J Valkyrie I have... For the American release, a television commercial was made, containing the only exisiting animation of Jetfire (in his true form, the Valkyrie.) For Jetfire to serve in his role as air support for the Autobots, he would need to be more powerful than the Decepticon jets, and for the most part, was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoBe-Patt Posted January 2, 2008 Share Posted January 2, 2008 you know, my original Jetfire I got as a kid has smooth antennaes with painted macross kite on wing. I don't know if that's been listed before.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misterryno Posted January 3, 2008 Share Posted January 3, 2008 you know, my original Jetfire I got as a kid has smooth antennaes with painted macross kite on wing. I don't know if that's been listed before.... Do show a pic PLEASE I should be getting my JetFire either today or tomorrow at the latest hopefully. I think it is just a normal JetFire not a "rare" one but they are hard to find in good condition for cheap. Mine cost 100 bones and I only "think" it is in good condition. I don't "know" yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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