The story behind Transformers toys is legendary in the toy industry. Traditionally, popular characters from children's TV shows were seen as an opportunity to create spin-off toys. In the case of Transformers however, Hasbro landed itself some terrific Japanese toys called Microman and Diaclone which had everything required to make them a huge success. Except one thing... A clever marketing idea. The answer? Devise an animated TV show that would make Transformers a household name and shift millions of toys worldwide!
Nowadays, it is taken as read that children's TV and film characters are carefully crafted at the earliest possible stage of the process to translate well into highly marketable products. Transformers toys though, represented a distinct shift in how products could marketed to children - and how TV could be used as an ingenious way to kill off key characters and introduce new ones... Thereby creating a brand with a potentially infinite life-span.
In the case of Transformer toys though, we don't mind one bit about how they came to be! With such terrific characters as Optimus Prime and Megatron - and a highly inventive product design that made these 'robots in disguise' transform from vehicles into deadly robot figures with a few twists and turns - we say long may Transformers toys continue to do battle!
Sales of action figures continue to grow as more films and TV shows are accompanied by spin-off toys.
Character toys continue to go from strength-to-strength as more TV series, films and comic books attract spin-off toys.
A family run traditional baby clothing and toy shop.
A massive selection of branded toys, cycles, and games.
A family-run business based in Dorset.