Manufacturer Stampings on Transformers Note: A listing of pics can be found here. As time allows, we will integrate these stampings at key points within this list. Takara Standard (Plain Stamping) Takara 'In-Box' Takara 'In Circle' Takara (Dates) Takara 'Split' -No dates, no Kanji, just those two words, either plainly stamped on the toy, or in a circle or raised/indented square. -Diaclone and early-release G1 toys come with Takara-stampings. Italian toys (known as TraS) have the distinction of being Takara-plain, with date-stampings on them. (One noted exception is the PC-DX giftset.) -Pre-TF rub TFs generally have copyrights similar to TraS, with 85 versions having Hasbro markings too. -Pretty much all the Japanese Diaclone car robots had TAKARA JAPAN in circle. Powered Convoy however had dates both in Japan and Italy. -Takara used two distinctly different stampings for their name on early TFs. Ones made in Japan got a stylized 'Takara' with the letter 'a' looking more like a hollowed out triangle. 'Triangle A' stampings have thicker letters-alomost like the 'Takara' name is in boldface. Non-Japanese produced TFs (those made in Macau, Taiwain, etc.) got a more traditional 'Takara' stamping in the usual skinny, ordinary capital letters font. -I'd like to clarify the 'Takara in circle' because the circles differ. There's 'Takara' on an upraised circle (like most pre-rub, no-Hasbro '84 cars), and there's 'Takara' in an indented, 'sunken' circle-the infamous PAT P Mirage is one. Then there's my odd Bluestreak with a blank circle on the left foot, opposite the 'Takara' stamping on the other footpad. Strange. -'In box' is also tricky. Some stampings are ON an upraised box while others are only 'framed' by the outline of a box. My Beachcomber's stamping has a 'frame'. -There is also a Takara w/dates 'split'. My Windcharger is an example of this. The dates are on the right leg and 'c Takara Co Ltd' is on the left. -There's also the 'Takara Japan' split. My Laserbeak has 'Takara' on one leg and 'Japan' on the other. One of my Ravages has them on opposite sides of his tail. -Some of the more unusual ones are so odd that they don't fit into any category. I've run across 'Takara Japan' with an 'M' in a circle next to it on my Buzzsaw. -I call the stamping on my pre-rub Gears 'rainbow' Takara Japan because the letters are written on an arc, all evenly spaced from each other like a rainbow.

Hasbro Standard (Large or Small) Hasbro 'In Box' (Large or Small) -Typically asociated with the 1990's Euro-Classics line. Takara-Japan is blocked out, leaving only the Hasbro stamping. -?? (help, I can't remember which, (if any? Oh God) G1-USA toys have a Hasbro-only stamping. Why am I drawing a blank!?) -NOT to be confused with a Hasbro/Takara shared stamping on a toy, or with Hasbro stamped in one section, and Takara in aother section (say on different legs of the Constructicons). -On otherwise seemingly identical toys, the size of the type/font has changed for no apparent reason. Possible different mold lines in the same factory? Repairing a worn-stamping on an existing mold?

Hasbro/Takara Shared (Standard; large or small.) Hasbro/Takara Shared (Split; large or small.) -'Shared' designation means both the manufacturer-stampings (Hasbro and Takara) can be found on one toy. -Note that it can be either one stamping in one spot, or a split stamping, with Takara on one part, and Hasbro on the other (Constructicons). Or, the dates/manufacturer can be split from the company logo. -My Swerve has a split Takara Hasbro stamping, but the years on the Hasbro side are in an upraised square! So I guess that'd be "Hasbro/Takara shared 'split' with boxed Hasbro years"! :-) -On otherwise seemingly identical toys, the size of the type/font has changed for no apparent reason. Possible different mold lines in the same factory? Repairing a worn-stamping on an existing mold? Note that more often than not, this change only occurs to the word 'Hasbro' on the unit. The word 'Takara' is unchanged in size. -Location of manufacturer is always assumed to be Japan (see Macau and Taiwan).

Hasbro/Toybox ToyCo/Korea Bandai (Standard) Bandai (Dates) Matshurio (Standard) My favorite category of stamping! They don't fit the normal pattern. -Skylynx is Hasbro/Toybox, pat. pending. -Galvatron, Quickswitch, and Shockwave are made in Korea. -Note that Shockwave has a 'ToyCo' stamping on his inner leg, but there's no Hasbro or Takara anywhere else. Either I'm looking in the wrong Galvatron is a traditional Hasbro/Takara 'in box' stamping, he's just got the 'made in Korea' byline. And quickswitch is pretty much the same thing. -Bandai and Matshurio stampings are on Jetfire. The Deluxe Insecticons also came from Bandai.

Hasbro/Takara- 'Blocked' Hasbro/Takara-Macau Macau (Standard) -We hate Macau. -The change in manufacture from Japan to Macau occured between 86/87. We differentiate between the two stamping types due to the change from Macau being stamped over Japan, versus Macau being integrated into the stamping in later releases. -Aerialbots come with Japan, and blocked-Macau stampings (transitional toys). -Technobots, Terrocons come with Macau standard. -Micromasters, Actionmasters are exclusively Macau-manufacture. -The 'blocked' stamping covers the words 'Japan' on the toys. When it is a plain block (no Macau added) then it is presumed to be a toy of Mexican manufacture. -Mexican toys had "Japan" blocked. Unfortunately, not ALL Mexican toys have blocks. Blitzwing, some Prowls, some minis and Snarl didn't have blocks, but they were definitely Mexican. Unfortunately they aren't as easy to pigeonhole as we'd like. (Do they have Hasbro, Takara, or shared-stampings?) Shared on all the Mexican toys I've got. Also they have dates and Kanji. -The Mexican Prowl, Cliffjumper, Optimus (a bit ambiguous this one), Grapple (and probably Inferno), Smokescreen, Bluestreak and all Decepticon jets have the stylized 'A' (on 'Takara') that looks a tad like a hollowed triangle. Although on some of them it looks like the small horizontal adjoining section in the middle of the "A" is just a dot right at the bottom of the letter. -Complete List of Mexican Stampings for each toy can be found here. Nice work! -Mexican blocks and Macau blocks are not to be confused with USA blocks, which cover the first date on TFs (the second, 84 is left intact). Examples are Blaster and Perceptor.

Hasbro/Takara-Taiwan Hasbro/Takara-France Hasbro/Takara-Indonesa -Another location of manufacture-change. There is a distinct shortage of Hasbro/Takara shared stampings with a Taiwan designation. The bulk of the original toys were Japan, with a later shift Into Macau and China (exceptions for non-Takara toys as noted). -Our best example is Maz' TM Hotrod: As you can see it's a Hasbro/Takara shared copyright with the "TAIWAN" on a raised block. Dates also. But no Kanji. -Optimus Primes with the "made in France" stampings... -The Indonesa stamping is found on the G2 Megatron tank (large green).

Hasbro/Takara-China (Plain) Hasbro/Takara-china (Kanji and Dates) -Standard shared stamping, however the location of manufacture is now China instead of Macau. Late 89 change for the Micromasters toys, Euro-Classics line, as well as being the stamping of choice for reissued toys. -Can be standard, or 'In-Box' stamping (raised platform). -Many people don't value a European Classic the same as its original counterpart in the same condition. They might as well be called what they are - G1.5 rereleases.

No Manufacturer-stamping on TFs: -Originally associated wih being a 'knock-off', there is also the distinction of some early pre-rub G1 jets having no manufacturer-stamping on their legs. :-) (Diaclone as well, natch.)

Some interesting notes on Manufacturer-stampings: -I found it interesting that, with only one or two exceptions, all these changes in manufacturer-stamping can be found in my neck of the woods. :-) God, like I needed a reason to collect more of these toys. -Very early Italian Diaclone car robos (maybe only 2 or 3) may well have had TAKARA JAPAN in circle. That's why it's so hard to prove there was an Italian blue Trailbreaker and red Sunstreaker. -Many of the same toys come with different manufacturer-stampings, the reason for creating this list in the first place. Original cars can come with two to three different stampings (four if you count the reissues). We'd like to be able to differentiate between different releases of the same toys, say between the carded and giftset versions of the aerialbots (Japan vs Macau). -The thing about mold differences... The thing about difference in mold is sometimes there is a change because it was from a different country, and other times it's just a change in production over time, so it just depends when it was made, and not always where. But sometimes where it was made falls into the same catagory as WHEN it was made! Let's say you have toy x made in Japan, and they may have tweeked the mold on it alittle then you have mold 2, then let's say they move production to Macau. If it's tweeked or not (the mold) the Japan would be blocked out, maybe some cheaper parts used, less painting etc... Oh, and then it's "classic" time! Most everything by this time is made in China, so we have to block out the mold again, or create a new one, whatever. maybe the mold will have some touch ups done to it being tweeked so many times...this mystery X toy is beginning to sound like that certain Protectobot...lol.

Just for fun, let's look at one toy (Sideswipe) and see what all the possible combinations there are (worldwide): - Japanese Diaclone Sideswipes: Takara Japan on back of waist. - GiG Diaclone Sideswipes: Blocks on waist, Takara (c) under hood. - TF Pre-Rubsign Freaks: Takara J(c) on waist AND Takara. (C under hood?) - TF Pre-Rubsign Sideswipes: Takara (c) on waist. - TF Pre-Rubsign Sideswipes: Blocks on waist, Takara (c) under hood. - TF Rubsign Sideswipes/Red Alerts: Blocks on waist, Hasbro/Takara under hood. - TF Rubsign Sideswipes/Red Alerts: No blocks on waist, Hasbro/Takara under hood. - Classic Sideswipes: Blocked Takara. - G2 Sideswipes: Hasbro (c) under hood, no blocks. - Reissue (Classic Box): - Reissue (New Year Exclusive): - Reissue (Dreamwave): *Reissue (Exclusive 91 + 92): Hasbro/Takara China under hood, waist blocks.