why are the 1987 figures so valuable?

[prob off]

i've noticed that the 1987 series 6 i believe are going to a lot of money. is it because the line was running out of steam by then and they didn't produce as many or was it something else. just curious thats all. thanks

[Dr_SLUMP]

Yes, the production number was low and some of them (such as the giants) were exclusives to Italy and Greece.

[Matthew L. Martin]

The Giants and Laser figures were exclusive to European markets, and a lot of them were just harder to find and underpublicized. The Power Gear sets were so underproduced/underreleased that I thought they'd been cancelled until the rise of the Internet (only Vintage toys I've gone to the secondary market for), and I didn't even know most of the 87 PoP figures existed until we found a Silver Storm on a clearance rack in 1989 or so.

Part of the reason for the former was that Mattel sent me a computer printout of all their MotU SKUs, and the Power Gear sets weren't on it. Strangely enough, Gigantasaurus was, but the Gyrattacker--which appears to have come closer to being produced--wasn't. Neither were the Giants or the Laser figures.

[prob off]

the giants and laser ones were in 1988. i was talking about the series before that. randor, clamp champ, ninjor, sorcerss, rotar, twistoid etc....

[Dr_SLUMP]

Oops... those were also produced in somewhat fewer quantities but they aren't nearly as rare as the final year's.

I remember the shops here having tons of Randors, Rotars, Twistoids, etc.. to be honest, it's my most vivid memory of MOTU toys at shelves.

[He-bro]

There was less of them made, the line was winding down.