When it comes to vintage collectibles, the smallest additions can turn a reasonably priced vintage toy into one worth more than a high-end vehicle. This is very true of the eye-watering asking price for a graded Transformers Generation 1 Optimus Prime currently listed on eBay for a staggering $75,000. What makes the price especially remarkable is that, mechanically, the toy is no different from any other original Optimus Prime, like one listed for around $40,000, but it does come with one small, seemingly insignificant addition; a Pepsi sticker.
Yes, just having a Pepsi sticker on this particular version of one of the greatest toys of the 1980s has seen one eBay user almost double the asking price of this classic Transformers figure. While many would not exactly call $40,000 a pocket-money asking price for other Optimus Prime figures currently for sale, it certainly looks a lot more reasonable than the Pepsi version. The question is, why such a huge difference?
Why Could the Pepsi G1 Optimus Prime Be Worth So Much?
In 1985, Pepsi ran a mail-away promotion in North America offering the Optimus Prime toy as a limited exclusive. The figure itself was the standard figure that rolled off the production line in their thousands, but it arrived with a small fold-out leaflet glued to the top-right of the packaging, inside which were two Pepsi logo stickers that could be applied to Prime’s trailer, effectively turning him into a Pepsi truck. A Canadian version of the promotion went even further, with much larger stickers designed to cover the entire side of the trailer. It has since become one of the most coveted items of Transformers collecting.
Once again, this comes down to the simple collector rule that if something is scarce in volume or has a pretty unique story behind it, the figure itself becomes almost irrelevant. The G1 Prime figure unopened in its original box is one that often commands high sale prices, but it seems that adding in those small, easily lost stickers into the deal is worth around $35,000. If someone is willing to pay the price, of course. Currently, both the $75,000 and $40,000 Buy It Now auctions are live on eBay, but there have been no takers as yet. There are over 70 watchers on the Pepsi version, but many of those could simply be curious to know if it sells rather than wanting to participate in the sale themselves.
While the Transformers franchise has grown with multiple movies and shows, all with their own figures, original Transformers toys are among some of the most highly sought after by vintage toy collectors, mostly for the ability of the toys to transform, just like their on-screen counterparts. This made them one of the most advanced action figures of the mid-80s, and boxed figures often sell for over $10,000. That is substantially lower than either eBay offering, which makes it questionable whether they will ever sell for anywhere near the asking price.
Even if they don’t sell, the auctions are a huge reminder that quirky marketing ploys of the past have a way of drastically changing what some collectors believe their rare items are worth. Similar to Star Wars Early Bird Mailers that command thousands more than any regular shop-bought figures, the Pepsi Optimus Prime is Transformers‘ own grail mailing purchase that could end up being one of the highest priced collector’s pieces of the 80s.
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