[FAQtoid] The blue Bluestreak is a legend.

                       by Burt Ward (Beavis@cris.com)


I propose that it is impossible to prove that a blue Bluestreak ever
existed. The distinction here is the name : Bluestreak indicates the
American Transformer, in American packaging. I maintain there is no proof
that a blue toy in American G1 packaging was released. The arguements I have
heard are listed below, followed by my response.

"It's in the instructions and the catalog shows it!"

This means nothing. As pointed out numerous times by many people, the
box art, catalogs/checklists, and instructions have numerous errors. In the 
case of the first series (the toys that came out in 84) they used prototypes 
for the instruction books and catalogs. That does not, repeat not, translate
into a blue toy actually being sold on the shelves of a toy store. 

"But I've seen a Blue one!! I even have a JPEG of it!"

What you've got, in all likelyhood, is a picture of the DIACLONE toy that
the American Bluestreak was later based on. The Microman and Diaclone lines
were popular in Japan in the late seventies, early eightees (the reason for
the dual copyrights found on some G1 toys). Hasbro either bought the right
to use the design of the toys, or unsold stock of the toys themselves. In
the case of Microman, unsold toys were put in American packaging, which is
why there were red Bumblebees and yellow Cliffjumpers. However, I do not 
believe that unsold Diaclone toys were bought : the designs were changed and
tinkered with before the final molds were made. Thus, any loose blue toy
that resembles Bluestreak is most likely a Diaclone toy that was never
released in the US.

"I VERY CLEARLY remember seeing a Blue Bluestreak in my local toy store!"

This alone is not proof. You may remember it, but that does not necessarily
make it so. A few of my friends all said they had a blue one as a kid, but
produced silver ones from the closet at home. Remember, a lot of people seem
to think Prime crumbled into dust in the movie, and remember a Skyfire toy
that was called Skyfire and looked like the cartoon Skyfire.

I find it very significant that the ONLY toy that had wrongly-coloured
instructions is the ONLY toy people claim to remember seeing in the original
Diaclone colours. Why is it just Bluestreak? Why don't people remember
seeing black Ironhides? If Hasbro had bought unsold Diaclone toys from the 
same series as the blue Bluestreak, why was Ironhide recoloured? People who 
say they remember it are usually convinced they are right. But let's be honest
 : I  find it hard to believe these people have perfect memories. Has their 
memory never failed? They've never thought they left their keys on the 
dresser, but later found them in their coat pocket? No offense is meant 
here : it puts them in the same boat as virtually everyone on Earth. But 
vague childhood memories should not be the basis on which people decide 
reality, especially when it's someone else's memories.

"A dealer offered to sell me one, *IN BOX* for $5000. So it must be true."

Let's face it, not everyone is honest. Toy dealers can be guilty of fraud.
They read the price guides and know there is a lot of mania over the
supposed blue Bluestreak. Action Figure News, which has one of the best TF
price guides, still lists the blue Bluestreak. It would be a very simple
matter for a toy dealer to get a loose diaclone toy and a mint in box
Bluestreak. They apply the Bluestreak stickers to the diaclone toy, slip it
in the box, and presto! Instant collectable. 

"Ok *FINE* Mr. Know-It-All, what would prove there was a blue Bluestreak
released in America?"

The only way to prove it would be to eliminate the possibility of error or
fraud. That rules out loose toys completely : it's very easy to just slap
stickers on a diaclone toy and call it a blue Bluestreak. It also eliminates
opened boxes, since it is very easy to slip an altered loose diaclone toy in
an American Transformer box. So, we are left with sealed MIB toys. And the
only way to prove it is to have a pristine toy with obviously intact taped
flaps on the box. The tape must be cut and the inside bubble examined. If
this is determined to be sealed, by a variety of toy collectors who know
sealed and resealed when they see it, then the matter will be proven.

Alternately, I personally would except the word of a known, trusted TransFan
who produced a loose or boxed one from a source incapable of faking the toy.
For example, a few of my friends remembered (wrongly) that they had blue
ones as kids. If one of them had produced one from the closet, I would be
convinced, because there's no way they could have gotten a diaclone and
slapped on the stickers. This is not nearly as sure as the first way, but
acceptable to me personally.

The long and short of it is, the odds are VERY low that a blue Bluestreak
will ever be found in a sealed mint box. Supposedly the toy was quite rare
(maybe even more so than Bumper) and the chances that a sealed one still
exists are very slim. Unless one is found, this will be forever a legend,
not proven, just like the uncut version of the movie, the Skyfire toy, the
Unicron toy that was released, the "sequels" to the movie etc. etc. etc.

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