If there’s something I’ve learnt after years and years of collecting Transformers, it’s that vintage is overrated. I love my original items, both Lego and Transformers, but that’s because I know that I’ve owned them for thirty-some years. The wear and tear is there because I put it there. I used to buy collections of loose figures, but quickly realized that the grime and dust is much less attractive when it’s not mine.
Which brings me to the Galaxy Explorer, the first major spaceship in the classic space theme, released in 1979. Tracking down one of these isn’t that hard – it sold well and probably had a special status to many a kid, so the supply isn’t that bad. You can get one in decent condition for around 200 dollars, which is reasonable considering its age. However, that gives you all that grime and all those scratches. You can get an original unopened one right now, but in that case, say bye-bye to 2500 dollars, and I’d think opening it would be a crime against humanity.