Transformers are a line of toys that are manufactured by Hasbro. Initially Transformers were produced by the Japanese company Takara Tomy (Previously known as Takara). The toys were produced under the brand Diaclones as well as Microman.
Hasbro purchased the rights to distribute Diaclone and Microman in 1984, and shortly afterwards renamed them Transformers in order to sell to the American market. Later Hasbro went on to purchase the whole toy line from Takara so that they possessed branding rights and copyrights. Takara were given the rights to manufacture Transformers and distribute them in Japan.
There are two main groups of Transformers, the heroic Autobots and the Decepticons which are their evil opponents. The toys themselves have moveable parts which allow them to transform into a robot from either a vehicle, animal or other device. The toys have used slogans such as ‘More Than Meets The Eye’ as well as ‘Robots In Disguise’ to highlight this unique feature.
Transformers are catalouged based upon the year in which they were manufactured. The earliest toys were mae between 1984 and 1990, and some of these rare transformers are highly collectible and can be typically worth $100 +. A limited series rare Transformers Autobot from the 1984 series can be worth nearly $1,000.