Dinosaur Robo: Glacier Enterprises GE-1298 series to Robosaur to Transistor Robots.
Dinobot Slag bootleg - "Made in Taiwan"
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| G1 Transformers Slag - Dinobot and...well, some distant cousins. |
Back in the 1980s a Taiwanese manufacture would emerge and begin to produce a long line of knockoff transformable / convertible robot toys. This group was Glacier Enterprise Co., Ltd., abbreviated down to (GE). The GE logo, for a span, would appear on their packaging, instructions and often would be stamped directly on their figures. Over time Glacier Enterprise (GE) would begin to remove their identifying labels. Eventually, they would sell their manufacturing services to other private label companies such as: Wales Industries Inc., Emson, Four Star, Videl Dist. and many more! GE dominated, for much of the 1980s, as the silent manufacturing workhorse for many knockoff/bootleg toy lines. For the majority of the collecting community, the name of Glacier Enterprise would be a hidden mystery, leaving us with nothing more than "Made in Taiwan". Today, we f-i-n-a-l-l-y know who 'GE' actually was.
For many KO collectors, we actually have Glacier Enterprise to thank for a lot of what we now have and love!
For many KO collectors, we actually have Glacier Enterprise to thank for a lot of what we now have and love!
Sludge Dinobot variants: (Click here)
This post will follow and catalog the chronological lineage of Glacier Enterprises 'Slag' or Dinosaur Robo figure through it's evolution. Takara Dinosaur Robo, Prehistory Animal, Ancient Animal, Dinosaur Robot, Transformers Slag, etc. will be picked up in a subsequent post.
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| Glacier Toys promotional print. This
image comes from a larger toy print/catalog that we acquired. The catalog
highlights toys which Glacier could manufacture for other private label toy
companies. (See Wales Industry Inc. V7 below) |
8 box variants (V1-V8)
Chronological order of release.
(V1) Dinosaur Robo
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| (V1) GE-1298 Dinosaur Robo 1 Triceratops Green mountains, star background. Photo Credit: Baldrok. Litardi SPA Italy stcker. |
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| Photo Credit: Baldrok |
GE logo upper left corner. The color scheme of the figure is almost a direct copy of Takara's Diaclone Dinosaur Robo 2.
(V2) Dinosaur Robo
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| (V2) GE-1298 Dinosaur Robo 1 Triceratops Black mountains, red grid floor Photo Credit: gavitrontransformers |
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| V2 figure appears to be the same as the V1 figure. Photo Credit: gavitrontransformers |
(V3) Dinosaur Robo
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| (V3) GE-1298 Dinosaur Robo 1 Triceratops Addition of the yellow circle burst behind the figure. Litardi SPA Italy stcker |
This particular example has the Italian distributor sticker in the front.
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| (V3) GE-1298 Blue chest with red accent. Extendable fist with sword and blaster. |
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| (V3) GE-1298 |
(V4) Dinosaur Robo
(v4a red chest)
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| (V4a) GE-1298 (Clear Silver head) Dinosaur Robo 1 Triceratops All new retooled figure. GE logo upper left corner has been removed. |
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| (V4a) GE-1298 (Clear Silver head) Italian VDM distributor sticker: Vi Da Me, SAS Milano. |
GE logo in the upper left corner has been removed now. Figure now has blue limbs, tan sides and red chest. Figure also has texturing to the body verses smooth surfaces on earlier versions. Figure no longer has extendable fists, in fact it doesn't have any fists at all.
Sharp teeth on lower jaw.
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| (V4a) GE-1298 (Clear Silver head) Red chest, blue limbs. Figure does not have extendable fists. |
(V4a) GE-1298 (Clear Silver head)
Comes with some pre-applied stickers and an optional sticker sheet.
Figure has sharp teeth now and mini spikes across the top of the head.
Includes a sword and blaster.
(v4b blue chest)
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| Photo Credit for all v4b pics: Plastic_Crack_Dealer |
(V4b) GE-1298 (Clear Silver head)
(V4b) GE-1298 (Clear Silver head)
Blue chest, blue limbs. Figure does have extendable fists.
Blue chest, blue limbs. Figure does have extendable fists.
(V5) Dinosaur Robo
LONG HORN version. Addition of the orange head and limbs with orange circle body accents.
LONG HORN version. Addition of the orange head and limbs with orange circle body accents.
(V5) Dinosaur Robo GE-1298 (Orange Head, long horns)
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| (V5) GE-1298 (Orange head, long horns) Blue with Orange chest, blue limbs. Figure does not have extendable fists. Figure comes with lower jaw. |
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| (V5) GE-1298 (Orange head, long horns) Comes with some pre-applied stickers and an optional sticker sheet. Figure has sharp teeth on a lower jaw & a smooth upper jaw. Includes a sword and blaster. |
(V6a & V6b) Dinosaur Robo
SHORT HORN version. Box art has been completely changed to laser lines and artwork figure vs. a photograph of the figure on the front of the box. All references to GE have been removed now.
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| (V6a) Dinosaur Robo (pointed frill) 1 Triceratops GE logo and GE-1298 removed. Photo Credit: gavitrontransformers |
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| (V6b) Dinosaur Robo (rounded peg frill) 1 Triceratops GE logo and GE-1298 removed. |
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| V6b - No lower jaw. Sticker over orange plastic where lower jaw used to be. |
Samples exist with Shopko price tags.
(V7) Robosaur Triceratops #116
(V7) Robosaur Triceratops #116
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| Front of the box |
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| Back of the box Despite the package photography with tan sides, the actual figure came with gray sides. |
In 1985 Glacier Enterprises Inc. Ltd (GE) began manufacturing for:
Wales Industries Inc. New York. Samples exist with Toys "R" Us & Playland price tags. Playland price tag was $9.99.
Wales Industries would find themselves in a legal dispute with Hasbro.
In Wales Indus.Inc. vs. Hasbro Bradley Inc. it said:
"Plaintiff Wales Industrial Inc. ("Wales") plans to import and distribute into the United States its own version of several convertible robot toys, which are manufactured in Taiwan by third party defendant Glacier Enterprises Co., Ltd. ("Glacier"), a Taiwanese company".
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| (V7a) Robosaur Triceratops |
Box says, "A Futuristic Dinosaur That Transforms Into a Powerful Robot".
A. Face is unpainted blue with defined features.
B. No lower jaw
C. Gray sides
(V7b) Face is unpainted blue with undefined features.
This version of Robosaur has a melted play-doh look to the face.
***Chest sticker variant***
(mostly red background)
This sticker matches the Robosaur Triceratops box photography.
Most samples do not match the box photography.
This version of Robosaur has a melted play-doh look to the face.
***Chest sticker variant***
(mostly red background)
This sticker matches the Robosaur Triceratops box photography.
Most samples do not match the box photography.
 (V7a) Robosaur Triceratops |
We are also now introduced to the rounded wavy orange upper jaw without a lower jaw at all.
Also shows another example of the unpainted blue face with defined features
(V8) Transistor Robots (Four Star) - Dinosaur II Robot
Distributed by Four Star International Trading Company in 1985.
Sidenote: Dinosaur I Robot was a Dinobot Sludge KO.
"Dinosaur converts to robot"
Transistor Robots were sold primarily at Kmart.
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| (V8) Four Star complete package contents |
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| (V8) Transistor Robots Dinosaur II Robot |
A. Inside of the tan side is a sticker "1985© FOUR STAR".
Most Four Star figures had "Four Star" stamped directly on the figure's plastic. Here we see the use of a sticker on the Glacier Toys figure.
Most Four Star figures had "Four Star" stamped directly on the figure's plastic. Here we see the use of a sticker on the Glacier Toys figure.
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| (V8) Transistor Robots Dinosaur II Robot, Dinobot Slag KO. Painted silver eyes. Chest sticker and bumpy sword like Robosaur Triceratops. Photo B Credit: Robert Padilla - Twitter X Note: textured weapons similar to Robosaur (V7) (click photo to enlarge) |
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| Right: (V8) Transistor Robots Dinosaur II Robot, Dinobot Slag KO. Note: tan sides. It also has the rounded wavy orange upper jaw without a lower jaw. |
Figure Variants inside of V5-V8 boxes
Horn Variants - Long vs. Short
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| Silver horns on top of the head |
A. Is a (V5) figure with LONG horns.
B. Is a (V6a) figure with SHORT horns.
Photo credit B: Gavitrontransformers
Frill Variants - Rounded Pegs vs. Pointed
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| Two variants |
A. Is a (V8) Four Star - Transistor Robots figure with rounded peg frill, tan sides.
B. Is a (V6a) figure with pointed frill, gray sides.
Photo credit B: Gavitrontransformers
Side Variants - Tan vs. Gray
A. (V8) Four Star - Transistor Robots figure with rounded peg frill, tan sides.
B. (V7) Robosaur figure with rounded peg frill, gray sides.
B. (V7) Robosaur figure with rounded peg frill, gray sides.
Mouth Variants - Straight vs. Wavy
A. (V6b) Dinosaur Robo with straight upper orange jaw.
B. (V7) Robosaur with rounded wavy upper orange jaw, no lower jaw.
Looking for more Dinobot bootleg fun?
For a review on Prontosaurus 3 - winged Sludge
CLICK HERE
Even more reviews on Glacier line knockoff Sludge Dinobot variants:
CLICK HERE
CLICK HERE
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