Rainier / Rainbow: Robots & Space Guns

Rainier / Rainbow: Robots & Space Guns 
Made in Taiwan
1980s

How did we end up with 
RG-908 Robot Fighting Gun?

Rainbow, also known as Rainer, was a Taiwanese toy distributor in the 1980s, known for releasing a series of space guns labeled RG901 to RG905. Following the trend of many toy companies at the time, Rainer transitioned from these space-themed weapon toys into the popular market of transforming robots.

Rainier released RG-908 'Robot Fighting Gun', an Astro Magnum bootleg. 
The would then follow up with other transforming robots: RG-909 to RG-912. 

There is an extremely high probability that Tai Fong Electronics was the actual manufacture for the guns and robots that Rainier released. 


Tai Fong released their guns and robots using the catalog prefix of (TG).
Tai Fong + Gun = TG
Rainier released their guns and robots using the catalog prefix of (RG).
Rainier + Gun = RG
To learn more about this, visit our TG-117 Robot Pistol page (click here)


RAINIER SPACE GUNS

No.RG901 Super Electronic Gun Rainbow Space Series (Front)
$12.99 price sticker


NO.RG901 Super Electronic Gun
Rainbow Space Series (Back)

NO.RG901 Sonic Laser Pistol (Front)
Rainier toy gun
Made in Taiwan

Side Note: Bitronica 
Distributed in Italy by Ceppi Ratti
Made by Comwise Industry Co. LTD - Taiwan
Black version of the Rainbow/Rainier Space Series RG901

Bitronica - Black colored version
Back of the box illustration in Italian
Ref. 25115

Flyfox
 Space gun with side wing attachments.
Made by Comwise Industry Co. LTD - Taiwan

NO.RG902 Sonic Laser Pistol
Rainier toy gun
Made in Taiwan
Scope attachment and extended back handle compared to RG901

Rainier RG903 Sonic Laser Pistol (Front)
Photo shows a sticker for the Italian toy distributor: Litaridi S.P.A.

Rainier RG903 Sonic Laser Pistol (Back)

Rainier RG-904A Sonic Laser Pistol (Front)

Rainier RG-904A Sonic Laser Pistol (Back)
Similar to 3V Toys: Item No. VG 307 Super Diamond Laser Gun
Three Victory Co, LTD.

Also released by Rainier but this time with additional markings of:
No.6215 ALDON Made in Taiwan

Side of the ALDON box still shows the RAINIER logo.
Several ALDON versions found in the UK.

 

Side Note: Similar to the Rainer RG-904A, 3V Toys released their version called:
Super Diamond Laser Gun Item No. VG-307
3V Toys : Three Victory IND. Co. LTD

Unknown name or distributor, but clearly the same mold as RG-904A.
Gold variant with green & purple lights on the back of the gun.

Rainier RG-905A Sonic Laser Carbine
(Red round ball tip)

Extend and retract the red ball tip

Rainier RG-905 Sonic Laser Carbine
(Orange claw tip)
Both front & back images


Rainier RG-905 Sonic Laser Carbine

RG-906 and RG-907, currently unknown.

RAINIER ROBOTS

RG-908 Transformable Robot Fighting Gun
Rainer - for a complete overview on RG-908 (click here)

RG-909 3 in1 JETBOT (Front)
Rainier knockoff Robotech

RG-909 3 in1 JETBOT (Back)
Rainier knockoff Robotech

Photo Credit: Padillarrobertt Instagram

Vintage toy dealer catalog featuring 3 in 1 JETBOT

Rainier RG-910 Kingbot B/O Robo (variant)
Purple Kingbot logo
Metallic green robot
White & Red Rainier logo

Rainier RG-910 Kingbot B/O Robo (Front)
Rainier 1985
Yellow & Red Rainier logo

Per U.S. Customs & Border Protection, 
Kingbot was imported into the U.S. by 
LEECOTEX INDUSTRIAL CO. LTD. of Taipei Taiwan
beginning 10/3/85
 

RG-910 Kingbot B/O Robo (Back)
Rainier 1985
Knockoff Bandai Godaikin Vavilos
Japanese TV Series, Space Sheriff Sheider

Rainier RG-911 Mr. Robofan

Rainier- MR. ROBOFAN (Transforming robot)
Made in Taiwan
Mr. Robofan's blaster is identical to Tai Fong's Robotic Radio blaster.
Click here

Photo Credit: Roboplastic Apocalypse

Vintage catalog featuring Mr. Robofan

Photo Credit: Theoldrobots.com

Rainier logo & "Made in Taiwan" stamped on Mr. Robofan

Video Review Credit: Vallco4084

 Mr. Robofan by Rainier

RG-912 Robot HI-FI System (Front)
Rainier Taiwan
'Protable FM Radio' vs. 'Portable FM Radio'
Copyright 1985
 

Bilingual French & English box for Canada
Robot System HI-FI (L-112)

RG-912 Robot HI-FI System (Back)
Rainier - Made in Taiwan

RG-912 Robot in white foam insert.

Convert-a-bots Mini Figures

CONVERT-A-BOTS Mini Figures
Village Toys - Division of J Shin Co. Inc.
Made in Korea

MINI CONVERT-A-BOTS
Series/Wave 1
1984


Mini Convert-a-bots!

Mini Convert-a-bots cardback artwork

Item No. 2904
Made in Korea
Figures stamped: CONVERT-A-BOTS 1984
Series/Wave 1 consisted of at least seven Mini Convert-a-bot figures. Cardbacks say 1983 while the leg stamps say 1984. Minis came in a variety of cars and trucks similar to other robot lines like Select Convertors, Transformers Mini-bots or Tonka's Gobots series. Target and TG&Y price tags list them for $2.99. Other price stickers show that Mini Convert-a-bots also sold at Toys-r-us for $3.28. 


Comparison between: 
Select Convertors 'Wagon' (left) and Covert-a-bots 'Bronco' (right). 
Despite color, sticker and tire tread differences, many of the Convert-a-bots share similar molds with the Select Convertors and Mark Robo Car figures from Japan.

(Below) Japanese magazine advertisement  for vintage Mark (マーク) Robo Series

Photo Credit: Skullbrain.org

マークの合金チェンジロボシリーズ
合金ロボ・ロボカー続々登場!

Series/Wave 1 Figures

Instead of unique names like Bumble Bee or Geeper Creeper, MINI CONVERT-A-BOTS appear to have simply been called by the known vehicle names of the time.

A: FIREBIRD
B: MUSTANG
C: 4 WHEEL DRIVE PICK UP
D: VAN
E: BRONCO
 F: CORVETTE (No Trim)
G: CORVETTE (Gold Trim)

November 1984 - TG&Y Print advertisement for 
Mini Convert-a-bots at $1.99 each.

FIREBIRD
Mini Convert-a-bots

FIREBIRD
Mini CONVERT-A-BOTS

Carded figure - MOC
Converts to a car or robot
Diecast
Item No. 2904
Village Toys
Made in Korea

FIREBIRD Robot mode


Leg stamps
Village Toys TM
Convert-a-bots 1984

FIREBIRD
Top: Number 16 in wrong spot, missing other stickers
Bottom: Full stickers

Blue foil hood sticker with variant red foil sticker

FIREBIRD
Missing orange rear spoilers and all stickers

Front & back of the Firebird instructions
Elk Grove Village, Illinois 

Interior instructions to Convert-a-bots Firebird figure.
Note the sticker instructions.

MUSTANG
Mini Convert-a-bots

MUSTANG
Mini CONVERT-A-BOTS

Carded figure - MOC
Converts to a car or robot
Diecast
Item No. 2904
Village Toys
Made in Korea
Toys R Us price tag: $3.28


Woolworth variant packaging.
Distributed by Woolworth. Woolworth price of $3.00

Logo and copyright printed on the blister card. 

Robot mode for 'Mustang'

Photo Credit: RandomToyReviews

Instructions for Convert-a-bot Mustang

While most figures came with both a sticker sheet and instructions, 
some figures only came with sticker sheets.

4 WHEEL DRIVE PICK UP
Mini Convert-a-bots

4 WHEEL DRIVE PICK UP
Mini CONVERT-A-BOTS

Carded figure - MOC
Converts to a car or robot
Diecast
Item No. 2904
Village Toys
Made in Korea

Orange Arms
Robot mode

4 WHEEL DRIVE PICK UP

Sold at Toys R Us for $3.28

Photo credit: Sam Ford

Blue Arms
Robot mode

4 WHEEL DRIVE PICK UP

4 WHEEL DRIVE PICK UP vehicle mode
Top: Orange arm without any stickers.
Bottom: Blue FORD stickers to place on the 'blue' variant arms

Often referred to as "Sand Bully" because one of the

stickers you can apply says "Sand Bully". 

Note: Red & Yellow 'FORD' stickers on tailgate

It appears that the term "Sand-Bully," as well as the sticker designs and their placements may have been directly inspired by or copied from the 1983 Nikko "Ford Ranger Power Winch" remote-controlled truck.

Note: Black and Yellow 'FORD' stickers on tailgate.

Village Toys TM
Convert-a-bots 1984
Leg stamps
 

VAN
Mini Convert-a-bots

VAN
Mini CONVERT-A-BOTS

Carded figure - MOC
Converts to a car or robot
Diecast
Item No. 2904
Village Toys
Made in Korea

Loose example with applied stickers 
next to his MOC counterpart.
Select Convertors minibot is also called 'Van'.
Japanese Robo Car version is called 'Town Ace'.

Awesome black van vehicle mode.
Move over Ironhide!

Instructions for 'VAN' figure.

Village Toys sticker

VAN leg stamps
1984 Korea
Convert-a-bots

BRONCO
Mini Convert-a-bots

BRONCO
Mini Convert-a-bots

Carded figure - MOC
Converts to a car or robot
Diecast
Item No. 2904
Made in Korea
Target price tag of $2.99


Loose Bronco with his frozen in Carbonite companion.

Robot mode - Bronco Convert-a-bots
Brown & orange figure.

Figure E: BRONCO - vehicle mode
Mini Convert-a-bots
Instructions and optional stickers under the vehicle in the package.
Pictures show truck mode with and without stickers applied.

Bronco Convert-a-bots

One way to identify the Bronco figure is by a

 sticker applied behind the cap for 'Village Toys TM'


A second way to identify a Bronco figure is by the leg stamps on 

the backside of Bronco's legs which read:
©1984 Korea
Convert-a-bots


CORVETTE
Mini Convert-a-bots


Figures F (Black underside)
Figure G (Gold trim underside)

Figures F & G are the same mold but G comes with gold color trim details around the chest area as well as the prominent gold 'V' at the nose of the car.

CORVETTE
Figure F
Mini Convert-a-bots

Carded figure - MOC
Converts to a car or robot
Diecast
Item No. 2904
Made in Korea
Fred Meyer price tag of $2.88

Figure G: CORVETTE (Gold trim variant)
Convert-a-bots
Note: Front metal bumper folds open
to reveal two separate small silver heads


Figure F: CORVETTE
Stickers applied in alternative locations. 
Number '17' on top of the car.
Note: BLUE colored windows & metal front bumper


Figure F: CORVETTE
No stickers applied

Photo Credit: CollectionDX

Figure F: CORVETTE


Figure F: Corvette (no gold trim)
Leg Stamps
Village Toys TM
Convert-a-bots 1984

This sample came with both the instructions and the sticker sheet.

MINI CONVERT-A-BOTS 2
Series/Wave 2
1985

Mini Convert-a-bots 2 cardback artwork

Item No. 2905
Made in Korea
Figures stamped: CONVERT-A-BOTS 1985
Series/Wave 2 consists of at least four Mini Convert-a-bot figures. Cardbacks say 1983 while the leg stamps say 1985. Minis came in a variety of sports cars.

Mini CONVERT-A-BOTS 2
"Cars with hearts of steel".
Second series of mini vehicle transforming figures.
A: JAGUAR
B: CAMARO
 C: PORSCHE
D: CORVETTE 
E: MUSTANG

Photo Credit: Tamagas / GiocattoliVecchi

While most of Wave 1 Convert-a-bots descend from Japanese Mark molds, FIREBIRD appears to have originated from Olympus of Korea instead. Both PORSCHE and CORVETTE from Wave 2 also come from Olympus molds.

JAGUAR
Mini CONVERT-A-BOTS 2 

JAGUAR
Mini CONVERT-A-BOTS 2

Carded figure - MOC
Converts to a car or robot
Diecast
Item No. 2905
Village Toys
Made in Korea
 

JAGUAR: Robot Mode

 

Photo Credit: Hucklebubba

Black Jaguar with American flag stickers 

 

 CAMARO
Mini CONVERT-A-BOTS 2

CAMARO
Mini CONVERT-A-BOTS 2

Carded figure - MOC
Converts to a car or robot
Diecast
Item No. 2905
Village Toys
Made in Korea

Robot mode with hood up - black eyes

Photo credit: Hearseguy22

Silver chrome eyes

Blue Camaro, yellow windows with number '7' hood sticker

Photo Credit: Starscream Toys

Optional stickers not applied.
This 'may' be a lighter blue variant?
Even with color correction software, 
this figure appears to be lighter blue.

PORSCHE
Mini CONVERT-A-BOTS 2

PORSCHE
Mini CONVERT-A-BOTS 2

Carded figure - MOC
Converts to a car or robot
Diecast
Item No. 2905
Village Toys
Made in Korea

Carded lot of Porsche Convert-a-bots 2
& one carded Mustang figure (top right).

Photo Credit: Red Bearded Devil Toys & Stuff

PORSCHE

Robot and car modes
Number '88' on roof. STP and CHAMPION stickers
 

Underside sticker reads
Village Toys TM
Convert-a-bots 1985
Made in Korea


CORVETTE
Mini CONVERT-A-BOTS 2

CORVETTE
Mini CONVERT-A-BOTS 2

Carded figure - MOC
Converts to a car or robot
Diecast
Item No. 2905
Village Toys
Made in Korea


 Corvette C-A-B-2
Convert-a-bots 2

Corvette
A. Hood down robot mode
B. Hood up robot mode
Note: figure comes with both chrome or black eyes

Photo Credit: Retro Toy Escapades

Figure C: CORVETTE
Mini Convert-a-bots 2
Number '99' roof sticker

Side profile of Corvette Convert-a-bots 2
No applied stickers

Leg Stamps
Village Toys TM
Convert-a-bots 1985


 MUSTANG
Mini CONVERT-A-BOTS 2

MUSTANG
Mini CONVERT-A-BOTS 2

Carded figure - MOC
Converts to a car or robot
Diecast
Item No. 2905
Village Toys
Made in Korea

While tucked behind the figure, 
it is clear the instructions belong to 'MUSTANG'

MUSTANG card back

Photo Credit: Torrey Long

Loose MUSTANG with optional stickers applied.

Car mode
Like other Convert-a-bot figures, MUSTANG 
also comes with a hood / roof number.

"Made in Korea" stamping

 

MYSTERY FIGURE
This image comes from an Ebay listing.
The listing unfortunately has been removed or it can't be relocated 
again to assign photo credit to the seller.


Another Covert-a-bots 2?? Clover??
Anyone have any ideas?




To learn about Convert-a-bots N-4-SR (Astro Magnum)
Click Here