This Generation One Transformers Action Figure review is meant to serve as an in-depth informational review of the entire line of US released Transformers action figures from 1984 through 1990. There are plenty of lists out there that show all of the figures and all of their parts, so I don't feel that is necessary in this posting. What I feel is missing out there in the books and information on collecting Transformers Action Figures is a type of "Shopper's Companion" , so that's what this list is intended for. It serves as an informational review concentrating on typical flaws of each figure, and things you should keep in mind, or watch for while hunting down those new additions to your Transformers collection. I will not usually make a note about chrome wear or "yellowing", since basically any part that is chromed can have chrome wear and just about any figure can have "yellowing", the same goes with paint wear, or paint "chipping", unless it is unusually common with a particular figure. From time to time I will also include notes about foreign releases of the same figure. I have it split up series by series since all 360+ or so figures simply would not fit on one page.

Series 1

Series 2

Series 3

Series 4

Series 5

Series 6

Series 7

Transformers Generation One Series Three 1986 & Movie issues 
Action Figure Review / Shopper's Guide:
Series 3 includes:

Minibots:

Wheelie:

Wheelie rarely has anything wrong with him aside from his face cover missing.

Outback:

Outback is frequently missing his weapon and is the only minibot that came with one.

Tailgate:

Tailgate rarely has anything wrong with him.

Hubcap:

Hubcap rarely has anything wrong with him.

Pipes:

Pipes rarely has anything wrong with him.

Swerve:

Swerve rarely has anything wrong with him.

Aerialbots:

Aerialbots all have metal parts and are not double issued having either plastic or metal versions.

Silverbolt:

Silverbolt's hips unscrew themselves sometimes.

Air Raid:

Air Raid's face can be worn from insertion into the socket to make the large robot. The nose and tail sections get limps easily too.

Skydive:

Skydive's face can be worn from insertion into the socket to make the large robot. The nose and tail sections get limps easily too.

Slingshot:

Slingshot's face can be worn from insertion into the socket to make the large robot. The nose and tail sections get limps easily too.

Fireflight:

Fireflight's face can be worn from insertion into the socket to make the large robot. The nose and tail sections get limps easily too.

Superion:

Superion is difficult to stand. It always wants to lean forward and the hips need to be pivoted outward to keep him upright.

Stunticons:

Stunticons all have metal parts and are not double issued having either plastic or metal versions. The four small Stunticons seem hard to find with nice stickers

Motormaster:

Motormaster rarely has anything wrong with him. 

Drag Strip:

Drag Strip's windshield sticker is always worn. His handgun is frequently missing.

Dead End:

Dead End's handgun is frequently missing.

Wildrider:

Wildrider's handgun is frequently missing.

Combaticons:

Combaticons come in metal and plastic versions of each. The metal pieces are: Onslaught's chest, Brawl's Tank treads, Swindle's chest, Blast off's chest, and Vortex's chest. The plastic versions seem, to me, to be harder to find.

Onslaught:

Onslaught rarely has anything wrong with him. 

Vortex:

Vortex rarely has anything wrong with him. 

Brawl:

Brawl rarely has anything wrong with him. 

Swindle:

Swindle rarely has anything wrong with him. 

Blast Off:

Blast Off rarely has anything wrong with him. 

Bruticus:

Bruticus rarely has anything wrong with him. 

Protectobots:

Hot Spot:

Hot Spot came with either a bright red metal chest piece or a dark red plastic chest piece. He rarely has anything wrong with him.

Groove:

Groove rarely has anything wrong with him.

First Aid:

First Aid almost always has worn stickers.

Blades:

Blades sometimes has broken propellers or landing skids but not very often.

Streetwise:

Streetwise frequently has problems with his hood. Either being broken or missing altogether. And the factory side sticker is usually worn.

Battlechargers:

Runamuck:

The pinstripe is usually frayed or missing and he has a very touchy mechanism to keep him in car mode.

Runabout:

The pinstripe is usually frayed or missing and he has a very touchy mechanism to keep him in car mode.

Cassettes:

Ratbat:

Ratbat's ears are always missing. That's why he is hard to find. If you take the tape and grab his wings and pull them outward one of two things will happen: His ears will pop up just right for bat mode or his ears will shoot out of the body across the table into the carpet and disappear. His weapons came in Gold or Silver

Frenzy:

The Franzy that was sold with Ratbat has plastic toes instead of metal toes. His weapons came in Gold or Silver. He came with either a painted tape detail or a factory sticker.

Rewind:

Rewind's head pops up in tape mode if his shoulders become limp from lots of transformation. His weapons came in gold or silver. He came with either a painted Cassette detail or a factory sticker.

Steeljaw:

Steeljaw rarely has anything wrong with him. His weapons came in gold or silver.

Ramhorn:

Ramhorn rarely has anything wrong with him. His weapons came in gold or silver.

Eject:

Eject's head pops up in tape mode if his shoulders become limp from lots of transformation. His weapons came in gold or silver. He came with either a painted cassette detail or a factory sticker.

Triplechagers:

Springer:

Springer is usually missing his propeller. 

Sandstorm:

Sandstorm rarely has anything wrong with him.

Broadside:

Broadside rarely has anything wrong with him.

Octane:

Octane rarely has anything wrong with him.

Movie Heroes:

Rodimus Prime:

Rodimus Prime rarely has anything wrong with him. He came in two versions: metal toes with rubber wheels, or plastic toes with plastic wheels.

Wreck Gar (Junkion):

He is frequently missing his front tire or a rubber of a tire.

Hot Rod:

Hot Rod's stickers on the underside of the car are usually worn.

Kup:

Kup rarely has anything wrong with him.

Blurr:

Blurr's arm fenders frequently get stress lines. The center hood piece (the shield) cracks at the clip easily and is lost frequently.

Sharkticon (Gnaw):

Gnaw's little shark mode arms pop out or break off easy. His tail is almost always missing. The pegs that make his hands come out of his arms break easy.

Predacons:

Predacons came in metal versions and in plastic versions. For original releases the metal versions seem harder to find and the metal parts are frequently chipped. The metal sections are: Razorclaw robot mode waist, Divebomb Bird mode waist, Tantrum bull mode rump and shoulder side areas, Rampage panther mode waist, and Headstrong big yellow backplate.

Razorclaw:

Razorclaw rarely has anything wrong with him.

Tantrum:

Tantrum rarely has anything wrong with him.

Rampage:

Rampage rarely has anything wrong with him.

Divebomb:

Divebomb's wing stickers are usually crooked or worn or peeling off.

Headstrong:

Headstrong rarely has anything wrong with him.

Jets:

Cyclonus:

Cyclonus rarely has anything wrong with him. and came in two versions one with blue ears and belt like the picture on the box and one with purple ears and belt. 

Scourge:

Scourge's knee stickers are usually worn because of the way he transforms. He looks funny in hovercraft mode if you lose the head rocket.

Other Figures:

Metroplex:

Metroplex rarely has anything wrong with him. But he came with a LOT of small pieces. The arms and handgun for Scamper are the most frequently missing.

Galvatron:

Galvatron always has chrome wear on his kneecaps and his yellow tube is frequently missing.

Ultra Magnus:

Ultra Magnus rarely has anything wrong with him aside from missing parts (he came with a lot of parts).

Trypticon:

Trypticon rarely has anything wrong with the main figure. Sometimes the peg that holds the purple car on his chest breaks off but not very often. His frequently missing parts are the antennae and the handgun for the purple car.

Sky Lynx:

Sky Lynx gets dirty easily and is hard to clean. The Lynx section rarely has functioning electronics.

Reflector:

Reflector usually has little wrong with the main three figures but the parts are hard to locate and he does not look good as a camera without the flash tube and lens.

S.T.A.R.S. Control Center:

Prone to moisture and bends since it is made out of cardboard.

Collector's Showcase:

A simple hang on the wall shelf made of plastic that displays your smaller transformers. Hard to damage it.