The Blue Transformer Toy That Could Be Worth More Than $700

Many children grow up with a favorite toy, doll, stuffed animal, or plaything. Those youthful trinkets were more than creative pastimes, they were personal treasures. Nowadays, some of those toys are actual treasures with more grownups forking over adult-sized dollars to recapture some of their childhood toy joy. A recent study from Circana found that collectible toy purchases by adults in the first quarter of 2025 are up 12% compared to the prior year, with dollar sales edging higher 6% year-over-year for the same period.

One toy franchise that's been popular with collectors over the past few decades is Transformers; plastic vehicles that morph into humanoid robots. And a related product, the blue Ravage Jaguar micro transformer from Takara, which was only released in Japan commands a premium price. Adult collectors are paying as much as $750 for the tiny morphing robot that's the size of a micro-cassette.

"Items like the blue Micro Change Ravage will always be in high demand by Transformers collectors because it's part of the Transformers origin story. That's really the magic behind this piece," toy and collectibles expert, Bob Friedland said during an exclusive interview.  

Friedland has more than 20 years experience in the toy and collectible space. He also led communications at Toys"R"Us and FAO Schwarz, as well as worked with Hasbro, Target, Bandai, and others. He said scarcity is a key price driver for toy collectors.

"The fact that the Micro Change version was released exclusively in Japan makes it feel like a separate toy and guarantees even more collector interest."

Friedland says slight tweaks can significantly add to a toy's value. Variations with unique colors, differing country of origin, or packaging condition can double or triple an item's value. He added that most U.S. collectors didn't even know the blue Ravage existed until they were grown adults, which makes it even more desirable.

"A loose blue Ravage is valuable, but one in the sealed, original Japanese package with all the inserts is nearly impossible to find and therefore a holy grail for Transformers collectors," Friedland explained.

Friedland advises serious toy collectors to avoid mega online outlets such as Amazon or eBay, as they're often rife with scam listings and junky knock-offs. In fact, eBay's Authenticity Guarantee only extends to trading cards and no other type of toy collectible. 

However, reputable online sites like the aforementioned behemoths have buyer protection guarantees, and if a product fails authentication when it's received, buyers can likely get their money back. These guarantees are generally upheld by the sites — which is good news for buyers, as they don't require significant effort from their end.

"There's always risk on mainstream platforms with high-ticket items like this. That said, for serious pieces, like Ravage, I recommend going through collector forums, verified sellers, or toy auctions," warned Friedland. "You might pay a little more upfront buying through an established auction house, but you're buying peace of mind."