MediaWiki - User contributions [en]

Talk:Decipher the Decepticon

2020-09-13T13:34:54Z

Necrotron77: /* I wonder... */

nnn. Why is this page completely blank? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] ([[User talk:Repowers|talk]] • [[Special:Contributions/Repowers|contribs]]){{#if:| {{{2}}}|}}.
:<nowiki>*looks*</nowiki>
:Because it's... not. You probably experienced [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Arriving2|yet another glitch]]. - [[User:SanityOrMadness|SanityOrMadness]] 13:11, 27 May 2009 (EDT)
::It's an incredibly consistent glitch. I haven't been able to get the page all morning. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 13:22, 27 May 2009 (EDT)
:::Well, I can see it. The bottom (Notes) section reads:
<blockquote style="background:#eeefff;padding:3px">
*Like other pre-Movie material, the posters' text works hard to conceal certain secrets of the movie, notably the identities of Galvatron and Rodimus Prime.
*It seems a bit odd that Kickback is included. Everyone else shown was a brand-new toy for 1986.
*To date, no photographs of the Hot Rod go-carts have materialized on the Internet. If you have one, you'll be our hero forever.
*Once entrants figured out the answer to the puzzle, it was to be entered in the blank on a cut-off strip at the bottom of the poster: "I think _______ is the evil, horrible enemy planet." Mailing this in, however, meant that you no longer had the description of the battle.
*Who is the evil, horrible enemy planet? ANSWER: _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
</blockquote>
:::- [[User:SanityOrMadness|SanityOrMadness]] 13:53, 27 May 2009 (EDT)

== I wonder... ==
I know that contests as a matter of public record have to make a list of winners available on request (unless, IIRC, the winner is a minor). I wonder if, in theory, the contest house that ran Decipher the Decepticon still has that winners' list. It's a bit stalky, but if we can post on the wiki that BOBBY JOHNSON OF TUSCALOOSA ALABAMA won the Hot Rod Go Kart, maybe he would find his way here and tell us how wicked sweet it was. Just an idea. [[User:Hooper X|-hx]] 11:50, 26 October 2010 (EDT)
:I highly doubt that anybody who won a Hot Rod go-cart still owns it. They were all probably thrown away like all of everybody else's toys as they grew up. Our best chance would probably be to ask Hasbro in a Q&A, or whatever company got the license to make the carts. --[[User:Thylacine 2000|Thylacine 2000]] 15:09, 26 October 2010 (EDT)
::Oh sure. But if you HAD one, you had to have taken pictures. [[User:Hooper X|-hx]] 18:19, 26 October 2010 (EDT)

–Wow. This has to be the RAREST Transformer item ever made. Only 5? No pictures? ANYWHERE?! Hell, we even have pictures of one-of-a-kind prototype Transformers and no pictures of this? Man... I am curious as heck to see what one even looked like! $2,500 was a lot in 1986, so it must've been a lot cooler than a $150 pedal kart or a $300 motorized electric cart nowadays. It must've been a full-blown gas powered go-kart with a Hot Rod designed body. And it would've been treasured and enjoyed by the winner. How could not one of those five winners have any evidence of it? The whole town would've known about it, as Transformers was THE toy back then. This is why I wonder... did the contest have any grand prize winners at all? [[User:Chrusher|Chrusher]] ([[User talk:Chrusher|talk]]) 05:39, 8 August 2015 (EDT)

== Additional Note ==

Kickback has an AUTOBOT logo. Just thought I'd drop that bit of naff trivia in ;) {{unsigned|Amelie}}

Talk:Decipher the Decepticon

2020-09-02T20:14:34Z

Necrotron77: /* I wonder... */

nnn. Why is this page completely blank? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] ([[User talk:Repowers|talk]] • [[Special:Contributions/Repowers|contribs]]){{#if:| {{{2}}}|}}.
:<nowiki>*looks*</nowiki>
:Because it's... not. You probably experienced [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Arriving2|yet another glitch]]. - [[User:SanityOrMadness|SanityOrMadness]] 13:11, 27 May 2009 (EDT)
::It's an incredibly consistent glitch. I haven't been able to get the page all morning. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 13:22, 27 May 2009 (EDT)
:::Well, I can see it. The bottom (Notes) section reads:
<blockquote style="background:#eeefff;padding:3px">
*Like other pre-Movie material, the posters' text works hard to conceal certain secrets of the movie, notably the identities of Galvatron and Rodimus Prime.
*It seems a bit odd that Kickback is included. Everyone else shown was a brand-new toy for 1986.
*To date, no photographs of the Hot Rod go-carts have materialized on the Internet. If you have one, you'll be our hero forever.
*Once entrants figured out the answer to the puzzle, it was to be entered in the blank on a cut-off strip at the bottom of the poster: "I think _______ is the evil, horrible enemy planet." Mailing this in, however, meant that you no longer had the description of the battle.
*Who is the evil, horrible enemy planet? ANSWER: _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
</blockquote>
:::- [[User:SanityOrMadness|SanityOrMadness]] 13:53, 27 May 2009 (EDT)

== I wonder... ==
I know that contests as a matter of public record have to make a list of winners available on request (unless, IIRC, the winner is a minor). I wonder if, in theory, the contest house that ran Decipher the Decepticon still has that winners' list. It's a bit stalky, but if we can post on the wiki that BOBBY JOHNSON OF TUSCALOOSA ALABAMA won the Hot Rod Go Kart, maybe he would find his way here and tell us how wicked sweet it was. Just an idea. [[User:Hooper X|-hx]] 11:50, 26 October 2010 (EDT)
:I highly doubt that anybody who won a Hot Rod go-cart still owns it. They were all probably thrown away like all of everybody else's toys as they grew up. Our best chance would probably be to ask Hasbro in a Q&A, or whatever company got the license to make the carts. --[[User:Thylacine 2000|Thylacine 2000]] 15:09, 26 October 2010 (EDT)
::Oh sure. But if you HAD one, you had to have taken pictures. [[User:Hooper X|-hx]] 18:19, 26 October 2010 (EDT)

–Wow. This has to be the RAREST Transformer item ever made. Only 5? No pictures? ANYWHERE?! Hell, we even have pictures of one-of-a-kind prototype Transformers and no pictures of this? Man... I am curious as heck to see what one even looked like! $2,500 was a lot in 1986, so it must've been a lot cooler than a $150 pedal kart or a $300 motorized electric cart nowadays. It must've been a full-blown gas powered go-kart with a Hot Rod designed body. And it would've been treasured and enjoyed by the winner. How could not one of those five winners have any evidence of it? The whole town would've known about it, as Transformers was THE toy back then. This is why I wonder... did the contest have any grand prize winners at all? [[User:Chrusher|Chrusher]] ([[User talk:Chrusher|talk]]) 05:39, 8 August 2015 (EDT)

Did some digging: I found a scan of the contest that yields that "Young America Corporation" was the actual distributor of the prizes for this contest with, "'A list of the top 105 prize winners can be obtained by mail after March 16, 1987, by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: "Decipher the Decepticon" Winners List, P.O. Box 607 Young America, MN 55399'"

Scan link:
https://lmb3.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/mailorder-usa-1986-poster-b.jpg

Googling, "Young America Corporation" Points to YA Engage LLC aka Web-Rebates.com, a marketing consultant company started in 1972 (do not visit) With BBB rating of F (multiple entries) and a Wikipedia entry claiming lawsuits filed against YA LLC for keeping "$43 million rebate checks" for themselves, in 2006. The company appears to be more or less defunct, but I cannot confirm.

Likely the PO box has long been reassigned and the company moved to Minneapolis, but perhaps someone mailed away at the time might have a list of winners? ...or they never sent the grand prizes as the lawsuit would imply?

== Additional Note ==

Kickback has an AUTOBOT logo. Just thought I'd drop that bit of naff trivia in ;)

Talk:Decipher the Decepticon

2020-09-02T20:14:03Z

Necrotron77: /* I wonder... */

nnn. Why is this page completely blank? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] ([[User talk:Repowers|talk]] • [[Special:Contributions/Repowers|contribs]]){{#if:| {{{2}}}|}}.
:<nowiki>*looks*</nowiki>
:Because it's... not. You probably experienced [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Arriving2|yet another glitch]]. - [[User:SanityOrMadness|SanityOrMadness]] 13:11, 27 May 2009 (EDT)
::It's an incredibly consistent glitch. I haven't been able to get the page all morning. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 13:22, 27 May 2009 (EDT)
:::Well, I can see it. The bottom (Notes) section reads:
<blockquote style="background:#eeefff;padding:3px">
*Like other pre-Movie material, the posters' text works hard to conceal certain secrets of the movie, notably the identities of Galvatron and Rodimus Prime.
*It seems a bit odd that Kickback is included. Everyone else shown was a brand-new toy for 1986.
*To date, no photographs of the Hot Rod go-carts have materialized on the Internet. If you have one, you'll be our hero forever.
*Once entrants figured out the answer to the puzzle, it was to be entered in the blank on a cut-off strip at the bottom of the poster: "I think _______ is the evil, horrible enemy planet." Mailing this in, however, meant that you no longer had the description of the battle.
*Who is the evil, horrible enemy planet? ANSWER: _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
</blockquote>
:::- [[User:SanityOrMadness|SanityOrMadness]] 13:53, 27 May 2009 (EDT)

== I wonder... ==
I know that contests as a matter of public record have to make a list of winners available on request (unless, IIRC, the winner is a minor). I wonder if, in theory, the contest house that ran Decipher the Decepticon still has that winners' list. It's a bit stalky, but if we can post on the wiki that BOBBY JOHNSON OF TUSCALOOSA ALABAMA won the Hot Rod Go Kart, maybe he would find his way here and tell us how wicked sweet it was. Just an idea. [[User:Hooper X|-hx]] 11:50, 26 October 2010 (EDT)
:I highly doubt that anybody who won a Hot Rod go-cart still owns it. They were all probably thrown away like all of everybody else's toys as they grew up. Our best chance would probably be to ask Hasbro in a Q&A, or whatever company got the license to make the carts. --[[User:Thylacine 2000|Thylacine 2000]] 15:09, 26 October 2010 (EDT)
::Oh sure. But if you HAD one, you had to have taken pictures. [[User:Hooper X|-hx]] 18:19, 26 October 2010 (EDT)

–Wow. This has to be the RAREST Transformer item ever made. Only 5? No pictures? ANYWHERE?! Hell, we even have pictures of one-of-a-kind prototype Transformers and no pictures of this? Man... I am curious as heck to see what one even looked like! $2,500 was a lot in 1986, so it must've been a lot cooler than a $150 pedal kart or a $300 motorized electric cart nowadays. It must've been a full-blown gas powered go-kart with a Hot Rod designed body. And it would've been treasured and enjoyed by the winner. How could not one of those five winners have any evidence of it? The whole town would've known about it, as Transformers was THE toy back then. This is why I wonder... did the contest have any grand prize winners at all? [[User:Chrusher|Chrusher]] ([[User talk:Chrusher|talk]]) 05:39, 8 August 2015 (EDT)

Did some digging: I found a scan of the contest that yields that "Young America Corporation" was the actual distributor of the prizes for this contest with, "'A list of the top 105 prize winners can be obtained by mail after March 16, 1987, by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: "Decipher the Decepticon" Winners List, P.O. Box 607 Young America, MN 55399'"

Scan link:
https://lmb3.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/mailorder-usa-1986-poster-b.jpg

Googling, "Young America Corporation" Points to YA Engage LLC aka Web-Rebates.com, a marketing consultant company started in 1972 (do not visit) With BBB rating of F (multiple entries) and a Wikipedia entry claiming lawsuits filed against YA LLC for keeping "$43 million rebate checks" for themselves, filed in 2006. The company appears to be more or less defunct, but I cannot confirm.

Likely the PO box has long been reassigned and the company moved to Minneapolis, but perhaps someone mailed away at the time might have a list of winners? ...or they never sent the grand prizes as the lawsuit would imply?

== Additional Note ==

Kickback has an AUTOBOT logo. Just thought I'd drop that bit of naff trivia in ;)

Talk:Decipher the Decepticon

2020-09-02T20:13:07Z

Necrotron77: /* I wonder... */

nnn. Why is this page completely blank? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] ([[User talk:Repowers|talk]] • [[Special:Contributions/Repowers|contribs]]){{#if:| {{{2}}}|}}.
:<nowiki>*looks*</nowiki>
:Because it's... not. You probably experienced [[Transformers Wiki talk:Community Portal/Arriving2|yet another glitch]]. - [[User:SanityOrMadness|SanityOrMadness]] 13:11, 27 May 2009 (EDT)
::It's an incredibly consistent glitch. I haven't been able to get the page all morning. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 13:22, 27 May 2009 (EDT)
:::Well, I can see it. The bottom (Notes) section reads:
<blockquote style="background:#eeefff;padding:3px">
*Like other pre-Movie material, the posters' text works hard to conceal certain secrets of the movie, notably the identities of Galvatron and Rodimus Prime.
*It seems a bit odd that Kickback is included. Everyone else shown was a brand-new toy for 1986.
*To date, no photographs of the Hot Rod go-carts have materialized on the Internet. If you have one, you'll be our hero forever.
*Once entrants figured out the answer to the puzzle, it was to be entered in the blank on a cut-off strip at the bottom of the poster: "I think _______ is the evil, horrible enemy planet." Mailing this in, however, meant that you no longer had the description of the battle.
*Who is the evil, horrible enemy planet? ANSWER: _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
</blockquote>
:::- [[User:SanityOrMadness|SanityOrMadness]] 13:53, 27 May 2009 (EDT)

== I wonder... ==
I know that contests as a matter of public record have to make a list of winners available on request (unless, IIRC, the winner is a minor). I wonder if, in theory, the contest house that ran Decipher the Decepticon still has that winners' list. It's a bit stalky, but if we can post on the wiki that BOBBY JOHNSON OF TUSCALOOSA ALABAMA won the Hot Rod Go Kart, maybe he would find his way here and tell us how wicked sweet it was. Just an idea. [[User:Hooper X|-hx]] 11:50, 26 October 2010 (EDT)
:I highly doubt that anybody who won a Hot Rod go-cart still owns it. They were all probably thrown away like all of everybody else's toys as they grew up. Our best chance would probably be to ask Hasbro in a Q&A, or whatever company got the license to make the carts. --[[User:Thylacine 2000|Thylacine 2000]] 15:09, 26 October 2010 (EDT)
::Oh sure. But if you HAD one, you had to have taken pictures. [[User:Hooper X|-hx]] 18:19, 26 October 2010 (EDT)

–Wow. This has to be the RAREST Transformer item ever made. Only 5? No pictures? ANYWHERE?! Hell, we even have pictures of one-of-a-kind prototype Transformers and no pictures of this? Man... I am curious as heck to see what one even looked like! $2,500 was a lot in 1986, so it must've been a lot cooler than a $150 pedal kart or a $300 motorized electric cart nowadays. It must've been a full-blown gas powered go-kart with a Hot Rod designed body. And it would've been treasured and enjoyed by the winner. How could not one of those five winners have any evidence of it? The whole town would've known about it, as Transformers was THE toy back then. This is why I wonder... did the contest have any grand prize winners at all? [[User:Chrusher|Chrusher]] ([[User talk:Chrusher|talk]]) 05:39, 8 August 2015 (EDT)

Did some digging: I found a scan of the contest that yields that "Young America Corporation" was the actual distributor of the prizes for this contest with, "'A list of the top 105 prize winners can be obtained by mail after March 16, 1987, by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: "Decipher the Decepticon" Winners List, P.O. Box 607 Young America, MN 55399'"

Scan link:
https://lmb3.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/mailorder-usa-1986-poster-b.jpg

Googling, "Young America Corporation" Points to YA Engage LLC aka Web-Rebates.com, a marketing consultant company started in 1972 (do not visit) With BBB rating of F (multiple entries) and a Wikipedia entry claiming lawsuits files against YA LLC for keeping "$43 million rebate checks" for themselves, filed in 2006. The company appears to be more or less defunct, but I cannot confirm.

Likely the PO box has long been reassigned and the company moved to Minneapolis, but perhaps someone mailed away at the time might have a list of winners? ...or they never sent the grand prizes as the lawsuit would imply?

== Additional Note ==

Kickback has an AUTOBOT logo. Just thought I'd drop that bit of naff trivia in ;)