Transformers Artifact of the Week: 1993 Kent Gum Sticker Set

When collecting Transformers, you sometimes have to be in the right place at the right time.  A few weeks ago a complete set of 56 1993 Kent Gum Transformers stickers came up on eBay.  Kent gum is sort of like Bazooka in the USA, but instead of comics they include stickers wrapped around the gum.  I bid on it, expecting to be greatly outbid, but I was the only bidder and they ended up costing me less that $1 each.  I’ve never seen a complete set of these on eBay before.  They are in overall great shape.  A few of them are a bit rough, but if you consider that they came wrapped around chewing gum twenty years ago, they aren’t too bad.  I don’t know of all the specific countries that sold the gum.  My set came from Ukraine, but I think it was sold in other parts of Europe, though I don’t know for sure.  The company was based in Turkey, but has since closed down (I think).  The above picture of a piece in wrapper I found on this Russian Transformers Site.  There was a sticker book available for the stickers and this site has scans of the entire book with stickers.  Unfortunately, I don’t have the book, but I’m looking for it.

The stickers themselves use box art with colorful backgrounds.  They look really nice.  What I find most interesting is the odd selection of characters.  Much of this is based, most likely, on the gold boxed Classics that came out in Europe, as a great number of those are included.  It explains a lot of the G1 cars and combiner teams, but some things just make no sense.

One random Action Master Elite, Double Punch, is included without the other three.

While the entire Protectobots team is included, Aerialbots and Stunticons have limbs only, no Silverbolt or Motormaster.  Onslaught is the only Combaticon included.

We have Sludge and Snarl, but no other Dinobots.

We get only three of the four Stormtroopers, Rage is left out.

Most odd to me, we get all six Predators, but only five Turbomasters with Thunderclash being left out.

Then there is the issue of teams with Autobot vs. Decepticon counterparts.  You have three Decepticon Stormtroopers, but the Autobot Aquaspeeders are completely left out.  You have all four Skyscorchers, but the Axelerators are left out entirely.  I already mentioned the combiner teams.

It’s not important, it’s just a very odd selection.

You do get a lot of interesting UK exclusives like the Motorvators and Predators and most of the Stormtroopers and Turbomasters.  Then you get the completely ridiculous Rescue Force, which were four members of the Japanese Liokaiser in different colors, which don’t even have their own names.

It should also be noted that Onslaught’s name is misspelled as “Onslaugth”.

1 – Turbomaster Flash
2 – Turbomaster Scorch
3 – Turbomaster Hurricane
4 – Predator Talon
5 – Predator Skydive

6 – Predator Snare
7 – Predator Falcon
8 – Stormtrooper Drench
9 – Skyscorcher Hawk
10 – Skyscorcher Terradive

11 – Skyscorcher Tornado
12 – Skyscorcher Snipe
13 – Stormtrooper Aquablast
14 – Stormtrooper Hydradread
15 – Stunticon Dead End

16 – Optimus Prime
17 – Protectobot Hot Spot
18 – Tracks
19 – Aerialbot Skydive
20 – Throttlebot Rollbar

21 – Soundwave
22 – Combaticon Onslaught
23 – Rescue Force
24 – Jazz
25 – Aerialbot Air Raid

26 – Throttlebot Goldbug
27 – Action Master Elite Double Punch
28 – Prowl

29 – Wheeljack
30 – Stunticon Dragstrip
31 – Rescue Force 1
32 – Protectobot Streetwise
33 – Sideswipe

34 – Aerialbot Slingshot
35 – Dinobot Snarl
36 – Turbomaster Rotorstorm
37 – Stunticon Breakdown
38 – Rescue Force 2

39 – Predator Skyquake
40 – Protectobot Groove
41 – Throttlebot Wideload
42 – Motorvator Flame
43 – Stunticon Wildrider

44 – Rescue Force 3
45 – Aerialbot Fireflight
46 – Turbomaster Boss
47 – Throttlebot Chase
48 – Dinobot Sludge

49 – Protectobot First Aid
50 – Throttlebot Freeway
51 – Motorvator Gripper
52 – Inferno
53 – Protectobot Blades

54 – Motorvator Lightspeed
55 – Throttlebot Searchlight
56 – Predator Stalker

As always, you can find over 11,500 Transformers merchandise items and collectibles at TFMuseum.com.  I have just done a major update, including a new format for listings that will hopefully make it more readable.

Thanks for reading!