1980s VOLTRON PART 10 - 1981 POPY CHOGOKIN GB-35 GOLION ST VER.

This is my 10th entry of vintage Golion/Voltron toys - yes...by now you should know, I am a big fan of Golion/Voltron. The Popy Chogokin GB-35 Golion ST (standard) version is another rare toy, it doesn't show up in eBay often and even when it does, it's very expensive. Matchbox released a similar version of this - minus all the cool firing gimmicks, sword and shield. Matchbox sold the Voltron weapons separately. And this is what makes this Golion, the predecessor to the US Voltron, so appealing.

The box of my specimen is a bit crappy. Due to water damage I think.

I really like the cool artwork.

The styrofoam box is damaged at the bottom. This specimen is also missing the styrofoam cover. Other than the damaged box, this set is complete and pretty nice.

Notice in the Golion brochure, Princess is not a pilot.

The biggest difference between Popy Golion and the Matchbox Voltron are the firing lion heads - both fists and feet! Tested all the firing mechanism - still works perfectly after over 30 years!

The red and green lion head looks similar but they are not. They are actually different mold (see side view of the lion heads)

The body and lower legs are diecast. Golion is very heavy for its size!

Interesting note - Golion have a knee joint!

eBay prices for mint complete in box specimen ranges from USD260 - USD700+ depending on condition of the toy and packaging.

And here's a group shot of all my vintage Golions - (from L-R) DX Godaikin Golion, Popy Golion ST and Victora Golion. The hardest to come by is the Victora Golion.