There are collectible toys, and then there are holy grails. For Transformers fans, few items hit that level quite like the original Constructicons gift set that combined into Devastator.
Now one pristine 1985 set has reminded collectors just how crazy the vintage toy market can get after selling for a jaw-dropping $20,625 in 2025.
That’s a serious price tag for a toy that originally existed to get kids sprawled across the living room floor smashing robots together.
Of course, this wasn’t just any old Transformers release. The Devastator gift set introduced something that completely changed the franchise forever: combining robots.
The six Constructicons, Scrapper, Hook, Bonecrusher, Long Haul, Mixmaster, and Scavenger, could all merge together into one giant robotic powerhouse. That idea became a cornerstone of Transformers lore and helped shape countless characters that followed.
For longtime fans, Devastator wasn’t simply another Decepticon. He was the first combiner. The blueprint.
According to Heritage Auctions, Devastator “dominates 1980s toy aisles, starred in many of the most important 1980s Transformers stories, and even appeared in Marvel’s Transformers comic book stories.”
The auction house also pointed out that the character paved the way for future “gestalts” like Superion and Predaking.
Most kids who got these toys in the ‘80s ripped the boxes open immediately. Like myself. Hell, I used to have this set! I mean, that’s what toys were for! Even more uncommon was the actual boxed gift set because many kids collected the Constructicons individually instead of getting the larger package release.
As you might imagine, finding one unopened over four decades later is already rare. Finding one in excellent condition is another level entirely.
The record-setting set was graded AFA 80+ NM with subgrades of B80 W85 F85, making it one of the cleaner surviving examples out there. That condition helped send the final auction price soaring well past the five-figure mark.
Even damaged versions still command impressive money. Another Devastator set sold through LCG Auctions later in 2025 for $3,422.40 despite scratches on the packaging.
These kinds of auctions can escalate fast when a couple of passionate fans decide they absolutely need the same item. Once bidding wars kick in, logic usually leaves the room.
Devastator also sits at the top of a very expensive category within the hobby. Vintage combiners have become some of the most sought-after Transformers toys ever produced. F
actory-sealed versions of Bruticus, Menasor, Predaking, and Computron regularly pull in huge numbers from collectors chasing complete high-grade sets. Still, Devastator tends to tower above them all.
