HOW TO IDENTIFY WHICH YEAR A
MICRO MACHINES COLLECTION IS FROM
There are a few ways that you can identify which year a collection is from, I will explain these below,
using illustrations along the way to help you see what I am talking about.
There are three main areas to look at: 1. The front of the blisterpack, 2. The back of the blisterpack
and 3. the base of the blisterpack (underneath the platform to which the vehicles are attached).
There are also several sub-elements in each area which I will go into more detail later on.
1. Front of the blisterpack
Starting at the top of the card there
are the coloured stripes and the logos
which sit on top of them (style and
location). Then there is the main card
image and at the bottom of the card,
a number which identifies the collection.
Also the front of the vehicle platform
which shows the name and number of
the collection can be used for
identification of the year.
In some years there were also bonus
items or vehicles attached to the card
aswell.
The way that these elements can help
you identify the year that the collection
is from is because these elements
periodically changed over the years, I
will show you examples of this later on
to illustrate this point.
2. Back of the blisterpack
The back of the blisterpack mainly
shows an illustrated summary of the
vehicle collections available in a
specific year. It can also show written
information about special offers that
were available or on later blisterpacks,
a comment about when the collections
would be on sale.
The comments about when the
collections would be on sale are the
biggest give away to identifying which
year a colletion is from, however this
only appeared on blisterpacks from
1994 to 1999, so earlier collections can
be harder to identify.
3. Base of the blisterpack
The base of the blisterpack only shows
a couple of pieces of information,
however one of these pieces of
information can be the most useful for
identification purposes. This is the
copyright details, the text will show a
copyright symbol and a year, the simple
rule is that the year shown is always the
year before the set was released e.g. a
collection from 1994 would show ©1993.
Other information on the base of the
blisterpack can be a list of some of the
collections in that year and also a proof
of purchase (I haven't worked out yet if
this can help with identifying the year).
Below I will now explain the differences between each year's blisterpacks with pictures to illustrate.
(to save space I may often write MM or MMs which I use to mean 'Micro Machines' for short)
The information and images are mainly based on original North American collections and UK
collections (which were virtually identical). Collections were available in other markets around the
world, but often had slightly different styles of blisterpacks and different written languages on them.
The information focuses mainly on the front of the blisterpacks and not the back. You can see the
pictures from the backs of the blisterpacks on my catalogue pages for each year's collections.
However, a lot of pictures on the backs of the blisterpacks were not accurate, as often these pictures
were taken before the collections were finalised and released, therefore vehicles and colour schemes
varied.
NOTE: sometimes collections were released in the wrong blisterpacks, mainly from the early '90s, this
is because Galoob who made Micro Machines were close to bankruptcy and rushed out packs as fast as
possible, in these cases you have to resort to matching the vehicles to the pictures in my catalogue.
1987
1988
The first obvious feature of a 1987 collection
1988 saw the beginning of the style of blisterpack
is the base of the blister. The cars are inside
that would be used for many years to come.
a sealed plastic bubble and the cardboard
- Cardboard base inside the plastic bubble
extends around this bubble and across the front.
- MM logo in simplified flat colours
The card itself is very distinctive, a dark blue
- MM logo on 4 different coloured horizontal bars
card with simplistic diagrams of vehicles on it
- 'Galoob' logo on the right, on 4th coloured bar
and the original version of the 'Micro Machines'
- Main card colour: mid blue with white grid
logo on a coloured background that looks a little
- White vehicle diagrams more detailed
like a sunset. The copyright on the bottom of the
- Collections now have numbers on the front of
blister will usally show 1986, but there are some
vehicle base with name in simple white script
early collections which show 1985.
- 1987 copyrights shown on bottom of the packs
1989
1990
There are very few differences between 1988:
In 1990, again there were only a few changes:
blisters and 1989 blisters at first glance.
- Main difference is the front of the vehicle base
- Collection number now bold script
- Now completely one colour (not blue check)
- Located on 4 coloured bars like main card
- Colour coded to different series of collections
(This is the main feature differentiating 1989
- New images and logos used on cards above
packs from 1988 packs.)
plastic bubble e.g. Military Collections
- Vehicle diagrams used only on some packs
- Some cards have 'Team MM Club' offer (top left)
- Many 1989 sets have 1988 card backs
- Back of card shows new range of collections
- You can't rely on the back of the card summary
(purple backgrounds)
- Back of card shows individual collections
- 1988 & 1989 copyrights shown on pack bottoms
(pale backgrounds)
- 1988 copyrights shown on bottom of the packs
1991
1992
For 1991 there quite a few changes made:
Very few changes from last years blisterpacks:
- 4 coloured bars on card now reduced to only 3
- Bonus vehicles included on vehicle base
- 'Galoob' logo moved back to top left of card
- Pink Bonus graphics used on card & vehicle base
- Main card image changed, no longer Blue Check
- Vehicle base more tapered to the front
- New card images use photos relating to series
- Mirrored card no longer used behind vehicles
- Collection series title in yellow text on photo
- Plastic bubble larger than before
- Bonus Licence Plates included on card (top left)
- Back of card shows series of collections
- Front of vehicle base no longer shows collection
- Not all series of collections are shown on back
number and name, moved to top of the base.
- Summary of collections in same series shown
- Summary of some collections on bottom of pack
on bottom of packs
- Back of card now shows only series of collections
- 1991 copyrights shown on bottom of packs
- 1988, 1989 & 1990 copyrights on bottom of packs
1993
1994
A few notable changes for 1993 :
Not many changes in 1994, only minor details:
- MM logo completely changed, more stylised
- New series of collections & new photos on cards
- 3 coloured bars changed to brighter colours
- Collection name & number reappears on the
- 'Galoob' logo now bottom right on yellow strip
front of the vehicle base
- Compact, angular font for series title on card
- Collection name written all in capital letters
- Ltd Edition vehicle graphic now darker pink
- Each vehicle named in front of its position on
- A lot of vehicles now in shaped plastic cover
top of vehicle base
stuck down to vehicle base (inside bubble)
- Bonus vehicle now called 'Hot Deal'
- Back of card is basic grey cardboard
- Some U.S sets had 4 bonus colour changer cars
- Back of card shows no pictures of collections
(attached to card in separate plastic bubble)
- Back of card lists series of collections only
- Card back shows individual 1994 collections
- 1992 copyrights shown on bottom of packs
(grey backgrounds)
- Back of card says 'products shown will become
available at different times in 1994'
- 1993 copyrights shown on bottom of packs
1995
1996
A few changes made from the previous year:
Only minor changes, mainly to collection range:
- Main card image no longer uses photographs
- New artwork used as main card image
- All collections use artwork on front instead
- Same artwork used on every blisterpack
- Different artwork for different types of sets
- Vehicle base now coloured to match card image
(e.g. street vehicles, racing vehicles etc.)
- Collection/series title lost from main card image
- Bonus vehicles no longer attatched to top of
- Early collections had bonus sea vehicle
the vehicle base, instead hidden inside
(attached to centre of card in separate bubble)
- 'Surprise Bonus!' sticker on corner of card
- Other collections had hidden bonus cars as 1995
- Some U.S. sets had 4 bonus Ultrasmall MMs
- Back of card says 'products shown will become
(attached to card in separate plastic bubble)
available at different times in 1996'
- Vehicles attached to base with clips, not ties
- Card back shows all 40 individual collections
- Back of card says 'products shown will become
(beige backgrounds, purple surround)
available at different times in 1995'
- 1995 copyrights shown on bottom of packs
- Card back shows all 46 individual collections
(blue backgrounds, red stripes)
- 1994 copyrights shown on bottom of packs
1997
1998
1997 was a big year, the 10th anniversary of MMs:
1998, a few notable changes over previous years:
- All packs had a special 10 years logo (top right)
- The 3 coloured bars at the top are narrower
- Most packs had a special offer of 5 bonus cars
- The Micro Machines logo is much larger
- Bonus cars on a separate yellow vehicle base
- Main card artwork changed, used on all packs
- All vehicles enclosed in double plastic blister
- Top of vehicle base matches main card image
- Large script and graphics around bonus cars
- Front of vehicle base completely in purple
- Back of card says 'products shown will become
- Early packs had 5 bonus cars included
available at different times in 1997'
- Bonus cars presented the same way as in 1997
- Card back shows all 40 individual collections
- Back of card says 'products shown will become
(green backgrounds, black surround)
available at different times in 1998'
- Card back also shows 10 anniversary collections
- Card back shows all 40 individual collections
- 1996 copyrights shown on bottom of packs ;
(orange backgrounds, black surround)
- 1997 copyrights shown on bottom of packs
1999
2000
1999 was the last year MM were made by Galoob
2000 was the first year MM were made by Hasbro
Big changes were made to the blisterpacks :
Big changes to types of collections and packs:
- 3 Coloured stripes removed from top of card
- Completely new Micro Machines logo
- Main Micro Machines logo colours changed
- Pack cards now all one colour - black
- Addition to bottom of logo -says 'Micro World'
- New artwork used to show type of collections
- Card image changed from artwork to graphic
- All collections now racing themed (e.g NASCAR)
- Vehicle base shape completely redesigned
- Vehicle bases reverted to wedge shape (pre '99)
(flat folded card instead of wedge shape)
- Blister bubble reverted to pre 1999 style aswell
- Blister bubble changed shape with vehicle base
- New 'Hasbro' logo shown at bottom left of card
- Again early packs had 5 bonus cars included
- Completely new blisterpack styles introduced
- Bonus cars base & main vehicle base connected
(used for new sets like thunderblasters)
- Reverted to cars being fixed to bases with ties
- No information shown on bottom of packs
- Back of card says 'products shown will become
- Copyright info now shown on back of the card
available at different times in 1999'
- Artwork or photos of sets also shown on back
- Card back does not show pictures of collections
- Some copyrights show 1999, some 2000
- Contents of individual collections listed instead
- 1998 copyrights shown on bottom of packs
2001
2002
Very few collections now use the old pack style:
2002 saw the death of the old blisterpack style:
2003
2004
2003 packs were a continuation of 2002's packs:
2004 saw another redesign of the MM brand and
another new style of blisterpack:
2005
2006
2005 saw yet another redesign of the MM brand and
yet another new style of blisterpack: