A rubsign was a small heat-sensitive sticker that came pre-applied to Generation One toys beginning in the line's second year, 1985. They would reveal an Autobot or Decepticon faction symbol upon being rubbed. The Mini Spies were the first toys to feature rubsigns. The purpose of the rubsign addition was to help consumers distinguish genuine Transformers toys from the many knockoffs their success inspired (off-brand versions of the Dinobots, Soundwave, and his cassettes were particularly common in 84/85), as well as the Tonka Go-Bots and other competitors. A variation on the rubsigns were also used in the spin-off Hasbro/Takara toy line Battle Beasts.