Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting
Sunday, August 20th, 2017 9:21AM CDT
Categories: Site News, Toy News, Site Articles, CollectablesPosted by: Burn Views: 36,533
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A few months ago, I did something I hadn't done in a while.
I picked up a G1 figure. E-Bay, or Facebook, or forums, I can't remember how I did it, I can't even remember which figure it was, but it stirred something inside of me. The excitement for collecting.
"Didn't you already have that though?"
I thought I did, but without realising, while I had been collecting modern figures, I was simply going through the motions.
There was no thrill of the hunt, because it has simply become easier for me to order them online, more often than not, the Takara Tomy versions, which means waiting for HobbyLinkJapan pre-orders to go up. So with a few clicks of the mouse, the order is placed and I have to wait.
And then the figures would arrive, I'd open them up, transform them a couple of times, and then there'd go on display. The only figure I truly got excited over was Titans Return Triggerhappy, because lets face it, that figure is just awesome.
"But Burn, we've gotten a lot of fantastic figures in recent years!"
This is true, I will not argue this fact. I feel the designers of late have really innovated, and I've enjoyed the engineering aspect of new figures. New figures are great, but, they lack nostalgia. Yes, nostalgia.
"Oh no, he's going to go Geewunner on us. I'm out!"
Hear me out here. I got back into collecting Transformers 15 or so years ago, because of some problems I was having mentally. They reminded me of a time in my life when things were simpler, and I was happier, and collecting Transformers helped me get through a very rough patch in my life.
It was also a time when Beast Wars/Machines had just recently finished their runs and one of aspect of collecting back then was discovering all these new figures and characters, and thanks to ball joints, putting them back together! Many lots were discovered on E-Bay and much fun was had working out what parts belonged to who.
But that was then, this is now.
And not much has changed. When I got that G1 figure all those months ago I was reminded of that aspect of collecting that was a lot of fun. Restoring the figures, bringing them back to life.
And it's this that has helped reinvigorate my collecting. Finding older figures (preferably with all their accessories) and restoring them. That may involve simply replacing their stickers (Toyhax.com is the place for them if you're curious!) or completely disassembling them and cleaning them before putting them back together.
Or in some cases, repairs may be necessary.
Did you know that Titans Return Trypticon was in fact not the first Transformer to have a problem caused by springs? While I can't say for certain he was the first, but I did discover that G1 Pointblank had spring issues.
I picked up a G1 Pointblank in a G1 lot last year, he had a busted door, but other than that he seemed to be in good condition, and he had his little Targetmaster buddy. In July I came across a seller on Facebook who had a few figures I wanted, including a G1 Pointblank. He emphasised that Pointblank had a problem with his left leg.
See those knee joints? They have springs in them. There's two ratchets with teeth on them, one is molded into the outer leg, while the other moves back and forth as you transform the figure. Those springs allow that ratchet to move back and forth.
The problem is, the spring is constantly pushing the ratchet out, throw in years of age and transforming, and the screw that holds it in place eventually comes free.
But hey, that's fine, the G1 Pointblank I was getting had an unbroken door and that's all I needed to fix up mine!
Imagine my shock when I inspected mine and found the exact same problem with the leg.
To be honest, it probably didn't need to be fixed, he transformed fine, but I wanted to fix it anyway. So I set out to fix the problem, which to put simply, was the screw hole had become threaded.
Solution? Drill a larger hole and fill it.
My first attempt failed, but I persisted. Eventually I resorted to removing the spring completely (it's actually NOT really necessary if you intend to display him in robot mode) and using a touch of super glue to hold the screw in place.
G1 Pointblank wasn't the only figure I've worked on recently. I also picked up Sparkabot Guzzle. Great little figure and his sparking figure worked as well. I already had Sizzle, though he wasn't in great condition either, which is where I lucked out and found a seller that had Fizzle AND Sizzle as well. So I could replace my Sizzle and complete my Sparkabots collection!
When they arrived they were a little on the dirty side, so I started with Fizzle. Took him apart, cleaned him in nice warm soapy water, inside and out and reassembled him. Not only was he clean, but his sparking feature worked better than it did when he first arrived.
I then moved onto Sizzle ... and that's where I ran into problems. The heads of the two screws in his legs snapped off, which meant I had to drill them out. Or, I could simply use the legs off my other Sizzle!
Those screws snapped as well, so back to drilling them out. Eventually I got him disassembled, cleaned up and put back together. A set of stickers from Toyhax later and Fizzle, Sizzle and Fo'Shizzle Guzzle and they were ready to rejoin the collection!
Simple restorations really, but I took so much pleasure in taking old battered figures and giving them a new lease in life.
"You could do that with any era, clearly your Geewunner bias is showing"
It's not bias actually. When I returned to collecting, I collected what was current at the time, meaning I have all the figures I want from Beast Wars through to Titans Return.
That being said, and I say this with a disclaimer that I have only really searched locally (Australia), from my searching on E-Bay, and even what I see on Facebook and forums, there's not much out there from later lines like Armada.
And I feel that is because we are live in times where things are more disposable. It's easier to go out and buy something new rather than to fix it. Kids toys missing an arm? Just throw it, we can duck down the shops and get another one.
And to me, that's disappointing, because the generation that grew up on Beast Wars and A/E/C now have disposable incomes and will be looking to get figures they missed out on as kids.
But where are they? Where are the complete figures? The junkers?
Believe me, if I came across some of those figures I'd snap some up for customising purposes, but they just don't seem to be out there.
Of course I do have some G1 bias, it's what I grew up with, it's what helped me through a dark patch in my life, it reminds me of a simpler time, and I have to admit, I'm pretty damn proud of what I've achieved of my G1 collection and would like to get to a point where I can say "I may not have every G1 figure, but I feel my collection is complete to me".
It's that goal, plus the joy of restoring figures, that has helped me rediscover the joy of collecting, and I know I'm not the only one. Take a look at our Transformers Toy Haul thread. Others are collecting G1 figures. We have an entire thread dedicated to the clunky Pretenders!
I've seen interest from the younger generation who are discovering Marvel UK, and all the characterisations some of the lesser known toys received, or even characters that never received a figure until recently. Like the little wheel that could, Scrounge!
And I have to admit, I do enjoy talking to some of the younger collectors who are discovering G1 and suggesting figures to them and helping them find them. Who doesn't enjoy the thrill of hunting down a figure?
So for once, in what has been a long time, I feel the excitement and joy of collecting.
How about you though? Are you an old fart like me enjoying the hunt for old figures, or maybe you enjoy hunting modern figures, or maybe you're a young whipper snapper delving into the history of Transformers and looking to collect across the eras. Let us know on the forums!
"Oh thank **** he's finally finished waffling on!"
I picked up a G1 figure. E-Bay, or Facebook, or forums, I can't remember how I did it, I can't even remember which figure it was, but it stirred something inside of me. The excitement for collecting.
"Didn't you already have that though?"
I thought I did, but without realising, while I had been collecting modern figures, I was simply going through the motions.
There was no thrill of the hunt, because it has simply become easier for me to order them online, more often than not, the Takara Tomy versions, which means waiting for HobbyLinkJapan pre-orders to go up. So with a few clicks of the mouse, the order is placed and I have to wait.
And then the figures would arrive, I'd open them up, transform them a couple of times, and then there'd go on display. The only figure I truly got excited over was Titans Return Triggerhappy, because lets face it, that figure is just awesome.
"But Burn, we've gotten a lot of fantastic figures in recent years!"
This is true, I will not argue this fact. I feel the designers of late have really innovated, and I've enjoyed the engineering aspect of new figures. New figures are great, but, they lack nostalgia. Yes, nostalgia.
"Oh no, he's going to go Geewunner on us. I'm out!"
Hear me out here. I got back into collecting Transformers 15 or so years ago, because of some problems I was having mentally. They reminded me of a time in my life when things were simpler, and I was happier, and collecting Transformers helped me get through a very rough patch in my life.
It was also a time when Beast Wars/Machines had just recently finished their runs and one of aspect of collecting back then was discovering all these new figures and characters, and thanks to ball joints, putting them back together! Many lots were discovered on E-Bay and much fun was had working out what parts belonged to who.
But that was then, this is now.
And not much has changed. When I got that G1 figure all those months ago I was reminded of that aspect of collecting that was a lot of fun. Restoring the figures, bringing them back to life.
And it's this that has helped reinvigorate my collecting. Finding older figures (preferably with all their accessories) and restoring them. That may involve simply replacing their stickers (Toyhax.com is the place for them if you're curious!) or completely disassembling them and cleaning them before putting them back together.
Or in some cases, repairs may be necessary.
Did you know that Titans Return Trypticon was in fact not the first Transformer to have a problem caused by springs? While I can't say for certain he was the first, but I did discover that G1 Pointblank had spring issues.
I picked up a G1 Pointblank in a G1 lot last year, he had a busted door, but other than that he seemed to be in good condition, and he had his little Targetmaster buddy. In July I came across a seller on Facebook who had a few figures I wanted, including a G1 Pointblank. He emphasised that Pointblank had a problem with his left leg.
See those knee joints? They have springs in them. There's two ratchets with teeth on them, one is molded into the outer leg, while the other moves back and forth as you transform the figure. Those springs allow that ratchet to move back and forth.
The problem is, the spring is constantly pushing the ratchet out, throw in years of age and transforming, and the screw that holds it in place eventually comes free.
But hey, that's fine, the G1 Pointblank I was getting had an unbroken door and that's all I needed to fix up mine!
Imagine my shock when I inspected mine and found the exact same problem with the leg.
To be honest, it probably didn't need to be fixed, he transformed fine, but I wanted to fix it anyway. So I set out to fix the problem, which to put simply, was the screw hole had become threaded.
Solution? Drill a larger hole and fill it.
My first attempt failed, but I persisted. Eventually I resorted to removing the spring completely (it's actually NOT really necessary if you intend to display him in robot mode) and using a touch of super glue to hold the screw in place.
G1 Pointblank wasn't the only figure I've worked on recently. I also picked up Sparkabot Guzzle. Great little figure and his sparking figure worked as well. I already had Sizzle, though he wasn't in great condition either, which is where I lucked out and found a seller that had Fizzle AND Sizzle as well. So I could replace my Sizzle and complete my Sparkabots collection!
When they arrived they were a little on the dirty side, so I started with Fizzle. Took him apart, cleaned him in nice warm soapy water, inside and out and reassembled him. Not only was he clean, but his sparking feature worked better than it did when he first arrived.
I then moved onto Sizzle ... and that's where I ran into problems. The heads of the two screws in his legs snapped off, which meant I had to drill them out. Or, I could simply use the legs off my other Sizzle!
Those screws snapped as well, so back to drilling them out. Eventually I got him disassembled, cleaned up and put back together. A set of stickers from Toyhax later and Fizzle, Sizzle and Fo'Shizzle Guzzle and they were ready to rejoin the collection!
Simple restorations really, but I took so much pleasure in taking old battered figures and giving them a new lease in life.
"You could do that with any era, clearly your Geewunner bias is showing"
It's not bias actually. When I returned to collecting, I collected what was current at the time, meaning I have all the figures I want from Beast Wars through to Titans Return.
That being said, and I say this with a disclaimer that I have only really searched locally (Australia), from my searching on E-Bay, and even what I see on Facebook and forums, there's not much out there from later lines like Armada.
And I feel that is because we are live in times where things are more disposable. It's easier to go out and buy something new rather than to fix it. Kids toys missing an arm? Just throw it, we can duck down the shops and get another one.
And to me, that's disappointing, because the generation that grew up on Beast Wars and A/E/C now have disposable incomes and will be looking to get figures they missed out on as kids.
But where are they? Where are the complete figures? The junkers?
Believe me, if I came across some of those figures I'd snap some up for customising purposes, but they just don't seem to be out there.
Of course I do have some G1 bias, it's what I grew up with, it's what helped me through a dark patch in my life, it reminds me of a simpler time, and I have to admit, I'm pretty damn proud of what I've achieved of my G1 collection and would like to get to a point where I can say "I may not have every G1 figure, but I feel my collection is complete to me".
It's that goal, plus the joy of restoring figures, that has helped me rediscover the joy of collecting, and I know I'm not the only one. Take a look at our Transformers Toy Haul thread. Others are collecting G1 figures. We have an entire thread dedicated to the clunky Pretenders!
I've seen interest from the younger generation who are discovering Marvel UK, and all the characterisations some of the lesser known toys received, or even characters that never received a figure until recently. Like the little wheel that could, Scrounge!
And I have to admit, I do enjoy talking to some of the younger collectors who are discovering G1 and suggesting figures to them and helping them find them. Who doesn't enjoy the thrill of hunting down a figure?
So for once, in what has been a long time, I feel the excitement and joy of collecting.
How about you though? Are you an old fart like me enjoying the hunt for old figures, or maybe you enjoy hunting modern figures, or maybe you're a young whipper snapper delving into the history of Transformers and looking to collect across the eras. Let us know on the forums!
"Oh thank **** he's finally finished waffling on!"
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Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1905346)
Posted by Evil Eye on August 20th, 2017 @ 9:25am CDT
Posted by Evil Eye on August 20th, 2017 @ 9:25am CDT
When I went to TFNation (yes I will shut up about TFNation eventually) I was surrounded by toys of all eras, but found myself drawn towards BW Transmetals in particular. Now that I own three of them, I kinda want more. They're very nice looking figures, quite well engineered for the time, and again, nostalgia (I watched BW on Hasbro's website just after the movie came out and the Transmetals were always the ones I thought "Wow, I need some of them!" about).
So once I'm able to properly collect again, BW figures (TMs and TM2s especially) will be on my priority list.
So once I'm able to properly collect again, BW figures (TMs and TM2s especially) will be on my priority list.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1905352)
Posted by Rodimus Prime on August 20th, 2017 @ 10:16am CDT
Posted by Rodimus Prime on August 20th, 2017 @ 10:16am CDT
In 11 days, I'm going to be 35 years old. I've been a fan of Transformers for 30 years. In the last 10 years my collecting fire dwindled somewhat, simply due to the figures not being very appealing. I wasn't as enamored with the Generations line as most of the fandom. I even tried to cull my collection by putting everything up for sale and keeping whatever was left. But then, Combiner Wars and then Titans Return were released, and their appeal just kicked my collecting urge up about 4 notches. Was it the impressive updates to the G1 figures, most of which I had owned and lost over the years? Most likely. Bottom line is, I feel like the way I felt in the late 80s when I was getting Transformers for the 1st time, and the way I felt in 2000 when I got back into collecting after a 5 or 6 year hiatus. It might wane again after Power of the Primes is done, or it might not, depending on what's next. For me, it's all about the appeal of the product, and its ability to connect with my memories of childhood.
I do think there is joy in repairing old figures, especially G1 toys, which are much sturdier and can withstand some fiddling/rough handling. Unfortunately I don't have the patience for it. I get in a rage if I can't transform a figure exactly as the instructions say. But that's probably not the figure or the instructions, but rather my anger issues.
I do think there is joy in repairing old figures, especially G1 toys, which are much sturdier and can withstand some fiddling/rough handling. Unfortunately I don't have the patience for it. I get in a rage if I can't transform a figure exactly as the instructions say. But that's probably not the figure or the instructions, but rather my anger issues.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1905353)
Posted by kurthy on August 20th, 2017 @ 10:22am CDT
Posted by kurthy on August 20th, 2017 @ 10:22am CDT
Good read, Burn.
I stopped being interested in G1 toys after Classics started coming out (wish I hadn't been out of collecting then).
However, I did find a bunch of Armada guys for my son that I had had before I stopped collecting two Christmas' ago. I had to restore armada Megatron, OP, and Overload. They are out there.
I stopped being interested in G1 toys after Classics started coming out (wish I hadn't been out of collecting then).
However, I did find a bunch of Armada guys for my son that I had had before I stopped collecting two Christmas' ago. I had to restore armada Megatron, OP, and Overload. They are out there.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1905358)
Posted by leokearon on August 20th, 2017 @ 11:06am CDT
Posted by leokearon on August 20th, 2017 @ 11:06am CDT
I love collecting and (attempting to) restore any G1 toys I get. I once bout a G1 Ultra Magnus Cab + Trailer and Powermaster prime Cab for 42 in a charity shop and for some reason (maybe because Magnus is my favourite TF), I was complete to complete him and prime and I did. I did the same for a G1 Rodimus Prime by brother got me for Christmas. I love doing it but it can be frustrating like my Motorvator Flame with 3 tyres.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1905369)
Posted by Blackstreak on August 20th, 2017 @ 12:37pm CDT
Posted by Blackstreak on August 20th, 2017 @ 12:37pm CDT
I remember the joy of hunting down Transformer figures. Actually, I still do it but not nearly as much as I used to. One of the biggest joys of collecting has to be the hunt. Sometimes I even enjoyed the repair/replacement of parts and the restoration and completion of a figure.
Then reality set in. It gets expensive. Obviously some are more expensive than others like the Pretender Monster Decepticon team found here: https://www.seibertron.com/transformers-toys/gallery/g1-1989/monstructor/991/1/. The plastic can break only so many times before I give up.
Then reality set in. It gets expensive. Obviously some are more expensive than others like the Pretender Monster Decepticon team found here: https://www.seibertron.com/transformers-toys/gallery/g1-1989/monstructor/991/1/. The plastic can break only so many times before I give up.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1905379)
Posted by ArmadaPrime on August 20th, 2017 @ 1:44pm CDT
Posted by ArmadaPrime on August 20th, 2017 @ 1:44pm CDT
An interesting read!
Personally I feel that whilst the love is still strong, there's definitely a little less of the raw excitement. I thought perhaps it was an age thing but I think it's more about knowledge? If I get a figure chances are I already know a lot about it through leaks, official reveals, review samples/dodgily-acquired-early-copies, and the fact that on a budget I tend to be firmly in the two-waves-late-off-ebay box rather than the preorders-months-in-advance one.
Now in general this is great- it can better inform purchases and build up hype for figures, but there's honestly been times where I've passed on a figure simply due to seeing so much I might as well own it already.
Maybe this is actually saving me from getting toys I won't be that excited by and hence avoiding the get-stuff-on-autopilot pitfall you mention, I honestly couldn't say. It does end up leading me to some purchases I'd never have expected otherwise- whilst I do really want, for instance, a Topspin, and will get one eventually, i could just as easily get a slightly older or more obscure figure I've little knowledge of and enjoy the discovery aspect that way.
Not really sure if I'm heading to a conclusion here, but perhaps it's this: news and leaks and reviews are great, but too much of a good thing can sometimes serve to dampen, rather than build, the hype.
...or maybe I should stop buying toys half a year after they come out, and actually get on board with the hype while it's still fresh. such is the life of a broke student in a market with nonsense distribution
Personally I feel that whilst the love is still strong, there's definitely a little less of the raw excitement. I thought perhaps it was an age thing but I think it's more about knowledge? If I get a figure chances are I already know a lot about it through leaks, official reveals, review samples/dodgily-acquired-early-copies, and the fact that on a budget I tend to be firmly in the two-waves-late-off-ebay box rather than the preorders-months-in-advance one.
Now in general this is great- it can better inform purchases and build up hype for figures, but there's honestly been times where I've passed on a figure simply due to seeing so much I might as well own it already.
Maybe this is actually saving me from getting toys I won't be that excited by and hence avoiding the get-stuff-on-autopilot pitfall you mention, I honestly couldn't say. It does end up leading me to some purchases I'd never have expected otherwise- whilst I do really want, for instance, a Topspin, and will get one eventually, i could just as easily get a slightly older or more obscure figure I've little knowledge of and enjoy the discovery aspect that way.
Not really sure if I'm heading to a conclusion here, but perhaps it's this: news and leaks and reviews are great, but too much of a good thing can sometimes serve to dampen, rather than build, the hype.
...or maybe I should stop buying toys half a year after they come out, and actually get on board with the hype while it's still fresh. such is the life of a broke student in a market with nonsense distribution
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1905383)
Posted by Burn on August 20th, 2017 @ 2:44pm CDT
This is an interesting point! The thought did briefly cross my mind. As I live in a rural part of Australia, well removed from any capital cities, I'm often weeks behind others in Australia in finding figures in stores (hence why it's just easier to go with TakaraTomy, I'm already waiting, may as well wait a little longer). I see reviews, people posting their hauls and then talking about figures and by the time I get my hands on it, the hype has gone away.
Posted by Burn on August 20th, 2017 @ 2:44pm CDT
ArmadaPrime wrote:If I get a figure chances are I already know a lot about it through leaks, official reveals, review samples/dodgily-acquired-early-copies, and the fact that on a budget I tend to be firmly in the two-waves-late-off-ebay box rather than the preorders-months-in-advance one.
Now in general this is great- it can better inform purchases and build up hype for figures, but there's honestly been times where I've passed on a figure simply due to seeing so much I might as well own it already.
This is an interesting point! The thought did briefly cross my mind. As I live in a rural part of Australia, well removed from any capital cities, I'm often weeks behind others in Australia in finding figures in stores (hence why it's just easier to go with TakaraTomy, I'm already waiting, may as well wait a little longer). I see reviews, people posting their hauls and then talking about figures and by the time I get my hands on it, the hype has gone away.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1905404)
Posted by MadProject on August 20th, 2017 @ 4:37pm CDT
Posted by MadProject on August 20th, 2017 @ 4:37pm CDT
I'd love to go hunting for new figures (I'm not a big collector of old series, except for the toys I had as a child) and whenever I go shopping, I go taking a look at the toy aisle.
Sadly, purchasing online is my only valid option to get TF and other toys I collect, since here in Italy it arrives almost nothing.
It's kinda depressing going at supermarkets and toy stores (there's one pretty big in a town near the one I live, about 30 minutes in car) and find anything but old-but-no-old-enough (usually recently released figures, like first wave of TR) and 1-3-flip/flop figures.
The biggest joy I had in hunting down figures, and probably the last one, was near Christmas 5 or 6 years ago.
I was at this mall looking for a new PC, and while I was there they were cleaning the back of the store, putting a lot of unsold things on sale.
They took out the old toys while I was checking the price of the pc, and there was, on the pile, an old RID 2001 Optimus Prime in MINT condition (maybe some minor damage due the time)
The sale was really big (like a % less for each unsold year) and basically it costed something about 10 USD.
Obviously, he came at home with me.
Sadly, purchasing online is my only valid option to get TF and other toys I collect, since here in Italy it arrives almost nothing.
It's kinda depressing going at supermarkets and toy stores (there's one pretty big in a town near the one I live, about 30 minutes in car) and find anything but old-but-no-old-enough (usually recently released figures, like first wave of TR) and 1-3-flip/flop figures.
The biggest joy I had in hunting down figures, and probably the last one, was near Christmas 5 or 6 years ago.
I was at this mall looking for a new PC, and while I was there they were cleaning the back of the store, putting a lot of unsold things on sale.
They took out the old toys while I was checking the price of the pc, and there was, on the pile, an old RID 2001 Optimus Prime in MINT condition (maybe some minor damage due the time)
The sale was really big (like a % less for each unsold year) and basically it costed something about 10 USD.
Obviously, he came at home with me.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1905416)
Posted by DeathReviews on August 20th, 2017 @ 6:02pm CDT
Posted by DeathReviews on August 20th, 2017 @ 6:02pm CDT
Some of us have the best of BOTH worlds. Because of weirdness in distribution, we can only order some figures online because they rarely, and sometimes NEVER, appear in local stores. And yet we still must go out hunting for figures in stores, just like in ye olde times, because sometimes you get lucky and find ones in store that are cheaper than they charge at online distributors.
The thrill is still there - you just have to know where to look
The thrill is still there - you just have to know where to look
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1905420)
Posted by Burn on August 20th, 2017 @ 6:32pm CDT
I know where to look. At the only store in town that has Transformers.
I can travel 100kms (60miles) north, spend an hour driving just to get to a city, then spend another hour driving around to get to various stores, knowing all too well that the result won't be any different because we're located half a country away from the nearest capital city.
Posted by Burn on August 20th, 2017 @ 6:32pm CDT
DeathReviews wrote:The thrill is still there - you just have to know where to look
I know where to look. At the only store in town that has Transformers.
I can travel 100kms (60miles) north, spend an hour driving just to get to a city, then spend another hour driving around to get to various stores, knowing all too well that the result won't be any different because we're located half a country away from the nearest capital city.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1905430)
Posted by hausjam on August 20th, 2017 @ 7:45pm CDT
Posted by hausjam on August 20th, 2017 @ 7:45pm CDT
I hate the hunt. I DESPISE the hunt. It's worth it once I have the item I want though. Maybe it's just me, but I love boxed G1 figures. I love the packaging. I just sit and stare for hours at my boxed G1 collection.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1905450)
Posted by Megatron Wolf on August 20th, 2017 @ 9:31pm CDT
Posted by Megatron Wolf on August 20th, 2017 @ 9:31pm CDT
Im 31 and i can safely say ive been a fan all my life. My earliest memories are of playing with transformers, pretty much every picture of me as a kid i have one in my hands or near me. Back then finding a figure ive been looking for was a happy experience, but these days not so much. Its not cause iv lost the passion for collecting i still love doing it, its just so damn frustrating now & that is what i feel when i find stuff. It use to be when i found something id say "hell yeah this is awesome" and race home to open it, now its "about Fracking time" and then decide if i want to pay the high price or risk waiting for a sale. Hasbro has sucked the joy out of the franchise for me with the increasing prices, decreasing quality & horrible distribution. This is why im not buying as many hasbro products anymore, and when i do its because i know if i dont i wont ever see it again. Its a shame really cause collecting is suppose to be a joyful hobby but for many of us its become a frustrating slog.
There is a bit of silver lining though, with the money i save from not buying hasbro stuff ive been able to start buying comics again & working on other collections that i had to neglect in order to afford transformers. That is where i get that feeling i use to get as a kid, coming home with a stack of comics from my favorite series both new and old waiting impatiently for the next issues to come out, going on ebay finding gargoyle & alien/predator figures that i could never find as a kid and finally getting them without spending a tone of money. Transformers will always be special to me, its been a part of my life for this long and it always will be but if things keep going the way they are it wont be at the top anymore.
I didnt plan on writing an essay but once i got going i just couldnt stop, so ill close things off with some sage advise: if you find yourself losing the passion you had for collecting or any hobby in general just take a step back and reevaluate it. You dont have to abandon it completely just do it differently, instead of focusing on new stuff look for old stuff that you dont have or cut back and start a 2nd collection, try rediscover and old one or hell bite the bullet and do something different entirely. There are plenty of options out there you just need to take control, and remember missing out on one figure isnt going to kill you or destroy your collection. Sure youll be pissed and you have a right to be but you can always use that money on something else.
There is a bit of silver lining though, with the money i save from not buying hasbro stuff ive been able to start buying comics again & working on other collections that i had to neglect in order to afford transformers. That is where i get that feeling i use to get as a kid, coming home with a stack of comics from my favorite series both new and old waiting impatiently for the next issues to come out, going on ebay finding gargoyle & alien/predator figures that i could never find as a kid and finally getting them without spending a tone of money. Transformers will always be special to me, its been a part of my life for this long and it always will be but if things keep going the way they are it wont be at the top anymore.
I didnt plan on writing an essay but once i got going i just couldnt stop, so ill close things off with some sage advise: if you find yourself losing the passion you had for collecting or any hobby in general just take a step back and reevaluate it. You dont have to abandon it completely just do it differently, instead of focusing on new stuff look for old stuff that you dont have or cut back and start a 2nd collection, try rediscover and old one or hell bite the bullet and do something different entirely. There are plenty of options out there you just need to take control, and remember missing out on one figure isnt going to kill you or destroy your collection. Sure youll be pissed and you have a right to be but you can always use that money on something else.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1905473)
Posted by MaverickPrime on August 21st, 2017 @ 12:47am CDT
Posted by MaverickPrime on August 21st, 2017 @ 12:47am CDT
I went through something similar when I got FINALLY got RiD Ruination last year, all 5 together, missing their individual weapons(except for Mega Octane's riffle, Ro-Tor's arm cannons and Rollbar's pistol) and MO's chest plate, but with all the combiner kibble and even the ramp, but man! They were really dusty! I disassembled as much as I could without taking out pins or the screws that just wouldn't come of and then I washed them up as best as I could.
After I finished, I felt like I had bonded with them in ways I hadn't really felt since I was a little kid and I went all out playing with my toys, not caring about playing in the ground, grass or water, taking pieces off due to battle damage or adding clay for reasons I just can't remember, somehow they felt more alive and I felt like they had more play value than fully articulated figures, I was having way more fun with toys with nothing but shoulder movement and knees at best!
I had wanted that set since I was like 8 or 9 and when I knew it was on it's way, I feared that ot would be underwhelming, with Combiner Wars already close to it's ending...but I was surprised at how well those G1 molds held up, somehow seeing them as I had seen them in the cartoon all those years ago.
They all now have a special place in my heart because of this, specially Armorhide, who I could take almost completely apart, made me feel like I really knew all about him, like I had owned him for years.
After I finished, I felt like I had bonded with them in ways I hadn't really felt since I was a little kid and I went all out playing with my toys, not caring about playing in the ground, grass or water, taking pieces off due to battle damage or adding clay for reasons I just can't remember, somehow they felt more alive and I felt like they had more play value than fully articulated figures, I was having way more fun with toys with nothing but shoulder movement and knees at best!
I had wanted that set since I was like 8 or 9 and when I knew it was on it's way, I feared that ot would be underwhelming, with Combiner Wars already close to it's ending...but I was surprised at how well those G1 molds held up, somehow seeing them as I had seen them in the cartoon all those years ago.
They all now have a special place in my heart because of this, specially Armorhide, who I could take almost completely apart, made me feel like I really knew all about him, like I had owned him for years.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1905480)
Posted by zko on August 21st, 2017 @ 4:08am CDT
Posted by zko on August 21st, 2017 @ 4:08am CDT
I think for me my "rediscovery" moment was when they started bringing in RiD figures again after BW died off. I had gone many years as a G1er from the time G2 died off to through the era of BW up until RiD and Unicron trilogy started getting the more classic figures that turn into vehicles instead of monsters out on the market.
There is probably my biggest regret though, that I didn't get into BW as a collector and see alot of the awesomeness that line had except for occasionally looking at figures in the stores.
I think my fondest memories of collecting have to be of Cybertron and Animated figures, just because distribution was so great for those and every one was so well designed. I think I wound up with almost every stock figure from TF: Animated but the Roadbuster Ultra Magnus recolor, though since I have the blue original one it doesn't hurt that bad heh.
There is probably my biggest regret though, that I didn't get into BW as a collector and see alot of the awesomeness that line had except for occasionally looking at figures in the stores.
I think my fondest memories of collecting have to be of Cybertron and Animated figures, just because distribution was so great for those and every one was so well designed. I think I wound up with almost every stock figure from TF: Animated but the Roadbuster Ultra Magnus recolor, though since I have the blue original one it doesn't hurt that bad heh.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1905515)
Posted by NeonPrime on August 21st, 2017 @ 8:50am CDT
Posted by NeonPrime on August 21st, 2017 @ 8:50am CDT
For me I started collecting with the first movie back in 2007. Like the author it helped get me through a rough patch. I enjoyed the thrill of the hunt and had a weekly routine mapped out that I'd follow (TRU Wednesday, Walmart & Target Friday) and couldn't wait to get home and open any figures I was able to find. Between the toys, movie, video game and comics I had a blast.
However nowadays it's not quite as thrilling. Distribution within the last few years has been so bad that the thrill of the hunt is gone. there's been a lot of waves that were scarce or skipped all together. While I still can't resist checking toy departments I'd much rather just pick up want I want online so that way I have it. Especially this year with my favorite 'bot Hot Rod, the only movie figure I plan on picking up, being a Walmart only exclusive.
In addition to distribution is the rising cost of the figures. $20 for a movie deluxe!?!?!?! I understand the whole rising oil and production costs but the current pricing is just plain absurd. Personally I think if Hasbro stopped wasting money on all the dumbed down one steps, non transforming toys and other peg warming merch they could afford to lower the price. I'm actually glad the movie sucked so hard so I'm not compelled to pick up the entire line like in previous years.
With all of that said I ,like the author, find myself picking up and enjoying older figures. Whether it's G1, Beast Wars, Movieverse, or heck even bootlegs to fill in the gaps in my collection or to restore or kitbash I find it more enjoyable. Don't get me wrong, I've picked up many cool figures especially with the Titans Return & RID line. But with the lack of distribution and absurd prices I think it's actually cheaper and easier to pick up the old stuff.
However nowadays it's not quite as thrilling. Distribution within the last few years has been so bad that the thrill of the hunt is gone. there's been a lot of waves that were scarce or skipped all together. While I still can't resist checking toy departments I'd much rather just pick up want I want online so that way I have it. Especially this year with my favorite 'bot Hot Rod, the only movie figure I plan on picking up, being a Walmart only exclusive.
In addition to distribution is the rising cost of the figures. $20 for a movie deluxe!?!?!?! I understand the whole rising oil and production costs but the current pricing is just plain absurd. Personally I think if Hasbro stopped wasting money on all the dumbed down one steps, non transforming toys and other peg warming merch they could afford to lower the price. I'm actually glad the movie sucked so hard so I'm not compelled to pick up the entire line like in previous years.
With all of that said I ,like the author, find myself picking up and enjoying older figures. Whether it's G1, Beast Wars, Movieverse, or heck even bootlegs to fill in the gaps in my collection or to restore or kitbash I find it more enjoyable. Don't get me wrong, I've picked up many cool figures especially with the Titans Return & RID line. But with the lack of distribution and absurd prices I think it's actually cheaper and easier to pick up the old stuff.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1905524)
Posted by ScottyP on August 21st, 2017 @ 9:10am CDT
Posted by ScottyP on August 21st, 2017 @ 9:10am CDT
Great read!
The mention of Toyhax/Reprolabels can be spot on for newer things too. Generations Crosscut was one that got the "open it, transform once or twice, put on shelf" treatment initially. However, after taking the time to use their upgrades on it, it became one of my favorite more recent toys. That added interaction brings another element to the enjoyment of the hobby. There's a small part of doing stickers that gives me the feeling I'm creating something, even if that's not really the case.
The mention of Toyhax/Reprolabels can be spot on for newer things too. Generations Crosscut was one that got the "open it, transform once or twice, put on shelf" treatment initially. However, after taking the time to use their upgrades on it, it became one of my favorite more recent toys. That added interaction brings another element to the enjoyment of the hobby. There's a small part of doing stickers that gives me the feeling I'm creating something, even if that's not really the case.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1905538)
Posted by Rated X on August 21st, 2017 @ 9:52am CDT
Posted by Rated X on August 21st, 2017 @ 9:52am CDT
Ive pretty much had love for Transformers since I was a kid. Of course as a kid, I was limited to what I could convince my parents to buy me. I had stopped collecting areound age 12 when the micromaster 4 packs first came out because I remember buying the Air strike patrol and whatever the autobot 4 pack was called. Buy that time I had been absorbed by music and all my allowance money had switched to cassettes of the 2 Live Crew, N.W.A., and Ice T. Collecting music became another lifelong passion as I grew up and got into CDs and DJ vinyl. But I was one of those lucky ones that kept everything and my parents never threw out stuff. So I have my entire G1 collection to this day including Trypticon.I was meticulous with my parts so I still have nearly every piece. The decals did get some play wear though. I had a lot of fun restoring them with reprolabels and lining them up with the precision I never had as a kid. Cant say I get into fixing though. I got a friend who is also a lifelong collector and I refer all broken figures to him because he is a customizer and artist. Anyways, it was the 2007 movie that brought me back into collecting. At first I just wanted a Starscream since he was my favorite character, but I quickly caught the collection bug with my completionest habit lasting for the first 2 movies and most of the 3rd movie line. During this time I discovered e-bay and bought all the G1 figures I wanted as a kid but never had gotten to enjoy in hand. I also discovered chug figures and started buying select favorite characters since back then it seemed more like a small homage line vs. what it morphed into today. Chug eventually took over my interests as the line expanded every year and I started being more selective with movie figures mostly just buying all Decepticons and one Prime from each movie. By then I was a full blown chug collector. I had discovered this website looking at pictures online of figures I wanted to buy. Back then this site was also very different. It was run by a mostly American staff that fully supported the 3rd party revolution since Hasbro wasnt giving G1 fans everything they wanted. Needless to say, this site has evolved into something very different now but thats another story. I discovered botcon in 2010 and was compelled to atrend since it was happening right in my backyard. (Im in Miami and Botcon was in Orlando) I enjoyed it so much I went toBotcon 4 years in a row. After 2013, I saw less of the people I knew attending so I called it quits and bought the figures online saving all that airfare and hotel money which made so much more sense. I have been addicted to collecting to this day and spend most of my hobby money on it. Slowed down on 3rd party figures because lets be honest, Hasbro is finally getting it right and filling in the gaps. At first I never liked MP figures because of their huge size and referred to them as " barbie doll figures". I ended up liking them and now have the entire offical decepticon line up along with a few KO seekers of obscure characters ala CHMS style. I just bought my first MP-10 because everybody needs a Prime in their life, but I have no intention of starting an MP Autobot collection, at least not for now. And I refuse to do 3rd party MP figures because Im not gonna take the bait this time around like most of us did with Fansproject and TFC before combiner wars came out. So to close this, I can say collecting is addictive and Transformers are truly "plastic crack". Sometimes I wish I never started because im curious what I would have used all this money for or what my collection room would be used for instead. But im in it and happy. Dont know how ill sell all this stuff in my older age. Im too lazy to piece out my collection and deal with shipping. Some big time collection flipper is gonna have to take a road trip down to miami and make me a cash offer I cant refuse. It will be worth their time. But thats when im in my 50s or 60s. Im only 40 now. So my passion for this hobby runs deep. Thats my story.
X
X
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1905572)
Posted by wilcosu35 on August 21st, 2017 @ 12:17pm CDT
Posted by wilcosu35 on August 21st, 2017 @ 12:17pm CDT
Burn, i recognize some things in your story.
I was born when G1 was on tv, so naturally i didn't grow up with it. I did have some transformers when i was young but they were mostly second-hand, incomplete and well-played with.
My real entry into the brand came when Beast Wars was on tv here in the Netherlands. I spent my pocket-money on a bunch of figures, but later grew out of it. After i moved out to study, i gradually picked up interest again and started buying. It wasn't collecting, it was hoarding. At a certain point i had most of the figures from BW up to and including AoE.
Then i got my own house, and after first cramming all my stuff into a room, i found out i didn't enjoy it anymore.
Part by part, series by series, i sold off my collection. The only thing i retained were my Masterpieces, which i'd decided would be the only thing i wanted to collect from then on. It was roughly at that time that MP-10 was released and the series really started to kick up the pace.
I've been an avid MP collector since then, but you are right in that there is no hunt involved: Simply open the webshop of your choosing, place your preorder and wait for it to arrive at your doorstep. Unpack the figure, transform it once or twice, and put it on the shelf. It makes for a nice collection but the acquiring isn't very exciting.
So then, early this year, i decided i wanted to add something new to the collection. Never having seen G1 (though i have watched it a couple of months ago), i wanted to have something from that era, a piece of history if you will. Ofcourse, since my main collection is MP and those take up an increasing amount of space, i wanted something which would not take up much room, and would be relatively easy to acquire in good condition.
Having that in mind, and having done some research, i settled upon Micromasters.
So over the last half year, i've bought a bunch of the little guys but i still have a lot to get. Which means i'm actively collecting again, actually being on the lookout for figures that i haven't got yet.
And that thing, the hunt for the stuff that you want, is exciting, and is part of what makes me happy as a collector.
I was born when G1 was on tv, so naturally i didn't grow up with it. I did have some transformers when i was young but they were mostly second-hand, incomplete and well-played with.
My real entry into the brand came when Beast Wars was on tv here in the Netherlands. I spent my pocket-money on a bunch of figures, but later grew out of it. After i moved out to study, i gradually picked up interest again and started buying. It wasn't collecting, it was hoarding. At a certain point i had most of the figures from BW up to and including AoE.
Then i got my own house, and after first cramming all my stuff into a room, i found out i didn't enjoy it anymore.
Part by part, series by series, i sold off my collection. The only thing i retained were my Masterpieces, which i'd decided would be the only thing i wanted to collect from then on. It was roughly at that time that MP-10 was released and the series really started to kick up the pace.
I've been an avid MP collector since then, but you are right in that there is no hunt involved: Simply open the webshop of your choosing, place your preorder and wait for it to arrive at your doorstep. Unpack the figure, transform it once or twice, and put it on the shelf. It makes for a nice collection but the acquiring isn't very exciting.
So then, early this year, i decided i wanted to add something new to the collection. Never having seen G1 (though i have watched it a couple of months ago), i wanted to have something from that era, a piece of history if you will. Ofcourse, since my main collection is MP and those take up an increasing amount of space, i wanted something which would not take up much room, and would be relatively easy to acquire in good condition.
Having that in mind, and having done some research, i settled upon Micromasters.
So over the last half year, i've bought a bunch of the little guys but i still have a lot to get. Which means i'm actively collecting again, actually being on the lookout for figures that i haven't got yet.
And that thing, the hunt for the stuff that you want, is exciting, and is part of what makes me happy as a collector.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1905604)
Posted by Burn on August 21st, 2017 @ 4:20pm CDT
This is something I've thought of many times over the last few years.
Over the next few weeks I'll be taking photos of figures I'm looking to get rid of, mostly movie figures that I don't like/need. But as for the rest? I have no idea.
Posted by Burn on August 21st, 2017 @ 4:20pm CDT
Rated X wrote:Dont know how ill sell all this stuff in my older age. Im too lazy to piece out my collection and deal with shipping.
This is something I've thought of many times over the last few years.
Over the next few weeks I'll be taking photos of figures I'm looking to get rid of, mostly movie figures that I don't like/need. But as for the rest? I have no idea.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1905631)
Posted by ExciKaiser on August 21st, 2017 @ 7:25pm CDT
I couldn't have said it better.
I recently rediscovered the joy of collecting and even playing with my TFs.
But not with G1 figs, but with Titans returns.
I think I explained it in my first/introductions posts and also still recently in the TR topic.
I'm still not 100% sure why, as I said it's maybe the line-gimmick thing which relinds me the Unicron trilogy area, or the quality of the toys, we need to admit the lasted generations before CW were quite crappy..But it brought me so much back into collecting that even felt the need to register on a forum because I suddenly wanted to discuss TFs with other people !
So different root causes and different solutions, but I completely understand what you describe about "rediscovering the joy of collecting". I'm currently completely inside this period.
Nothing to add here, we're apparently twins, even for the age. Except it's more TR than CW which brought me back.
and like you I wonder what will happens next, will they be able to entertain this renewed interest ?
I already started some years ago, I definitely saw myself my interest lowering. I've been completlist for the first movie, and I still don't really know why. I've been able to sold them back (except Prime). I even got some 3P, that I also sold back.
I think at some point in the time, I was getting TFs by habit, the current releases", even going to 3P etc.
We could think it's what I'm currently doing with TR being completelist with no reason, but no, there something different. I don't know what/why/how, but it somewhere made me realize I should get only TFs which entertains me, not the ones which are current, newsed in websites, available on BBTS etc.. (and throw out those don't like and I was keeping for no other reson than "people said it's a good figure")
The main visible difference ? I now have a hunt list in ebay, with several listings and automatic searches.
something I never got before, as I was simply getting what was currently released..
Posted by ExciKaiser on August 21st, 2017 @ 7:25pm CDT
Burn wrote:I thought I did, but without realising, while I had been collecting modern figures, I was simply going through the motions.
I couldn't have said it better.
I recently rediscovered the joy of collecting and even playing with my TFs.
But not with G1 figs, but with Titans returns.
I think I explained it in my first/introductions posts and also still recently in the TR topic.
I'm still not 100% sure why, as I said it's maybe the line-gimmick thing which relinds me the Unicron trilogy area, or the quality of the toys, we need to admit the lasted generations before CW were quite crappy..But it brought me so much back into collecting that even felt the need to register on a forum because I suddenly wanted to discuss TFs with other people !
So different root causes and different solutions, but I completely understand what you describe about "rediscovering the joy of collecting". I'm currently completely inside this period.
Rodimus Prime wrote:In 11 days, I'm going to be 35 years old. I've been a fan of Transformers for 30 years. In the last 10 years my collecting fire dwindled somewhat, simply due to the figures not being very appealing. I wasn't as enamored with the Generations line as most of the fandom. I even tried to cull my collection by putting everything up for sale and keeping whatever was left. But then, Combiner Wars and then Titans Return were released, and their appeal just kicked my collecting urge up about 4 notches. Was it the impressive updates to the G1 figures, most of which I had owned and lost over the years? Most likely. Bottom line is, I feel like the way I felt in the late 80s when I was getting Transformers for the 1st time, and the way I felt in 2000 when I got back into collecting after a 5 or 6 year hiatus. It might wane again after Power of the Primes is done, or it might not, depending on what's next. For me, it's all about the appeal of the product, and its ability to connect with my memories of childhood.
Nothing to add here, we're apparently twins, even for the age. Except it's more TR than CW which brought me back.
and like you I wonder what will happens next, will they be able to entertain this renewed interest ?
Burn wrote:Over the next few weeks I'll be taking photos of figures I'm looking to get rid of, mostly movie figures that I don't like/need. But as for the rest? I have no idea.
I already started some years ago, I definitely saw myself my interest lowering. I've been completlist for the first movie, and I still don't really know why. I've been able to sold them back (except Prime). I even got some 3P, that I also sold back.
I think at some point in the time, I was getting TFs by habit, the current releases", even going to 3P etc.
We could think it's what I'm currently doing with TR being completelist with no reason, but no, there something different. I don't know what/why/how, but it somewhere made me realize I should get only TFs which entertains me, not the ones which are current, newsed in websites, available on BBTS etc.. (and throw out those don't like and I was keeping for no other reson than "people said it's a good figure")
The main visible difference ? I now have a hunt list in ebay, with several listings and automatic searches.
something I never got before, as I was simply getting what was currently released..
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1906408)
Posted by galvatron00 on August 25th, 2017 @ 10:08am CDT
Posted by galvatron00 on August 25th, 2017 @ 10:08am CDT
That's a pretty dang nice write up Burn.
I have a similar feeling to the restoration process, although it's mainly been adding 3rd Party upgrades, Reprolabels, or the minor paint customization to figures I almost parted ways with.
I still have a lot of my G1 figures (I'm fairly certain I'm only missing 10-20 based on accessories/instructions/tech specs) but there are definitely some in need of repair. I guess I haven't repaired some as I didn't want to break the only copy I had. Maybe I should contact TransformerLand to see if they can send a random box of bots that they wouldn't sell otherwise for parts! I think G1 Prowl and G1 Devastator are the ones in need of repair the most..
I, too, am at an impasse of what to sell and what to keep. It's not fun, and seems to be quite frustrating actually. I just want the figures to get enjoyed by someone else if they are sitting at my house in storage.
I have a similar feeling to the restoration process, although it's mainly been adding 3rd Party upgrades, Reprolabels, or the minor paint customization to figures I almost parted ways with.
I still have a lot of my G1 figures (I'm fairly certain I'm only missing 10-20 based on accessories/instructions/tech specs) but there are definitely some in need of repair. I guess I haven't repaired some as I didn't want to break the only copy I had. Maybe I should contact TransformerLand to see if they can send a random box of bots that they wouldn't sell otherwise for parts! I think G1 Prowl and G1 Devastator are the ones in need of repair the most..
I, too, am at an impasse of what to sell and what to keep. It's not fun, and seems to be quite frustrating actually. I just want the figures to get enjoyed by someone else if they are sitting at my house in storage.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1908046)
Posted by Jason5billion on September 1st, 2017 @ 10:58pm CDT
Posted by Jason5billion on September 1st, 2017 @ 10:58pm CDT
Decepticon Octone gives me joy to play with and to have added to my collection, and it's strange that he doesn't have a landing gear because he's a large Transformer.
I wish I could get a response from Ryan instead of Burn and Ryan because they've added more rules than are covered on the rules thread. The rules only cover personal attacks/threats, adult(18+) material, discussion or promotion of illegal activities, and pseudo-modding; and there's nothing about spamming or trolling; and if anyone's guilty of the first rule, it's Rodimus Prime for threatening me with warnings and bans for starting my OWN random toy thread when it's Ryan's website, not his.
I did try to do a Google search for TTC Transformers to see if there were any females in series three or higher, but I couldn't find anything about series three of those, and it would give me joy to find out what's on the list of that series and the ones from the others, so I can go to another store to see what they have to collect.
You may think you're doing your job, Rodimus Prime; but is anyone paying you to read each and every little post and make up new rules to single people out who have mental disabilities? I doubt it very much.
I wish I could get a response from Ryan instead of Burn and Ryan because they've added more rules than are covered on the rules thread. The rules only cover personal attacks/threats, adult(18+) material, discussion or promotion of illegal activities, and pseudo-modding; and there's nothing about spamming or trolling; and if anyone's guilty of the first rule, it's Rodimus Prime for threatening me with warnings and bans for starting my OWN random toy thread when it's Ryan's website, not his.
I did try to do a Google search for TTC Transformers to see if there were any females in series three or higher, but I couldn't find anything about series three of those, and it would give me joy to find out what's on the list of that series and the ones from the others, so I can go to another store to see what they have to collect.
You may think you're doing your job, Rodimus Prime; but is anyone paying you to read each and every little post and make up new rules to single people out who have mental disabilities? I doubt it very much.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1908053)
Posted by shajaki on September 1st, 2017 @ 11:07pm CDT
Posted by shajaki on September 1st, 2017 @ 11:07pm CDT
Hittin 'em where he lives? Ballsy.
Nice copy paste job by the way.
Nice copy paste job by the way.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1908061)
Posted by Rodimus Prime on September 1st, 2017 @ 11:31pm CDT
Posted by Rodimus Prime on September 1st, 2017 @ 11:31pm CDT
I won't allow you to degenerate another thread into your personal blog. Check your PM.Jason5billion wrote:Decepticon Octone gives me joy to play with and to have added to my collection, and it's strange that he doesn't have a landing gear because he's a large Transformer.
I wish I could get a response from Ryan instead of Burn and Ryan because they've added more rules than are covered on the rules thread. The rules only cover personal attacks/threats, adult(18+) material, discussion or promotion of illegal activities, and pseudo-modding; and there's nothing about spamming or trolling; and if anyone's guilty of the first rule, it's Rodimus Prime for threatening me with warnings and bans for starting my OWN random toy thread when it's Ryan's website, not his.
I did try to do a Google search for TTC Transformers to see if there were any females in series three or higher, but I couldn't find anything about series three of those, and it would give me joy to find out what's on the list of that series and the ones from the others, so I can go to another store to see what they have to collect.
You may think you're doing your job, Rodimus Prime; but is anyone paying you to read each and every little post and make up new rules to single people out who have mental disabilities? I doubt it very much.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1908072)
Posted by Jason5billion on September 2nd, 2017 @ 2:08am CDT
Here's how far I was able to get with you Decepticon Octone's truck mode, and I don't have a personal blog.
Posted by Jason5billion on September 2nd, 2017 @ 2:08am CDT
Here's how far I was able to get with you Decepticon Octone's truck mode, and I don't have a personal blog.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1908151)
Posted by Rodimus Prime on September 2nd, 2017 @ 10:37am CDT
Posted by Rodimus Prime on September 2nd, 2017 @ 10:37am CDT
I warned you.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1908168)
Posted by Jason5billion on September 2nd, 2017 @ 12:30pm CDT
Posted by Jason5billion on September 2nd, 2017 @ 12:30pm CDT
And I heeded your warning, okay?
When I was getting Decepticon Octone ready to have his picture taken, I found a weapon accessory and was trying to figure out how to put it on him. I then saw that the weapon accessories were already on Decepticon Octone and realized this was Megatron's weapon accessory that had fallen off. Has anyone else had that happen? Oh the joys of playing with these things. I'm planning to go to another store to see if I can find other Voyager class Transformers. I want Optimus Prime, so I can even up the number of leader Transformers; and I hope it's 11 steps per mode instead of 16 or more. I'm pretty sure Broadside doesn't have that many, which just leaves me with Sandstorm and Optimus Prime to hunt for.
It's strange that people use the word troll like it's a bad thing when there was a science fiction/horror movie called Trolls. If there are people here when liked that movie, they should think that trolls are cool sorta like needs are considered more cool lately.
When I was getting Decepticon Octone ready to have his picture taken, I found a weapon accessory and was trying to figure out how to put it on him. I then saw that the weapon accessories were already on Decepticon Octone and realized this was Megatron's weapon accessory that had fallen off. Has anyone else had that happen? Oh the joys of playing with these things. I'm planning to go to another store to see if I can find other Voyager class Transformers. I want Optimus Prime, so I can even up the number of leader Transformers; and I hope it's 11 steps per mode instead of 16 or more. I'm pretty sure Broadside doesn't have that many, which just leaves me with Sandstorm and Optimus Prime to hunt for.
It's strange that people use the word troll like it's a bad thing when there was a science fiction/horror movie called Trolls. If there are people here when liked that movie, they should think that trolls are cool sorta like needs are considered more cool lately.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1908169)
Posted by shajaki on September 2nd, 2017 @ 12:38pm CDT
Posted by shajaki on September 2nd, 2017 @ 12:38pm CDT
I'll get us back on track. I haven't weighed in on your article yet. TLDR, but I've been meaning to. It's just been a hella busy couple weeks 
I might be a rare case, as I collect pretty much everything. And when it comes to the domestic (Hasbro) I still find 90% of them physically hunting local stores. I hear you about ordering online, it's pretty much the least exciting thing ever. eBay is a bit more exciting, as in it's usually a stock of one and you're gettin "a deal".
As for the fix'er uppers, I've done very little of it myself. The G1 Prime I had as a kid has a new (G2 actually) piece in his chest so he's no longer broken. And my recent G1 Jetfire had some missing pieces I'm hunting down, and I recently bought some Repro's. But really, I'm just frustrated with myself that I didn't have a keener eye when I was shopping. In the end I'll probably end up spending the same amount that I would have if I'd just bought one of the pricier "110% complete!!" listings.
But what you describe as "going through the motions" with the modern lines is... kinda how 100% of my collecting goes. Every toy has it's day/week, but then it goes on display like everything else. I find I enjoy them almost as much. But then again, that's compared to my previous collection: comics. You buy them, read them, seal them up, and put them in a box. Its not fun. At least with toys, you can still at least see them on a daily basis, and that's good enough for me.
I might be a rare case, as I collect pretty much everything. And when it comes to the domestic (Hasbro) I still find 90% of them physically hunting local stores. I hear you about ordering online, it's pretty much the least exciting thing ever. eBay is a bit more exciting, as in it's usually a stock of one and you're gettin "a deal".
As for the fix'er uppers, I've done very little of it myself. The G1 Prime I had as a kid has a new (G2 actually) piece in his chest so he's no longer broken. And my recent G1 Jetfire had some missing pieces I'm hunting down, and I recently bought some Repro's. But really, I'm just frustrated with myself that I didn't have a keener eye when I was shopping. In the end I'll probably end up spending the same amount that I would have if I'd just bought one of the pricier "110% complete!!" listings.
But what you describe as "going through the motions" with the modern lines is... kinda how 100% of my collecting goes. Every toy has it's day/week, but then it goes on display like everything else. I find I enjoy them almost as much. But then again, that's compared to my previous collection: comics. You buy them, read them, seal them up, and put them in a box. Its not fun. At least with toys, you can still at least see them on a daily basis, and that's good enough for me.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1908217)
Posted by ArmadaPrime on September 2nd, 2017 @ 5:04pm CDT
I think you've hit the nail on the head here, actually. Ebay recaptures that "thrill of the hunt" in a way that can hurt you right in the wallet
There was a little twitter thread the other day about favourite 2017 pickups. Naturally it was full of Masterpieces, 3PMPs, Trypticons, and more, but I realised that what's gotten me the most excited out of my purchases this year was a classics Nemesis Prime I nabbed off ebay in the spring. Never experienced the mold before and it holds up surprisingly well, but more than that it was totally unplanned. I'd never even considered getting one, but I happened to see it there (for less than retail, on an old and semi-exclusive bot!) and thought "ooh, why not?". Doesn't really 'fit' anywhere in my collection nor do I have a 'need' for it, but it's Just Pretty Cool and sometimes that's enough imo.
This is interesting though. I'm often much the same: get something, enjoy it, shelve it or box it when something else comes along. Recently though due both to being low on cash and to feeling kinda bad about storing so much away and ignoring it, I've taken to grabbing a random figure out and having it be my 'deskbot' for a while. Definitely recommend it to anyone, it's great to rediscover how much fun some figures that have sat in storage for ages can be!
Posted by ArmadaPrime on September 2nd, 2017 @ 5:04pm CDT
shajaki wrote:I hear you about ordering online, it's pretty much the least exciting thing ever. eBay is a bit more exciting, as in it's usually a stock of one and you're gettin "a deal".
I think you've hit the nail on the head here, actually. Ebay recaptures that "thrill of the hunt" in a way that can hurt you right in the wallet
There was a little twitter thread the other day about favourite 2017 pickups. Naturally it was full of Masterpieces, 3PMPs, Trypticons, and more, but I realised that what's gotten me the most excited out of my purchases this year was a classics Nemesis Prime I nabbed off ebay in the spring. Never experienced the mold before and it holds up surprisingly well, but more than that it was totally unplanned. I'd never even considered getting one, but I happened to see it there (for less than retail, on an old and semi-exclusive bot!) and thought "ooh, why not?". Doesn't really 'fit' anywhere in my collection nor do I have a 'need' for it, but it's Just Pretty Cool and sometimes that's enough imo.
shajaki wrote:But what you describe as "going through the motions" with the modern lines is... kinda how 100% of my collecting goes. Every toy has it's day/week, but then it goes on display like everything else. I find I enjoy them almost as much.
This is interesting though. I'm often much the same: get something, enjoy it, shelve it or box it when something else comes along. Recently though due both to being low on cash and to feeling kinda bad about storing so much away and ignoring it, I've taken to grabbing a random figure out and having it be my 'deskbot' for a while. Definitely recommend it to anyone, it's great to rediscover how much fun some figures that have sat in storage for ages can be!
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1908241)
Posted by shajaki on September 2nd, 2017 @ 7:25pm CDT
Posted by shajaki on September 2nd, 2017 @ 7:25pm CDT
There are a million figures on my hit list, but I mostly only buy stuff when the price is right. But then there's the random finds (like your Nemesis Prime) and because they're unexpected.... they tend to be more exciting? I dunno. Leader Movie Starscream and MPM1 Starscream ended up being my favorite figures of the year so far!ArmadaPrime wrote:I realised that what's gotten me the most excited out of my purchases this year was a classics Nemesis Prime I nabbed off ebay in the spring. Never experienced the mold before and it holds up surprisingly well, but more than that it was totally unplanned. I'd never even considered getting one, but I happened to see it there (for less than retail, on an old and semi-exclusive bot!) and thought "ooh, why not?".
Haha... I didn't mean to imply that my toys are never touched again after shelved. In our "whats on your desk" thread I want to share all the time, but my... desk... isn't desk. It's actually a couch, my computer sits at the end, and it pretty much is my desk. Point is, I'm pretty much surrounded by toys at all times. The new stuff is always within reach and I'm always grabbing something to transform back and forthArmadaPrime wrote:This is interesting though. I'm often much the same: get something, enjoy it, shelve it or box it when something else comes along. Recently though due both to being low on cash and to feeling kinda bad about storing so much away and ignoring it, I've taken to grabbing a random figure out and having it be my 'deskbot' for a while.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1908246)
Posted by fenrir72 on September 2nd, 2017 @ 8:05pm CDT
Posted by fenrir72 on September 2nd, 2017 @ 8:05pm CDT
Slow day thread. I'll bite! G1 still TOPS the best satisfaction HUNTING hands down at ebay! The most dangerous too to get easily BURNED by fakes!
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1908260)
Posted by galvatron00 on September 2nd, 2017 @ 8:52pm CDT
Posted by galvatron00 on September 2nd, 2017 @ 8:52pm CDT
As my local hunting send to always leave me wanting, eBay has been my friend since I first signed up in the late '90s. You get the hunt, and then the thrill of a last second bid to win or lose. Oh man I love some eBay.
Thanks for mentioning that Shaj.
Looking at my jumbled display right now, I see things I want to part with but I also see things that make me want to complete something. Maybe I need to do this more often to rediscover the joy!
I also pulled out some of my SWVC figures..I definitely have some good ones there that ALMOST triggered some purchasing today!! Dang it joy of collecting thread!!
Thanks for mentioning that Shaj.
Looking at my jumbled display right now, I see things I want to part with but I also see things that make me want to complete something. Maybe I need to do this more often to rediscover the joy!
I also pulled out some of my SWVC figures..I definitely have some good ones there that ALMOST triggered some purchasing today!! Dang it joy of collecting thread!!
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1908277)
Posted by Ironhidensh on September 2nd, 2017 @ 10:13pm CDT
Posted by Ironhidensh on September 2nd, 2017 @ 10:13pm CDT
This thread makes me a bit sad.
I've rediscovered collecting twice now, I wonder if there will be a third time?
The first time was waaaaay back in '97 or '98, when I was a stupid teenager (sorry to the younger fans, but ALL teenagers are stupid, you'll find this out when you are older ) working part time at Meijer. Star Wars toys were in the midst if the massive revival that was Power of the Force and the beginning of the EU novels, and I spent a lot of time digging through that section in the toy department. On day, I was just wandering the asleep, and noticed the Beast Wars section had something new: Transmetals.
Now, I had a vague awareness of Beast Wars, but as I thought transformer animals were ridiculous at the time, I ignored it. The Transmetals line, however, caught my eye. Maybe it was just that Shiney metallic paint, but I got real interested in a hurry. I bought a couple, discovered in loved them, and fell back in love with all things transformers. I started visiting flee markets and trade shows, and slowly started to build a G1 collection. A few years later, after discovering eBay, and the beginnings of online shopping, as well as RiD 2001 coming out, and I was a full blown collector. It was great, the hunt for the commemorative reissues, finding the new figures at retail, alternators and the start of Masterpiece and Chug. Such a great time.
Then the 1st movie happened.
While I enjoyed it, and some of the toys that came with it, it was a time of change for the Fandom, and on these boards in particular. A lot of change and drama went on, and I got burned out. I stepped back from most of the online scene and dramatically scaled back my collecting. I also started selling things on ebay, and my massive collection began shrinking piece by piece.
About 3 years ago, I started getting back into chatting online. Masterpiece was going strong. I was really digging the generations updates, and the 3rd party scene became a major player. I was havin TN fun discussions here, and it was all good again. My collection was really growing, and I enjoyed trying to be on of the first to get a new figure off of a pre-order ship.
Earlier this year, late last year, my wife's job went Topsy turvy, and our families income was cut by about 65% (I do well, but she as a nurse is the bread winner). In a bit of a panic, I started selling off my collection on a furious rate, just to make sure we had cash on hand if needed. She quickly found a new job, and all was well, so I immediately began re acquiring the figures I sold. Didn't think twice about it.
Over the last couple months, we both got nice promotions at work. We sat down and took a good look at our finances to a just for the new income/plan for the kids future and out retirement.
Now before I go further, let me add something. Many in this thread have commented on "the thrill of the hunt". That no longer is possible for me, really. Northern Indiana has become a bit of a no man's land for new figures the last couple years. Ever since AoE as a matter of fact. Every store in my area took a massive burn on those figures. Since then, they dramatically scaled back on the ordering of Transformers. Usually the first wave of a new line is stocked very well, but after that? Wave 3 of TR showed up last holiday season, and it is still on the pegs. One store got wave 4, but that is all I've seen. Mass amounts of TLK wave one is still on pegs, and I know of 2 Walmarts that have sent subsequent shipments of Transformers back to warehouse. I pretty much have to reorder online and that kills the fun. Back to my story...
For the first time in my adult life, I've taken a good hard look at how much money I spent on toys, and my friends, at the end of the day, no matter how much we love them, that is what they are: toys. It's a bit appalling. I'm almost 40 years old. I'm married, we have a house, a dog, 401ks and other savings plans, 2 college savings plans, 2 car payments, and above all else, 2 wonderful little boys who bring me more joy and happiness than I new was capable of existing in this world. This isn't a woe is me tale. My family does well, we are very blessed. For the first time, however, it strikes me that there are so many better things to do with my money and time. I look at my collection now, and all I feel is regret. The last few figures I've bought have already been turned over to my sons, as I felt zero joy from them. Even when I go into the "Robot Room" and look at my MPS, I'm not feeling anything like I used to. Regret more than anything.
I dunno, maybe it's just a slump, and I'll snap out of it like before. TLK is a horrible line, and doesn't inspire any joy, but still..... this time feels different. I really hate to use this phrase as I'm sure it may hurt some feelings of those reading, but, I really think I might finally have grown out of collecting. I just don't know how else to put it. Transformers gave me many a happy year. When I was a younger man, having darker years, there is even a good argument that they may have helped save my life.
Time and people, however, change. I guess only time will really tell.
I've rediscovered collecting twice now, I wonder if there will be a third time?
The first time was waaaaay back in '97 or '98, when I was a stupid teenager (sorry to the younger fans, but ALL teenagers are stupid, you'll find this out when you are older
) working part time at Meijer. Star Wars toys were in the midst if the massive revival that was Power of the Force and the beginning of the EU novels, and I spent a lot of time digging through that section in the toy department. On day, I was just wandering the asleep, and noticed the Beast Wars section had something new: Transmetals.Now, I had a vague awareness of Beast Wars, but as I thought transformer animals were ridiculous at the time, I ignored it. The Transmetals line, however, caught my eye. Maybe it was just that Shiney metallic paint, but I got real interested in a hurry. I bought a couple, discovered in loved them, and fell back in love with all things transformers. I started visiting flee markets and trade shows, and slowly started to build a G1 collection. A few years later, after discovering eBay, and the beginnings of online shopping, as well as RiD 2001 coming out, and I was a full blown collector. It was great, the hunt for the commemorative reissues, finding the new figures at retail, alternators and the start of Masterpiece and Chug. Such a great time.
Then the 1st movie happened.
While I enjoyed it, and some of the toys that came with it, it was a time of change for the Fandom, and on these boards in particular. A lot of change and drama went on, and I got burned out. I stepped back from most of the online scene and dramatically scaled back my collecting. I also started selling things on ebay, and my massive collection began shrinking piece by piece.
About 3 years ago, I started getting back into chatting online. Masterpiece was going strong. I was really digging the generations updates, and the 3rd party scene became a major player. I was havin TN fun discussions here, and it was all good again. My collection was really growing, and I enjoyed trying to be on of the first to get a new figure off of a pre-order ship.
Earlier this year, late last year, my wife's job went Topsy turvy, and our families income was cut by about 65% (I do well, but she as a nurse is the bread winner). In a bit of a panic, I started selling off my collection on a furious rate, just to make sure we had cash on hand if needed. She quickly found a new job, and all was well, so I immediately began re acquiring the figures I sold. Didn't think twice about it.
Over the last couple months, we both got nice promotions at work. We sat down and took a good look at our finances to a just for the new income/plan for the kids future and out retirement.
Now before I go further, let me add something. Many in this thread have commented on "the thrill of the hunt". That no longer is possible for me, really. Northern Indiana has become a bit of a no man's land for new figures the last couple years. Ever since AoE as a matter of fact. Every store in my area took a massive burn on those figures. Since then, they dramatically scaled back on the ordering of Transformers. Usually the first wave of a new line is stocked very well, but after that? Wave 3 of TR showed up last holiday season, and it is still on the pegs. One store got wave 4, but that is all I've seen. Mass amounts of TLK wave one is still on pegs, and I know of 2 Walmarts that have sent subsequent shipments of Transformers back to warehouse. I pretty much have to reorder online and that kills the fun. Back to my story...
For the first time in my adult life, I've taken a good hard look at how much money I spent on toys, and my friends, at the end of the day, no matter how much we love them, that is what they are: toys. It's a bit appalling. I'm almost 40 years old. I'm married, we have a house, a dog, 401ks and other savings plans, 2 college savings plans, 2 car payments, and above all else, 2 wonderful little boys who bring me more joy and happiness than I new was capable of existing in this world. This isn't a woe is me tale. My family does well, we are very blessed. For the first time, however, it strikes me that there are so many better things to do with my money and time. I look at my collection now, and all I feel is regret. The last few figures I've bought have already been turned over to my sons, as I felt zero joy from them. Even when I go into the "Robot Room" and look at my MPS, I'm not feeling anything like I used to. Regret more than anything.
I dunno, maybe it's just a slump, and I'll snap out of it like before. TLK is a horrible line, and doesn't inspire any joy, but still..... this time feels different. I really hate to use this phrase as I'm sure it may hurt some feelings of those reading, but, I really think I might finally have grown out of collecting. I just don't know how else to put it. Transformers gave me many a happy year. When I was a younger man, having darker years, there is even a good argument that they may have helped save my life.
Time and people, however, change. I guess only time will really tell.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1908288)
Posted by Jason5billion on September 2nd, 2017 @ 10:41pm CDT
eBay is okay if you don't mind the hassle of opening a PayPal account and paying a lot for older Transformers; but if you get lucky like I did, it's possible to find a figure that old at comic book stores without messing with eBay. Even though Topspin has issues when it comes to changing him into his alt mode, he's quite a joy to have; and I found out that if you push the little black thing down on his chest, you can do it with ease. Now when it comes to TR Voyager class Transformers, those are fun to collect; but I wish Hasbro would've included instructions for getting those things by where the head goes to pop back up when turning them into robots. It took a bit, but I managed to figure out how to do it with Megatron and Decepticon Octone. With Decepticon Octone, if you push that little black thing with yellow stripes that's on the midsection, it works. With Megatron, you have to push that red peg or whatever you call it down to make them go up.
I made an offer to someone for a chance to earn my entire collection of Transformers, but the person got upset for some reason. I do like the collection a lot, so I'm pretty sure the chances of anyone being able to pull it off don't exist.
Posted by Jason5billion on September 2nd, 2017 @ 10:41pm CDT
fenrir72 wrote:Slow day thread. I'll bite! G1 still TOPS the best satisfaction HUNTING hands down at ebay! The most dangerous too to get easily BURNED by fakes!
eBay is okay if you don't mind the hassle of opening a PayPal account and paying a lot for older Transformers; but if you get lucky like I did, it's possible to find a figure that old at comic book stores without messing with eBay. Even though Topspin has issues when it comes to changing him into his alt mode, he's quite a joy to have; and I found out that if you push the little black thing down on his chest, you can do it with ease. Now when it comes to TR Voyager class Transformers, those are fun to collect; but I wish Hasbro would've included instructions for getting those things by where the head goes to pop back up when turning them into robots. It took a bit, but I managed to figure out how to do it with Megatron and Decepticon Octone. With Decepticon Octone, if you push that little black thing with yellow stripes that's on the midsection, it works. With Megatron, you have to push that red peg or whatever you call it down to make them go up.
I made an offer to someone for a chance to earn my entire collection of Transformers, but the person got upset for some reason. I do like the collection a lot, so I'm pretty sure the chances of anyone being able to pull it off don't exist.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1908361)
Posted by Jason5billion on September 3rd, 2017 @ 12:25pm CDT
Posted by Jason5billion on September 3rd, 2017 @ 12:25pm CDT
Here's a little chant about Transformers that I made up. It sorta dates back to grade school when dudes in my class would chant about cabbages (presumably cooked as opposed to coleslaw) being tasty. Transformers Transformers extremely fun Transformers Transformer give me some.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1908372)
Posted by Cobotron on September 3rd, 2017 @ 2:13pm CDT
If you have something to add on the topic of "Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting", GREAT! Chime in on that topic. If not find a topic that best suits what it is you want to say. You have already received a warning in this thread. By my reckoning you have already amassed two warnings. A third will grant you a suspension, a policy of which I'm sure you are aware.
If you would like to not receive another warning, please, stay on topic.
Responding to this post will be considered off topic.
Now, on with the joys of rediscovery!
Posted by Cobotron on September 3rd, 2017 @ 2:13pm CDT
Jason5billion wrote:Here's a little chant about Transformers that I made up. It sorta dates back to grade school when dudes in my class would chant about cabbages (presumably cooked as opposed to coleslaw) being tasty. Transformers Transformers extremely fun Transformers Transformer give me some.
If you have something to add on the topic of "Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting", GREAT! Chime in on that topic. If not find a topic that best suits what it is you want to say. You have already received a warning in this thread. By my reckoning you have already amassed two warnings. A third will grant you a suspension, a policy of which I'm sure you are aware.
If you would like to not receive another warning, please, stay on topic.
Responding to this post will be considered off topic.
Now, on with the joys of rediscovery!
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1908378)
Posted by shajaki on September 3rd, 2017 @ 2:38pm CDT
I have been burned in the past by careless sellers, and it seems that almost every time I give them the benefit of the doubt I get screwed. Usually what happens is they package half assed and I get a damaged item. So I try to be proactive, message them (politely!) just to confirm packaging practices and even say I'll pay more for additional packaging if I feel its necessary. And seriously, I'm met with hostility like 60% of the time. I start by saying its nothing personal and I'm just being proactive, but then they react like I'm attacking their professionalism. And really, if they simply stated in the auction their packaging practices then there'd be no issues. Hell, I do when I sell things. It's extremely frustrating.
Posted by shajaki on September 3rd, 2017 @ 2:38pm CDT
I get the feels from eBay purchases sometimes. But even the best eBay find doesn't compare to finding something great in person. Example, my uncirculated MP-23 Exhaust coin was about as an exciting of a find as my TR Overlord. Why? Overlord was in person, and SUPER new. While the coin was rarer than rare, all I got for 2-3 weeks was a picture and a receipt. Not only that, it comes with a sense of dread....fenrir72 wrote:Slow day thread. I'll bite! G1 still TOPS the best satisfaction HUNTING hands down at ebay! The most dangerous too to get easily BURNED by fakes!
I have been burned in the past by careless sellers, and it seems that almost every time I give them the benefit of the doubt I get screwed. Usually what happens is they package half assed and I get a damaged item. So I try to be proactive, message them (politely!) just to confirm packaging practices and even say I'll pay more for additional packaging if I feel its necessary. And seriously, I'm met with hostility like 60% of the time. I start by saying its nothing personal and I'm just being proactive, but then they react like I'm attacking their professionalism. And really, if they simply stated in the auction their packaging practices then there'd be no issues. Hell, I do when I sell things. It's extremely frustrating.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1908385)
Posted by Burn on September 3rd, 2017 @ 2:57pm CDT
Won't argue with this. Sadly though, such opportunities seem to be rare around my way.
I still hold out hope though that one day I'll turn up at a garage sale one Saturday morning and find a bunch of G1 figures.
(The best I've done is a movie 1 Optimus Prime and a bunch of Lego)
Posted by Burn on September 3rd, 2017 @ 2:57pm CDT
shajaki wrote:But even the best eBay find doesn't compare to finding something great in person.
Won't argue with this. Sadly though, such opportunities seem to be rare around my way.
I still hold out hope though that one day I'll turn up at a garage sale one Saturday morning and find a bunch of G1 figures.
(The best I've done is a movie 1 Optimus Prime and a bunch of Lego)
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1908394)
Posted by shajaki on September 3rd, 2017 @ 3:27pm CDT
I'm not one for garage sale'ing (I would, but I'm not getting up that early on a Saturday). My city is pretty decent for conventions though. There's the Pop Culture Fair (2-3 times a year), Edmonton Expo (twice a year?), and a third one I don't remember the name of that's also 2-3 times a year. Obviously they're not TF specific, but there's always TF vendors and these fairs/shows/expos are only getting stronger. I've gotten some great stuff over the years. It brings the hunt back to life, and you'll find things you never expected.
Also I can't stress enough how great it is to connect to local resources. There's an Edmonton TF Facebook group and its also netted me some amazing things. We've also started to congregate and make our own "Botcon" as you will. It's small, but fun. Everyone is dedicated so I have high hopes for the future.
Posted by shajaki on September 3rd, 2017 @ 3:27pm CDT
What kind of shows or conventions do you have in your area Burn?Burn wrote:Won't argue with this. Sadly though, such opportunities seem to be rare around my way.shajaki wrote:But even the best eBay find doesn't compare to finding something great in person.
I still hold out hope though that one day I'll turn up at a garage sale one Saturday morning and find a bunch of G1 figures.
(The best I've done is a movie 1 Optimus Prime and a bunch of Lego)
I'm not one for garage sale'ing (I would, but I'm not getting up that early on a Saturday). My city is pretty decent for conventions though. There's the Pop Culture Fair (2-3 times a year), Edmonton Expo (twice a year?), and a third one I don't remember the name of that's also 2-3 times a year. Obviously they're not TF specific, but there's always TF vendors and these fairs/shows/expos are only getting stronger. I've gotten some great stuff over the years. It brings the hunt back to life, and you'll find things you never expected.
Also I can't stress enough how great it is to connect to local resources. There's an Edmonton TF Facebook group and its also netted me some amazing things. We've also started to congregate and make our own "Botcon" as you will. It's small, but fun. Everyone is dedicated so I have high hopes for the future.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1908397)
Posted by Burn on September 3rd, 2017 @ 3:37pm CDT
None. The closest annual convention is an eight hour drive away.
There's regular meet ups around the country, but they normally only take place in capital cities, which the closest being a two hour plane flight away.
I did put the word out on the Australian forums/FB groups, for anyone around my way but got zero response.
As for stores ... there's a comic book shop an hours drive from here but he only does new stuff.
Posted by Burn on September 3rd, 2017 @ 3:37pm CDT
shajaki wrote:What kind of shows or conventions do you have in your area Burn?
None. The closest annual convention is an eight hour drive away.
There's regular meet ups around the country, but they normally only take place in capital cities, which the closest being a two hour plane flight away.
I did put the word out on the Australian forums/FB groups, for anyone around my way but got zero response.
As for stores ... there's a comic book shop an hours drive from here but he only does new stuff.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1908405)
Posted by shajaki on September 3rd, 2017 @ 3:54pm CDT
Posted by shajaki on September 3rd, 2017 @ 3:54pm CDT
Dang. How big of a city do you live in? Perhaps I'm fortunate, I'm in the capital of my province. Although the city next to us (couple hour drive) is actually much larger and has bigger/better Expo's, and I assume more frequent. It's kind of a Springfield/Shelbyville scenario actuallyBurn wrote:None. The closest annual convention is an eight hour drive away.shajaki wrote:What kind of shows or conventions do you have in your area Burn?
There's regular meet ups around the country, but they normally only take place in capital cities, which the closest being a two hour plane flight away.
I did put the word out on the Australian forums/FB groups, for anyone around my way but got zero response.
As for stores ... there's a comic book shop an hours drive from here but he only does new stuff.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1908417)
Posted by Burn on September 3rd, 2017 @ 4:57pm CDT
Posted by Burn on September 3rd, 2017 @ 4:57pm CDT
There's only a few thousand of us here. The nearest city (1 hr drive) probably has around 100K... I think.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1908419)
Posted by ExciKaiser on September 3rd, 2017 @ 5:08pm CDT
To be honest, as an occasional ebay seller, if you contact me to teach me my role, you'll probably get the same hostility.
Posted by ExciKaiser on September 3rd, 2017 @ 5:08pm CDT
shajaki wrote:. And seriously, I'm met with hostility like 60% of the time. I start by saying its nothing personal and I'm just being proactive, but then they react like I'm attacking their professionalism. And really, if they simply stated in the auction their packaging practices then there'd be no issues.
To be honest, as an occasional ebay seller, if you contact me to teach me my role, you'll probably get the same hostility.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1908421)
Posted by shajaki on September 3rd, 2017 @ 5:20pm CDT
Posted by shajaki on September 3rd, 2017 @ 5:20pm CDT
As a buyer, it's about my comfort level. As I said, its not without reason and I don't approach with rudeness. If you wanna talk professionalism, you should be able to answer a simple question to put a potential buyer at ease. Otherwise you shouldn't be selling things.ExciKaiser wrote:shajaki wrote:. And seriously, I'm met with hostility like 60% of the time. I start by saying its nothing personal and I'm just being proactive, but then they react like I'm attacking their professionalism. And really, if they simply stated in the auction their packaging practices then there'd be no issues.
To be honest, as an occasional ebay seller, if you contact me to teach me my role, you'll probably get the same hostility.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1908423)
Posted by ExciKaiser on September 3rd, 2017 @ 5:35pm CDT
Posted by ExciKaiser on September 3rd, 2017 @ 5:35pm CDT
If you contact a seller by asking him to package correctly, it means you assume he don't package correctly by default.
Apparently you don't seem to realize it, but it's extremely insulting. Wathever way you present it. Not even mentionning things like "don't take it personally". There's absolutely no way to present this kind of request in a not insulting way.
I can understand you laybe had one or two issue in the past, but really, don't do thing kind of things, you only worsen the relation between buyers and sellers.
Apparently you don't seem to realize it, but it's extremely insulting. Wathever way you present it. Not even mentionning things like "don't take it personally". There's absolutely no way to present this kind of request in a not insulting way.
I can understand you laybe had one or two issue in the past, but really, don't do thing kind of things, you only worsen the relation between buyers and sellers.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1908424)
Posted by Ironhidensh on September 3rd, 2017 @ 5:38pm CDT
No.
I've sold a lot on ebay as well, and have been contacted many times with packaging requests. It is in no way insulting. It's the buyers item. Own, and they have every right to make requests. If you find that insulting, eBay is perhaps not the place for you.
Posted by Ironhidensh on September 3rd, 2017 @ 5:38pm CDT
ExciKaiser wrote:If you contact a seller by asking him to package correctly, it means you assume he don't package correctly by default.
Apparently you don't seem to realize it, but it's extremely insulting. Wathever way you present it. Not even mentionning things like "don't take it personally". There's absolutely no way to present this kind of request in a not insulting way.
I can understand you laybe had one or two issue in the past, but really, don't do thing kind of things, you only worsen the relation between buyers and sellers.
No.
I've sold a lot on ebay as well, and have been contacted many times with packaging requests. It is in no way insulting. It's the buyers item. Own, and they have every right to make requests. If you find that insulting, eBay is perhaps not the place for you.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1908428)
Posted by shajaki on September 3rd, 2017 @ 5:53pm CDT
But this is off topic now, so if you want to continue we'll do it elsewhere.
Posted by shajaki on September 3rd, 2017 @ 5:53pm CDT
That is not how I approach the situation. Because they don't detail their packaging practices, I simply ask how. If it's something very sensitive (and really, with TF's it usually isn't) I ask if they can provide more at MY expense obviously.ExciKaiser wrote:If you contact a seller by asking him to package correctly, it means you assume he don't package correctly by default.
That's your opinion. If they're confident in their abilities then they should have no issues answering a question, especially if it's not detailed in the auction.ExciKaiser wrote:Apparently you don't seem to realize it, but it's extremely insulting. Wathever way you present it. Not even mentionning things like "don't take it personally". There's absolutely no way to present this kind of request in a not insulting way.
One or two issues?? Why would you make an assumption like that, when you literally have no idea what my experiences have been like? I have been eBay'ing for years and have had countless issues due to simple carelessness. I'm not on there to waste my TIME or MONEY anymore.ExciKaiser wrote:I can understand you laybe had one or two issue in the past, but really, don't do thing kind of things, you only worsen the relation between buyers and sellers.
But this is off topic now, so if you want to continue we'll do it elsewhere.
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1912108)
Posted by lakebot on September 20th, 2017 @ 8:55pm CDT
Posted by lakebot on September 20th, 2017 @ 8:55pm CDT
Couple of notes:
BURN: I'd be happy to know what you plan on selling as I am looking to add a few thing which might help you out if you are selling.
Shajaki: Totally agree on your ideas on shipping. There are some sellers who are clueless as to how to ship properly and I'm not going to lie, the post office is less than delicate with items at times. You buy something and it comes ruined due to either toe PO or a seller not shipping safely, even you can get a refund by then you have lost time and money plus you're still out the item. Not fun!
As for the topic at hand, I really find myself agreeing with Ironhidensh. A lot. As a collector of many things in the past from toys, to comics, to sports cards and autographs, I can honestly say I have really grown away from the idea of "collecting" anything. I never thought in a million years I'd hear myself say those very words. And I have had some staggering collections. But I have been like many others here were and tried to be a completist no matter the collection. I had to have it all. I've worked and worked and worked on my collections. But the more I got the less I enjoyed it. The collecting wasn't even about the items themselves after a while, but more about just the act of acquiring and amassing.
I'm in my mid 30's and when I stop to think about what I've spent on collecting things, it truly is mind boggling. With that money(it adds up over time) I could have had a boat. A lot of vacations with the family. New cars. Whatever. More money in my pocket really.
And I think over the last few months, I have really started to think things differently. I want a collection I can enjoy. But something I don't have to add to unless I feel like it and the budget allows. Something that can be easily replaced if need be. And one that is lighter on the wallet. I got tired of thinking what would happen if a fire, tornado, hurricane, or break in occurred. And things I have worked years to acquire were gone in an instant. Finding out what a nightmare collectible insurance can be and also made that idea tougher to sit and stew over.
So I've basically whittled it down and now am only after very specific items and things that are not very costly. Tired of worrying about it. Collecting is supposed to be fun. Not a full time job!
BURN: I'd be happy to know what you plan on selling as I am looking to add a few thing which might help you out if you are selling.
Shajaki: Totally agree on your ideas on shipping. There are some sellers who are clueless as to how to ship properly and I'm not going to lie, the post office is less than delicate with items at times. You buy something and it comes ruined due to either toe PO or a seller not shipping safely, even you can get a refund by then you have lost time and money plus you're still out the item. Not fun!
As for the topic at hand, I really find myself agreeing with Ironhidensh. A lot. As a collector of many things in the past from toys, to comics, to sports cards and autographs, I can honestly say I have really grown away from the idea of "collecting" anything. I never thought in a million years I'd hear myself say those very words. And I have had some staggering collections. But I have been like many others here were and tried to be a completist no matter the collection. I had to have it all. I've worked and worked and worked on my collections. But the more I got the less I enjoyed it. The collecting wasn't even about the items themselves after a while, but more about just the act of acquiring and amassing.
I'm in my mid 30's and when I stop to think about what I've spent on collecting things, it truly is mind boggling. With that money(it adds up over time) I could have had a boat. A lot of vacations with the family. New cars. Whatever. More money in my pocket really.
And I think over the last few months, I have really started to think things differently. I want a collection I can enjoy. But something I don't have to add to unless I feel like it and the budget allows. Something that can be easily replaced if need be. And one that is lighter on the wallet. I got tired of thinking what would happen if a fire, tornado, hurricane, or break in occurred. And things I have worked years to acquire were gone in an instant. Finding out what a nightmare collectible insurance can be and also made that idea tougher to sit and stew over.
So I've basically whittled it down and now am only after very specific items and things that are not very costly. Tired of worrying about it. Collecting is supposed to be fun. Not a full time job!
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1912161)
Posted by galvatron00 on September 21st, 2017 @ 7:45am CDT
I agree with everything you wrote, INCLUDING the shared thoughts and concerns on eBay!
I just don't need the list from Burn on what he's selling
I guess I'm starting to look at it this way, I've got as much time left in collecting as the amount of time my child wants to play with toys. The great thing is I've already been able to share things and it's amazing to give some of the items new life. It sort of reminds me of Andy going to college in Toy Story 3 and passing his toys off to Bonnie.
But, if I pared things down to EXACTLY what I had in mind for a collection in the first place, I could basically be finished. Sure, they might not all be Has/Tak official, but I could have the Ark bots/cons and the new bots/cons from TF:TM and be happy and finished.
I guess one of the things I seem to do is get distracted by the "new shiny" and forget about what I already have. If I could REALLY focus in on things and part ways with the clutter in my collection and in my mind, I could probably rediscover the joy!
Posted by galvatron00 on September 21st, 2017 @ 7:45am CDT
lakebot wrote:*the truth in words snip*
I agree with everything you wrote, INCLUDING the shared thoughts and concerns on eBay!
I just don't need the list from Burn on what he's selling
I guess I'm starting to look at it this way, I've got as much time left in collecting as the amount of time my child wants to play with toys. The great thing is I've already been able to share things and it's amazing to give some of the items new life. It sort of reminds me of Andy going to college in Toy Story 3 and passing his toys off to Bonnie.
But, if I pared things down to EXACTLY what I had in mind for a collection in the first place, I could basically be finished. Sure, they might not all be Has/Tak official, but I could have the Ark bots/cons and the new bots/cons from TF:TM and be happy and finished.
I guess one of the things I seem to do is get distracted by the "new shiny" and forget about what I already have. If I could REALLY focus in on things and part ways with the clutter in my collection and in my mind, I could probably rediscover the joy!
Re: Rediscovering The Joy of Collecting (1912163)
Posted by galvatron00 on September 21st, 2017 @ 7:52am CDT
Posted by galvatron00 on September 21st, 2017 @ 7:52am CDT
Deskbot action has definitely re-lit the fire for some figures I would've parted ways with!! It's a double edged sword though, I'm happy that I like the figure again but mourn the loss of the extra funds that could be had by selling it!!ArmadaPrime wrote:This is interesting though. I'm often much the same: get something, enjoy it, shelve it or box it when something else comes along. Recently though due both to being low on cash and to feeling kinda bad about storing so much away and ignoring it, I've taken to grabbing a random figure out and having it be my 'deskbot' for a while. Definitely recommend it to anyone, it's great to rediscover how much fun some figures that have sat in storage for ages can be!
