what do you love about transformers that makes you collect them

[Darksaber]

so I was just really interested to hear other peoples stories about why they collect transformers and what makes them so passionate about them.

I grew up dealing with health issues and saw Transformers as something that helped me get through an unconventional childhood of hospitals ,doctors and stuff and it has just stuck with me over the years because Transformers was the toy everyone had so I guess it helped me feel more like all the other kids when most of the time I was so different.

[octopunchshotfisrt]

I loved the fiction that accompanied the figures, and I always found my younger self going back to playing with Transformers when my other phases dwindled out. There's just this magic that cannot be explained when you know the characters, personality traits and weaknesses, and can use that for a dramatic self-produced story line.

[Paulbot]

I was 5 years old when TFs came out and once I became a fan I was diehard. Nothing else came close, and those that stood a chance were other transforming robots (Voltron, Machine Men).

I think the key thing that hooked me was the aspects of creativity and imagination. The toys are a puzzle but they were also characters in way toy cars or generic robots weren't, and that made them more 'alive' to me. I still call them he (or she) when I think I should be calling them "it".

As a kid I'd study the toy catalogues and work out in my mind how each toy transformed (some in later years I was right about and some I was wrong on). I'd draw Transformers, write stories about them, play with them, play as TFs at school lunchtime, and create my own characters by imagining how things could turn into robots.

And many years later I still do these things - well not much playing as TFs but very occasionally I'll might out a transformation sound when standing up.

The comics kept me going longer than some of my childhood friends, because they were stories I could revisit in a way I couldn't with the cartoon (and the UK comics were great!) and when the comics stopped I kept imagining the continuing stories. I still find the expanded TF fictional universe so diverse and interesting that even though I'm extremely well versed in it, I can't get enough of it.

And I still enjoy getting a new toy and seeing how it converts. And if it's a toy with vague characterisation I enjoy giving them characters (http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?p=407226) or doing a digibash or two.

tl;dr:

Transformers inspire creativity and my imagination and that's why I'm still a fan 30 years later :)

[kovert]

As a kid, I thought the G1 TV show was awesome. Having a representation of what was on screen in toy form was very cool. In the early 1990s I remember seeing huge quantities G1 Bumblebee, Seaspray, Beachcomber etc at the local shops in a 'bin' for $3.95 each. If only I had the foresight and the money at the time... :) The post-movie theme tune was very catchy, especially with it being set in the future.

As an adult, I prefer the pre-movie 1980s G1 era. I'm into TFs because of the nostalgia factor.

[Sky Shadow]

They transform. Most other toys you can just look at them and go - yep, that's pretty much it. Transformers have to be enjoyed in four dimensions.


the early 1990s I remember seeing huge quantities G1 Bumblebee, Seaspray, Beachcomber etc at the local shops in a 'bin' for $3.95 each. If only I had the foresight and the money at the time...

Those were Chinese reissues, but yes they have definitely multiplied in value. That said, I suspect there are better twenty-five-year investments than Minibots, so not worth kicking oneself over. :)

[Deonasis]

The characters - varied, powerful, yet all flawed

The puzzle - pick them up after years and work them out again. Some have the genius of elegant design.

The imagination - i look at released figures and dream of recolours or improvements and curse (imo) missteps and wasted opportunities. The epic battles and stories of childhood are now mostly 1 v 1 deady encounters.

The business - reading about the how and why things are done for toys and collectables is very interesting to me (though Fun Pub is just plain infuriate me :o)

The toys - at their best, the colours and shapes absolutely rock! When i see some collections and photography (thank T.B-L for the internet) i can be breathless.

The fiction - so many stories and interpretations of characters exist that i can use the cool moments to overshadow the lame ones. E.g. I love Wheelie because of The Story of Wheelie, the Wild Boy of Quintesson. Also have to mention the '86 TFTM is amazing :cool:

[Verno]

The characters. Beast Wars' small cast allowed me to form a close connection to all of them, as each was given time to shine on the screen. This in turn influenced the way I collected the toys, focusing on those characters I knew as friends.

[GoktimusPrime]

Great toys, great stories. What's not to love? ;)

[CHILENO20]

Good guys vs bad guys that turn into incredible machines

First saw on the original run when I was 2 and been hooked ever since. I still have memories of going to the toy store in Moonee Ponds and seeing Prowl & Sidswipe. As I got older thay also taught me valuable life lessons. They taught me that heroes die (cried all night first time I saw Optimus die) but that good can triumph over evil. That you should never give up and you should always fight for what you believe in.

As for the toys themselves, whats not to like?!?!?!!? I still collect them and on occasion I transform them. A very expensive but great hobby, my girlfriend laughs every time I buy a new one but she's thankful at least that I am not wasting my $$$ on stuff like drugs and booze.

The characters and stories takes us to other places that we could only wish to go too. How many times have we thougt "man, I wish I was that bot" or "I wish I could be having that adventure right now"

A great way to relax, hence why I still collect the toys and the comics. Well that's my reason :D

[liegeprime]

They transform into vehicles and gadgets, but mostly because it was influenced by the stories - cartoons and comics in particular.

The characterizations added more dimension to these 4d puzzle toys for me. Coz granted, gobots do the same thing - are cheaper, more realistic alt modes, yet I latched on to TFs more so it's more influenced/fueled by the fiction part, then with the emergence of new toy tech and a bit of nostalgia years on.... yeah I guess that's what makes it even more interesting and keeps me latched on and enjoy buying and keeping the toys.

[kovert]

Those were Chinese reissues, but yes they have definitely multiplied in value. That said, I suspect there are better twenty-five-year investments than Minibots, so not worth kicking oneself over. :)

Not necessarily as an investment. As a kid, getting the ones I didn't have (to actually play with) would have been pretty cool. No money :) I didn't realise they were Chinese reissues. The only one I ended up getting had Hasbro 1985 stamped on the toy with original G1 grid pattern, sunburst and was packed in robot mode. Were there non-Chinese ones? More info would be great.

[GoktimusPrime]

There were re-releases of early G1 toys in 1990 that were identical to their original releases -- toys, packaging etc. were all the same. They were basically a later production run and released in that year, but no actual physical differences were made. I bought a second Cyclonus in 1990 because the price had been slashed to $2 and I thought that my 1986 Cyclonus could have an "Armada" member (and also the stickers on my original had started to badly fade). There's absolutely no difference between the toys.

For that reason, I personally refer to these toys as "re-releases" to differentiate them from what people commonly think of as "re-issues" (i.e. toys that are deliberately made to be differentiated from the originals; e.g. Classic, TFC, Encore etc.). But admittedly this is just my own personal/subjective form of classification, technically either form can be referred to as a 're-issue.' :o

I've since traded off my 1990 Cyclonus and kept my 1986 one with the ultra-faded stickers (one of the shin stickers has completely fallen off :p).

[kovert]

There were re-releases of early G1 toys in 1990 that were identical to their original releases -- toys, packaging etc. were all the same.

Very interesting, thanks GoktimusPrime. Up until now, I thought these were leftover original stock. I remember seeing the G1 minibots, Cyclonus, Blaster, Soundwave and others in their original packaging. I still have some cutouts of the artwork from the back. This was around the time the 'Classic' gold packaging reissues were available in Australia. Then in 1993 they brought the colourful G2 stuff. :/

[Sinnertwin]

There are some sublte differences, Kovert, like copyright stamping on the figures & packaging
If you've got 5 minutes, look at highendtfs.com & click on the Chinese Reissue header

[kovert]

Thanks Sinnertwin. Will spend way more than 5 minutes on that site. :)