How did you find your way to Ozformers?

[BruiseLee]

Was wondering how everyone came to these boards. The short answer would mostly be Google (or Yahoo for you rebels and Bing for the lazy Windows crowd) but what were you searching for? Was it a TF review, local TF news or something different?

I myself stumbled upon the boards when searching for info on KOs as there were some "bargains" on eBay that seemed off and OCTA were the only place discussing the seller in question. For those who remember, it was the Santa Hat dude.

http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?p=394301&highlight=Santa+hat#post394301

So for members new and old, how did you find your way here?

Edit: I didn't put an "other" option so I can't even answer my own poll... :o

[griffin]

Edit: I didn't put an "other" option so I can't even answer my own poll... :o

Fixed. :)

[Kazza]

I stumbled onto Ozformers while looking for toy shops in Victoria. My first post coincides with the date I first joined.

http://otca.com.au/boards/showpost.php?p=310842&postcount=20

[Bidoofdude]

I think I was looking for anywhere in Australia that had to do with Transformers. I didn't exactly have the most graceful start, so it's hard for me to remember.

[GoktimusPrime]

I joined OzFormers in 1997, back when it was called AusTrans. The site/forum didn't exist at the time, so I chose "Other." Back then it was emails and a newsletter which griffin physically printed and mailed out to members. Although I was living in Japan at the time, so I initially didn't subscribe to the newsletter. At the time we were all super excited about the new series that was reviving the Transformers franchise after its darkest period. An awesome thing called Beast Wars. Oorah! :D

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Japan/ikebukuro_makku.jpg
1997: Just purchased Rhinox vs Shadow Panther (inside that blue plastic bag) in Ikebukuro, Tokyo

[UltimateGalvatron]

All I did was look at Tfwiki, and my dad said 'join a forum at least'. At first I tried too join TFW2005, but then I couldn't because the site was down for some reason. So I joined here and was like 'oh wait! This ones for Australian people anyway!'.


True story bro. :cool:

[tinyJazz]

I think I was looking for anywhere in Australia that had to do with Transformers.

It was either this or Seibertron.com linking here to report some Australian-related TF news.

[CHILENO20]

Was looking for BotCon related news. One of the best things I've done :cool:

[BigTransformerTrev]

The short answer would mostly be Google

what were you searching for? local TF news


^This

[Paulbot]

Best option for me is "Someone told me about the site" in that I was directly contacted by Griffin after I started posting on Alt.Toys.Transformers

(Kids ask your parents what Usenet and Newsgroups were)

[MayzaPrime]

I selected other...

I joined because I wanted to show off my collection and meet other transformers fans, and I am glad that I did :D

[Zommael]

I found the site just before I moved to Australia and was looking for information on how to continue my hobby while I was over here. I think I joined a week or two after moving. I remember asking my then-girlfriend (now wife) "What's Target? Can we go to one?" after reading someone say they had new stock on this site!

[Handsprime]

From what I remember I knew if it's existence because Seraphim Prime was a member and I think he mentioned it to me once. Trying to get some of my other mates to join this forum :)

[AJ_Prime]

I think I stumbled across it when I was looking where to buy certain figures locally. The Google machine pointed me in the direction of OTCA, and I was very impressed with the amount of information and discussions on the boards.

After lurking for a few weeks I decided to join and contribute as you all seemed like a friendly bunch. :D

[Sinnertwin]

i just googled transformers australia, or something along those lines.
Sorry about that :o

[Megatran]

Another one of those google search engine stories....

Was looking up transformation of transgender re-alignment in Australia.

Glad I did. I mean ....Join Ozformers .... not transgender re-alignment (not that there's anything wrong with that).

[duxbellorum]

i just googled transformers australia, or something along those lines.
Sorry about that :o

^ This

[ampoldj]

I also found about this site before i moved here in Australia. I was not paying attention that you need not be in Australia to join :eek:

I went to Australia as tourist then fortunately all my assessments went well and became Permanent Resident. I left most of my TFs in my country so when I was able to settle here already I remebered OTCA and joined (since I found better bargains here than being ripped through ebay for 3 months :rolleyes:)

[loophole]

I remember back in the day there's a web page with links to all sorts of transformers related websites and at the bottom of it was links to transformer fan groups and this was one of them, about 10ish years ago now

[Bartrim]

I was on seibertron.com and starting asking which members were Australian as I was interested in meeting fellow transfans. Someone pointed me in this direction.

[CBratron]

Was also on Seibertron but knew there had to be a better sightings forum for Australians.

[Ploughmans Lunch]

A guy named Sean Berry complained he was "unfairly banned", but given his appalling, self-entitled behaviour, I thought it'd be worth checking out. it's quite nice here!

[Jaxius._]

link on TFW I think.

[Smint]

Masterpiece toys brought me back to my childhood I figured there would be a nice Aus community for TF and just did a search :)

[Bladestorm]

Other.

Someone mentioned it on TFW in the Aussie toy thread and as I consider Australia my true home despite currently living in HK I thought I would join both to get to know Aussie collectors and see a more local opinion as opposed tot eh craziness sometimes expressed by the US sites but also to see what is/isn't available in Oz so I know what to expect when we do eventually move back.

I actually find these forums a much more enjoyable experience as the information and knowledge here generally isn't edged with snarkiness and everyone I've met face to face has been really nice, knowledgeable and fascinating to learn stories from.

[Jaxius._]

I like it here because you don't get brutally murdered for voicing your opinion

[prjkt]

I think originally found the place while googling for figure reviews early on in my collecting when I was trying to figure out which older releases were worth picking up.

Never joined, just lurked here and a few other sites, and eventually when I decided to sign up on Seibertron I signed up here as well, and spend more time here, because as Jaxius._ mentioned it's more a community here than a soapbox like the other sites.

[davieanix]

So I joined in 2010 (I would have said waaaay earlier) but I had been lurking around here since the first movie came out. SgtMikeLarry and I would use the sightings page on here and TFW2005 to find where new figs were being sold :)

[philby]

I just checked my profile and my first post was asking about generations Metroplex. I think I stumbled upon the forum trying to find out the differences between the versions, or i might have searched for something like "australian transformers forum" to find some info.

[Jetfire in the sky]

Other
I am a former TAAU user.
I knew about Ozformers but at the time the two sites ran fairly well side by side. Due to my job I went "offline" for a bit and came back in 2010 to find TAAU pretty much dead, so I joined Ozformers.
While I have had some differing opinions in the past to how some things have been run on here I think it is a great forum and it has brought the Oz TF community together. I am definitely dedicated to this site :p Don't know if I will ever be deluxe though ;)
This is such an important place of info for anyone into Transformers fans from any era in Australia and those responsible for it's upkeep generally go unacknowledged when they truly deserve the thanks of so many collectors and fans out there. :)

[GoktimusPrime]

Not to diminish the good job of the entire board staff team, but I think it's safe to say that most of the work done in maintaining this community since 1996 has been from griffin. And remember that OzFormers is the longest running Transformers fan community in the world. That's a pretty awesome achievement. :) He has emotionally and financially invested a lot into this community on an ongoing basis for the past... holy crapola, is it really the 20th anniversary of OzFormers?!? :eek:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/avatars/spitdrink-1.gif

[simon_marklar]

I owned G1 Toys at launch, and saw the 1st Episode aired on FTA TV. As a child I loved Transformers but my life went in a different direction and I thought I was too "grown up" for Toys.

Recently I Fractured my arm and had to stay at home. I started watching Transformers Prime on Netflix and that rekindled the spark, then I found the Master Piece Line.

That double whammy took me back and after a few google searches I ended up here.

[Metallikato]

Good thread.
If I remember correctly, I remember seeing a link to Ozformers on a page called Dirge's Transformer Shrine (which I think was just a big list of links) around 1999-2000. I'm sure I looked at Ozformers via that page but I'd be lying if I said I could remember what the content was back then.
Then a couple years later I joined the TAAU forum after receiving email due to being a previous customer, although at the time I actually had no idea what a forum was and didn’t even look at it/log in until several months later I think.
Then later still I became aware of the Ozformers forum when the mini “war” happened between the two.
My collecting days dwindled between 2005-11 but (according to my registration date) was feeling nostalgic in early 2012, and since TAAU had unfortunately died by then but several familiar names were on here I finally bit the bullet and joined.

So I guess my answer is other.

[UltraMarginal]

When Alternators came out, it rekindled my interest in the brand, that and the reissues we had here. I stumbled on a Hotrod at TRU once for $25. I didn't even think twice, it was a purchase.

I mostly had gone to Seibertron and TFW for news and had seen this site (from Googling) but never having used a forum before and not really understanding this one, I lurked a bit but that was all. I didn't see much more than news that was being repeated from the other sites I already visited so didn't see the point in actually becoming a member.

I was later inspired by a mate from uni (SilverfromOz) to join up. This is the first forum I've ever been a member of, it took me a while to learn the ropes but I think I picked it up, and I'm glad I did. I had no idea about the non-global news sections. some of my favourite parts of the board are the creative sections, and the sections that don't necessarily deal specifically with transformers.

I think I could count on two hands the number of days in the last 5 years since I joined where I haven't logged on. I really enjoy being a part of this community.

[Kranix]

It took all my will not to click "Transformers? I thought this was Ozforex... ", that's GOLD :D

Very boring, I found this site after a simple google search. I have always looked from a distance on Transformers changes after Season 3 and 4 of the show when I thought I was too old for toys.

For some reason around 2009 I got the itch to revisit the toys and bought a Reissue Sideswipe on eBay. It all went downhill from there and I have a large collection of the original toys (some dug out of my parents roof from when I was a child, others are reissues) plus an ever growing MP collection. In 2010 I did a search looking for G1 reissues and it led me here. Been coming here ever since :)

Its a great site and a credit to griffin, well done sir!

[Hugi]

On the hunt for a G1 Optimus. Went to google and this place was one of the hits. I have come here over the years but never signed up.

[VERT]

Im another former TAAU user.

When TAAU died (to me it felt like it happened overnight. Never found out why or what happened to Stephen Jesson) I came here and found some of my old friends. Guess im here to stay now. :D

[millhouse]

Google. In my case, drunkenly, while waiting to meet friends for a punk band's gig. Was trying to track down a Hasbro Masterpiece Starscream (the original one).

Finally found one off another member of this board.

[UltimateGalvatron]

What is (was?) TAAU?

[Metallikato]

What is (was?) TAAU?

Theyareamongus.com

Started as a smallish online store then later became a news site/forum.

[Paulbot]

What is (was?) TAAU?


Theyareamongus.com

Started as a smallish online store then later became a news site/forum.

What happened to the people who were on that forum? Now they are among us.

:cool:

[TAAUBlaster]

Another former TAAU member here (in case my user name didn't give it away already :p)

I got out of collecting for a while and when I came back to it, TAAU had closed. It was a shame because I had made some good friends there back in the day.

I skulked around TFW2005 for a little while, but I missed being part of the Aussie community. So I searched out Ozformers and lurked for a while. Then finally signed up and haven't looked back. :)

[Frenzy]

I found Ozformers just by Googling "Transformers Forum" as there seems to be a forum for just about anything. Ozformers was around the top of the results.

[Bato]

i was looking for CW items online, ended up following a thread listing Oz resellers, and lo and behold, ended up registering to share my local sightings.

[Jaxius._]

Wow 20 years.... Shite congrats Ozformers

[BruiseLee]

Well in an anniversary of sorts for this thread thought I'd do a shameless bump for the new members. Just nice to see how you found your way this bastion of nerdiness.

[1AZRAEL1]

I can't honestly remember, was so long ago. Possibly because through a google search and discovered it around the same time as the convention

['07Camaro]

Back when various toy stores broke the street date for the AOE toyline, I needed to find out if it were possible for me to get something. Thanks to the Vic sightings, I managed to get all of the Wave 1 deluxes at Chadstone. When I got back on the website, I noticed that one of the members (I think it was Paulbot) posted about an "excited teenager" who walked away with one of each deluxe. I assumed it was about me, since I was pretty hyped to get those deluxes earlier than intended. It actually influenced me to join the community.

With that aside, I was busy over the years but it wasn't until now that I decided to join Ozformers, and I'm glad I did :)

[griffin]

I voted "other"... :p

[BruiseLee]

I voted "other"... :p

(Please explain) :p

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

Came for the Sightings, stayed for the rest of it.

Plus it's a pretty exceptional board/forum/community. Most forums seem to descend into cliques, regular s**tfights, and/or showcases for general awfulness, but OTCA usually manages to stay decent, respectful, and welcoming/accessible to new members. It's a hard balance to maintain -kudos as ever to Griff and the mods.:)

[dsaint]

Was contacted by Griffin way back in 1996 I think and received the old paper newsletter he distributed. He got my name from Belinda (does she still participant in TF fandom?), a Queenslander I knew from a Transformers MUSH I used to play in (I can't remember what MUSH even stands for anymore). MUSH's and MMUDS etc, were text based roleplaying platforms.

[GoktimusPrime]

Long time no see, dsaint! What did you think of the Wonder Woman movie? :D

[dsaint]

Hi Goktimus

The Wonder Woman movie was "ok". Audiences are so conditioned to take in so much crap these days, that when a movie is merely mediocre, they come off as champion pieces of film.

My main problem with the DC films is the length which is never properly utilised (almost 3 hours for BvsS!), ponderous scripts and bad writing.

Having said that, it was a step above DC' other output.

Really, really like Spider-Man Homecoming.

What do others think?

[liegeprime]

Someone told me about this site. It was dirge. It was when I attended the Toy convention back then.. 2006(?) at Wharf8 in the city. Found out about that one while I was looking at ebay for G1 toys to buy. Stumbled onto Griffin's listing of white Astrotrain which had info about it. Lucky I was on day off. I came to the venue so early, the organizers havent even finished setting up the display. So I went to the nearest doughnut shop to have brekie first then cane back first in line.. dirge was manning (or rather was forced to) the front accepting the entrance fee and giving the freebies (vhs copy of TF:The Movie - which is grainy as hahahah) . Bought a lot of TFs that day and went home happy. Dirge at one point there chatted me up and told me about the forum and I did so when I got home and went online.. I just chatted with everyone immediately. Didnt even then made an intro thread (prolly shouldve) ..lol

[Galvatran]

Punched into my SatNav. And ended up here.

[TaZZerath]

Punched into my SatNav. And ended up here.

:D:D:D

I've been 'lurking' here for years, especially when scouting for releases. Finally decided to join and glad I did. Lots of friendly people!