Buying for the sake of buying

[Paulbot]

I don't know maybe all the versions of A Christmas Carol in the last days have got to me, but I'm questioning my TF Collecting.

I have about 1000 TF toys (including non-Transforming action figures) now but I wonder do I really need that many?

Taking stock today I have all of these still MIB, most of them MISB. I keep buying more Transformers but if I'm not even bothering to open them then I need to stop and ask why.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3088/3137389304_9bb034a3f2.jpg?v=0
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3085/3137389308_962352d563.jpg?v=0

I used to be quite happy just buying a handful of toys from each line; the ones that interested me the most (design or character). I was first and foremost a fan of TF fiction not of TF toys.

But starting with the Movie Line I've just been buying all of them! This started because I assumed every toy from the Movie line was in the Movie (Swindle and Wreckage I'm looking at you..) and then when the Movie came out and the stock flew off the shelves it was a matter of buying them while I can and not stopping to think about it. This has continued with Universe and Animated and so now is the point I am thinking about it.

I have maybe at most 50 TFs that I can easily access, the rest are in numerous storage continers (or as above still in their boxes). If I don't have them on display, if I'm not playing with them... do I need them?

Some, particularly the 23-24 year old veterans are of huge sentimental value (and due to disrepair very little financial value). But many others aren't: Real Gear repaints that I opened transformed once and put into storage for instance. Would I miss them? I can't even name most of them!

My collection has expanded incredibly in the past two years and this forum has contributed to that, but am I really getting as much out of the toy collecting as I should or could be? Or am I doing it just for something to do, something to talk to the other TF fans about (since most are toy orientated)?

I've been a TF fan for nearly 25 years of my 30 years so it's not something I think I could ever give up. But you could only call me a "toy collector" for the past two, and maybe that I could stop. It does feel a little like an addiction and I'm someone who does get addicted to things easily if he doesn't watch out.

Obviously collectors come and go, the names on the members list today are very different to the names when Griffin first invited me into Ozformers. Does anyone else ever feel like this? That they are buying toys for the sake of buying and forgetting what and why it is that you kept buying toys long after you left the "target demographic"?

[TheDirtyDigger]

Does anyone else ever feel like this? That they are buying toys for the sake of buying and forgetting what and why it is that you kept buying toys long after you left the "target demographic"?

Yes. Absolutely.

[Zippo]

When I started collecting, I brought everything aside from exclusives and insanly hard to get items. I am glad I have gotten out of that trap and now I am a selective purchaser.

I still do collect entire lines, but only of the more adult focused lines or those that appeal - ie, Alts/BTs, Classics/Henkei, Reissues. Main lines like Armada, Energon, Cybertron, Movie and Animated are only purchased if I like the toy and want to open.

However there are still a few I purchase because they are cheap. For example I just opened Movie Premium Megatron. He was $50, and was a large Decepticon that I neeeded to fill a spot in the display case...

[roller]

Buying for the sake of buying, done that once in a major way.

With the R.I.D line, just bought them without any thought about the quality of the fiction or quality of the toys. Now ive wasted alot of cash on them and have no real love for them.

Right now im not buying many figures due to a mortage, bills and price o food rising, and im a big eater:)

[Trailer Park Ninja]

I'm not a huge collector when I compare my collection to the ones I've seen here and my purchases in the acquistions threads to other Ozformers.

More and more recently I've been reflecting on my TF collection and hobby and it may be a Xmas end-of-year thing or something deeper.

I ask myself on a constant basis; "How much is enough?" and this pertains not just to Transformers but in general to a lot of things in this increasingly materialistic status-driven society. Sometimes it feels I'm buying something for the sake of buying and the "hit" wears off pretty quickly.

I've experienced this with videogames and as my purchasing power has increased and there are more bargains due to retail competition, I've bought a lot of videogames. Some of these games have 40+ hours of gameplay and I'm just too time poor to play them through.
It really was a case of buying for the sake of buying as I would say that I'd find time to play them but never did.

Thus, I've stopped buying videogames and won't be buying any future gen consoles as my interests have changed. I have more than enough if I feel like having a gaming session.

I'm selective with buying transformers for the fact that I have limited space and wants. I'm only into G1 and have all the Hasbro Commemorative reissues, nearly all the Takara reissues and will aim to get most of the Encore series. These are all MISB and my Classics Universe collection are the only loose figures I've got.

[griffin]

This is why I refer to it as an addiction or habit. I buy them because they look nice and want to play with them, but then find I just don't end up with enough time to properly explore them all because there are just too many of them now.
I can relate to your predicament on getting more toys than you can keep up with opening them, as I find that I have various figures that have never been transformed - which should never happen. The moment a figure is bought and not 'played with', the point of me collecting it is lost. And if more figures were packaged in robot mode, there would be even more that would just go straight from packaging to display shelf...
I might like how impressive a room full of toys look, but I don't like having a bunch of recent acquisitions that I don't get time to properly play with/explore, which is happening far too frequently in the last year or so, thanks to all the product being released now.

[GoktimusPrime]

wow... it's never gotten so bad for me that I would end up with a big load of unopened TFs in storage! There are two things I personally cannot do:
1/ Leave a toy sealed (most of my sealed toys are doubles, so I have one open to play with)
2/ Put my toys in storage, I _have_ to display them all and have them all ready to be played with at any time!

It's the whole reason why I started displaying my toys in the first place as a kid. Unlike other toys which I would happily throw into boxes and rummage for them when I wanted them, Transformers was always a toyline that I liked so much that I needed to be able to access them at a moment's notice... and I've honestly been doing this since 1984 - but I consciously and purposely started displaying them (and divided by faction too) in 1985.

If I had to name one point of senseless addiction it would have to be buying Supreme Cheetor at full price, especially when I already had Mega Cheetor. (-_-)

[Golden Phoenix]

I usually one get the ones I like dues to my limited cash flow.
There have been only a few exceptions.
Like for example the Universe Special Editions. I like the look of the package as a whole, with the figure sealed inside. It looks really nice. Hence I aim to get them all and keep them MSIB, and if I really like the look of the figure I'll get a 2nd to play with. I have done that with Megatron.
Another example would be if it is cheaper to get an extra one since it is part of a wave or bundle or what ever.
Animated Jazz was an example of this. I only doubled up on him because it was only a little bit extra to get Wave 4 as a set of 4 instead of the 3 others (EG Bumblebee, Sentinal Prime and Swoop)
Otherwise I just can't justify it. I don't have enough money to buy things I don't like.

I always likened it to buying as many video games as you can and not playing most of them

[Fungal Infection]

I used to collect everything that came out for a particular line, repaints, mold changes, everything. Even if I hated the toy I'd get the repaint anyway because of the completist in me. Then one day I decided enough was enough, sold the majority of my collection (which included toys such as Scorponok, Trypticon, Star Saber, Brave Max, the entire Beast Wars line and more). I downsized my collection by about 75% and concentrated only on items I wanted. Now my collection consists only of the first 2 years of G1 toys, along with toys I actually like and even then I collect only the one mold from each line unless the repaint is significantly awesome enough to justify buying. Plus the fact that I have a mortgage to pay off and other toy lines to collect means I have to be more selective with what I buy. :D

[sideswipes brother]

I am VERY selective. I'm not a completist by any means. I am mainly G1 driven with a few Beast Wars thrown in. I do not and will not buy any of the toys after Beast Wars as i'm just not interested in them. The G1 reissues are the only things i pretty much buy and i now buy 2 of each. One for MISB and the other to be displayed. Even though i love G1 i didn't buy the TFC Astrotrain as his colours made him a stranger to me and Stepper as i had no affiliation to him growing up. As i said, Very selective.

[sideswipes brother]

I don't know maybe all the versions of A Christmas Carol in the last days have got to me, but I'm questioning my TF Collecting.

I have about 1000 TF toys (including non-Transforming action figures) now but I wonder do I really need that many?

Taking stock today I have all of these still MIB, most of them MISB. I keep buying more Transformers but if I'm not even bothering to open them then I need to stop and ask why.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3088/3137389304_9bb034a3f2.jpg?v=0
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3085/3137389308_962352d563.jpg?v=0

I used to be quite happy just buying a handful of toys from each line; the ones that interested me the most (design or character). I was first and foremost a fan of TF fiction not of TF toys.

But starting with the Movie Line I've just been buying all of them! This started because I assumed every toy from the Movie line was in the Movie (Swindle and Wreckage I'm looking at you..) and then when the Movie came out and the stock flew off the shelves it was a matter of buying them while I can and not stopping to think about it. This has continued with Universe and Animated and so now is the point I am thinking about it.

I have maybe at most 50 TFs that I can easily access, the rest are in numerous storage continers (or as above still in their boxes). If I don't have them on display, if I'm not playing with them... do I need them?

Some, particularly the 23-24 year old veterans are of huge sentimental value (and due to disrepair very little financial value). But many others aren't: Real Gear repaints that I opened transformed once and put into storage for instance. Would I miss them? I can't even name most of them!

My collection has expanded incredibly in the past two years and this forum has contributed to that, but am I really getting as much out of the toy collecting as I should or could be? Or am I doing it just for something to do, something to talk to the other TF fans about (since most are toy orientated)?

I've been a TF fan for nearly 25 years of my 30 years so it's not something I think I could ever give up. But you could only call me a "toy collector" for the past two, and maybe that I could stop. It does feel a little like an addiction and I'm someone who does get addicted to things easily if he doesn't watch out.

Obviously collectors come and go, the names on the members list today are very different to the names when Griffin first invited me into Ozformers. Does anyone else ever feel like this? That they are buying toys for the sake of buying and forgetting what and why it is that you kept buying toys long after you left the "target demographic"?

PS your Encore Skywarp and Thundercracker are packaged incorrectly. The OCD in me needs you to fix that asap.:o

[k.wong23]

I almost caved into that addiction for Universe 2.0 line but since getting S.E dragstrip I honestly can say I'm happy at where my collection stands now :)

I use to be hunting 24/7 on ebay, stores etc now it has died down a bit. I'm just waiting for the ones that interest me :)

But I am happy I came to collect even if it is minimal as I have met some good blokes and gals on this forum :D

[jimoinj]

I can really relate to all of this. I used to buy only G1 reissues, but then it expanded out into G1 likenesses as well. But since G1 likenesses and remakes have now come to flood the market that has become financially unsustainable. So now I'm looking to just keep the G1 toys that I can't do without, otherwise just want the classics line and most of the masterpieces. Financial constraints mean I'd feel too guilty to get straight repaints of masterpieces like thundercracker and Skywarp, even though they are very nicely done. I agree with the OP that once you get too many toys it becomes simply unmanageable and impractical and it's good to cut down. Fun though it is to just buy, as it ends up being, buying for the sake of buying. Not so fun for your wallet however.

[loophole]

I just try to buy the ones that i think look cool and sort of on scale with each other so they all fit together or the toys that are in the show/movie even then not all of them except for Animated because i absolutely love the toys. Also now that i have set myself some goals for the next year collecting wise im hoping that it will keep my spending and acquiring down instead of just buying toys all over the place and getting out of control.

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

I thought the same too Paulbot, I think I will need to take a rest when the movie comes out as I have been going nuts with the animated figs.

It was odd though, coz I ended up with more movie figs than I thought I would and most of them I think are quite ugly. I mean I still have leader megatron!:rolleyes:

Animated is the first line I have actually felt passionate about since G1, so I have decided to tone it down after Animated has finished.


Although I said I would retire form collceting when Energon finished, then I saw the Galaxy force figures, so I said "After GF I will stop." Then Classics, then Animated......:D

[kup]

I am very selective in what I get so unopened retail toys that I have no interest in are very rare (none existant, actualy).

Like Gok, most of my sealed toys are doubles and compared to the loose ones on display, they are very few.

The only line that I am actively collecting are Universe Classics/Henkei. The other non directly Classics 'G1nish' Universe toys such as the Comic book repaints and so forth are not must haves but mostly indulgences so I pick and choose what I like and ignore what I don't like.

The advantage with this system is that now I am buying newly released toys spaced out witihin the month due to their release schedule so it doesn't hurt the wallet too much and the only real 'G1nish' repainted Universe toys that I have liked are the two Comic book versus packs and the Special Teams leaders set.

Golden rule that I follow: Don't buy because its there, buy because I like.

[blackie]

ive ended up buying things because i didnt want to pass up the oppertunity, mainly in relation to the older toys, mainly because i have passed up some opertunities that i shoulnt have, but did for a number of reasons, and they ended up costing me more in the end. With G1 etc i collect the characters/toys i like/think are cool, so im in no way a comepletist, which is a good thing, becauae i cant afford to complete a G1 collection in the near future, and im uber impatient :P.

However, luckily with the classics line im able to get them when i want, even if they take a while to turn up again, ala acid storm

[Eruntalon]

I only started collecting G1 transformer toys back in September this year, after pulling out the remaining 10-15 G1 transformers I still had as a child, wondering if I should sell them for cash (as I have done with a few of my other childhood toys from various other lines i.e. crash test dummies, dinoriders). I decided to hold onto them all this time, keeping them in a separate box away from any other memorabilia from my past. My collection is now around 130-150, but I need to count it again. I also have one Masterpiece transformer, but this is as far away from G1 as I intend for my collection span. As a child I had friends who always had larger collections of transformers than me, and so instead of being intimidated by this I started collecting other toys.

Before Transformers I collected Star Wars figures. I have about 350-400 of these, half are vintage, loose and MOC, the other half span from the 1990s Power of the Force Line right up to the Legacy edition comic packs released this year, again loose and MOC. I also have about 20 vehicles, including the Legacy edition Millenium Falcon which I imported from America for AUS $170. This vehicle alone seemed to warrant me to stop collecting as I thought my collection was complete enough with this toy. This year I narrowed down my Star Wars collection to consist only of action figures, canon-related books and comics, which from last count I have a combined total of approximately 450-500.

I can now safely say that I have stopped collecting transformers for the foreseeable future, due to the fact that I have lost my car in a recent accident, and now need to conserve my money. My accident has made me more conscious of the fact that my money is precious, and that if I'm not careful one day those hundreds or thousands of dollars that are just sitting there in the form of plastic and metal gathering dust could have been paying for my new vehicle in part. I would probably be really shocked to find out the total price of items from internet shopping which I have bought in the past year that I don't really need to survive, it would probably be at least $2000, maybe as much as $3500.

[liegeprime]

I used to trawl ebay since I discovered it 2 years ago. Which in turn boomed my collection from a measly 120+ to 500+ in said 2 years. I do concentrate more on G1's so thats hte burn in the wallet part of it. With regards to every other line its more of if I want it Ill get it. That is not to say I havent done what Paulbot is now reflecting on - buying for the sake of buying - I have lots of instances - Armada, Energon, RiD, Movie - as these are the lines Im not really into - not like im into G1. Heck I even have beast wars /machines stuff and Im NOT into em at all. Some of em are bought out of spur of the moment - "its cheap and its there so I buy since I can". But with the events of a mortgage, it has curtailed my buying to back to 3 criterion - Do I really like it? Can I afford to buy it? Do I feel deep down that it is a must have/ need it?

These three questions have helped me put down a lot of items put out there TF wise. there are times I just pick up 3-5 items when Im on shopping mode and end up with none coz I keep walking while asking myself these questions only to end up wiht a naaaaah answer, so I put it down and go for groceries instead. Which is good. Although its not foolproof though - Ive been backsliding at times to impulse buying especially whe I see cheap priced stuff sold here. But Im trying less and less too. Reason is that I feel somehow guilty when I walk into my toyrooms. just looking at them , and not playing, or playing but I cannot possibly play with all at once and there are figures that have been neglected for so long it kinda saddens me as well. Oh well another thing to rectify. It is an addiction , but one I hope to set bounderies and hope to stick to these bounderies so that I dont burn it out.

[kup]

Since we are focusing on vintage toys, I am still actively collecting G1 but due to the low dollar value I have not been seeking them out as much as I used to since many of the secondary market G1s are from the US. So currently I only wait for opportunity buys now. This isn't so bad for me since I have already got most of the toys that I wanted but there are still a couple I am seeking such as Carnivac and G1 parts which I look for when restoring figures.

When it comes to Beast Wars, I have already collected all the toys I wanted so as far as I am concerned, my collection is complete but I do keep my eyes open for other BW figures that I don't have but I would only get them if they are opportunity buys such as finding one at the Parra Fair; I am not actively seeking them.

[ChlorHex]

I think every collector would go thru the "buying for the sake of buying" phase of their collecting.
that's the most exciting yet terribly draining phase of collecting as it becomes more of an addiction.
this was like what? 15 years back when i was snapping up anything TF i could lay my eyes on.
worst bit was buying multiples of the same figure (i did that the most with Beast Wars where I had every figure ever produced by Hasbro & Takara in duplicates)... 1 to open, 1 to keep MISB, 1 to trade, etc, etc.
the MISB BW lot i've still kept to this day (at me folks') to remind me of that crazy phase of my life... every MISB BW bot had a unique acquisition story :p
looking back now, i'm amazed at how carried away i was.
i pissed off the ex-girlfriend then as i dragged her shopping for toys whenever we had the time and my room was literally filled to the brim with toys!
I had to place my bed in the middle of the room as i'd bought shelves for all 4 walls to display and store my collection :p (which seriously drove the ex insane! LOL).
these days, i'm older (and hopefully a little wiser) with me own family and toys are no longer a priority.
i just buy what i like after bills (they never end) have been paid and essentials for the family have been taken care of... which means I don't get to buy much these days! :rolleyes:

[Kyle]

A very good topic. Collecting toys is an addiction worse than drugs. I look at my pile and ask myself WTF everyday. :)

[Zippo]

Having just got back from my storage shed, I have had several 'what the fudge was I thinking' moments. Since I keep on re-organising how I collect, I have quite a few toys in the sealed collection that are just not needed anymore ..

I have decided that I am collecting Sealed G1 and G2 (both Japanese and American, but not other versions), BT's and Alternators, Classics and Reissues. No kids toys, no movie toys etc..

[SilverDragon]

I'm not sure whether I ever bought for the sake of it-I usually had a reason, even if it was only "I want to see how automorphing/Cyber Planet Keys/insert gimmick here works".

I think I've become more selective nowadays, focusing on characters I like and characters with dinosaur alt modes.

[SofaMan]

Actually, I went through a moment maybe 5 or 6 years back where I went "WTF?" and decided to think about what I loved. Money was tight at the time, and I felt like I needed to bring more focus to my collecting. I was buying a lot of non-TF transforming toys reflexively, and not getting much joy from them. I thought about it for a while, and these are the self-imposed 'rules' that work for me:

1) No repaints. I wouldn't say that I never break this rule, but there are usually pretty compelling reasons when I do, so it is infrequent. If a toy has play value, buying the same toy in a different colour isn't going to improve the play value.

2) What lines do you love? For me, it was Transformers first, Masters of the Universe second, and M.A.S.K. third. Everything else has been dropped, and things I want from the latter 2 lines now come up so rarely that it doesn't eat into my budget in a big way.

3) Avoid toys with little or no play value. My hobby is all about the play, and if there is not something compelling about the play value of a toy, I'll avoid it. If it is ludicrously cheap I may sometimes buy one just to have an example in my collection, but will usually avoid. Things like Bumper Battlers, merchandise like costumes or toothbrushes, Armada Laserbeak, etc.

4) Where possible, wait for the sales. This one probably saves me over $500 a year.

[The_Damned]

i buy too many cant help it have to have them all :(.......

[Vector Sigma 13]

Great discussion- i sure can relate to many of you.

Ive always questioned why people have to keep Transformers MISB. It always gave me the impression that people were preserving these items in their packages to maintain or gain value.
I tend to think that anything i collect from the G1 era will at least hold its value, i dont care if it doesnt rise in value. The theory is if i get stuck for $$$ i could reclaim what ive spent by the sale of them (lol,if i could let them go!). Packaging is not important to me in g1's as i like to be able to take them out and play with them with the kids (with lots of supervision of course). They are really fun toys after all.

Ive been thinking a lot about collecting the new stuff to the point of -i reccon ill be putting all the universe gear up for sale soon. It just doesnt give me the same enjoyment as the old stuff. So then ill be just collecting g1 and maybe some of the movie stuff (characters in the movie).

[GoktimusPrime]

The problem with the idea of collecting toys as a financial investment is that they're generally a very _poor_ form of investment because they appreciate in value very slowly - and more often than not, they don't appreciate at all and many figures depreciate (I recently found MOSC Darth Mauls for like five bucks at fairs). It can be hard to know which toys will become popular in ten or twenty years' time. Look back at the 1989 line in G1... I happened to receive both Bludgeon and Thunderwing as gifts. At the time neither character had appeared in the comics and I had no idea that they would become such sought after and valuable figures. Simon Furman said that had he known Bludgeon would've become so popular that he would've bought box loads of them for cheap back in 1989. Investment is based on speculation and I think it can be difficult to make accurate speculations in the future markets when it comes to toys.

Investing in toys is generally a much, much poorer form of investment compared to say investing in real estate or stock market shares.

[JuzMel]

A very good topic. :) I myself have been asking the same questions since a few months back. I chatted to Icy a couple of time telling him and sometimes I'm really sick and tired of all the "chasing" of the new toys that come out, having to buy them at sales and then refund the more expensive ones, or even worse, the price-matching nightmare; it causes such a stress to your mental state of mind (when you need to argue your way through with the sales person) that I just couldn't be bothered anymore.

When I first started collecting after the 2007 Movie, I would open up each and every TF to play and transform, leave them on the shelves (to breath some fresh air :D) for a few weeks and then put them back into the box because I didn't want them to collect dust. But as time went by, I kept buying more and more and didn't even have time to open and play with each and everyone of them (as in the same case as Paul mentioned), that I sometimes think to myself, why do I keep buying then? I sometimes just stand in front of my shelves with stacks of MISB TFs and wonder, "which one should I pick to open?" And in the end land up opening none. The only series which I actually do open (a few) to play are G1s and Animated because they are my favourite.

I guess all those were reasons as to why I decided to stop collecting certain class like Legends or Scouts and decided to sell them instead. Movie series isn't exactly my cup of tea too, and thus I'm waiting to see which characters appear in the second movie and I'll probably start selling those that do not. Generally I prefer to collect TFs which actually appear in the cartoons of comics because they seemed more "real" to me.

These days I'm also much more selective. In the past, I would just buy the new TF that came out on the shelves regardless of the price. Nowadays I just look and think if it's worth it, otherwise I wait for a sale or something. I'm also lazy to check out the retail stores to see if there are new TFs particularly this period, if I happen to walk in, then I'll just pop by the section for a look or something.

[autobreadticon]

I can relate to many, not forgoing the chance to get a toy before it becomes harder to find and more expensive, as a collector you want to save your self the trouble later, there's nothing wrong with what you collect it's more to do with how you go about it, when I started collecting movie toys I thought wow I will collect all these toys since I missed out before, I brought a heap of deluxes only to return them hours later bcuz there was no passion no love for these toys, sure they maybe good toys but for me I may transform them a few times in a space of a week after getting them, did I want to be struck with toys I had no desire for, this is how I became a fan of Takara TF for the simply fact they have collectors interest at heart. At a time of reflection I came to understand why I collect since that thead was started, collecting toys brings back memories of a happier time on life, collecting is fun but it should always be exactly that. It's good you raise this point Paul, if you getting toys and either not appreciating them or not proudly displaying them what's the purpose of buying ? If you are buying them and show no love for them ,are you really a collector? For me this thead shares my sentiment and that there isn't a right or wrong it's about receiving the maximal joy, pride and fulfilment in your collecting, without them it will feel like you are purchasing with material desire in mind and not for the enjoyment. In my situation I don' t ever think I will be a completist for the simply fact I collect what I like..

[heroic_decepticon]

great topic Paul :D

I can identify with what you are thinking and have questioned myself since maybe 2002. In a funny way, I've even pencilled down my collecting principles here (http://heroicdecepticon.blogspot.com/2007/10/my-collecting-principles.html).

[griffin]

Kinda the opposite to Mel here, but I love the hunt/chase for new toys. It's actually been worse with the strong exchange rate, as almost all my toys were imported, but a weaker rate may encourage me more to go out and personally find the toys.
And I don't bother about the whole exchange hassle thing - if I find a toy within my budget, I'll get it and move on. I won't let it linger as a loose end with receipts filed away for that off-chance I can get a couple dollars back and waste more time running around doing it. With all the toys out there to collect, it's no wonder that sort of routine is killing the fun for you Mel.

[valkyrie_76]

Its sort of funny that a few people including myself have thought 'why do we do this?'. I started to hammer ebay since 2002 looking for TF stuff such as G1 or maybe certain other remakes such as the G1 bookstyle TFs or the Masterpiece stuff but nowadays I am slowing down in the collecting of transformers due to other things such as anime figurines and anime cels. Lately its anime cels that have killed the wallet but at least I know that there was only one cel for each frame so I know its a very limited item but when you look at the transformer lines everything is getting re-released, different boxes or even the fake stuff. Now I am very select on what I want in the transformer line and I wont go for anything like I used to.

So in end I think my collection will remain about the same and I am really glad that I didnt get addicted to the other lines such as Armada, Energon and Animated.

[GoktimusPrime]

I can identify with what you are thinking and have questioned myself since maybe 2002.

I started to hammer ebay since 2002
Man... 2002... that was such a big Transformers drought of a year. (-_-) Mostly just leftover repaints of RiD and G1 reissues... mouldwise we hardly got anything new other than Air Attack Optimus Primal and Megatron Megabolt, neither of which were released here anyway. (-_-) So as far as the local market was concerned we got bugger all. As mediocre as Armada turned out to be, I got all excited when it came out just because we finally got something new!! :p 2002 was definitely a year where I was desperate to buy a Transformer. I even bought RiD Optimus Prime despite the fact that I got Super Fire Convoy in 2000!

[d*r*j*]

One of the reasons I like message boards like these is to see the truely crazy collectors. It's interesting to watch as some people go way too far with collecting and completely burn themselves out. There is only so far you can go when you are frantically chasing after every new item on the shelves, squabbling with retailers, fellow collectors and the general shopping public on a constant basis.
Many times I have read posts on message boards about collectors who have so many toys that they don't actually have time to open and enjoy them, people who are forced to put brand new unopened toys into storage because they lack the space to display them. I wonder if it is just a super competitive streak in a certain type of person that requires them to 'win'.. to be the greatest consumers in a culture based around commerce. Some don't even seem to like Transformers as such... just the thrill of buying them and the satisfaction of gloating.
Something I believe is that like any hobby, the only way you can really enjoy it is in moderation with firm and obtainable goals.

[STL]

One of the reasons I like message boards like these is to see the truely crazy collectors. It's interesting to watch as some people go way too far with collecting and completely burn themselves out. There is only so far you can go when you are frantically chasing after every new item on the shelves, squabbling with retailers, fellow collectors and the general shopping public on a constant basis.
Many times I have read posts on message boards about collectors who have so many toys that they don't actually have time to open and enjoy them, people who are forced to put brand new unopened toys into storage because they lack the space to display them. I wonder if it is just a super competitive streak in a certain type of person that requires them to 'win'.. to be the greatest consumers in a culture based around commerce. Some don't even seem to like Transformers as such... just the thrill of buying them and the satisfaction of gloating.
Something I believe is that like any hobby, the only way you can really enjoy it is in moderation with firm and obtainable goals.

I've stayed away from this thread for the time being b/c I have an answer to this in due course but I think very few collectors here are in it for the competition. On the US boards, I definitely get that vibe, but no one here I've seen is out to outdo anybody. We all have our particular niches, I'm especially mired in Classics 1.0/Classics 2.0/Henkei. The hobby isnt a pissing contest and if it ever gets there you have to start questioning if its worth it.

In terms of your dilemma, Paulbot, it depends on what you mean buying for the sake of buying. Sometimes you buy something b/c you fear that you may not be able to get it down the track and it'll get costly then if u change ur mind. The Classics 2.0 combiners are a good example of something in two years that will cost over $100 to acquire if u pass up on them now. The buying of it now gives u an option to at least offload it later on if you don't want it anymore. It's always cheaper to buy now than later. I discovered that just 3 months after the end of Cybertron when i tried to acquire Cybertron Galvatron and Optimus Prime after initially ignoring them on the shelves for many months and had to pay $100+ on eBay for 'em.

Secondly, I think its great that we go through these phases. As most here have touched on, its about how you evolve as a fan too, not just buying for the sake of buying. You'll now have a fond collecting memory of how the times were in TFM's heyday when it kick started this brand new frenzy and excitement you'd never felt before. Until u discovered u wanted to cut back. It's all about the experience and the fun of it all. Its like the time you go out with a certain girlfriend who u thought was great at the time but then 2 years later realise how staccato that r/ship was and how it wasn't what u were looking for. You wasted time, money and emotion but at the end of the day, you've still got memories.

Thirdly, you go shopping anyway, don't you? Impulse buying is something that happens to even the best of us. Everybody impulse buys. Even if its a box of ice-cream at the supermarket. (Yes, I'm horribly guilty with that :o)

Fourthly, you're financially sound and have nothing to worry about. Sure you could have saved an extra $400 but if you can afford it, why not? The option exists to refund or resell later on. What's most important about collecting is that you can afford it. Unless of course your a student which means there's a lot more compromising between wants rather than needs. Buying for the sake of buying becomes a problem when you can't afford it and keep doing so but at the cost of not paying bills or missing meals.

I hope that helps, Paulbot. I think that also the lack of room might contribute but once u get that place u want to, it might not be such an issue anymore. ;)

(And I've finally got a nickname for you now too. :p ;) :D)

[jgon2098]

When all said and done.

So long as it makes you happy, thats the only thing that matters.

[Saintly]

I'm done with "buying for the sake of buying".

There's hardly any toys on the shelves during Christmas to hunt.

[heroic_decepticon]

Man... 2002... that was such a big Transformers drought of a year. (-_-) Mostly just leftover repaints of RiD and G1 reissues... I even bought RiD Optimus Prime despite the fact that I got Super Fire Convoy in 2000!

I'm sure you also bought the RiD Brave Maximus right? :D

[GoktimusPrime]

That's RiD Fortress Maximus to you! :p I did get Car Robot Brave Maximus in 2002... but that's a 2000 mould (well, 2001 as it was the Korean version) - it did not satiate my lust for 2002 Transformers! My highlights from that year would be e-Hobby Road Rage and Crosscut.


It's interesting to watch as some people go way too far with collecting and completely burn themselves out. There is only so far you can go when you are frantically chasing after every new item on the shelves, squabbling with retailers, fellow collectors and the general shopping public on a constant basis.
*points at liegeprime's signature* :) I made that mistake when I first started living in Japan and went nuts buying games, manga and toys (it's like being a kid in a candy store!) - then my friends were like, "Haha! Now go eat your Playstation!" :/ So yeah, I was eating instant ramen for a month... :p Then I discovered that video rental stores sell second hand games - a lot people in Japan buy new games, play them for a month or so until they clock them, then sell them off! So they were in loose mint condition! Too bad I never found toys sold like that (i.e.: loose mint for half the price of MISB). Loose-mint manga is dirt cheap. :)

[orionpax1]

I was the same, i only got back into collecting transfomers about 10 years ago and when energon/armada/cybertron came out i bought it because it was transformers, i didnt care if it looked crap. Now i have bought some of the movie lines and animated only the ones that look great (Dinobots im looking at you), but now i have been thinking (and this thread has got me thinking about it more) did i really like some of these figures or did i buy them because they were t/formers (more like because they were t/formers) . I use to keep stuff in boxes (still have a couple only because iam waiting on more room) but then realised why? im not going to sell them so i might as well get them out and transfrom them and display them for all to see. Now i dont have hundreds and hundreds of them (250 i think) and im not a completist (except for g1 which will take me awhile but i will do it) so i have just narrowed it down to g1 (im including the encore and other reissues to make this happen) and universe and the odd great looking figure from other lines to collect . So now i have to go through my energon/amarda and cybertron lines to sell.

[Paulbot]

There's some great thoughts and comments here that are helping my thinking.

I'm working on a reply but there's a lot of posts to quote!

[JuzMel]

Kinda the opposite to Mel here, but I love the hunt/chase for new toys. It's actually been worse with the strong exchange rate, as almost all my toys were imported, but a weaker rate may encourage me more to go out and personally find the toys.

And I don't bother about the whole exchange hassle thing - if I find a toy within my budget, I'll get it and move on. I won't let it linger as a loose end with receipts filed away for that off-chance I can get a couple dollars back and waste more time running around doing it. With all the toys out there to collect, it's no wonder that sort of routine is killing the fun for you Mel.
Hey Griff, I used to love going on a hunt for new toys too, that was fun back when I was staying in Gippsland, cause there weren't much fans/children "to fight" with because there was only 1 Kmart, 1 Target and 1 Big W around the area which was 150kms away from Melb. And I bought alot from ebay that time too, where I got all my favourite Cybertron and G1 toys. I remember Mr Postie used to bring a parcel at least 3-4 times a week. :p And like u said, the move to city and the weak exchange rate made the move to go out personally to hunt for toys more. ;)

As for the routine refund/repurchase/price-match for TFs stuff, I guess I was unknowingly influenced by some of the boys (not a bad thing because it did helped me save some money). But it has just really taken a strain and I sometimes just don't bother doing it anymore, unless its convenient. As my mum told me, the time and effort you take to drive here and there to repurchase/refund is just not worth it.


but I think very few collectors here are in it for the competition. On the US boards, I definitely get that vibe, but no one here I've seen is out to outdo anybody. We all have our particular niches.
Yeah I don't think anyone here is trying to show off or compete who has the most/best TFs. I guess we all get excited and want to let everyone know when we buy a new TF or a holy grail. As mentioned before the nice acquis from people informed me of other TF figures and items out there that I did not know off.


The buying of it now gives u an option to at least offload it later on if you don't want it anymore. It's always cheaper to buy now than later.

Buying for the sake of buying becomes a problem when you can't afford it and keep doing so but at the cost of not paying bills or missing meals.

I guess I kinda share the same sentiments about "Buy now and decide later" rather than "Don't buy and regret later". But I set a limit and only buy those TFs that I really like or somewhere in between that I can't decide. I have never been a real completist anyway.

And yeah I've been buying less when my mum was over visiting in the last 3 months, so I kinda had less budget and even had to stop completely for a couple of weeks. But it has not and will never get to the point where meals/bills were skipped to buy TFs. (P.S: This month had no money for TFs becoz of Xmas Pressies and new clothes, shoes, handbags etc... :D:D:D)
----------------------------
I guess Paul, from now in, maybe just buy the ones you really like so you have time to open and play with them? And those that you don't really like, you sell/give them away? For me toys like Real Gears or TF Tech don't serve any meaning at all to me. They are merely toys created by Hasbro to earn more money.

My TFs are mainly in boxes now also because I don't want them to get dusty and I know I will be moving house again in a couple of years so they will be easier and more protected when transported in their boxes. I will surely open them and create my dioramas when the future hubby and I get our own house and I can have my glass cabinets. :)

[Paulbot]

The responses here have been great and I've had a good read through them tonight, and have been thinking about this since my initial post.

Collecting for me has become more like an addiction and I will be cutting back in 2009. The problem with having a disposable income makes it easy to spend money (and there are some personal issues that I avoid by occupying myself with shopping for Transformer that I shan't go into).

One thing I've already noticed is that I've started to get a little more selective. Things like Movie Mudflap and Inferno were repaints I didn't feel any need for. A few weeks ago I left Special Edition Optimus and Megatron and Universe Stormcloud all left on the shelf. I did that thinking I would buy them on sale but now I think I might just never buy them.

Most of those unopened toys pictured above are repaints of toys I already have, which makes it less compelling to open it when I've already played with that toy before. So the question is why did I buy them? I like the look of them but really I only need one of each toy in order to enjoy it's transformation which is the major reason I still buy these things.

Although there's been Melbourne fans in Ozformers as long as I've been a member it's only been in the past couple of years that there's been a Melbourne fan community. It's no longer the case that if I want to play with a Transformer I have to buy it, because I might be able to play with someone elses toy. For instance I played with STL and LCZ's Ironhides at the Southland meet up, so when I bought Ironhide (both Classic and Henkei!) I wasn't all that compelled to open either as I'd already played with the toy.

Like LiegePrime, Ebay also became an issue once I started using it, and that high aussie dollar made it even more tempting to buy up toys I didn't get when I had the chance. I did have a list of older toys I most wanted and I got most of them and then pretty much stopped using ebay which I take as a good sign. Although I did sometimes buy extra toys because the shipping would make the deal.

I do believe I have enough toys and as STL mentions space is an issue for me at present. I'm trying to open many of the toys above, as opened toys take up so much less space. I'm also thinking of getting a storage shed like Zippo, just for some more breathing space. I'm also looking at some of those toys I could sell on.

I also find the hunt exciting. The anticipation when a sale is on, wondering if the store will still have what I want and then looking through the store for the item. I think I could maintain this by looking for other people. In fact some of the times recently where I've felt more pleased with a found and purchased toy has been when I've been looking for it on behalf of another member.

SofaMan's four rules were pretty much exactly how I used to buy Transformers and what I think I shall head back to



1) No repaints.
2) What lines do you love?
3) Avoid toys with little or no play value.
4) Where possible, wait for the sales.

The other thing I pondered is that unlike what I'd say is the majority of members here, I've never come back to Transformers. Transformers were toys I kept buying and when there were lean periods I was making new characters and stories up. I still get a lot of enjoyment out of Transformers and use Transformers as a creative outlet so that hasn't changed, but I think I need fewer new toys so I can appreciate the ones I do get as much as I used to.

[STL]

Ironically, the response I had to this problem is the display of my little Iacon Hub Capital itself. If you haven't checked out my collection here it is (http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=3491). (Yeah, I know, I know, gratuitous plug). Why you might ask? Well, this room I am using is not a small room by any stretch of the imagination. The room is the downstairs rumpus room which is right next to a cellar and the garage.

When I was first told that I could have use of the room downstairs as my parents were moving the spare spare double bed out and other furniture, I was gleefully surprised. In the past year, the component of my collecting exploded as I developed an unhealthy habit of purchasing for display. By purchasing for display, I bought a lot of MIB & MISB items that looked nice in box or Japanese versions of US items already in my possession. At that point, there was no space for displaying so most items were stored in closets, boxes and whatnot. It didn't seem like a very large problem. However, as the year drew to a close and my mother offered me the downstairs rumpus, I came to the shocking realisation that there simply was insufficient space. And here I had a very large room. It was the realisation of a dream.

But it wasn't enough.

I realised that even if I chose to display my loose toys on the shelves instead of books, I'd still not have enough room for everything. It came down to a choice between all my loose toys vs. all my "displayable" toys. In the end, I went for the MIB/MISB b/c ultimately it was much easier to dust whereas dusting 992 loose figures was sure as heck going to be a pain.

But there and then it dawned on me. There is a limit to buying. I was originally going to argue that one day when you have enough room it'll be worth it. It was my plan to display everything over the summer and then show it off and show how when u have enough room, it really was all worth it.

Fact is, I was wrong. There is a limit. This rumpus room is not small. It's large and everything I ever dreamed of but now I've essentially reached the maximum I can display in this room. Between my bedroom and my own room, that's a damn lot of space. Yet still I can't display everything. All those G1 toys I really want to? Nope. Not happening. Energon, Beast Wars, Cybertron, RiD, Animated, Classics etc? No chance. And that's a reality that's slowly starting to sink in.

I love my TFs.

But there's only a certain extent that I will tolerate them dominating my life, home and space. And I realised that I'm very close to reaching that point.

So yes, there is a limit we all reach. I think that unless you plan to have a mansion with sections of your house devoted to TFs, it simply just is not feasible to have much more than 1500 Transformers. I'm closing in on 1800 and am already reconsidering how I buy once again.

[d*r*j*]

So yes, there is a limit we all reach. I think that unless you plan to have a mansion with sections of your house devoted to TFs, it simply just is not feasible to have much more than 1500 Transformers. I'm closing in on 1800 and am already reconsidering how I buy once again.

1,800 of anything would be hard to display... that's what I would consider a transformers museum.

[GoktimusPrime]

I display everything - I refuse to have any of my Transformers in storage. A large part of that comes from the fact that I love playing with my toys and having them on display makes them more easily accessible instead of rummaging through toy boxes. Rummaging also scratches/damages toys more easily.

[Tiby]

I have had the same sort of problem, Paulbot. With the recent shameless repaints and "versions" of characters (same character in different size classes) I have found it hard to get excited. The new Universe and part of the Animated line have done this for me, but I really miss the old days where Bumblebee was a Minibot and no other size, Optimus Prime was a larger toy and not remolded in every other size, and there was only one toy for each character.

Sure, it is my choice to buy the other sizes, and I could just choose to buy the one size or class of character that I think fits best, but we are often left with subsequent waves introducing better versions or more appropriate sizes (Leader Bulkhead, Movie Megatron).

I am really trying to find the magic again, in time for the Collectors interview!

[liegeprime]

I am really trying to find the magic again, in time for the Collectors interview!


Oooh Tiby's loosing his Collector's Mojo :eek::eek::eek: Noooooooooo!! get it together man! You're gonna be representing us TF collectors there, be strong, be enthusiastic! Show them it's brings tremendous joy collecting TFs even if it bites the wallet really hard! You can do it!(waves imaginary pom poms and blows imaginary horn :p)

[GoktimusPrime]

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/luckystar_collage.jpg (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz8laViiexc)

Just think back to pre-Beast Machines. ;)

[heroic_decepticon]

With the recent shameless repaints and "versions" of characters (same character in different size classes) I have found it hard to get excited.... <snip>... I really miss the old days where Bumblebee was a Minibot and no other size, Optimus Prime was a larger toy and not remolded in every other size, and there was only one toy for each character.

Tiby, I'm totally with you there.

Those were simpler times, but were also times I enjoyed immensely more. I experience a feeling bordering on disgust when I see this present shameless deluge of repaints and sub-par crass that Hasbro is trying to cramp down our throats. I'm at the point where I really can't be bothered to go out there and get the 'new' toys anymore. Like you, I just can't get myself excited about the new (re)releases.

Seeing that I'm more or less 'there' already for G1, I guess what I'm saying now is, enough is enough and really, no more buying for the sake of buying.