25 Years of Transformers according to us!

[GoktimusPrime]

I was fairly disappointed with the "25 years of Transformers" feature on the ROTF DVD and I figure that we fans could probably tell a more interesting story about what it's been like living with this hobby for a quarter century. :) I'll get thing started...

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1984: After playing with Go-Bots for a year I come across Transformers. Holy crap, these are way better! After visiting a friend's house, he and his cousin show me Transformer comics from Marvel. Ooh!

1985: One Saturday morning I sit down to watch cartoons... there's a Transformers cartoon! Ooh, new toys and mail-aways! So that's what these robot points were for. Sweet. :) zOMG, there's a kid at my school with the largest Transformers collection ever... 56 Transformers! Visiting his house after school is like going to paradise. For the next 13 years he would be the only person I knew who had a not KO G1 Megatron. Dang. For some spastic reason, some other kids at school decide to tease me for collecting Transformers, deciding that we were too old for these "kids" toys... despite being kids ourselves. Weird. I also compile my first Transformers collection database on our Commodore 64. ;) Got all the mail-away Transformers which was split between my brother, cousin and myself. My cousin ended up with Reflector, Time Warrior, F-1 Dasher and Sky-Dasher. He's managed to keep all of his Transformers but has since lost Time Warrior (otherwise you know I would've totally bought it off him)!! Bah!

1986: More new toys! Man, Ultra Magnus is fantastic!! In July my dad takes my brother, cousin and me to Hoyts on George St. to watch "Transformers The Movie." Phwoar! I find a newspaper competition asking for people to send in a drawing of their favourite Transformer I sent in about a dozen drawings, all in colour. Didn't hear anything about it after that, so meh.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/G1%20toyplay/th_g1_1986.jpg (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/G1%20toyplay/g1_1986.jpg)

1987: One morning as I'm about to go to school there's a knock on our door. A man delivers a package with my name on it. It's a prize from the newspaper competition that I'd entered last year! My prize is Battletrap! :D My friends and I also start having Throttlebot races in the playground. Zoom! We also started doing speed transformation competitions to see who could transform a toy the fastest. We soon discover that doing this gives Transformers _really_ loose joints, so that practice soon stops. :/ What the... these Nebulans look like humans (in the comic books)! Whoa... never saw The Rebirth during this year, although I heard about from another kid at school. My friend with the "biggest" collection decides that he's "too old" for Transformers and sells his collection. If our school's biggest collector can 'fall', then could I?? The thought of ever not collecting Transformers begins to baffle me (still does).

1988: More and more kids are getting out of Transformers. Traitors! Buh? Where did all the rub signs go? Awww... these Pretenders seem kinda funky. I finally watched The Rebirth. Gee... how disappointing was that. Anyway, Transformer collecting becomes more and more "uncool" and I begin becoming more of a closet collector.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/G1%20toyplay/th_g1_1988.jpg (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/G1%20toyplay/g1_1988.jpg)

1989: Micromasters are so cool... with a small amount of money they really jack up my collection count! Wahahaha. And they have playsets! So much fun. :) These new Pretenders are pretty cool too.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/G1%20toyplay/th_g1_1989.jpg (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/G1%20toyplay/g1_1989.jpg)

1990: I discover Phantom Zone and establish a standing order. No more shall I miss out on getting Transformer comics because my local newsagent was sold out or I couldn't get there on time! Kids at school are now becoming more accepting of individual differences, and I even see some kids in my year being open about collecting toys and bringing toys and comics to school! I start coming out of the closet about being a TF collector. What the?! Action Masters?!? Oooohhhhhh! G1 reissues! Alright, I can start getting toys I missed out on during the 80s. Sweet! :D

1991: More... Action Masters. Right. Oh look, more reissues! As a school art project I create a Transformers comic book which wins an award. When I pick up US#78 from Phantom Zone I'm told that #80 will be the last one and that Marvel is cancelling Transformers. No way... he must be lying right? No?! CRAP!

1992: Light piping!!! <cheers> :D Shame about the limited range of toys though. :/ Buh?! The UK comics are cancelled?! CRAP! I also come across some episodes of "Transformers Masterforce"... dubbed really badly in English. Guh!

1993: Man... colour change everything is a massive fad. All my friends have Hypercolor T-shirts, clearly the fashion statement of the future, so I nag my parents to get me one. And now so many toys are changing colour according to temperature too... oh look, colour-changing Transformers (and G.I. Joes, Batman and many other toylines!). This is clearly the way of the future. What's this? "Transformers: Generation 2"?? They just look like G1 reissues with different colours. Heeeey, now they're turning up in G.I. Joe comics. Heeey, now they have their own comic. Heeeey, now there's a TV show... no wait, it's just G1. Okay, that was a let down. My quest to find other Transformer fans online begins using the online handle gokuu.

1994: I become a fully out-of-the-closet loud and proud collector. My friends and I watch the animé mockumentary "Otaku no Video" which we found inspiring. ;) Whaddaya mean the G2 comics' been cancelled?! CRAP!

1995: Mmm... Laser Optimus Prime is pure awesomesauce. Eewww, what are these Power Masters?! Yuck... I'll pass on those thanks. My quest to find Transformer web sites on the internet begins, but all I find are sites on electrical transformers. I cosplay for the first time (as Son Gokuu from Dragonball Z; not directly TF related, but years later I would begin my Transformers cosplay)
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/cosplay/th_cosplay_dbz.jpg (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/cosplay/cosplay_dbz.jpg)

1996: I get involved with an anime club on campus and one of the first things we screen is "Transformers The Movie." Yeah! Oh look, Beast Wars. Funky. I grab a few toys which are pretty cool.

1997: More Beast Wars! Oh wow, there's a computer animated TV show. This is cool. I _finally_ find other Transformer fans online allowing me to make several friends and contacts in other countries, very handy for purchasing online (especially in the days before eBay). An American known as Benson Yee tells me about an Australian club called "AusTrans" and introduces me to griffin. I sign up. I've also changed my online handle from gokuu to "Goktimus Prime." Hasbro releases the US KayBee exclusive Machine Wars line which I promptly import with help from one of my US contacts.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Japan/th_ikebukuro_makku.jpg (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Japan/ikebukuro_makku.jpg)

1998: I attend my first Sydney fan meet; comprised of dirge, griffin, dsaint and myself. By this stage every other kid I used to play Transformers with have grown up and are no longer collecting (although most of them have given me their collectors for free :D). It's a great feeling to finally be able to meet and interact with fellow Transformer collectors in real life for the first time since I was a kid. Hasbro Australia releases Machine Wars Transformers everywhere! :eek: I arrange my first overseas group order, allowing other AusTran members to "piggyback" onto my order of Beast Wars II toys from Japan and save on the cost of postage per person. I also establish my own Transformers web site, "Planet Sabretron" featuring toy reviews, photo skits/comics and the "Transformers of the Month" section which would spotlight a different Transformer each month (in a style somewhat similar to TFwiki in terms of having a different section for comics/cartoon/toys etc.)

1999: I establish the first Planet Sabretron message board for members to use, essentially becoming the first (albeit 'unofficial') online forum used by OzFormers members. It was around this time that we registered the #transformers IRC channel on austnet. I manage to obtain several Japanese Transformer cartoons on VHS (copied from LD) such as the entire series of The Headmasters, Scramble City, Zone and a whole bunch of Japanese Transformer, Diaclone and Microman commercials. I show these to one of my toy-collecting friends at uni and for the next several months every time we see each other on campus we shout, "DI-A-CLONNNNE!" :D I'm unable to find any of the Ultra Transmetal 2s locally... Hasbro USA is told about my woes and sends me both TM2 Megatron and Tigerhawk for free! Thankyewverymuch! :)

2000: Transformers Car Robot finally gives us a fusion between toy engineering developed during late G2 and Beast Wars with licensed vehicles like G1! Takara starts making G1 reissues and gets me all excited. :) I attend my first little fan meet in Canberra.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/G1%20toyplay/th_toyplay_unsw.jpg (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/G1%20toyplay/toyplay_unsw.jpg)

2001: Hasbro Australia decides not to release Battle For The Spark so I'm left to import them from the U.S. An online friend of mine that I'd met on a Japanese Transformers board decides to come live in Sydney for a year on a Working Holiday. I introduce him to the local Transformers and animé/manga communities. We trek down to Melbourne and attend a meet with fans from Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide! I attend an Xmas Cosplay party where I see Cataphract cosplaying as Optimus Prime! First time I'd come across a Transformers cosplay IRL. Sweet!
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Transfan%20Meets/th_melbmeet.jpg (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Transfan%20Meets/melbmeet.jpg)

2002: The first e-Hobby toys are released, which is cool. But otherwise this was a very dry and frustrating year devoid of any new Transformer moulds aside from Go-Bots and 1-2-3 Transformers. :/ I make my first Transformers cosplay; Megatron. Yeah, go ahead and laugh. I actually caught public transport, walked around in public and had dinner at a restaurant dressed like that. ;) Dreamwave, having acquired the Transformers licence, gives us Transformer comics for the first time since G2 ended.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Transfan%20Meets/th_meetsyd_group.jpg (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Transfan%20Meets/meetsyd_group.jpg)

2003: Armada/Micron Legend breaks the drought. Along with the help of several other members (griffin, dirge, Jhiaxus, excelonzero etc.), we organise the OzFormers booth at Sydney SupaNova and Animania. We produce the first Australian convention exclusive merchandise (comic, posters). After 17 years we finally get a UNICRON toy!! :D At the end of that year I cosplay as Optimus Prime for an Xmas party and Binaltech Smokescreen blows my effing mind out! Wow! :eek: Suddenly Transformers aren't just for kids anymore.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Conventions/th_ozformers.jpg (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Conventions/ozformers.jpg)

2004: Masterpiece Convoy blows more chunks out of my mind. Whoa! I cosplay again as Optimus Prime at SupaNova and meet George Takei who talks to me as if I'm in character and asks me about "my world and people"! And he was genuine too, not condescending or anything, so I obliged by telling him about Optimus Prime and Cybertron in-character. ;) With the help of fellow members we organise Australia's first Transformers convention in Sydney, Sabretron 2004. We produce more exclusive merchandise (comic, toys) as well as events like trivia, Throttlebot racing etc. I really wanted to get Energon Megatron as my 666th Transformer, but the toy doesn't come out soon enough and I just couldn't wait, so I ended up getting Scorponok instead. All of my web sites (including Planet Sabretron) are abandoned or shut down at the end of the year for reasons I can't mention in public (nothing to do with HasTak). :(
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Conventions/th_sabretron1.jpg (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Conventions/sabretron1.jpg)

2005: Dreamwave loses its licence to Transformers amidst much controversy, just as their comics were starting to get good. :( A few months later IDW picks up the ball and creates its own Transformers universe. :) I conduct the first collection count poll using the "Substitution Rationale" system of counting. This creates much debate with many people calling for a fairer system rather than imposing any individual's method upon a community. I win a cosplay competition with little more than just a black Autobot T-shirt and a piece of paper stuck to it (the category was "Most Original Cosplay") :)
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/cosplay/th_cosplay_supanova2005.jpg (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/cosplay/cosplay_supanova2005.jpg)

2006: My home is burgled. My original G1 Optimus Prime, Megatron, Ultra Magnus, Galvatron and Binaltech Asterisk Alert and Broadblast are stolen. :( Classics gets everyone excited as we wait with much anticipation for the upcoming live action movie. Ooh! On June 6 I really wanted to get a Decepticon to commemorate the date 06-06-06. Alas the only Decepticon I could find that I didn't have was Cybertron Jetfire... who of course turned out to be an undercover Autobot! Gah!! :p A series of polls is held throughout the year to create a Universal Counting Method. Extensive debates are held by fans across the world and votes are cast to democratically establish a method of counting by popular vote. I attend the second Transformers convention in Sydney, OzToyCon, run by griffin. I also cosplay as Ratchet (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Conventions/Animania%20Sydney%202006/animania_day1_07.jpg) at Animania and SupaNova.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Conventions/OzToyCon%202006/th_oztoycon19.jpg (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Conventions/OzToyCon%202006/oztoycon19.jpg)

2007: The live action movie comes out! I meet Michael Bay, Megan Fox and Rachael Taylor at the biggest movie premiere I've ever attended! The first collection count poll is held using the Universal Counting Method. I cosplay as Optimus Prime at SupaNova in my first transformable costume (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Conventions/SupaNova%202007/supanova08.jpg).
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Movie%20Premiere/th_tfm14.jpg (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Movie%20Premiere/tfm14.jpg)

2008: Transformers Animated comes out giving a new generation of children an opportunity to get into Transformers, and giving mature fans the first new Transformers (TV) series since the Unicron Trilogy. Fans are scratching their heads as we begin reading All Hail Megatron. :/ Eric Siebenaler meets up with fans and interacts with the fandom! :)
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Transfan%20Meets/Sydney%20Meet%20January%202008/th_sydmeet0108_10.jpg (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Transfan%20Meets/Sydney%20Meet%20January%202008/sydmeet0108_10.jpg)

2009: Revenge of the Fallen comes out as we celebrate 25 years of Transformers. I watch the premiere at IMAX, the first time I'd ever seen a movie on IMAX. Phwoar! With help from fellow members, we run an OzFormers stall at the Smash! animé/manga convention.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Transfan%20Meets/Revenge%20of%20the%20Fallen%20IMAX%20Premiere%20Ju ne%2023%202009/th_rotfimaxpreview1.jpg (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Transfan%20Meets/Revenge%20of%20the%20Fallen%20IMAX%20Premiere%20Ju ne%2023%202009/rotfimaxpreview1.jpg)

[Gutsman Heavy]

impressive!

[Seraphim Prime]

As Gutsman has said, your personal TF history is very impressive.

However, I think the special that was included on RotF was designed to show a bit of Hasbro's perspective on the TF franchise and a little bit behind the scenes with the design team - particularly focusing on how TFs have evolved in terms of engineering and as a concept and a franchise - which I think they did quite well.

The only thing that I would have added, the lack of which was what I think first annoyed you Gok, was that there have been groups of fans who have supported the brand for the last 25 years, each with their own stories to tell, who have created and joined discussion boards, who actively support the franchise online and at conventions like Botcon.

[mknell]

Nice work there man

[Jetfire]

Cool what did you get signed by Bay?

Sorry, just realised that might not be yours

[5FDP]

2003: Along with the help of several other members (griffin, dirge, Jhiaxus, excelonzero etc.), we organise the OzFormers booth at Sydney SupaNova and Animania. We produce the first Australian convention exclusive merchandise (comic, posters).

I'm still waiting to see what I get after signing up on your mailing list ;)

[GoktimusPrime]

You get love. Platonic love. :) For more information and discussion about the convention project please see this thread (http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=1441). :)


However, I think the special that was included on RotF was designed to show a bit of Hasbro's perspective on the TF franchise and a little bit behind the scenes with the design team - particularly focusing on how TFs have evolved in terms of engineering and as a concept and a franchise - which I think they did quite well.
What focus? They just looked at how G1 was conceived and its early beginnings then leapt forward and ignored over two decades of history and evolution to what the franchise has become now. That would be like looking at the history of life on Earth and starting with simple unicellular protozoans and then leaping to humans. :/ It tells the audience next to nothing about what happened in between.

But anyway, the purpose of this thread isn't to complain about this feature, I only mentioned it as the inspiration for making this thread. But I don't just want this thread to be only my story, I want it to be our story. So I invite you all to please share your own stories about what it's been like living with the Transformers franchise/hobby for 25 years. :) I've only scratched the surface of my own story, and I'll fill in some more details later, but please... do tell us about your own stories too everyone. :)

[5FDP]

You get love. Platonic love. :) For more information and discussion about the convention project please see this thread (http://www.otca.com.au/boards/showthread.php?t=1441). :)

Ummm... this is information on the 2009 fan convention if I'm not mistaken :confused: I was referring to the 2003 Supanova event when I signed up to a mailing list. Doesn't matter... I'll just take the platonic love instead :D

[foor]

Great read. I love it that every year you had a significant Transformers moment. I totally shared some of the same experiences, like a friend of mine who had the biggest collection and sold it all off within a couple years because he discovered girls. PFAH.

[Vector Sigma 13]

Thats awesome Gok- I can see why you are so passionate about Transformers!

[GoktimusPrime]

Thanks for all the positive comments folks! :)

I was referring to the 2003 Supanova event when I signed up to a mailing list.
People on that list should have received information about the Sabretron 2004 Convention. I haven't organised any conventions since then (OzToyCon was organised by griffin). Apologies if you didn't receive anything about that. :(

Doesn't matter... I'll just take the platonic love instead
Atta boy. :) I can't offer anything more intimate cos ya know... we all can't be like a certain golfer. <cough> :p

I totally shared some of the same experiences, like a friend of mine who had the biggest collection and sold it all off within a couple years because he discovered girls. PFAH.
Pfah indeed! 'Sif discovering girls (or boys if one is so inclined) would impede one's Transfandom! You also reminded me about another pivotal moment in my TF history that I neglected to mention (amongst many more which I'll remember later :p) - in 2003 I actually had a girlfriend who's a Perth-based Transformers fan/collector (some of you would remember her); I ended up travelling to Perth where I attended the almighty Nexus Fair and met up with some of our long time Perth members there. Good times*. (^_^)

Oh, and for anyone who may not know who "Cataphract" is, click here (http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/season/2008/show/269/) :) Here's what his Optimus Prime Cosplay looked like:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/jordan.jpg

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*despite or because of roller's absence; you be the judge. ;p

[liegeprime]

Well most of the early years in TF collecting are beginning to be a blurr for me now, must be getting old. Anyways, I better jot down first my per year memoir before I post something akin to what Gok has done.... granted there are gonna be some holes in my collecting due to whatever varied reasons...:D

[Sam]

Goktimus - really enjoyed reading your TF experiences over the years.

Binaltech Smokescreen reminded me about how I got into Transformers again - for a long time I didn't enjoy the fact that the toys didn't have good articulation.

I know there were probably figures that had good articulation before BTs, but seeing Smokescreen at K-Mart one day (okay, so it was an Alternator version, still) got me excited again!

[5FDP]

Completely agree with you Sam. Alternators Smokescreen was the figure that got me back into collecting again and is in my top 5 for toys released.

1. Optimus Prime (20th Anniversary)
2. Unicron (Armada / Energon)
3. Jetfire (Classics)
4. Smokescreen (Alternators / Binaltech)
5. Bumblebee (Transformers Movie 2007 & 09 - Deluxe / HA)

I can still remember watching Transformers (G1) for the first time on TV quite vividly and recording only half the episode onto Beta to watch over, and over again.

I received my first Transformer toy - Sideswipe, when I was 9. It was a reward from my parents if I stopped bitting my nails. I started again after I got what I wanted :D

My cousins, who were very well off, had many of the Transformers that I did not have however they did not have Megatron as he was illegal in VIC and I lived in SA at the time.

At school there became a bit of a trade for G1 instruction manuals as most of the kids weren't allowed to bring their toys. It was a way of showing off what they had.

Of course, collecting Transformers became 'uncool' as all the original fans grew older and had interests elsewhere e.g. girls.

I continued collecting (in the closet) until about 1993 when I was 18. As mentioned above, Alternators Smokescreen got me back into collecting in 2003 so there is a 10 year gap in my own personal Transformers history.

[MV75]

Ah, the 1986 TF movie.

I saw it in the most awesome of awesomness places ever at the time. The drive in. :)

My dad took myself and my sister to see it. It was so great on what was the largest screens around at the time.

I'll have to think about and put together my own time line soon then.

[Sam]

5FDP - that reminds me, 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime is also an excellent figure.

Usually if I buy something over $100 I have to think about it, but as soon as I saw that figure it became a must-buy.

My first TF figure was G1 Pipes. After migrating to Australia with my family back in '87 I saw some re-runs on TV.

Then when I got into high school came my "Dark Ages" (adult LEGO fans are familiar with this term, heheh). It wasn't that I grew out of Transformers, I just didn't know they were still playing the cartoons. Plus I didn't know about this "G2" thing.

When I saw Beast Wars on TV my initial thoughts were "Animals? No.... I like machines!". But now I see things differently. :)

[heroic_decepticon]

nice timeline Gok.

I think 99-00 must have been the driest TFs years so far.

My timeline is here:

Heroic Decepticon's Transformers timeline (http://heroicdecepticon.blogspot.com/2007/08/origin-story-chapter-contents.html)

[GoktimusPrime]

I had a peek at your story HD and it sounds interesting. I look forward to reading it. :)

Please don't anyone think that your story may not be "worthy" of telling. This thread isn't a contest or anything; it's just about sharing our own personal histories as Transformer fans. (^_^)

[heroic_decepticon]

I had a peek at your story HD and it sounds interesting. I look forward to reading it. :)

let me know what you think. Some heart-breaking moments in there, I tell 'ya... :D

[Sky Shadow]

I think 99-00 must have been the driest TFs years so far.

Ah, but you were on your break from collecting in 1996. Almost nothing but tumbleweeds blew through Australian Transformers toy aisles that entire year. :p

[GoktimusPrime]

Okay, I've read heroic_decepticon's story and here are some of my thoughts...


We stupidly, really stupidly, authorised our Mum to give away all, yes ALL, our toys to a worthy cause and to people that need it more than us. And my Mum did just that: she gave to the Salvation Army every single one of our He-Man (MOTU), Secret Wars, Super Powers, M.A.S.K., Transformers, Visionaries, Centurions, Ghostbusters, Bone-Age, Dino-Riders, Silver Hawks, TMNT, Starcom and She-Ra toys.

Every-single-one.

I look back at this period with extreme sadness and pain, tormented till this day. Thinking back, that is one of the worst decisions I’ve had the misfortune to make.
...this was the most painful part to read. When I hear about people whose parents dispose of their toys without their permission then I'm filled with great sadness. But in all honesty when I hear of people who actually _allowed_ their parents to dispose of their toys, then this sadness is coupled with some frustration.

You obviously already regret this decision now, but what I'd like to gain further insight as to why you chose to make that decision in the first place. What was going through your mind when you gave away all of your toys like that? At that time did any part of you think that you might regret the decision in future? Or did you think, "I'm too old for toys and I'll never have need for them again."


I have decided to collect Transformers again.

Well maybe not ‘again’ unless we consider Transformers given to a kid as toys which he smashed into one another, used for fights and Transformed more than a dozen times a day ‘collecting’. This was, I decided, to more serious, more precious, or so I wanted myself to believe.
I still enjoy using my Transformers for fights... I guess this doesn't make me a collector then? :p <cheek> The only reason I ever started putting my Transformers on shelves wasn't for display but for easy access for playing and also to reduce damage to the Transformer toys (because the alternative was to chuck them in the toy box in which case I would have to rummage to get the toys I wanted). By time I was in year 7 I started arranging them for display in a more aesthetically pleasing sense - but the primary reason has always been for play access. :)

Thanks for sharing your story with us heroic_decepticon. :D

[kup]

Heroic_Decepticon has already explained that he believed to be doing a charitable action by giving poor kids in misfortune a toy to play with and therefor try to brighten up their lives at least a little.

As a kid of good concious, one would very easily give in to such rationale (I know I would although I didn't have a choice in the matter). However now I know its not that simple and likely those toys were sold for profit or discarded rather than given to a child in need.

The thing about 'the child in need' factor is that unless the kid is living in Somalia or some place where he has never seen a toy in his life and would appreciate receiving one, its very unlikely that a poor kid in a city such as Sydney would want a toy that is 'out of fashion' and would likely be wanting something that is more contemporary and put aside the 'old toy' as junk once received.

[GoktimusPrime]

Heroic_Decepticon has already explained that he believed to be doing a charitable action by giving poor kids in misfortune a toy to play with and therefor try to brighten up their lives at least a little.

As a kid of good concious, one would very easily give in to such rationale (I know I would although I didn't have a choice in the matter).
I know it was for charity, and I don't mean to question the nobility of that charitable act at all. Personally if in 1991 I were asked to donate toys for charity, I would have agreed, but I also would have been quite selective in terms of which toys I wanted to give away and which ones I didn't. I'd given away some of my toys to younger relatives, like my Voltron toys. But it's something that I don't regret - I have no desire to get back into Voltron or repurchase those toys I gave away.

What fascinates me with heroic_decepticon's story is that he voluntarily gave his toys away, which he now appears to deeply regret. What I'm curious to know is, in 1991 at the time heroic_decepticon's mother presented him with the choice of giving toys to charity, precisely what was going through his mind at the time he volunteered to surrender his entire toy collection for charity, only to deeply regret it later. I've encountered plenty of people who've given their toys away. In fact a lot of kids I used to play Transformers with growing up have since given their old Transformers to me. None of these people have ever contacted me and asked for their toys back.

If someone were to now ask all of us to donate toys for charity (http://www.samaritanspurse.org.au/occ_08_index.shtml), would any of us immediately voluntarily give away our entire collection, or would we be selective in which toys we wanted to donate and which ones we'd want to keep?

I hope I'm not coming across as being judgemental, as it's not my intention. I simply wish to gain further insight into what would make someone want to give something away that was still precious to them (otherwise why else would they later regret it?).

Thank you.

[Sky Shadow]

I hope I'm not coming across as being judgemental, as it's not my intention. I simply wish to gain further insight into what would make someone want to give something away that was still precious to them (otherwise why else would they later regret it?)

Goktimus, you don't quite seem to get the concept of regret. Regret is an emotion one feels with hindsight "after committing an action or actions that the person later wishes that he or she had not done." If HD knew that he would later regret the decision then he wouldn't have done it. It's like breaking up with someone and later wanting them back. Countless people on this board have gotten back into collecting Transformers and regret selling/giving away their childhood collection. In your whole life, have you yourself seriously never done anything you regret? If so, then it should be approximately the same concept.

[kup]

Heroic_Decepticon is the best person that can answer your question but again, I think that he already has.

Here is a little scenario that puts the situation as I understand it within some perspective:

I think that his act is more like an act of selfless charity in giving a toy he appreciates to someone he believes needs it more than he does. Like if you are in a disaster area with nothing to eat but then you find a piece of bread and although you are starving, you decide to give it to the severely injured kid who lost his parents because you feel that he needs it more than you do.

You will continue starving and the thought of regret in giving away what little food you had will cross your mind as you don't even know if the kid survived but due to the situation and information you had at the time, you believed it to be the right thing to do.

[roller]

oh my buddha

like this stuff even needs discussing

[GoktimusPrime]

Why, it's almost as if this place is some kind of discussion board or something, eh!

Okay, let me start over and ask another question which I think is more pertinent to what I actually want to know. heroic_decepticon, at the time you volunteered to have your toys given away to charity, did you still consider Transformers to be relevant/important to you?
Did you think to yourself:
1. "I don't really care about Transformers anymore, so I might as well give them to needy kids.", or
2. "Despite the fact that I really care about Transformers, I want to give them to needy kids." (kup's bread analogy), or
3. Something else?

Of course I've done stuff that I regret. And when it happens I later ask myself, "Gee, why did I do that?" But my curiosity becomes piqued when I sometimes hear about people doing regretful things that I've never experienced before (and would be unfathomable for me to do). If someone told me that they regret being overweight, then it's a form of regret that I'm all too familiar with. But if someone tells me that they regret parting with something precious to them, especially Transformers, then it's a more foreign concept to me and I'd like to know more. It's not the core concept of regret that I'm not familiar with, it's specific kinds of regret that I may not have personally experienced.

[heroic_decepticon]

I think Sky Shadow said it pretty well here.


Regret is an emotion one feels with hindsight "after committing an action or actions that the person later wishes that he or she had not done." If HD knew that he would later regret the decision then he wouldn't have done it.

The key word is hindsight. If I'd known I would regret it, I might not have taken that action. But having taken that action, and then thinking back, and thinking that I should not have taken it - that's the regret I was talking about.


Of course I've done stuff that I regret. And when it happens I later ask myself, "Gee, why did I do that?"

This appears to be the 'same' regret Sky Shadow and Kup are talking about :D



Okay, let me start over and ask another question which I think is more pertinent to what I actually want to know. heroic_decepticon, at the time you volunteered to have your toys given away to charity, did you still consider Transformers to be relevant/important to you?
Did you think to yourself:
1. "I don't really care about Transformers anymore, so I might as well give them to needy kids.", or
2. "Despite the fact that I really care about Transformers, I want to give them to needy kids." (kup's bread analogy), or
3. Something else?


Ok, memory is slightly hazy on this point but it was something like this...

Even at that point TFs were important to me. The toys were all in boxes and stored in a way that did not crease the flaps, so they were taking up literally half my room's floor space (and even more space was taken up when my brother gave me all his toys, including Transformers). Space was an issue.

And this was a point where I was fast growing up and had other things that take up space - mountain bike, stun bike, roller blades, snooker cues, skateboards and etc. All of these were competing for space with my toys, which to be honest, I have not touched in years by that time.

So TFs are still important, but like I said elsewhere, its the memories that are truely important and a part of me. So while I gave away my toys, I did keep all my US issues and all my UK issues. I also kept my Optimus Prime (http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2297271490100811158fbnHvh), Grimlock (http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2310905010100811158vevUKW) and Japanese boxed Predacons (http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2595111260100811158hFblkL). My brother also wanted me to keep his Japanese box Cyclonus (http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2362819660100811158sSOBdL). These I kept and still have with me.

At the time, I believed that the TFs above, the memories and comics were sufficient to sustain me in terms of TFs.

A part of me also did want to give the toys to children that need it more than me and my brother. We had so many toys, so many. I wanted someone else less fortunate to be able to experience that joy (whether someone actually did or not, I don't know).

So I guess its a little bit of each of what you said above.

You gotta bear in mind that back then, and even now, I do not live a life that is substantially TFs centric. There really were other priorities at the time - friends, snooker, basketball, long distance cycling, roller-blading, RPGs, and etc.

And I just lived life to the fullest, just that TFs for that period took a back seat.

[heroic_decepticon]

I have decided to collect Transformers again.

Well maybe not ‘again’ unless we consider Transformers given to a kid as toys which he smashed into one another, used for fights and Transformed more than a dozen times a day ‘collecting’. This was, I decided, to more serious, more precious, or so I wanted myself to believe.

I still enjoy using my Transformers for fights... I guess this doesn't make me a collector then? :p <cheek> The only reason I ever started putting my Transformers on shelves wasn't for display but for easy access for playing and also to reduce damage to the Transformer toys (because the alternative was to chuck them in the toy box in which case I would have to rummage to get the toys I wanted). By time I was in year 7 I started arranging them for display in a more aesthetically pleasing sense - but the primary reason has always been for play access. :)

It's a good point you brought up. It is a point I thought about at the time of writing that article.

I do not mean that a person who plays with their toys is not a collector. A collector can surely play with his/her toys.

What I mean is that I do not consider the toys that were given to me when I was young "collecting". Thinking back, they were just toys. Toys that were given to me. I did not "collect" them, I simply had them.

A kid may have a "collection" of toys, but that does not mean that the kid is collecting or a collector. A person is not a collector simply by having a "collection" of something in his/her possession. To be collecting, a person must consciously turn his/her mind to the act of collecting and be conciously seeking more and/or having particular milestones or objectives for the collection.

This might be something you have turned your mind to at a young age, but I certainly did not.

In short, collecting is a conscious decision and should be something more than just "sitting" on an assortment of figures that were given to the person.

[kup]

A kid may have a "collection" of toys, but that does not mean that the kid is collecting or a collector. A person is not a collector simply by having a "collection" of something in his/her possession. To be collecting, a person must consciously turn his/her mind to the act of collecting and be conciously seeking more and/or having particular milestones or objectives for the collection.


That's very true. As a kid I had several TFs, MOTUs, Thundercats and Ninja Turtles but I never considered myself as a collector of any of those toy lines despite having most of the toys released for each (at the time).

They were just toys that I asked for depending on whatever 'franchise' phase I was into at the time and they accumulated.

When it comes to shelves, I had wall mounted ones at a very early stage and used them for toy display but like Gok, it was mostly for easy access. However I had a massive wooden toy box in the shape of a truck in which I stored all my older toys. Only the toys that I was into at the time went on the shelves and it cycled accordingly.

However older toys that went into the truck toy box were not forgotten, there were times that I would suddenly get back into them or use them as 'extras' during play. I remember clearly that I had several GI Joes in the box forgotten for a couple of years and then for some reason I briefly got back into them and pulled them all out for play again and displayed them on the shelves.

[GoktimusPrime]

I never consciously became a collector. I just started off as a kid who had a collection of toys... now I'm an adult who has a collection of toys. I don't think there was ever a point where I consciously made a decision to "become" a collector, but when I started interacting with other fans I began identifying myself as being a collector. :)