Why are you a Transformers fan?

[Pulse]

Mostly the toys for me, although the fiction definitely sweetens things.

Oh yeah, I'm back. *waves*

(PS: for some reason the board isn't letting me change my signature)

Hello Stranger !

Hold on, I think I've seen you somewhere before but I can't quite remember where?
My memory must be playing tricks on me again

[Paulbot]

The poll is moving towards more what I expected, with larger numbers for mainly toys than mainly story, but given the toys are the basis for Transformers it's not surprising.

I think many are making a good point that good fiction/characters can make us want substandard toys. Admit it we're buying Encore Ironhide more because we can hear his voice in our heads more than for the toy's own value.

Back in the day - I'm talking 1996-1996 here - when there was only a single online Transformer community in alt.toys.transformers - there wasn't really much for the fandom to digest. The fandom was strong enough, despite its size, that we would discuss/argue/debate old comics & cartoons.

If the plug was pulled tomorrow, I believe that our local fandom _is_ strong enough to continue, which in itself would maintain interest for a lot of us. Yeah we'd lose some numbers, but the fandom here is mature, and there's enough of who have invested time/love/effort into the hobby to an extent that we wouldn't just give it away.

A.T.T. was where I discovered in 1996 that I wasn't the only person who still thought about Transformers, and it was the defining moment of my fandom.

I think the local fandom would survive too without the toys. People have come and gone over the years but it continues to grow. I think transforming toys will likely always exist even if the Transformers brand falls away eventually.

In part I was inspired to ask the question because I'm thinking of cutting back my toy buying to my older much smaller levels. (It's got out of hand in the last year!) My main reason for being here has never been the toys so it shouldn't really make much difference.

[Kyle]

In part I was inspired to ask the question because I'm thinking of cutting back my toy buying to my older much smaller levels. (It's got out of hand in the last year!) My main reason for being here has never been the toys so it shouldn't really make much difference.

I initially thought I would be safe with Animated taking over as the main line. *Had* no interest in it other than planning to get only Prime and Bumblebee. I was so wrong...

[dirge]

My buying has cut back drastically in the last couple of months. The fact is I've finally managed to pick up the older stuff I'd always wanted - G1, mainly, but also various stuff I'd wanted but never found at an affordable price (thank you, US dollar in the cr4pper!) like Apelinq & Magmatron.

That's not to say it's over or anything, but I have a collection that I'm happy with. I like the fact that I don't look at the shelf and wish X or Y was there.

I've pretty much abandoned eBay now, since I just have no need for it - I found the last pie-in-the-sky TF I'd wanted last night (will reveal with pics when I get it!), and while I'll continue picking up eHobby toys, Classics, BTs etc, I like the fact that I can just focus on new stuff and not try to track down older stuff.

[Kyle]

Just trying to keep up with the new stuff is painful enough for me...

[Paulbot]

I'm going to continue to buy new toys, but I think the "buy it or miss out" that was needed for movie toys has left me with a lot of repaints and dodgy toys I don't really need. And that mass buying inspired me to start buying on the secondary market anything I could find cheap. I'm really happy to have got some things like Sixshot, Predaking, Doubledealer, but I've also bought a lot of Unicron Trilogy stuff I didn't really need or want and no room for it.

[STL]

I'm going to continue to buy new toys, but I think the "buy it or miss out" that was needed for movie toys has left me with a lot of repaints and dodgy toys I don't really need. And that mass buying inspired me to start buying on the secondary market anything I could find cheap. I'm really happy to have got some things like Sixshot, Predaking, Doubledealer, but I've also bought a lot of Unicron Trilogy stuff I didn't really need or want and no room for it.

Bah! You'll have room one day and you'll regret it then that you didn't grab it. And it's your fault for buying those crappy real gears. At least buy a toy that's a decent figure in the 1st place. (Well, that's my lame excuse for buying Offroad Ironhide )

And I'm appalled you failed to mention Optimal Optimus. I'm still in need of one. That should certainly count as something you're really happy with it.

And on the topic, Sifun and I were talking at the comic shop on Tuesday about art. How many people are fans because of the art? I think I'm in that category. When the Dreamwave stuff started coming out, that really invigorated my interest in Transformers. Sure, it would be years before i started collecting toys again but the art really did create that sense of wonder. I'm pretty sure I would never have collected Transformers again if it wasn't for the Dreamwave stuff.

If it had been done in the Marvel G1 style or UK, I think I seriously might not have gone onto buy TFs. The War Within was really inspirational especially. Just marvelling at how well Don translated the G1 forms to Cybertronian forms and trying to figure how Prime transformed into his alt mode were little delights. I remember the lenticular cover w/ WW Prime transforming. I couldn't afford that at the time (even though it was only $20) but I remembering drooling over it endlessly on the rack.

So yeah, I think the fiction is part of it but also for me personally was the art. It's why I hold Don in such high esteem. Without him, I don't think I'd have that spark for collecting as I do now. And Pat Lee too. Make no mistake. I don't like the guy but I did like the way he drew his TFs. Sure he couldn't tell a story for his life and he's an absolute $#@! but there was a life and energy that he gave them.

[turtle boy]

I like transformers

This is something I was talking about with a Mate (non TF Fan) today. He asked why I liked the TFs

I said Well, the concept is very good, you have 2 some times 3 toys in one, You have your Robot, then a Car. And in the case of a Triple Changer, a third function, lets say a Jet.
But then you throw a Cartoon, which I loved and still do love watching cartoons. You give them, minds, feelings, something to go off when your playing with your toys, IE: Names, Personality's, Functions(EI Starscream, Subgroup leader, Second in command) And then a story is chucked in, and with kids and the way a child's mind works. You can just think of some of the scenarios that you came up with as a kid playing with your figures.

The whole idea behind transformers is just wonderfully awesome awesomeness.
I like them

[GoktimusPrime]

My wife still loves the fact that she can walk into my Transformers room, point randomly at any toy and I can give her a background story on that character. Even though she's in no way a Transformer fan, she appreciates (and is still amazed at) how every figure has a story behind it.

[Pulse]

But she still does get a little sh#tty on occasions, right?