This episode was on A&E just this weekend. Damn I'm addicted to that channel. Storage Wars on at 9:30 tonight baby
That collection is insane!
RE: that youtube video
I only saw 2, maybe 3 armies... Sweeps and Sharkticons (can't remember if he had multiple Wreck Gars as Junkions). IMO buying multiple identical toys alone isn't army building - the toys need to "represent generic or mass-produced characters...with the intent of (using) them as an imposingly large cohesive unit." (TFwiki) - e.g. building an army of Legions Class Vehicons.
I have a few multiples in my collection, but unless that multiple represents a generic/mass-produced character (either officially or repurposed), then I don't consider it to be army building. For example, I have 2 Leader Class Sentinel Primes. Both are opened, one is displayed in robot mode, the other in vehicle mode. I don't consider that to be army building. The only time I've ever bought a second identical toy to use as a generic grunt was a second Generations Scourge. It was pegwarming for ages, so I got it. But with only two Scourges, I guess this doesn't count as army building since it's less than 3.
What about having lots of the same toy-character through owning multiple non-identical toys (i.e. variants, reissues etc.)? For example I own 9 G1 Insecticons, but NONE of them are identical. I have original G1, TFC reissue and the eHobby clone version of Bombshell, Kickback and Shrapnel. I also have 3 G1 Kups -- 1986 metal wheels/toes, 1986 plastic wheels/toes and TFC reissue Targetmaster. Do they count as armies? I'd personally count the Insecticons as an army, but not the Kups.
If the video contained a multitude of any one toy, then it is, by definition, an army of that toy... regardless of what any one fan may want as a definition, based on their personal opinion of those characters.
One person's opinion or wiki does not compare to an official dictionary definition of "Army" (a very large number or group of something; a great multitude), especially when people are trying to rave about a person's collection while you're spoiling it by downplaying that impressiveness.
People need to comment about what the video contains, or about multiples of toys (not characters), to remain on topic... not opinions of what the topic title's definition "should be".
I'm gonna respectfully agree to disagree with you on that.
sometimes i want to army build non-army build characters but i always give up since i cant justify it in my mind......
wreck gars, KO Air warriors, Gen Scourges and botcon sharkticons however? the more the merrier!!
technically though my Junkions are all named characters so they may not count....
WANTS
BotCon Dreadwind. Classics Mirage.[B]
I don't see why you can't build an army of Fortress Maximus toys.
If your play involves a clone army, then why not?
It musta screened on foxtel recently because I had two different people at work come up to me to talk about it. (my hobby is well known at work)
I remember when it was first mentioned on the American fansites last year, and agreeing that the offer was outrageous.... because the toyshop owner was severely undervaluing it (probably hoping that they would just sell it to him).
$5,000???? You could get that much just for the army of Scorponoks he had if they all have their boxes, or even both his Fort Max toys (since one had a beautifully MINT box).
He mentions 1,000 TFs... that's just $5 average, when even the cheapest ones would be worth more than $5.
I think his collection would be worth well over $50,000 if all complete, unbroken, and if most had their packaging looking as good as the ones we saw. Sold individually on ebay for auction, and quoting the show for reliability, he could get close to $100,000.
Let's see, minimum amounts on the big ticket items, based on some completed sales on ebay...
2 Fort Max, with box for one or both - $4000
5 Scorponok - $2500
6 Trypticon - $2500
3 Omega Supreme - $1000
3 Metroplex - $500
3 Predaking - $1000
4 Menasor - $800
4 Sixshot - $500
4 Megatron - $500
5 PowerMaster Optimus - $600
9 Gen1/Gen2 Optimus - $1000
9 Devastors - $2000
27 Dinobots - $1000
That's almost $20,000 just for the 80 bigger items, with another 900 to go... and a lot of those can fetch $50-100 each if in complete, mint condition (especially harder to find items that have not been reissued).
Definitely worth the labour breaking it up and selling, if they knew what they were doing.
The owner looks familiar, so maybe he's been to one or more BotCons over the years... which you'd expect from an American with such dedication to the hobby.