Hmm... I don't remember EXACTLY what I was doing 1984/85 when Transformers first came out, but I do remember a few things... I had a few Gobots before I ever had a Transformer... but once I got one, I never went back.

Cosmos was my first, and I got him one day in Winter or early Spring while I was stuck at my mum's friends place, and I remember being enthralled with the heat-sensitive sticker, sitting in a foggy and humid car playing about with the car's heater, while it rained outside.

My uncle got me my second Transformer, Sludge, for my birthday (tail end of the year)... and although those two seem like an unlikely pair, I've still got em both today. Sludge's sword might have a few bite marks in, mind you. >_<

How long will I be a fan? Hopefully forever. A few 80s cartoons had a really big influence on how I see the world, and Transformers and He-Man definitely made the biggest dent. I've got three kids, 1 divorce with ex-wife accessory, and in more recent years a new fiancee under my belt; I'm not sure what short of poverty will ever stop me collecting and enjoying Transformers.

Although, I don't think I'll ever be a completionist or MIB collector.