If you lost all of your Transformers collection, where would you start again?

[MayzaPrime]

If I lost my entire collection, I would just pick a few of the more recent MP's and that would be it.

Its taken me 28yrs to collect over 1800 I dont think that I could start again.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

Same as most people here, also surprised to hear it.

I'd pick up a few favourites, and other than that cut my losses. I've picked up a lot of the TFs I was after over the past few years, and while my collection is quite modest by OTCA standards I doubt I'd want to put in the time, money, and effort to track them down again.
That said, I would pick up a few favourite pieces. Beast Wars Transmetal 2 Megatron, Voyager Bludgeon (with the 3rd party upgrades), a G1 Predaking of some description (probably MMC's Feralcons), and maybe MP10 Optimus Prime Mk 2 are must-haves - the latter is a bit tricky since my own MP10 has a lot of personal significance/symbolism for me, but it is a nice piece and definitely 'iconic'. There's a few other TFs I'd want to get as well, somewhere around 10 to 30-odd.

[autobreadticon]

Once I'm done its done, wont be repurchasing anything again, that is a lot of effort and time you could spend on something new in yo life

But if I got back into TFs I would definitely only repurchase Masterpiece Soundwave,Maketoys Green Giant and G1 Jetfire.

[Tetsuwan Convoy]

I think I'd just get the recent MPs and leave it at that.

If I ended up getting some Animated bargain lots, maaaaybe. But unlikely.

Interesting topic! I couldn't be bothered finding them all again and dread to think of the cost of recovering what I have.

[Sharky]

i imagine there would be some sort of finacial compensation from loosing my collection from a house fire or a Sharknado.. as its not as simple as misplacing a box.

where i would start would be replacing the fondest childhood memories, Optimus Prime, Sludge, Skywarp, Ratchet, Jetfire, Soundwave, Blaster, Galvatron and Scourge, and then over time i think i would just replace the G1 everything else in between i would be disapointed that it is all gone but i could not be bothered to track down.. 100's of toys to replace

[Soundwarp]

Simple:

G1 Soundwave

[Jhiaxus]

It's an odd question.

So, I think about it... and I guess it depends on how I lost everything. If I lost it in a fire, for example... that's very different to, say, having to sell everything because of a huge financial loss that required me to quickly get money back.

IF you have to sell it all, then you can see it go. It's stupid, it's silly, but you say goodbye. It would probably be the end.

But a catastrophic loss? Well... let me paint the picture.

Imagine a fire, a fire that rips through your house. Everything is gone. You got out safe, your family too. But that night isn't one you'll soon forget. You'll always remember standing in your driveway watching as everything burns -- as everything you'd spent your life building was consumed in fire.

After that you couldn't even THINK About collecting. Your life now was about rebuilding. You had to find shelter, to get you and your family safe. You had to work harder at your job. Sure there was insurance -- but it was never enough, barely enough to get some solid ground under your feet.

When you bought the new house there was an idea in the corner of your mind that you should get some extra rooms, just in case. And when you've started to really build your life back -- your furniture is back in place, you have a TV and a computer again, your family is settling back in... well... it doesn't really feel like your house yet.

There's something lonely about everything being new and unfamiliar. So of course you get a poster of something you like -- a band or something. You get some DVDs of movies you love. Then... just the one. You get yourself an Optimus Prime. Just the one to make your house feel like a home again.

And it feels good. It feels right to see Prime sitting on that new shelf next to your TV. It feels like things have settled down -- like your life is getting back into place properly again. Maybe you'll never get back the thousands of toys you had once before...

But it couldn't hurt to buy a Megatron or a Soundwave, right? And Skywarp's always been a favourite, and he's getting a new toy too, right?

And that's why I think I'd start collecting again.

Because collecting isn't about the objects themselves. It's about how they make me feel.

--Andrew S.
(Sorry... got a little wordy there.)

[CBratron]

I'm barely collecting as I am now. Just picking and choosing masterpieces, CHUG and 3rd party as I see fit.

If I were ever to lose my Transformers Prime, Animated Movie classics or Giant-scale combiner sets, I could take a hit to the wallet and replace them. I think I'd more likely continue picking and choosing from current and future releases

[Paulbot]

Well I don't think the question is meant to make you think about a traumatic loss, but rather just starting from a clean state, but a few have taken it that way. Maybe you sold them all to buy a new house or you decided you'd had enough and sold them all and invested in another sort of collection; and then thought 'I want some TFs'. And we have new members with such stories all the time.

I'm intrigued how much a momentum of collecting is implied by the answers. Do you keep collecting now because of that momentum? I think in my case it has a big role to play. Or maybe it's just if you have a big collection the thought of getting back to the same size seems daunting/expensive/time consuming.