I suppose I fit into the MISB Collector category so I'll chip in my 2 cents.

I have a very small Transformers collection by Ozformers Standards going by past collection pics. I'm very impressed by people's collections here, and at times very envious . My Transformers collection mainly consist of Hasbro Commemmoratives, Takara Reissues and Classics which are all MISB.

As I made a pact with the devil in my early teen years, and sold my collection of G1 Transformers, the prospect of collecting from scratch again was too daunting and expensive.

It was too hard to find original G1 Transformers in good condition at a decent price (considering how they can deteriorate with wear & tear over time). I know I have Shrapnel and Topspin from Ebay and they were probably my only loose purchases. Topspin was in pretty good nick but hardly a great transformer toy . Shrapnel's right leg is loose and so he stands like the Leaning Tower.

When the Hasbro Commemorative and Takara reissues came out a few years back, I saw this as a perfect opportunity to start collecting Transformers again and getting the figures that I had and some I didn't have as a kid.

Because of the bookshelf presentation of most of these reissues, it just displays well on the shelf. I have at times, in the early going had pangs of guilt and wanted to open them and play with them but I am at peace with keeping them MISB.

The main reason is nostalgic value to me. I like to peruse my collection from time to time and reminisce about my childhood with these toys but I don't really have the urge to break them out and play with them or display them. I like them to be in original condition that they are in and not deteriorate over time. And yes, I know some or most of these reissues are not the original mould but this is as close as I get to having back what I originally had.

I don't collect these toys as collectibles for resale. For investment purposes, I buy shares for a passive income stream and investment growth. It is the same reason, I was into comics, I collected them because I love the characters I grew up with and a good story. I do enjoy these Transformers the same way.

So coincidently, my Transformers collection will be limited to G1 reissues such as Hasbro Commemmoratives, Takara Reissues, Classics (love the G1 homages) and now the Encore series. I will never have a large collection as you guys (and I'm ok with this) because I only collect the stuff I grew up with. This means no RID, Armada, Beast Wars, Beast Machines etc, Movie toys, no matter how good the toy may be.

I made this conscious decision and have a set of rules in mind when it comes to collecting Transformers. As an adult, my priorities have changed and I have other interests/concerns such as my career, travelling overseas, social life and my financial future. Because of this mindset, I can still keep on collecting and minimise the space my MISB collection will take up.

Having said all that, I know the inner child needs to be fed and one of the things I did marvel as a kid with Transformers was the "how did they think of that?" sensation. I remember having contests with other kids to see how fast we could transform our figures or seeing if I could transform them blindfolded etc.

To this end, my duplicate collection of Classics will come into play, a few selected doubles of the Encore series and some loose Alternators for sale here and on Ebay will satisfy this need.