25 Years of Transformers according to us!

[GoktimusPrime]

Thanks for all the positive comments folks!

I was referring to the 2003 Supanova event when I signed up to a mailing list.

People on that list should have received information about the Sabretron 2004 Convention. I haven't organised any conventions since then (OzToyCon was organised by griffin). Apologies if you didn't receive anything about that.

Doesn't matter... I'll just take the platonic love instead

Atta boy. I can't offer anything more intimate cos ya know... we all can't be like a certain golfer. <cough>

I totally shared some of the same experiences, like a friend of mine who had the biggest collection and sold it all off within a couple years because he discovered girls. PFAH.

Pfah indeed! 'Sif discovering girls (or boys if one is so inclined) would impede one's Transfandom! You also reminded me about another pivotal moment in my TF history that I neglected to mention (amongst many more which I'll remember later ) - in 2003 I actually had a girlfriend who's a Perth-based Transformers fan/collector (some of you would remember her); I ended up travelling to Perth where I attended the almighty Nexus Fair and met up with some of our long time Perth members there. Good times*. (^_^)

Oh, and for anyone who may not know who "Cataphract" is, click here Here's what his Optimus Prime Cosplay looked like:


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*despite or because of roller's absence; you be the judge. ;p

[liegeprime]

Well most of the early years in TF collecting are beginning to be a blurr for me now, must be getting old. Anyways, I better jot down first my per year memoir before I post something akin to what Gok has done.... granted there are gonna be some holes in my collecting due to whatever varied reasons...

[Sam]

Goktimus - really enjoyed reading your TF experiences over the years.

Binaltech Smokescreen reminded me about how I got into Transformers again - for a long time I didn't enjoy the fact that the toys didn't have good articulation.

I know there were probably figures that had good articulation before BTs, but seeing Smokescreen at K-Mart one day (okay, so it was an Alternator version, still) got me excited again!

[5FDP]

Completely agree with you Sam. Alternators Smokescreen was the figure that got me back into collecting again and is in my top 5 for toys released.

1. Optimus Prime (20th Anniversary)
2. Unicron (Armada / Energon)
3. Jetfire (Classics)
4. Smokescreen (Alternators / Binaltech)
5. Bumblebee (Transformers Movie 2007 & 09 - Deluxe / HA)

I can still remember watching Transformers (G1) for the first time on TV quite vividly and recording only half the episode onto Beta to watch over, and over again.

I received my first Transformer toy - Sideswipe, when I was 9. It was a reward from my parents if I stopped bitting my nails. I started again after I got what I wanted

My cousins, who were very well off, had many of the Transformers that I did not have however they did not have Megatron as he was illegal in VIC and I lived in SA at the time.

At school there became a bit of a trade for G1 instruction manuals as most of the kids weren't allowed to bring their toys. It was a way of showing off what they had.

Of course, collecting Transformers became 'uncool' as all the original fans grew older and had interests elsewhere e.g. girls.

I continued collecting (in the closet) until about 1993 when I was 18. As mentioned above, Alternators Smokescreen got me back into collecting in 2003 so there is a 10 year gap in my own personal Transformers history.

[MV75]

Ah, the 1986 TF movie.

I saw it in the most awesome of awesomness places ever at the time. The drive in.

My dad took myself and my sister to see it. It was so great on what was the largest screens around at the time.

I'll have to think about and put together my own time line soon then.

[Sam]

5FDP - that reminds me, 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime is also an excellent figure.

Usually if I buy something over $100 I have to think about it, but as soon as I saw that figure it became a must-buy.

My first TF figure was G1 Pipes. After migrating to Australia with my family back in '87 I saw some re-runs on TV.

Then when I got into high school came my "Dark Ages" (adult LEGO fans are familiar with this term, heheh). It wasn't that I grew out of Transformers, I just didn't know they were still playing the cartoons. Plus I didn't know about this "G2" thing.

When I saw Beast Wars on TV my initial thoughts were "Animals? No.... I like machines!". But now I see things differently.

[heroic_decepticon]

nice timeline Gok.

I think 99-00 must have been the driest TFs years so far.

My timeline is here:

Heroic Decepticon's Transformers timeline

[GoktimusPrime]

I had a peek at your story HD and it sounds interesting. I look forward to reading it.

Please don't anyone think that your story may not be "worthy" of telling. This thread isn't a contest or anything; it's just about sharing our own personal histories as Transformer fans. (^_^)

[heroic_decepticon]

I had a peek at your story HD and it sounds interesting. I look forward to reading it.

let me know what you think. Some heart-breaking moments in there, I tell 'ya...

[Sky Shadow]

I think 99-00 must have been the driest TFs years so far.

Ah, but you were on your break from collecting in 1996. Almost nothing but tumbleweeds blew through Australian Transformers toy aisles that entire year.