Yeah thats what I've been doing too...and I agree at the time $20 seems justifiable. But when I saw how much I'd spent on, say just deluxes since Armada...$515.50 (No repaints whatsoever in Armada, a few in Energon and one in Cybertron) it adds up. That's more than a month's rent for me right now.

And the 'buy every variation' type of collector really boggles my mind. If they can afford it thats great, having a MIB AND loose collection is mighty impressive but just thinking about the cost is staggering.

Thanks again guys, I'm really enjoying reading the responses

I've seen both terms used.

 

i never really saw the point in trying to complete a series - having gotten back into collecting with the end of RID/beginning of Armada, i tried to stick to just one of each unique mold, not each remold/recolor. to me, it didn't seem worth the $$ to be buying the same toy over again in just a new color

however, having said that, i have enjoyed every mold and thought every recolor in cybertron has been great, so i thought i'd give completionism a try, and have purchased every domestic release in cybertron to date - i also have a complete line of Alts, but i don't consider that so bad, since they are only released a couple at a time, every couple of months.

having gone through the entire line of cybertron, i can see why ppl try to purchase an entire line - it's been fun, but i don't know that i'll do it again - first off, it's been expensive, both in the cost of the figures themselves, and the cost of the hunt (gas, time, etc) - second, i'm having a hell of a time trying to find space to store these figures now - does that mean it will never happen? who knows - depends on how the next lines appeal to me - as of right now, i'll probably be completing the classics line, but it's a small line, so hopefully that won't be so bad

 

Interested in Windrazor signed by Scott McNeil?

 

Being a completionist is incredibly difficult in this day and age. With the abundance of product that has and will be released, getting into the hobby now and trying to “catch up” will prove to be an extremely difficult and expensive thing to do. Nothing’s impossible, but unless you’ve got deep pockets it’s going to require a lot of sacrifice and frustration. Some people are cut out for it but the majority isn’t. Unless you’ve been in this hobby from the very beginning (and those folks are very few and far in-between) your best bet is to settle on a particular line and stick to it. Another option would be to simply buy figures that you really like, not because they have the name “Transformers” on them.

I’m not trying to rain down any doom and gloom on anyone’s parade, but after seeing many people dig themselves into huge financial holes, deprive themselves of important things, or just get outright frustrated with the hobby, you need to have a realistic point of view on things.

 

Wow....

 

Being a completist can't be all it's cracked up to be. You have to track down dinky minibots which are great for kids who play with them on a strict budget, but do they really add value to your collection.

I for one am a Optimus Prime collector. He was my favorite character and my favorite toy. I just got into this hobby in June because of the movie, so I only have him in Cyb and a PM from an ebay auction with the mispelling "Octimus Prime, MISB". What a gem that was to find  .

I also only collect figures I think that look cool, like G1 Doublecross, or I will collect my favs from when I was a kid (tracking down a complete Perceptor and Jetfire). However, why maintain MISB? Some of these figures are gorgeous, especially Cyb Primus. You can't admire them inside the box! Take it out! Transform it once or twice! Don't ever forget they are TOYS first!

 

Though this has been argued from here till next Tuesday, suffice it to say you'll find many that differ with your opinion.  

 

I don't know how the completists do it, myself. I do collect a majority of a given line (only get the ones i like the most...Damn you, Cybetron!), but I would not consider myself being anywhere near a completist. Having said that makes me kind of glance around at my collection and do a mental tally, and I only come around $4,500. That's assuming MSRP on all pieces (which I did not always pay), and all figures MISB (which all of my purchases were not). I have all of the Hasbro CS reissues, A lot of Takara TFC's (the ones that the US did not release i.e. Soundwave, Insecticons, Perceptor, Blaster, Predaking giftset), all ALT's thru Mirage, MP's most of RiD, Armada, and Energon. Cybertron is almost complete (missing Primus, Unicron, Quick Mix, Menasor, and Bendy Prime). My collection now numbers near 300 pieces (yes, including Minicons), but keep in mind that it was built up over the last 6 years, so that's only $750/year.
That doesn't seem terribly excessive to me, but like I said, I'm no completist. And come to think of it, being a completist doesn't really hold any value to me personally, as I really am proud of the pieces that I DO have in my collection, instead of just any old thing that says Transformers on the box (SWTF's, I'm looking at you).

 

I've spent the last couple weeks putting together an inventory of all my TFs, the last step which I just finished was to figure how much money i've invested, just shy of 10 grand. The number shocked me...I knew it would be in the thousands, but not that many thousands.

Anyway Im not a total completist, I really dont care too much for anything between 1987 and Beast Wars... but after the inventory, I was able to narrow it down to a physical list of about 20-30 TFs that im looking for (working backwards, not including future items) to buy. I feel good sticking to only ebay buying from the list knowing there is a possible end in sight for that end of the collection and I will only need to buy future stuff.

And on the negative side....im 30 and still live with mommy   Although I finally am at the point where I have a nice enough income to start apartment hunting, and have, but its slow going finding something affordable here in NYC, and once I move, I will probably need to re-examine my TF budget.

 

sexual favors is my guess.

 

afte making a mistake and ending up with a bunch of S#!t from Armada  just because it was the only thing on the shelf, i reevaluated and came to the conclusion of: only buy what you really like (and i have pretty strict rules on what i like)! it's worked wonders for me, even though i haven't got anything except the hybrid Convoys in a really long time.

 

I went completist for Energon. I think in the end I had everything but Magnus, Quickstrike, Rapid Run, and maybe one other. I never really intended to, but before that I'd just been buying G1 on ebay and it was so exciting to be able to buy TFs in a store that I couldn't help ymself. Now though I'm scaling back, more due to space than money. Keeping up with a mainline isn't that hard really, since it's usually not more than $100/month.

When I first got back into collecting I was just going after G1. I started by getting stuff I always wanted when I was a kid and that quickly expanded to the whole line. The trick to getting it all (I'm now done, up through the start of micros/pretenders and that's my stop point) was just being patient. I started with about 30, and it took 4 or 5 years to get the rest. Patience is really the key.

For a college grad I make shit money, but I don't really have a life so I can spend most of my spare cash on TFs. It's still a blow when there's big items like the Headmasters, but it's not crippling. The dinotapes were of course.  

 

I am a completionist, loose and MISB. I buy two of everything. I also spend an insane amount of money on my cars. I probably blow at least #3-4,000 a month on hobbies, robots and cars. A good job is how I do it. Amazingly, I did it when I was makin 28K a year. I ran up credit cards and would have doomed myself if not for changing professions. In the lean months even now I look at my storage units and admit to myself.

"People are right, I AM insane!"

 

I've personally collected one of every mold in RiD, Armada and Energon. I had to stop after Energon because it was just getting way too carried away and I found that I enjoyed getting DVD sets and video games a little more (they're enjoyment goes a little further). I'm still trying to be a completionist with Alternators, but that can be hard sometimes (see sig) as many stores around me skipped SEVERAL waves of them and I've hard to rely on the BBTS for the most part.

I mean, if I had more money to spend on TF's, I probably wouldn't. I'm picking and choosing what I want from the mainline, and that's about it. And lately, I've been seriously considering selling most of my collection, as I don't have the room for it, and it's not bringing me as much enjoyment as it used to. It's just a matter of finding the gumption to just get moving and get on Ebay and move it.

 

While I was never a completionist I did have a habbit of buying far too much. I think I grabbed every mold in armada except bendy prime, red alert, and overload.

Energon was even worse. Again every mold except armada repaints and cliffjumper, and cliffjumper was my breaking point.

Many times I did battle with myself over him. I said to myself "It's the last mold you don't have. It's not like you're buying repaints or anything just get it" and answered. "But I don't want it. I don't care for the character, the mold is uninspiring and ironhide is fine for jetfire's legs."

I never did buy it and now don't have any desire to. Oddly enough I still have a substantial amount of cybertron but not nearly so much as I would have if I'd bought that figure.

My rule now. Ask myself if I actually want it.

I also now make a rule of not visiting the toy department just because I'm bored. I check the reviews and image galleries to decide what I want, then go look for it.

I still ended up with a few regretable figures though.

Override, mudflap, and Jetfire.

Override just plain sucks, mudflap is okay but not worth the price, and jetfire fails to stand up to his armada version. (and he's a lot more bland in the show)

I did break my no repaints rule for nemesis breaker though but only so I could have a claw on prime and megatron at the same time.