I started off with reissues only for the nostalgia factor...than I took a look at Classics Prowl (and then I started with Classics)...and then I took a look at Movie Leader Brawl (and then with Movie figures)...and then at Animated Starscream (and then with Animated figures)...and so on and so forth. I'm not a completionist, but I do change my mind a lot on figures I've ruled out initially (which has caused my collection to swell to about 2-3 times what I expected it to be). I pick the figures I like (initially I wanted to stick to in-show or in-movie characters only, but some molds won me over enough to break that previous rule), and I have enough of a budget to be able to shell out for a few rare items. I prefer MISB stuff myself (so everything I open is minty fresh), so anything I buy is always MISB/MOSC unless it's a G1 toy that's unlikely to get reissued (I even lucked out and found a MISB Takara version of Beast Wars Scorponok on eBay for a decent price when I went hunting for him).

 

I think there's a completist in all of us. Even if you only buy what you like, there's still a certain void you're trying to fill. It's also important to know what you don't want.

I got into collecting as an adult mainly with G1/G1 re-issues, and decided to stick with those and MPs. There was a lull between releases, I got antsy and jumped into the Classicverse/Henkei game very late (big mistake). I've been able to stay away from A/E/C, RID, BT/Alternators/Alternity (that was a tough), WSTs, Robot Heroes, BW/BM, and Bay movies. But still allow for some exceptions from time to time (ie. join the ROTF Bludgeon Club!) to keep your sanity

Explains why I do this half the time:

 

I pretty much started with BW back when I was kid in the 90s... Then on to BM... then I went on to everything else except for KISS (zomg) Players, Alternators/BT, G2... I don't buy repaints though, except for TFU Sideswipe and Henkei Sunstreaker.

 

For me I started with G1's I COULD afford back in 02' on ebay and then when it became way to expensive I let go and went to another collection which was SW back in 05'. Then started back up with the movie stuff 07' for the ones I REALLY wanted. Then when others came out I only bought those that I wanted and when I heard about the MP TF's I went nuts on those and bought all I could get my hands on to afford at that moment. For the ROTF TF collection I just bought what I liked and thought was really cool and didn't buy every one cause I wanted to fill a hole in my collection. I only collect the ones I really want and then think about the ones that COULD possible be a maybe IF I had the extra cash to afford it.

 

I started my collection with 3 Alternators, because they were $10 at Walmart. Then I went to a comic convention and found 2 Classics and started collecting from there. I picked up all the Classics that weren't repaints from previous lines. Next, I got a trio of Movie figures. Wasn't all that into them. When Universe came out, I picked up all of them that weren't repaints (with the exception of those that were originally G1 repaints eg Seekers and the Prowl etc). I avoided figures like Blaster and Dirge, because they didn't look like their G1 counterparts. I had to go Henkei for the few characters I couldn't get in Classics. Now, I did go with repaints when they went on sale...Treadbolt and Vector Prime. Next up, I have collected a few Animated. Mostly characters that aren't available in the Classics line, deluxes that were BOGO and Seekers. I also picked up the 4 Revoltechs (no Magnus) and a bunch of Robot Heroes (on sale). I've also picked up a few select ROTF. I have ordered several FP add ons/characters online, since they fall into the Classics line. I have a few reissues, Prime, cause he's Prime and the others, because there are no Classics counterparts. Lastly, I have MP Prime and Skywarp, because they are cool. So to sum up, most of my collection consists of Classics, quite a few Animated, then small amounts of Movie, ROTF, Alternators, Robot Heroes, Reissues and Masterpiece. So my advice, collect the lines you want, whether you are a completist or not and feel free to pick up those that you like from other lines without having to feel you need to get fully into them either. Maybe you may want to only grab a figure here and there. I'm pretty sure that I'll end up selling certain figures if say they release a character in the Classics line that I already have in Animated, eg Jazz, Blurr, Blitzwing.

 

I’m a G1 original completionist. Not many here understand my approach to collecting. I see every transformer in my collection as a museum piece that holds its own part of ingenuity and history. Further more, the collection as a whole also has this historical importance as well as a gratifying accomplishment attached to it.
But some would say: "they're just toys man"

Just adapt you collecting habits to whatever fits you best...

 

I try to be a completist collector. I started seriously back in about 2005/2006 and since then have focused on 5 specific lines and have stuck to them. They are:

- G1
- Masterpiece
- Animated
- Classics/Universe/Henkei (all one line as far as I'm concerned)
- Movies (2007 & ROTF)

I will then set out to get every single figure - including repaints - from these lines. But I'm in no rush. I think if I owned every figure from every line, some of the thrill of the hunt would go out of it. Although having said that, I just completed the entire Animated collection this week! Just waiting on the new ones to get to the UK like Arcee etc.

It is also a huge relief to me when I see news of forthcoming TF figures and they don't fit into one of my selected lines, as then I don't have to go out and buy all the latest figures, I can carry on hunting online and at conventions for Henkeis for example and rare figures that never made it to retail in the UK.

I may have a problem though when the new style yellow packaging is introduced later this year. Leader Starscream in a non ROTF box??? The collecting part of my brain can't compute that!

 

I fall squarely into the "buy what i like" category.

Probably the only line i actually want to complete someday is the alternator line. And im only missing that dang rare piece.

Other than that i have bits of everything. My shelves currently will jump from titanium to animated and then to g1.

Eventually i would like to pick up more and more boxed g1 without going broke.

 

I think a few things you can gain from what others have already said here are:

• Have a specific focus.
• Buy what you'll enjoy, or think you'll enjoy
• Have fun doing it  

I wish you well!  

 

Any way you want to  
Most often in the collection forums I prefer the smaller collections, where there seems to be more love in the choices and the displays. Any collection over 1,000+ suffers from "where the fuck am I supposed to look" syndrome.
I recently moved house and left the majority of my collection behind (locked and protected in their very own room, don't worry), taking only Classics, Mp and BT with me. Several of my fellow hardcore collector buddies prefer my "new" collection as it is so streamlined, and the design quality of new toys has been so high the last two years.
With a shelf for Classic Bots, one for Classic Con's, a book case for Animated and a large shelf for BT every piece in the collection is visible and displays well.
Whenever I go back to my other house and look in the toy room it depresses me, as there are so many bricks I don't know where to start, and the good stuff (Robot Heroes, some Cybertron) gets buried underneath the rest.

A good collection is like a good women then, we're looking for small but perfectly formed 

 

I generally have a cycle, the first stage of which is I have a sort of buy on sight list in my mind, where if I see said figure I'll instantly shell out for it. Then at some point I'll start saving for something and give up about halfway through, or somehow end up with an accumulation of money, in which case I'll binge for a bit.

HA BB, Blazemaster, Dirge, Scorponok, Armorhide and Arcee in the last week indicate that I'm in the binge stage.

 

I collect what I actually want. (un)Fortunately for me, that's every G1 TF made!

I used to get bits and pieces from other lines e.g. RID, Classics etc when I found them cheap, but then I realised all those cheap expenditures could be better spent on something I REALLY want.

 

Thank you guy's. I see a lot of G1 TF's that I'd like to buy on ebay. But my problem is waiting every two weeks for "allowance".
If I had my Dad's funds, well that would be a completely different story! LOL!
So, as said before I'm only limited to $400/month at $200 biweekly. Not bad, but waiting between weeks is a pain, especially when your not sure how much longer a particular figure is available. I'm still trying to get Sunstreaker and Wheeljack next in my collection. So far, none of the sellers will accept my $34 that I have left in my PP account.  
So, I's gotta wait another two weeks before I'll have more funds.

 

Got a few more questions.
When is it okay to purchase knock-offs? There are several really good ones of Sunstreaker, Wheeljack, and Mirage that I'd like to purchase from a Chinese ebay seller. Descent prices, but been told they don't come with any stickers.
Second, how many of you buy two of each character and how do you display them? Currently all of my figures are in robot mode. I've often thought about getting two of each so I can keep one in robot mode, and display the other in it's alternate form. If it's a triple-changer, would need three of a kind.
I figured this way, you can see it in all it's forms without having to wear it down by transforming it all the time.

 

I don't buy two for displaying both modes. That's usually because one of the two modes is weaker, the vehicle is too bland (Mostly with the Alternators.), the beast form doesn't resemble the animal, etc...When both forms are great, I just, you know, transform it every once and a while.

 

Its okay to buy KOs as KOs, It when you buy them with intentions of selling them as legit or you buy them thinking the are legit thats the problems start.

as for stickers if you go to reprolabels they can hook you up with very good reproduction stickers for them.

as for how many of the each figure you want that a very personal choice and no one can tell you what you should do , but i will say this, the more money you spend on getting copiesof one figure the fewer unique figures you can afford to buy and heaven help you if you want 3 Fort maxes

 

If you're comfortable with knockoffs, than have at it. They may be the closest thing to a 'reissue' we get of some of the supposed lost/destroyed molds, and can be cheaper than buying good condition G1 originals.

As for buying two of each...I'd love to be able to do that, but I don't have the money for that.

 

My collection used to be purely G1, (because at the time i really got back into collecting, Beast Wars was about it on the shelves) but expanded into the other lines around 2004.
I buy what i like and splurge if i come across a G1 at a good price. (trypticon, complete and working) these days.

As for KOs, I buy em to make life simpler for me. the larger, oversized Legends Devastator set is far easier for me to see and handle than the Hasbro one. The oversized KOs are what i buy anyway. I love my RotF Ransack figures, but until i got the OS KO's, i couldn't really, fiddle with them much. Now i have one that I can and makes me even happier to have all of 'em.


Besides, i like the novelty of some KOs that are out there- like a school bus robot for my mom- or the Titanic-bot.

As long as you are okay with the risks that come with KOs (QC issues, deviations in design from the original, etc) then buy what you like or what meets your needs.

Also, check the Knock off transformers thread for advice. they help alot.