you "get" nostalgia, but don't "get" collecting G1. that may be your problem. but really, take a toy you like collecting, wait 25+ years and pay careful attention to your reaction when someone says, "why the hell do you have that? it's lame." it is nostalgia for some of us. also, some of us are making a dream come true. we're grabbing the toys our parents didn't get us. (used to drool over the toy catalogs and promised to get "that one," and "this one," and so on.)
Like many others here, I grew up in the 80s as well, and count Jazz, Optimus and Grimlock among my favorite toys of my childhood. I still don't get the nostalgia though. At most, I have nostalgia for those particular toys; the actual Jazz, Prime and Grimlock I played with as a child, but not the molds themselves. I might love my original Jazz, but honestly, wouldn't pay more than 5 bucks for another one. I could understand if a Beast Wars fan went about collecting old BW toys, because barring a few Classics toys, thats literally the only avenue they have to get toys of those characters. G1 however enjoys the unique position of having Classics, Masterpiece and 3rd party updates. It thus confuses me that people would still buy G1 when they have superior alternatives.
To be honest, I still prefer the design and aesthetic of the G1 Transformers. Mainly the later figures who were a little larger in size, such as headmasters and powermasters. I don't think much of todays Transformers "verse" is very original. The movie designs didn't sink in with me at all, and I find most transformations today to be overly dramatic and unnecessary. If you take the articulation of transformers from G2/Machine Wars/Beast Wars, you've got perfection in my book. I think they peaked with ball joints and simple transformations. There's also the durability issue. I've seen 100 times more auctions of beat up and mangled movie/armada/cybertron figures in lots that go for nothing because the figures fall apart easily. There may be considerable G1 auctions with junk lots, but there's also quite a few parts lots that usually can complete any figure.
*cranks up flamethrower* Yeah, limbs popping off during transformation is a real testament to their awesome current engineering...but at least they can do yoga! Also, paint apps are moot. Compare a stickered up G1 toy to a modern Hasbro equivalent - not even a contest on detail. Sure, Takara is sometimes a different story, one that a person pays comparatively out the ass for.
I couldn't have put it any better myself! G1 was, is and will always be the godfather of transformers! To me the only TF toys that I'm in awe of are the MP's, they are the modern day equivalent to how awesome G1 was in the 80's. Everything post G1 minus the binaltech and the odd third party products have been rather unispiring, dull, unoriginal or uncreative in any sense whatsoever! I recently decided to purge my collection of those G1 pretenders, those putrid classics with the exception of a notable few, OMFG, I honestly don't know what I ever saw in those things. They feel like cheap pieces of plastic that won't amount to anything in any other era. I'm so glad I'm getting rid of them! Collecting them was well like...collecting...well.. toys, G1 feels more like an an antique collection, a part of history. As already mentioned there were things that made them unique, they were pricey, the gimmicks, the tech spec, the incredicble box art, the chromed out bits, the die cast metal, the firing missile, engaging transformations, tech spec not to mention they were accompanied by an awesome cartoon (which is more than I can say for a lot of TF toys). You name it, G1 had it. Long live G1!!!!!! Not trying to troll on the Op or anything but I can't see the appeal of collecting say Prime toys the same way the OP can't see the point of collecting G1. Barring the transformation gimmick there is nothing that sets them apart from other toys like G1 with the afforementioned traits above, the only thing they have over G1 is toon accuracy and in G1's defence the season 1 figures were all diaclone figures remoulded into G1 figures. For me unfortunately being toon accurate isn't a merit in this day and age with all the technology present, it is more of a necessity and in my book Prime toys seem to only have this merit over the G1 toys!
goddammit, I remember the time I clearly wanted to get a minty fresh Star Saber on the toy shelve in a local departmental store. sigh did I mention it was CASH FRESH. it was pretty 'steep' considering the price of the day- 20 years ago! - but boy didn't it stir me up to want to buy my own some day when I grew up!
False argument. If BW was first, there'd still be a 'first line' that 'gave continuation'. If Go-Bots was what we got for G1, there'd still be an 'original line'. It would just be different. Everyone who gives the opinion of, "It was first" is giving what amounts to nothing. So what? If it wasn't first, something else would have been, there'd still be a "G1", and there'd still be Transformers. Being first doesn't automatically makes them best, superior, or anything else besides the first. I don't know about you, but I'd rather have limbs pop off during transformation that you can easily pop back on, than what we got in G1, where limbs popped off during transformation, and your toy is now broken forever and ever. Also, paint apps don't peel.
While I wasn't born until a decade after G1, I find that my reasons for loving Armada and wanting to collect it's toyline are the same a many older fans' reasons for loving their respective toys: Nostalgia. Armada was my introduction to Transformers, so I have fond memories of it. Much like the G1 collectors, I love the Optimus I had when I was little (superbase) not because of how articulated he is, but because he was what I had when I was little. I don't even care that I spent over $75 on it, because the giddy surge and rush of nostalgia I get when ever I touch it is worth it.
Why do I collect G1? It's simple. Articulation is pretty low on my list of priorities. I like the smoothness of the transformations and the ease of lining things up. Unlike the newer, articulated stuff that is more fiddly due to all the extra joints that have to be lined up. I'd much rather transform G1 Sideswipe than Classics Sideswipe.
OP, If you have to ask this question, then you just can't comprehend how many hours I actually sat looking through those old G1 catalog posters wishing and hoping to get those toys. G1 was my world back in the day. There will never be anything else like it. I agree there are better versions in Classics but it's those old G1s that have my heart. Besides Hook, I don't ever remember a G1 toy breaking on me during transformation. They were just made better back then.
I'm honestly trying to remember an instance where a limb broke off. I can't think of a single one. Granted I bought them post-movie which were less intricate. True. But at worst they come out even.
Honestly, the fact that we buy any of this stuff is pretty much goes against logic because it lacks no practical use, so I think saying "because I like this shit" should be good enough ahah. Truthfully though, the main G1/G2 stuff that I care about are the ones I have or wanted as a kid, so chances are that there's some sort of emotional attachment going on there. Not sure what I can say that hasn't been said in the last 100+ posts, but the sense of liking something that we used to like back in the day stands as a pretty strong argument, especially for people who generally don't grow out of liking something simply because they've gotten older.
i don't get people who don't get people who collect G1. I also don't get people who can't leave well enough alone and let people collect whatever it is they want to collect.
But it is a FACT that the origins of the toy-line has and will always be associated with G1. dude, how can you argue with that?
They were good for there time & kids loved them! The collectors that are grown up now remember them fondly & want them back. Wanting to have those fun memories alive again right in your hands, its a great feeling. Nostalgia I guess.
