Hey everybody, I'm new to the community and just recently got back into collecting Transformers, but i find myself with a serious question. How will i get the most enjoyment from my TF'S collection? I am a member over at Hisstank and am a avid Gi Joe collector and for the most part i am a MOC and MISB collector. Here's were the TF'S come in...they freaking transform!! So i find myself wondering should my TF'S stay MOC like all my Gi Joe's or should i set them free to transform? I also would like to know how well they display either MOC or open. Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated.

 

If you like the mini toy store in your house look MISB is for you. In my opinion 99% of Transformers display better out of the box. Not to mention most newer Transformers are awesome pieces of engineering that you just cant enjoy MISB.

 

I have a mix of mib as well as loose but about 65 percent of my collection is loose i have about 160 unopened

 

buy only the ones you want to buy and then open them. that will give you the most joy for you buck.

 

The amount of engineering that goes into a transformer means they really deserve to be taken out of the box. It brings a more homely, pleasant feel to the collection - as opposed to the shop-like, seemingly emotionless method of keeping them in the box.

Also: saves room, so you can have more.  

 

These topics where people ask how to best enjoy their figures, or other such subjective things, just crack me up. You might as well ask how to enjoy a pleasant day, or a bowl of ice cream, or a new CD.

No one else can tell you how you'll enjoy your figures. We're not psychic! Some folks obviously enjoy sticking them on the shelf in boxes. Some folks like to open them and pose them. Some like to throw them around like confetti. Some, like me, can't resist the urge to customize and improve them to our personal tastes. It's all a matter of what floats your particular tractor. It's up to you, man.

 

It's probably different for everyone, but here's how I get the most out of collecting TF's: 99% of all my TF's are unboxed and ready to be fiddled with and put on display in my display shevles when not being fiddled with, the other 1% includes the one TF I keep MISB and the TF's I customize. Most of my TF's are bought by me, so those are the ones I think are cool, the rest being gifts from friends and family (Movie Dreadwing, Activators TC, etc.). The few TF's I own that I simply don't like become custom fodder, where I focus on making some of the worst TF's I own into amazing toys by emphasizing the few good aspects of the figure when possible.

I also develop personalities for each figure. While that may seem odd, It's the only thing that can differentiate one figure from another, like the Lambo twins in their Universe incarnations. Outside of colors and the head, they're the exact same toy mold, yet their personalities make them completley different characters. I make a photocomic that showcases the misadventures of my TF's and the different personalities ineracting together, which allows me to further develop individual personalities for my figure.

 

I'll say that certain figure display better than others. I find the TakTomy stuff with windows looks great displayed, whereas the modern Hasbro stuff should really be opened.

The same is true with my SW figures - ever since Hasbro started using tape to hold the packaging, those figures have completely lost their greatness in the MOC category. It's bad enough that I have to worry about soft-corners and the like, but falling off or poorly placed tape apps? No way.

Oh, and only collect what you like. Don't get stuck in the endless cycle of collecting what you think will be valueable or rare - it's a sucky style of collecting that makes you go after stuff that later you wonder why you got in the first place. I've purged out many figures I thought were rare only to find that years later, they were still rare, but I didn't even care about them. Really, these days I buy alot of stuff online, since to some degree the "hunt" has gotten boring and too time consuming.

 

This. I have only a small collection but they're the figures I wanted to buy at the time. Fair play to the big collectors, but I'd much prefere a collection that's more personal to me.

And free your toys from the packaging. The only time I'd say otherwise is if you're dealing with something G1 and unopened, as that's more of an investment than anythnig else.

 

This is the biggest reason that i am leaning toward opening them up.They are far more interesting (IMO) then most other toys on the market today. The point being that they transform so you have options on how you like displaying them.

This is the other reason why i am leaning toward opening them. The packaging for Gi Joe or N.E.C.A figures for example are geared toward displaying them, so that if you so wish you can keep them MOC, but i just don't care much for the Universe packaging what with all the tape and what not. G1 Reissues however are another story.

 

I like to keep mine MIB. Not MISB. MIB, because I do like to display them in their boxes, but I also love to play with them. Though if I have a chance to buy them loose I will, since they're cheaper, which is why the only stuff I do have in boxes are modern stuff, unless I make a repro box. But yeah, never sealed. NEVER XD

 

Open em and play with them  

 

QFT. I used to buy all the TFs I don't need because of varying reasons. For example, I bought bunch of Autobots in Armada and Energon because of the minicons and superlink gimmicks but later regretted it. Nowadays I really consider which toys I want to get and if all possible buy a used one instead to save money. I am getting a lot more joy out of buying these days, no more blowing hundreds on toys every month.

 

I totally agree with this!

 

Best way to enjoy your collecting Transformers?

Naked, of course. Can't believe you had to ask. Noob.

 

you simply cannot fully enjoy any transformer without transforming it, sorry guys, i dont know how you misb guys do it (without buying 2 of each(which some of my freinds do but i never ever would(i spend enough tring to get 1 of each))) its like going to the store and finding the former you want but not having the money, so you look at it analyse it , try to imagine how it transforms (maybe its a more cerebral experience for some collectors) but i just cant take that, i need to handle mine, i need to see them standing next to other transformeres, id even go as far to say i would collect photos of transformeres before id start a misb collection then again i also have no desire for resale (i will horde all) nor do i have the desire to make my collection worth money, i just collect transformers cuz they are cool , im amazed by the design aspectets of each one and the functionality that they have, its just impressive no matter how you slice it

 

I'd quote this for truth, but it's so obvious that it shouldn't be necessary.

 

they're called transformers....they transform. except not in the box.

 

Well it is how i thought it would be, most people just open em up. The whole point of this thread for me was just to see how many people actually did open them. As i have been trying to convince myself that it is ok to collect something and not have to keep them MOC. I guess it does defeat the purpose of having a Transformer if you don't transform them...lol.

 

For me, I enjoy collecting Transformers because they transform and look so damn awesome. I am now leaning more towards in buying figures of my favorite characters or because they look appealing, plus the fact I want to try and stick to the toylines that I love the most... G1-inspired, Animated, and Movie-verse.

I prefer to take them out of the box so that I can better enjoy them... that, and so my brother could get the chance to check them out. Though there are some toys that I had made the effort to keep their boxes, especially if they're collector's items like the 25th Anniversary Optimus Prime.