The Classics Wal-Mart exclusive Devastator gift set. I'd wanted one, but that was before I had a real job, so I kept passing on it and convincing myself I'd buy it next time I saw it. I finally asked for it for my birthday but by then they weren't in stores any more and they're pretty expensive on eBay now, so I doubt I'll ever end up with one.
Then there was that Target Exclusive Movie Scout Gunbarrel on eBay that I missed...

 

Energon Unicron (I wasn't collecting during Armada), especially when he hit clearance.

The Energon combiners. Used to see em all the time and kept passing em up cause I was only interested in Alternators. Till my mom got me an Anergon Barricade... I found two limbs at retail, then two more for dirt cheap at Tuesday Morning... and that was it. Of course, they were two Bruticus and two Superion limbs... but I didn't care too much.   I haven't seen any of the giftsets anywhere, ever.  

Alternators Swerve. /facepalm Shoulda bought a few. They were shelfwarming.

 

well, i would have to say U Tankor. i really wanted a triple changer
but i decided to wait for ani. blitzwing. then i saw that he isn't all that great.
now i'm minus any triple changer  (yes, I'm getting a movie soundwave, and no that doesn't count).
on the other end of the spectrum, i was at a toy show and saw a really nice g1 windcharger for US$5.00.
i passed him up ofcourse

 

Energon Omega Supreme. I keep hoping they rerelease him in Universe as Omega Supreme.

 

Mine has to be 2006 Botcon Darksyde Megatron. Saw him a few times on E-bay a couple of years ago for $150-$200. Thought that was a bit much, I should wait....now(if you can find him) it's $450-$750.   I could kill myself.

 

Cybertron Metroplex on clearance for 15 bucks, now I'm looking for loose ones on ebay at retail price.  

 

Mine would have to be a fort max. My parents and grandparents just couldn't justify spending that much money on a toy. regardless of size.
Now I see them going for 600 bucks plus on ebay, and I wanna cry every time.
Here's hoping takara eventuall gets around to making an encore version.

 

As a kid, Targetmaster Hot Rod. I didn't get Hot Rod for Christmas the year the movie came out, I got Rodimus Prime (at my request). However, as time went on, I wanted Hot Rod. With Targetmaster Hot Rod, I got my chance. Fortune was even in my favor as my grocery store got them in way late, and severely discounted them. I begged my mom to buy it, I had the money at home to pay for it, but she refused. Never saw the figure again. I did get the US reissue a few years back (of the regular Hot Rod), and I don't really care anymore, it's even become a bit of a running joke in my family about "Not getting Hot Rod!"

In more recent years, there aren't any "got aways". As a whole, I've lived with the "If you have it in your hand and you want it, buy it." mentality. I pick and choose what I want, and sometimes alter my budget, but that way there aren't any, "Why didn't I buy that?!?" moments. I suppose the closest would be Energon Bulkhead at Meijers on clearance. I didn't get him, and the next week when I went grocery shopping he was gone.

Had I known that Alts weren't going to last that long, I would've gotten them all. At one point or another I did see just about every Alt out there, and I was picking them up right along at the start, but I figured at that it would bankrupt me in no time with all these figures that took up so much display space and weren't really exciting me that much anymore. Instead I cut way back, got the ones that I only really wanted, and let the rest sit around.

I did pass on Energon Ultra Magnus, as I figured I'd pick it up some other day when I had more cash on me, as I didn't want to charge it at the time, but that never happened (At the time, they has Skywarp, who was I wanted and bought instead). I also passed on the TRU Beast Wars Optimus Primal and Megatron twopack, because the time never seemed right. Never did get it. Similarly, BW Wal-mart Tripredicous Agent (TM II Cheetor) was a figure I often thought about getting, but never did.

As much as I hated the mold of Cybertron Megatron, I did plan on getting Galvatron for his superior color scheme once he hit clearance prices, but oddly that never happened, despite my local Wal-mart having a glut of them at the end of the line.

However, none of them I miss, or regret not buying.

 

MP Starscream. I found only one here in Reno when he came out and I passed up on it because I didn't want to use my credit card. As part of my New Years resolution that year I told myself that I would not use my credit card for the year so I could to help pay down school debt faster and save more money in the long run.
I've been kicking myself ever since but I do feel good about keeping my own promise of not using my credit card for the entire year. I'm still holding out and seeing if Walmart does the same thing they did with MP Prime not long ago and give it a sale again. One can hope right?

 

I've only ACTIVELY started collecting transformers figures again in the past week. i liked to look, I own a MP prime. i loved them as a kid... and then recently i saw MP grimlock.. .and he's starting to grow on me too... but last week... Last week i found Hound. As a Kid Hound was my favorite. allways loved him. i have NO IDEA where he is now.. my original I mean. i think he's in the attic somewhere at my parrents home. anyways, With the discovery of Classics hound, my fate was sealed. so Now i'm tracking down ALL of the universe/ classics ones that look even remotely like the G1 designs. the two that i want that are likely going to escape me, are going to be shattered Glass prime (loved the comic, would LOVE to have him) and the Ultra Magnus with the Fansproject Armor upgrade kit. I've got a better chance of magnus I know, So here's hoping i get lucky.

 

G1 Huffer.

I have every transformer that appeared in 1984 and 1985 catalogs except Huffer. I just somehow missed it and didn't even realize it until years later when it was too late. I don't buy much old stuff now so I have never tried to aquire it online.

From the modern era, I wanted a misb Primus. I have one that I opened, but I was putting off getting a second because of the experience I had with Unicron and shelf-warming. Unfortunately I never saw it after the first month again.

 

Way back then, I spotted a solitary G1 Overlord at TRU, but had not enough money to buy him, as I had just bought something else. Planned to come back the following day to get him, but he was gone when I returned. That was the last time I ever clapped eyes on Overlord in person.

FFFFFFFFUUUUUUU-  

 

MISB LioKaiser and MISB Marlboro (not sure on spelling) Wheeljack. I had the money for both. Cash was ready to be spent. But, I didnt take the plunge and still regret it to this day.

 

Its not the price holding me back from buying sealed G1 jets,mini-cars or deluxe cars but just simply finding them now. But one that did get away was the japanese only Monstructor gift set but 1200.00 in 1998 was definitely out of my price range back then and it still is to a point now.

 

ah, angst-y atmosphere you guys got going on here 

hmm, for me it would be Classics Devastator, sigh, it was either him or the UM Skywarp 2 pack, bad decision.

 

Dont mean to sound mean but Classic Devastator from 2006? Both you mentioned were clearanced out after 1 week at the Target near my house and Devestator was only seen 1 time at Wal-Mart which will not order till a quota is sold at each and every store they own. Classic Legends Menasor was a pain and still havnt got it yet.

 

No worries. We get them WAAAAAYYY delayed. It's because I live in the philippines and what our mall had were 2 of each voyagers, 3 devastators and a whole wall of bumblebees, plus that ONE UM/SW two pack.

Thought to myself, hmm.. Well, I like devastator, but there are 3 of him, I'll just buy this two pack and come back for Devs next time.

Next Time...

No more dev's but there were 3 more UM/SW two packs.

Lesson Learned: Priorities take priority. 

 

It's nothing to some people, but many moons ago, I found G1 Bumblebee on the shelf at Rose's. My mom said NO and I begged with her. I had never seen one before it and I never saw another. He will always be the one that got away. This was....'85 maybe?! I have him now, but still...I will never forget having to leave him there...

 

The time: 6:32PM
The date: Late 2002
The place: Tachikawa, Japan
The target: Takara's Sixshot re-issue

I went to the Toy's R Us there, and they had one, just one left on the shelf. I went to an ATM to get some Yen to purchase the Destron Ninja...and could only find one several blocks away. I had to get in my car, in mass traffic mind you, park it (and pay the parking fee), get the cash from the ATM, then drive all the way back (through still more traffic) to get back to Toys R Us to find...he was gone.

I learned a valuable lesson that day: always withdraw your Yen from the ATM on base before going toy shopping.

Toy hunting in Japan: Serious Business.