My humble TF 1984 till today collection

I'm not exactly thin myself so I thought an XL T-shirt would do.... however appearently a US XL T-shirt is the size of tablecloth !!! I need to get this one to shrink


Nice looking cars.


A set of heads for Ratchet and Ironhide. They're pretty cool since you don't need to remove then for transformation.

Tread Bolt

Pictures don't do this one justice, you need to see him in person.

Stormcloud

Poweglide go home, this one has a badass colourscheme that kick to the MAX ! GET HIM !

I have to add my favorite TIE to the list of pic's

Now I just need that darn near impossible to find Rogue 2 coloured Snowspeeder and then a more common Jawa Sandcrawler... then I'm done.

Latest additions.

I don't know if any one have followed the collection pic's lately, but those who have, may have discovered that focus have slightly changed away from TF's... and as of all things there's a reason for that. Take a deep breath because this is going for a trip, its a brain storm writing and unedited !.

Well it's not one of these typical and genuine "I need a break from TF's" periods... I've had them severals times after 96 where I started collecting again (albeit on less massive scale) after a period. This time it's more like a punch in the stomach and a fistslap to the face - I've been collecting for the "wrong reasons". I've tried filling a G.1 hole with substitutes I never liked as much... you know it's just like finding out that you build up a giant lie to yourself saying I like them just as much and then you start believing it's the truth, untill reality hits you

I'm at stage at the moment where I'm thinking... 'seriously this doesn't make me happy anymore' .
I've been through the collecting race with Cybertron and the Movie figures and now Animated and having the "gotta get 'em all else it doesn't feel right syndrom".
Lately I've cancelled all my pre-orders on Animated an Classics 2.0 releases because there's just too much to get and way too many repaints. But also a whole other issue is that distribution of TF's is nowhere in the league as it is within USA, Canada, UK and if I want a figure I can't just go to the toy shop - I have to import it, and that is really pulling the lust out of collecting TFs. I'm tired of having to import and pay hughe custom fees... although they've been revised as of dec. 1 so I can import for $200 before paying custom fees... before it's was $20 (hughe difference - reason ? probably the economic crisis)

I've realized it's not nessescary for me to have the latest Animated figures like others may have...if I can buy them locally if they get here some day then it's cool, but if not well then it's not the end.
The only TF's I've kept my pre-orders on are MP-07 and MP-02 and they will be my last TF's for quite some time to come.

Instead of collecting TF that doesn't make me happy, I've instead turned to small collections that I know make my happy and which I don't need every single one of. Lately I've started collecting Star Wars but only the ones I like ! and I'm really happy with that ! my collection is small but I am genuine really happy for them... I can't say the same for some of my new TF stuff.
The same I can say about vintage Turtles (TMNT), here I'm getting the ones I had as a child + the few ones I wished for, when that's done my collection is complete for me.

My biggest mistake is probably G.I Joe (Vintage and 25th)- I thought I'd feel something for the upon getting the good old ones I had before... but frankly it's not the same.. I don't feel attached to them so that's why I'm selling them.

I guess we all reach a point in our insane collecting habits where we just wanna puke and then take a deep breath and reflecting upon if this REALLY makes you happy !.

Too many TF's I've got are a culmination of the fact that I finally can afford the hobby I wanted (to a certain degree), and also that I had to have the latest and coolest figures and to be one of the first to get them... but all this junk has just been done to fill an emptiness ! I'd rather have gotten G.1's !...
However the G.1's also got me into a dilemma. Insane inflated prices and so expensive it's stupid. Having discussed my Toy-hobby among other Toy collectors I've easily found out that Vintage TF collecting is among one of the most expensive hobbies around compared to a lot of other popular toy lines e.g Turtles and Star Wars just to mention to other lines I've started collecting.
Yet, this creature bites it's own tail ! and it's the reason that I've collected something I didn't want wholeheartedly. My passion is with G.1 and there are so many G.1's I want, but they're so darn expensive now - and eventhough to some they may be collectables, which I admit they are to some degree, then in my point of view they're just goddamn toys, nothing more and nothing less ! I won't spend hundreds of $$$ on these toys anylonger. So to fill a gap here I've turned to newer figures, but which in the very end don't give me the satisfaction and enjoyment I searched for...
So from here I might as well stop collecting - I know G.1's won't get cheaper, but maybe some day when the TF-rush is over, I can get some of the figures I've been wanting, and it doesn't matter if they're old and worn. I wont pay they price they cost any more, so this may also very well be a good time to stop collecting TF's. Having a fandom doesn't require a high price tag !.

Also I'm really bugged with the fact that Hasbro/Takara really obviously are trying to "milk" fans... what is up with the Classic Henkei's ? so what they have a slight better paint job, but that doesn't make them $10-15 better toys. Also I had it with the seekers releases $120 for a set of Skywarp and Thundercracker and $160 for a set with Dirge and Thrust ! for crying out loud the moulds they come out of don't even cost that most and lastly they're build of $10 figures only slight retooling etc... it's freakin legalized robbery!. I'd like to have them but no way in hell I'm paying that for them you can get a MP-02 plus MP-07 for nearly the same price !....insane .

In some way I feel that TransFormers is drowning in it's own succes and with cause and effect both from fandom but also manufacturers. Focus seems more and more to be on the exclusiveness, the value, the collectability, the "money making factor" (wait 1-3-5ýears sell it and make money) - the fun factor is gone.
I don't know...it all has just become way too commercial for me .

I know I love TransFormers but from this moment on I'm ONLY going for figures that I actually want something I can feel in my stomach - I've started asking myself when going to buy something, "will this really make me happier ?" if I have the slightest doubts I don't buy it.
What makes me want to collect is the stuff that I get a touch of nostalgia of - where I feel the same joy as I had as kid back in the 80ties, that's what I want ! From Jan. 2009 I'm stopping with actively collecting TransFormers.... because all other stuff than G.1 for me are just bad substitutes (I've come to realize)... and I can't afford G.1 and I won't pay 100x their original price.

That aside - just because I won't collect anylonger doesn't mean that I'm less a fan !

Then however there's another side of it... if I stop collecting, then what's the reason for continuing with fandom (ok I know I'm putting this on the edge, but really...) My fandom with TransFormers is purely onesided to G.1 when cut straight to the bone - and mostly for the toys and cartoon, the comics I'm not much into. So to you who stopped collecting or don't collect actively any more, what keeps your passion for TF's pumping and making you visit TFW ?.
Just some thoughts from a TF fan whose passion seem to have collided into something unrecognizeable.


I must say I'm really considering stepping out of collecting TF's - it's not just some crazy idea I just got, but I see it's been crawling on the sideline all along untill "the straw that broke the camels neck" came. It's not that, that I don't support TransFormers and the lines succes because that I do, and I find it great that new fans and collectors are introduced, however as said... I've been living on a lie for myself, and that's really something I can't run away from - buying new TF lines/toys doesn't replace the void of G1... I'm supporting Hasbro and Takara by buying the stuff, but I'm not supporting myself...that hurts! .

Regarding the whole G1 collecting I also see I've become a part of what I in essense dislike - help being a factor to influate prices etc on those great figures - to get something expensive you have to sell expensive. I would rather do vice versa, because I'm sure that if taking all price consideration out of the toys we'd still be loving them just as much. However fandom has turned these figures into something like 15th century antiques regarding the value of them. I know many say it's not about the price and their value, well if it wasn't then they wouldn't cost what they do, now would they ?! .
I..I just can support that any longer - and that's has been a long time coming so within the last year I've bought extremely few G.1 eventhough I wanted many and could possibly financially acquirred them too - but as mentioned I will not contribute to the inflation. Yes I'm only hurting myself buying doing this etc., but then again no, it's also about what you're willing to pay for it. During the last few years it's not like I had a revelation about that other things are more important than satisfying my G.1 needs, no I fully aware of where my priorites are - but I just can't anylong get myself to pay $100 or more for a G1 toy and when I did, then result was a bad concience - my last purchase was a MISB Nightbeat and eventhough in the eyes of a collector I got it for a bargain, then after having the figure in hand I wasn't happy - the toy is good but not $xxx good. In the end they are still toys (to satify your nostalgia trip).
So actively collecting TransFormers and regarding it as a hobby to prior, I strongly will have to reflect upon in the coming days. The scenario is more likely to become that I will pick up what I find along the road of G.1's and reissues of these as long as they are within a price tag I can agree upon.

I have a few things coming from the newer TF lines I know I want but upon their arrival (with great thanks to Grimlocka go-go for helping me) I'm not sure if my TF collecting will continue into 2009.

I don't want to sound like a "whiner" or so and trying to dictate what "thou shall and shall not" - I have just finally come to terms with what I want and actually wanted myself.




I don't know if anyone cared to read it through, but it doesn't matter as such... I just needed to air my thoughts about my own "habit".

All that aside... have a Merry Christmas folks !

Latest non-TF additions.

I understand you perfectly my friend and i can only quote you fully (sorry for the cutted quote, too long )

Latest SW additions.

I bet that black repaint AT-CT will own that poor AT-AT.