Should I win the lottery between now and then, I shall march in there, push some of you out of the way, and write a check for the whole shebang...

...and then break out a box knife just to freak some people out.  

 

Man, I'd really love to have an Overlord.

 

I suppose if no one else wants those super-rare toys, I'll toss a couple bucks their way.  

 

Man, so far I want me that Overlord and the AM Bombshell...and, yes, I'd open 'em up...after I admired them for a year or two...or three...

 

Who want's to lay odds that the AFA is going to swamped with orders for grading TF's after Botcon.

 

Holy holy holy holy holy crap[/Strong Bad]

Times like that I'd wish I'd get that Blitzwing... again.

 

Balls. I *so* picked the wrong moment to buy a house... :-(

 

Not that, but the Bludgeon... yeah, first real nostalgia rush in years.

 

This is the first time that I'm envious of someone, and yes I HATE THEM TO THE CORE!!!! I HATE THEM!!!!

 

amazing, and they want to sell that?

 

Note to self: bring drool bucket for Botcon.

I'm tempted to pick up something from there table, just to have something from the Hartmans.

 

It's a very impressive collection, but I'm not envious. Looks more like a case for obsessive-compulsiveness.

And can you imagine having what they've had to pay for insurance and storage?

I used to have an enormous collection of TV/movie memorabilia and toys, and then I nearly died during an electrical storm back in 2000. It changed my perspective on collecting things, especially keeping stuff MISB.

Just before that time, I had been considering renting air-conditioned storage space and insuring my collection.

Then I got the sh*t shocked out of me and my house almost burned down. Not surprisingly, it gave me an epiphany.

I realized that while the rare items in my collection might have been replacable with a little effort and expense, my life and my family were not. I also realized that it would be foolish to waste money on insurance and climate-controlled storage for stuff that was just... stuff. Especially when it could easily be gone in a mere moment of tragedy: be it fire, flood, or the like.

Since that time, I have donated items for charity raffles and given a lot of stuff away. A lot of the rest I've traded and sold. Still have too much stuff, as my wife often likes to remind me.

But other than some choice pieces from my collection (mostly my beloved childhood favorites: TFs), I have no desire to hang onto all of it any longer. And I don't keep anything in the box--they may stay in there for a while, but TFs were never meant to stay in the package. They're far too much fun. I treat myself every now and then and open one up. (The AFA is a complete waste as far as I'm concerned, but I suppose the market must have it so collectors don't get ripped off by unscrupulous sellers.)

And one day, God willing, my wife and I will have a boy or a girl I can share my hobby and my childhood with, and pass it onto them. I just hope they enjoy it as much as I did.

 

Yeah, just storing that stuff must be a pain in the ass.

Great to look at, but not much fun in it, IMO.

 

Although what happened to you is tragic and what you did with your items thereafter is admirable, I think you’re going to have a hard time finding people on these boards that agree with your ‘obsessive-compulsive’ assessment; though you’re more than welcome you have your point of view on the matter.

In Jon and Karl’s case, they have been collecting since day one. They obviously enjoyed the hobby so much they kept with it; a feat that’s admirable in and of itself when you consider the amount of product that’s been released since 1984.

If someone chooses to spend their hard-earned money on something that makes them happy, I say why not?

As for your AFA argument, I completely agree.

 

And I agree too. It's just any time I see collectors who "must have" every variant or who have more than a few duplicates of the same item (all still MISB, with no plans to resell or trade?), it always seems to be a sign of OCD. That first pic alone is evidence enough for me--they've got duplicates with just slight variations in packaging. There comes a point when you've just gotta say "okay, that's enough."

I should know -- I realized when I saw the movie "As Good As It Gets" that I had some definite symptoms of OCD. I also realized I had more than two dozen Stormtroopers, and was still buying them every time I found them. Granted, I was trying to make a diorama to recreate the scene from Star Wars Episode IV where Luke, Han, and Leia are running from the detention block, but buying 30+ Stormtroopers was overkill to say the least.

I was like Mel Gibson's character in "Conspiracy Theory" needing to buy a copy of "Catcher In The Rye" or I just didn't feel... "normal." (And I hadn't even had gravy.)

But I'll give the Hartmans the benefit of the doubt, especially since they're selling off their ENTIRE collection. I still wonder though if they're actually selling everything, or if they're keeping certain prized items.

I wish some uber-rich Transformers fan would buy this collection and open a Transformers museum. I'd pay as much as $10 for a ticket to see such a thing, especially if proceeds were donated to any charity involving children. I've heard Takara has a museum, but does anyone know if there's something like that in the US that fans can visit?

 

So why are they selling their collection? Time to move on?

 

I have just a quick question. Has anyone requested a list and received it yet? I requested one and haven't received so far.

Thanks for the reply.

Junior

 

Do you have any idea of how many people besides yourself have probably e-mailed a request for a list?  

 

Y'all can dogpile me for this one, but just looking at that wall and imagining how much fun it would be go pick one toy off of the rack, each day, and just open it and enjoy it and share it with my cousins...that'd be really neat.