With some much stuff about scalpers, product switchers, scam artists, and rip-offs floating around these boards, it is easy to feel like our fandom is a wretched hive of scum and villainy (and Greedo always shoots first too!)

But just because the negative is heard about more often doesn't mean good, decent things don't happen.

As such, I thought we needed a thread like this: a place where we can share stories about the good deeds we've done for others and the kind acts that have been done for us when it comes to collecting and buying.

I will start with something that happened to me today. I have the day off so I decided to stop at Toys R Us to browse before heading to visit my father's house and spend the day with him. As I was looking around at the Ninja Turtles stuff I saw a gentlemen in a suit hurry over to a clerk and ask her if she had seen a particular toy that he had on his phone. She led him to the next aisle and I thought nothing of it.

I wandered over to the Transformers section and found the man standing there, looking at the toys with wide eyes as the befuddled toys R Us clerk stood there with a scrunched up face. She was asking him if he meant the Platinuim Edition Starscreams and he was going 'no no... not 99.99'. She looked at the phone again and went, "I think your wife is talking about this" and grabbed a Leader AOE Grimlock. He kept looking it over and over and saying "Maybe..."

It was at this point that I decided to help out and asked the man what he was looking for. He showed me his phone, which only had the very bottom left corner of the toy, but realized instantly it was a One-Step Grimlock figure (the one that transforms by spinning him). The clerk scurried away to try and find the figure in the back and I took the time to talk to the guy, explain the different sizes, who they were for, and offer suggestions. I also told him he could go to a different store I'd been to 10 minutes earlier and pick up the toy if Toys R Us didn't have it. He told me about his son (6 years old, just getting into Transformers) and explained why the Starscream figure was $100 bucks.

When the clerk got back and admitted she couldn't find the toy the guy thanks her politely then turned and shook my hand, asked me a few more questions, then headed away to go to Meijers to get the Grimlock figure for his son.

Maybe it won't mean much, but I hope that I not only eased that father's burden but also helped get a new young fan started on becoming a life long fan of Transformers.

 

sometimes when im at work, i work for target, i try to help people pick cool transformers for their kids. (sometimes i says a gift card is best as you cant fail there.)

ill point out which TFs i think are worth their dollar and which as sort of meh. i realize its going to a child, but even kids know a cool TF from a lame one.

ill even say something about gimmicks that the TF may have or, if i has a really cool weapon.

 

Not me, but another board member had extra Animated TRU Exclusives Ironhide and Rodimus and was just asking cost for both. As I don't live around a TRU, he even made the trip up my area to meet me. It's cool that there are bros on here willing to help other bros out. Thank you again, anonymous board member.

 

 "Well I would walk 500 miles and I would walk 500 more, just to make your Bot complete again when I post a small plastic sword right through your door...."*

This happened  


*apologies to The Proclaimers

 

not much, but a few years back when TFA was the main line, I was in a local toystore when a woman with her kid approached a sales lady asking if they can return the TFA Bumblebee they bought yesterday because both the kid and the mother was having difficulties transforming the figure. The sales lady was doing her best to transform the figure but even with the manual, she can't. I sort of intervened and walked the kid through the transformation. Pretty cool that the kid was able to follow me after 2 attempts. Kid went home happy with the figure.

 

This is kind of odd but.

My Friend's friend is also a Transformers fan, we don't talk often but when I saw a bunch of PRID Vehicons at the Entertainers I HAD to tell him because that figure was so rare and it's the right thing to do to alert others of something like that.

I think he didn't have to money to get it so he didn't buy it but he thanked me for letting him know.

 

Back when, the two pack , of classics ultra Magnus and
Skywarp, was on clearance for 5 bucks , had it in my
Hands, when I noticed a kid and his mother, she was asking
Him which ones he had , he kept shaking his head yes
To all the ones one the pegs, with a frown on his face
, so I walked to the and asked him if he had the set,
He shook his head no, i asked if he wanted it , he said
Yes , so I handed it to him , the mother asked me if I was sure,
And I said yes, and the boy to enjoy it. As he walked away
With a huge smile on his face.

 

I've mailed out a few G1 parts for free to people. Had a couple not get there, but the rest did. I do a lot of hunting for friends for certain hard to find figures, I don't charge anything for it or anything, but occasionally people will give me something as well. It's a lot more fun to help people than to be all about yourself in this hobby, and it's nice to get surprises in the mail, so why not give it to someone else? lol

 

I think as collectors, its definitely important to make sure kids get figures before collectors do. Which is why scalping is shitty too, it limits what everyone could have. For a collector its exciting to get a new figure, but to a kid it could mean the world.

 

I would like to have at least one kid of my own someday. But when I see kids and/or their parents in the toy aisle looking at TF's, I try to help them if I feel they are comfortable talking to a stranger. Sometimes they ask me, which makes it easier. So far they all have appriciated my input and they've picked out some good choice TF's. It's cool to see kids enjoy the same kind of toys I grew up with. Transformers, TMNT, Lego, and Star Wars to name a few.

 

I've bought hard to find action figures for online friends while on the road and sent them at zero cost to them. Not even shipping or paying of the figure.

Nothing over ten bucks (figure cost) though, but I like doing things like that.

On the other hand, I've had some swell folks here like hthrun send me parts at zero cost to me. Pay it forward.

I've never talked to a person in store, but I've wanted to. I've never really seen anyone at my local Walmart toy department except for myself though. :/

 

I remember I once posted a complaint about snapping off one of HFTD Starscream's toes(it really looked like his toes swiveled that way) and MPrime10 messaged me about it, giving me advice on how to fix it. Of course, being the son of a mechanic I had already fixed it by then, but it really was a nice gesture for him to have given me some support about it. Flashforward maybe two years, and he's helping me with some toys I was looking for in my wants thread AND sent me some parts I needed in my Creative Marketplace thread at no extra cost. The transaction was all around a pleasant experience. I don't know how he is around others, but I'd have to say he is one of the nicest guys here.

On another note, anyone who takes the time to help with a Wants thread is pretty awesome in my book.

 

back when i was a teenager in the late 80's ...me and my friends were into star wars, Gi Joe and transformers along with robotech, etc.
We always held onto extra missiles, spare guns, etc....developed quite a parts haul....and we would hook up fellow fans of different toy lines with the accessories they would be missing....

nowadays...don't really have any fellow collectors around that i associate with in person....but it's cool that this site has the sightings boards for each state and different countries to alert fellow collectors to spotted TF figures...

 

Okay, so perhaps a month ago, I walked into Target to see if there was anything worth picking up. (Of course they didn't.)

But there was a boy, about 9 or 10 years old, with his mother and father, looking at Deluxe Drift. He was insisting he is able to play with it, his father agreeing, but his mother picked up the One Step changer Drift.

He seemed really disappointed, especially since his mother didn't seem to believe he could play with the nicer toys.

I kindly stepped in, explaining that I'm a collector and am knowledgeable in these sorts of matters. His mother said that the other toys from a while back were breakable really easily, but I assured her that the Deluxe is worth both their time and money, as it encourages learning and patience, not to mention it looks much more accurate and has better articulation for play factor.

They all thanked me and the boy and his family left smiling.

 

I guess my story is the opposite. I used to find things for other board members at cost until I realized I was the only one doing it, no one was ever helping me find anything and at times I would get stuck with a figure someone said they wanted but didn't have the money to pay me back. I didn't expect anyone to kiss my ass because I found them a figure but a thank you would have been nice.