I'm 37, and started collecting 19 years ago. My first figure as a collector was BW Inferno.
My first 3rd party item was Shadow Commander from Fansproject.

 

I'm 32. Was given my first transformer at age 4 or 5. My first 3rd party item was the Topspin and Twintwist set.

 

1. I started collecting in July 2014
2. My first 3rd party bot was MMC's Terminus Hexatron Continuum in December 2014.

 

32. I came into this post the title was a rhetorical question about how whiny and impatient we, as a community, are.  

 

39 years old.
1. 1986
2. FansProject City Commander back in 2009?

 

- I'm 42. I started collecting in 1984. My first TF figure was G1 Windcharger.
- My first 3P TF item was TFX-01 City Commander in '08... which seems like a lifetime ago.

 

I am 31, started collecting in 2007 and my first was the fans project city commander armour

 

I'm 33 and got my first 3P items back in late 2015.

Technically, my first 3P 'figures' were PE upgrade black and white sets for my sexy new CW combiners back in October 2015.

Soon after, I got a good deal on a Gen Metroplex off Craigslist. I started looking at possible upgrades for him and watched reviews on the different Sixgun figures. I finally settled on Iron Factory's as they seemed pretty cool and versatile, even though they were small. Also their Slammer tank was better than other options. As I looked at their other figures, I couldn't resist getting Blaster and City Commanders too.

This sparked off a wave of frantic Legends Scale figure collecting that I don't regret one bit.

Most of my other 3P purchases are more upgrades... Fans Project City Commander and Protector armors, more PE upgrades, some other small random items

Finally, I get any Ultra Magnus I can get my hands on - including 3P. Citizen Stack, the UM headmaster head someone made a while back, the Master Made Magnuz figure, I just got Dr. Wu's Human figures - including Ultra Magnus for Christmas, and I'm looking forward to Hero Hobby's SD and GCreations' IDW figures.

 

I'm in my mid 30s. Collecting Transformers since 2008. My first 3rd Party toy was either the FansProject Shadow Commander or the MMC Annihilator.

 

I'm in my late 30s and played with Transformers as a kid. I've bought figures here and there but turned it up in 2014. MMC Hexatron was my first 3rd Party figure.

 

I started collecting late 2012. My first 3P figure was TFC Hercules, then Battle Tanker quickly followed.

 

I just turned 30, been collecting almost non stop since my first official figure, G2 Optimus Prime.

My first 3rd party Transformer? Well technically, my first 3rd party parts were replacement tread drums for G1 Omega Supreme from Robot Monster Toys (anyone else remember them and Janger?). My first 3rd party figure was we know them in the current state is TFC Battle Rollar, a real nice design but the tolerances leave a lot to be desired.

 

I started to be a collector in somewhere in 1999-2000 when I was in college. I got into this site, and the next thing I know, I'm importing Big Convoy,PVC transformers, and Car Robots. With Car Robots I imported over 1/2 the line till I realized it was coming out over here the next year. Which turned out to be good as someone stole my fire convoy when I was moving out of the dorms at the end of that year.
My first 3rd party figure was this

Way too expensive and I had to put it together myself, but at the time, it seemed to only hope of ever getting a G1 Arcee.
Of course back the on the boards people were saying things like we will never get a Unicron figure, g1 is dead live it it and things along that nature. He tell me!
At this point 16 years later, between mp and 3rd party, I have almost gotten most of the better designed g1 figures I really wanted and imagined back in 2000. Just a couple left to complete my s1 set,and More coming this year that will complete other sets........sadly though my exposure to other shows such as Headmasters, Masterforce and Victory has expanded my want list from the old days in the early 2000s.

 

1. I'm 37, started in '84 through Powermaster Prime. Resumed with RID 2001 (had sort of a tf renaissance in college).

2. First 3rd party toy I bought was Fansproject City Commander when it was released.

 

37

Mp thundercracker sitting on a toys rus shelf alerted me to the mp game in spring 2014


Got scoria aug 2014. Life changed

 

41
I didn't really have Transformers as a kid. Minibots,Inferno,Kickback..I was into GIJoe when I was a kid. Always watched the g1 cartoon tho.
It was the Alternators line that started me buying TF's again. I've always been into cars,the real world aesthetics were just cool to me. I didn't start with masterpiece until I saw Smokescreen. Once they announced Wheeljack I started building my MP collection. Articles from Maz brought me an appreciation for Diaclone so I had to get the MP versions of those.

I wasn't going to do Dino's but Sixo and his magical wallet draining carpet..5 dino's later..I have no complaints,so thanks Sixo  
I'm still g1 at heart but a cool bot will earn it's spot into my collection. Cool bot is a cool bot in my eyes.

 

1. 1984, with gaps of course.
2 TFC Structor. Now that 3P is dominated by items that are slavishly Masterpiece, it's a lot more straight forward.
They either fit or they don't, and if there's something up with either QC or design, just a matter of time til an alternative.

 

25. I've followed the franchise pretty much my whole life, but didn't start collecting until 2014.

First 3P item was Fans Toys Soar. I still remember opening it up and being instantly impressed by its heft and good looks. Great moment for me, terrible moment for the future of my wallet.

 

38, started collecting around '86. Lost, or broke all of my Original Collection during multiple Moves. Just got back into collecting before the Bayverse nearly ruined it for me. First 3rd party figure was Cubrar.

 

37 years old.

Began collecting in aught three or so. Whenever the Alternators started coming out. I mean I had a bunch of toys in the G1 days but had lost, sold, broken, given away all of them. Started MPs with the 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime (Hasbro's version of MP01) and loved it. After that, I managed to snag a Walmart Skywarp when he came out but missed all of the other releases since, for some reason, Hasbro really really doesn't want my money enough to do wide releases (managed to snag the TRU Soundwave though, since my wife was working at TRU and held one for me). It wasn't until about two years ago when I learned that MP Grimlock had been reissued and I'd missed him again that I finally decided to just go ahead and spend the exorbitant prices to get them online: snagged MP10 (Asia reissue of the Hasbro version) and the TRU reissue of MP08 and have been collecting since. Mostly KOs since I can't afford to put too much toward this hobby.

First third party was Apollyon last year. The third party hadn't even been on my radar until my wife showed me pictures she'd seen online and I had never owned any version of Megatron and desperately wanted one (though I ignored MP05 when he came out 'cuz I thought he was ugly). I don't have an extensive 3P collection: Apollyon, Quakeblast (awesome figure btw!), and the X2 addon for CW Devy, but there are several on my radar that I plan to get sooner or later.