Some countries and locations are well associated with the finding, purchasing and collecting of Transformers or 3rd party products. North America, parts of mainland Europe, UK, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and Australia are examples that come to mind. This could be down to large online retailers, local communities and large chain stores. Having just left the UK and moved to Iceland at the height of my Titans Return collecting, just before the release of four big Masterpiece items, wave 3 of Titans Return and a slew of significant 3rd party releases and product samples, I summarise the challenges involved in transporting my hobby to what is, by TF standards, an isolated location. How Do I Collect Here? | Source Blog <- CLICK TO READ All the best Maz
Wow, no responses? I guess most people on this site can't relate to moving their TF collections to a little island in the middle of the Atlantic But seriously, I sympathize with your situation. I only had to move my G1 collection from one state to another, and I didn't really have to pack everything well because I was driving it all myself and I know how much care needs to be taken. Moving all that stuff as far as you have to has got to be unnerving. The thought of customs opening up my stuff kinda freaks me out. I do have some experience with buying TFs from Scandinavia and dealing with the high prices, but that was in Norway during the height of the G1 era. Norway's prices were insanely high, but G1 was such a phenomenon and the distribution so much better that the toys could be found easily. Much of my G1 comes from Norway, including my Fort Max (who rode in the back seat with me on the drive back to Germany. Maxie and I have had some adventures ) Moving to another state was enough bother, so I can't imagine how difficult it must be to move where you've gone. But I can tell you that all the reasons we ultimately decided to move have panned out; bigger house, lower house payment, better paying jobs, and we used the extra money from selling the old house to pay off credit cards and such. Once you get settled in, I'm sure the reasons you moved will really start to become apparent. I hope it doesn't lead to the end of your collecting or your articles, though. Good luck, my friend
out of ALL those transformers ... the 1 and only thing that caught my eye .... SKULL SQUADRON REPORTING IN SIR!
Great write up Maz. Firstly I want to say I can feel your pain through your words. I have been blessed and have not had to undergo a major relocation and think about how I would transport my collection. I can't even imagine how hard it is to feel so removed from the big Transformer markets. Secondly I just want to compliment your collection. The figures you have been able to bring over to Iceland are all great and I really like the cabinets that the old residents left behind. I like them a lot more than detolfs but I'm sure it's not the same as what you once had. No matter how far removed you are from the UK or major retailers or online sites just remember that you have TFW. I know that sounds cheesy but I'm always impressed by this community and how helpful and supportive we are. I wish you all the best!
It's a horrifying prospect. I'm going to have to move my collection overseas at some point and I reckon when that time comes I might just consider selling off the lot apart from a few choice pieces and giving up TF. Transporting it safely would just be too much of a headache and financial dent. Sad really. Pity there isn't some kind of dedicated special collectors company that provided an all-in-one door-to-door overseas transport service with insurance and knowledge that understood the mindset of a collector (like the shipping empty boxes thing mentioned) and accompanied your stuff from point A to point B, smoothing out the red tape as they went. Would probably still cost a lot, but at least there'd be more piece of mind. Assuming they didn't just vanish with all your expensive rare goodies.
Guess I can kinda relate? Had to move to the U.S. more permanently and I ended up throwing out pretty much my entire collection of Armada through Revenge of the Fallen toys (I think I only kept, like, ten or so figures?). Not fun. Though, moving to the U.S., I could start a new collection so it's not quite the same.
One of the reasons I fear my Green card application being rejected or just taking so long I have to leave is the thought of going through all that packing again but this time shipping half way across the world. I don't pity you this, Maz, but I hope that the new job makes up for it! I was tragic watching Ben from Bens collectables when sickness struck and things started to not got well, only want good things for people! As far as shipping stuff over to the UK, I'd say your best bet is to take over a bunch of stuff you're most likely to want to get rid of first and leave it in the UK, then you can have the folks or friends ship it out for you. I know that there are parts of my collection that I love but which would be first on the chopping block if things got tight. Case in point, things are getting a little tight so I'm putting my entire POPS collection up for sale. will only garner a couple of hundred but that's more gifts I can buy for others!
great article and after 4 moves in 6 years i feel your pain. i got out of the military after 9 years this summer and am unpacking from a rough move, details in this thread Collecting and the military? a lot of boxing got dinged up in storage, but after a quick check nothing seems to be missing or broken as i'm getting figures set up now on shelves, starting with MP's, in figure order per repair in the first episode (Skywarp, Megatron, Soundwave, cons, OP) i took movie 1 legends Bonecrusher and Jazz with me to Iraq and had a few other toys mailed to me by family while there so i had a toy shelf in my office, which produced a couple of spin offs in our unit. i had a giant haul of packages to sort through at my parents house once i returned. i went from Georgia, USA to Germany 4.5 years ago which wasn't bad, except most of my "new" G1 (acquired as an adult) ended up getting put into storage, including my Diakron blue Trailbreaker. a minty Red Alert yellowed from three years in storage, but everything else seemed fine. i was lucky enough in Germany to still have access to the US mail system and if needed the German system. without access to the US Postal Service my collecting probably would've taken a hit, the post office knew me by name; and for sellers who wouldn't ship abroad it went to my parents, where i would sort, select and repack to myself during a visit once or twice a year. my father-in-law gave me MP Soundwave as a combined christmas and birthday present and i happened to be visiting when he came in the mail. i was going to ship him back but he was too cool so i carried him on the plane with me, and threatened my wife that i was going to play with him in flight. good luck with the new job and overcoming the challenges. do they have boot sales in Iceland? maybe you can dig around the island and see what's laying around. -
Interesting article maz. One question- did you get rid of your diaclone collection? I know you did a purge a couple years ago but thought that was something that survived
I kept my Ceji Joustra Diaclone collection, but the Japanese, Finnish and Italian stuff is all gone. Lovely responses here guys, really enjoyed reading the replies, thank you! All the best Maz
I sent my collection home from Japan to the uk in massive cardboard crates, which have say in my parents garage for about 15 years. I'm worried that mice have destroyed everything. However, when moving TO Japan (both times), I've not brought any toys with me. That's what buying new toys is for! I don't understand why people would want to bring toys, safely stored away, into another country...
In my case it was very simple. My move from UK to Iceland is supposed to be permanent, so why would I leave stuff back home with no access to it, or clogging up my parents' home if I'm not enjoying it, or having the prospect of enjoying it? Of course my stuff moves with me when my life moves. All the best Maz
Great article! Unfortunately, I can't really sympathise, the furthest I've had to move my tf collection is up a flight of stairs
Ah, I see. For me, it's almost permanent, too, but I haven't got room for my entire collection in my flat, so they have to stay at my parent's place. Even now, my current collection is pretty darn big to warrant it's own room.
I know the feeling all too well. Seeing most of it actually on display and knowing there's MORE that simply cannot be displayed until I have some gigantic mancave...well it puts thoughts in my head y'know? All the best Maz
Indeed. Packing away all of my collection, into their respective boxes, then bigger boxes, and finally crates, gives me time to arrange my collection into series/characters/etc and to separate trips to then sell, too. I recommend that every collector has a purge every now and then.
Great article, Maz, hope all goes well for you in your new job! I can't imagine having to move all the stuff I've accumulated to a far distant place, much less another country. I guess moving really does make one re-evaluate what stuff's important and what's just "stuff." I've had to move only once since starting to collect seriously, and I only had my Beast Wars/Machines collection and some childhood G1's. Only took a few plastic totes. I figure my TF collection has quadrupled since then, maybe more, with Generations, MP, Animated, Prime. Then there's all my books and DVDs. Really, it would be moving all the collectibles that would keep me up at night, because I don't have closetfuls of clothes or much furniture. It would be quite an undertaking to move again, but luckily I don't see that happening in the near future.
