Yeah at the end of the day, the multiple lines are just a way to get out more toys within a year. We used to have one classics line with cautious at best treatment (modern alt modes, easy repaints, less bright colours) by Hasbro for a good 10 years or so from 2006-2017 and even then we didn't have a complete cast. The WFC and Legacy era hasn't been around for long and we've pretty much got a full cartoon cast lined up already. Hasbro realised we're willing to shell out more than they previously allocated for in a year, so now we have 2-3 lines plus retailer exclusives  . Maybe there's more to it, but basically I think they just rule it as:

• Appears in the movie at least semi-prominently = SS86

• Doesn't appear in the movie or want to put out soon = Legacy

• Risky offshoot or overflow figures = Velocitron/exclusive subline

I don't know how many fans actually think Hasbro is doing separate toylines for the '86 movie and for the rest of G1+extra continuities, and treat them separately though.

I like this attitude. After all, we should ideally buy a figure because we like it and believe it to be a worthy representative of a character that we would cherish even if another came along. With the speed of everything now, I think it's really easy to slip into the mindset of filling a checklist of characters, feeling betrayed when a slightly better one comes out, then selling off the one that was so easily replaced while never having actually had any fun.

Taking the time to think about what figures we actually want and pick/choose according to that is a lot healthier than collecting to buy stuff IMO. If WFC and now SS86 taught us anything, it's that a new version might be right around the corner, so hold out if you don't 100% love a figure.

 

I'll put Masterpiece Shouki next to Titans Return Hardhead and then just for fun put my G1 Metalhawk with them both, and then the GI Joe crossover Marissa Faireborn, there are no rules and it's total chaos!

 

Yeah as long as they all "match" I don't care where any figure originated from. My collection is a mix and match of Thrilling 30, Kingdom and the original BW line and I'm very satisfied and straight up proud of how they look together:

 

From Cyberverse, Movies, WFC, TR, 3rd parties, etc. I really find that the one ones that don't fit are the overly cartoonish figures that don't work as well and so I avoid those. The hard thing for me is to define the range of what I find "acceptable" at times as some may look somewhat cartoonish, but look so good that it works, while some just don't work at all, even if the difference might not be much, it's a very fine line for me. For many, it's still the scale of them working somewhat well that makes a difference.

 

Very nice! Looks great. Also, can’t wait until they do a new Rampage. The original toy is STILL an absolutely sexy murder crab so I hope they do it justice when the new version finally appears.

 

I doesn't matter what line the toy came from. If they aestheticly fit for me I will display them together. I mix WFC, Legacy and SS86 togetehr because they are kind of desinged to go together. SS86 and Generations don't overlap the same characters unless one can be improved. Both lines reuse molds between each other(Coronation Starscream, Velocitron Hot Rod). I basicly split them among 3 shelves: Beast Wars, Autobots and Decepticons. At my parents house I have also some shelves with older figures: Movie 1 + 2, Movie 3 + 4 + 5, SS Constructicons, Vintage Beast Wars and Beast Machinses and Miscellaneous that has some Armada, some Cybetron, some Universe Classics 2.0, some Real Gear Robots, basicly variety of figures that were too few to get their own shelf.

 

Throw everything in and sod where it came from. My classics shelf has generations, t30, wfc, prime figures, prime trilogy, ss86, rid15 strongarm, gigawatt, mp cassettes, rotf bludgeon, ss thrust as jihaxus, bw basics as pretenders, cybertron figures, a sprinkling of 3p, it all goes in and it all fits to my eye.

 

Personally, I don't mix aesthetics.

MP is with MP. K/L is with K/L. T30 is with T30.

 

Far too much

I have a dedicated bin for WFC mainline, and “proper” (PF WFC and Walmart Elita and red cog) on the other

 

For me not so much. My shelves were a mix match of what ever. No rhyme or reason except for my lost light shelf.

 

Except for my Alternators shelf, the others are mixed. There have been plenty of figures come out that I did not prefer over one from another line. For example, TR Blurr over the new SS86 Blurr. The more toon-accurate style is not something I like in all my figures. I think it is ol for some of them, but over the years I have found many more stylized renditions look better on my shelves. I don't even use the more G1 versions of Arcee. I'm using Cyberverse Arcee.

 

I'm more than happy to mix and match lines if it works best in my collection. It's pretty much how it's worked since I got into collecting back in '07.

Right beside me at the moment are ER Prowl, CW Magnus (w/ the PE Core Magnus KO upgrade), and Uni 2.0 Hound, and I'm quite happy with how they all look next to each other. Everyone's opinions will likely vary, though.  

 

I was about to say no but thinking about how I set up my shelves, I definitely do tend to keep the figures in the scene from the same aesthetic.