I'd quit, I have over 500 Transformers ranging from a few G1s up to modern RID & Titans Return plus a bunch of Collectors Club and Botcon figures. There is NO way I'd EVER be able to recover a collection like that. Plus the sentimental value is destroyed too. I mean I'd still be a fan of Transformers but I would never collect again.
I honestly don't know what I'd do.. I mean.. my masterpiece collection in itself is probably worth enough for a down-payment for a house, so... I'd probably just be done at this point in my life.
I'm not completely sure, but like most I'd probably call it quits for the most part. Honestly trying to rebuild what I have sounds extremely nerve wracking and more like work than a fun hobby. So I'd probably dip out and mostly just observe toys from then on. Though the more I think about it, I would probably try and at least track down some of my all time favorite figures (ex: CW Superion, Megazord, etc.) and just be satisfied with those.
I would give up without a second thought. I don't particularly enjoy this subject, because when I boil it down, it always makes me question the whole reason why I'm collecting in the first place. One day I'm gonna be an old codger and assuming I make it that far without developing Parkinson's disease or some other condition that seriously impacts my fine motor skills etc., I actually wonder whether I will even give a crap about them by that point. In some ways I'm probably just delaying the inevitable when it comes to the final 'great sell-off'. :/
I would rebuy the first minicon I had ever owned, buy a few of my favorites, and call it quits. If I lost all of my collection, I don't think I'd ever be able to look at any other TF Figures again.
I keep meticulous records of all collectibles I have bought. I have every receipt and update pictures of my collection with each new added toy. If it can be insured, it will be insured. So in the event something happens, hopefully most of my collection is covered. That's not to say that I wouldn't try saving as many as I could, after securing my family of course. I'd be chucking MPs out the damn window. Since I live in the country (farmfields all around me) and most of my MPs, Legends and Combiners are still boxed (I usually by doubles if everything), tossing them out the window won't be detrimental to them. First to be tossed, MP10 and MP12, followed by my Seekers, Magnus, Ratchet, the Waves, the Datsuns, G1 Blaster and as many of my other MPs as possible. Then my Combiners and Legends and SGs.
It's a never-really-know-unless-it-actually-happened sort of thing, but I imagine this would be pretty close for me.
i'd collect the insurance on it, and probably start over from scratch. although, i'd probably focus mainly on g1, beast wars, and cybertron. as those are my favorite lines.
I'd let it go. Transformers isn't my only hobby, and I'll just cut my losses and move on. I might try to get the things I liked the most but I won't really stress it.
It would probably be the end. As it is, life has got to the point where i don't really have time for this hobby anymore. I buy Masterpiece items out of nostalgia, but they see little daylight. Since TR started, i don't even keep up with mass retail items.
I'd start over and not make the mistakes i made before. Wich basically means be more strict, prudent and patient when it comes to buying representations of characters.
Change focus. I would love to sell off most of my collection. I have most figures from Beast era on. I'm just too damn lazy.
I've been collecting for almost 20 years now, and it would be daunting to try to get every piece back. Certainly daunting financially. I'd like to say I wouldn't start collecting all over again, but I probably would. Probably just a few outstanding figures that I feel I couldn't live without. Going forward, I'd try to find a focus (which I don't have now, I just get what I think is cool and/or would fit into my existing collection). Maybe I'd go beastformers only. Beast Wars is my favorite TF toyline of all time, and many of my favorite figures from other lines are beasts (G1 Dinobots, Insecticons, Predacons, etc.; Generations BW updates; Animated Dinobots, Blackarachnia, and Waspinator; Beast Hunters Predacons)
It would depend on how much money I got from the insurance company. If I did continue collecting, it would be a smaller and more focused collection.
whooo......I dunno. I did lose a big box of G1 stuff in 99 due to my own idiocy and laziness and I bought most of that back as an adult collector.....but if what I had now was to go? I think I would be done. I lament that box I lost nearly monthly........Euro exclusive stuff like Action master Elites, Overlord & all the Motorvators were in there. I bought Overlord again but its unlikely I will ever own the Motorvators again.
In the end, it is just stuff but don't get me wrong, it would suck for it to be lost after all the time and money I had put into to building it. I think if this happened to me, I'd just laser focus my future collecting to just MPs and when I had some extra spare cash, slowly rebuild my Ratchet/Skywarp collection.
