When I started collecting, I could only get one toy (usually an Alternator) per month. And I was perfectly okay with that, I had the time to enjoy each and every piece. But now... sometimes I receive a new toy and 10 minutes later I'm already looking for another one to buy. Eww! Toys are usually coming in weekly and it seems it's never enough. Right now, even the Highbrow and Fallen figures I got on Monday feel old already and they're not even released yet! Or take that $200 SOC Daitarn 3 I bought a few months ago. I think I've transformed the thing once or twice and I haven't touched it since even though I was super excited about getting him after months of anticipation. And the same goes with the stuff I buy at retail: the novelty effect wears out in no time. I would sure like to be excited about my toys a little longer than that...

 

You've got the itis! Transformeritis!

 

it depends on various things.


1. your economy. this is inversely proportional to how much time you spend with each figure.

2. the quality of the figure. I have figures that after transforming a few times I leave at the shelve. those are the crap/decent ones. The great ones with fun transformations are always done once a while, to me.

 

for years i have been very limited in transformer purchases (maybe a deluxe a month), but when i worked at mcdonalds i was getting entire waves of figures....that was nice....but then i had to cut back to normal....now i got a new job, but after this one big purchase i am having to restrain myself so i can save up for botcon 2011

 

I usually keep my transformers on my shelf and table. When I start to get bored, I transform them. Keeps the novelty going a little longer. It's the main reason why I don't get non-transforming robots.

For me, novelty probably lasts a week.

 

Varies, really. With US/European retail toys the novelty effect dissipates in no time, so much so I've more or less abandoned buying them now. Reissues and vintage G1 vary depending whether I really wanted it or I bought to complete a set. With Takara collector's stuff the novelty value persists to some degree, especially with exclusive repaints.

 

This, and I totally have it too. All I can think of it that it derives from our natural hunting/gathering instincts. Humans is crazy.

 

They look great before you get it, but looses novelty once its in your hands sometimes. I bought the 2006 botcon set and played with it for a while and decided to sell it within a month. I was very stoked about optimus primal and loved the way it looked, but sold it eventually. I just bought the 2006 set again though. I wonder how long the 2008 set would last me....

 

It all depends on the figure for me. I get sick of things pretty quickly, but when I get a gem it definitely lasts for me. I got Leader SS about a month ago and I still like it as much as the day I got it (because he's the shit), I got Faith Prime back in April-May and the same goes for that.

 

If I were you, I'd take a break from buying toys for a while. Even from the toys you already own and try to do other activities that you find fun/exciting. Sure, at first these activities will seem not nearly as fun/ arousing as being in the TF universe, but it will help bring down your tolerance for action figures, causing more enjoyment from a single transformer. I had the itis when I tried to catch up on my classics collection, but I stop feeling the "plastc high" feeling after a while, so I stopped for a while and now it's fun again.

 

Keep your receipts...!  

 

The larger purchases never seem to wear off on me. The MP's, Victory, Alternity toys are still just super awesome to me and I transform them at least a couple times every week. Lio Kaiser, Star Saber, Deszaras will never get old to me 

For normal stuff, it dies real quick. I brought ROTF Optimus Prime after hearing everyone rant and rave about how awesome he was.... he was cool for 10 minutes and I ended up trading him for some old Headmasters.

 

I know what you mean, to a degree. The bigger my collection gets, the more I seem to want new stuff. I don't pick up and transform older toys very often at all, though I do repose them. OTOH, that's just the kind of collector I am: I pose them, and sometimes take photo-action sequences.

So I'd say the novelty effect hits me, but not so much that I only like newer stuff. Sometimes I'll even "rediscover" a toy, such as Recon Ironhide.

 

I find the novelty factor lasting less and less lately. I think it is like any addiction, in that you need more and more each time to give you the same high.

 

it varies, classics and animated have lasted a little longer than usual, but once i get a new figure it usually goes away for them too, i dunno, maybe a week to 2 weeks for a figure, longer if i get a few at a time

 

During the summer months, I just go fucking crazy to be honest. I don't have school to occupy my time so I just buy figures. The summer also means it's time for Botcon too...and that gets crazy.

Right about now though, is when things start calming down. I can't make as many trips to the store, I'm not working as much, and I have school to occupy my time. It balances itself out for me.

Man...I hate college.

 

Sometimes the novelty wears off pretty quickly. But the good thing is you can always go back and "rediscover" ones in bins and what not. I've been going through my Universe voyagers lately. Grant it all but one are repaints of the Cybertron line, but they are still cool.

 

On average, I'd say my interest lasts about a week with each new figure as I try to buy them one at a time. My interest then either goes to finding the next one I want, or diverting my attention back to one I haven't played with in a while.
This works pretty well for me as I find myself finding new things to like about some of my older figures.

 

It really depends on the figure. I still get tons of mileage out of all my figures, but I still want another.

That usually lasts a week or two.

 

Depends on whether the transformations are fun or not. Movie toys and animated don't hold my interest for long. The classics and some cybertron deluxes I still love to fiddle with. Unfortunately, most of my stuff is in boxes right now.