Transitions in collection?

[akabob]

Sith Lord I love Akira!

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

I don't consider myself a true collector. I did collect star wars and transformers in the 80s but those were only because as a kid that was all that was reallly popular amoungst other kids. (I had no intention of keeping them and storing them in a giant collection)

The thing I like to collect are toys of various mecha (mainly transformable designs from various science fiction shows) that have a certain level of complexity to how they change from one state to another. I think of them as a work of art and admire the design of the toy as much as what show I've seen them from. (ie like how a fan of the show wants to get all kinds of toys from things he has seen and wants to display them - take my banprestos, I like them because they are nice to have as a display even if they are cheap and easy to break)

The transformable toy to me then, is kind of the physical 'proof of the concept' of the modular vehicle shown in the show. (often I like to pause and rewind transformation sequences to get a good idea of whats going on)

Of all the transformable vehicles I think the vf1 is my favourite because it stands out in its show as a machine that doesn't limit itself in the world to the environment it does battle in. It can go underwater, float, fight on the ground, in air, in space, in small cluttered environments where staying low may give cover and allow for easier control (I love the scenes of the gerwalk mode in the early episodes on earth in SDF:Macross). Overall the concept of the modular machine that adapts to each situation (as opposed to used merely to disguise) is a thing I've liked since I was a kid.

Along with yamatos, I also collect transformers alternators but nothing else. Again it's because the complexity of the toys and realism of them (the vehicles look real!) and as great displays. I care a lot about the poseability of a robot mode when considering toys too. Not happy with the bandai mac 7 stuff. Would love to see yamato have a crack at making some toys from macross 7.

I use to like mcfarlane spawn figures but as others may have mentioned they are too much like statues than toys So I'm mainly focused on interesting mecha designs that have a complex transformation to them and functional reason/purpose for thier use in the shows they are in. They also have to look damn cool in the first place to get my interest. So yeah I judge the toy on these things and don't really 'collect em all' like others just because it was all seen in the show. (just the stuff in the show/series/movie/ova I thought was cool)

In the 80s I had a small collection of the robotech toys that came out at the time but was more into the model kits. Now the reverse has happened: today I am mainly interested in the toys (transforming a model could be dangerous when you think about it, what if it breaks?) because they can be handled and if given a decent scale, look good as a display too. (but no I don't mod my stuff or anything: too lazy/unskilled/scared)

Quality does play a factor in me getting a toy. I would never have bought any of the new transformers alternator stuff unless I liked the toys in vehicle and robot form. Nostalgia isn't that big a reason for me wanting old stuff, more that the old stuff might be hard to find someday if you really treasure that thing personally and don't want to spend an arm and leg to have it. (paying for stuff that isn't worth the money you paid for it)

My collection of yamato 1/48 would probably be huge if harmony gold was out of the picture and these were available in masses all over the world. Imagine going into a big chain store and they had a 70% sale off toys to clear space and they stocked yamato macross stuff? *drools*

Edited June 3, 2005 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[ShadowerV2]

Started collecting FF Figures and it went on to Witch Blade and it just got out of hand I guess.

Especially the 1/6 Range of figures.

[Fort]

I began collecting DBZ and Gundam Wing back when they were first getting really popular. I tried building gundam madels but my lack of experience was my tradjic downfall. After i saw a few episodes of DBGT, i lost all faith in the seires. But my gundam faith remained strong as the 08th Ms team and 0080 showd up on CN. when i saw 0083 that made me buy imported gundam merchendise. When adult swim came allong, i fell in love with almost ever anime they dished out.(exept that nightmare pilot canidate) throgh thase years i mostly baught Gundam Stuff. I had a pretty big collection.

In 2003 back when G4tv was still G4tv, i saw a reveiw of Robotech Battlecry. I was captivated by the mecha designs. I rented the game and soon after i bought the DVD's. I was hooked. Between DVD's i bought as many Robotech Toys as i could find. My first being the VF-1j MPC. my collection statyed around Super posables, and the SD morphers. I could rarely afford MPC. Somewhere between the Masters and the Next Generation i learned of Macross. I saw DYRL? in may of 2003, After that all i wanted was macross. I bought all the macross DVD's on the US Market with in one week. I bought model kits from on line stores, in bulk, I got my firs Yomato 1/60 off of ebay, and finally i bought all the Animego DVD's from Twin Moons. I did'nt get my first 1/48 until the chrismass of 2003.

in 2004, besides some buying of the Alpha posables, the new comic series, and one more 1.48 valk, my Macross collection started to cool off. I saw macross 7 that summer, for the record, i liked very much, but i never bought and merchendise.

By late 2004 my macross collection had grown to ample size, not anywhere near sithloards, but good enough for me. The price of macross toys is what kept me from buying them reguarly. So i decided to stop collectiong macross mainly.

After macross i wantr back to gundam model kits. Gundam Seeds Suprising release in the staed gave me good reason to buy some merchendise. When i moved to texas in the summer of 2004, i found places carring Gundam models for very cheap. and i stoked up. As 2005 approached i shifted my focus to a genre that had not focused on in quite some time. Star Wars.

With revenge of the sith, released Star Wars mechendise has flooded the market. With the money i have i could buy 4 or 5 SW action figures a week, more than the total ammount of macross stuff i got in a half a year.

Thats where i am today. Star Wars, my latest and Cheapest collection yet.

[akabob]

Wow Fort you got hooked pretty fast!

[akabob]

Any one else have pictures? Im waiting another week or so before I post mine and my story. Just waiting for a couple of more items in the mail.

[kanedaestes]

i started in my senior year of high school, mostly was into dbz and trigun toys. i was always looking for macross (or robotech yeah i know boo) but the availability at that time was scarce, and the prices on ebay outrageous. but then i happened to come across a store in my mall that specialized in old and import toys, they had some mospeda stuff so i picked up a rook cyclone, and then he had a jetfire without the armour, i shelled out like 100 for it, hey it was my first valk, and i have been wanting one since i was a child in the 80's. then i saw that toynami was making some, got a vf-1j, then of course moved on to the yamato side of things when my pay allowed it. but during those years i picked up many a gundam wing model, trigun figures, gungrave, transformers, etc. but yeah it all started for me around 1998-99, i am suprised my mom never really said that much about it, if she really knew how much money i spent she would have killed me.

[myk]

Did any one experience the change from paying up to a grand for old bandai and takatoku to having so much more choice with yamato and toynami?

I painfully remember that in the year of 1999, long before the advent of the reissues and the new Yamato Valkyries, I paid well over $3,000 to acquire 3 slightly less than perfect Strike Valkyries. Back in those days such a decision was craziness, but somewhat understandable considering that Macross toys were quite the rare and collectable items, and NO ONE knew that Bandai and Yamato were planning what they eventually did for Macross fans in the new millenium.

I still complain today about the increasing prices of current Valkyries, but I of all people know that the situation used to be much worse. Considering what I paid back in '99, $190 for a Super Milia doesn't sound so bad after all...

-I still won't buy from TSINC though...

[Agent-GHQ]

Tsinc got the goods, but man its pricy!!

[phatslappy]

I started collecting. bought a whole bunch of overpriced toys. Got tired of it. stopped.

[do not disturb]

I started collecting. bought a whole bunch of overpriced toys. Got tired of it. stopped.

thats the best story yet!

[M'Kyuun]

I'm a rather eclectic collector, but not really a completist. I buy what I like, and my interests, though many, are primarily Lego( which I've been collecting nonstop since 1975, or thereabout, and for which I am rapidly running out of storage ), Star Wars figures and Lego sets(of course, 'cause they're awesome), Transformers (Takara MP Prime and the Binaltech line are, IMHO, what Takara should have been making all along, but I digress), and transformable Valkyries, esp Yammies. Since my folks were never sci-fi fans, much to my chagrin, I never got into collecting SW until Hasbro started releasing figures in 1995. I haven't stopped since, and I have a respectable collection, though far from complete, of MISB figures. Sorry no pics...almost everything outside of my Lego mess is boxed or wrapped up in plastic to keep it nice for the day when I finally own a house with lots and lots of shelves to display everything.

[myk]

I started collecting. bought a whole bunch of overpriced toys. Got tired of it. stopped.

Amen to that....

[kanata67]

Approx. 1985 I notice many new Jetfire type bootlegs at a nearby swapmeet. The boots were actually 1/100 Takas (little did know) so I picked up about 5 of these

1986-87 I began skateboarding, still I am a collector. I skate down the hill from my house and to place called "Koreatown Plaza", I would skate this really cool hip and painted concrete ledge. Low and behold I see a StrikeValkyrie in the window. I walk in and see many other DYRL 1/55s, nice but to me they are not RT or Xformers.  Still, I give in and buy the Strike and an Elint (Ostrich is also there) at $30 each.  Neither would last more than a half a year in my possession, I traded them for more GI Joes. To make things worse I had already dismantled most of the valks and took what I could from the valks to make custom "jet" vehicles for my beloved Joes.

301524[/snapback]

the horror... the horror

don't suppose you saved the boxes... sniff?

I did many a horrible thing to gi-joes and transformers... butthose were always the toys I traded for, not the ones I owned. Heck, I dusted my night raven nightly for three years and sold it mint with box for nothing when tring to get my first nintendo [if only I had known I would one day have every nintendo game ever made on one cd that played on a sega stystem ]

In highschool playing batletech and 40k I started buying my friends basement crap for custom parts. They were into girls and were more than happy to trade me 15 lbs of gi joe vehicles for a bottle of captain morgan. I ammassed quite a collection then gave it all away when I joined the navy. It's kinda better collecting anew as you know what crap was pure crap from the first time around and don't have to get it a second time. for instance... the pull-back flippy transformers, all gobots, he-man stuff, pre-swivel arm gi-joe, tranzor-z, etc.[macress]

lord knows I"m not about to bid $5 on a hovertank... llousey piece of !&*@)*%@) dipped in ^%!@#$^!$~$^ with !@@^~@$&~#& on top and a midget !^%^*#* a goat ^^#$@#%%& a hairy donkey^!!&!&!%&!&!& frshly shaved cat*$(@&&*((&!^ crowley @^@$^

.....