So, you are poisoned and wanted to start your collection yes? Before delving further into the subject lets get back to the basics.
This website is your perfect online resource for Transformers 3 Optimus Prime toy and other Transformer collectibles. Browse the various toys and action figures featured in this website and see the various hard-to-find and rare Transformers toys. This website is truly a haven for toy collectors. Do you consider yourself as a collector? Read on the short article below to know what it takes to become a Transformers toy collector.
Defining Collector
What defines a collector? A collector literally mean a person who collects things. Transformers toy collecting is not new as this trend have been around ever since Transformers cartoon first hit the screens in the US in 1984.
The phenomenon was hyped up with the boom of electronic media and internet, and not forgetting Hasbro’s enthusiasm to commit further to this franchise that have make them good earnings and earn them much respect by reliving mementos among fans who grew up watching and playing their products.
Collecting Transformers
Transformers like any other hobby is a cool hobby to get involved with. Most people I believed got hooked up with the show/cartoon first, then the toys.
This is because the cartoon itself is a marketing tool that is so good that the show runs for many years with very intresting story lines that struck righ to the heart and minds of their fans.
The toyline then was delievered with a huge variety which was a shock tactic that immediately sowed in the minds of
their fans that uttered to themselves ‘Ugh, I gotta have all of them’.
The enthusiasm that was showed challenged their fans to race around accumulating the best bits of the toyline making them want more, and Hasbro’s policy of never say no, quickly delivered more based on the demand they got from the feedbacks. This will get fans to be glued for few more years to come.
The chain goes on with the release and the success of Generation 1 (G1) that lasted 6 years. Hasbro got a break after 1990 but the Japanese fans was entertained for an extra of 2 more years before the toyline ceased its cycle and was take over by the Generation 2 (G2). The list goes on up till current.
This guide was meant to those who wish to collect Transformers collectibles such as the action figure toys, memorabilia, merchandise etc but in this article we will focus highly on one of the biggest interest of almost any Transformers fan, that is collecting the toys. We have studied the pattern of collector and their collection based on interaction with the site hence releasing these notes.
Collector’s Type
You have now pretty much understood what collecting is all about in the Transformers perspective. Now, please decide what sort of collector you wanted to be? Most collectors in TransMY are made mostly of selective collectors, completeist and creatives.
We have summed up a clear categorization of Transformers collectors based on our observation on our own community. You may fall in one (or more) of these categories:
- Completeists – You objectives is to collect everything under the sun i.e. whatever Hasbro and Takara have to offer in this Transformers world. You haul duplicates, redeco, rare, exclusive, mainstream and everything with Transformers name on it regardless of toy lines. You might purchase more than one with one being played or displayed and the other one being kept in it’s original form.
- Regionalists – You are a fan of either the Americans, Japanese, European or others. We have seen fanatics who stick on only all-Hasbro products or all-Takara-Tomy products only. Collectors that fall in this category are mostly brand conscious either preferring Hasbro or Takara-Tomy only.
- Seasonals – You only collect based on mood or trend. You are easily swayed by other brands and seasonal collectors are not true/loyal fans of Transformers (mostly). You might in your time collect a mixed lot including non-Transformers item in your hauls.
- Selectives – You only collect certain faction, certain mould, certain rank, certain groups, certain variants, certain rarities, certain generations, certain characters or certain conditions (i.e. MISB or MOC only etc)
- Creatives – You collect and you may fall on one of the categories above from 1-4. The only difference with the above is you want more so you end up creating your own by kitbashing, customizing or modelling them yourself! Collectors that belong to this category are called kitbashers and customisers and this lot is never satisfied with what Hasbro and Takara-Tomy has to offer in term of paintjobs, gimmicks or looks.
- Resellers – You collect just for the sake of reselling and business. Some unethical ones ended up being a scalper or ‘tukang goreng’ in our Malaysian laymen terms. Beware of not over doing it or you will be labelled as a scum and incarcerated in your Transformers community.
Putting yourself in a category proved useful as you can manage your time, effort and finances more efficiently. It will greatly assist you in keeping track of your expenditures and will constantly put you on constant alert of what are the priorities in your scouting and hunting efforts.
By doing that, you can start drafting a list of what you like with those categorisation being a fundamental guideline of putting you on track in collecting. Also it will prevent you from buying items which does not fit into the categorisation that you have decided to yourself into.
This outlines a reminder for you to stick to your collecting principles instead of buying pointlessly or whimishly.
