The Energon Pub

So the story starts like this. A man, let's just say a mentor of mine, made a robust, thought provoking and inspiring post about the hobby of collecting Transformers. To be succinct, his message conveyed to me that as Transformers fans and collectors, we've got it pretty darn good.

Before I get into the whole shebang, I'm not here today to be the spokesperson of Hasbro, Takara or BotCon. I'm not here to kiss your derriere, or bleed my heart out for some overseas third party. As of right now, I'm on my side. Because in today's contemporary world of political apathy, hair-trigger revolutions, and the very thin line between Bear and Bull, this is the only side I can be on.

While I may state that I'm the a lone gun slinging rebel, that's certainly far from the truth. Four years ago when my mentor made his point, I certainly saw that I wasn't alone. And even as today, while I try to be unique in being a vintage Micron collector, there's a duo on the staff of Seibertron.com that are a mile ahead of me at this point. I'm conforming to have collections like them than rather set myself apart.

Why? Because just like my mentor did to me, opinions are very powerful. If a website called Seibertron.com can sway the way you spend or don't spend your hard earned money, than it's certainly something. And while that's lovely, I find that it's a bit unsettling. The one opinion that is most powerful in the whole concept of collecting Transformers is negativity. It's a game changer, in the sense that it can stop people from posting, stop people's interests, their activity in the community, and straight up just stop Seibertronians from collecting. There's nothing wrong with speaking one's mind, but the problem I see is the damage it can do to the youth on the site. So despite my steadfast opinion in this editorial, I'll refrain from any dissing. I'm likely to contradict myself, but hey, who doesn't these days. Late last year I made a somewhat controversial column on how much I disliked Power Core Combiners. This year I dropped a few hundred on the same toys, repainted in black and grey and put under the Transformers United banner. Contradiction at its finest.

What amazes me about my mentor's post is that four years later, his thoughts can still be attributed to the Transformers fandom today. In that time span, we had another movie, the rush and gun of third party expansion, another new cartoon and toy lines in and out like never before. Not only did his word carve the collecting personality I have now, it also shaped an idea that I'll never forget - Despite what happens, Transformers will always be there, and it's a joy that cannot be ruined by others.

However, some feel that Transformers have been ruined for them. Uh-freaking-oh.


Dark Of The Moon

A lot of people are complaining about this line, and I just don’t see the point in it. Hasbro has already gone through two movie, toy lines, and let’s just say the second half of the second one didn’t exactly stand the test of time (Hi Tuner Mudflap!). Maybe MechTech is a little something to change things up? It’s all about getting creative, and I just don’t like the bashing going on. Transformers evolves through time, whether it be Mini-Cons, Energon Weapons, or Cyber keys. “Oh, it’s not Transformers in Disguise if the vehicle mode has a giant weapon on it”. Really? Really?

Because yeah, a Stingray Corvette chillin’ in the Egyptian desert isn’t enough of a giveaway already. From the perspective of my former youth, I’m going out on a limb and saying that Transformers toys that are weaponless are sort of… boring? 2007 Movie Stockade, Barricade, and ROTF Skids have punching powers and they aren’t exactly a fist up on anybody.

“They take away from the robot mode of the character.” Mechtech is only a deterrent for the Deluxe class, and do you really need a 10th Bumblebee? Sideswipe is now a convertible, and I’d even say that his Mechtech weapon is not chunky, but darn nice and deadly. Skids and Mudflap are now black and their respective colors, but you're going to find both later in the Human Alliance class! Same goes for the Wreckers, who I’d say, put your money on the Human Alliance class figures as they actually have armor going on!

And even then… we should be glad of the toys we are getting! Bumblebee, Skids and Mudflap could be all ROTF repaints, as their ROTF molds weren't exactly used and abused like ’07 Movie Voyager Ratchet. Sideswipe could be non-movie accurate as they didn’t really need to go convertible with a character that I presume isn't going to get much screen or talk time again.

They’re $12 US. $16 Canadian. £12.99. It’s really not that bad.

If you’re a kid or teen reading this and are just mad that you can’t get them all. Don’t worry, there’s a little thing called Buy/Sell/Trade, BotCon/local conventions, eBay and our site sponsors. 5-6 years down the road, when you finally make big money, these DOTM figures will be available for you because they just aren’t going anywhere too fast.

Imports

“Bring it back to North America”. Oh come on! Are we this lazy to no longer enjoy the thrill of the hunt? Just because something is made by Takara or is a East Asia convention exclusive, does not mean you can’t get your grubby hands on figures. Sure, it’s at a price, but isn’t anything these days costly? Your girlfriend’s shoe collection. Insurance on your vehicle. As Transformers fans, we’ve got it made. BBTS, TFsource, Robotkingdom, and your friendly overseas guys at B/S/T can get these figures for you easily. Heck, I’d even say that gluing myself to BBTS is the lazy way out, and isn’t even hardcore anymore.

At the same time however, you need to be diligent if you want exclusive overseas toys. No one's knocking on your front door and selling you these bad boys. Make sure you know who your man or store is, and make sure they're giving it to you at the right price!

Personally, I'm not always the early bird who gets the plastic toy. I tend to wait things out and see prices drop, but it's not effective. 24 hours could be the difference from easily purchasing the figure off BBTS to having to spend a week in a bidding war for it on eBay.

Third Party Products

There are more than a handful of Hasbro purists in the community and as much as I'd like to side with them, I have to say we certainly cannot neglect what some third parties have achieved. Sure the guys who are straight knocking off figures made by Hasbro can go into the trash bin. But for the rest of them, we can't group them all into one bag. I honestly don’t see anything wrong with a majority of third party products for other people. If you want something done, it’s going to be made by a third party. And even if you don’t want something, it’s still being made. This is no deal with the devil, if you feel that your collection is empty without something from FansProject, HeadRobots or Mastermind Creations, then by all means, it’s there for the taking. It’s not for everyone, and it’s not entirely for me either. I've got a plan to do customize a squad of Animated Fembots. Sure I could indulge in some of Knock Offs made and make my life easier. But no, I’ll just buy a few extra Animated Arcees and do the painting myself. I just don’t feel that owning anything from a KO company is satisfying or.. truthful. But that’s just me.

The point I am trying to get across with the third party aspect is that we’re pretty damn lucky. To build an original figure and to have it to transform, it’s more than just throwing baking soda and vinegar together. It’s not even to the engineering standpoint that we’re lucky. The fact that 3rd party companies have been able to succeed in our fanbase is an attribute to the one and only one fact. The fans want Transformers, official or non-official, and we are going to continue to get what we want.

At the same time, I don't want to paint that all third parties make good and reliable products! Many of these are very expensive, and are going to be a risk if you go head first into pre-ordering them without question. If something feels like it's way too expensive, and not worth it, then it's probably not worth it.

Let’s just be glad there is another guy.. or I guess 10+ other non-official guys trying to help us out with our collections. It makes me more than happy knowing that companies I buy product off of are actually looking out for their customers.


Quality Control

It’s called glue, use it! I can understand if your toy is missing a hand or missile, or something like that. But if something breaks off because of YOU, then I think it is YOUR responsibility to fix it. We are adults, and glue isn’t exactly a power tool. Returning a figure you broke in replace for a new one, just puts another broken toy on the market that a kid or teenager might end up buying and having to work with something that you couldn't.

Yes, this is coming from someone who’s bought a hell of a lot of retail Transformers and hasn’t returned a single one. What does this have to do with me liking Transformers? It shows me genuine people. Those who are willing to not give up and would rather work with what's been given to them. And despite the frequent complaints with toys being broken, I see a lot of handy people on Seibertron.com.

Video Reviews

They suck. Sorry, couldn’t go through an essay without giving ‘some’ negativity. (Contradiction #1?). Do we really need grown men and their hands doing video reviews for us? Where’d the fun key go? Having someone go through how a figure looks and how it transforms is just a complete desensitizer from doing everything yourself.

“Oh well it helps me with my purchases”. Dude, it’s like watching a movie video review before watching the movie. Don’t you feel like it’s spoiling everything? Sure, this is an expensive piece of plastic that is going to be concrete in your collection, but there’s the fun in trying to hunt to experience the figure for yourself and trying to make your own judgement! I wouldn’t have ended up with half the gems in my collection if I just listened to the views that some people were spewing out.

I'm not trying to detract what video reviews have established, they are a prime part of our community. They keep everyone buzzing, and the fact that our community is so active is another reason why I like Transformers. I'm more than confident that many of you reading this have had a video review help with your purchases. But in no means should anyone take their word as gospel as much as mine or anyone on Seibertron.com. Form your own opinion! Video reviews of something static, while someone talks, it's not the same as going through galleries or reading what your fellow collectors say in the forums.

I can see if the video review is about a third party product or if we’re talking about MP-09 Rodimus Convoy. Those are big money things and there might not be too many opinions of those. Yet 8/10 of the reviews that are out there are certainly not for MP-09 Rodimus or an expensive third party product. They're something that you can get excited about when you experience it for $12 or more. If you want to see how a video review should be done, with something called script and comedy, check out Barutarazu



Don't agree with my view on video reviews? Give me some merits as to why you like them so much!

---------------

TL:DR me and you’re dead meat!

So there you have it, my biased and fictitious perspective on why I love Transformers today. Will my piece be an inspiration for someone 4 years later? Who knows and who gives a crap. Go back to fiddling with your pile of loot and enjoy the life that has been given to you!

Blurrz out.

Excellent article Blurrz! I completely agree with you about video reviews. I don't hate the DOTM toys, but I do buy a lot of FP, PE, Headrobots, and Renderform pieces. I import my face off, probably too much, but United was a beautiful line.

Thanks for voicing an opinion and backing it up!

Very cool man, very cool. It's always nice and greatly appreciated to read an article like this reminding us that no matter what or how you collect, there is a place for us all.

you have alot of time on your hands

Somewhat strange to post an article about the positive side of collecting on a forum that would consist of people that I'd expect to already be positive about this stuff. But then again, I'd be ignoring human nature and our needs to excercise control about what we love.
I think that in a lot of cases people are negative because the changes within characterdesigns (irony!)alter the face of fond memories.

...

Okay. Now I contradict myself. If I where a dissapointed fan, where else would I go? Detroit?

Good article. I'm happy that there is such a thing as The TransFormers. MY CHILDHOOD CONTAINED TRANSFORMING ALIEN ROBOT DINOSAURUS THAT BREATHE FIRE, DAMMIT. Suck it, electric yellow rat.

Good stuff man.

It's not easy to put this kind of thing together.

There's a lot of options and a lot of figures out there these days. The hobby has changed and with that change there have become a lot more ways to collect...and more ways to view the franchise.

I spent a good number of years collecting, but I was collecting everything I could for the love of the hobby. That opened me up to experiencing first hand most every line and every mold out there. The big realization I had was that "all" was a big "never" for me. To be honest, the idea even became a burden. So, I started pulling back from some lines, even when I really liked them. For example, I love Beast Wars, but I sold off the toys and will not re-buy them. Instead, I'm focusing more on what I love in the hobby and what moves me to collect.

For me, this personally means that while I can appreciate almost every aspect of our toy lines; I have to be honestly critical too. It's a separation that prevents me from :nom nom nom:-ing every toy out there.

I don't think this has ever been more applicable than with DotM toys. It's funny with them because I think the Cyberverse toys are great. However, I will never buy them. I think a lot of the line is like that, good toys...that I won't ever buy. Anything I can integrate into my existing movie collection will be bought and loved. (and has been) At the same time, I'd be disingenuous if I didn't point out that this line isn't as good as RotF's line in terms of quality and paint apps. There's exceptions of course, but overall...time will tell.

As for MechTech, it has the potential to be great. Some of them are awesome now, others are really meh. Give the weapons some detail and avoid generic shapes and we have a winning gimmick. If it ends up more towards the blocky box with a peg type...then the verdict will be bad.

You're very correct over all though that this fandom and hobby has a lot to be happy about and more years of cool stuff to come. So most of the complaining and such as shortsighted as it is bombastic.

Edit in regards to helping other collectors out:

good job blurrz i always appreciate your words. I agree there is alot of negativity lately and i wish people would tone it down. I respect everyone's opinions but you don't have to buy the toys. I love the DOTM line. I dont like third party products but i never bash them. I simply don't buy them and i let everyone who likes them enjoy them. Instead of nagging on children's toys, we should just be glad for what we have and look foward for what to you want. thanks blurrz you put collecting into perspective!

Thanks for the love everyone!

RhA wrote:

Good article. I'm happy that there is such a thing as The TransFormers. MY CHILDHOOD CONTAINED TRANSFORMING ALIEN ROBOT DINOSAURUS THAT BREATHE FIRE, DAMMIT. Suck it, electric yellow rat.

I'm guessing a Pokemon-crossover would not float your boat

Counterpunch wrote:*****

For me, this personally means that while I can appreciate almost every aspect of our toy lines; I have to be honestly critical too. It's a separation that prevents me from :nom nom nom:-ing every toy out there.

I don't think this has ever been more applicable than with DotM toys. It's funny with them because I think the Cyberverse toys are great. However, I will never buy them. I think a lot of the line is like that, good toys...that I won't ever buy. Anything I can integrate into my existing movie collection will be bought and loved. (and has been) At the same time, I'd be disingenuous if I didn't point out that this line isn't as good as RotF's line in terms of quality and paint apps. There's exceptions of course, but overall...time will tell.

******

Edit in regards to helping other collectors out:

I agree, the whole nom-noming on everything is a very biased perspective. I can admit that a majority of the toys in the Armada collection are 'bad', but that hasn't stopped me from buying their respective repaints and remolds. Sure, they might be on the bottom of the list of things I need to buy, but they're still things I'm going to buy.

I believe the Cyberverse playsets are something that the Legends class needed. I think it can blossom into something interesting..... But I dunno, I just don't have the audacity to go out and buy these.. Polly Pocket Transformers.

And yeah, I can't say enough about fellow collectors and helping each other out. Forget about negative views, I wouldn't have a large portion of my collection had it not been for the people of Seibertron.com/Cybertron.ca

chrisc4 wrote:Instead of nagging on children's toys, we should just be glad for what we have and look foward for what to you want. !

Couldn't sum it up any better!

I agree with almost everything you said except the Hasbro vs 3rd party part. In my opinion, it should've been FunPub vs 3rd party, because, well, FunPub is the OG 3rd party and now they're being KO'd. I didn't think hasbro cared as long as kits weren't introduced over a hund-o price point. FunPub, however, sees the empire going drainside with the KO market.

And as for Mechtech weapons? Not really sure about it. It probably goes alongside with the movie with an explanation, which no one has seen but already has opinions. My guess would be that there are monster guns because they're fighting HUGE F*KING ALIEN ROBOTS.

Anyways, we can all agree that these movies have done volumes for the fandom, whether you like robots with vagina faces on them or not.

realy liked the article
and just wanted to add innovation is what made transformers a success then and nearly 30 yrs later. other toy makers are trying to replicate from those galaxy bots a tru to those bakugan figures everyone wants to get in on the transforming robot idea. as long as there are new gimmicks whether mech-tech,mechalive,automorph,pcc drones, powerlinx, headmasters,minicons etc. we will have new charachters and new iterations of old ones.

im a cook by trade and although i make my own recipes i do go on other websites and try other ideas and add some of my own touches to them. that in a nutshell is the whole 3rd party market to me.its people coming up with homages that are similiar yet different from the original idea but with thier own touches (springer and warbots transformations are RADICALLY DIFFERENT)

i gotta be honest my nephew is going on 10 and he adores the dotm line but from hearing his opinions on a few of them id say some of the discussion forums are influencing his likes and dislikes with phrases like "kibble" and "BFG" which he doesnt know yet thankfully lol! point is we the fandom often get caught up in what we like or in some recent cases hate and forget what future tf collectors will like.
thanks for your time

Interesting read. Thanks for compiling your ideas, and being willing to share, and face a backlash... most likely not, but people always find ways to be negative, so it is possible whenever you put yourself and your ideas out there.

I find my collecting ways going from buy everything, to being very, very choosey. Limited space and limited budget, less time will do that to you...probably.

Which brings me to this: i think it is time for me to open up a BUY/SELL/TRADE thread in Carbombya.


Thanks again for your thoughts Mr. Blurrz.

tigertracks 24 wrote:Interesting read. Thanks for compiling your ideas, and being willing to share, and face a backlash... most likely not, but people always find ways to be negative, so it is possible whenever you put yourself and your ideas out there.

I find my collecting ways going from buy everything, to being very, very choosey. Limited space and limited budget, less time will do that to you...probably.

Which brings me to this: i think it is time for me to open up a BUY/SELL/TRADE thread in Carbombya.


Thanks again for your thoughts Mr. Blurrz.

You should PM me first...

Razorclaw0000 wrote:

tigertracks 24 wrote:Interesting read. Thanks for compiling your ideas, and being willing to share, and face a backlash... most likely not, but people always find ways to be negative, so it is possible whenever you put yourself and your ideas out there.

I find my collecting ways going from buy everything, to being very, very choosey. Limited space and limited budget, less time will do that to you...probably.

Which brings me to this: i think it is time for me to open up a BUY/SELL/TRADE thread in Carbombya.


Thanks again for your thoughts Mr. Blurrz.

You should PM me first...

I would, but I'm not sure I have anything that a Noizemaze Prototype monocle wearing collector such as yourself will need...

I have to compile my list first...

tigertracks 24 wrote:

Razorclaw0000 wrote:

tigertracks 24 wrote:Interesting read. Thanks for compiling your ideas, and being willing to share, and face a backlash... most likely not, but people always find ways to be negative, so it is possible whenever you put yourself and your ideas out there.

I find my collecting ways going from buy everything, to being very, very choosey. Limited space and limited budget, less time will do that to you...probably.

Which brings me to this: i think it is time for me to open up a BUY/SELL/TRADE thread in Carbombya.


Thanks again for your thoughts Mr. Blurrz.

You should PM me first...

I would, but I'm not sure I have anything that a Noizemaze Prototype monocle wearing collector such as yourself will need...

I have to compile my list first...

I have a lot of weird/surprising gaps. I'm very schizophrenic with my collecting and focus. I'm missing like 30% of Henkei, but have a full set Gum Plus figures...it's weird.

I find it interesting that people begrudge other people over their collecting preferences. I guess I just don't understand it. Though I am very selective of what goes onto my shelf, I love seeing what different kinds of collections other people have. I remember a meet-up once where some of the guys were talking about mini-cons. I don't collect those, but it was cool to hear all the stuff that they had and why they collect those figures.

These differences in collecting also helped me refine my collecting habits. Reading and hearing people discuss what they like and don't like about figures has helped me find figures that I would have otherwise missed out on.

SJ21 wrote:I find it interesting that people begrudge other people over their collecting preferences. I guess I just don't understand it. Though I am very selective of what goes onto my shelf, I love seeing what different kinds of collections other people have. I remember a meet-up once where some of the guys were talking about mini-cons. I don't collect those, but it was cool to hear all the stuff that they had and why they collect those figures.

They're nice words but I'm not sure the reasoning behind them. As human beings everyone is going to have their own opinion on anything they have reason to be enthusiastic about and while the big ones tend to be politics, religion or sports, Transformers is no different.

Are you implying people should be happy with what we're getting from Hasbro/Takara and say silent with their shortcomings? Personally I'm more than pissed that here in the States the last wave of Generations/RTS Transformers are so hard to find in retail and even online Hasbro has failed to supply even their own website with them to an efficient degree. Does it make sense to you that people should be price-gouged online on eBay or other vendors for a wave that's less than a month old? Meanwhile there are literally dozens of Ravages and Mudflaps to be had in any Wal-mart or TRU. Who's to blame for that? Hasbro.

Your other thoughts seemingly contradict each other. You tell people that third party toys/accessories are only optional for those willing to pay the money for them and if you don't want them then you can ignore them. But suddenly you lash out at video reviewers for toys? Not only are you attacking fellow fans for doing something that there is certainly a need or demand for (otherwise they wouldn't continue to make them) but let's be consistent. The comparison to movies is also one that holds no weight. Are you really trying to imply that getting spoiled on how to transform a children's toy from one mode to the next is the same as being spoiled from a two hour movie? Not to mention even if you wanted to follow your comparison, what's the difference between reading a review of a movie that would cost you 12 dollars to go see in theaters or watching a video review of a deluxe figure tat would cost you 12 dollars to buy?

I will agree that being a Transformers fan has never been better, far from it. But that doesn't mean we should just be happy with what we've got. There's always room for improvement.

Are we far enough along with Microns/Mini-cons to be using the label "vintage Micron collector"? I don't know why I land at certain things and they scream at me. It always looks like I'm picking on people. No intended offense, it made me chuckle.

Hero wrote:
Are you implying people should be happy with what we're getting from Hasbro/Takara and say silent with their shortcomings? Personally I'm more than pissed that here in the States the last wave of Generations/RTS Transformers are so hard to find in retail and even online Hasbro has failed to supply even their own website with them to an efficient degree. Does it make sense to you that people should be price-gouged online on eBay or other vendors for a wave that's less than a month old? Meanwhile there are literally dozens of Ravages and Mudflaps to be had in any Wal-mart or TRU. Who's to blame for that? Hasbro.

When did I ever say that I was complacent with the distribution of Hasbro's toys? Certainly I haven't been complacent with it when its happened with Energon Snow Cat, when It happened with 2007 Movie Bumblebee, and now with Generations Wheeljack, Thundercracker and the sort. What me, you, and the common collector can do is actually get into Hasbro's grill, instead of having a defeatist attitude. The Seibertron.com article "Where are all the new Transformers, Hasbro?" certainly did something.

Hero wrote:Your other thoughts seemingly contradict each other. You tell people that third party toys/accessories are only optional for those willing to pay the money for them and if you don't want them then you can ignore them. But suddenly you lash out at video reviewers for toys? Not only are you attacking fellow fans for doing something that there is certainly a need or demand for (otherwise they wouldn't continue to make them) but let's be consistent. The comparison to movies is also one that holds no weight. Are you really trying to imply that getting spoiled on how to transform a children's toy from one mode to the next is the same as being spoiled from a two hour movie? Not to mention even if you wanted to follow your comparison, what's the difference between reading a review of a movie that would cost you 12 dollars to go see in theaters or watching a video review of a deluxe figure tat would cost you 12 dollars to buy?

This isn't some structured essay where I'm trying to look at the bright side of everything. I thoroughly respect what video reviews have accomplished, but I just don't like them. You ask what the difference between a review of a movie and review of a toy? Well it's like this. Where's the fun in going out to the store and experiencing a toy for yourself? And is it there really a demand for video reviews? Most reviewers aren't as exciting as they think they are. Do a funny accent, wear a hat, have the Transformer fight a cat! Just do something to make people think they're doing more than watching a lecture.... on a 'children's toy'.

Just trying to shoot my opinion out there. It might not be for the greater good. It might not be for any good. But I think my years of Transformers collecting and seeing Transformers collectors come and go like the seasons.. well i think my opinion is worth something.

Blurrz wrote:
Just trying to shoot my opinion out there. It might not be for the greater good. It might not be for any good. But I think my years of Transformers collecting and seeing Transformers collectors come and go like the seasons.. well i think my opinion is worth something.

This.

7 words:

Wet Myself When Bumblebee's Head Popped Off